Mind Body Bowl: Think, move and eat your way to a more balanced life. Annie Clarke

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      As an adult I have become more and more aware of the number of people who experience symptoms of anxiety or depression to some degree or at certain periods in their lives. I don’t know if it is because people are becoming more open, life is becoming more stressful, or perhaps there are just more people who have the courage to identify themselves as having these struggles, but I find it interesting to consider what leads so many of us down this path, and if there is anything we can do or change to prevent it having such an impact on our minds.

      I think many of us try to take responsibility for things that are beyond our control, and as a result experience guilt or other emotions that cause stress and anxiety to build up in our minds. I’m one of those people who takes the weight of everyone else’s problems on my shoulders as my own, without being asked, and I have begun to realize that I feel very guilty about things that are not in my power. So much is ultimately beyond our control and sometimes we just have to let go of that need or desire to solve problems. I have had to learn that I can still be a good friend without knowing all the answers, and that it is OK to put myself first at times.

      Worry is another emotion that I find cripples a lot of people and prevents them enjoying the moment. When you worry about the future, you are encouraging your fears to manifest in reality. We can help ourselves by trying to shift away from that focus on the uncertainty of things to come.

      You have the power to choose how you feel and react. Of course, emotions are natural and your initial response to a situation may seem beyond your control – but if you take a step back, you can recognize that you have the power to choose. If you can learn not to be at the mercy of circumstance, and instead find a positive in every situation in which you find yourself, you will lighten the load you carry.

      Fitting positivity into your day doesn’t have to be time-consuming or challenging. There are simple things you can do to break negative thought patterns or reframe difficult parts of your day. Gratitude exercises can be really helpful, for example. Often it can feel easier to focus on the small proportion of negative instead of the large proportion of positive, so by starting a gratitude journal, you can begin to shift this balance.

       ‘Of course, it is much easier to come up with a list of things you are grateful for when you have had a great day and things feel as though they are going well, but it is even more valuable when the words don’t come quite so easily.’

      Even if the concept of writing down the things you are thankful for sounds a little odd, making a note of a few things when you wake up or before you fall asleep allows you to step back and reflect on the day without being caught up in the immediate moment. Of course, it is much easier to come up with a list of things you are grateful for when you have had a great day and things feel as though they are going well, but it is even more valuable when the words don’t come quite so easily. It is those days when you have to reframe the way you are thinking that can prove most uplifting. Repeating the practice on a daily basis can really help to train the mind to think more positively and can change how you approach your day-to-day life.

      A lot comes down to acceptance – acknowledging that not everything will always go just the way you’d hoped, but can still be appreciated for what it is, for the challenges it gives you. Gratitude allows you to navigate each day with a more positive mindset, which helps you to enjoy the journey rather than just anticipate the outcome.

       Embrace Imperfection

      Negative talk about yourself or other people can be totally emotionally draining. I realized while I was doing my yoga teacher-training how much of an impact it had on me when one of my peers persistently criticized various aspects of the training. It was really wearing me down, and I eventually asked the group if we could try to go for a day without judging or criticizing, and just accept that we all may like and dislike different things but that it was all part of the journey we were on. I was really surprised by how strongly my energy could be affected by the negative talk of others, and I realized that not participating in that sort of conversation, or taking myself out of that situation, could reduce that impact.

       ‘Finding a more positive way to think about who you are and what you do feeds a positive, creative energy that allows you to grow.’

      In doing so I found such a positive relief, and I was able to maintain a more optimistic outlook and surrender to the full experience.

      It can be invaluable to embrace every imperfection in your being and in the world around you. We will inevitably all have moments when we worry about what people think, when we criticize our progress, our bodies, our work, or doubt ourselves in any number of ways, but it is so freeing to accept that, firstly, it is OK not to be the finished article yet, and secondly, that imperfection is what makes us unique. Every quirk in our being is what makes us truly ourselves.

      This all links back to the way that we talk to ourselves. Finding a more positive way to think about who you are and what you do feeds the positive, creative energy that allows you to grow. It’s not just about shifting away from or trying to change what you don’t like about yourself, but actually choosing to enjoy those imperfections as part of who you are, and accepting that they are a key part of you.

      The same thinking can be applied to how situations play out in the world around you. Lots of us like to plan, idealize or predict how things might happen, but in reality our expectations may not be met or perhaps are exceeded. Rather than feeling disappointed, let down or overwhelmed by any outcome, you can choose how to react and make peace with a situation for just being what it is.

       Stress Management

      We live in a world surrounded by stress. I realized a little while ago that whenever I bumped into someone and we did that quick, ‘Oh hi, how are you? How is work?’, etc. that the answer I gave was always, ‘Busy. Good but busy,’ but what I really meant was ‘I’m feeling pretty stressed!’. And their response was normally the same. I was telling the truth and so were they, but the monotony of it all started to bother me. Being busy is a transient state (even if it feels never-ending at times), but it doesn’t define how we are as human beings.

       Putting Off Tasks Just Prolongs Them

      One of my worst habits is flagging emails, I will have every intention of replying but so often I read something, become distracted without replying and flag it for later so that my focus shifts away from my ever-expanding inbox. It isn’t productive or helpful; it is just setting myself up for a stressful time trying to clear it later.

      This kind of procrastination is so futile. Putting off smaller tasks leaves them hanging over you. Instead of flagging emails or leaving the chores that you don’t want to do until last, getting them done and ticking them off the list is such a simple step that can have a positive impact on the rest of your day. If there is something you really dislike or even dread, perhaps try to get it out of the way so that you no longer have to worry about it. You will immediately feel more accomplished. It sounds easy and, of course, is much more easily said than done – it can certainly take a lot of will-power, but it really is an incredibly positive habit to get into.