It’s the weekend! Are you ready to have fun?

I’m feeling tired. How about you?

We’re not machines. Sometimes we can’t just change gears and turn off the busy thoughts and immediately feel relaxed and ready to have fun – even quiet, shy fun like listening to music, doing a puzzle or reading a book.

So, how are you feeling right now?

The good news is that there are quick, easy ways to give yourself a little loving kindness, to relax your body and calm your brain, to stop it whizzing around way after you’ve put your work down. You can care for yourself, letting go of the stress and struggle of the day, and creating calm and relaxation.

Are you ready to try a couple of ways? If you’d like to listen to my guidance as you try these strategies, rather than read them, here’s the link to this episode of my podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GhjNlC1FtvaiQhZBYwVzw?si=k6ZG4-e4Rm6uYZSBITgr_g

Here are three different ways to slow down your busy thinking and to help your body and brain to relax and be ready for a great weekend ahead. You can do these ways to calm down anywhere, any time:
1) Breathe slowly and deeply, in and out. Make your out-breath especially long and full, ideally for a count of 5 or 6. Take at least 5 very slow breaths in and out. How do you feel now?

2) Focus on your senses:
– Look around – What can you see? Name at least five things silently to yourself
– What sensations can you feel in your body? Maybe clothing touching skin? The movement of your chest or belly as you breathe? What else can you feel?
– What sounds can you hear?
– What can you smell?
– What can you taste?
And now, notice how you feel. How did focusing on your senses make a difference for you?

3) Meditation has been called going to the gym for your mind. I invite you to either choose a word, and repeat it a silently, interiorly, in your head. Or focus on the sensation of your breathing – maybe the movement in your chest or belly or the feeling of air passing through your nostrils.

Close your eyes and just focus on your word or your breathing. Whenever thoughts or feelings arise, that’s totally normal. When you realise you’ve been distracted, just let the distraction go and return to your focus.

There is more and more scientific research to say that if you spend just 10 minutes a day, meditating by either focusing on your breathing or repeating a word again and again, then you are building neural pathways in your brain which will help you to think more clearly in times of stress. Meditation also has many health benefits. Why not look after your precious mind, by giving it a little daily exercise?

Remember: You move your body – maybe you walk or go to the gym or play sport. Why not give your mind a little daily exercise too?