Your Mindset Matters
As cliché as it may seem, your inner dialogue will determine your outlook on life and your own capabilities. Those of us who deal with a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc., can have a more difficult time creating a positive self-dialogue than those with a neurotypical brain.
As someone who has dealt with generalized anxiety and postpartum depression, this has been a great struggle for me. Even though I know the tools and the affirmations to help, my own inner monologue has led to self-doubt, indecisiveness, and imposter syndrome on many occasions. Something that I have found to help these negative feelings/thoughts is yoga.
When I first started yoga, my goal was to improve my back pain and to take a moment to slow down for myself. I never imagined the positive impact that it would have on the way I think about myself.
- Week One: My mind would race every time I started. This was not abnormal for me. I would often think, “There is no way this will help”, “I can barely do this move, I will never get better”, and “why does it feel like each second lasts an eternity.”
- The amount of negative thoughts I had about myself was unsettling, and I truly didn’t think that would change.
- Week Two: Despite my negative thoughts, I persevered. By week two I would tell myself “I can do anything for 15 minutes”
- I was right. I could do anything for 15 minutes. By week two I learned that I needed to ease into yoga. I shouldn’t be trying 45 minute classes, when I had never done it before. It wasn’t helpful for myself or my mindset.
- Week Three: By this time my thoughts were focused on my posture and ensuring that I was doing exactly as the instructor said. My mind while it was not silent would think whatever thoughts I needed to focus on that day. Sometimes it was my schedule for the day replaying in my head, other days I would think of what I was looking forward to that week.
- Although my mind still raced with thoughts, they were ones that didn’t inherently stress me out, and I was no longer talking down to myself. That was an accomplishment in and of itself.
Key Takeaways
- It’s okay to have racing thoughts, but lets make them positive
- Self-Care is important for the body and soul
Keeping the Habit
The biggest hurdle has been keeping up with the habit of yoga every day. I started working on that habit back when I was in nursing school, worked part-time, and only had two kids. Now, as a full-time working mom of four, I often struggle to keep up with this aspect of self-care.
Being inconsistent with it has truly shown me how my inner dialogue changes drastically. When I take the time for yoga, I have more positive thoughts, my memory improves, and I am overall happier. When I let it slip… I struggle. Physically and mentally.
You don’t have to choose Yoga
While Yoga worked well for me, it doesn’t mean it is the self-care task for you! There are many ways that you can take time out for yourself and work on speaking positive affirmations about yourself. Nature walk, skin care, cooking, baking, etc.
The important thing to remember is to find a task that forces you to slow down for a moment. Life is full of tasks that keep us continuously busy. We must find a hobby that allows us to take time to reflect, find our own positive inner dialogue, and create a positive learning environment at the same time.
Let’s Brainstorm
In the comments below, list out some hobbies, or ways to provide self-care that will ALSO allow you to slow down. In addition, I want to know what some positive affirmations are that help you through the difficult moments.