Do What Feels Good

There has been several times over the last few weeks when I’ve just felt like I needed to let off steam. Work has been busy and for a few days it felt like I wasn’t making much progress and it was getting to me. One day in particular, I knew I needed to get outside and go to the water to hear its calming rhythm, the waves lapping against the shore. So I did. When I got there, I just stood for 10-15 minutes listening and watching what was going on. It was the tonic I needed to help clear my head. I’m pretty sure the walk to and from the water helped too!

A few weeks ago I had a feeling that I needed to take my shoes off and walk barefoot on the grass. It was something I needed to do to feel better and grounded. It worked for me, with each step I felt the earth beneath my feet, it felt cold but electric at the same time. It was doing me good! Yes, I may have looked a little odd to any passers by, but this wasn’t about them, it was about doing what was right for me at the time.

When you are feeling below par what do you do to pick yourself up? Does your body tell you what it needs? Do you get up early on the weekend and go for a walk when it’s quiet and calm so you can enjoy the stillness of the day? Or do you sit in your garden and listen to the birds? We all have something we like to do to help clear our minds and make us feel better. Below are some ideas for you to try, but I’m sure you will come up with others:

1. Get outside – go for a walk or run or hike, just get outdoors and into nature. Feel the fresh air on your face, take some slow and steady deep breaths in and out. If you go into the woods, touch the trees, maybe you head to a beach, take your shoes off and feel the sand beneath your feet, paddle in the water and enjoy the feeling of being close to nature. Being outside is amazing for your own wellbeing. It truly does make you feel better. I would recommend getting out at least once a day.
2. Express how you are feeling – this may be to a loved one, a therapist, friend or it could be a journal you keep or a video you do. But get those feelings out. Holding onto them and letting them fester is not the answer. You will feel better to get things off your chest. Why not go for a walk with a friend and chat things through, thereby doing two things at once.
3. Do something you love – spend some time doing what you are passionate about, this helps to focus your mind on one task at a time, so will help you to let go or forget about the issues for the time being. Sometimes a little space away from what’s going on in your mind can help you to come up with a plan to deal with it.
4. Bake a cake – make a lovely cake that you can then eat or give to a neighbour. Put love into your baking and enjoy the process. I know we all just want to lick the bowl or eat the cake, but take it a step at a time and really focus on what you are doing. How does the mix feel when you are stirring it? Is it smooth and silky or thick and gloopy? What about the flavours? Pick the flavours and when you taste it, really pay attention to what you taste. Take your time and avoid rushing.
5. Hug your pet – who doesn’t love to hug their animals? They are certainly calming and are good listeners if you need to get things off your chest. Stroking them can lower your heart rate and can help you relax too.

This is just a snapshot of things you can do to help ease your mind when you are feeling stressed, need to let off steam or just have a fuzzy head! You will likely come up with some great ideas for you. Why not write them down or store them on your phone to refer to later so you have your own wee toolkit for helping you cope.

Things can slowly pile up on us and we fail to see how affected we actually are, so listen to what your body or mind is telling you, do what you have to do to feel good.

Take care of yourselves this week and look after you. Sending love out to you all.

Love Emma xxx 🌼😍