Reflecting, Relaxing & Releasing
With the last few moments of 2020 upon us how are you feeling? As the year ends we all naturally start to reflect and plan for the year ahead. After this year it’s so easy to focus on all the negatives, but I wanted to share a few positives. Some discoveries, some new loves, and a few things you can do to help find the magic in the darkness.
First things first you’ll need a piece of paper and a pen, a notebook (my favourite is this one), or open a blank space in notes on your phone or tablet. Im a lover of writing but go with whatever feels right to you. This is a piece of paper you’ll be keeping.
Reflecting
Begin by making a cup of tea, whatever you fancy Im loving the Pukka Cleanse Tea at the moment after all that delicious Christmas food. Take a few deep breaths and bring your awareness to your body, and connect to your mind. I want you to look back over 2020 with fresh kind eyes, look at yourself as if you were your best friend.
What have you noticed about yourself this year? Write down 5-10 things you have achieved this year. This can be as simple as I survived isolation, I’m here, I’m standing, I’m Healthy, Im Happy & I’m Stronger than I Realise – take a deep breath into that and be proud of yourself. You can even pop this mantra on a post it note and pop it on your fridge or your mirror. Perhaps you thrived in isolation? Perhaps you realised how much you value time with friends and family?
Maybe you got your Mary Berry bakers hat on and tried your hand at banana bread or sourdough. What new things did you try this year?
I’ll share a few of mine to give you some ideas. I tried sourdough, gosh that takes some commitment doesn’t it. I baked lots of healthy versions of cakes for my Kyushi Wellness recipe stock. I actually read most days, something I always say I’m going to do and never make the time for. I exercised regularly, I tried the class – By Taryn Toomey. Golly gosh it’s hard but there’s something so freeing about it.
Make a list of all the new things you did this year that you enjoyed and would like to merge back into your life in 2021 whatever that looks like. If you didn’t find anything that gave you a little magic have a little think of things you would like to try and make a little wish tick list for next year.
Relaxing
I don’t know about you (remembering I don’t have children to homeschool – hats of to all your parents out there) but I allowed myself time to sleep, rest and recuperate. Prior to lockdown I was so keen to constantly fill all my time, seeing people, doing things, focusing on growing my business. I felt like if I wasn’t busy and being productive I was somehow wasting my time. Having spoken to a lot of you guys, and listening to some wonderful podcasts, I think we were all stuck in this busy stressed mentality. Finding joy in being still is probably one of my biggest achievements, taking the time to be “lazy” is as important as busy, and knowing how to recognise unhealthy stress and avoid burnout is something I’d love us all to take with us into next year. Did you manage to find any time to be still? If not have a little think about how you can bring this into your life even if only in a small way?
We all do some of our best thinking in water, the removal of devices, distractions and really just having a moment to be mindful, to reflect, daydream and manifest. Taking a long shower noticing the sensation of warm water on the skin and hair, washing away the day or night, is a very grounding experience. It reconnects us to the energy of the earth resetting any energy that no longer serves us.
Having a bath, with Epsom salts is also very grounding, taking the time to light a candle, using essential oils, playing some calming music. If you struggle to just lie in the bath take a nice calm book in with you. Intersperse reading with some moments of peace to just be. This can all be a form of meditation in itself, a form of self care, self preservation and taking time to care for both your mental and physical health.
Releasing
Let’s take a moment to release 2020, journal on all the things you found hard about the year, allow yourself to feel the feels. It was unfair, it was hard, maybe it cruelly took away friends and family. It took away time, freedom and safety. Maybe you were triggered by the Black Lives Matters movement, perhaps like myself you realised you had a lot of work to do to help be an ally and build a better future. The emotions and energies of this year were huge, massive, all consuming and deserve their place and their time. It’s going to take a lifetime of healing. I urge you to free write these feelings. If you’re new to this concept get a notebook, a bit of paper, the back of a bill you’ve paid and no longer need (this is quite satisfying) you won’t be keeping this piece of paper and just write whatever comes into your head, don’t worry about spelling, punctation your handwriting this is an exercise of release, you can write as much or as little as you want to, just allow the words to flow from your heart. When you finish you can tear it up and throw it away or safety burn it as you do this allow yourself to release all or some of the pain, some of the heaviness you feel. Take some deep breaths, do some voiced exhales and big sighs to move the stagnant energy, and any trapped tension in your diaphragm out.
Finding your Magic Blueprint
Let’s take a moment to go back to your reflecting list, your list of things you would like to continue into 2021. Take this list and add another 5-10 things you would like to achieve next year this could be a book you would like to read, a course you want to take, a hobby you would like to try, a film you would like to watch. Start with some small easily achievable things you know you can achieve no matter the state of the world. Some nice tangible things, then you can add some bigger ones in there too, maybe you’ve realised you want to change careers or working from home really suited you, have a think on the steps you need to do to make your dreams a reality and write those down.
Put your list somewhere you can see it and read it daily. You can decorate it, frame it and put it in your bedroom or office. You could create a check list, you could pop it in the front of your diary or planner. Whatever you decide to do this is your positive plan for next year. Whatever the world throws at you, you have a little blueprint to follow to help find the magic in the darkness.
Sending Love & Light,
Alice x