Day 266 - A Year to Clear - Check In WEEK 38 - Resting

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Lesson 266: Check In WEEK 38 - Resting

The week was to focus on rest and taking some time out to recognise the need for self-care and self-love. I actually avoided doing blog posts just because I was so tired and didn’t have brain power to do them. I’ve been back dating them on my blog haha! I have been focusing on creative activities and making sure I was getting some extra sleep that I needed. I have spent this whole Sunday just taking it easy – was doing chores, had a nap, looked for a private creative space, watching Brooklyn 99 whilst catching up on all my blog posts. I like full days I have to myself to do whatever I need to. I used to feel bad for not making use of my day, because it seemed like it was a waste, but then again, our bodies and minds just sometimes need a day of doing nothing or filling it with relaxing activities. I think it’s important to make time for rest now. I have been so hectic lately that this has been a good reminder.

Day 240 - A Year to Clear - What Brings You Joy?

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Lesson 240: What Brings You Joy?

Today is simple – think about what makes you feel complete joy. List them down as a reminder that you can always raise the vibration in yourself whenever you need. They don’t have to be complicated either. They simply need to be what brings you joy.

Things that bring me joy:

·         Drinking tea

·         Watching movies or TV series

·         Dancing

·         Meditation

·         Sleeping

·         Being at the beach

·         Listening and chilling to music

·         Going to gigs of my favourite artists

·         Eating yummy food

·         Going out for a nice meal

·         Karaoke

·         Travelling to a new country to see the culture

Those are probably the main things. What did you come up with?

Day 238 - A Year to Clear - Check In WEEK 34 - Cultivating Stillness

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Lesson 238: Check In WEEK 34 - Cultivating Stillness

This week serve a reminder that we definitely need to take time for ourselves to practise stillness. I personally chose my daily one minute practise of closing my eyes and breathing in through my nose and out through the mouth. I feel like this really refreshes the senses and allows me to do away with worries. My body feels lighter as a result. The lessons have taught me that we need to do this as part of our own self-care routine and it’s important even to just do it for one minute a day. We can all spare one minute a day to cultivate stillness so what’s really stopping you? Nothing really.

Day 235 - A Year to Clear - Ways to Cultivate Stillness - One Minute at a Time

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Lesson 235: Ways to Cultivate Stillness - One Minute at a Time

Below is a list that Stephanie Bennett Vogt has cultivated to take moments of time to practise stillness through her own experience. Today we are to think about the ways in which we practise stillness and if they are different to those suggestions below.

“- Rest in beauty: Look up from your screen and place your attention on something beautiful and allow your mind to rest in that.

- Take your time: Deliberately slow down for one minute when your impulse is to speed up (and allow yourself to squirm).

- Insert awareness: Release tension by observing it. See if tightness eases by being a witnessing presence.

- Be curious: Pretend you know nothing; invite wonder; accept mystery as a legitimate state of being.

- Wait and watch: Allow an answer to reveal itself through one of your senses. Don’t force or overthink it.

- Do nothing: Allow things to be just as they are without doing anything to fix or change anything.

- Don’t personalize (since it’s rarely about you): Pretend that everything that does not feel good is not yours. Repeat “It’s not mine.”

- Breathe and release: Breathe deeply from your chest down to your belly through the soles of your feet and into the Earth.

- Wash and release: Use the simple practice of washing your hands (body, dishes) for one minute to quiet your mind and release stress.

- Sit in silence: Sit quietly for one minute with no agenda.”

— Stephanie Bennett Vogt

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My favourite ways to practise stillness include:

·         Closing my eyes for a moment and taking deep breaths in through the nose and breathing our from the mouth.

·         I practise in the shower a visual exercise of closing my eyes and imagining the water is golden light washing over me and washing away any worries and negativity down the drain.

·         I like to be in nature just as it is. Don’t have to do much but just sit there and appreciate.

·         I like putting on some music and allow my thoughts to wander off, so I can just be in the music.

·         Sometimes I like doing nothing… like literally nothing.

·         I like switching off with a TV series that won’t take any brain power to watch it.

·         I sometimes just put on music and dance around because it’s a release.

·         Sometimes I may just go for a walk with no destination.

What are some ways you can get into stillness? There are so many ways to calm everything down to a state of peace. We just need to be aware that it’s needed and we just have to take the step to want to be in it.

Day 231 - A Year to Clear - Check In WEEK 33 - Nourishing Mind and Spirit

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Lesson 231: Check In WEEK 33 - Nourishing Mind and Spirit

The week has been a good lesson on self-care. We are not our optimal selves if we are doing everything for everyone else. If we take a moment to just nourish our minds, body and spirit, then it allows us to be whole towards others. There is no point running on empty and feeling like we’re stretched thin, if we are not taking rest and care to do things that lights our souls.

I thought it funny that this week’s lessons coincided with my leave I took off from work. I just didn’t want to be at work because morale was low and I felt like it was impacting me. I feel better for doing nothing. I spent most of the time just watching TV shows or movies I’d been wanting to watch but never got around to. I hung out with friends and slept a lot. I think that’s all I wanted to not think and do simple things so my body and mind was rested. It was the best thing I did for myself. I feel like once I get final stages of declutter done, then I will be able to be free and feel comfortable in my own living space. Just a few more things to do before the end of year (that’s my goal) and I’ll feel lifted.

So remember self-care is important and to place yourself first sometimes. It’s not selfish if you’re being run down to the ground, feeling exhausted all the time. Hit the refresh button so that you’re at your best and then help others.