It has been said that everybody dies, but some people never really live. It is so incredibly easy to get caught up in the here and now of our busy days and forget what our purpose is. When we forget the “why,” we often end up not as happy as we could be and way more stressed and discouraged than we should be.
in·ten·tion·al
inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
1. done on purpose; deliberate.
We need to be aware of what we are doing, and not just doing things because we are used to the routine. Some things deserve our attention and our hearts; we are one of those things. So love yourself and be intentional in your actions everyday.
If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time to change your whole lifestyle and things that are considered relaxing are put on the back burner. I mean, you have barely had time to shower this week, and when was the last time you did laundry? “What do you mean ‘yoga’?” I understand it isn’t logical to expect you to stop the show and become zen overnight, but here are ten small things you can do that will make a big impact on your mental health.
1. Wake up 10 minutes earlier: don’t stop reading. I’m serious. Ten minutes earlier to not have to wake up in a panic, to have a cup of coffee, to lay in bed and process your day for a minute or two more, to leisurely walk into the kitchen for a muffin, to say a prayer or love your pet.
2. Do the little things right: throughout my entire childhood, my dad would say, “anything worth doing is worth doing right.” And as much as I hate to admit it, it’s the best advice I’ve ever received. So make your bed--it really will change your life (even if you are going to crawl back into it for a nap). Do your homework, do it on time, and do it well. This too will change your life. If something makes you miserable and you can survive without it, don’t do it. Buy paper plates. I won’t judge you.
3. Do something with your body:Move. Be it yoga or running or walking really fast through Target, do something that gets those endorphins going. Even just 10-20 minutes of running or stretching will give you an extra boost everyday.
4. Read something: "The Bachelor" won’t be back on for several months, so open a book and let your brain absorb some new information. You can literally read the back of a shampoo bottle and feel at least a little bit smarter.
5. Only keep what you need: I know this seems terrifying, but when you only have 50 articles of clothing instead of 500, you’re almost always wearing your favorite outfits and you somehow end up doing laundry less. I’m not sure how that works, but it’s true. And when you just own less “stuff,” it’s a lot harder to lose things. Therefore, you spend way less time deciding what to wear, doing laundry, and looking for things you’ve lost...again.
6. Do something for someone else: Honestly, no matter how big or small of a thing you do for someone else, it will help you more than it will help them. There’s something satisfying and cathartic in looking outside of yourself to help someone else or encourage someone. Just be a good human. Be kind to people and people will be kind to you.
7. Appreciate the little things: Find at least one small thing each day that makes you happy. Whether it’s your favorite song, your favorite coffee, a good book, time with friends, or taking that nap, find the good in all things.
8. Eat to live, don’t live to eat: Hear me out--I’m not saying you can’t eat half a pizza in one sitting from time to time, I’m just saying don’t do it for every meal. I know food is good, trust me, but don’t center every activity around something edible. Eat when you’re hungry, and try to eat your vegetables.
9. Give real time and real attention to the people who matter most: When you leave time to share your heart with your friends over coffee, somehow your whole perspective on life changes. Believe me when I say that you can find thirty minutes in your schedule to slowly sip chai teas and talk about your world.
10. Take time to reflect: Take just a few minutes at the end of the day and see what could have gone differently. Praise yourself for where you’ve made progress and consider how you can improve in places you have fallen short. Be self-aware. Know your identity and what it's rooted in.
These little things really do add up. Be true to who you are and what you want in this life, and be intentional about making it happen.
