Text by Indera Tamara
It is easy to fall into the February blues. The weather isn’t as sunny or warm as it could be. And the January feels of motivation and “new year, new me” may be slacking. But fear not! Because with these top tips, you’ll be feeling bursts of freshness each day, just in time for Spring.
Morning affirmations and gratitude
The terms affirmations and gratitude are often underused or get thrown into the wrong context. The best way to remember them is in relation to yourself as a personal mantra. Each day ask yourself, what am I grateful for? Take a moment to sink into your personal thoughts about what makes you feel good. Hold onto these thoughts and think about ways of watering them. Then take those thoughts into your approach for each day. How you see the world around you, and how you overcome challenges that you inevitably may face. When you do this, you will begin to feel uplifted by your own gratitude towards life. Things will feel more centred for you and things that previously brought you down, will gradually fade. Because you are choosing to acknowledge the things that make you feel good more than the bad.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
With the rise of plant based diets in popular culture, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about where to start. But one positive that is undoubtable behind “veganism” and “plant based” diets is that eating vegetables and fruit, is the best thing for you! That’s not to say not to eat your favourite snack, whether its carb based or sugar. But it’s actually acknowledging that each day, your body should be fuelled with something fresh and revitalising – like a mango, pineapple, avocado, blueberries, bananas, spinach, kale! (the list could go on). Fresh fruit is the freshest kind of self-love and is the easiest pick me up to boost your mood.
Do something that makes you happy
It’s really that simple. But if you get stuck for where to start, my go to would to play your favourite song and have a dance in your bedroom, kitchen or living room – wherever the perfect space for you to get feeling free is! Let go and have some fun. Do this every day for as long as feels right and you’ll feel immediately more uplifted, confident and ready to embark whatever task you have to do that day. Sometimes doing something that is different to your everyday routine, helps break the cycle of things becoming boring and expected. If dancing feels like too much, then perhaps take yourself to the cinema and watch that film you’ve wanted to see for so long. Or visit a local bookstore and find a new novel to enjoy. But maybe, seeing a friend, visiting a new restaurant, going to a nightclub, or doing something active will bring you joy. Just make sure that every day you do something that stimulates a sense of happiness and fulfilment.
Exercise or Yoga
Take your pick. Maybe the gym isn’t for you or maybe it’s your perfect location. Maybe running outside is for you, or maybe it’s your worst nightmare. Or maybe playing a group activity at a sports centre is the perfect form of exercise. Finding the right exercise can be difficult at first, but when you do find it, it can be hugely rewarding. And easy to add into your daily routine. I like to see exercise as the perfect time to take care of my physical body. When I get to the gym it feels a moment of pure self love where I feel myself making a conscious act to fuel my body with the energy that it needs. But if this doesn’t sound right for you, start with some yoga at home. YouTube videos can be a great place to start if you’re not experienced. Sometimes all your body needs is a moment to stretch and revitalise itself for you to know what works best. As soon as this becomes a habit for you, you’ll begin to see the positivity this brings to other areas of your life.
Create an aspirational mood-board
Do you ever daydream in the middle of the day and think about all of the places that you’d love to travel to? Or are you sometimes scrolling through Instagram and see amazing new clothes, make-up or skincare products that you’d love to add to your collection? If this is how you’re feeling, instead of having a brief moment, a great way to attract the things that you want is by creating a visual mood-board. What I like to do is to save an image of a place or item that I’d like in my life, and I stick it above my desk. Each day I see this as a visual reminder for me to remember what inspires me and what I’d like to attract into my life. It’s simple really, but before you know it you’ll be manifesting your goals and bringing new forms of wealth into your life.
