Lockdown hacks 2

I’m going to start this post with stark honesty - not because I lied in my previous posts but because I planned to trial more exercises than I managed to in preparation for this post. This didn’t go to plan.

I shared this with you to remind you that nothing is perfect so please try to give yourself a break. We are in a pandemic - whether working, studying, or both, please look after yourself.

1. Incorporate 5 minutes (or more) of meditation time into your day

I (tried) to meditate this morning but with my family and dogs disturbing me intermittently, even 5 minutes of meditation was hard. However, it did relax me and prepare me for the day in a way that I know means I should do this every day but I do not.

I meditated again later on and it could have been 10 minutes or it could have been an hour. I’m not sure but I was so relaxed and more at peace than I had been.

2. Spend 5 minutes focusing on your breathing

I sometimes do this anyway but I am not as disciplined as I’d like to be. However, when I did it today, it reminded me how it feels to notice the oxygen entering your system and it puts me in such a calm and relaxed state of mind. I feel this when I do yoga but I do not do yoga regularly either at all!

You can combine the two and focus on your breathing as a form of meditation. It is a goal of mine to make this a regular thing because the benefits are significant for me personally.

3. Talk to someone new today

This happened accidentally and it wasn't part of my plan but I guess this makes it even better. During an online lecture, I was put into a break-out group with a classmate I hadn’t yet talked to one-on-one and it was really good to talk to somebody new.

We had to discuss a task we had just completed with quite a difficult writing prompt. Whereas I feel my writing content is quite dark, and doom and gloom, his style was so much more light-hearted and humorous but could have deeper interpretations. It was a great, organic chat and I really loved his story which made me laugh a lot!

The two I didn’t quite accomplish today were:

1. Remove caffeine from your diet for a day

Although I’ve done this loads before and rarely consume caffeine throughout the day as I find it makes me less tired (yes, really!). I gave myself this challenge as I’ve been having caffeine most days these past few months (even if it’s just the one a day!). I only had one breakfast tea but it meant I didn’t reach today’s goal.

I really do recommend reducing the amount of caffeine you consume each day - perhaps one tea/coffee in the morning or even replacing these for a green tea as green tea has its own benefits. There are so many caffeine-free hot drinks you can consume, whether you’re a herbal tea fan or a hot chocolate lover - there are so many great alternatives!

2. Have a judgment-free day

I have been feeling bad about:

• not doing any exercise today

• not being as productive as I wanted to be

• and just feeling useless, inadequate in life at the moment.

I’ve been reminded - I’m sure we all need to hear this sometimes - that we all go through things, even if it’s just feelings. And we all have a purpose.