All these pictures are taken by me. Please, be fair and don't copy them. Be original!
Life can be challenging at times. It may sound a bit cliché, but that’s how nature works. There comes a moment when your body tells you to stop—and not always in the best way. Our bodies are wise; they know exactly when we need to take a break and remind our minds that we may be demanding too much of ourselves. Sometimes it's not about juggling multiple projects (though that can happen), but more often, it's because we haven’t learned to set boundaries around the distractions that pull us away from our main goal in life: living a life full of happiness. This means following your intuition, accepting your weaknesses, and strengthening your strengths.
And you’re probably thinking, "Okay, Marina, that’s easy to say! But how can I actually do it?" Then, you start with a lot of excuses: "I don’t have time, my life is a mess, I promised my friend (insert any person you care about) I’d help them because they’re moving to a new town. Oh, and I need to go to the supermarket, feed my dog, write four essays to pass (insert your studies here), and don’t forget to clean my apartment! It's a matter of life and death!" (Okay, cleaning is important, but don’t go overboard after weeks of letting it slide—finding balance is key.) And of course, "Wait, let me just check Instagram for a second... Oh look, (insert name) has been working on themselves—does that mean I’m lazy (insert any negative adjective here)? How can I reach my goals if I’m just lazy (insert another negative adjective here)? I’ll never achieve any of my dreams!"
STOP! Let’s break that negative cycle right now. Reflect on this: Why are you spending so much time thinking about others? You’ll probably say, "I care about others, I’m a good person." Yes, you are a good person, but are you being just as kind to yourself? Or are you putting yourself last in line? If you can relate to anything I’ve said, it might be time to make a list of what makes you happy and what you’re doing just to meet other people’s needs.
How can you distinguish the two? Well, if helping someone (especially when you’re working on yourself) makes you feel more anxious than at peace with yourself, then you’re prioritizing others' needs over your own. I encourage you to pay attention to the things that bring you joy. At first, you might feel a bit lost or confused, especially if you’ve never listened to yourself in a positive way. But I promise, if you spend just 5 minutes enjoying something you love or doing something that nurtures your mind and body, you’ll be able to achieve anything you set your mind to.
In this post, I’ll share some tips and activities you can do to work on yourself. You might have tried some of these before and felt like they didn’t help, but I encourage you to stick with it. One key recommendation: don’t use your phone or social media while doing any of these activities. It can be challenging, and you may think, "I just want to take a quick picture and post it on Instagram—it’ll only take a minute." Don’t do it! If you want to snap a picture, go ahead, but don’t even unlock your phone. You can edit and post it later. Right now, it’s time to enjoy!
Activities to connect with yourself
1. Take advantage of your day off
Even if you only have a day off per week, you must take advantage of it! You don't have to be productive if you don't feel like it. However, it is important to make something to raise your energy. 30 minutes would be enough but if you have more time don't even think about it, just let yourself enjoy from small things. It isn't necessary to go far from home to enjoy your day off as long you feel connected with yourself.
2. A small trip
Perhaps you feel moody or lazy to go for a walk but believe me, you won't regret it after you do it. Going outside will increase your happiness as you'll be doing some exercise which is good not only for your body but for your mind because you won't be overthinking or bored at home, you'll be working on yourself, even if you think that a small trip doesn't bring you any benefit, you'll see that you feel refreshed and relaxed after a walk, and if you do it just 3 times per week you can even loss some weight if you need it, in a healthy way! The most important thing is to feel connected with yourself in order to feel connected with others. Look for a place you haven't visited before in your village or town. Connect with the forest! Even if you live in a city I'm sure you'll be able to find a green area or a small park, you can walk, run or just watch the landscape but make sure you are only thinking in you. If you live near the forest you can make some nature art, remember not to damage the nature, take only plants and wooden logs that were already on the floor.
3. Make yourself a cup of something you love
Ok, I don't mean to drink a bottle of wine or something like this but drink something it would benefit you! It's summer and my favourite beverage for this season it's definitely an herbal iced tea, preferably red fruit iced tea. Boil some water and let it chill until it's cold, take off the tea leaves, add some ice and enjoy!
4. Write a journal
While you drink your tea, consider journaling. I recommend it even if you don’t particularly enjoy writing or feel like you’re not good at it. I used to write a lot when I was younger—I have 4 or 5 journals from the time I was 10 to 18. I stopped writing with the excuse that I didn’t have time, and it wasn’t until I picked it up again that I realized how much I had been missing. My thoughts were scattered, and I always felt the need to talk to someone because I couldn’t connect with myself. Writing helps you feel balanced and grounded. Even if you only write one sentence, you’ll feel like you’re not ignoring yourself.
I’m not going to tell you what to write in your journal because everyone is different. However, I can share what works for me: I write about things I’m worried about and explore possible solutions to the problem. I also write about how I feel and what activities lift my spirits. I like to make a list of healthy habits to follow to feel better overall. But these are just suggestions—feel free to take them or leave them.
I encourage you to just write and let your voice flow. You might get stuck at first, but keep going. Remember, you can be 100% yourself because no one is judging you. This is a powerful step toward building confidence and learning to stand firm in your own truth when talking to others.
5. Eat healthy food
It's easy to eat the first thing you find in the fridge when you are home alone. Wait! think for a second, are you really hungry or just anxious? It's fine if you eat chocolate or a treat from time to time but it's better to think that eating balanced will make you have a positive mind and good energy to do whatever you like. Try to eat more veggies, drink more water and enjoy a big bowl of pasta as well! but always eating consciously and enjoying food. We are what we eat! The picture you see above it's a simple recipe I made last week before I went to work. It's very easy and the ingredients are:
Rainbow summer salad:
- Some red and green pepper
- cooked Chickpeas
- cooked corn
- Grated carrot
- Tuna in brine
Mix it all uncooked, season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Enjoy it!
6. Choose a nice playlist
It’s a fact that music can help reduce stress levels. You can play some music while taking a shower or a bath, it will help you relax and inspire you. I recommend the Homework radio on YouTube or any calming playlist for self-care moments. If you choose to take a shower, opt for natural soaps, like the ones shown above. These are from a natural shop and smell amazing. I also have atopic skin, so I can only use these types of products for my skin.
Well, I hope you are a bit more inspired now that you have some ideas to practise in your life to connect with yourself!! I also recommend you to light some candles, watch a nice movie, read a book that inspires you to be a better person everyday, spend time with those who inspire you good vibes♥ etc. but don't be afraid to spend time alone and work on yourself!
I'll be posting more things like this on the blog as I'd like to give you more tips to increase your confidence and self-love. If you have any doubt I'll be happy to help! ☺
Take care, be happy and don't forget to hug a tree! ;)
Marina
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