Everyday life isn’t always a walk in a park, especially during a pandemic. Living through these unpredictable times has had an effect on all of our mental wellbeing's. Sometimes you may feel like you just can't be bothered or it feels like enough effort to get through the day without tears, let alone with a smile on your face. But this isn't a feeling you have to just brush off. This moment is not forever and there’s still plenty of time to genuinely have a HAPPY new year; being positive isn’t something we’re taught in school and it’s time to learn new ways to look after our own wellbeing, to water our own grass.
So, we’ve put together some 5 things you can practice to give your everyday routine a little well needed boost…
#1. I am, I can and I will
Mantras and affirmations are something we can all benefit from incorporating into our everyday lives. Talking to yourself can often raise some eyebrows but it can have an amazing effect on your mental health. You need to stop ripping yourselves to shreds, thinking you’re not good enough will lead you to believe that you’re not good enough so why not turn the tables!? Consistency is definitely key in this situation and vital to help you embody these positive beliefs - as even though googling pictures of cute puppies may help short term, you need to think about the long-term relationship you have with yourself!
A great way to start is my making a list of your favourite mantras and affirmations, think of this as your go-to manual. If you’re new to this or stuck for affirmations, Periodical have the perfect starter pack - the Self-Love Deck contains 40 hand-illustrated cards, each with a different affirmation, so have a spiritual shuffle and focus on a different card each day!
#2. Inhale the future, exhale the past
Meditation can seem quite daunting as it’s more than just closing your eyes and sitting cross-legged. You've probably heard it all before but meditation is about finding your inner peace and happiness through the power of our minds. Many of you may have tried and felt nothing was happening, so threw in the towel (feeling just as stressed as you did when you started). But just like anything, you are very unlikely just to 'know how to do it' or 'be good at meditating' unless you practice. A great place to start is to let go of all those inside voices in your head which usually say, “is it working?”, “am I doing it right?” “nope, it’s not working”, “I give up”.
If you don’t know where to begin, there are plenty of videos to walk you through your journey on websites such as headspace and YouTube, full of clips perfect for complete novices or meditation masters - you can even incorporate your favourite mantras too!
What you can do to help set the scene. Use a clean and clear space, perhaps add some plants or your favourite cushion, add a personal touch to the space around you, so you feel completely at ease. Lighting is all down to personal preference, if you’re a morning bird, set yourself up in a room which gets a lot of natural light, you may want to feel the light light from the sun rising on your face. If you’re a night owl, switch off your lights and light up your favourite candles around the room to create a calming atmosphere (some of our favourite meditative scents are 'aura' and 'om' candles, which contain relaxing essential oils).
#3. Spring clean your life
We don’t just want to focus on the positives, you need to take account and responsibility for all the things which are getting you down in your life. It's a great time of the year to have a spring clean, you know what they say, a tidy room = a tidy mind. As Marie Kondo says, if it doesn't bring you joy then get rid of it - if it doesn't spark joy then it's just taking up unnecessary space in your life.
Throwing away that over worn jumper may seem like a piece of cake but letting go of memories could be a little trickier. Holding onto bad memories will never bring anything positive into your life (unless, it’s a little healthy reminiscing where you can see how you’ve grown, then we’re all for that), why not write them all down to get it all out and post it to your ex? JUST KIDDING - bin or burn that negative thing! Going through the physical act of getting rid of those bad vibes that you don't want in hanging around no more feels oh so good.
#4. Social media? We don't know her
We’re now living in this day and age where checking your social media has become part of your daily routine and we end up spending HOURS scrolling aimlessly through feeds. Although, social media is probably our main way of knowing what’s going on in the world (especially, through this current time) but it definitely can have a negative impact on how we feel. Logging onto social media opens up a whole can of worms of comparing ourselves with others, leaving us often dissatisfied with how we look and our own lives. Remember, we only really want to show others our highlights, we don’t see the unwashed lockdown hair, our lockdown cooking realities of beans on toast again or that we’re currently scrunched up on the sofa trying to ease our period pains.
We’re not saying to delete your social media, as many of us use it as an easy communication tool to speak to others who aren’t always a phone call away, but it’s good to have a digital detox every now and then. It removes the stress you may feel from constantly being connected to your device and enables you to differentiate your online self to your actual self. The hours you may usually spend online can now be used to focus on you and doing activities that bring you joy.
#5. Grow through what you go through
Right, you’ve woken up anxious and stressed or you’ve literally had THE worst day at work, instead of bottling up all the emotions into a concoction of disaster, it’s time to let it all out…through journaling.
Just like painting, journaling is an art, not only can it allow for some deep thinking, it helps you put situations into perspective. Sometimes you need to write things down, whether it’s how you’re feeling or the actual situation which made you feel the way you did, you’re able to revisit it at any time and re-evaluate, it’s all about your own personal growth. A self-love journal is a great place to start, because the relationship with yourself is the best and most important one to have! P.s this works great with your daily affirmations.
If you’re a journaling virgin, start off slow and just give it a few minutes of your day if time is of the essence, but hopefully soon you’ll be prioritising journaling over social media. You don’t just have to write about the negatives, write everything that’s brought a smile to your face and you can always revisit that memory if you're in need of a pick me up. Remember to keep your journal close as you may never know when you’ll need it and you’ll be more inclined to write if it’s not under that pile of clothes in the corner of your bedroom.
You can write about anything, literally anything! For example, if you seem to struggle during that time of the month, period tracking could be a life saver as you’re cycle could be in sync more than you think (although, it may not seem like that most of the time). By noting when you have your period each month and how your mood has been affected throughout your cycle, it can help you spot patterns giving you full reigns on your period and deepening your relationship with your body.
Just remember, being positive doesn’t come naturally to us all the time, think of it as a skill, the more you practice the better you’ll become. You should be really proud of yourself every day, cause you’re doing amazing sweetie.
Please note: If you are struggling with anxiety and depression and struggling to cope please see a doctor or professional for advice.