Author: Ester

Give yourself a break; Is it just me or is it becoming normal to be laying in bed and still be exhausted; having a lot to do but not having the energy to do it? Like me, are you struggling to sustain a healthy period of sleep, is time going by quickly, are you struggling to recall information? Okay, I think we need a mental break. In this blog, I will be giving you pointers that will be practically helpful in the short run.

Releasing a frantic mind

If you are like me, you will punish yourself by filling up your mind with thoughts unnecessarily and aggressively when you could be okay with just simply not having them. It’s hard telling yourself to rest when you are so used to running, and it’s hard telling yourself to rest when you feel like you are not deserving of it but if you are reading this, your intuition is probably telling you it’s time to take a mental break.

If you know that you want to pause your frantic mind, then you need to find a safe space and practice stillness. A safe space can be anything, anywhere, as long as it’s a space that you have chosen to be the location that you know gives you a comforted feeling of being alone. Some of my safe spaces in the past have been, the roof of a car park, an empty meeting room that no one goes to at a particular time, my couch and one I have created in my mind when I meditate. I

Journal

Journalling, is another well-known activity for health and wellness and there are two types:

• Expressive writing: journalling your innermost feelings and thoughts; focusing on the experience.
• Gratitude journaling: focusing on the positive aspects of life by capturing situations, events, and interactions for which you are grateful.

The Benefits of Journalling run far and wide and I don’t want to bore you with endless facts, so here are a few:

• Reducing anxiety
• Breaking away from a nonstop cycle of obsessive thinking and brooding
• Improving the awareness and perception of events
• Regulating emotions
• Encouraging awareness
• Boosting physical health

You do not have to restrict yourself to traditional journalling (writing in a notebook), you can also type in a digital notepad or voice record on your phone, whatever works for you. The most important point is that you feel safe and comfortable doing the activity

Going out 

Goodness, gracious, going outside. So simple yet so hard, you know it is just there, but you just cannot get yourself to do it. If what I am thinking, and feeling is weighing heavy I write it down and sometimes take it 2 more steps further; break down actions I may or ideally take regarding it and then I dare myself to put on some shoes; step outside and breathe. Commit to a 5-minute mindful stroll, leave your phone behind if you are willing; and then pay attention to the small things that are around you. Doing this alongside sitting down for 5 minutes in silence can do wonders.

Give yourself a Social Media break

I mean, what is there to say; for most people, social media is a part of our lifestyle and we’re constantly taking in information that ends up freely wandering in our subconscious. It can be draining and can have you floating away from the reality that is now. Let’s challenge each other to stay away from it until the next morning and see how we feel 🙂

Surprise yourself! naturally

Balance out the stuffiness of your mind by giving yourself a natural dose of happiness chemicals.

Dopamine (Reward Chemical) 🥇: Enables motivation, learning and pleasure.

How you could release it: Complete a task, Celebrate a small win (I play the easiest level of chess and it sincerely lights up my day again)

Oxytocin (The Love Hormone) ❤: Motivates you to build and sustain relationships (it’s simply satisfying)

How I release it: Giving a sincere compliment, Hugging a family member,

Serotonin (Mood Stabilizer) 🧘‍♂️: Helps with self-acceptance.

How I release it: Meditation, Sun Exposure, walking in nature

Endorphin (Painkiller) 💊:  A response to pain and stress that temporarily alleviates from mental and physical pain

How you could release it: watch a comedy, Essential Oils (Lavender is a natural go-to), Exercise 

None of these stick in the long run and they do have their shadow effects; with that, it’s all about maintaining a balance a lot of the time when our brain is ‘exhausted’ it’s usually due to a consistency of something bad or even good. Almost like a wheel of fortune, a mental break isn’t just referring to stress, it’s referring to change and it’s referring to balance. I hope you can treat your mind nicely today, forced relaxation or positivity is also harsh on your mind and are typically counterproductive, follow your inner knowing to unbind the knots in your mind. If you have any suggestions please do comment below.

If you still need a little more or just more of an extensive guide if you know that you have constantly found yourself in a cycle of mental exhaustion I would love to recommend one particular book that gives you a sincere and practical guide to mindfulness:

I sincerely recommend their book: Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a frantic world. Their book provides a practical guide for practising mindfulness based on Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and is suitable for people who don’t have a particular emotional or meant al disorder. This book really opened my eyes to help me understand why my brain was challenging me at an unhelpful time and gave me a beginner’s guide to put a stop to obsessive negative cycles.

I understand there are some who have it harder, I learnt that one of the co-authors of the book also wrote another edition called: The Mindful Way through Depression, this may hopefully validate your hardship but also give you the clarity that you may need to support you on your journey. Both books have been received positively, but if you have any other suggestions please share!

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