These past three weeks have been fairly calm for me – I have had time to rest more and putter and think. I could have been filling that time with work because, of course, I have a to-do list that waits for me. But I chose to ignore much of it and the world kept turning. I have read some delicious novels (admittedly staying up too late a few nights to keep reading) and taken Epsom salt baths and connected with my kids.
But this is, I think, a bit of a lull. The school year started off far busier than I would have liked. I am used to the fall being my family’s quiet time, before basketball season hits. But there were a few changes this year that added in layers of busy that I did not foresee. And I wondered at moments how on earth people survive in this culture if even those of us who set out to live slower, simpler lives so easily tip into “too busy”. I am also aware that I have a fuller season heading my way again with some purposefully chosen work projects to dive into.
All the more reason to consistently practice lifestyle, nutrition and mindset habits that support me in living with greater calm.
I have written before about supporting yourself if you live with anxiety (a four-part series), about shifting your thoughts as a powerful act of self-care, and about getting back to basics when you get off track. And you know, many of us live full of “head knowledge” but simply are not yet putting it into practice.
But if you need a quick little “down and dirty” reminder or encouragement of 5 simple, easy tips you can implement straight away to live with greater calm, here you are:
- Climb into bed by 10 pm!!! Sleep is one of the BIGGEST gifts we can offer ourselves and the world.
- Create 3 stops in your day (ex. am, lunch, pm) to take 2-3 belly breaths and express gratitude for the gifts in your life.
- Move your body – sweat if possible, and outdoors if possible – even 20 minutes a day.
- Eat your greens and choose PFF meals (protein, fat, plant fiber) because of the amazing food-mood connection.
- Swap (at least some of) your sugary, caffeine-laden or alcoholic drinks for water and calming teas (ex. valerian, chamomile, tulsi, peppermint, lemon balm or green tea).
5 tips to start living with greater calm today
But now I would also like to share another 5 Tips to Start Living With Greater Calm Today. These steps require a little more thoughtful action but can be powerful life shifts if you tend to tip into anxiety or overwhelm easily. If you are clear that you are someone who truly needs to bring greater calm into his/her life today.
1. Strategically Eliminate the Non-Essentials*
- What paper, clothing, commitments, relationships or responsibilities can you let go of? (You can get worksheets to help you with this inside my resource library when you sign up for The HOPE Map)
- Set strong, healthier boundaries or practice saying NO (you’ll receive a boundary workbook in the resource library when you sign up for email).
- You need breathing room or white space in your days and weeks.
2. Set Your Intentions For The Day
- Before you hit the ground running remind yourself of who and how you choose to be today.
- This might involve reviewing your Mind Body Spirit Intentions or guiding mantra for your year.
- This might also involve setting your top 3 priorities for the day.
3. Silence The Noise
- Calm the environmental noise (relocate the TV, stop watching news, establish rest or read times for your little people).
- Still the emotional chatter and negative self-talk.
- If social media is hyping up your anxiety or you live with FOMO consider a social media Sabbath.
4. Slow and Savor
- Whatever you’re doing, be all in.
- Less multi-tasking can be a big help.
- Notice the feeling of the warm water as you shower, the comfort of that hug, the flavor of the food you are eating.
5. Set Aside Time For Self-Care
- If you cannot offer yourself 30 minutes of self-care time each day then your life is too full. Period.
- Track your self-care in your agenda to keep yourself accountable.
- Make a Happy List to help identify those activities which truly leave you feeling calmer and well nourished.
I would love for you to check out my simple + FREE 30 Days to CALM Mini-Course. (Last time I checked all links in this course was in 2019.)
30 days is not enough time for a complete life overhaul but it is enough time to set some new positive habits in place, to learn new skills, and to gain clarity around how you want to feel and behave and what you want your life to look like. 30 days is a perfect amount of time to jumpstart you to living with greater calm, clarity and confidence.
In this course, you will begin with some Life Visioning and purposeful goal setting and then take a look at your habits around nutrition, mindfulness, and self-care as examples. You will consider where you can remove clutter and calm-disrupting chemicals from your home and explore ways in which you might begin to love yourself more deeply. The printable worksheets are designed to guide you through the weekly action steps and will support you far beyond the 30 days.
Are you ready to start living with greater CALM today?
Krista xo
*This is a phrase from the book Essentialism, by Greg McKeown (affiliate link).
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