Mindset :: a KEY to unlocking a CALM home

I'm continuing my campaign to help you in any way that I can, from my home here in Los Angeles. I miss meeting you all face to face at markets or when walking the kids to school. Our home is not perfect...by far...and I strive to do better. We all have bad days and good days. That's normal and to be expected. What we do have control over these days seems to be right here...our own minds. 

These are some of my favorite ways or tools to center myself. Over the years I've taken classes and learned from various workshops from Kaiser, workplace seminars and even podcasts. Here is my list:

1- Breath :: Instant and Most Effective

Sounds too simple to be true right? I'm currently trying to teach this to my kids- it's slow progress but I've found for myself it's the fastest and most effective frontline approach. Yep, just take a deep breath and slowly release. You can take it a step further and do easy mediations that can be found online but I have to admit I never keep any consistency at this practice, and yes it takes practice.

2- Friends :: Anticipation 

Let me explain. Life before Covid 19 this would mean setting up a time to hang out with a friend. Today it looks more like setting up virtual meetings, making phone calls or even a quick email note. I personally have found that these plans make little anchors of something for me to look forward to. The anticipation of that fun evening does wonders for uplifting my mood. And all those small moments of running into people out in daily life can be replaced by a quick, "Hey my friend, how are you? Just wanted to say I was thinking of you today." You just might make them feel warm and fuzzy at just the right moment, you never know!

3- News :: Censorship

Yep, I censor myself. The definition of censorship:

the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.

I just spiral into despair if I'm constantly reading the news. It's a threat to my security. Now that a little time has passed, I limit it to a specific time of day and only a few minutes. 

4- Task :: DONE 

I get unbelievable amounts of satisfaction for getting things done, to check it off the list.  But it's way to easy to go overboard and make the list too long so my tip is to make ONE task the priority while things are stressful. There is huge value in doing a brain dump and getting all the 'things' out of your head but it's critical to also then map out onto a calendar when that task is due. You don't want overload.

5- Mantras :: Thoughts

I don't wake up with a mantra like many people say to do, but I've been really trying to repeatedly remind myself of this one thing when I get overwhelmed: (There is a great post you can bookmark here)

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.” by Gandhi

What's flying around in my thoughts will absolutely affect my actions and I have to get out of negativity if I want positive things to come my way.

6- Smell :: Senses

No joke. What's your favorite smell? Bottle that up in a spray bottle and have it around. Feeling a bit down? Spritz your room or even yourself.  I love lavender so I've mixed a few drops of lavender oil with water into a small 3oz spray bottle I got from Target. It gives me a temporary but lovely respite.

7- Gratitude :: Considerate

The smallest of actions or words can mean the world to another person. The key to this one is not to expect any recognition but just to do it.

What a better way to wrap up my blog post, with a huge hug. I miss you all and hope you are well. It means the world to me that you are on this journey with me, THANKS.

XOXO

Do we share any favorite mindset tools? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you. jennifer@zatkadecor.com