Mindful Living
Hello Lovelys!
Sorry its been so long since I wrote! Finals have got me stressed!!
Whenever I'm anxious or need to get away from a situation I think about mindfulness. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe. In for 3 seconds, out for 4 seconds. I repeat until I have calmed myself down enough to open my eyes. As I open my eyes I pick one object or person to focus on, it helps ease my mind and heart rate. While I am focusing on the object/person, I acknowledge my worries and tell myself to accept them. This technique usually works for me when I am having a rough day.
If the combination above doesn't work, I will leave the room, or wherever I am and take a minute outside. It is crazy what a bit of fresh air will do to your mood. I always try to find a abandon bench or steps to sit on. I close my eyes and go back to my favorite memory. I sit there reliving the moment. After I can picture the moment I start to focus on specific senses. What can I smell? What can I feel? What can I hear? Whenever I do this I always picture my trip to Cape Cod. My entire family and my moms college best friends family, who I am super close with, rented houses on the beach and it was the best week of my life. The specific memory I like to think about is our last night there. All the kids spent the week making this HUGE fire pit and rolling up logs for a camp fire. We stayed out there all night. I can still picture my baby sister asleep on my moms lap. I can still smell the smell of burning wood and salt water wavering in the air. I remember the rush of adrenalin when we ran into the freezing water in the middle of the night.
I am still in therapy twice a week dealing with my issues but my favorite thing about it is, my art therapy session. I don't understand why, but with art I can just say everything on a canvas. We don't even have to talk and my therapist knows what I am thinking. I think everyone with anxiety should at least try art therapy! It has helped me so much.
These past few weeks we have been creating strength cards, A deck of card of what we think our strengths are or what we like about our selfs. At first I found this extremely difficult. I hate thinking about my self in a positive way. I always have. After a session of doing nothing cause I couldn't think of a strength, she sent me home with 5 copies of a list of strengths. She told me to give it 5 people I love and trust and have them check my strengths. It was brilliant! I handed them out to the people I love the most. My mom, my best friend, and my new friends! They all sent them back with such positive feedback. I immediately started on the project. I Loved it! I have made 50 + cards. I have cards about strengths, people, places and phrases I love. I take them everywhere. Whenever I start to have bad thoughts or just start feeling sad, I pull them out and look through them. They always cheer me up! Here are some of my favorites ☟
Self help (left) Love (right)
Compassion (left) Paint more or creativity (right)
Kind (left) All better, relax (right)
If you have anxiety or depression, I highly suggest making some of these! Thanks for reading!!
Sarah xx
Ps I don't know why the fonts are all messed up! I'm working to try to fix it. haha
Sorry its been so long since I wrote! Finals have got me stressed!!
Today I thought I'd share a little bit of my life. This past summer I joined a group therapy that specialized in teaching mindfulness to young women. Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. I use this technique everyday when I face day to day problems.
Whenever I'm anxious or need to get away from a situation I think about mindfulness. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe. In for 3 seconds, out for 4 seconds. I repeat until I have calmed myself down enough to open my eyes. As I open my eyes I pick one object or person to focus on, it helps ease my mind and heart rate. While I am focusing on the object/person, I acknowledge my worries and tell myself to accept them. This technique usually works for me when I am having a rough day.
If the combination above doesn't work, I will leave the room, or wherever I am and take a minute outside. It is crazy what a bit of fresh air will do to your mood. I always try to find a abandon bench or steps to sit on. I close my eyes and go back to my favorite memory. I sit there reliving the moment. After I can picture the moment I start to focus on specific senses. What can I smell? What can I feel? What can I hear? Whenever I do this I always picture my trip to Cape Cod. My entire family and my moms college best friends family, who I am super close with, rented houses on the beach and it was the best week of my life. The specific memory I like to think about is our last night there. All the kids spent the week making this HUGE fire pit and rolling up logs for a camp fire. We stayed out there all night. I can still picture my baby sister asleep on my moms lap. I can still smell the smell of burning wood and salt water wavering in the air. I remember the rush of adrenalin when we ran into the freezing water in the middle of the night.
I am still in therapy twice a week dealing with my issues but my favorite thing about it is, my art therapy session. I don't understand why, but with art I can just say everything on a canvas. We don't even have to talk and my therapist knows what I am thinking. I think everyone with anxiety should at least try art therapy! It has helped me so much.
These past few weeks we have been creating strength cards, A deck of card of what we think our strengths are or what we like about our selfs. At first I found this extremely difficult. I hate thinking about my self in a positive way. I always have. After a session of doing nothing cause I couldn't think of a strength, she sent me home with 5 copies of a list of strengths. She told me to give it 5 people I love and trust and have them check my strengths. It was brilliant! I handed them out to the people I love the most. My mom, my best friend, and my new friends! They all sent them back with such positive feedback. I immediately started on the project. I Loved it! I have made 50 + cards. I have cards about strengths, people, places and phrases I love. I take them everywhere. Whenever I start to have bad thoughts or just start feeling sad, I pull them out and look through them. They always cheer me up! Here are some of my favorites ☟
Self help (left) Love (right)
Compassion (left) Paint more or creativity (right)
Kind (left) All better, relax (right)
If you have anxiety or depression, I highly suggest making some of these! Thanks for reading!!
Sarah xx
Ps I don't know why the fonts are all messed up! I'm working to try to fix it. haha
This is such a creative way and I've never seen this before, I might try it! :)
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