Reclaim The Real You

Ways to Get Back the Real you!

Over these past few years, many of us may have fallen hostage to the world’s trials and tribulations so much so, that we’ve for the most part neglected ourselves.

We’ve become sedentary, unmotivated, dwelling needlessly on things we cannot control.

I have to admit that I fall under that category!

Sedentary, yes! Unmotivated, yes! Dwelling needlessly, yes!

Very upset with myself I decided to do something about discombobulated life.

The easiest and least stressful way I have found to get back to my “old self” was to get out in nature.

Nature. It’s such an undeniable part of our lives.

Trees, little creatures, streams, and more, are all around us, no matter where you live.

As humans, we have thrived because of nature. Nature has taught us so much and given us so much that allows us to live our lives fully and to have everything that we need to fully express our capacities as humans.

It has given us water, air, and food and it has given us beauty, joy, and peace. And yet, many of us have forgotten the important effect that nature has on the balance of our minds, of our lives.

Natural Beauty

Walk out into the world, into nature and stop, stand still and breathe.

When you are surrounded by and immersed in nature you will feel something that many people, especially in the western world have forgotten, this being the peace, the calm, and clarity that exists naturally in nature.

No matter where you go in nature there is no imposed expectation, there is no added pressure; there is nothing that needs to be done. You won’t find a boss, you won’t find a deadline, and you won’t find anything other than all that is natural, Mother Nature.

I walk for about an hour at least five days a week.  What I found is a pair of falcons who frequently perch on the same spots almost daily. I was curious, why? After checking with the local peregrine society, I learned there was a nest on one of the buildings they perched on. How fascinating!

Returning To Clarity

If you can spend time in nature, putting down your daily life for a while, putting down your goals and objectives, and just taking time to listen, watch, breathe, to be still, you will return to a space of clarity in the mind.

Normally our minds are racing, daily we have so much to think about that we never give ourselves time not to think, not to do, not to try to get done, or try to become. Nature naturally doesn’t have any of things.

If you walk out into nature and take a look, you will see that everything, everything just is. It is being, only naturally what it is, without any attempts to be something more or to be something else even.

This is what some call the Natural Mind.

The Natural Mind

The natural mind is without conflict, without concern, without pressure, and without stress. It is born of clarity, calm, and peace. It is completely at one with the way of things. It knows nothing other than this state of natural perfection and it cannot know any other state. As humans, we have invented so many ways of trying to return to this, meditation, yoga, self-hypnosis, naturism, naturalism, etc., etc.

When in reality it is only because we have forgotten our natural mind that we have even needed to invent these disciplines and ways of living to try to return to it.

Being at one with nature again, not leaving the natural mind has the effect of allowing us to return to that original clarity, state of calm, and peace.

It Is Quite Simply, The Natural Way

Since we naturally already have a calm, clear perspective of what is real and what is not, what is needed and what is not, what we are and what we are not, we only need to cultivate only that which is natural within ourselves and to let go of everything else that has built up in our minds, our spirit and our way of life.

This has the natural effect of returning us to our natural state of mind.

By immersing ourselves in nature and taking time to breathe and be still, to listen to the sounds, to feel the wind on our skin, to swim in the ocean, to walk through the forest, to watch the animals, we are encouraging our spirit to soar, to reach out into the world, and feel everything that it is…

To once again, be one with the natural way of things!

This has not been completely forgotten, it has just been ignored.

To return to the natural way of things, we should return to our ever-faithful mother, nature, and remember to slow down, to let go, be natural, and be at peace.

Not all self-care activities involve going for a walk or meditating. There are also quite a few creative activities that will channel your inner artist or writer and still provide excellent self-care benefits. Here are some creative and artistic activities to help you reclaim the real you.

Get a Coloring Book

Adult coloring books have been popular for a while, and they are definitely not going anywhere. There are now many different types of coloring books, depending on what you are interested in. You can get gardens and flowers, animals and creatures, or even coloring books with curse words to have a little fun with them. This allows you to be creative and de-stress by simply coloring and not having to worry about anything.

Try Drawing or Painting

Here is another super-easy way to be creative and artistic, but also practice self-care. Self-care doesn’t have any hard or fast rules. It is simply about doing activities that make you feel good about yourself and can distract you from what is causing you stress and help you spend more time focusing on yourself. You want to make sure all your time is not spent working, cleaning, or taking care of your kids. You should also have some hobbies and activities you truly enjoy just for yourself. Grab a sketchbook and some art tools to draw, sketch, or paint as you wish.

Learn a New Craft

What better way to express your creative side than to learn something brand new? This is the perfect opportunity to get out there and try a new craft or form of art. You don’t have to be naturally artistic to be creative and enjoy any type of creative activity. Doing the activity isn’t the only way to take better care of yourself, but also in learning how to do it. Think of some hobbies you always wondered about, like oil painting, making jewelry or metal stamping, or giving sewing or knitting a try.

Writing

Not all forms of being creative for self-care have to do with art and crafts projects. You can also start writing, which can be very therapeutic for you. This can be anything from writing in a journal to writing short stories or working on a novel. One good practice to start writing is to set a timer for 8-10 minutes, then just start writing whatever comes to mind. Continue writing without taking a break until the timer goes off.

Try one or several of these ways to help you to reclaim yourself.

Listen to nature, be creative and you’ll find your cares will slowly retreat to the background.

Embrace, and reclaim the real you!

“Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and,
in the process, care for ourselves.”— Princess Diana

Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping, especially when I was stressed out. I learned to better understand and manage my stress after I read “7 Days of Self Care Free” Private Label Rights (PLR) content from Susanne Myers and Tracy Roberts. You, too, can get it at no cost here.

If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.

I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.