Hi everyone! 2020 – what a year! And we’ll leave that one there.
I think it’s fair to say we all have high hopes for 2021, with many of us using this new chapter to magically change ourselves whether that be mentally or physically.
Talking for myself, every year January rolls around and every year I tell myself ‘you need to start exercising more and dressing better’ and generally boost my motivation for life itself. However every year I feel like I let myself down if I fail on any of the above points. I think having these New Year’s resolutions can be great… if you stick to them. But if you don’t manage to stick to every resolution perfectly it’s so easy to beat yourself up about it.
This blog post is basically me wanting to tell whoever is reading that it’s ok to not be perfect because we’re all perfect in our own beautifully marvellous ways! I have created a little list of things I like to do when I’m feeling down about myself or my work or just life in general because let’s be honest, how can hearing coronavirus on the TV every 5 seconds make anyone feel happy or motivated??
The past couple of months have been tough, what with a strange Christmas and online uni lectures and generally missing human interaction. So these things have personally helped me to regain focus and love life for ME!
Meditation
Now, meditating has always been something that I have laughed at. I used to attend weekly yoga sessions and at the end of each session we would kind of just lie on the floor for the last 10 minutes while the instructor spoke or played music. I always found this stage difficult as I felt uncomfortable and either wanted to laugh or quietly roll out of the room. However, through this pandemic, it’s been a saving grace for me.
It’s soooo easy to find meditation clips: here’s one of my favourites. I either meditate in the morning just after waking up or just before going to bed at night. Both work a treat in reducing any stress or anxiety you may be feeling. You may laugh the first time you meditate but I promise you, if you meditate often enough it’ll feel like riding a bike.
Taking time for yourself outside
I’ve said in a blog post before that over the first lockdown I made a vegetable patch. I’m still growing an abundance of veg including cauliflowers, cabbages and Brussels sprouts. Even if I just pop outside to have a look at them for 5 minutes, it’s the exact thing I need – just 5 minutes of fresh air really clears your head and boosts your mood! So give it a try, even if you just put your coat on and sit outside for 5 minutes, it may just be exactly what you need.
Self-care
We’ve all been getting fed up recently, we haven’t had the recent celebrations we usually do or celebrated how we usually would which has left me for sure feeling a bit flat. Feeling a bit flat has also left me noticing little things like ‘I have another spot on my chin’ or ‘I only washed my hair yesterday, why does it feel horrible today?’ So instead of feeling down about it I decided to start a new routine of washing my face morning and night and using different types of serums on my skin which has improved it – this really boosted my mood. I didn’t have to go out and buy expensive products to do so, most of it I already had, I just never used.
My love friend Lucy bought me a ‘6-minute diary’ last year and you’re meant to fill this out morning and night addressing things you’re grateful for, good things you’ve experienced today and how you’ll make today a good day. Taking 6 minutes of my day to reflect and appreciate even the little things around me has really opened my eyes to gratitude.
Tackle everything one at a time
Talking to my friends at uni, we have all shared concerns over nearing deadlines and continuous work that is making us stress out a little because it never seems like there is a good place to start. All I can suggest is take things one step at a time. It’s super easy to have 10 things to do and want to tackle them all at the same time because they all need completing. However, it’s impossible to do 10 things at a time so slow it right down and take each day as it comes.
It might not be uni work that is getting to you, it could be your New Year’s resolution or completing your skincare routine. The world isn’t going to end if I forget the second part of my skincare routine, life will simply go on so don’t be too hard on yourself. And remember, it’s okay to not have it all figured out yet!
Give yourself permission to be you
I know after the first lockdown I was in a frame of mind where I thought if I haven’t started 10 new skills, remodelled my bedroom and lost a tonne of weight, I had wasted that week. However, that’s really not the case. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what others are doing and lose sight of yourself. I have learned from lockdown that it’s okay if all you did today was survive. Times are tough and it really is okay if you simply just woke up and survived another day. Be kind to yourself and don’t compare yourself with others – it’s a hard thing to do but trust in the process.
Keep smiling everyone and remember there are always people out there who you can talk to!
Millie 🙂