KEEP KIND & FIND COMPASSION
Wellbeing, mental health and mindfulness are topics that pop up most in most of my writing & blog posts. Probably because it’s such a huge part of my life and day-to-day. If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, you’ll know how important it is to me and how much this subject has affected and changed my life. Now, I can look back and see how it has changed me for the better, however when going through the thick of panic disorder or crippling depression, it doesn’t feel so. So much so, I was thinking of writing a book about my experiences, what I’ve learnt, my knowledge on how to deal with it, and how I did what I’ve done… Exciting, crazy & a strange feeling!
More than ever, keeping ourselves sane, healthy and in good mental spirits is so so important due to the current situation the whole world is in. People that don’t even suffer from mental health on a daily basis are struggling, people who find anxiety part of their daily business are struggling a little more than usual due to the uncertainty and lack of physical touch. I have been trying to think of a blog post I could write, a way I could help, something that could help change peoples perspectives or a few ideas of daily practises you could do instead of the traditional meditate & write your journal route. I wanted to keep it in line with my usual posts, filled with imagery and then I figured, I’ve pretty much spent the whole of quarantine taking things completely back to basics in order to keep my mental health in check.
Scroll down for the things that are keeping me strong, busy and in a good headspace
READING, READING, READING.
In the past week I have read 5 books and I LOVED it. I read Blood Orange, If I Never Met You, Where The Crawdads Sing, The Rosie Effect & The Rosie Result. Next on my list is Normal People (beaut TV Show) City of Girls, Once Upon A River & The Flat Share. I’ve finally fallen back in love with reading, and I love escaping my daily life and falling in love with characters and getting completely swept up in the story line. In my eyes there is nothing better than an afternoon spent down the beach escaping life into a beautifully written novel.
WALKING.
I have been aiming to walk 10,000 steps per day. Partly to try and fix my gut health and bloating issues, but I’ve also noticed so many other benefits. I’ve always been a walker, my mum & I would go on regular 8 mile walks per week. I’ve always found solitude in walking by the beach and having time to think etc. But since I’ve been aiming to walk 10k every day, I’ve noticed that not only have I lost weight, my legs are really toning up, it helps my bloating, I feel like my digestion flows better, it gives me time to think or listen to music or catch up on my fav podcasts, I get a daily dose of sunshine (if the weather is on my side), I spend time in nature which is SO good for the soul, and I feel accomplished knowing I walked a long way.
COOKING.
Another thing I am thoroughly enjoying again is cooking & baking! I recently signed up to the Eat Burn Sleep 6 week plan in order to fix my gut health & stomach issues. Anyone who has struggled with anxiety might know this too, but through the years of terrible panic disorder, it ended up really damaging my tummy and resulting in severe inflammation, bloating and very bad digestion. My tummy will usually tell me when I’m anxious before I even know which can be incredibly frustrating. Especially when you wake up looking like you’re suddenly 5 months preggers! So, it’s something I’m trying to fix and make better. I’ve loved baking Yalda’s paleo bread every week, extra light banana bread for breaky and making soups, healthy dinners and pretty much whatever my body craves, but in a way that doesn’t send my gut into overload and into a crazy bloating relapse.
PAINTING.
If you know me, you’ll know I have forever loved painting, but it’s always been something that didn’t bring money in, so I figured it was not a priority. How wrong was I! This time in Quarantine has freed up sometime that I now spend painting, whether it be bigger pieces that I can put up in my flat, plant pots or a simple sketchbook painting. So nice to get creative, see what you make and then feel arty, creative, and have a new piece of art that’s in your style that you can put up in your place to make it extra cozy!
INDOOR GARDENING
I live in a little flat, and I unfortunately don’t have a garden which can sometimes be tough, especially during lockdown! But I decided to turn my windowsills into a little green house/gardening section where I’m growing beetroot, parsley, carrots and I have loads of little plants - I love watering them every morning before making my morning coffee. I swear that there really is nothing more rewarding or better then planting a seed, nurturing it, watering it every day and watching it grow and then the best part… EATING IT. I love it, I have a new passion & love.
BIKE RIDES.
I’m incredibly lucky to live near the sea, so bike riding along that beauty is definitely not a chore. It’s so peaceful cycling right next to the coast and taking in the beautiful colours and breathing in the sea air.
NAPS.
This is an obvious one, for obvious reasons. 1. I love naps. 2. They are good for you. 3. They refresh you 4. Tell me, what is better than extra time in bed? The answer is nothing. No one has a reasonable argument against this. I will forever love naps.
TIME OFF TECHNOLOGY.
This will always be something we know will help, but sometimes it can feel so hard to actually come off technology, they’re so addictive! I’ve noticed that the past few days I’ve been busy reading, going out for walks, to the beach, painting or doing work that I haven’t been going on Social Media half as much recently and oh my god the difference in my head is AMAZING. I know, that the minute I log into Instagram I fall into a completely comparison vortex, no matter how many people I unfollowed that used to ‘trigger’ that reaction, I still manage to get myself into that situation. So taking Social Media out of the picture seemed like the only option and I felt more level headed and in the moment because I was doing hobbies that I genuinely love.
DATE NIGHTS.
Again, I’m SUPER lucky that I’m isolating with my boyfriend, god knows what I’d do if I was living alone during this time - it would be soooo tough. We’ve definitely been making the most of all this time together by watching films series (we just finished all the Marvel films in order!), TV Series, playing games, doing art projects, cooking dinner together, making cocktails, arguing over the washing up lol (keeping it real) and going on regular long walks or bike rides.
I’m definitely tying to utilise this time to focus on deepening my relationships, whether it’s romantic, friendships or with myself. Keep being kind and finding compassion people, there is always someone there for you. All my love and hugs xxxx