abby’s dress: hm // poncho: lou & grey | shorts: lou & grey | hat: brixton | shoes: tory burch | sunnies: karen walker
Hi, babes! Happy Friday! The weekend is here and I am more than ready for it! We have a new bottle of wine to try out this weekend and a whole lot of weeding to do. In all seriousness though, how are you doing? Are you feeling drained from all that’s taking place in our world? I most definitely am.
Truth be told, I thought I was managing everything pretty well for a long while. That’s typically how I operate. I’m go-go-go and like to juggle lots of balls in the air at once. Most of the time it works. Most of the time I like to think that I am in control of my emotions, my home environment, and my surroundings in general. However, that usually ends up being more of an illusion than a reality. It’s typically when God enters to show me that I am in fact, not at all in control, and that’s exactly what happened this week.
I think we can all agree that 2020 has been heavy, right? It’s felt like a lot to process from day 1, but I truly felt like I was taking it in strides and processing it well. Then, Wednesday, it all hit me and I felt completely drained. I could feel the stress levels rising in my body all day and ended up breaking down by the end of the day. Everything just felt so heavy and I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. I felt fatigued and emotionally drained and I knew I needed a break.
I remember waking up yesterday and telling Travis that I needed to take a break from draining discussions, a break of consuming information at a rapid pace, and a break from politics. Not because I didn’t care or don’t care, but quite the opposite in fact. I care so deeply about so many issues, but I know if I don’t take care of myself then I won’t be able to be a good friend, a mom, an ally or a wife.
I saw someone say that it’s okay to “rest then push” alluding that resting and mental health is just as important as the learning and the pushing. I want to take that sentiment even one step further though, and say that it’s okay to feel joy. It’s okay to find joy and experience real joy and happiness amidst the hurt and heaviness of our current climate. In fact, I would argue that we all desperately need joy right now.
When COVID first started, I drafted this post, but never published it. But now feels like a great time for me to hit publish on little ways you can create a joyful, happy mindset (even amongst pain and suffering). No matter what you believe, 2020 has been heavy for everyone and we could all use a little joy in our lives. So, below you’ll find a list of 29 things that you can do to create a joyful, happy mindset. They’re all super simple and take very little time, but their impacts are exponential.
29 ways to create a joyful, happy mindset
- smile at a stranger – smiles are contagious
- go on a walk – find time to go on a short walk and just breath in the air and feel the sunshine
- read for 15 min – grab a book and give your mind a break; currently reading just mercy and love it!
- meditate – I recommend the daily (10 min) meditations from the calm app
- breathing exercises – taking 10 deep breaths (5 sec in and 5 sec out) can work wonders
- sun salutations – make time to flow – there are so many yoga videos on youtube or virtual ones via classpass
- plan a trip – book an air bnb a getaway for a night away from the day-to-day
- call/text a friend – reach out to someone to talk
- memorize a bible verse – the girls and I just memorized Ephesians 6:10
- give a hug – maybe not a stranger because Corona, but hug a family member…
- help someone – do something for someone else
- unplug – take a break from social media
- snail mail – write a letter to a friend
- go to bed 30 min earlier – give your body some extra rest
- brain dump – if you’re mind is on overdrive, spend 10-15 just writing out all you’re feeling
- laugh – smile, laugh, tell a joke!
- say no to something – cut back on obligations and give yourself a little more time
- try a new recipe – try a new recipe; we have made so many recipes from this cookbook
- pray for someone – I have been loving this prayer journal
- listen to a song that makes you happy – put on your favorite song!
- declutter one space in your home – clutter increases anxiety, so declutter one space 🙂
- start a vision board – create a board with places you want to travel, home renovation ideas, etc.
- take a bath – pamper yourself with a bubble bath and some bubbly
- start a journal – take a couple minutes a day to journal
- dance to your favorite song – we love dance parties in our house and always start laughing and smiling instantly
- donate to a charity (even $5!) – give to others
- buy groceries for the person behind you – showing a kind gesture will go a lot longer for you than the other person
- write out 3 things you like about your body – build yourself up – write out 3 things you like about yourself
- be grateful – write out 3 things you’re grateful for
