Creating Perspective
One of the most essential tools you can have is knowing how to create perspective. Not only does it give you some much needed physical and emotional distance, it lets you see things a lot more clearly.
Here are some of the best ways I know to get some perspective:
HAVE SOME FOOD
When our blood sugar is low, things can seem so much worse than they actually are. Try eating something nutritionally rich that makes your body feel good. Or, you know, have some takeaway pad thai. Both are good.
WATCH YOUR FAVOURITE SHOW
Engross yourself in stories external to you and your life. Engage your brain whilst distracting yourself with fictional lives and problems for a little while.
HAVE A WARM DRINK
What a cure-all.
It won’t fix everything, but I can guarantee you’ll feel a little better.
HAVE A LONG SHOWER
But not too long, because I live in Australia and have been instilled with a healthy fear of drought by Water Corp.
SLEEP ON IT
Things are always clearer in the morning.
TRY MEDITATION
Slight disclaimer here: I can’t meditate to save my life.
But as long as you’re in a peaceful state, taking deep breaths and focussing your mind, you’re close enough. Whether that’s sitting in nature, listening to music, or soaking in the bath; If your attention and awareness is centred, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing.
TALK IT OUT
One of the most cathartic things you can do is talk things over with someone you love.
It’s always a good idea to get a second opinion from someone external to the situation who wants the best for you. And if you’re not a second opinion kind of person, even someone just listening to you vent is more than enough.
BE AROUND NATURE AND ANIMALS
Being in nature not only grounds us, it raises our dopamine levels and reduces stress, fear, and anxiety. The next time the world feels too big, sit in nature for a couple of minutes. Spend some time outside. Pat an animal. Watch the birds.
For me, having a pet is the best medicine. There’s nothing like a cat snuggle to fix everything. But if you aren’t in a position to own a pet yourself, there are lots of alternative ways to interact with animals without actually owning one. There are dedicated animal cafes, animal yoga, petting zoos, nature reserves, and parks for you to choose from. I highly recommend going to a dog beach, even if you don’t have a dog of your own. Be a creepo. I promise you, us dog owners don’t mind.
MUSIC
The songs that we love have an incredibly grounding effect on us. Music has the ability to instantly alter our brain activity and general mood. Just three minutes of listening reduces anxiety and pain, and improves mental alertness, memory and your overall emotional state.
Because I’m naturally resistant to change, my playlists have generally remained the same since I was sixteen (with some new exceptions added along the way). I’m gonna be honest with you, it’s mainly Fall Out Boy. For me, there’s bonus points if I can relate to the lyrics. Double bonus points if they make me reevaluate whole aspects of my life. (Hi, Waterparks). Or, you know, maybe it’s just a really catchy 2000s song with questionable lyrics. Both are equally good.
Consider having your own emergency playlist on hand for days when you’re not feeling like yourself. It’s a pretty good reminder.
TRAVEL
Sometimes you don’t realise how caught up you are in your own routine until you step out of it.
Taking a mini break from the day to day opens up new cultures, new perspectives, and new ways of life. It can be somewhere exotic and far away, but it doesn’t have to be. It could be as simple as driving along the coast for a couple of hours like my mum used to do with me.
Hope someone out there finds this relatively helpful :)