Have you experienced days or sometimes even weeks in which you feel unmotivated and hesitant to do anything but simply lay in bed? You wish you could except that you have meetings to attend, submission deadlines and you’re left with no choice but to muster the strength to show up? 

‘Take a break’, they say - but in reality, not all of us have the luxury and time to take a step back and book a flight for a short vacation, splurge on massages or a mani-pedi session. So what other ways can we overcome this period of complete demotivation to feel inspired again? 

More often than not, we feel this way because our routines have become a rut, and our minds and daily actions need a reset to make room for more positive energy. Being aware of where these sense of lethargy and frustration stems from helps in identifying small positive actions to rectify them.

In this article, we’d like to share 4 simple ways you can practice mindfulness to help reset and identify your emotions:

• Journaling
• Flame-gazing
• Mindful Colouring
• Mindful Manicure

 Photo Credit: Lovely Indeed

Journaling

Practicing mindfulness is a bit like meditation - the act of sitting still and being with your thoughts. But if you’ve tried doing so and it’s simply not your cup of tea (and that’s completely fine!), carrying out mindful activities is also an effective approach to be in the moment.

Journaling - we’re sure you’ve heard of this one before. The simple act of writing down your thoughts on paper to achieve one thing, clarity. Journaling could be as simple as finding moments in your day in which you experience a spark of joy, or it could be as complex as writing down the noise in your head - the doubts, the fears and the emotions.

Journals with prompts are a great way to start if you'd prefer more guidance. You can view these prompts like little pit stops, and with each step along the way you uncover the thoughts locked in your head, slowly but surely, reaching a point of more clarity.

If you’re looking for a journal with great prompts, here’s a few effective journals we'd recommend:

Jomo Journal, One Line A Day

Photo Credit: Pass It On, Anthropologie

Flame-gazing

Lighting up a candle and letting its aroma lift your senses sure ignites relaxing vibes, but did you know that adding flame-gazing to it, is in fact, another approach to mindfulness on its own? Flame-gazing, also known as ‘Trataka Sadhana’, is a gazing ritual practiced in Hatha Yoga. In this ritual, the aim is to keep your eyes focused on the flickering flame with a relaxed and consistent gaze. This ritual is meant to bring you to a place of stillness where you can let your care and worries fall away, soak in the beauty of the moment and let calmness flow within you.

When you make this practice a consistent routine, you’ll begin to notice that it gets easier to reach a place of complete stillness as you take a deeper look at your emotions.

Experience flame-gazing with some of our best-sellers that are meant to to evoke a sense of calm: 

Pass It On, Plantable Candles inspired by Hope

Pass It On, Plantable Candles inspired by Iconic Destinations

 

Photo Credit: Pass It On

Mindful Colouring

Aah, remember those childhood days where things were a lot less demanding and we lived with no responsibilities but just carefree happiness? Colouring has always been known to be a kid’s activity because it helps to develop focus while encouraging patience and relaxation. Taking a deeper dive into it, studies have shown that colouring also has the ability to relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind.

So if you ever feel like you need to hit pause, take a seat, light up a candle and start colouring - we promise this will help to center your focus and take the attention away from anxiety and distressing thoughts and simply be present in the moment.

We’d highly recommend Secret Garden Postcards, an international bestseller that ​​contains stunningly intricate inspirational drawings of nature that will go perfect with these unique eco-friendly mini colour pencils from Left-handesign - ones that are plantable so you can always grow herbs and plants the moment these colour pencils run out. 

 

Secret Garden: 20 Postcards, Mini Plantable Colour Pencils

 

Photo credit: Unsplash

Mindful Manicure

Do you know that painting your own nails can be a form of mindfulness too? 

Painting your nails is like a form of art in itself, it requires concentration, patience and essentially igniting a sense of calm. Let go of the need to be perfect - and enjoy the process of painting. From choosing your nail colour, to carefully brushing the paint on, and then waiting for it to dry off, take this quiet time to truly be one with your mind and let the sense of peacefulness ease your anxieties away. 

Elevate this experience by painting your nails with clean-formula scented nail polishes - yes, they exist! Our non-toxic scented nail polishes makes the process an even more relaxing one. The scents and colours are inspired by our very own signature candles, matching it perfectly so you can light up a candle and paint your nails while carrying it’s aroma throughout your home.

Experience mindful manicure with these exclusive matching scented nail polish and candle sets:

Explore these mindfulness activities and take your time in finding the combination that helps to slow down and seek calm. With time and consistent practice, it’ll be worth it.