The Sunday 3 is a weekly roundup of 3 things I’m loving, moved by or thinking about this week—from self-care tips to recipes to new sustainable brands. Catch a preview on my Insta Stories, get all the deets here & see past weeks’ editions at hellogalbraith.com/sunday3.
Being at home so much now, I tend to feel the need (even more than usual!) to keep busy and occupied, checking off to-dos and searching for a feeling of being productive. Have you been finding that, too?
I think keeping “busy” in whatever ways we can is a way to distract ourselves from our thoughts, our worries, our fears. But in the end, they’re still there. We can’t really avoid them, they’ll just manifest in other ways: anxiety, frustration, irritation, shame.
For me, it’s only when I slow down and set aside quiet time to reflect that I actually start to feel like myself again. Renewed and refreshed. Even though facing my feelings isn’t easy, it ultimately allows me to work through them, hopefully in a healthy way!
So if you’re feeling like you’re on autopilot to keep yourself occupied right now, here are a few ways (that I’ve found helpful) to slow down and just be.
1. Choose a peaceful mantra
Find a simple quote or a few words that speak to you right now. Write it down and stick it up at home where you’ll see it, like on your bathroom mirror, by your desk or add it to the background on your phone. That way it’s accessible and you’ll be reminded of it often. I’ve been doing yoga instructor and health coach Alison Midollo’s monthly intention-setting workshops and they have really helped improve my clarity and focus each month. It’s incredible what simply creating a mantra or intention can do. (Mine is “let go” for this month—to let go of the expectations I have for myself and what I think others have for me… to just let go of trying to control things or control what people think of me!) What would your intention or mantra be?
2. Take breaks, take breaks, take breaks!
Our instinct in today’s world is to go, go, go. Yet we’re not built to exist that way—or at least exist that way in any sustainable way. And that’s a good thing! Create space for quiet moments and embrace them. We’re all dealing with an incredible amount of change right now and we need downtime to feel human again. Downtime can look different for everyone—maybe it’s going for a walk with a friend or lighting a candle and snuggling up with a good book. Maybe it’s a little of both! Check in with yourself every week and set aside “break” time for you. Block it out in your calendar, make it something to look forward to! I find I need a little bit of quiet time to myself every day or I don’t feel right. So I’m trying to create a habit of making that time for myself. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. And I don’t just mean breaks from work, from life! No one can (or should) be on all the time and I think we all need this reminder.
3. Above all, be kind to yourself
In Don Miguel Ruiz’ The Four Agreements, he says that we’re the only animal who beats ourselves up again and again over the same negative experiences or mistakes. I know I’m caught in that cycle way more often than I’d like. The brain is wired to look for things to worry about or re-think or mull over endlessly. Wherever you find yourself today—whether you’re feeling low or full of energy, finding moments of joy or unable to get out of a funk, be gentle with yourself. Feel what you’re feeling and allow yourself to be free to do so without judgement. You’re worth it and you deserve it.
xoxo, H