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How to Improve Your Wellbeing | Little Things That Improved my Mental Health During January 2021.
Towards the end of 2020 I wasn't having the best time with my mental health, I was having a panic attacks on a pretty regular basis. Going to the new year I decided to make sure I was putting as many little things in place to improve my wellbeing. Those little things have made all the difference. I felt it in myself and others have noticed it in me, my boyfriend and family have all commented on how my I've seemed happier, less anxious and more myself. So in this blogpost I wanted to share those little things I've been doing which have improved my wellbeing.
Simple steps I took to improve my wellbeing:
Getting ready
Lockdown has made me realise two things: Number one, I feel better when I get ready. Number two, getting ready doesn't have to mean a full face of make up and uncomfortable clothes. Sometimes just not wearing what you slept in is enough to get you feeling good, and sometimes a smudge of red lipstick makes you feel like you can take over the world. As I'm not going many places recently (hello lockdown) I've got myself two pairs of slippers, onw for in the day around the house, a cat pair which I think look pretty fancy, and a pair of fluffy boots for when I'm cosying up in my pjs - a pair for day and a pair for evening - I'm surprised how much a different pair is slippers is making me feel less like a slob. Spending a little time in the morning getting ready help me feel in a routine and signals to my brain it's time for the day to start, and reminds me, even if I'm not going anywhere my purpose exists beyond watching Netflix in my jammies.
Asking for help when I want it
I don't mean the big deal help here... not going to a therapist when you're hitting rock bottom (although if you think you might need a therapist, you probably do, and you should look into it...) but the small help. I very easily get overwhelm. For example if I'm cooking dinner as there's too many dishes around, it stresses me out, rather than continue to be stressed about dishes, and desperately searching for the kitchen space I need, I'm simply asking my boyfriend to help clear them up. Hanging the washing is a task I hate but rather than dread it every time, I can ask for a hand and get it done in half the time. It took starting to ask for help with the small things, to make me realise I can ask for help and realise that the majority of time, I only surround myself with people willing to help me.
Daily meditation
One of the new habits I wanted to cultivate in January was more regular meditation practise, and I'm pleased to say I have kept it up everyday through the month, and I feel so much better for it. Those 10 minutes of mindful have impacted my entire day, allowing me to manage anxious thoughts. For those curious, I'm currently using the Calm app, but I have a full blog post here on meditation apps which I love.
Daily yoga
Last year in January I completed a 30 day yoga challenge which I talk more about here, well I've decided to make it a tradition. So this January I completed the Yoga with Adriene 30 day breath challenge and dedicating that time each day to my breath and body has really calmed my mind. It's movement that I enjoy.
Fresh air, spending time in nature.
Getting out and breathing in fresh air makes such a difference to how you feel. Spending time outdoors and feeling gratitude to the trees and the sky makes all the difference to my mood.
Keep track of finances
Not knowing what's going on in my bank account can be major cause for anxiety. Rather than ignoring those numbers and hoping for the best, daily checks in with my online banking keep that anxiety at bay and allow me to plan where to spend and where to save.
Make small steps everyday
When I look at the bigger picture, I tend to get overwhelmed but like most people, I have long term goals. I've tried to more days take steps towards making those goals feel more achievable, it doesn't matter how big the step as long as I'm moving. For example rather than feeling daunted by the huge task for writing a book, I just dedicate half hour to writing that book each day. It's comforting to know, that even if it's a slow process, I'm moving in the right direction.
Taking vitamins
Taking vitamins can actually impact how you feel, your energy levels and overall wellbeing, yet they are so easy to forget about. I got into the habit of taking iron and vitamin D and C each day with my breakfast.
Listening to the good stuff
I've been trying to be more mindful of the content I'm consuming because it affects how I feel. During January I listened to some great podcasts that have brightened my days - you can find out my current favourite listens here.
Making time for loved ones
I know it sounds obvious but I think it was something I wasn't particularly good at until recently when I started making a conscious effort. I'm being sure to actually spend time with my boyfriend when he's home from work, to watch something together, to laugh together and really catch up, rather than finding myself busy elsewhere in the same room at him but actually not spending time with him. The same goes with catch up with family and friends who I can't see because of lockdown, I've been trying hard to put time aside to catch up on those phone calls, and send messages.
Close tabs
It's so simple, but so easy not to do. I always used to keep my tabs open and come back to the chaos (cough *3 ASOS tabs, 2 amazon tabs, an expensive bag, an article I'll probably never read etc). Rather than open my laptop to a fresh start. During January I've been taking those moments to close my tabs, and it feels good to start each day with a clean slate.
Keep things tidy
My environment really impacts how I feel, so the month I have been making extra effort to keep on top of the cleaning and tidying ensuring my home is a nice place to be. 10 minutes before bed to make sure everything is in order downstairs, cleaning up as I go when I cook and Sunday bedding changes make all the difference.
Outfit Details:
Tee: ASOS (similar linked) - Skirt: New Look (similar linked) - Cardigan: Taylor Swift Merch - Beret: Primark (similar linked) - Shoes: Doctor Martens (similar linked)
*Affiliate links are used in this blog post
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Recently I found myself falling out any routine, my once good habits became abandoned - I think the combination of being unwell, lockdown and moving into a new environment got to me, and I found it easy to push aside those little habits and daily routines, unaware of the impact it would have. After a few weeks of feeling all over the place and noticing the toll of that on my mental health, I realised I needed some positive routine back. So once again I've been developing new routines to follow, of the little things which keep my wellness up.
5 Habit for Happiness | Positive Habits for your Daily Routine.
In the future, I will post sine more detailed versions on my morning and evening routines (possibly on my Youtube channel, so make sure you're subscribed) but for now, I thought it would be nice to share some of the habits which have got me happier on the day-to-day.
5 Habits for Happiness:
- Journalling:
Honestly, I find daily journaling has such a positive impact on my mental health. Just getting my thoughts and feelings out onto paper, makes me feel as if I've emptied any negativity from my mind. Sometimes I use journaling to get things on my chest, sometimes to express my hopes for the future - usually, it's just word vomit, I don't think about it too much, I just write what comes to mind and boy oh boy it can be therapeutic.
- Reading:
For me, there's no escape quite like reading - I find it transports me to another world and allows me to let go of my worries. I read everything from self-help to fiction, I listen to audiobooks, flick through pages, the lot. You can read some of my book reviews here or join me on my reading journey for this year with #chloeharrietsbookclub.
- Moving your body:
When we work at desks, spent our evening binging Netflix, and our nights sleeping, it's easy to really not spend that much time moving... however I've found on those days I find myself more stationery than not, I feel a little slobby. Implicating more exercise in my routine has worked wonders for my mental health. I do regular fitness session via Zoom with @laurenalicefitness, and on the days which I'm not up for a full-on workout, I find something as simple as going for a walk or dancing in the kitchen gets those good endorphins going for me.
- Going outside:
Fresh air and nature are good for the soul. Yet still, it's super easy to end up cooped up in the house if I don't have plans (which I haven't had many of due to lockdown) so I've been making going outdoors a priority and taking myself for daily walks and it's been so refreshing - definitely, a habit to I need to keep up.
- Phone free time:
I've been trying to step away from my iPhone screen a little more because as we all know too much phone time isn't good for the brain. So recently I've committed to at least an hour before bed screen-free - and I'm just trying to leave my phone in a different room to me during to the day to ease back on the mindless scrolling, and I'm feeling so much better for it.
What daily habits do you try to keep up for a positive mind?
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Where I've Been & Where I'm Going | Blogging, The Law of Attraction & Intentional Living.
A few weeks have passed since I sat at my laptop and typed out a blog post. My regular Monday posts temporarily vanished. I took some time to reevaluate. For a while, I’ve felt a distance from this platform, despite churning out new content on a weekly basis, something felt lacking, the process felt forced. It felt like the work of someone stuck in a routine, rather than someone in love with their life.
The thing is, I changed, but my content didn't. I began this blog in 2014, as a lost fashion student wanting to share her lipstick obsession. Now it's 2019, and I still love a lippy but I want more from this platform. I want this to be a place which like me, is constantly evolving. A place of growth.
I guess that was what the break was, a way for me to create room to manage the growing pains. Distance to figure out where I want to take this website of mine. Lately, I've been using living as a tool of self-discovery, rather than just writing. I temporarily traded in the typing and sharing to make room to explore what I was feeling. I've been learning the places my passions live because you can't put your soul into something which doesn't get your heart beating.
Humans are supposed to grow and evolve, we're supposed to learn new things about ourselves and the universe. We are supposed to wake up one day, a completely different person than a few months before just in similar skin. Like the seasons, we change as time passes. This year has felt like a year of growth for me. A year of self-discovery, of learning what I want from life, and attempting to reshape my world, moulding the days and dreams into something both beautiful and tangible. I've chosen to take control of the places I once thought were unreachable. I'm learning to not be so passive to my hopes and dreams and looking for the courage to work for them.
I made this video at the start of the year, where I spoke about how I wanted to use the Law of Attraction to recreate the life I was living, about how I no longer wanted to be fuelled by sadness and weighed down by defeat. That decision changed everything.
It made me realise I'm in the driver's seat. Although it doesn't always feel like it, I can always, in some way, take control. It made me understand, there are small choices I can make each day which affect how I feel, and how I feel alters how things look on the outside.
This has been the year I've realised, I'm allowed to be happy, and that life doesn't have to be as hard is it sometimes feels. And when it feels that way, it is temporary - feelings; like us, and like the season, are changing.
I've had a year of putting back the pieces and figuring out what fits. Alongside learning the depths of who I am. I’m beginning to understand that thoughts should not be mutable things, and this should be a place where I can turn the volume up on the sounds in my mind. This should be a place where I can feel completely me, whichever version of me that might be.
Where does this leave my blog?!
I love blogging. The little break was nothing more than a reminder of that. For my own sanity, I need to write, and I love to share with others. It’s important to me that my thoughts live beyond my own mind, and that I use images to create a map of my world for both myself and the strangers that stumble upon chloeharriets.com. I want to give out little pieces of myself because something in that vulnerability feels brave, it makes me feel full. But I’ve realised website should also be a growing, evolving thing, so I’ve begun to make some changes around here.
I want to concentrate less on lipsticks, and more on self-development. I want to create a space which promotes a positive lifestyle because God only knows I've needed that place from time to time. You may have also noticed the changes in my Instagram bio or my youtube videos too. I want to focus on making the mediocre magical, as sometimes it feels as though the mediocre is all you've got, and everyone is entitled to a little magic.
This ~journey~ I've been talking about, I think it's my search for peace and purpose, it’s above the materialistic things, it’s more than ticking boxes so society can deem my worth. What I really desire is to live my purpose and to feel at peace.
The life I’ve got now is a pretty good one, but still, I want more. I want something wonderful. I believe there's more, and I'm going search until I find it.
If you're here for the beauty stuff, fear not, I have an exciting beauty (and book) based project launching in the near future. But this website will focus on self-growth, creating good vibes, my thoughts, feelings, and possibly some books because I think words can change your world.
For the first time in a long time, I'm inspired and I'm excited to see what's next. I hope you are too!
Love C x
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