I've been going through a little bit of a rough time. It seems all sorts of stress has finally caught up with me in the last month for here I lie with the flu for the second time in weeks, which is getting a little bit depressing not to mention a bit freaked out (I am a bit of a worrier!) for I am generally the type of person who bounces back from a cold in less than a day: I eat better than average, get plenty of rest, and ride my bike at least five days a week. But I do take on stress, its true, and for the last year have not coped as healthfully as I know I could. I have sneaked more cigarettes than usual probably wreaking havoc on my body's defences, I have spent a bit more time zoning out on the computer than I have being mindful, and I have indulged more in gossip and bitching lately--all symptomatic of the cycle of stress and anxiety that feeds on such behaviours which are themselves fuelled by small (though always ballooning!) changes in life (and not just mine, I have a tendency to take on the weight of the world when I am in a susceptible state like the one I am in now). So I need to reboot and remember the healthy little things that keep me glowing and grounded and that force the bugs to stay away. To fight the blues of being sick and focus on the health, mental and physical, that I have taken for granted this last while I have compiled these tips for living mindfully that I look forward to indulging in each day from now on once I regain what truly is a gift.
Things That Ground:
-Cycle, walk, or swim each day--particularly on workdays to segue out of your public and into your private reality.
-Write (or express yourself the way you need to express yourself artistically) everyday. Or at least most days, especially when you are feeling out of touch with yourself in order to pay attention to your inner monologue so that you can be in touch with yourself again.
-Spend quality time with yourself as much as you can. If your social/work/family life is too crazy for you to be able to spend alone time each day, consider taking yourself out (or keeping yourself in!) once a week--or better yet take yourself out for a small holiday! Also, consider using your lunch break as "me" time. Go for a walk, go people watching, go write...
-Eat delicious, home made, and grounding foods at every meal and take the time to savour each bite. I'm good at doing the first part but tend not to often honour the beautiful meal I have prepared, which is in many ways worse than eating out for each meal because it means I am not recognizing my own creative capacity and implicit efforts to self care. Take the time (if you can) to cook a delectable simple meal (even if its just for yourself), to sit with it, and at lunch to heat your food if it is meant to be eaten warm and do not eat it out of a plastic container. I often forget to breath, especially while I am eating--that could potentially be deadly.
-Have a morning ritual and get up earlier to be able to enjoy every step. I feel much better if I can drink lemon water first thing in the morning, stretch, and then have a delicious breakfast. If I skip one step I feel off kilter for the rest of the day. I have been feeling like a train wreck lately and that is no coincidence.
-Spend time with animals!
-Spend time with your family--especially ageing family for they are our link to the past and feeling connected to history and to our loved ones is one of the most grounding things in this fragmented crazy world that tends to erase our collective memory with each new gigabyte of information we are given access to. If you aren't close to elders in your family, adopt some!
-Nurture your own memories. I have recently purchased some of the books I like best as a child and was amazed--and reassured to find how little I've actually changed and how many memories there are too uncover inside of me.
-Spend time with your friends--of all ages!
-But I feel at my best if I only have two social obligations each week. I am an introvert, it might be different for you. The point is respect your threshold and learn to politely decline an invitation--quality is more important than quantity.
-If you are fortunate enough to have sick days where you work, use one occasionally for a mental health day (not when you are at your wits end and actually need a mental health day) and spend every moment of that day doing things that are enjoyable for you. Its fun playing hooky sometimes and actually helps to make you a more productive employee!
-If you are fortunate enough to have sick days and you are sick take the day off and be kind to yourself. Don't go to work (and make others ill) and do not feel guilty (guilt kills). Treat yourself like you would treat your own child.
-Periodically think about, even better write down, all the things you are grateful for--big and small: today, I am grateful that medjool dates exist, that my boyfriend is one of the best bakers whose cakes I have had the pleasure of eating, for a rad and colourful family and rad and colourful inlaws, and best friends who live a bit too far but who I will get to see this year and with whom I know nothing will ever change. And that I do have my health even though it sure doesn't feel like it right now.
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| I am grateful that I get to go back to this |
