SELF-CARE
6 Gentle Ways to Fill Up Your Cup
How have you been feeling lately? For real now.
‘How are you?’ is one of the most fundamental questions we ask and get asked sometimes even several times a day. It’s such a common question that we more often than ever just go on autopilot and give a rehearsed answer such as: fine, well, doing alright…Perhaps sometimes we do it because we don’t want to get into too many details, but other times we simply shove down our feelings and get so entrenched in our daily lives, we forget to acknowledge how we actually feel.
I have gone through so many changes in the past six months, I can barely keep track of them. My father passed away in June, I moved to a bigger city in August and on top of that, I started feeling pretty overwhelmed at work with the number of new tasks I had to undertake.
The main theme of the past six months for me has been change. Everything was ok and then one day I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. A sudden, unmerciful, and fast-paced change, I had plenty of moments when I simply felt lost and disconnected from myself.
All these changes really took a toll on me because in the past month I started feeling quite tired, sluggish, and unmotivated. In the beginning, I thought it could be SAD, but then I realized that my mind, body, and soul were trying to tell me I should take some time off to recharge and recoup. And it really did wonders for me!
I wanted to quickly share with you in this article 6 simple yet effective ways I used to fill up my cup and nurture myself. Hope you can find some that resonate with you as well and incorporate them into your daily or weekly routine. 😊
1. Spend time in nature
Whatever you call it — forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, green time or the wilderness cure — humans evolved in the great outdoors, and your brain benefits from a journey back to nature.
We tend to forget that we still have a deep connection with nature even though we have evolved so much in the past centuries. Research shows that a 90-minute walk in nature lowers activity in the part of the brain linked to negative rumination.
Multitasking has also proved to have a negative impact on our prefrontal cortex and spending time in nature can really help restore our short-term memory. Not to mention that it can also get our creative juices flowing and lower anxiety levels tremendously.
Nature is one of my go-to places whenever I feel like I need a recharge and reconnect with my true self.
If you need some alone time and want to practice grounding, I highly suggest you go out into nature, whether that is the local park or a forest somewhere, it can do wonders for you!
2. Do yoga or stretching
Yoga can mean more energy and brighter moods.
— John Hopkins Medicine
It has been scientifically proven that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss, and quality sleep.
Elongating the muscles and breathing consciously really does wonders for the nervous system.
Whenever I feel my muscles tensing up and overall stiffness in my body I go to my yoga mat and dedicate some time to feeling at home in my body again.
If you feel like spending some quality time with yourself and enjoying the benefits of elongating your muscles and releasing the tension in your body, you should definitely give yoga a try.
3. Read a book
Reading has many tremendous benefits. It can strengthen the brain, Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmed that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.
It also increases our ability to empathize and it reduces stress levels. A study done in 2009 measured the effects of yoga, humor, and reading on the stress levels of students in demanding health science programs in the United States.
The study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress. Of course, the same was valid for yoga and humor.
So, whenever I feel stressed or simply need some me time, I curl up in bed or on the sofa with a good book and some tea or hot chocolate and fill up my cup this way.
So if you are like me and enjoy a good book, definitely dedicate some time to this wonderful activity, choose a book of your liking and get fully immersed in it!
4. Take a nice mindful shower or bath
Apart from many other health benefits and of course, hygienic ones, taking a nice hot shower or even better, a bath, can help reduce stress levels and anxiety and helps us relax.
Whenever I feel tense, especially at the end of a long day, I love taking a bath to soothe my nerves and simply relax. Making this a self-care ritual has truly done wonders for me.
So, whenever you feel like disconnecting and taking a mindful self-care moment for yourself, you can place some candles in your bathroom and immerse yourself in the nice hot water.
5. Talk to a friend or a loved one
ResearchTrusted Source suggests maintaining solid friendships can help you cope with stress more effectively.
Whenever we feel down, we tend to isolate ourselves, and whilst it is good to take some time to sit with our emotions and process them, spending too much time in our own heads can lead to rumination and anguish and can increase our levels of stress, anxiety, and despair.
I have found it extremely beneficial to connect with a friend or a loved one after allowing myself to feel whatever emotion needs to come to the surface.
Whenever you feel low or simply feel the need to connect, talk to a friend or a loved one. You are a social being after all and the power of talking to someone to whom you can relate can have incredible benefits on your mental health.
6. Do something creative
Any creative process puts us in an alpha state. When you are in an alpha state of mind, things flow. There is no pressure, no stress, and no chasing. We cannot be stressed and relaxed at the same time.
Writing is definitely my biggest outlet. It puts me in a wonderful state and shifts my perspective on whatever was bugging me. Whether it’s writing down my thoughts or an article on a topic I am passionate about and want to share with my readers, it’s truly a blessing in disguise.
If there is any activity that allows you to completely disconnect and get immersed in it for a little while, go for it! Whether it’s painting, writing, dancing, playing the piano…you name it!
Final thoughts
Hope that by reading this article you can find an activity you can incorporate into your life from now on that will fill up your cup in a gentle and soothing manner.
The most important thing is to step back for a second and acknowledge how you feel. That is the moment when you can get back in touch with yourself and see how you can recalibrate and ground yourself more.
I would love to hear your ways of filling up your cup!
Thank you for reading, I appreciate you! 😀
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