The year the earth needed to rest for a while . . .

Image: AfricanDream01

Who would have thought 2020 would have turned out to be the crazy year it was?

The year, for me, started with a torn rib cartilage which happened two days before New Year 2020 and which literally had me out of action until mid-March 2020.

Just as I started feeling well enough to getting back to normal life, lockdown happened. I live in a Retirement Village and because most of us have comorbidities, our complex was shut down in total lockdown two weeks before the rest of South Africa – our lockdown started on 16 March 2020 when the rest of South Africa went into lockdown on 26 March 2020.

Picture taken at Yzerfontein, Western Cape by AfricanDream01

COVID-19 lockdown really forced all of us to take a different view of our lives – how we lived from day to day, how we socialised, how we worked, what access we had to education and medical care and a host of other “little” aspects that automatically formed part of our lives.

We had to re-look at the way we prepared meals at home – less take out meals to be ordered and delivered with people being forced to cook their own meals with many hidden skills coming to the surface and many having to learn new skills (like baking bread).

Working from home seemed impossible until COVID-19 forced us to do it. Leaving home only when absolutely essential to do so, was unreal and surreal until we were forced to do it. Reliance on others to do grocery/emergency shopping, collection of medication, access to healthcare was all highlighted during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Picture taken at Yzerfontein, Western Cape by AfricanDream01

We never gave a second thought to our older friends and family living in retirement/old-aged homes and healthcare facilities – we could see them when we wanted to so never really made an effort to visit them, until COVID-19 lockdown regulations said “no visitors” and then the effects of these friends and family not having visitors suddenly hit home.

Restrictions also extended to social time out in nature – hard lockdown meant not being able to walk/exercise outdoors at all until restrictions eventually lifted to allow us a certain amount of time outdoors. The possibility of not being allowed to go outside at all and then eventually for a limited period of time only was never given any thought until COVID-19 lockdown happened.

Education – we could never think of life beyond the classroom. Physically going into a building called a School, into a classroom where a Teacher/Lecturer would be waiting to fill our minds with the necessary knowledge we needed to get through life not for one minute giving any thought to what would happen if we could no longer travel to a building called a School, sit in a classroom with a Teacher/Lecturer. We never gave any thought to the number of Learners (and Educators for that matter) who did not have access to the Internet or any form of digital communication.

Picture taken at Yzerfontein, Western Cape by AfricanDream01

COVID-19 lockdown most certainly turned the world (and our individual worlds) upside down that’s for sure. We were definitely not ready for this new Industrial Revolution.

Food resources, Beverages (soft drinks and alcohol consumption) – how we shop, what we buy and how much and how we store what we buy. Our hungriest and most vulnerable communities faced “a crisis within a crisis”.

Travelling – personal or public transport – our options – what are our options/alternatives?

How we celebrate personal  milestones and big public holidays. The annual trek-to-the-beach, celebrating the exit of the old year and ringing in the new year.

The most important of all – our world of work. How we earn a living, our income streams – how secure are our income streams? Do we have more than one income stream? How can we secure more income through multiple streams rather than pushing for one Corporate job that would give us one fantastic income – until the carpet is pulled from under us?

Picture taken at Yzerfontein, Western Cape by AfricanDream01

COVID-19 lockdown has forced us to review our lives and to get by with a lot less than we thought we needed. It has forced us to look inward and to love ourselves and take better care of ourselves before taking care of others. It has taught us UBUNTU – to look around us and see where the needs are and to find ways to assist where we can to fulfil those needs.

Self-love and self-care has never been more important than now. Mindfulness and being mindful of others has never been more relevant and important than now.

2020 taught us to be more grateful, hopeful and more understanding of the meaning of togetherness . . . the meaning of love!

#goodbye2020

#lookingback

#reflecting

#happynewyear

#mindfulness

#gratitude

#love

5 Ways to feel less stress when life gets busy . . .

 

 

Stress is one of the primary causes of major health problems in our lives: it can cause heart disease, anxiety, sleep deprivation, auto-immune disorders, weight problems, unhappiness, and even deep depression, but we’re busy – we all have places to be, things to do and people to see. So how do we feel less stress and still get our work done right (without neglecting our loved ones and ourselves)?

 

When life gets crazy busy, you might not have time for week-long meditation and yoga retreats, weekend vacations, or even weekly life coaching sessions. So what can be done?

 

 

There are five simple things you can do. A few mind set shifts and a couple of actions that take only a couple of minutes. These can’t solve the most severe stress related problems, but they can help most of us in a major way, every day.

 

1. Be in the moment, completely, with just one task: Instead of being in a stressful task-switching state of mind, take your next task, let everything else go, and just be in the moment with this one task. Let yourself be immersed in this task by letting go of the feeling that you need to quickly rush through it – that you need to move on to the next task waiting for you. There will always be a next task, because that’s the nature of To Do lists – they’re never ending. So let those later tasks come later. Just be 100 percent in this one task, like it’s your entire world. Bottom line: Slow down. Breathe. Review your commitments and goals. Put first things first. Do one task at a time. Start now. Take a 5-minute break every hour. Repeat. Always remember, results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.

 

2. Let go of controlling what can’t be controlled: Fear is causing you to be stressed, not external factors like your job obligations or family issues. Those external factors are just a part of life, but they become stressful when you fear failure, fear people won’t like you, fear you’re not good enough, fear abandonment, and so forth. This fear is based on some fantasy in your head about how things are supposed to be (and you fear that your life may not live up to that fantasy): you have an image in your head that you’re going to be perfect, have people like you, be comfortable all the time, and succeed on all fronts. These fantasies are a way to feel in control of a world that you don’t actually control, but they’re hurting you by causing fear and stress. Instead, let go of control. Be ok with chaos and uncertainty and trust that things will work out. You’ll fear less and feel less stress.

 

 

3. Accept people jut the way they are and smile: We get upset with others because they don’t meet our fantasy of how they “should” act. Instead, try accepting them for who they are, and recognize that, like you, they’re imperfect and seeking happiness and struggling with finding it. They’re doing their best. Accept them just the way they are. In most cases it’s impossible to change them anyway, and it’s rude to try. Save yourself from the needless stress. Instead of trying to change others, give them your support today and lead by example.

 

4. Take a brief walk outside: When things are getting really stressful, take 5 – 10 minutes to take a walk and clear you mind. A short walk does wonders. It gives you something new to look at and it gets your body moving. People who have recently experienced stressful life events like a serious illness, death of a loved one, marital separation or job loss, always see an immediate mood boost after a short outdoor walk. It’s literally the most effective way to instantly reduce the stressful pressure of a worried mind. Right about now, you should consider taking a break from work and go for a short, peaceful walk (in a park or green space if there’s one nearby). Again, this is not unproductive lollygagging, it’s likely to have a restorative effect on our mind and help with attention fatigue and stress recovery.

 

5. Perform short mindfulness practices: You don’t have to meditate for 30 minutes to get the benefits of mindfulness. You can do a quick body scan (focus on your body and notice how each part of it feels right now) in 30 seconds. You can pay attention to your breath for 60 seconds (listen to it and feel it). You can watch your thoughts about concerns, fears, judgments, doubts and ideals for a minute (recognize that these thoughts are simply thoughts; you don’t need to believe them or react to them). You can walk mindfully, paying attention to your feet, your body, your breath and your surroundings, as you walk. You can do each of these short mindfulness practices in little bits whenever you need them throughout your day.

Source: From Marc and Angel Hack Life

The winds of change and 6 Lessons to learn about embracing change

 

Change freaks me out! probably even more than speaking in public. Don’t ask me why because I will not know how to answer you. Just in the last two (going on three) years I’ve had to deal with so much drastic change in my life and for someone who gets freaked out by ONE change, it has caused major upheaval in my life.

 

Just to give you an idea of what I’m talking about so you know I’m not exaggerating and so you know I’m not being a “drama queen”.

 

• Mom’s sudden terminal illness (last quarter of 2013) – me becoming primary caregiver while holding down a full time job and other challenges like studying part time at the same time
• Mom’s sudden death (in spite of terminal illness we did not expect death within 14 months from date of diagnosis)
• Dad died three months after mom
• Loss of job (and income) after 13 years of employment (contract ended)
• Loss of sister and her family (chose to travel to see the world beyond our borders)
• Adjusting to a new lifestyle
• Adjusting to the possibility of a new friendship/relationship after more than 30 years (huge change for an introvert like me)

 

Change, whether good or bad causes stress. The events above are not necessarily similar, but they all require major adjustment in how I conduct my daily life. These adjustments cause stress even when they are positive. On the other hand, negative changes can yield positive results. You never know what you are going to get and that is what scares the hell out of me.

 

Why do I find change so difficult to adapt to is a question I keep asking myself. While growing up so much happened to me that I had no control over and which is probably when I decided to control that which I could to the best of my ability.

 

Over the years, I slowly defined how my world was going to work and that is, I will control those aspects of my life which I could physically control and whenever something happens in my personal world or to me personally that is inconsistent with the way I feel my world should be, I encounter resistance to the change. This is when I immediately and automatically (without thinking about it) put up a wall of resistance to protect myself against the change.

 

 

Adjusting to a new lifestyle:

So what does this have to do with me adopting and adjusting to a new lifestyle? Well, I’m asking myself the following questions:

• Where will this new road take me?
• How long will it take for me to make the necessary changes and adjustments in my life to cope with the change?
• Is my new path dangerous?
• What I don’t know scares me to death and change creates a lot of uncertainty in the process – am I ready for this?

When we experience the world ourselves in a certain way for half a century, we develop core beliefs that make up our world view of how life is supposed to be.

 

We seek out people like us to avoid change: Because new information bothers our brains, we continue to seek friends where we always found them in the past to reinforce our beliefs in spite of knowing that those friendships are no longer satisfying or fulfilling. We try to stick to what we know even though it is or was never satisfying or fulfilling.

 

We hate to feel like we wasted our time and effort: When we invest ourselves in anything emotionally, it becomes harder to change because we don’t want to lose all the time and effort we have already invested in something. As a result, we have a hard time letting go of the “old life” and we become reluctant to embrace the new life even though we know the old life never worked or satisfied us in the past.

 

 

 

So, what should I do to cope with all these changes in my life?

 

1. Accept the inevitability of change and the resulting stress: I have to learn that stress is an inevitable part of the process. Changing the way I think and feel is meant to be hard, but it will get even harder if I don’t make the necessary adjustments now. I need to give myself permission to feel the change-related distress and all of the associated emotions that come with it. If I don’t process them, I will have to isolate myself from all things that represent the “distressing” change, just to be able to function.

 

2. I need to allow myself to freak out, but should always consider the upside: I should give myself permission to freak out in my own time and then find ways to move forward positively. The psychological distress caused by some changes can make having an optimistic outlook feel like an impossible task. That’s okay. I need to do all the kicking and screaming (resisting) I need to do, then start to seek out ways to make my new lifestyle choice more acceptable to my old way of thinking.

 

The only way my fears and stress will disappear is if I calm down and embrace the unknown.

 

As much as I resisted each of the changes in my life, I’ve since learned to embrace the impermanency of my life and the changes that come my way. Here are 6 lessons life has taught me on embracing change:

 

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.

Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung

 

1. Reduce expectations: In each of my life’s circumstances, I had high expectations for my family and myself. I had expected each to remain constant and to last forever, but I’ve learned that nothing lasts forever. You can have reasonable expectations of how you’d like something to turn out, but you cannot marry yourself to that result. Reducing or having no expectations about a relationship, or a situation can help you accept whatever may come from it. When you set reasonable expectations, and don’t expect or demand a particular outcome, you’re better able to manage any changes that do come your way. Unreasonable expectations of life, will more likely be met with loss, disappointment and pain.

 

“Those with little expectations in life are seldom disappointed”

 

2. Acknowledge change: Change can happen quickly and at any point in your life. I learned this very quickly when my mom went from being healthy as a horse to dead in 14 months. I was forced to instantly realise that change can happen in the blink of an eye. I was still trying to deal with the fact that my mother who was never sick a day in her life was now suddenly terminally ill and before I even came to terms with that fact, she was dead. Today I still sometimes sit and wonder “what the hell happened?” I was forced to realise that things can and will be different from how they are at any given moment. Acknowledging change is allowing it to happen when it unfolds instead of approaching change from a place of denial and resistance.

 

3. Accepting change: There were times when I desperately tried to stop change from happening in my life by trying to forge ahead even in futile situations. Instead of resisting, I should allow change to unfold and try to understand what is transforming and why. Circumstances will not always turn out the way you want them to, and it’s perfectly alright. Embracing the situation can help you deal with the change effectively, make the necessary shifts in your life to embrace the change, and help you move forward after the change has happened.

 

 

 

4. Learn from the experience: If you accept and embrace change, you will start looking for and finding lessons in it. When dramatic changes were happening in my life, I refused to acknowledge them at first, which left me distraught and without meaning. Once I reflected back and finally accepted the changes, the lessons I started absorbing were profound. Change becomes your greatest teacher but only if you give yourself permission to learn from it.

 

5. Recognise you’re growing stronger: When you accept, embrace and learn from change, you inevitably grow stronger. The ability to continuously accept change allows you to become solid as a rock in the midst of violent storms all around you – even if you feel afraid.

The main lesson I learned from my mom’s sudden illness and sudden death was that I’m a lot stronger than everybody believed I was (even stronger than I thought I was myself). This was when I saw for myself that I can truly deal with anything life throws my way and I’m stronger for it in the end.

 

6. Embrace the wisdom: The more I permitted change and impermanence in my life, the more I grew as a person. Embracing change has brought newfound strength into my life and more inner peace. When you proactively embrace change and learn to accept it as part of your life, you are filled with more calmness, peace and courage. When life fails to shake you up with its twists and turns, you realise that changes can’t break you. You will have reached a level of understanding in life that some may even call wisdom.

 

 

I have by no means reached that place called “wisdom”, but I am working through my aversions to change. I now openly welcome and embrace it.

 

When we can accept change, learn from it, and become all the better for experiencing it, change is no longer our enemy, it becomes our teacher.

 

Source: http://tinybuddha.com/blog/6-life-lessons-on-embracing-change-and-impermanence/

10 Things to remember when you feel unsure of yourself

 

It’s not what you say out loud to everyone else that determines your life – it’s what you whisper to yourself that has the greatest power.

If you feel unsure of yourself sometimes, I know exactly how you feel. I used to be incredibly unsure of myself… and sometimes I still am.

But it’s not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, anxiety, an inability to join in, and feeling “different” – they’re really not all bad. Those inner battles have been my angels at times. Without them I would never have disappeared into literature, language, the mind, passionate work, and all the wild intensities that made and unmade me, and shaped me into the person I am today.

 

 

But a harsh truth remains: The enemies we encounter in life, especially our own inner demons, use the things we’re insecure about against us.

This means we can’t hide forever. We have to emerge. We have to grow through our insecurities.

At some point we have to free ourselves and take our power back by being secure in who we are – flaws and all.

 

 

This isn’t easy, of course – it’s a journey and as you embark on that journey, here are some important things to keep in mind:

1. The story you tell yourself is the story you live by. 

Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Every day.  All the time, and that story makes you what you are – it lays the foundation for every action you take or don’t take. You build yourself out of that story.

2. Every belittling, insecure thought is unreliable and changeable.

Once you become self-conscious, there is no end to it if you don’t address it; once you start to doubt yourself, there’s no room for anything else until you make a change. You’re going to have to let truth shout louder to your soul than the lies that have infected you.

3. A moment of truth is one of your most powerful assets.

Instead of smiling to be polite, just cry when you need to. Instead of laughing when you are nervous or uncomfortable, just speak your truth. Instead of acting like everything is all right, proclaim it isn’t all right – talk about your feelings! Honour yourself. Honour your truth. Be real.

4. A little self-focus and self-care goes a long way.

Whenever you are self-conscious you are really just exhibiting that you’re not conscious of who YOU are. You don’t feel comfortable being yourself. If you did, then there would be no problem – you wouldn’t be seeking opinions from others. You wouldn’t be worried what others say about you – it’d be irrelevant! When you are self-conscious you are in trouble. When you are self-conscious you are really showing symptoms that you don’t know who you are inside. Your very self-consciousness indicates that you have not given yourself enough care. (Read The Mastery of Love.)

5. The biggest critic lives in your perception of people’s perception of you (not people’s perception of you).

One of the greatest journeys in life is overcoming insecure thoughts and learning to truly not care so much about other people’s opinions. In fact, you will never make a great impression on others until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you’re making.

 

 

6. Everyone has their own way, which has nothing to do with you.

One big reason we judge each other so bitterly in our society of social comparison and social status: we perceive anyone else who’s doing things differently than what we’re doing as criticizing our decisions. This, of course, is something we need to let GO!

7. Your greatest beauty is completely out of sight in shallow social interactions.

Outer beauty is only skin deep, and everyone has ugly days – we’re only human. Focus within, not without. Acting right is better than looking right. Realize that evil can look pretty on the outside. Realize what makes you beautiful beyond looks. You are far more than what can be seen at a glance.

8. Unconsciousness can cripple you

A human being will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards, as long as it does not occur to her to pull rather than push. An open, conscious mind is the key. (Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the “Adversity” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.)

9. Your struggles have been making you, not breaking you

Sometimes you must go through difficulties, breakups, rejections and painful wounds, which shatter the flattering image you once had of life, in order to gradually discover two powerful truths: 1) Life is not exactly how you thought it was. 2) The loss of one wonderful pleasure is not necessarily the loss of true, long-term happiness and well -being.

10. The more you live through and learn through, the more you will realize how much you don’t know.

Research suggests that the so-called “impostor syndrome” that takes place when we suddenly don’t feel “good enough” gets more intense as we grow wiser. The more experienced or accomplished we become, the more likely we are to rub shoulders with ever more interesting, talented and skilled people, leaving us feeling even more inadequate by comparison. So, in a backwards way, if you’re concerned that you don’t measure up, that could very well be a good sign that you actually do measure up just fine.

 

 

After thoughts:

In the end, you will ultimately come to realize this:

Insecurities have the ability to shape and mould your mind to live with everything that’s bad – like crying on the inside constantly, while smiling on the outside… thus creating endless anxiety.

But, there is a solution:

1. Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart.
   2. Forget about what you thought for a moment and appreciate exactly where you are.
   3. Think positively.
   4. Be mindful.
   5. Focus on the ONE meaningful task you can handle in the present.
   6. Notice the slight, gradual progress you’re making.

 ~ From Marc and Angel Hack Life
http://www.marcandangel.com

Mindfulness: The art of doing nothing and discovering a sense of being

Within each of us there is a silence,
a silence as vast as the universe,
and when we experience the silence,
we remember who we are.
– Gunilla Norris

Relax, peace, silence, enjoy, rejuvenate, refresh, soothe, calm, quiet

Listen . . .
Listen to the wind . . .
It talks!

Listen to the silence . . .
It speaks!

Listen to your heart . . .
It knows!
(A Native American)

Be still and let the beauty of life fill your heart with appreciation. Anon.

The benefits of nature:
• Nature is perceived as sacred and inspiring

• A sense of oneness and unity is evoked in encounters with nature

• A sense of simplicity and feelings of peace and serenity is associated with nature

• When in nature we experience surrendering and a lessened need for control

• Our energetic, emotional, physical and spiritual needs are fulfilled

• A desire to reciprocate is evoked, a caring for and enrichment of nature

• Through connectedness and harmony, we may be inspired

Mindfulness series: This moment is a chance to be free

Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.
– Shirley Maclaine (Actress)

How often do you get stuck or caught up in a cycle of negativity? Practicing yoga, going to gym, meditating or starting your mornings with positive affirmations does not always prevent us from falling down, leaving us wondering why it’s so difficult to get back up again.

When this happens, how do you stop yourself from thinking in circles, allowing yourself to let your feelings paralyse you while dwelling on the same fears and frustrations over and over again and then wonder why you feel so stuck?

• Why do we always need to identify concrete solutions to all our problems?
• Why do we need to create the illusion of control in the middle of our circumstances?
• Why can’t we accept that our biggest problem is fighting the way things are and then consciously stop fighting ourselves?

Why can’t we just choose to be in this moment where we are right now instead of trying to find something better? Why do we always need to “fix” things? Accept that not everything broken can be or needs to be repaired.

This moment we are in right now is a new opportunity to let go of everything that is causing us stress and mental anguish. This moment is a new opportunity to take a deep breath so we don’t feel so overwhelmed and frustrated.

Are you living in the moment where you are right now or are you wishing for what could have, should have or would have been?

Every day brings a chance to practice stress or to practice peace.
– Joan Borysenko

Feeling bad and wishing we didn’t isn’t productive at all. We need to consciously choose to let it go, and be free.

Cling less: Enjoy more:
• We can’t fully appreciate a picturesque sunrise or sunset if we spend our time wishing it will never rain again.
• We can’t fully enjoy a moment of true connection if we’re wishing we’d never feel alone again.
• We can’t fully enjoy a relaxing day if we keep wishing we will never be busy again.

The key to happiness is possibly in focussing less on making the moments last and rather focussing more on making them count. This is possible when we choose to fully experience each moment as it happens rather than wishing they wouldn’t end.

We can all have more joyful experiences, if we’re willing to cling to less.

Mindfulness: Somewhere out there . . .

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Always work with it, not against it.
– Eckhart Tolle

• Somewhere out there, someone feels exactly like you do.

• Someone is thinking that things could be better and wondering if they will ever “arrive”

• Someone is remembering how things were before and wondering if they’ll ever let go. Someone is missing someone they love and wondering why they had to know loss.

• Someone is radiating with hope and joy and wondering if it will last.

• Somewhere right now, someone is struggling in much the same way as you.

• Someone is out of work and cash and wondering what might be next.

• Someone is waiting for an important call and wondering if it’s best not to know.

• Someone is walking away from no good and wondering if they can go on. Someone is walking toward something new and wondering if they should turn back.

• Somewhere right now, someone is transforming in much the same way as you.

• Someone is stretching into a new role and wondering if it feels right.

• Someone is reaching for a new goal and wondering who they can become.

• Someone is trying their hardest to create change and wondering if they are making strides.

• Someone is getting ready to take a leap and wondering if they will feel more alive

In spite of all our differences, we all deal with the same things, in different times and in different ways. We are all striving and struggling, learning and growing, and sometimes it can feel like we should be somewhere else – like we should be smarter, wiser, further along or closer to having an answer.

Right now, in the middle, in the messiness and uncertainty, this is where we all live. No one has it all figured out – and maybe that’s the point. When we’re finished, we’re finished. Is that really a choice we’d make?

Somewhere right now, someone is deciding it’s okay to be right where they are.

Take a deep breath, look around, and let that person be you!

Source: Tiny Wisdom on Mindfulness (Simple tips for living in the now) by Lori Deschene

Mindfulness: Why are you swimming upstream?

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. – Will Rogers

What do you want? What do you REALLY REALLY want in your life and where are you on the path towards what you really want?

So much of our lives is controlled by our intentions and our beliefs. What I believe and what you believe and what we believe as a community matters but how much of what others believe is influencing your decisions and choices?

Our intentions become our thoughts . . . our thoughts become our beliefs . . . our beliefs become our words and actions and leads to the choices and decisions we make (whether good or bad).

When we get to the end of our lives will we ask questions like:
• Why was I struggling all that time?
• Why was I swimming upstream all the time instead of going with the flow or establishing my own path?

All we need to do is to just look at each other and accept each other for who we each represent on the planet. We all ultimately want the same thing.

So, what do you want? What do you REALLY REALLY want in your life and where are you on the path towards what you really want?

Goal Setting Questions

1. Which goal do you want to achieve?
2. Will that goal bring you closer to your dream (long term goal)?
3. What do you have to do to achieve it? (resources, time, money)
4. Are you willing to sacrifice what is needed?

Let’s talk about this.

Let me know if these questions struck a chord in you somehow.

Just breathe

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Keep your head clear. It doesn’t matter how bright the path is if your head is always cloudy. – Unknown

What does it mean to “just breathe”? When we feel frustrated, panicked, stressed or scared, we tend to breathe rapid, shallow breaths, allowing the minimal amount of air into our lungs. This can lead to a number of physical problems i.e. dizziness, headaches, chronic fatigue, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and numbness.

What is the alternative?
Take deep, slow, mindful breaths through the nose. Hold the breath briefly before exhaling through the mouth for twice as long as the inhalation. This is what it means to “just breathe”. To concentrate specifically on nourishing our bodies with air, and, in so doing, bring about a sense of internal safety. It is also a reminder that no matter how catastrophic or overwhelming things may seem, we are still alive and we can overcome whatever lies ahead for us.

When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, worried or scared, just breathe. For a minute, forget about everything that needs to be done and take it all one slow step and deep breath at a time.

Sometimes the world inside our heads is far more chaotic than the world outside and we forget that we have the immense power to calm it all by remembering to “just breathe”.

Journaling as a mindfulness practice for thoughts and emotions

Journaling is the practice of self-discovery by writing to yourself.
– Chade Meng Tan (Google)

In today’s busy world, finding physical and mental space for peace and calm amidst the competing demands of work, family and friends can be a challenge. Mindfulness is a simple and powerful practice that can help you cut through the noise and reclaim tranquillity, wherever you are.

Mindfulness can also be described as “taking an active, mindful stance by paying moment-to-moment, non-judging attention to thoughts and emotions as they arise; and facilitate their flow by putting them on paper.”

Working with your hands is one of the best ways to soothe anxiety and eliminate stress. How can you do this?

• Mindfulness Journal – Exercises that help you find peace and calm wherever you are
• Colouring book (for adults) – The latest trend these days. For those who prefer the pen and paper version, there are many options available in stationery shops and at online shops like Amazon:

. For the electronic gadget boffins – there are apps available which you can download to your favourite device to work on the next time you’re waiting in a queue somewhere.

How to Journal or Blog:
• Choose an amount of time you can spare each day (3, 5, or 15 minutes)
• Choose a prompt (subject/topic) – see below for suggestions
• Play! For the amount of time you have chosen, write down whatever comes to mind relating to the prompt you have selected for the day.

The best approach is not to think about what you are going to write – just write it! If you run out of things to write about . . . write about the fact that you have run out of things to write about until you have something to write about again.

Suggested prompts:
• What I am feeling now is . . .
• I am aware that . . .
• What motivates me is . . .
• I am inspired by . . .
• Today, I aspire to . . .
• What hurts me is . . .
• I wish . . .
• Others are . . .
• I made a happy/sad mistake . . .
• Love is . . .

Self-inquiry prompts:
• Things that give me pleasure are . . .
• My strengths are . . .
• Things that annoy me are . . .
• My weaknesses are . . .
• My core values are . . .
• I stand for . . .
• Who are you and what are you doing?
• How I feel today . . .
• What people say about me is . . .

For more prompts check out this link:

Adult Journal Prompts
1. Childhood Aspirations
What did you want to become when you were a child? Are you pursuing that dream or have you chosen something different?

2. Regrets
What regrets do you have? What could you do to change them?

3. New Place
Describe a time when you were in a new place or situation. How did you feel and what did you do?

4. One Day
If you could live one day over, which day would it be and what would you change?

5. Child Influence
What was the most influential aspect of your childhood on the person you are today?

6. New Project
What is one project or activity you’d like to start? What’s been keeping you from doing it?

How to use technology (from cellular phones to social media) with mindfulness, meaning and wisdom.
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