[Deep inhale]
[Long, slow exhale]
Hello WordPress,
I am aware its been a whole month since I last posted anything, but things have been a little all over the place. I hope you’re all doing well.
The news is–I turned 22 [queue ’22’ by Taylor Swift].
I wrote a short paragraph and shared it on Instagram to really share a few things that have been on my mind lately:
“Your mind can really ask a ton of questions;
What’s my purpose? Will this path that I chose to take get me somewhere nice? Is it really worth having an Instagram color palette? Should I really eat that? Do my friends even want to talk to me or am I forcing conversations? Do I really want to workout today? Was this pandemic a chance for me to become a better version of myself, but I completely missed it? Should I speak about this? Should I share that? Why am I tired all the time? What should I do today? Did I take my sanitizer? One mask or two masks? What is that cough? What if?
Although some of the questions in the above paragraph are very trivial, you’d be surprised how the smallest and pettiest detail can strongly torment you if you let it (or if it beats your determination to not let it). This is something that 21 has opened my eyes on, hence why I do want to share those reminders:
Check up on your friends—and that means talking to them first. You can avoid working out if you’re tired. Don’t fret because of a binge. You don’t have to have a social media color palette—it’ll kill your creativity. It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out yet—life doesn’t stop at your 20s. Move with your cheese. Smile at yourself in the mirror. Take all the precautions to protect the people you love. Share what you feel needs to be shared. Just because you don’t share on social media, doesn’t mean you don’t care. You don’t have to shine and reach your peak right now. People grow at different rates. Be kind.
I want to lift this new year in my life to God. I hope I’ll walk with Him fully by faith and not by a single feeling. I hope I’ll always be well and able to share with you my art and work, as well as some positivity.
Lots of love. x
Happy birthday, self. 🌻”
OK, you’re right. It isn’t a short paragraph. But it’s all there. It is no secret that these times have been extremely difficult for everybody, and I feel like we still can’t catch a break. Granted the opportunity to sit at home and think a lot, I am also not surprised that many have witnessed their anxiety intensify. The worst part about it all is that we start to fret over things we never paid much attention to, or the things we knew were merely the future’s problem. Those matters may actually include worrying your Instagram profile might not look as appealing and aesthetic as someone else’s.
I also want to grow my relationship with God. I’ve been investing more time in reading my Bible and praying. More on Faith in another part of this series…
I don’t want to make this first post too long, but I do want to leave this anxiety relief technique I recently learned about:
“Before starting this exercise, pay attention to your breathing. Slow, deep, long breaths can help you maintain a sense of calm or help you return to a calmer state. Once you find your breath, go through the following steps to help ground yourself:
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. It could be a pen, a spot on the ceiling, anything in your surroundings.
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. It could be your hair, a pillow, or the ground under your feet.
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This could be any external sound. If you can hear your belly rumbling that counts! Focus on things you can hear outside of your body.
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. Maybe you are in your office and smell pencil, or maybe you are in your bedroom and smell a pillow. If you need to take a brief walk to find a scent you could smell soap in your bathroom, or nature outside.
1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like—gum, coffee, or the sandwich from lunch?
This technique is one of many options you could use if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. If anxiety is something that you struggle with regularly, and you continue to have trouble refocusing or coping with these feelings, please talk to your doctor.” (Source: Behavioral Health Partners Blog, University of Rochester. Rochester, New York).
Please, take good care of yourselves. x
Songs I listened to while writing this post:
- Beauty in the Light – Acoustic // Hollow Coves
- When We Were Young // Hollow Coves
- Patience // Hollow Coves
- Anew // Hollow Coves
My Hollow Coves Spotify playlist’s link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ZmQ38i1V3uXrf2iYPrKp3?si=6fea3ede5cd540d1
Photo credit: Berkan Küçükgül on Pixabay
Found a New Home 