Just keep breathin'
We've all had that feeling in our gut. We've all had those moments where we can't seem to get a full breath. We've all had those moments where we are uncontrollably shaking or maybe terrifyingly still. We're either sweaty or pale. We can't stop talking or we avoid everyone we know. We are restless or we can't seem to get out of bed. Nevertheless, We've been consumed by one extreme or the other. We allow our negative thoughts to have negative thoughts, but still expect our bodies to breathe while our mind is going a mile a minute! We let a thought like "I don't know what to do with my life" or "I don't know what to wear" or "what did he/she mean by that?" spiral us out of control. We skip filtering the thought but let it trickle down into our subconscious. Instead of evaluating if the thought, comment or interpretation is negative or positive, true or false, necessary or unnecessary; we burden our sense of peace, productivity, our attitudes, our day, month, year, sleep etc. That's why it's important to take a breather in whatever shape or form that looks like to you. Whatever it is that makes you feel in control of your situation and not consumed by it. Whatever it is that makes you feel more alive compared to feeling like you're surviving.
Talk less, observe more
Focus on yourself
Do what you need to do and not what you think you have to do
Be in the moment, don't worry about the next breath
Take a vow of silence for an hour
20 mins of meditation
Drink camomile or peppermint
Challenge yourself to only open two tabs at a time
Wake up early
Walk until you feel better (oh and look at leaves)
Breathe deeply
Organize and plan for the week accordingly
Study in random little cafés
Take the day off
Notice you're in your head and be aware of your thought pattern
Relax your shoulders (you can apply Peppermint essential oil on sore shoulders)
Show attention and appreciation
Listen to Destiny's Child (made another playlist)
Whatever you do, don't break the healthy habit streak (this makes or breaks your mood)
Making time to listen to others and take the scope off yourself (and your situation)
Don't put your priorities on a pedestal
Have a brain dump, there's nothing like writing everything down as it comes to you
Diffuse or apply Lemongrass essential oil for citrusy, happy vibes
Say "no" to plans that you honestly are too busy for or don't want to attend
Forgive yourself and move on
Sometimes it's about taking things day by day and not worrying about what the action or lack of action is going to shift 5 years down the line! Yes, it's important to plan out our lives but it's unhealthy to forget where you live; now and here. Don't let the problems that you've already dealt with or are going to deal with after you have your morning cup of coffee invade the time you're carving out for yourself. But things happen and the mind inevitably wanders and you find yourself planning for the day, questioning if you submitted this week's weeks, or internally laughing about something someone said the other day. Which can all be great, but have nothing to do with the moment that is currently passing you by. Same thing goes when more negative thoughts come in, take it bit by bit; day by day and hour by hour in order to live and breathe with ease.
“Sometimes it’s OK if the only thing you did today was breathe.” — Yumi Sakugawa
