If you haven’t already gotten a drink, go and get one, maybe even a snack, find a comfy seat, and let yourself relax. Let all worries go for the next little while; let yourself get ready for taking in five deep breaths. A little side note if you have breathing problems, please skip this breathing exercise and maybe take a few minutes for a mindful moment instead.
For those of you joining me with the breathing exercise, breath out all the way, time for your first deep breath in, take in one deep breath through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. Hold for 1.. breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. breathe in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. and hold for 1..2.. breath out for five through your mouth 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. two more to go breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. and hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. last one deep breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. now go back to your regular breathing pattern. I hope you feel calm and relaxed.
Letting go
Hi Thinking out loud here :D
Welcome to Mindful Monday, week 2
With it still being early in the year, now is an excellent time to start letting things go before you go any further into 2022. Whether that be physical or emotional, over Christmas, we’ve all gained things, and we might be finding it hard to find places for everything. So take today to go through what you want to keep and what you dont want to keep to make space for the new.
Think what didn’t I use or wear last year or maybe even for the past few years? What no longer serves me a purpose? What no longer fills me with joy? Can I live without this if I no longer have it? I bet you will have quite a pile of things you didn’t realise you no longer need and/or want. I’m sure there will be people out there who will be grateful for whatever it is you are letting go of or donating. If it isn’t broken beyond repair, take your pile to a charity shop or a refuge. I hope this also makes you feel good knowing you are helping someone somehow, however little it may be. To someone else, it might just make their world that little bit brighter.
Maybe you have something emotional that you’ve been holding onto; perhaps you’ve tried before to let that go, but it for some reason just keeps on coming back, and you just can’t shift it. Try writing a letter to a past self, the thing or the person who has made you feel this way. Put everything down that you haven’t been able to say out loud, every emotion, every bit of pain you have felt. Then, as you write it, either in your head or whisper to yourself, I am letting go; I am letting go throughout the writing process. Writing everything down, for some, can be easier than talking about that pain and away of letting it go for good.
If writing doesnt help, I hope this does; you don’t have to hold onto that pain or fear anymore; you can release whatever you are holding on to. A past argument, something someone once said to you, let that go, you aren’t that person anymore, you’ve changed, and you’ve grown. You are the one that gets to choose to move forwards, and that is a beautiful thing to be able to do. Not many people give themselves that opportunity, but look at you, you are. Doesn’t it feel awesome giving yourself a chance to move forward to better yourself for the future? I hope you feel lighter and feel like whatever comes your way, you can now face it.
If you are still struggling with the idea of letting go. What are these feelings worth that you are holding onto? Do they make you happy? Or do they make you sad? If you could do anything to make a change, what would it be? Why aren’t you doing that, and what is holding you back? Is it fear? Is it not knowing what could happen? Maybe you think it will use a lot of energy, but you don’t realise it will be less energy than you are using right now. Let go of anything that isn’t serving you a purpose, isn’t bringing joy into your life and isn’t creating a world you want to keep building. Let this year be the year where you put yourself first, your dreams, ambitions, life plans that you have maybe been putting off for a little too long. Only you can change and make that happen. I hope I have helped ignite the idea, the tiny flicker of fire and the possibility of good change happening.
Letting go could also mean many more things to you; whatever it means to you, let that be what you work on for the rest of the week, month and year if you need that long. I hope this enables you to carry on going into 2022, with it being your year and be the best version of yourself you can be. So leave the drama of previous years behind, leave what hasn’t helped you move forward, make peace with it, know that you are now ready, stronger than you have been before, and trust that you know what you need to do in making anything possible.
Let's finish on a little three deep breath breather. Again, if you have breathing problems take this time to have another mindful moment instead.
For those joining me in this last breathing exercise, take one breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. final breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. final breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. no hold here you can now go back to your regular breathing pattern.
If you have made it this far, thank you, I hope you have a lovely day and week.
Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
