Do you ever find yourself tired, burnt out and your usual energy and zest for life diminished? Sometimes this happens to us all and the truth is this is completely natural. What is important about getting to this point is; to take a step back and evaluate where you are and what areas in your life that you can start taking more care of yourself… Below I outline 11 ways in which you can “Bee Easy On Yourself”, so you can get back on track with enthusiasm and a thirst for life can be cultivated…
If you’re anything like me, saying no can be quite a difficult thing to do. However, I’ve learnt in some cases it is important not to overload ourselves. Saying no is good because it sends out the message that you respect yourself enough not to overload yourself, so that you’re not burnt out. Try it, it’s an act of self-love and you’ll be surprised by the people who you say no to may begin express more respect towards you. Saying no does not have to be a negative thing, it can be empowering and lets the world know that you are honouring yourself, your time and gives you time for things that you previously may not have had time for.
10 minutes is such a manageable amount of time. It’s a fraction of an hour. Taking 10 minutes to just sit with ourselves is enough to recharge and get back on track. Whether it’s 10 minutes when you’ve just come in from work to transition into the evening, or whether you’ve just put your children to bed, or whether you’ve just completed a long drive, an assignment, etc. Giving yourself 10 minutes gives your mind and body the signal of change. It’s enough time to replenish your energy levels. Some people might choose to do something in those 10 minutes that require stillness and attention, such as the points I’m going on to describe…
3) Breathe
Breathing is something we all do subconsciously. However, when we bring consciousness to our breathing it calms us by bringing more oxygen into our bodies and our minds. Every cell gets replenished. By taking 3 deep, conscious breathes, we can literally feel more alert, calm and able to focus on whatever we are doing in a particular moment…You could also choose to focus on your breathing for the 10 minutes that you take to transition into another part of your day. Experiment with it and see what works best for you…
Most people know I am a great advocate for smiling. As Dr David Hamilton explains; our emotions have 4 components. Please see the diagram below:
So by using the muscles that produce a smile (zygomaticus major), on either side of our mouths, that make us look happy, it actually causes changes in our brain chemistry by producing hormones such as dopamine and serotonin that help to make us feel happy. This in turn connects to our Autonomic Nervous System and can reduce blood pressure, lower our heart rate and in a very real sense can improve our health. So get out there and smile…There’s also a by-product that it helps us to connect with others and social connections are important for both mind and body health.
You don’t have to be a Buddhist Monk to meditate. Absolutely anyone can do it. I love meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, whatever name is most comfortable for you. It helps your mind and body to recuperate. It’s like unplugging from the chaos for a while, so that when you return you can respond at your optimum level. I advise people to begin with just 10 minutes per day. You could incorporate it into point 2 (take 10 minutes). You can start by just bringing awareness to the present moment by focussing on your breathing.. A lot of people say that they feel they are doing meditation “wrong”, my answer is always, “you cannot do it wrong.” If you find thoughts are getting in the way a lot, that’s okay. That’s what happens to begin with, what’s important, is that when you feel yourself drifting off into your thoughts you come back to the present moment. You can do this by using a 3 worded phrase such as “all is well”, or visualising a cloud floating away (that’s your thought) and then resting, until the next thought comes and do the same thing…. You could research some techniques online or use a guided meditation CD. It’s up to you. My next blog will be all about meditation, so plug in next month to learn more.
6) Hug someone you love
Hugs release a hormone called Oxytocin. When this is released into our bloodstream, it attaches to the inside of our blood vessels and helps them to dialate which reduces our blood pressure…how amazing is that?!
Walking is brilliant for mind and body health. It gives us the opportunity to contemplate the day, or to think about anything that we may have on our minds which gives us clarity of thought. It’s also great exercise and amazingly enough, we burn the same amount of energy walking a mile as we do running a mile. Also getting out for a walk, helps us to connect with nature which has a relaxing effect on our minds and our bodies.
9) Let it go
Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the drama of life or certain glitches that we perceive other people to cause us. However, for our own sake it’s much better for us to let these things go. Have you ever heard the saying, “Holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent free in your mind”. In a sense this is what we are doing when we hold on to things that upset us. An exercise I like to share people is to scrunch up some newspaper whilst imagining the grudge going into the paper and then rip it up and throw it in the bin. This is taking it out of your head and putting it into a tangible object and then by putting it in the bin, you are letting go of it in a physical sense. Try it and see…
10) Use positive affirmations
Positive affirmations have been shown to help create opportunities, increase confidence and boost positive emotions. You can make personalised affirmations up for yourself depending on what you want to create I have mentioned these in other blogs and the reason I am mentioning them again is because I really believe in them. I know they work through personal experience. For example I have written the following affirmation to help me to let go of difficult emotions:
“Everyday I cultivate positive emotions using my actions, words and body posture. I deal with negative emotions with time, care and attention, letting things go as I feel ready.”
11) Get a good sleep
Getting a good sleep is one of the most important aspects of a healthy and happy life. Getting in a good bedtime routine is important to promote health, so that you’re fully charged and ready to take on the day. Having a bath get help you to wind down, so that you’re ready for sleep. Avoid using electronic devices before bed because the light reduces your melatonin levels which is the hormone that tells your body that you’re tired. We all know children need a good night-time routine in order to promote a good sleep and the same goes for us.
I hope you find the 10 points I’ve made, easy to utilise. Remember to be easy on yourself when you attempt to apply these points. A tip that you might find helpful is to week by week, choose one or two of the points made and apply these. Once you’ve mastered them, you might want to go on and pick another one or two. Take your time, be innocent with it and practice makes perfect.
