One week in and where are we? Well hopefully you’re up, clean and dressed, well fed, you’ve been outside, you’ve cleaned up, made a plan and even started decorating…and maybe feeling pretty good about it?
So how are we ending out first week of Self Care?
How about tapping into your creativity.
Now, creativity is a double edged sword. On one hand it can create beautiful, imaginative, original things. On the other hand, it can create catastrophic thoughts and stories of doom and gloom.
Overthinking is a form of creativity – but it’s not one that I think you should be focusing on, so let’s harness that creative spark in other ways. Some are blessed with talent. Some are naturally creative. Some are not. It doesn’t matter – you can still flex that creativity muscle and get some benefit from it.
Do you write Music or Play an instrument? – Write a song
Do you Paint? – Paint a portrait or landscape that you love
Do you Bake? – Make a cake to give to a homeless shelter/ neighbour / friend (or just eat it yourself)
Do you Cook? – Create a 3 course menu for a special occasion and try it out
Do you Knit? – Knit some bobble hats for a charity shop
Do you Sew? – Make an outfit or if you sew like I do, a napkin.
Do you Write? – blog, write a short story, send a card
Do you Vlog? – Do a vlog to help someone
Do you Draw? – Create some illustrations
Do you Sing? – Record a new version of your favourite song
Can’t do any of those things? That’s OK there’s still plenty you can do. Put together a new outfit, decorate a room, put together a mood board, do some papier-mâché, colour in a picture, decoupage, finger paints, modelling clay…..whatever you fancy. Just play and make something. It doesn’t have to be good. You don’t have to show anyone. Just be creative in a good way rather than a negative one.
As I said, over-thinking, catastrophizing and worrying are just ways of using your creativity and your imagination in an unhelpful way. When you catch yourself doing it, try to redirect your creative impulse into something better. If you feel like you really need to spend some time worrying, try to designate a set period of time in which to to do all of your worrying. Think you can get it all out of the way in 10 minutes? Give yourself 15 – but not a minute more. It can take a little practice for the continual worriers out there, but keep practising – you’ll get on top of it.
As a Hypnotherapist I see a lot of people with anxiety and depression. Anxiety is often caused by a misdirected creative impulse that people can’t curb. If you find yourself in a situation like that, please get help as soon as possible. Not only is it unnecessary for you to suffer with this, it’s important to get help sooner rather than later. Although it is Never too late to change, it’s easier when it hasn’t become normal behaviour.
Happiness, Health and Hypnosis 