Life has been challenging over the past couple of years and it has also been amazing. While we may not have complete control over what happens in our lives, eg, money, health, loved ones, children, job, business, relationships etc, we do have a choice how we are with things, we do have a choice how we are impacted, we do have a choice how we move forward.

imagesShifting our mindset, our language, our perspective, helps us take the control back. Staying present with what is happening in your life, leaning into the discomfort, raising awareness how it is affecting you and making a choice how you are going to be with it, is empowering.  It’s not about forgetting, moving on or hiding it under the carpet. It’s about not letting it take over, whatever the ‘it’ is and clouding everything, even the good stuff.

When you feel down, stuck, overwhelmed, bring into your life some daily practices to support you from the inside out. Here are some of my daily practices which support me which I want to share with you…

1. Gratitude practice

Before going to bed, say to yourself or even better, have a conversation with your partner, friend, child, 5 things you are grateful for, which happened that day. This is a great way to end the day and supports us in shifting our focus to the positive, acknowledging all the great stuff we do have which we can sometimes forget, and it has been proven to help us be happier and more resilient.

So many of us, me included, get into bed at the end of the day and list what we haven’t done that day, what we had wished we had done, how long our to-do list still is, how busy tomorrow is going to be. What state are you going to sleep thinking this way? Does this feel like a healthy, clear, head space? If doesn’t to me. So instead do your gratitude practice, shift your thinking and aid your sleep.

2. Intentions

When we wake, instead of letting those unhelpful thoughts enter our heads, i am so tired, i slept bad, it’s going to be a tough day, i have so much to do, how will I get it done…what energy are you creating here? Not a very expansive, creative, relaxed state. Instead, what if when you woke up, the first thing you did was set an intention for the day. An intention to support you, which makes you feel good, brings a smile to your face, gives you focus and clarity for the day. What would that look like for you? How would it support you?

3. Journaling

We have so many thoughts running around our heads all the time, so much can be happening in one day, we are not able to process it all, be object, even understand it. Journaling allows us to open our minds and let our thoughts, feelings, emotions pour out onto the page, so we can see them for what they are. It’s a great space to vent also, write down what you have wanted to say to someone but haven’t, explore how you really feel about a situation, let go of what has been nagging at you. Give yourself the opportunity to be able to see things from a different angle. Get creative and write down ideas you have, things you want to explore. Free your mind from all the clutter, doesn’t that sound wonderful!

4. Mindfulness Meditation

This practice supports your mind to be completely present, be in the moment and without judgement. It allows your mind to rest. It helps you focus on one thing at a time, like the breath, the feeling of your feet on the ground and when your mind wonders, which it will, you can gently guide yourself back to a focus point. Not having to do anything with the thoughts which come up but just notice them. This practice has proven to support us in many, many ways, such as lowering anxiety, reducing stress, ability to focus better. It helps to soothe our nervous system and bring us back to a calm state.

5.  Do something which makes you happy

This can be a tough one to do, to even allow yourself to do, specially when times are challenging and one that is so beneficial to us. Release the feel good chemicals to balance the body out and support you from the inside out. What makes you happy? Going for a walk in the park, speaking to a great friend, eating something delicious, giving someone a hug, making someone laugh, putting on some cool tunes…

I can personally vouch that this stuff actually works if you give it a chance and remember, these are daily practices. Which means yes, they need to be done daily which can be challenging in their own right in a busy world but the benefits are so great, it’s so worth giving it a go. And they do not take long to do, 2, 5, 10 minutes each. I want to emphasise, these are practices which I have found to support me which I wanted to share with you. And there are many others out there. I appreciate one way does not suit all. Share with us what supports you from the inside out.

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