Hi everyone! Wow, it has been a long while since I wrote the first post in this series. When I wrote Post One back in April I fully intended to share this second post not long after but life got in the way again and so it is only now that I am returning to this. In post one, I talked about what mindfulness is and what it means to me. Today I’ll be talking a little bit about what I do when I’m making time for myself and looking after my own mindfulness.

Mindfulness and wellbeing have become much more important tome over the last year or so where I’ve faced some difficult times. I’ve spent time learning what works for me and what doesn’t. Most importantly, I’ve learnt that even with a list of things I could do to get ‘me’ back, sometimes the most effective thing to do is just get into bed and get an early night’s sleep.

So what are the most common things that I do when I need to find ‘me’ again?

Reading: I guess this one absolutely goes without saying if you’ve ever visited my blog before. I love reading and it can often be a big escape for me if I’ve had a busy day or I’m feeling out of sorts. Surprisingly, this isn’t always my go to though and there are definitely times where my brain just can’t cope with any form of reading whatsoever. Sometimes I read a physical book, other times I put an audiobook on (usually Harry Potter) and tune out from the real world.

Journaling: I adore keeping my bullet journal and it can be a great source of relaxation for me. I also find it a good way to press a reset button after a bad day. I can track my moods and jot down any thoughts and feelings. Once they’re down, they are done. I keep a mindfulness tracker now where I write down anything I did in that day for ‘me’ and that way I can gauge if I need to take more me time or not. Adding bits of colour, washi tapes and doodles to my bullet journal just makes it a little bit more me.

Blogging: This one is very much touch and go depending on how I am feeling but sometimes blogging really does allow me to find ‘me’ again. This little corner of the internet is all mine and there is something very comforting about that. I love having the freedom to write what I want and when I want.

Watching TV or a Film: Netflix can really be my best friend when I’m feeling rubbish. Who doesn’t love a good old TV or movie binge? If I’m in one of those tizzes where I need to be in bed early, you can guarantee that Netflix is loyally by my side showing either an old favourite or something new and comforting. My go to movies for getting ‘me’ back are Mamma Mia and The Devil Wears Prada.

Music: Talking of Mamma Mia, listening to both of the soundtracks is something I do a LOT of. It’s hard to explain the kind of emotion that these movies bring me (it’s not all a song and dance!) but sometimes I just need to put my headphones in and zone out whilst listening to my favourite soundtracks. Sometimes I just shuffle my entire iTunes and there’s always guaranteed to be a bit of a throwback.

Date Myself: Okay, so this may sound weird at first but hear me out. Sometimes even though I may feel lonely, what I actually want most in the world is my own company. I have found a new love in recent months of taking myself, a book and my laptop out for the day. I set up camp in a Starbucks or in Waterstones cafe and spend the day treating myself to nice coffee, cake and quality ‘me’ time. It’s my new favourite hobby.

Other things that I do to look after myself when I’m feeling a bit pants are to have a lovely hot bath with bath bombs, scribble away in a notebook, colour in, talk to a friend, treat myself to something nice to eat, paint my nails, buy myself something new to wear, work on a cross stitch, sing in staff choir, think about my achievements, read blog posts, go for a walk and sometimes I just put on a big old jumper and pair of leggings, make a huge cuppa and ponder life.

There are so many ways to do mindfulness. Lots of people do active things such as yoga. I’ve not tried yoga but I’m open to giving it a go. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to your own wellbeing and mindfulness. Sometimes I do one of these things in a day, other days I may do five or six of them. All that matters is that I am content and feeling good about myself at the end.

What do you do for your own mindfulness?

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