Get Your Life Together: A Simple Blueprint
In terms of our mental health and sanity, this pandemic threw us all for a loop. Being quarantined at home didn’t help either. After getting these prolonged waves of sadness more than once a week, I implemented some changes for the better. I formed an obsessive desire to get my life together, that continues to this day. I actively decided to take back control of my life and I couldn’t be any happier.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has struggled with self care, so I’ve created a consolidated list of the things that helped me immensely. The more we can establish, or reestablish, routines and hold on to our health, the better, particularly now as the strict lockdown mandates begin to resurface.
This is as much for you as for me.
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1. Dress for the life you want, not the one you have.
Being that we barely have events to look forward to, I get how tempting it is to stay in bed all day and watch Netflix. But studies have shown that dressing well increases your performance in daily endeavors. For instance, wearing clothes that makes you feel important or intelligent can change the way you interact with others as well as your cognitive functioning. It can even make the difference between poor test scores and acing an exam!
If you’re in your pajamas all day, then you won’t really feel motivated to do all the things you need to accomplish. Dressing nice and smelling nice will put you in a good mood and in good spirits to conquer whatever obstacles come your way.
So even if all you have to go is to the couch in the living room, you should still get off of your bed, head to the shower, and dress in comfortable, yet chic, clothing. Psy.D. Feliciano said it best, “Dressing in bright colors will help improve your mood”. Good hygiene goes with this as well so brush your teeth, wash your face, and even treat yourself to a facial occasionally.
2. Rearrange your Space.
There aren’t a lot of problems that a little change can’t fix. It will help to keep your mind away from things that have changed by shifting your furniture around and reorganizing closets and dressers. You can print out quotes and pictures to decorate your space if you have a printer at home.
Pinterest has tons of inspiration for your room or workspace’s facelift!
Try to reorganize your furniture in the bedroom and add some candles or wax warmers. Make the places where you spend much of your time relaxed and inviting. This also means making your bed every day!
3. Move around at least once a day {preferably outside}.
Fresh air is what everyone needs so whether it be jumping rope, running, swimming or even riding a bike, just get out and do something for at least 30 minutes.
Start out your day early in the morning on a brisk walk or go hiking with a friend, socially distancing of course. I suggest listening to motivational podcasts on your walks or just taking the time to reflect on life and your daily events.
There are several YouTube videos that offer free movement lessons if you do not feel like going outside, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party! Lately, I’ve been going on Tik Tok and trying to learn a dance or two when I can. It’s just something that your body and mind will thank you for later on. And I’m not saying you should post these. My drafts are comfortable where they are and won’t be made public anytime soon.
Everything is easier and better when you are in good cardiovascular shape: school, work, managing emotions.
Don’t be lazy.
4. Limit social media.
Of this entire list, this is by far what I used to struggle with the most.
We all know this is unhealthy but we continue to spend hours on these addictive social media apps, especially Tik Tok, for me.
I try to actively reminded myself to limit my spending time on these apps and my sanity has improved ten-fold. I found myself only getting on social media for marketing purposes. There will be times where i would get on for entertainment occasionally but majority of the time is spent improving myself.
So I’m not saying to completely cut ties with it, because it has proven helpful at times, but simply reduce your time on it to a few times a day.
Take a moment and think about how much people make of instagram posts, in just a matter of minutes. Don’t you want to be the one receiving too sometimes? The same way you see your favorite influencers making a name for themselves, you can as well.
For many, social media can be a source of anxiety even when we aren’t in the midst of a global pandemic. If you ever find yourself defaulting on your phone to a social media app, consider deleting or hiding the app so that you have to take extra steps to access it. Try to find other things to occupy your time. Pick up some hobbies that I’ll mention later on in this post.
Be mindful of social media right now. Set a time limit if you have to.
5. Expand your horizons.
Read. We all hated reading in schools. To the point where not many people read in today’s society… and it shows. It does sucks when teachers make you read boring things, but reading is awesome when you pick books that interest you.
I began to read more productivity, success, and leisure books. I advise you all to do the same.
My all-time favorite book is Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie! This was beautifully written and brought awareness to the Nigerian history. Her writing style kept me intrigued the entire read. I couldn’t put the book down once I picked it up, literally. I finished in a day or two.
Instead of being on your phone before bed, pick up a book and read for a bit then fall asleep.
The goal is to be hooked to this habit within a month.
Read my post on productivity: 7 Secrets You Need To Know About Staying Focused On Your Goals.
6. Declutter your mind.
Journal. Give yourself time to self-reflect and relieve your everyday stresses.
If you are someone who has a lot of feelings bottled up, and in need of an outlet that doesn’t involve actually talking about it, then this might be a sign for you to start journaling.
Writing down your feelings helps you to “brain-dump” your anxieties, frustrations and pains on a journal. This can help you to reduce and release any stress which you have accumulated overtime. Overall, expressing yourself in a diary is a good way to free up any tension that prevents you from feeling happy
To understand my thoughts and emotions, I began journaling and I can’t thank myself enough. First thing in the morning, I write down all things that cross my mind, which includes the things I need to do that day and how I’m feeling at that exact moment. I do this voluntarily throughout the day and at night.
As the saying goes, “You could miss it if you don’t pause to look around once in a while.” As we start taking on more responsibilities, our fast-paced lives can become even more hectic, making us feel the strain as others put high expectations on us.
Your journal is the best place to start exploring your inner creativity. Let your imaginations run wild and record anything that comes to mind. This is a great way to help you to take a step back and reflect. Whether it be on gratitude or what you did today, write it all down.
Daily reflection is free therapy, there’s no excuse not to partake!
7. Keep yourself occupied.
Our emotional brain is responsive to creative arts, and it is a direct gateway for expressing your feelings.
Pick up a new hobby like drawing, painting, sculpting, cooking, or even crocheting and give it your all.
Another great way to self-distress is try holding a stress ball in each hand and going back and forth squeezing them. Or tossing a ball back and forth as you are watching TV. Time to sign your fidget spinner out of retirement, if you still own one.
See how relieved you can feel.
8. Take breaks and find the humor in each day.
There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Life can be overwhelming and we need time and space to recuperate.
Take as many as you feel necessary, there’s no rush to success.
Counteract this with something funny each day: your favorite YouTubers, a stand-up show on Netflix, memes! These distractions from our stressors in life is much needed and deserved.
Hop on Twitter and treat yourself to endless laughter.
Just don’t overdo it though.
9. Practice self-acceptance.
For your mental and emotional well-being, self-acceptance is crucial.
It’s about knowing, inside and out to love yourself. It’s about letting go of things that you can’t control and what makes you special is valued. It isn’t always easy to be relaxed in your own skin, however.
Stay connected and reach out to your loved ones. Technology makes communicating with family, friends, and even strangers easily accessible. With FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, and texting you can connect with other people to seek and give support. Have Netflix watch parties , send memes and Tik Toks to one another, play iMessages games or host virtual dinner parties. Hell – even WhatsApp messenger let’s you talk to people worldwide.
We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence.
Identify your strengths, set goals for yourself, celebrate your accomplishments, think positively, and most importantly be kind to yourself.
Remind yourself of this daily.
One Last Thing: Don’t try doing too many things at once
Focus requires disciple. As Robert Kiyosaki defines it: Follow One Course Until Successful. This deep interpretation is what I try to live by daily.
Don’t start exercising, reading, and journaling on the same day.
Do try to do one habit at a time.
Eventually find a solid routine and stick to it. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that includes time for work, various kinds of self-care and other responsibilities.
Less is more. Don’t complicate it.
A great deal of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone. Especially, with our time being largely unstructured these days. Everyone will have moments when they will not be at their best, so it’s important to move with grace through blowups.
I surely can’t control a lot of what’s happening right now, but I can contribute this. I hope these tips are helpful to all during these unprecedented times.
Feel free to comment which was your favorite, which ones you plan to implement, and any other thoughts/concerns down below!
With love,
khaamisa <3
Andrea
Such great advice. We finally went to a concert for the first time since before the pandemic and it felt amazing! It was incredible how emotionally and mentally cathartic it was for everyone there.
khaamisa
This pandemic was something none of us were prepared for. It’s really nice seeing everything fall back into place slowly but surely. I have yet to go to a concert since the pandemic, but hopefully I will soon!
Tina Rach
Hello,
I find that Limiting social media on days I feel blue is really helpful. Sometimes you just need people to actually talk to like friends who can give you advice and lift your spirits, instead of “online friends”
khaamisa
Agreed! Being on social media constantly can be draining sometimes. Nothing beats having someone physically there to talk to.
Melissa
Thank you for this great article. That was amazing information. I haven’t thought about some of those things to do. Definitely going to organize my area and going to start reading a self-help book.
khaamisa
Awesome to hear you found this post helpful. I can’t wait for you to start achieving your goals!
Rachel Childers
I love all these tips. I must say that I may be guilty of trying to do so many things at once. I am working on myself in this area.
khaamisa
I still find myself struggling with this. It’s a gradual battle that we will overcome 🙂
Tamara Maria
Great tips! Thanks for creating this for us ❤️
khaamisa
You are very welcome! Which one did you find most helpful?
Diana Niewald
Love the blog with all the good advice that we definitely need to keep in mind!!
khaamisa
Thank you. We’re all going through things in life so I try my best to give good advice 🤍
Scott Harrison Rees
Those are some fine tips! Particularly the one about dressing for the life you want, in which case I can totally justify my Batman cosplay!! :D. I am in such total agreement about limiting social media. Easier said and done during such extraordinary times, but yeah, there are definitely studies to support what you are saying.
khaamisa
Love that 😅. It’s definitely easier said than done but it’ll be worth it in the end.
Kimmy
These re really great tips
khaamisa
Thank you. Which one will you start doing?
Rosa
I want to make time to journal and do shadow work, I have to wait till my kids fall asleep. So I get tired and sometimes fall asleep too soon.
khaamisa
It’s the intention that counts! Life can be unpredictable. I’m sure one day you’ll find other ways to destress.
Anna
I love re-arranging personal space. I have moved the furniture in my bedroom around a couple of times and it feels great! I also agree with limiting time spend on social media and have realised that lately I have been spending way too much time on social media…
khaamisa
Although some people find change nerve-wrecking, I find it quite effective. I’m always finding ways to switch up my workplace. Also, breaks from social media are necessary 🤍
Arti
I completely agree with the point that you need to dress for the job you want. Rearranging my space works too. Will definitely implement other things as well.
khaamisa
I’m so glad that you found this post helpful! Best of luck with your implementation 🤍
Melanie
This is a great list! Moving my body outside has been huge for my mental health!
khaamisa
I’m a firm believer of this. Everyone needs to try and get at least a few minutes of fresh air a day. It does the body good!
Kaybee Lives
These are such great tips for a well-rounded life! I want to get better at spending less time on social media and dressing for the life I want. Definitely lots of areas for improvement!
khaamisa
Thank you for your honesty! These are all things that a lot of us struggle with. At the end of the day, all we try to do is our best! It’s a gradual process that I’m sure all of us can achieve 🤍
Karletta
Excellent advice especially when it comes to this time and what everyone is dealing with. I also monitor negative news intake and make sure I have a source of positive and hope filled stories in my feed
khaamisa
Breaks are essential for our wellbeing. I often find myself going days or weeks without watching the news. It does get overwhelming at times.
Shar
All the points you made in your article are simple but bring so much value. I live by them.
khaamisa
Yes, I tried to make them as simple as possible so these tips are easy to implement. It’s the little things that matter. Glad you found this post helpful!
Jen @ JENRON DESIGNS
I need to work on limiting my social media intake, it can be very overwhelming at times.
khaamisa
Agreed. Take as many breaks as you need. Also, remember that these are simply apps that can be deleted. Sometimes reading a book or journaling for at least 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference.
Krysten Quiles
These are really great tips, I’m going to have to try them out.
khaamisa
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Digitaldaybook
I’ve been thinking about ways to limit my social media and one idea came to mind which is to stop using it after 8pm!
khaamisa
Having a cut off time is a great way to help reduce your time on social media. Just try not to beat yourself up about it in the beginning, change takes time 🤍
Vanessa
Love all the points. My fav is number 9 – practice self acceptance. Sometimes we get so busy in the rat race! Thank you for sharing these.
khaamisa
Thank you. It’s good to hear that you enjoyed this post. Food for thought: If we don’t accept ourselves, then how would we expect other to?
aisasami
The funny thing is that in Japan, there is no real lockdown. I am free to go anywhere I want to go. I can go to the park. That is where I go a lot when the weather is nice. Just sit down and relax with music and write.
khaamisa
Lucky!! Lockdown was fun in the beginning but it got draining pretty fast. I found myself growing tired of being at home 24/7 with the same people. Looks like Japan is next on my travel list!
Dori
I always feel better after a walk in my lovely bushy neighbourhood. Especially with the warm winter sun on me.
Thanks
khaamisa
Yes indeed, I’m trying to make a habit of morning walks, they’re so therapeutic.
Amara Nwaroh-Uche
Love your tips!! I always try to get myself in a different environment where I could be more inspired. Either going outside or even just tyding up.
khaamisa
A change of environment is a great way to boost your productivity. I love getting my work done outside in the fresh air.