An early morning walk does wonders for the soul. In an ideal world where there were not so many demands on our time, a daily early morning walk has an incredible and insurmountable effect on calming the mind. Having said that, we all have things to do, places to be and we're all precariously balancing the rigorous demands that modern day life puts upon us. We all know what we should do, what we want to do, what's good for us, so how do we manage to find the space to free our souls, even for a short while.
The first piece of advise I would offer is...don't beat yourself up about not having the time to go for that walk, go to the gym, get some retail therapy, spend precious time with the people who make you feel whole. Got that? STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP! Feelings of guilt only make for additional pressure and fill the few remaining spaces in your, already, crowded mind. You can only do in a day what you can do with the waking hours available to you.
If you feel like you're chasing your tail on the hamster wheel that is life, that your mind is full to bursting with all the things that this life throws at you, that you never seem to complete all the tasks you set yourself, that the list is getting longer and the ticks are becoming fewer...then it's time to make a change.
Even the smallest of changes can make a huge difference to how you feel. Just be easy on yourself and remember, one small change leads to another. You can't possibly expect to change everything all at once, Rome wasn't built in a day as the saying goes. Re-balancing your body and mind takes time so don't expect to become that calm, tranquil, zen human being overnight...slow and steady wins the race.
So what do I mean by a small change? well, that depends wholly on your personal circumstances. It could mean a short early morning walk, even once a week can have a profound effect on your well being. Just a short walk, somewhere you feel safe, ideally surrounded by the beauty of nature, will make you feel a whole lot better. If you fancy it, why not try the couch to 5K. There is an App which is easy to follow and gently leads you on the path to success. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying running whilst ordering your cluttered mind without even realising it. Don't believe me, give it a go and see for yourself. Discover that amazing sense of achievement. Exercise is known to radically improve your mental wellbeing and self esteem so it's worth trying. Wake up those endorphins.
You could challenge yourself to learn or try something new, something of your choice, something you've always wanted to do. It could be learning a new skill, a new language, learning to play a musical instrument. Or it could be something much more simple and free like learning to be alone, in a space with some time to order your thoughts.
You could allow yourself just 15 minutes a day to listen to two or three tracks that lift your soul, that make you want to let go and dance, or sit and sob, or remember your youth or that special time in your life. How about embarking on a weekly act of kindness to remind you how good it feels to help someone else. It could even be something as simple as getting an early night once a week. Getting enough sleep works wonders for your state of mind.
Whatever it is, make steps towards doing something for you, and remember, no matter how small, each step is a step forward, a step towards freeing your mind and balancing your soul.
Most importantly, if you do nothing else, allow yourself to laugh and smile more. Laughter is a tonic and smiling gives you less lines than frowning so that's got to be worth a go right?
Take that first small step onto the bridge of change and begin your journey. It doesn't have to be today but do it soon...The calmer you is waiting to be discovered on the other side.
Be mindful of your needs and FIND SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL JUST FOR YOU.
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