Life is crazy and it comes at you FAST! Some things are in your control, while others are not. With that being said, sometimes I find myself feeling like no matter what I do it won’t make an impact. Or it won’t make a major impact at least. When I’m feeling this way, I find it incredibly helpful to take 5, 10, or 15 minutes to center myself. As I’m sure you’re all well aware, we are living in some crazy, scary times right now! With that in mind, I thought that now would be a great time to share 25 ways that I center myself. These are great options and tactics (if you will) that I use when I’m feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just generally off and out of it.
– 25 Ways I Center Myself –
1. Clean My Desk: My desk is my go-to “drop it” spot. Press packages, keys, receipts, you name it. I have to tidy up my desk about once a week (at least) and I always feel so much better after. I also love cleaning out/organizing the drawers every few months. Let’s be honest, sometimes during my weekly tidying I end up shoving some things into the drawers that definitely don’t belong there.
2. Make a To-Do List: I am the QUEEN of to-do lists and I make them daily! I used to make my lists in notebooks, but I’d get so frustrated when I wrote down more than I could realistically accomplish in a day and had to rewrite all of those “missed” things the next day. Now, I use my iPad and Apple Pencil + the GoodNotes app for all of my list making! The iPad app syncs with the app on my iPhone so I can make lists for things like groceries and other shopping on my iPad, but it’s all on my phone for when I’m on the go! HIGHLY recommend!
3. Make a Cup of Tea or Coffee: What I make depends on the hour and how much caffeine I’ve already had during the day. For teas, I love Celestial Seasonings “Zinger” Teas, Tazo’s Vanilla Bean Macaron Tea, and Trader Joe’s chai and matcha mixes!
4. Go for a Walk by the Lake: Taking a walk by Lake Michigan always helps me center myself. Growing up, I was pretty close to the Lake and then I went to college at Loyola University Chicago, which has a campus that is quite literally ON the lakefront. I find the waves so relaxing and peaceful and I always feel better after spending some time by the water.
5. Scroll Through Pinterest: Looking at pretty and aesthetically pleasing things always calms me down and gets me into a creative mindset. My Pinterest feed is a fun mix of quotes, beautiful destinations, interior design inspo, cute babies, and more. Follow along if that’s the kinda content you’re looking for right now!
6. Listen to My Favorite Music: When I’m feeling off, I love throwing on songs that I know all the words to or songs that put me in a great mood! I actually make monthly playlists on Spotify featuring 10 songs that I’m loving. There are 93 Bowtiful Playlists as of now…(!!!) Yeah, I’ve been doing this for a bit. Lol.
7. Pour Myself a Glass of Wine: Simple, but very effective! I have the infamous “Olivia Pope” wine glasses from Crate and Barrel. Doesn’t matter if I’m drinking 2 Buck Chuck from Trader Joe’s or one of my nicer Winc wines, these glasses make me feel fancy af.
8. Take a Long(er) Shower: I’m typically someone who is an in-and-out bather. However, if I’m having a rough day (or week) a few extra minutes goes a long way. I also like to treat myself by using a different, scented body wash vs. what I usually use. My daily go-to is this Philosophy one (which I LOVE), but some of my long shower faves are Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir or Lush’s Rose Jam or Sleepy.
9. Do My Skincare Routine: I’m going to do a full blog post on my skincare routine soon because I’m super happy with the products that I’m currently using. Skincare is one of my newer, favorite kinds of self-care to practice. I love a good routine and feel so much better when I go through this process as least once every day.
10. Enjoy a Face Mask: Sometimes the skincare routine is just not enough! In cases like these, I pull out the bigs guns… face masks! I don’t really have a favorite at the moment, but I enjoy the novelty of them in general!
11. Stretch: I was a dancer for years, so stretching is still such a happy place for me! When I’m all stretched out I feel so much more like myself. I also feel like it’s easier for me to breathe deeply when my body is aligned and loose.
12. Listen to a Podcast: 2019 was the year that I discovered podcasts… and there’s no going back! My faves are My Favorite Murder and And That’s Why We Drink. Both fall within the true crime category. (If you know me personally, this is no surprise!) Similar to music, podcasts are great way to get your mind off of whatever you might be dealing with for just a little bit.
13. Make My Favorite Food(s): Food can ABSOLUTELY be a mood booster when I’m feeling off. One of my feel-good foods is Trader Joe’s Bird’s Nests. SO. DAMN. GOOD.
14. Facetime with a Family Member or Close Friend: I am such a social butterfly. So human contact, even through a screen, with someone who knows me well always helps to center me.
15. Doing the Dishes: It may sound crazy, but doing the dishes (hand-washing specifically) is strangely therapeutic for me. I do have a dishwasher, but there are certain glasses and mugs that I always wash by hand.
16. Look Through Old Photos: I am a very a visual person. Looking back at older photos from when I was little or even from high school and college is a great way to reflect on positive memories. It also is a great way to remind myself where I come from and how much I’ve grown as a person over the years.
17. Drink a WHOLE Bottle of Water: Yep, the whole thing. A lot of times, if I’m feeling off it’s because I’m dehydrated. Hydration is key to feeling “normal” and centered no matter what else is going on!
18. Clean Out My Closet: We live in such a material society and as a blogger I have a steady stream of items coming through from brand gifting, partnerships, and personal purchases. Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed by how much I’m surrounded by, so it’s very helpful to go through and clean out my closet from time to time. Some items get donated, some go to friends, and I also give items to Galore Consignment to sell on my behalf.
19. Take a NAP: I am typically not a nap person, but when I haven’t been getting enough sleep and I’m feeling funky, they are a necessity! I especially love taking coffee naps during the day when I can. It might sound crazy, but hold on just a sec… I like to make myself a latte and then immediately after take a short 15-30 minute nap. After, I wake up super refreshed. Weird, but I swear it works for me!
20. Go Through My Beauty Products: Every now and then, you have to go through and toss expired beauty products. It also helps to declutter and make room for new items!
21. Edit Photos: One of my favorite parts of blogging is photography and creating visually appealing content. Editing is a great way to distract myself from stressors and it’s also productive since it’s my job!
22. Do a Quick Workout: I love doing a quick 5-10 minute workout video (usually abs) if I want to get a little sweat on while I’m centering myself. There are SO many great options to choose from, so you never have to do the same one twice!
23. Plan Out My Calendar for The Week: With me being such a fan of to-do lists, I also am a big fan of having my week planned out. Sundays are my favorite day to do this because then I know what in store for the week ahead!
24. Unsubscribe from Email Lists: Anyone else get minor anxiety when they have an excess of unread emails? I go through and remove myself from non-essential or retail email lists every few months to keep my inbox clean and relevant.
25. Sit Still for 5 Minutes (Without my phone!): We live in such a go go go society and I personally know that sometimes I need a reminder to SLOW down. It’s super helpful to take 5 minutes every now and then to just sit and breathe, without any distractions. I set a timer on my phone and then I just chill until it goes off.
If you’re looking for a good way to center yourself, I hope that you found this list helpful! Sending you all lots of love and virtual hugs.
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