Feeling more clarity and ease in the midst of lists,
tasks and to-do's is possible!
Here is a quick little thing you can do daily, to help you NOT feel like the day is just taking over,
and sweeping you away with the current.
It might sound like a ridiculous idea for your busy day to proceed with ease,
but if you never try, you will never know.
All you need, are a total of 6 minutes of your whole 24 hours.
This quick check-in with yourself, is done three times a day, 2 minutes at a time.
Are you willing to take 2 minutes for yourself, three times a day?
Your life is made up of many little moments, and you can gently teach yourself to be more and more aware,
of how you can choose to pause and collect yourself.
Check in with how you are feeling, tell yourself nice things, and be on your way to improving your day,
no matter what is going on around you (if you ever find yourself in unsafe situations,
do whatever you can to put yourself in a safe place eg a school or library, reach out and get help).
This is a tiny new way to move through your day, and you will feel a difference even if you do it just once.
Soon you will get used to taking your Three Little Moments everyday, and feel
really in tune with your best friend (that would be you),
and find that your days feel smoother, richer (like the most luscious body butter), and more rewarding.
I mean, whatever you need to do, has to get done, so you might as well feel good, right?
Three Little Moments
When:
I can be a bit forgetful, so I add it to my Google Calendar, and put it on 'repeat everyday'.
Now that I am feeling more used to taking these three little 2-minute check-ins,
I find my inner clock automatically tells me, "Hey hey, take a little moment now."
And because it feels good, it never feels like a chore,
and gets easier and easier to stop and check in.
I enjoy taking my Three Little Moments about halfway between mealtimes,
around mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and just before dinner,
because that is usually when I am transitioning
from my work / stinky science (hee hee) mode to my self-care,
and creative business gear.
It helps me to release the day's goings on, collect myself,
and ease into a relaxed focus for the evening.
You might find it easier to take your Three Little Moments just before your meal times.
I sometimes take a little moment just before I eat,
and I find it helps ease up on my tendency to gobble up lots of junk food,
if I'm feeling very stressed (or very happy...I know funny right).
Find what works for you!
Where:
This is the magical, beautiful part: you can do this anywhere.
You can invite your friend or colleague to join you in taking
a little moment (you gorgeous leader, you),
or do this completely incognito. You can take yourself to a nice quiet spot,
or you can do it right at your workstation.
Stand if you can: get that blood and oxygen flowing to your amazing muscles!
How:
Take your 3 x 2 minute moments, daily:
1. Palms & feet, fingers & toes.
2. Breathe, baby breathe.
3. Tell yourself something nice.
4. What do I need right now?
How (details):
1. Palms and feet, fingers and toes.
This is best if you can pause whatever you are doing.
Now think about the palms of your hands,
and the bottoms of your feet.
Feel them: wriggle your toes, and feel them
in contact with your shoes, and the ground.
Stretch your fingers, open and close your palms,
feel them relaxed and open on the table (or ground, or tree).
2. Breathe, baby breathe.
Keeping your eyes opened or closed. Follow what feels good for you.
Take a deep breath in through your nose, and draw the air
all the way into your belly, and feel what might be
the first proper breath you have taken in the past hour or so.
Release your breath slowly through your nose or mouth,
and repeat one or two more times.
It can be really easy to
forget to breathe properly, when you are feeling caught up
in your thoughts and what you are doing.
Pausing to take deep breaths will help
your brain with what it's trying to figure out, and reduce those stress hormones,
and flood your whole body with oxygen and a feeling of wellbeing.
3. Tell yourself something nice.
You may find that your emotions and thoughts are still running,
so don't think you are doing something wrong,
if rainbows, puppies and kittens
don't start bouncing around you.
It just means you are human, and are alive.
This is where you need to be firm, gentle, and kind all at once.
While still remembering to breathe, and feeling your palms and feet.
What would you say to your very little child,
who is learning to walk for the first time?
Now, talk to yourself that way.
Tell yourself, "You are doing your best right now.
You are figuring it out, and you will find way. You've got this."
Recognise that you ARE doing something right now, towards your bigger goals
and dreams (this is because we all have so much in our heads, and it can feel
like there is so much to do, often more than we can finish).
So, it is really important to acknowledge what you are doing right now, because then it counts.
4. What do I need right now?
Are you feeling dehydrated? Do you need to drink some water?
Do you need to do quick stretch?
How about a hug for yourself, or a power pose (like what Amy Cuddy teaches)
to feel like you can do anything?
If any thoughts or ideas arise, feel free to grab your notebook or journal
and write these things down: in your safe space for your thoughts and dreams
(here's a copy of my free journaling and self-care guide).
Well done!
Essentially, you have just done some grounding, meditation,
and you have relaxed into refocusing. Well done!
You may have gotten some clarity and inspiration in the process on
what to do next: by taking a moment to relax yourself, you have created space
for ideas on how to proceed, tiny and big, to come to you.
Remember to do this both when you are feeling good and not so great.
When you are not feeling good,
taking your 2 minute moment will send you on your way to feeling better.
When you are feeling calm, clear, or simply so excited and happy,
taking your 2 minute moment will help you and your body remember
what feels good, and you will feel more present and able
to soak up all the goodness you are experiencing:
capturing the moment with all your senses!
(Join my fun art and journaling journey, where you will turn
the beautiful moments of your life, into your own art creations).
Summary
Take your 3 x 2 minute moments, daily:
1. Palms & feet, fingers & toes.
2. Breathe, baby breathe.
3. Tell yourself something nice.
4. What do I need right now?
Write down in your planner, or scheduler,
when you are going to take your Three Little Moments each day.
Share your experience in the comments below; you never know whom you might inspire!
Candace Loy is a water baby, who aligned her life to live, learn and play ocean. She is currently based in New Zealand, working on sustainable seafood research, and also helping mermaids at heart to create fun, fulfilling and joyful lives through self-care, journaling journeys, and one-of-a-kind ocean adventure and creative retreats.
Be a part of The Mermaid Tribe, and get your free journaling and self care guide (it comes with a whimsical mermaid colouring sheet for extra fun)!
