New year, new you! Er…right?
Anyone still on board the “Make this year the best year EVER” train? I am, of course, but I won’t lie to you…I usually start to fade as the calendar inches toward February. (By the way, anyone else feel like January has lasted approximately 23,453,143 days thus far?) Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going strong on my “Start, Stop, Continue mindset for 2019” (this mentality has helped me so much!) but I’m feeling a little…burnt out…from all the resolution talk.
Everyone seems so motivated. Productive. Which is amazing! I’m motivated, too. Determined to take this year and OWN it. But, something that’s becoming glaringly obvious to me over the past few months is our culture’s tendency to glamorize the go-go-go (you guys I’m SO GUILTY of this), often at the expense of what’s just plain ‘ol good for the soul. Sometimes, I think that we forget that even though doing things is amazing, it’s also really good to just focus on simplicity. I’m often so caught up on what’s next, productive, and most urgent, that I forget about the simple things that my soul craves.
You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s taking a moment to breathe. Practicing living slow, even for an hour. Embracing the notion of living a hygge life. Reducing stress.
Plain and simply, enjoying life.
As we head into the weekend, I thought I’d put together a list of the things that come to mind for me, as I consider what’s good for my soul. (Which, I should note, may be different from what your soul craves!) My goal is to pick a few of these and dive into them over the next few days. Care to join me?
15 Things That Are Good For The Soul
Breathing
Yeah, okay, breathing is a necessity for life as we know it. But it’s also super important to practice for the purpose of connecting to my zen zone. (I’ve even started to connect with my inner voice lately, which is something I’m learning from Jess Lively. If you haven’t already, definitely check out her podcasts!) Particularly when I’m feeling stressed, breathing deep always helps me to relax and refocus. I’ve been trying to be better at meditation lately, and taking even a few moments to focus on slowing down and taking deep breaths. It definitely helps for me to feel more calm, collected, and clear-minded.
Soaking Up Sunshine
As a Midwesterner, I can attest that month after month of little sun absolutely has an affect on me mentally. When there are days upon days with zero sunshine, I started to feel really…blah. Sunshine is just good for the mind.
Recently I was in Mexico for a girl’s trip, and took some time to just lay contently in the sunshine, enjoying its warmth. (Don’t worry, I had SPF 70 on!) I felt so happy and reinvigorated just to be laying in some rays. Even at home in Michigan, if there’s a sunny day, I’ll sometimes just close my eyes and soak it in. I find that, dare I say I even enjoy the winter, as long as there are days where the sun is shining. It’s so pretty glistening on the snow.
Turning off electronics
I’ve said it before here, but my favorite way to reconnect with myself and those around me is by turning off electronics. My phone, the TV, tablets…anything besides music. It forces me to be more present. To really connect. Long, deep conversations where I leave feeling happy. Ya know, the old school way.
Add in a fireplace, a great restaurant, or perhaps even a beach, and I’ve got myself SOUL FOOD.
Blaring the music and DANCING
DANCING in all caps doesn’t mean I’m shouting, it means I’m committed. In particular, I’m committed to zero care about how I look, and zero worries about how good the moves are.
Theres very few things that I love more than a great dance party. With my kids, with Doug, with my girlfriends, with strangers. Give me some music and heeeere I go. (Even though I’m a terrible dancer and often resemble Elaine from Seinfeld.)
Embracing little seasonal moments
I feel so fortunate to live in a place where seasonal moments are many, and all equally amazing for the soul. To me, this means things like jumping into the lake. Listening to carols and looking at Christmas lights. Snowball fights. Watching flowers bloom. Listening to the rain. Making a snowman. Sipping on hot chocolate by the fire after a day of skiing. Looking up at the summertime stars and making my horrible joke, “Look, there’s Uranus!” (Get it? Uranus sounds like “Your anus”. Har har.) Reading a book on the shores of the beach. Jumping into a fresh-raked pile of leaves. All the little moments of the season that make my heart sing.
Writing down whatever is inspiring
This is a cue that I’ve taken recently from my step-sister Mandy. She has this amazing collection of journals that she’s constantly writing things down in — musings about her days, things that inspire her, notes she wants to remember for later. If you flip through them, they’re filled with so many wonderful life insights and inspirations.
I think there’s something about writing things down. Handwritten notes that, whether for me only or even for someone else, make that writing meaningful. I’ve found it to be a wonderful thing to practice for self reflection and even just to remember the little things.
Having a cheat meal
Let me level set and note that I’m like everyone else and want to look and feel my best, which of course means eating healthy and giving my body great energy. But, dear Lord, can we all embrace a little fun now and then with eating?! It’s supposed to be an enjoyable experience, not stressful!
I’m all for everything in moderation. Sure, that means eating the salad, but it also means passing me the damn piece of cake. Having that burger. Siping the wine. Enjoying it, my friend, because I only live once and food is a big part of life!
Taking care of my body and mind
Opposite the above, I do believe that what’s good for the body is also good for the soul. If I eat poorly, or have off months where I’m not physically active, I can definitely feel the difference. So, while I love a great cheat meal or even a cheat day, I also believe that putting whole, healthy foods into my body lends to a happier soul.
Same with taking care of my mind. For me, this means disconnecting with technology often in order to truly connect with loved ones. It also means reading books, taking long baths, buying fresh flowers for my home, and getting organized.
Calling someone just to say, “Hi”
What happened to the phone!? It’s like calling someone has become an ancient communication method only reserved for your parents or grandmother. I’m so in the camp of reverting to texting when I want to connect, but I have to tell you that when I do pick up the phone to call (or answer) to chat with someone I love, I feel so good after. Even if the conversation was 5 minutes.
Being The Light
I talked a lot about this in my post dedicated to being a celebrator, not a critic. Compliment someone. Smile. Practice gratitude. I have found, again and again, that being positive and putting positive energy into the world is the best possible way to not only show happiness but channel it.
Letting the kiddos lead
Sometimes, especially on weekend mornings where we have zero agenda, I’ll sit back and let my kiddos lead. What do they want to do? (Usually said dance parties referenced above come into effect here.) What games do they want to play? What books do they want to read? I’ll try and refrain from suggesting and will practice listening. Those times are usually so much fun because they let me into their big imaginations and also help me to think with my heart and not my head.
Traveling
There’s nothing quite like travel to open my eyes to new people, places, cultures, and experiences. Travel is a huge priority of mine in life, and it’s my goal for every year to be filled with everything from family vacations to trips with my girlfriends. It ignites learning, new experiences, and really helps to connect with those who I travel with.
Taking the scenic route
We’re always in such a hurry, no? From here to there, onto the next destination.
Sometimes, taking the scenic route is a great way to slow down and enjoy the ride. Especially in the summertime, when I love to roll down the windows and just driiiiive.
Treating myself to that thing I can’t stop thinking about
They say that if you can’t stop thinking about it, act on it. Especially if it’s something that will bring you joy. I’ve been trying to keep this in mind lately. (Within reason, of course!)
For example, I’d been wanting a wide angle lens for over a year, but I kept getting sticker shock. I typically use a Sigma 35mm lens with photography, which is a fixed lens that I highly recommend, but I’ve found that particularly with indoor shots I’m not able to get a wide enough angles at times. Then, last week, I cashed my first big paycheck from consulting. It was at that moment I decided that it was time to invest, because ultimately it’ll help me get better at photography and produce better results. So, I went to a camera store, brewed over camera lenses for far too long, and ended up buying myself a beautiful new Tamron 15-35mm zoom lens. Walking out, I couldn’t help but smile. I had invested in myself and something I’ve been wanting to practice more, which felt really, really good.
Being In Nature
When Doug and I were engaged, we took a class through our church that was all about marriage preparation. In that class, we learned about the many ways that people connect with a “higher being”. To me, that’s being in nature. Listening to the waves crash. Feeling the breeze on a mountain top. Walking through a path in the woods. Anything in nature, to me, reduces stress and allows for me to feel more connected to both myself and the world around me.
1 comment
This is an awesome list! I’m gong to make sure I refer back to it!