Top 5 tips to BOOST your wellbeing!
To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, the lovely Ellie from BOOST with Ellie has put together her top 5 tips to boost your mental wellbeing. Ellie has just launched a wonderful platform to help people feel good about themselves through improving self-esteem, self worth, love and confidence.
1. BOOST. Affirmations have the power to program your mind into believing the magical words you have chosen to speak. Affirmations are powerful statements that you can create for yourself, find on the internet or in wholesome books. As you speak your powerful statement you are consciously in control of your own thoughts. Repetition is key when it comes to learning and your subconscious mind will absorb those beliefs, which will then become your reality. How exciting. Wake up in the morning and repeat one 3 times or more during the day. There are many ways to incorporate them into your lifestyle. Here are a few examples: stating the affirmation during your meditation, repeating them throughout the day, writing them out in vibrant colours, speak them directly to yourself in the mirror and visualise that belief, as if it was already yours. They are great for shifting moods and helping you believe in yourself. Be open minded, holding no judgement and give them a go. I encourage you to be patient with this daily practice.
2. BOOST. Journaling is a great way to put your thoughts and ideas onto paper. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own minds. It can be hard to think clearly when there is so much going on up there. Writing mindfully, with no judgement, can help you release a lot of those overthinking thoughts. If you are feeling overwhelmed, then get your journal out or buy one and start unloading your thoughts onto trusty paper. It is useful for finding a solution to that problem you can’t stop thinking about. Visually seeing it on paper will help you rationalise the situation and make those progressive steps in the right direction. I started journaling three years ago and it has assisted me massively with my growth. Whenever I release some of my heavier thoughts and feelings onto paper, I will then dispose of it. This helps me let go. I also create song lyrics and poems in my journal. Creating something beautiful from the darkness that you possibly feel can be very beneficial. If you are having an off day and you feel overwhelmed, emotional, anxious, lost and many others of those heavy feelings then I urge you to try this. Try using your wise inner voice, that we all have access to, and nurture your feelings and thoughts. Just because you don’t feel whole doesn’t make you any less you. Start to ask yourself what is this teaching me? Rather than why is this happening? You will learn so much about yourself during the process of journaling. Let it out and let your light shine through.
3. BOOST. Social media cleanse. Yes, I said it. Put down your devices and step into the world. We have so much to be grateful for, if only all of us could embrace it. Coming away from that virtual world is likely to make a vast difference to your productivity, focus and overall well-being. There is so much information flying in every direction, from pictures & videos to hashtags and TikTok’s. You can end up feeling overly stimulated whilst you mindlessly scroll through it all. It can feel too much, at times. Two seconds down and then you pick the device back up. It is hard to stop wanting more of it and there is a reason why. Our brain produces the chemicals dopamine (the feel-good hormone) and oxytocin (the cuddle hormone). Social Media is addictive, and you get that short-term fix of trust and satisfaction. So, go offline I ask. Take a breath in and take a breath out. Now you are ready to start becoming more online in your own life. Start connecting with yourself in solitude, spend quality time with your loved ones, focus on what brings you joy, become more mindful, write a book, learn an instrument and create something beautiful. Some of you will feel like you have so much more time because you won’t be scrolling for hours on end. It was there to begin with! You don’t owe anyone anything. You don’t need to share a selfie for social validation. You don’t need to share that picture of you working out. You are beautiful as you are. Be there for you and enjoy the freedom of not being glued to a screen. Breathe in that fresh air and show yourself who you really are. Taking part in this cleanse will help BOOST your overall well-being and hopefully help create a better virtual future for yourself.
4. BOOST. Remember there is a time to be and a time to do. Getting plenty of rest and sleep is so vital for your self-care. We can’t be busy all the time and if you are, you will soon burnout. This society is so fast paced we sometimes forget we have the choice to rest. Being in solitude is so beneficial for restoring your energy. So, start saying ‘yes’ for yourself and not just to please others all the time. You come first. It can be extremely hard to put this into practice, especially if it is in your nature to put others first. You will be putting others first by putting your needs first. You aren’t doing anyone a disservice, so let go of that worry and guilt. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but sleep needs are individual. Find out how many hours makes you feel like you are functioning well. Make yourself a priority. Unwind after a long day by taking a bath with your favourite salts, crystals, essential oils or candles, or even better combine them all together. Avoid going on your devices before bed, as the light emitted stimulates the brain. Keep your room cool and find a bed-time ritual that works for you. Read, listen to soft harmonic sounds, practice yoga, introduce calming breath work, meditate, stretch and be gentle. Sip your chamomile tea and sink into your mattress drifting away in dreams with infinite healing love.
5. BOOST. Step out into the beautiful Mother Nature. How magical and awe-inspiring it truly is. Never rushing, just being and growing. Notice all those vibrant colours around you, feel the soft breeze on your skin, breathe in the fresh rejuvenating air and be mindful. Moving in nature has incredible benefits for our overall well-being. Why not take a walk outside without your device and write down in your journal everything you have discovered? There is so much beauty around us. Take an escape in nature and walk with a friend, a dog or just yourself. Seek out the light, like a sunflower and feel the healing rays being absorbed into your body. Looking up at the sky has always given me a sense of calm and hope. Just spending some time outside can bring such clarity and peace into our lives. Find a house plant you can nurture, a garden you can create, herbs you can grow , help flowers flourish and blissfully walk and connect with nature.
There are so many other self-care tips we can put into practice. I will be writing more about refreshing ways to BOOST your overall well-being. Focusing on self-esteem through love, worth and confidence. My first blog will be uploaded very soon. During lockdown I decided to go offline, seeing how it would BOOST my productivity, focus and overall well-being. I documented my daily thoughts for one month and what I discovered was very thought provoking. If you think this read will be for you, then please keep an eye out on @boostwithellie on Instagram or @BOOSTwithEllie on Facebook – If you do, remember to be mindful of your daily usage on social media.
Keep staying true to you,
Ellie x