I’m tired of their stories, let’s write our own.
Atticus.
So… you found my personal development blog.
Here, you’ll find me, both old and new, raw and unedited.
I hope for this blog to help me figure myself out, to develop me into a more refined version of who I am today.
Growth takes time, so bear with me.
This past week, I have been stressed. Between packing up my apartment to move, working 6 full days, trying to get some gym time, and attempting to have a social life, my mental health has been suffering. I decided to do some research on easy ways that I could put my mind at ease during these intense times. Get ready, because here are three practices that I found that worked for me:
I found this great app called “Headspace.” I was looking for something to help me find moments of peace when I felt like I was out of control, and Headspace fulfilled that need! The app offers guided meditations for lengths of time between three and ten minutes. What I like about this app is that you can literally find three minutes of quiet almost anywhere. Even if you feel like you don’t have time to take a second to clear your mind, the reality is that you most definitely have three minutes.
I usually am very good about my portion size when I eat, but since I have been so mentally preoccupied recently, my eating habits have been quite unusual compared to my established personal norm. I found myself devouring four and five servings of items at a time; pretzels, white cheddar popcorn, and hummus were no match for my anxious eating! Once I recognized that this was becoming an issue, I decided to make a change. My new method for battling the stress eating is to always start with a glass of water. I’m feeling hungry? Glass of water. I want a little snack? Glass of water. I’ll just have one? Glass of water. Then, after my glass of water, if I’m still feeling like I need something to eat, I’ll allow myself to have whatever it is that I am craving. I also make sure to enjoy what I am eating. I don’t want to find myself shoving marshmallows down my throat mindlessly; if I’m going to eat, I want to enjoy those calories. In case you want more information on mindful eating, check out 6 Ways to Practice Mindful Eating! Chris Willard delves into 6 important things to remember about mindful eating. From letting your body catch up to you brain to developing healthy eating environments, Willard lays out helpful tips that even the most conscious “snacker” could learn from!
I heard this metaphor from a leader of an anxiety session I attended. Here’s the situation: I am in Philadelphia, and I value heading west. I can head west all the way around the world and find myself back in Philadelphia. What then? Have I reached “west?” Can I say that I arrived at “west?” No. There’s no way to officially be at a direction, and this is similar to the values we hold for ourselves. We can value being on time or giving 100% effort, but ultimately, smaller goals act as milestones to tell us if we are heading in the right direction (for me, that’s west). This metaphor reminds me that it is okay to not always be heading full force in the direction that I am trying to go; there are detours, there is traffic, life gets in the way, but as long as we remember to act with our values in mind, we can continue heading in the direction we want to go. Onward!
All in all, I think the best thing to do when stress tries to consume you is to answer the following question: Is this a life or death matter? If it is, stress away. If it’s not, acknowledge that fact, and reassess how you feel. Remember these practices to enhance mindfulness when you are trying to bring yourself back to the present. Your feelings are valid, but sometimes, we just need a moment to find ourselves in the present.
Until next time, friends!
GO, GO, GO! Faster! This way, that way! Life pulls us in all different directions; sometimes we forget to appreciate where we are. I recently noticed that I have been getting absurdly overwhelmed with the number of things I have on my plate; I can’t seem to say “No!” In this world, having downtime is a blessing, something I haven’t been familiar with for quite some time.
So, I decided to do something about that way I was feeling. Last week, I looked at yoga and how practicing that could help me find peace with myself and where I am. I recall that I said I was going to update you on my progress with my yoga habits, but unfortunately, I have been too afraid to start. I found that I was becoming more and more aware of the presence of my yoga mat in my room, just another item on my “To Do” list that I hadn’t addressed, so I put the yoga mat into my closet and decided that I would try and deal with my emotional block first. Due to this setback, this week, I attended a seminar focused on the subject of how to deal with anxiety and stress in all aspects of life. Here’s what I learned:
Yes, this is corny; no, it is NOT uncalled for. I am the kind of person who thinks that I am invincible, that I can accomplish everything that needs to be done in a fast and efficient manner, and that I can surpass all expectations all the time. Sounds like a lot to live up to, right? Well, surprise! It is. Thankfully (I think?) I’m not the only one who has ever felt overwhelmed by this massive ideal. Remembering that other people are feeling exactly that way I feel is both warming and concerning at the same time. I would never wish for others to feel stressed or anxious, but at the same time, it makes me feel like part of a group; I feel “normal,” which is sometimes all you need.
There is no set time frame in which you have to have something done! You do NOT need to:
There are plenty of people in this world who haven’t done any of the aforementioned at all, but they are out there thriving, so there is certainly no timeline for any of these events. Learn more about how your life doesn’t have a timeline here!
Watch where your mind wanders when these stressful times present themselves. Are you able to change what is happening? Can you do anything right now to affect the outcome? If “No” is the most accurate answer to these questions, then acknowledging that there is nothing you can do in this moment may help to settle the storm that is brewing in your mind. Try to find peace in that you can rest for now knowing there is nothing more you can do. Here, a little meditation might come in handy. If those thoughts are running rampant, try this 5 Minute Calming Meditation. Don’t think you have five minutes? Think again.
Be in this moment. Find yourself exactly where you are. Are you walking down the street? Are you sitting in a chair? Are you driving? Are you running? Feel your movements. Take something that you ordinarily wouldn’t notice, and experience it with your full awareness. How do your feet feel in your shoes? How does the air feel? Is it warm? Comfortable? Cold? How do your hands feel? Are you holding anything? Okay, now shoulders, are they tight? Are you tense? When you are being mindful, this is not necessarily a time to change how you feel. You don’t have to release tension or adjust the way you are sitting. Being mindful means to acknowledge exactly where you are, and this doesn’t need to come with judgement.
One of Hannah Montana’s greatest hits, “Nobody’s Perfect,” is an anthem that we should all live by. Take into account that you’re not perfect, that you make mistakes, that everything doesn’t always go as planned. The uncertainty is part of life, and it’s what keeps things interesting. Embrace this uncertainty and imperfection, and let it guide you. Stay on your toes, and be ready for what’s next, because what’s ahead just might change your life! In case you forgot how the Hannah Montana’s song goes, check it out here, and remember, nobody’s perfect!
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with feeling stressed or anxious, but if you ever think that it’s too much for you to handle, don’t be afraid to reach out. These are normal human feelings, and getting help is a brave, courageous move that you can make. If you need immediate assistance, text CONNECT to 741741 or visit crisistextline.org for more information.
Additionally, you can always reach out to me! Drop a comment below on what has you stressed out today, and let’s work through it. Hopefully this coming week is the one where I finally start my yoga journey I mentioned in my last post!
Readers, you know how you always have that one friend who is an avid advocate for yoga? “Yeah, yoga changed my life. My essence has been transformed since I started taking yoga seriously. You should totally join me; let’s get this Zen.”
Well, maybe you don’t have that type of friend, but BOY, I absolutely do. Don’t get me wrong, I’m supportive of my friends and whatever they choose to spend their time doing (too many people are judgmental these days; support your friends!), but I’ve never really gotten into yoga. My goal right now is to do a little research, find out what’s so good about yoga from the perspectives of others, and then I might dabble in the art form.
To start off my research, I watched a TED Talk that caught my eye. If you haven’t heard of a TED Talk, I have to say, you’re missing out entirely. I started with the TED Talk called “Yoga and its connection to mental health” by Nikolai Blinow.
As a yoga teacher and mental health counselor, Blinow examines the similarities and differences in the way that mental health counseling and yoga treat people. What I mean by this is for mental health counseling, “We focus on what’s going wrong with people instead of what’s going right.” When Blinow made this statement, it struck a chord with me. How could something that is such a vital form of health care sound so cold? In my life, I know a few people who attend such counseling sessions, and now I wonder how productive these sessions truly are. This statement illuminates the idea that maybe there is a different way to approach the feeling of unhappiness.
Blinow continues and explains that yoga takes a slightly different approach toward people; yoga seeks to help people “learn strategies to treat the root of unhappiness versus just treating the symptoms.” Although this seems intuitive, to treat the root cause of a problem, it can often be overlooked. Attempting to reach the root cause can prevent or at least lessen the degree of effect that a certain feeling can have on a person. It’s important that we take care of ourselves, and it can be hard to find or admit the root cause of our unhappiness but admitting to the cause is the first step you need to take.
Yoga and mental health counseling, here we’ll specifically look at cognitive behavioral therapy, do share traits. Cognitive behavioral therapy is broken down into four sections that are intertwined: behavior, feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations. Each area is treated in a different way, but when looking at the makeup of the ideals that are encompassed by yoga, yoga attempts to treat the same sections as cognitive behavioral therapy. Although yoga technically involves more components and is made up in a linear model, the components from mental health counseling and yoga overlap. Since yoga and mental health counseling are both trying to reverse and be proactive about feelings of unhappiness, yoga doesn’t seem so much like a “status” activity; yoga is much more about personal health and well being.
All right, I think I convinced myself; I’m going to try and get into a yoga routine. With the differences and similarities between yoga and mental health counseling all weighed out, I am going to try it out and see how it goes. Check back with me next week to see my flexibility progress. Who knows, maybe I’ll become the next advocate for yoga! If you have a favorite yoga pose, drop a comment below, and I’ll try it out!
Do you remember when you were young? Playing outside seemed like a privilege. Recess, a saving grace, was given to you daily. Being anywhere but inside was what you wanted, even if you didn’t know it at the time.
Fast forward to this very moment, nose buried in this post, phone in hand, headphones in listening to whatever Spotify station you had playing yesterday. These days, it seems like people scuttle from one enclosure to the next, chasing the next air-conditioned room.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why you should spend a little bit of time outside every day.
Do you think sitting inside is refreshing? If you’re at work, you’re sitting there for 8 hours a day breathing the same air that all your coworkers are breathing. The germs are circulating, spreading faster than a wildfire. Sometimes, all you need is to step outside and get a breath of fresh air. I’ve read that just taking time to relocate yourself to the outdoors for a few minutes can increase happiness. Who doesn’t want to be happy?
Breathe on a tree. Although that sounds so cheesy, trees need carbon dioxide (and plenty of it) to carry out photosynthesis. With all the deforestation that’s going on in the world, why not help the trees we do have left thrive? If you don’t want to be outside for your own well-being, do it for the trees.
UV? Come to me! I realize that science has shown that the sun can have very damaging effects on skin, but what is often overlooked is that science shows that sun can also have positive effects; everything is good in moderation. Sunlight can actually boost the body’s production of Vitamin D, so health benefits come with the outdoors.
Relax already! Life is stressful enough as it is, so when I find myself getting overly stressed, I enjoy sitting under a tree with a good book in hand. You can’t go wrong with some of George Orwell’s finest words and a nice breeze. When I am in this zone, I mentally set my status to “Do Not Disturb.” You deserve a little more “me time,” so let yourself have it!
Going with relaxing, take time to think about how lucky you are to be where you are right this very moment. Whatever is going on in your life isn’t the end of the world? No matter how bad things seem, they can always get worse, but more importantly, they can always get better. Being outside, amidst the towering trees and the sneaky shrubs, realize that you’re just a small part of a much bigger picture. Everything isn’t so serious, but we can get ourselves carried away. Nature helps me bring myself back to center; what does it do for you?
Sitting here, reflecting on how many hours I have spent indoors within the last week, I am going to try and listen to my own advice. I’m going to take more time to stop and smell the roses (actually)! I guess I can make some time in my busy schedule for nature. Can you? Drop a comment below, and let me know what you love to do outside!
Becoming Me to a "T" 