Hello 2020! Like many of us, I am excited for a new year, and a new decade. What a year 2019 was. I experienced love, good times and bad, got my first tattoo, became a true follower of Christ, moved out, got a job promotion, took risks, and made wonderful memories. At the opening of a new calendar year, I think it is crucial to reflect on what was, before we can accept the change to come. So much has changed in my life in just in the past month, and I can only imagine what lies ahead. This year, I want to be more intentional, with all aspects of my life. I am currently adopting a low waste/impact lifestyle, which has become a new passion of mine. In a week, I am starting my last semester of my undergraduate degree. My goal is to be thorough with my assignments, and manage my time well. For the first time in a while, I am without a romantic partner. During this single season, I intend to dedicate more time to self-care, which is definitely something that I have been neglecting. I want to cultivate a positive mindset, especially in regard to body image. I intend to extend more kindness to others than ever before. I also want to create more memories with those who I hold close to my heart. Lastly, I want to say yes. I live with depression and anxiety (general and social). These disorders have often created a struggle in my life, particularly with isolation. It is my hope that I can become more confident about interacting with others, and say yes to new experiences. What are your intentions for 2020? As always, I would love to hear from you. photo via mgdoodle on gihpy
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Hi everyone! This week I've written a week of journal prompts for you. Please let me know if you like these prompts, or want to see more in the future. sunday What are you most grateful for at this time in your life? monday Did you practice patience today? If so, what did you do? If not, what can you do next time? tuesday Are you currently seeing a therapist? What have you learned? How have you grown? If you're not in therapy do you have any fears about going? Have you been in the past? wednesday What has the best part of you week been so far? thursday What are so things you do for self care? What are some things you would like to start doing? friday What is a goal you would like to achieve within the next week? How will this impact your life? saturday What bring you joy in life? What are you passionate about? image via @prosadecora on giphy
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the larger parts of life. Often times, we tend to lose sight of the smaller things that make up our lives, and make up ourselves. When looking at my life, I separate it into three parts: work, school, and social. There are so many smaller things that are overshadowed by "the big three." When we start to appreciate the little things, we will have a heightened sense of gratitude. This will lead to more peace in our lives. It will also help us figure out all of the things that make us happy. Here are some little things I appreciate in my life:
Did you know that approximately 70% of women are unhappy with their bodies? When I saw this statistic in an article by Break Binge Eating, my heart sank. It is difficult to wrap my head around the amount of women and young girls who look in the mirror and do not like what they see. We live in a world that seems to revolve around looking perfect. When I log on to social media, I seem to see nothing outside of the world of cosmetics. I would spend hours comparing myself to other people. This led to me looking in the mirror and wondering why I wasn't as skinny as this girl, as tall as that one, or pretty as another. It wasn't until recently that I realized how much of an effect this content had on my self esteem and body image. Not every person will have this experience, it just depends where we are in our journey. I was not in a place where I could look and these images (which are usually photoshopped) without it getting to me. If you find yourself in this situation, it might be good to take a break from social media. This can be intimidating, but can be a huge relief. If you don't want to take the plunge, you can do a "follower purge." This means going through your followers list and unfollowing the accounts that tend to be triggering for you. Doing this was one of the best decisions I ever made in regard to my social media platforms. When I unfollowed these accounts, I replaced them with ones that focused on body positivity. It was a nice change of pace to go from seeing posts that I would compare myself to, to words of affirmation from people who felt similarly to me. While this will not instantly boost your body image, it can be a step in the right direction. There's the old phrase, "your body is a temple." I used to roll my eyes when I heard this, but it is so true. Oxford defines temple as "a building devoted to the worship..." Putting ourselves down because we do not fit into society's beauty standards will only hurt us in the end. Instead, accept yourself. Treat your body as something special, something sacred, because your body is what holds you, and you are so significant. image via @bodiljane on giphy
Sometimes change can be scary. When I was a kid, in my mind change was the worst thing that could happen to me. I remember being petrified on the first day of school every single year until I was in 7th grade. Big or small, change would turn my world upside down. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I realized there's no escaping it. I have struggled with intense anxiety for many years, and it wasn't until recently that I learned to go with the ebb and flow of life, embracing change instead of being a deer in headlights when it confronted me. However, that's not to say that I still want to take off in the opposite direction at times. The difference between now and then is calmness and confidence. Both of these attitudes did not come to me overnight, but after years of progress. I feel like the first time I pushed the "reset" button in my life was when I was 16. I moved two hours away from one of the most toxic environments I've been in. I remember sitting in my new room crying, overwhelmed, and petrified in the face of change once again. In that moment I told myself I had to start somewhere. To this day, those two words have reappeared in my life again and again. I've found that this has helped me most when I am faced with situations that seem bigger than me. These words helped me realize the importance of starting new. Change does not always have to be a fear invoking thing, but rather a prelude to something extraordinary. For this reason, have patience and remind yourself- start somewhere. This will only allow you to bloom. image via @EmptyPot on giphy
Our lives are made up by several pieces. At times, this can become overwhelming. It is important to recognize when we are pushed to our limits. However, the question is, how do we do that exactly? It is no secret that our stress levels are on the rise. There are many signs that things are simply becoming too much. The American Institute of Stress has identified 50 common signs and symptoms of stress. As I was reading the list, I noticed that many of the cognitive signs reflect the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Physical symptoms include things from bodily aches to tremors. Learning to recognize signs like these are key, before we lose our sense of control. I am currently in my senior year of my undergraduate degree, working part time, and balancing the social aspects of my life. I noticed that I became very complacent with my life. I would rush to tackle the day’s obligations and go to sleep, only to repeat this routine the next morning. I have had to learn how to make time for myself, and it wasn’t easy. When I start to feel overwhelmed, I take inventory of my mind and body. For me, it is imperative that I check in with myself. Especially at times when I notice that my anxiety is high, or if I am feeling really low. During these moments, I ask myself “Why do I feel this way?” and additionally, “What triggered these emotions?” It is important to remember that the overwhelming emotions you might be feeling are not permanent. Once you take inventory, create an action plan. This is where self-compassion comes in. If you were to get on Instagram right now and searched self-care, I’m sure you would be bombarded by trendy posts. However, self-care is more than just a hashtag. There is a quote by Audre Lorde that I try to incorporate into my daily life, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation.” Truly, the weapon against feelings of anxiety, depression, fear, or stress is self-love and compassion. ways I like to take it slow
References
image via @femfetti on giphy American Institute of Stress- https://www.stress.org/stress-effects |