Monday 7 March 2016

Taking Time To Reflect

You may have noticed I haven't published a post in a couple of weeks, and there is a reason for this. I decided to take some time out, not just from my blog but from using my laptop. I did this mainly to give myself space, to clear and refresh my mind. To be honest I was just feeling as though I needed a complete break from my laptop.

By doing so I've been able to carefully and deeply think about things, from what I've recently loved and enjoyed...such as reading, my seaside walks and continuing to learn more about yoga. Also to acknowledge and reflect on what I've achieved over the last year or so, as well as to think about what I'd like to see myself doing and achieving over the next few months.

Even though I did really miss writing posts for my blog I do feel my break has helped my mind feel refreshed, revived and clearer. I can now see how my mind became ever so slightly clouded without me even realising, with multiple spiralling thoughts; from everyday to-dos, to unnecessary stresses and although this wasn't necessarily because of using my laptop, I felt it was the right thing to do for myself.

Something that I'd really love to share with you, are my thoughts on the importance of taking time to yourself to reflect. Now I know I've written similar posts in the past on taking time out; but I feel that taking time to reflect can be slightly different but just as important. Which is why I'm writing this new post on it.

To take time to reflect on something in the sense of to think deeply and carefully can help in so many situations. Its a great tool to use in our everyday lives and can often be forgotten about. 

Lots of us live in a very hectic lifestyle where it almost feels impossible to stop and think carefully, even just for a minute. The constant tasks from work to house chores, and so on can sometimes seem endless and like a continuous balancing act.

If you find yourself getting worked up on a task or you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and stressed, then at that time is the ideal opportunity to stop, even if its just for a couple of minutes, and take some time out to reflect on the situation. 

To give yourself a little bit of space and time; to let yourself breath and think carefully about what you're feeling stressed about and the best way to conquer your tasks can be easier said than done for many of us. I for one used to find it incredibly difficult to simply stop and think, but now having learnt various strategies such as the few below I'm about to share with you I can now truly see and feel how important it is to do so.

Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed by my thoughts I like to take out a few minutes out, I grab myself my notebook and pen and write down exactly what is stressing me out. There is something incredibly pleasing and therapeutic with writing down a list (I know I'm not the only one who feels this) and afterwards I feel a weight lift off shoulders. I can then prioritise the important things, do them first, then work my way through the rest. I also love ticking each task off, and the "ahhh" feeling once the list is complete.

Another thing I like to do if I feel myself getting stressed is to do some breathing exercises using my meditation app on my phone, which helps me regain a sense of calm and focus. There are so many incredible apps these days; the one I use is called 'calm' which I found on the App Store. There are meditations from 2 minutes as a quick pick me up, to an hour, or even longer if you have more time. There's different music and soothing noises to choose from; you can have the option to listen to a person guide you through the mediation or not - your choice. I definitely recommend you give it a go! 

There are so many other ways to take time out to reflect. If you're lucky enough to take a day or even a week out of your busy schedule, and focus on having a real break to yourself, to distress and regain a sense of peace, focus definitely do so. Although I understand this isn't realistic for a lot of people, in which perhaps try one of the strategies above :)

These tips are only from my experience and may not work for all of you, but if you're up to it, give one of them a go and let me know how you get on - I'd love to know!

I hope you liked todays post, and I look forward to getting back into writing on my blog!


Lots of love xxx

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