(🇩🇪 For the german version click here)
Hi There,
I still owe you the last part of my post how to get rid off negative thinking in a healthy way.
If you missed part 1 and 2 - here are the links:
Part 1
Part 2
Here we go:
9 Breath
INHALE THE GOOD SHIT, EXHALE THE BULLSHIT!
Take time to breathe.
Especially when you are stressed out and everything becomes too much, you tend to breathe shallowly instead of deeply and calmly.
In this case your body doesn't have a chance to deal with the stress and craves a long, deep breath!
Start right now and do something good for yourself by breathing deeply in and out for 20 seconds.
You can do this by placing your left hand on your heart and your right hand on your belly.
If you like, close your eyes.
If not, this is ok too.
Then, as you inhale, feel your chest rise and inhale into your belly.
Then exhale slowly and calmly.
And if it feels good to you, feel free to lift the corners of your mouth a little bit for a gentle smile.
That should feel very good.
A very nice way to find inner peace is alternate breathing.
Alternate breathing in through the right nostril while lightly holding the left one closed with your pinky.
Then close the right nostril with your thumb and exhale through the left.
Then inhale through the left one again, switch and close the left one again with your pinky and exhale through the right one again and so on. I have linked you a video here (Youtube link) that explains the whole thing in detail.
HAPPY BREATHING!
IMPORTANT: If you are pregnant, please ask your doctor if alternate breathing is possible for you.
10 Write away your worries
Write down your worries and thoughts!
Take a sheet and a pen. (Do this really handwritten)
Sit down at a table and then start writing!
Write down all the crap that is buzzing around in your head and makes your life difficult - everything, really everything!
Don't think about how to phrase it or if you can write it that way, just write what comes - unfiltered.
Once you start, the words will soon just flow out of you.
Writing everything off and out of your head is very liberating.
It may be that a few tears will come up during the process of writing, let them flow just like the words on the paper.
That is ok.
All feelings are ok and also all your thoughts. By writing them down you empty your head, you relieve your brain.
This is a great relief for you.
When you are done, you can crumple up the written pages and throw them away, preferably straight out into the garbage can outside!!!
Even more powerful is to let go of what you have written down by burning it. You can do this in the fireplace or in a fireproof bowl - make absolutely sure it's safe!!!!
You will be amazed at the great effect it has on you to see the words - the negative thoughts - burn before your eyes until only a bit of ash is left.
11 go outside and find relief in nature
In my opinion, still the best way to get a clear mind and awesome for your health: nature.
A stroll outside in the fresh air clears the mind and soon the dark clouds of
negative thoughts in your head will turn from dark grey to a lighter grey. Perhaps a small patch of blue sky can be seen through.
Nature has proven to have a calming effect on us humans.
Perhaps you have even just felt a certain relaxation or a sigh of relief in your mind when you looked at the picture of the headline just now.
The effect of nature on us is even more intense when we spend time outdoors, especially in the forest.
I will now take you on a little virtual walk in the woods (please turn on the sound): A walk in the forest (video recorded during my holidays)
Wonderful, isn't it?
If you now use your 5 senses, you remember tip 8 above, you will discover many things:
You perceive the very special scent of the forest. Pine, fir, earth.
You feel how soft the forest floor feels under your steps.
You listen to the rustling of the tree tops as they gently sway in the wind.
You imagine how old many of the giant trees are, what they have experienced.
You see how lush the green moss and ferns are throughout the forest.
You recognize how wonderfully quiet it is. Not an unpleasant silence, but a silence that gives you incredible peace and strength. It almost feels like a loving embrace.
And maybe you suddenly feel a little bit or a big bit that you are nature too.
You belong to it. We all belong to nature.
Now it´s your turn: Look up where the nearest forest is and then take a nice walk in the forest. (It's best to look for a nice stone right away - see tip 2 in part 1 of this post series - be creative!!).
Maybe there is a nice park nearby or you just sit in your garden, if possible.
The main thing: GO OUTSIDE
But what should I do, if I´m not able to go outside at the moment or I´m not allowed to leave the house?
In recent times, many of us have more time than usual. But not everyone has the luxury to sit in their garden or on the balcony and enjoy nature and its sounds. There are a lot of people who just can not or are not allowed to go outside and have no opportunity to spend time outdoors.
If you are one of them, here are a few more ways to bring nature into your home and recharge your batteries:
A nice possibility for an "indoor-outdoor" feeling are nature documentaries or simply videos with relaxing music and nature sounds that show incredibly beautiful landscape shots.
Just sit back, watch and enjoy. These images and sounds alone have a calming effect on us. Here are a few of my favorite videos (YouTube links):
Invite plants into your home! Plants and flowers will bring nature right into your home. They not only look pretty, but also have a positive effect on your health and mood. They are ingenious air purifiers!
Don´t believe in everything you think
Finally, a word on the subject of thoughts.
Sometimes it is very difficult to get rid of negative thoughts.
They then buzz around in the head and do not give rest. (You remember the monkeys...).
Fact is: Most of these thoughts, never, ever come true.
Some time ago during a meditation I learned that thoughts are something intangible. And something so intangible often drives us so crazy.
But if thoughts are intangible, are they like air? And would that mean, we are going nuts because of air!!!
Instead of worrying forever about air, let's turn our focus to solving the supposed problem. And in some cases, we may discover that it has vanished into air!
Whenever you are about to give too much credence to your thoughts, remember the quote from Mark Twain in the picture above. It is so true.
Now we've come to the end of this series of posts - glad you've read this far. It shows that you want to take good care of yourself - a step of self-love and incredibly important! 💛
Probably not all of the tips mentioned will be a good fit for you, so just pick the ones you feel comfortable with and also give those a chance where you might think at first that they are not your first option. (..just like I never wanted to do yoga until I just tried it - now I don´t wanna miss it anymore).
To achieve a calm and clear mind in the long run, there are also many very, very valuable books you can read.
Since early 2020 times have changed a lot in an overwhelming way. No wonder, our minds are sometimes stuck in negative chatter.
I would like to encourage you to use this uncertain time from now on FOR YOU.
Even if times will still stay uncertain or overwhelming, that doesn't mean that you have to go on like that, too.
How about starting now to face this time stronger, healthier and full of energy!
You can start making healthier choices today, be it your meals, exercise, sleep, thoughts etc.!
Maybe you think you don't have enough strength for that?
You are wrong.
You have just read this far.
You have taken this time - FOR YOU!
You have just taken the first step to deal better with this time.
Be aware: Every crisis also offers us opportunities to grow, if we accept them.(...I can confirm this from my own experience..)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Asking for support and getting it can make you suddenly feel much stronger and more relaxed. You no longer feel helplessly at the mercy of the situation. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. You don't have to go through this alone.
Especially right now it is very important not to let negative thoughts and emotions paralyze us, so we can stay healthy and confident.
Use this time FOR YOU! 😊
It's time to feel your zest for life again and leave the negative chatter behind!
I would like to thank you for your support by reading until the end. Hopefully, these 11 tipps will be helpful for you to get your power back. I know, this was a lot to read, but this topic is so important, that I could shorten it.
Please feel free to follow me for more content about holistic health and happiness and or comment below and perhaps share your own tipps with us! Let´s support each other and build each other up.
A big hug & lots of love,
Simone
Love your body, mind & soul - love yourself 💛
(all pictures either by myself or by Canva pro)