What do you do to support you? We live in a world where we constantly strive for the next thing and I’m first to admit I’m terrible for this. The next holiday, the next weekend, the next yoga class. Whatever it may be I’ve never been very good at living in the present, I chase the next ‘dream’ and it’s a never ending cycle.
As part of my bid to love myself more I’ve decided to make being more present one of the things I’m really trying to do. I won’t pretend I’m some expert, I’m still dreaming of the future and the next adventure almost all of the time, but for me the fact that I’m acknowledging that this is happening is enough right now. To accept I’m doing this and know that I shouldn’t be is a big step, and it means that I’m becoming more focused. I spoke with a friend about this recently and she said that the Power of Now (my next read!!) has taught her that even by simply just acknowledging that you’re chasing the next thing works by bringing you back to the now, the moment you realise you’re doing it means you stop and become instantly more present. And the process to work with it grows from here.
So, what can we do to enjoy the now? What do you do for you each day or each week that helps you? My current obsession with all things Deliciously Ella means I’m listening my way through her podcasts right now and at the end of each one her and Matt ask their guest what is one practice they do each day for themselves, it varies from journaling to family bedtime rituals, peaceful dog walks etc. And it’s really got me thinking.
It’s recently been said by the people around me that they’ve witnessed the journey I’m on long before I realised I was really on it. I honestly for so long just thought I was practicing the physical side of yoga. I say it in this way as part of the study and for those well affirmed Yogi’s it is well talked about that what we perceive as yoga is just simply the physical side, I’m sketchy on the rest of it so I won’t quote anything here but if I’d read this myself 6 months or a year ago and somebody referred to ‘the physical side of yoga’ I’d have been so confused! so just note, there is much much more to ‘Yoga’ that bending into weird and wonderful postures.
The journey I’m on right now is delving into the rest of it. However, I digress! SO, yes my friends have commented that I was into this journey before I even knew it myself. I’ve become more aware of my actions, not only how they may impact on others but how they impact on myself. My self-love and acceptance of my body is a large part but the thing I’m actually enjoying most at the moment is something I’ve talked about in recent blogs, nourishing my body from the inside.
So, where am I going with this? .. well I want you to think about what you do for you. Can you think of maybe 3 or 5 things you do every week or every day to support you. I’ll share mine (they’re weekly);
1. I practice yoga. I move my body, it helps me connect with myself, it helps me feel better physically and the more I practice the more I can take that connection to the outer world and implement it in stressful day to day situations;
2. I food prep, see my last blog here – this supports my week in more ways than I can explain, it helps me fuel myself and keeps me nourished when I’m on the go;
3. I walk my dog. it’s not always epic long walks
in beautiful surroundings but it gets me out in the fresh air and seeing him in his element chasing birds and sniffing whatever he passes always lifts my heart;
4. I listen to music or more recently podcasts, I love a sing song but I’m so drawn to calming and soothing music. Canon in D is my all-time favourite, Baz Lurrhmann always wear sun screen if I need perking up and a whole random selection of others. Plug in your headphones or tune it into your car and enjoy, get lost in the music. It helps me when I’m busy in work, the podcasts really aid in a more positive space mentally for me and they’re educating me at the same time! My favourites are Fearne Cotton Happy Place and Deliciously Ella;
5. Quality time, I make sure that even if we’re at work all week, busy every evening and often doing our own thing most of the weekend or even if we’re together it might be running errands, cleaning the house or visiting people. So if nothing else my boyfriend Dan and I have movie night on a Sunday. I’ve talked about this before so sorry to repeat but it’s been so important for us. Its genuinely the only time of the week we put our phones away, we’re both terrible addicts on our phones as accept that! so on a Sunday evening, when the dogs walked, the house is clean and the food is prepped for the week, we put our phones away. Put a film on and snuggle together with a giant bowl of popcorn. We alternate each week who picks the film which makes us watch things we often wouldn’t. we revisit old favourites and showcase new films and I find it really grounds me before the busy week starts again Monday. It’s only a small thing but it means a lot to us, find your thing and make it work.
Whatever it is that you do for yourself, acknowledge that you’re doing it and congratulate yourself. We don’t give ourselves enough praise by any means! Well done for supporting you, if you don’t, who will?