16 January 2013

Blog Love || The Freedom Expirement


Since early December I've been battling a big ol' case of burnout. I've been feeling pretty uninspired with a lot of aspects of my life lately. That's why, this year I am focusing on myself and making little changes that will have a big impact. One thing I've been working on is cleaning out! You guys, I have so much stuff! My goal is to minimize the stuff in my life which will, in turn, minimize the stress. Less stuff in our house to keep up with and take care of? Sounds good to me. I'm also focusing on going with my gut and doing what's right for me. That means staying at  home when I feel like it- even when all my friends are going out- spending more time learning and reading, focusing on creative things, and pampering myself here and there. I found this awesome "55 Gentle Ways to Take Care of Yourself" post on a blog called The Freedom Experiment. It showed up at the perfect time- I love when that happens : ) Here are a few of my favorite tips and ones I would like to incorporate into my own life.  


Spend your lunchtime as sacred you-time
… and enjoy your healthy food with a little journaling, blog-reading, or people-watching. See it as a way to nourish your soul on several levels. It’s important to eat, but it’s equally important to be inspired, creative, silly, whimsical and happy. 

While I only have 30 minutes for lunch, I could easily squeeze in a little yoga, listen to a podcast or read a bit. Breaking up the day with a quick yoga sesh would be phenomenal. 

Wear your pretty clothes
… and be busy with style! If you dress nicely, chances are you’ll feel better too. All it takes is 5 minutes in the morning, and with your most powerful, wonderful and pretty clothes on, you’ll feel like a million for the rest of the day.

I hate to admit this but, on a daily basis I'm kinda a slob. At my job, I work with spreadsheets and numbers and rarely even interact with my coworkers. It's nice sometimes but I find myself not trying at all. I know that wearing pretty clothes will help me feel better and more confident about my work and personal life.

Say no to anything that is not important to you
Laundry, phone calls with your mom, demanding girlfriends – this is not the time to be nice and “responsible”. Give yourself the permission to focus on what’s important. Getting the unessential responsibilites off your schedule will not only create some extra time and space, it will also lighten the burden you’re feeling to keep up with it.

For being a pretty type a person, I'm kinda of a pushover. This year I will work toward saying no to things that don't really excite me and focus more on my passions. 

Ask for help
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and you’ll quickly learn that most people around you actually love to be asked! It makes them feel useful and important. What usually helps the most is to get help to do the normal things; cooking, shopping and regular every-day tasks. However, don’t underestimate how important the people in your life can be when it comes to feedback, motivation and supporting your self-confidence regarding the important work you’re doing.

I'm sooo bad at this. I always tend to try and do everything myself which leads to these bouts of burnout I've been dealing with. I love helping my friends and family and often forget that other people like to be of service too. 

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What kind of things do you do to take care of yourself? Are there any that you want to incorporate into your life? 


3 comments:

  1. I don't normally comment on blogs as I randomly come across them and feel like I am just a stranger but I have to say I read this blog post and felt I was reading my own thoughts! I myself am stuck in a rut at the moment and I always give myself a hard time when I say no to friends even though my gut tells me do what you want hahaa :) nice to know someone feels the same!

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    1. Thank you for commenting and hi!!! It IS nice to know you (me/we) aren't alone in that. It's so hard saying no to friends and family but for my own well being I know I have to sometimes.

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  2. I totally love this. I just started school and I'm already feeling totally over-whelmed and physically drained. Trying to get everything stuffed into a week leaves me with no time for myself. And off to reading how to gently take care of myself. <3

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Hi! I love you!