This is an excerpt from a book by Mary Beth Jansen.
Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world.
Start with 7am,
Then 6am,
Then 5.
30am.
Go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sun rise.
Push yourself to fall asleep earlier.
Start with 11pm,
Then 10pm,
Then 9pm.
Wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable.
Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast.
Saute tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic.
Fry an egg.
Slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it.
Sit and eat it with full awareness and do nothing else.
Stretch.
Start by reaching for the sky as actively as you can,
Then try to touch your toes.
Roll your head.
Stretch your fingers.
Stretch everything.
Buy a 1 liter water bottle.
Start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day,
Then drinking it twice.
Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black.
Write down everything you do,
Including dinner dates,
Appointments,
Assignments,
Coffees,
What you need to do that day.
No detail is too small.
Strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear drawer into the washing machine.
Put lavender essential oil in with the detergent and wash.
Make your bed in full.
Organize your living space.
Fold all your clothes and bag what you don't want.
Clean your mirror,
Your laptop,
Vacuum the floor,
Light a beautiful candle.
Have a luxurious shower with your favorite music playing.
Wash your hair.
Scrub your body.
Brush your teeth.
Lather your whole body in moisturizer.
Get familiar with the part between your toes,
Your inner thighs,
The back of your neck.
Push yourself to go for a long meandering walk.
Take your headphones,
Go to the beach and walk.
Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back.
Bring your dog and observe their incredibly mindful behavior.
Realize you can learn from your dog.
Message old friends with personal jokes.
Reminisce.
Suggest a catch-up soon,
Even if you don't follow through.
Push yourself to follow through.
Think long and hard about what interests you.
Nature?
Crime?
Cooking?
Sex?
Long forgotten romance etiquette?
Find a book about it and read it.
There is a book about literally everything.
Become the person you would ideally fall in love with.
Let cars merge into your lane when driving.
Pay for the person behind you at the drive-thru.
Stick your tongue out at babies.
Compliment people on their cute clothes,
Their cool hairdo,
Their radiant presence.
Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for a whole day.
Then two.
Then a week.
Walk with a straight posture.
Look people in the eye.
Ask people about their story.
Talk to acquaintances so they become friends.
Lie in the sunshine.
Cozy up in front of the hearth.
Daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn't a thing.
Open your eyes.
Take small steps to make it happen for you.
This is all really good advice for managing stress and also for dealing with depression and anxiety.
It's not going to magically cure what ails you,
But no doubt will provide deep,
Healing energy for balancing your mind-body physiology.
Thank you for these words,
Mary Beth Jansen.
