My top 10 tips for getting yourself into the zen zone.
Everything works better in your life when you are in the flow. It’s not alway easy to get into a state of flow or to stay there once you do get there. And that’s OK, that’s life. But here are my day to day tips to help support this process.
1) Accountability – remember that you, and only you, are responsible for your happiness.
2) Gratitude – start every single day with thoughts of gratitude. On the darker days it can be as simple as: I’m grateful I had a roof over my head last night. On the brighter days, list everything: I’m so grateful for my bed, I’m grateful I slept well, I’m grateful the sun is shining, I’m grateful the rain has come to water all the trees. Everything you can think of.
3) Check yourself – yes you can hum the tune to yourself for this one, here it is in case you forgot it (below). You better check yourself, before you wreck yourself. Take a moment to check in with yourself, how are you feeling today, mentally, physically, emotionally and energetically (in terms of energy vibrations or aura).
4) Positive Mindset – firstly let me say that I’m not a fan of toxic positivity. Nothing good comes from denial, from burying our pain or problems deep down inside of us, or from ignoring them to ‘look on the bright side’. And if you say ‘there’s always someone worse off than you’, I’ll scream! No!
What I’m talking about is acknowledging what’s going on, allowing yourself to feel it, so you can process it. AND making a conscious effort to meditate, use affirmations or gratitude to help us stay afloat and get through the hour, the day, the week. If times are hard, we need to look for solutions and ways to get through it or get out of it. And then be super gentle with yourself while you are dealing with it. If you catch yourself spiralling, or wallowing in negativity, make a conscious effort to switch your thoughts. On the good days, make it a conscious practice to notice your happy thoughts, train yourself to tune into these happier thoughts.
5) Trust your Intuition – your gut never lies. Listen to it. If you feel confused about whether it’s your instinct or fear that’s taking over, then seek out ways, activities, therapies and teachers that can help you develop your intuition and deepen your connection with yourself. Like the muscles in the physical body, our intuition needs to be used and trained in order to be strengthened.
6) Watch what you are consuming – I’m taking about what you eat and drink, what you watch and listen to, and what energy you allow near you. If you want your body, mind and spirit to function like an expensive car, you’ve got to treat them, fill them and maintain them like one. If you treat your body, mind and spirit like a broken down car that you’re embarrassed to drive because it’s spreading nasty smoke all over the neighbourhood and is so eaten alive by rust that you can’t even trust it to not fall apart at any moment, then that’s the way you’ll live your life – stressed, waiting for disaster, knowing that you’re about to break down any day now. The choice is yours. Every single day.
7) Put your own oxygen mask on first – it’s a big cliché, but please, please fill your own cup first and take care of yourself first and foremost. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you’re no good to anybody if you suffocate in the process of helping others, because you didn’t put your own oxygen mask on before trying to help. I would even pose the question if it’s wise to help someone else if you’re hangin’ on by a thread yourself? You could cause more damage than good. Know your limits, and that leads nicely onto number 8.
8) Have healthy boundaries – it can be a life long process, learning about and setting healthy boundaries. Seek out opportunities to learn and reaffirm!
9) Move your Body – this is a bit of a no brainer, but movement at its most basic level is essential for life. Walk, if that’s all you can manage in difficult times. When you can, get exercising and playing sports. Find lots of ways to enjoy movement, so you have lots of options and never get bored. Get the endorphins flowing! You’ll feel better (it’s basic chemistry, you literally will have more happy hormones in your system), you’ll breathe better, you’ll have a healthier appetite and you’ll sleep better. Just be careful if you have an addictive personality that you don’t use exercise as a way to replace other addictions. Addiction requires a lot of therapy, don’t skip the therapy part!
10) Do more of what brings you joy – this could be related to number 9, it could be art, writing, singing, spending time alone, spending time with friends. Explore, and find what brings you joy, and do more of it!