let's talk health-- mental health.
For me, it only takes a few minutes if scrolling on Instagram to stumble upon posts like "easy chili recipe for quarantine" or "easy 5 minute workout for quarantine". The key there is the word "easy". For me, nothing about this quarantine has been easy. I have a lot of the same worries as everyone else, "will ______ be cancelled?" "when will I see my friends again?" "am I going to pass my online class". Some other worries cross my mind. Ones that keep me up pretty late at night.
One of those nights I decided to do the only logical thing since I couldn't fall asleep-- go on TikTok. I saw one of those videos that I mentioned earlier called "how to glow up for quarantine." As we have a lot of time on our hands, I've seen more and more people use this time to try and focus on their health. As you may know, I am a firm believer that mental health is just as important as physical health. This got me thinking, what if I used this time to really focus on my mental health? Even though I have literally nothing else to do, I still keep on coming up with excuses to not prioritize my well being. So I brainstormed and here’s what I got.
Write down what is making me anxious. Write down any feelings of inadequacy I have. Read it to myself. How would I respond to my friend if they had these same thoughts? Respond accordingly. Be kind to myself.
Create-- Paint. Write. Sing. Play. Color. Cut. Paste. Shade. Strum. Dance. Move.
Watch my thoughts like I watch the clouds. Observe what I am feeling. Breath. Do not hold too tightly onto feelings. Watch them come and go like clouds. Breath. Watch how the thoughts change like clouds form and reform. Breath.
Health is not just working out or eating healthy. It’s also talking kindly to yourself. It’s taking deep breaths. It’s journaling. It’s listening to calming music. It’s listening to yourself.
much love,
Sabrina
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