These past months have been a great challenge for all us. We have had to cope with the loss of many of the things we have previously taken for granted. The company of others being a major one, and that is not with-standing the fear that the word Covid-19 strikes in many of us, in relation to our own health, or those of ones we love.
I myself have at times found my mind wandering into the realms of fear, placing my mind into the what ifs, and what might never happen mode. By returning to the present moment, and filling it with positive things, it allows me to centre myself. The following list of things, has empowered me to regain control, feel happier and able to bring balance to my own situation and I hope it can work for you too.
Regular Exercise
With the likes of Joe Wicks and Major Tom Moore, there has been plenty of inspiration to keep us moving over the summer months, both of these amazing individuals have shown that with positive thoughts and positive actions incredible things can be achieved, but as we enter Winter, and whilst we all cannot achieve the recognition those gentleman have, it shows us that things can be it still be achieved by people of all ages and that regular exercise remains as important as ever. We all know that physical activity is a great way of keeping our bodies healthy, but what is often forgotten or neglected is the importance it has on our Mental Health, keeping active helps us produce Serotonin, along with other feel good chemicals, that keep us calm and balanced and feeling braver and more in control.
Routine
By keeping a routine, we keep a purpose and motivation to carry on day to day. By having a routine, it informs our brain of our intentions, and if our intentions are positive, this allows us to feel positive.
Talking to others
Find a way to talk to those you love, this can be over the phone, Zoom calls, or maybe even writing to someone you love. (Look for the positives, think in a positive way).
Make laughter a way to be
Why not put on your favourite comedy shows and sit and enjoy and laugh. Laughing this helps boost our mood as well as helping us to relax.
Help others (interact in a positive way)
Helping others is known to give us a warm sense of purpose and helps us produce and release feel good chemicals in our brains. So not only do we feel good for doing something for someone else, that someone else gets to benefit too.
Appreciate what you do have (Gratitude)
This may seem and obvious thing to do, but so many of us can get caught up in focusing on what don’t have or what we appear we have lost, we forget to take the time in our daily routine to stop and reflect on what it is we do have, and to give thanks for this. Once again by thinking in a positive way we retrain our brain over time to look for all the things in life that are good for us. Our brains operate in a happier and more fulfilled and purposeful way when we train ourselves to give thanks, be it big or small, it all counts.
Meditation practises
If we try to keep our minds in the present moment, it can help our minds from wandering off into a cycle of negative thinking. Negative thoughts are heard by our subconscious mind, and it is here where we produce the wide variety of chemicals in our brains. If we think negative, we trigger the reactions that can lead to depression or anxiety, so it makes sense to try to avoid this way of thinking if possible.
Ways we can do this include;
- Exercise
- Reading
- Gardening and or connecting with nature
- Playing a Musical Instrument
- Sitting quietly, focusing on you something you enjoy and holding that thought for as long as you can.
- Listening to relaxing music, or a Hypnotherapy relaxation track.
Learn Something new
Use the lockdown time to learn something new, or revisit something you have loved doing in the past but not had the time.
Most of all try to enjoy the Yuletide and Christmas period as much as you can, it’s a great time for appreciating life, and reflecting on what we would like life to look like in the future.
From all at Illuminating Minds have a very Happy and Healthy Christmas and a Wonderful New Year