Step Ahead Life Coaching™

Category: Self Care

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Mindset/Strenghts Resilience Self Care

Find Inner Peace – Get Back To Nature

person holding dandelion flower

Do you ever feel disconnected? Maybe you’re so preoccupied with everything in your daily existence that you hardly even have time to realize what’s going on around you. 

Perhaps the only moment you observe nature is when the weather meddles with your to-do list. Perhaps you can’t recall the last time you were inclined to simply inhale and sit outdoors.

There is indeed a great deal of proof that spending time in nature has a considerable beneficial influence on both mental and physical health. Strolling in a green space has been demonstrated to help with mental health issues such as depression and ADHD. 

According to VeryWellMind, “On days when you’re struggling with negative thoughts about your body, many different coping mechanisms can help. But new research suggests in order to soothe those feelings, you should get outside and spend time in nature. Negative body image is a risk factor for behaviors like disordered eating, which can have disastrous consequences for one’s body, mind, and relationships. Nowadays, it can be harder to avoid negative body thoughts when navigating social media.”

Time spent in nature is a wonderful way to focus oneself in addition to treating particular mental health challenges and enhancing mental and physical wellbeing. 

For some of us, it is the start of a meditation practice or a heightened spiritual understanding of how we are all related. For others, it is simply a fantastic method to relieve tension. 

Here are a few excellent techniques to get started bonding with the natural world around you, no matter where you want your time outside to take you.

woman in black bikini bottom standing on beach during daytime

#1 Slow down to the speed of nature

Walking slowly causes you to breathe more slowly, making you feel instantaneously more relaxed. Slow down and start seeing the environment around you. It may be a speck of lichen in a crack in the sidewalk or a tree you’ve never spotted before. Look around you carefully and deliberately to see what you discover as you sink into this more natural rhythm of being.

#2 Experiment with barefoot breathing

We people are the only animals that put a shoe between our feet and the Spirit of the Earth. The act of taking off your shoes and standing barefoot on the ground satisfies a primitive urge for connectivity. 

Find a peaceful spot outside—a park nook, a quiet spot in your garden, or your favorite wild location. Shut your eyes and take 100 deep, soft breaths while feeling the sunlight on your face, the breeze on your body, and the warm heart of the ground via the soles of your feet.

#3 Dine outside

Take your lunch or a book outside to enjoy on a park seat or picnic blanket. While you dine or read, take in the fresh air and natural sunlight (or both).

woman in blue outfit using blue smartphone while sitting on grass

#4 Give a tree a hug

Which words come to mind when you think about trees? Sturdy? High? Statuesque? Tenacious? Primitive? The world’s oldest trees have been alive for thousands of years, and we rely on them to create the oxygen we need to live. 

Although the term “tree-hugger” is sometimes used ironically, hugging a tree is an easy method to boost your energy levels by mopping up all that energy and oxygen-rich deliciousness! Close your eyes and press your cheek on the trunk. Feel the bark on your flesh as you spread your arms to embrace the tree.

#5 Visit a greenhouse of a flower shop

Soak in the aroma of green vegetation and a plethora of flowers. Step into a flower shop’s refrigerated department, which is brimming with freshly cut bouquets, close your eyes and soak up the brilliant fragrance. 

Give heed to the tiny weeds and wildflowers that sprout up in sidewalk cracks. Consider the persistence and perseverance of that small creature to take root and flourish in such a challenging environment whenever you observe this. Take a moment to send your best wishes and consider how you could connect to that type of strength.

It is so easy to get caught up in this fast paced world and forget to take time to smell the roses. Next time you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or just plain grumpy, make a determined effort to step in God’s garden of nature to get grounded and re-energised again.

And remember – if you need some support at any time, I’d love to help. You can book a free call with me here:)

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Self Care

Finding Time Just For You

How often have you considered doing something you’d like to do but realized you don’t have time for it? How often does a week pass by and you did not have a minute to yourself? Not even  a minute to do anything you might want to do just for yourself. It’s a typical scenario these days. 

And it can lead to chronic stress and even depression when you cannot make time for yourself.

While you may be busy, and your to-do lists are probably overwhelming, you must make yourself a priority. 

Kids, job, chores, stress, Covid, bills to pay, cooking, cleaning and everything else we have to do is a lot. But, without self-care, we will burnout quickly and then what happens to all those responsibilities? When you neglect your own needs and mental health, everything in your life suffers. 

Meetings, deadlines, chores and appointments are all crammed onto your calendar. But, more likely than not, there isn’t a single mention about time for yourself in there. Everyone needs personal time. Time to unwind. Time to breathe. Time to have fun and experience joy. Time to explore hobbies and interests. 

Finding time to focus on self-care may be challenging, especially when job and family life are demanding but this is something we must do, even if it is only 30 minutes here and there. 

5 Ways To Get Some You Time

Prioritize

Prioritize, first and foremost. A well-organized plan will put your mind at ease and lead to a more productive week. Scheduling time ahead may be an excellent method to guarantee you don’t scrimp on that all-important self-care time. You can also see where you can squeeze it in (which can help ensure you take it). In any case, prioritize what’s vital and learn to say no or delegate, as discussed further below.

Say No (It’s All Right, We Promise)

It is quite acceptable to say no. Your time is very valuable, and it should be spent on activities that provide meaning to your life. It’s okay if you don’t want to go to that lunch with the other moms. It’s what you really need is some alone time. It’s also okay if a friend has requested you help them with their move or something else, if it will have a negative impact on you, you can say no.

Switch It Off

Take a break from your phone and computer. How many times do you get an afternoon to yourself, only to waste it replying to e-mails or reading Instagram? Social media has its advantages, but it can also entice us to spend an hour looking at useless memes. Limiting distractions is the first step in finding time for yourself. 

Timely Departure From Work

When you need some alone time, this is one of the easiest things you can do. Many of us remain late at work. If this is the case for you, make it a point to leave work on time or if at all possible, a little early at least once a week, if not more often. Then take advantage of that time by engaging in your favorite pastime, getting a massage, meditating, spending time with a friend you don’t see very often or doing anything that helps you relax.

Learn To Delegate

According to VeryWellMind, “Are there responsibilities that you have at home or at work that could be delegated to assistants, family members, or others? Some possible ways to delegate include: Allowing someone else to take over a task can bring added benefits. They may find that they’re better at it than they thought they would be (or than you thought they would be). They may also enjoy the feeling of helping out. At the very least, it could bring a sense of teamwork.”

Categories
Personal Growth Self Care Uncategorized

5 Ways To Appreciate Yourself More

woman wearing silver-colored ring

It’s often more challenging to see what we’re doing right than what we’re doing wrong. Even reflecting on our admirable characteristics makes some of us nervous. Appreciation and compliments can make us uncomfortable, and we sometimes don’t know how to react without appearing self-conscious. 

So, how can we positively appreciate our great traits? I suppose the key is self-compassion, which entails treating oneself with compassion, a feeling of shared humanity, and consciousness when we evaluate our apparent shortcomings – but differently. A good way to think about is allowing and embracing “self-appreciation.”

According to LifeHack, “To love yourself is to experience freedom – freedom from doubt, self-hate, and oppression created by you. To love yourself is no longer holding yourself back from what you deserve. To love yourself is to grow and enjoy your life. Self-love is a necessity if you want to live a comfortable life. Self-love is a choice, a commitment to yourself that you will love yourself, despite all the social and biological obstacles in your path. It is not found in a place, person, or item.” 

5 Ways To Appreciate Yourself More

Decide To Do It

Self-appreciation is a decision you have to make yourself; it is not bestowed upon you. It is not found in another person or an item. You get self-appreciation by choosing what you desire. It would be best if you decided to let go of this toxic thinking after a lifetime of loathing yourself for not being enough.

Say no to all of your internal self-hatred and tell yourself the truth: you are not perfect, and that is good. Begin by giving yourself license to appreciate yourself more. Even if you convince yourself otherwise, you are deserving of more appreciation. 

Take time to tell yourself this and permit yourself to enjoy yourself. This is the first step in acknowledging the reality that you can appreciate yourself.

Check Your Negative Beliefs

Disrupt mental patterns that are solely focused on failures and defects. When it comes to self-esteem, our subconscious is not always on our side. 

It takes time and effort to educate your mind into healthy habits, but the first step is to recognize the falsehoods it tells you:

  • Recognize that feeling like a loser does not imply that you are a failure.
  • Examine the evidence to support your findings. Even though the negative thought spiral makes it feel that way, a friend not replying to your text does not indicate they dislike you.
  • Recognize that good happening merit your attention as well. One negative comment should not deter you from appreciating positive feedback.

Compassionately React To Your Blunders And Setbacks

You don’t have to berate yourself for every blunder. According to research, reacting to your own mistakes with compassion boosts your self-esteem and makes you a more competent and resourceful individual. Fight back against the inner critic who distorts reality:

  • There are hardly any things in life that are “all or nothing.” Even if things did not go as planned, it does not imply that nothing good came from it.
  • One setback does not define you for the rest of your life.
  • Call that feeling of pessimism into question by reminding yourself, “Things didn’t go my way, but that doesn’t indicate they always will. I can’t foresee the future.”

Let Go Of The Perfection Ideology

You will never be flawless; no person will ever be. Don’t allow this to prevent you from appreciating yourself. It’s easy to despise oneself for not being perfect or sufficient. However, this leads to self-hatred since you focus on what you do not have rather than what you do have—self-appreciation blossoms in a great attitude, which requires you to appreciate what you have. In a worldview founded in perfection, dubbed “never good enough,” your ability to understand yourself suffers, fades, and dies.

Learn To Say No

Instead of overcommitting, prioritize your personal needs. Respect your boundaries and learn to decline obligations that aren’t worth the stress. The unthinking “yes” in answering any request is a sort of “people-pleasing” action that prioritizes everyone else’s interests before your own.

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