Sometimes life can feel overwhelming and like it’s passing us by, you want to feel like you’re in the driver’s seat instead of watching the cars. If things are feeling busy and you can’t remember the last time you spent time on YOU, then these tips could help!
- Mindfulness. You might have heard this one before, but it doesn’t need to be a 30-minute-long activity, sitting with your legs crossed on a mountain. It can be as long or as short as you would like. The best bit? It can be
While you’re on a walk, notice your surroundings. Take a breath in and feel it fill your lungs and leave your body. Notice how your chest rises and how the air feels leaving your nose or mouth. Take a moment to listen and actively note what you can hear, then look around and note what you can see. Move through your senses, what does it smell like? How does the air feel on your skin? Can you taste anything? If you can’t get on a walk, you can do this anywhere, that’s the beauty. Becoming mindful and aware of your surroundings, pause your thoughts to notice what’s around you and be present in the moment.
search “guided mindfulness activity”, pick a video, take a seat and listen.
- Self- care. This can be something we easily forget, especially if we have a busy job, a family or a fast-paced life. But again, it doesn’t need to eat up time from your day. Self-care is only self-care if you can do it without feeling guilty, so practice allowing yourself this time and feel at peace when you’re doing it.
Take a bath (also a great time to practice our first tip!), do a facemask, watch an episode of your favourite TV show, make something, paint your nails, connect with an old friend.
- Give yourself time. How can I do this? My life is so busy and I already feel like I don’t have enough! This is a tricky one for a lot of people, and it might include a slight change to routine, but once you’ve started – it’s so easy.
Find a space in your day where you can shift your routine. A good one to start could be the mornings – if you find yourself waking up and immediately having to do something, set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and allow yourself to relax in bed, start a morning journal or drink your coffee while it’s hot. Or, it could involve noticing when your times are busiest, maybe the kids have gone to bed and now you need to clean for the next day? Take 10 minutes before you start or after you’ve finished to do something you want to do (another perfect opportunity to do tips 1 or 2!).
- Get active. I think this is something we all know but don’t know how to incorporate. The good news is that you don’t need to get a gym membership if you don’t want to. This can be small changes or big changes, you’re in control.
Take the stairs instead of the lift. Have a lunch time walk at work. Start a morning stretch routine. Get your kids involved and take them on a nature walk, set a goal of finding as many different leaves as possible and then enjoy your surroundings. As long as you’re moving in some way each day, you’re on the right path.
- Gratitude . When we’re overwhelmed, stressed, sad or busy it’s easy to forget the things we are grateful for. Give yourself time to remember this and allow your mind to make room for the good alongside everything else.
While brushing your teeth in the morning, list 5 good things that have happened lately or name the people that make you smile. When you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, think of something you are grateful for that happened the day before. When you’re making dinner, list 5 things you like about yourself. If you can, find a notebook and list the things you are grateful for before bed and read them again in the morning. It doesn’t matter if you’re listing the same things every day, it matters that you have thought about them.
All of these things can be incorporated into a daily routine and some of them can intertwine with each other. So have a look at what your average day looks like now, identify some times you can make small changes and notice the difference it can make.
Hazel Scott
Specialist Neurodevelopmental Practitioner
Feb 2024