Day Three – Take Notice
It’s easy to get lost in your own head sometimes, I am terrible for it, I often find myself lost in thoughts and have to find my way back to the present.
Taking notice allows you to be present in the moment, appreciating the things you have, and not dwelling on thoughts that are out of your control. Maybe you are overthinking the the last conversation you had with your friend, or worrying about whether the cashier in the supermarket thought you were being rude because you forgot to smile. Common worries of mine.
Just taking a minute to notice your surroundings is a great way to calm thoughts before they get out of control. This might be going for a walk, taking in some natural surrounding, maybe it’s giving someone your attention to understand them, or it might be taking the time to notice what you need.
Take a minute to sit and tune into yourself, notice how you are breathing, how your toes feel, how you’re sat or stood, and ask yourself ‘what do you need?’. Maybe the answer is a bit of self love, maybe it’s to relax in a nice hot bath, maybe it’s a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it’s something more. You can’t improve your well-being if you don’t know what you need.
For me, nine times out of ten it’s a hot bath with a cup of tea, a face mask and a good book, and while I soak I realise that the conversation was just a chat between friends and nothing to worry about and the cashier in the supermarket won’t have noticed I forgot to smile because I’m wearing a mask anyway.
Things to try:
- Daily gratitude, note down something you are grateful for each day, no matter how big or small.
- Try a mindfulness or meditation exercise.
- Take a minute distraction free to ask what you need.
The benefits of ‘taking notice’ or ‘mindfulness’ are proven to:
- Increase self-love
- Reduce stress
- Aid coping with unhelpful thoughts
- Help understanding and responding to your emotions
- Enable you to become self-aware