Most of my friends would say I’m pretty zen but I definitely have my bad days. Or, ahem, weeks. This winter the weather has been terrible and I’m dealing with my own bout of the winter blahs so this post is a good reminder of what I need to do too. Here are my top tips for recharging your mind and getting your zen back.
Spirit Lady’s Top Tips for a Healthy Mind
- Quiet time. We live in a world where we have any kind of diversion available at our fingertips 24/7. In between raising our families and working full time, we can watch Dancing with the Stars, play Candy Crush, search Pinterest, get on Facebook, or catch episodes of The Turtle Man on Netflix (Live Action!). However…our minds don’t ever get a rest. So every day, take some time out. If you can spare it, an hour is great, but 10 or 15 minutes will do. Pray, meditate, lay in a hammock and watch the clouds float across the sky. Even our kids need quiet time, so don’t feel bad setting a 30 minute or one hour quiet time where everyone goes to their rooms to play/read/sleep. But no electronics!
- Unwind. If it’s been a particularly rough day, you need to let go. Everyone has their own preferences, but for me, I like to go for a walk, take a bath, enjoy a glass of wine. A note about alcohol though: alcohol can keep you from sleeping deeply, so if you’re sleep deprived, skip the wine (I know, I know, I know) and opt for something else that helps you unwind.
- Socialize. I’m a writer and a SAHM, both of which are lonely occupations. To “get out there” more and get my socializing fix, I belong to a couple of writer groups and a mommy group. I meet with these three groups throughout the month as well as interacting with the other members on our Facebook group pages. If you don’t love big groups, then join one for the sole purpose of finding a few friends. Or even one really good friend. Find your tribe, your support group, or–as I like to call them–your peeps.
- Eliminate chaos. If something in your life is becoming a source of chaos, you HAVE to get rid of it. Maybe it’s certain friends who are bringing you down, maybe there’s a dynamic in your family that is not working. For me it’s keeping up with my housework because if I look around my house and it’s a big mess I just think, “Well, if I let it get much worse, it’s gonna be worse for me. Because who’s gonna clean it up? ME.” My hubby will help but he works full time and I don’t want him to have to do everything. And the kiddos are one and six, so the baby can barely talk and walk and the big boy is just learning to help out. Plus getting the big boy to help is like pulling teeth, so sometimes it’s just easier to do it myself. So coming back around to my point, a clean house makes me feel good and a clutter-filled, chaotic house makes me feel stressed.
- Set goals, but more importantly keep track of them. The Lit Ladies set yearly writing goals every January and even if I don’t reach every single one (deep breath–it’s okay), I can reassess. Just like anything else in life, there’s a natural ebb and flow to goals. If you’re feeling mentally blocked by something in your life, jot down a list of mini-goals to get you where you want to be. Check in every few months and see which goals you can cross off (and pat yourselves on the back, baby!) and see what you have left to work toward. It’s a fun challenge to see where you’re at.
PS–As of this writing, I’m recovering from a horrendous stomach flu that the entire family got. I could definitely use #1-4 on my list right now.
PSS–It will be okay. LOL. In my next post, we’ll talk stress-busting our spiritual side.
Click here to see my last post, Stress Busters for Moms and Writers: Body.
Camille Faye | Author of Voodoo Butterfly
Experience love, purpose, and the paranormal in New Orleans.
*Originally posted on The Literary Ladies Blog
*Photos courtesy of Nic Walker from Flickr Creative Commons