I'm kind of a hippie.
Not in my aesthetic or style but in how I approach my life philosophy. I believe, strongly, in energy and the power of the mind. I believe in the power of perception, and that we attract the energy we put out into the world. You may not agree, but this is my form of 'religion' (in terms of being my system of faith).
On a daily basis, we are thrown thousands of micro situations and circumstances. We are constantly consuming content, encountering people of all mindsets, and are often left a little less 'zen' at the end of it. I wanted to share a few of the things I do to find my chill when I feel like I've got too much going on and have lost focus or am not centered.
1) Reconnect with your AURA: In layman's terms, remember who you are. For me, the things I conjure up when I have lost focus are the 'themes' that to me, define my natural energy and aura. These things are, the ocean, both rough, rocky and cloudy, and calm, deep and still; cold air and fog; deep emerald forests; serene evergreen; the wind when you are on a boat and swimming in open water. I also think about things like how many billions of people are in the world, cuddling my dog, and feeling empathy towards others.
These things, conceptually, make me feel like myself, and referencing them when I am feeling drained or bogged down by my city and immediate surroundings helps me to get back to my state of being.
2) Be Intentional About Your Actions: How often do you go through an entire day and come home feeling like you didn't take away anything, or perhaps that you were just 'going through the motions?' Times like that when I feel so robotic lead me to feeling purposeless...which drains me and depletes energy. To recalibrate and be intentional, I write out not only what I want to do or accomplish, but how I want to feel. I often tell friends that they need to 'channel the feeling' and 'embody what they desire.' Rather than saying "I need to follow up with my client," say "I have followed up with my client, and I am relieved because of how positively the conversation went." So with this- you must BE where you are. Channel the feeling of a positive interaction or outcome, and then reach for that feeling when you are actioning that intention.
3) Learn Something New: When I feel depleted, bogged down and overwhelmed, my energy suffers. Often times, my energy suffers because I feel a loss of control. Something that helps me get right back into a positive state of being is taking on a new challenge and learning a new subject. For the past couple of months I went to the bookstore by my house every weekend, pursuing the aisle of the business section, marketing, biographies and history to feel inspired by a new subject. I was feeling a disconnect from myself (see, reconnecting with your aura), and knew that by learning something new, I could get back on track. The 'new' thing that I settled on was learning how to build a website and starting this blog. I feel jazzed every time I open up my analytics, and am thrilled with the opportunity to learn about web design more in depth as time goes on. It's invigorated me and helped me feel so much more like myself.
4) Get a Crystal: I've been known to carry around crystals (and give them out to friends in need) - not so much believing in their power as an inanimate object, but rather, as a symbol to focus on and affirm what I want to attract in life. Simply, the crystal for me is an icon of opportunity to take control and protect my head space. Last Summer and Fall I went through some dark days, and would walk to work every morning rubbing a crystal in my hand and repeating positive intentions about how I wanted the day to go. I would hold it while I made calls, and would buy them for my friends because of how much having an object to focus my thoughts on and use as an icon of manifesting my desires with did for me. I call this crystal power, or my "low key crystal practice". I mean this very light heartedly, but it did help and it does help whenever I feel that I have strayed from center.
So those are a few of the strategies I use when I feel that my energy is off balance and I need to re channel my true self. Over the year, you go through ebs and flows, and for me, it's always important to acknowledge these peaks and low points and then take action to overcome anything that is causing me to feel as if my aura is not as it should be.