Because life can be, well, life!
So much bloody stuff can happen in life - bills, bad news, ill parents, struggling with your kids, job loss, rising cost of living. I know how stressed I can feel when life gets tough, as if everything is piling on top of me and as if I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel… Life is always going to be tough, the bad times are bad because of how beautiful life is, and because of how much it hurts when good things are lost.
But there’s ways we can make ourselves feel a little bit better, and you would be surprised at how much mindfulness can really make you feel that you can deal with things a little bit more as they happen.
1. Try meditating a little every day
Meditation is a way to help retrain our brains (which if yours is like mine, never bloody shut up!) so that our thoughts don’t have as much of a bad impact on our emotional state. You can make this really simple by using a YouTube video or a simple app like Headspace. Giving yourself permission for just a few minutes to not be worried or stressed, could be the break your poor tired brain is yelling out for…
2. Write in a gratitude journal
When I feel crap, it really helps for me to write out some gratitude journaling each day. Writing something nice that happened that day, or writing about how grateful I am for my friends and family, or for just being able to be breathing, really helps to center me and show me that there is still lots of lovely stuff even at times when it feels like there is none..
3. Try self-compassion
My brain can be a nasty bugger sometimes! Next time you are facing a moment where everything feels so hard you don’t know how to face the next, try this self-compassion exercise. Place your hand on your heart and actively soothe yourself by quietly saying:
“This is such a difficult time, I’m doing the best I can and I’m here for myself with love and kindness”
4. Take a break from the chaos
Times are bloody crazy.. But the truth is the world has always been crazy, but we’ve never had access to every piece of news, straight to a thing that’s constantly in our hand. Take a break from the endless scrolling, or maybe switch off those news alerts. Get outside into nature without your phone or even just take a few minutes just with your family, and see how much less chaotic your brain feels. You are allowed to switch off lovely!
Rocco, Gabriele and me taking time out
Our brain can either be our greatest friend, or our worst enemy...
Mindfulness helps to make our brain take a step back, and give ourselves compassion rather than turning on ourselves (or others) when stuff gets tough. If you can make time for one of these each day when you’re having it rough, I promise you, it will really help. Above all, we all need to be kind to ourselves.
Love Tanya ❤️