Take some time to journal.

I feel like 2021 was the year that everybody and their mothers started to journal. But I had no idea how good it would be for my mental wellbeing. Like many people out there, I splurged on the 5-minute journal. Other than the aesthetics, the thing that I love the most about this little notepad is the ways that everything is laid out. Each morning I spend a couple of minutes writing down some of the things that I am grateful for, what I want to achieve that day and what my affirmations are. Then, in the evening I spend two or three minutes writing quick notes about how my day has been. It is amazing put pen to paper and for somebody like me with OCD and obsessive thoughts, it just helps me to draw a line under everything that has happened that day.

 

Give myself a pamper.

Even though I always work on feeling my best form the inside. I think that it is important for me to focus on the outside every now and again. I spend a lot of time reviewing products and that means that I spend a prolonged amount of time looking at my own reflection. Because of this, I feel like I really do pull myself apart. Even though they are just tiny things and I do still have negative thoughts. Doing simple things like giving myself a false tan. Tweezing the brows. Llifting my lashes and other little things like that can just make me feel like a million dollars. Compared to a troll doll that I can sometimes feel like when I am stripped of all of my makeup and I am fresh from the shower.

 

Plan out my week.

With having anxiety and OCD, I am a textbook over-thinker. Having my week fully planned out really does help me feel much more uplifted. It makes me feel like I have more space in my mind to think. This for me means that I plan out every single moment of the upcoming week. From getting dressed, walking the dog, to brushing my teeth. Even the smallest and most simple of tasks, I jot down. The satisfaction of ticking them off is an accomplishment. I feel like I have reached a huge milestone and I love it. I know for some people it will seem crazy. It really does makes such a big difference to the way it makes me feel. But, it just makes me feel a hell of a lot better and I can see me continuing to do this for many years to come!

 

Talk to somebody.

Up until lockdown in 2020, I was speaking to a therapist on a regular basis, but when everything shut down completely, I was cast out there on my own. My sessions were switched to the phone, but to be honest, it just didn’t have the same positive effects of speaking to somebody face to face, so I decided that it was time to stop speaking to a professional and go it alone. I know that for everybody, this is not suitable, but I feel that for me, it threw me into being a little more independent. Every now and again though, I feel like I need to unload my thoughts and feelings, that is where my amazing husband comes in. I hit the jackpot when it comes to my husband and he always speaks to me with understanding and empathy..

 

I know that for most people, these are all super simple things. This will probably be a given. But for somebody with anxiety who has such negative thoughts about themselves. This is a really hard thing to do. Even though 2021 really did get off to a rocky start with the whole lockdown and the continuation of coronavirus. I dedicated this year to working on myself. That is 100% what I am going to do. I know that this year is going to come with many mental challenges. But I really do think that I will reap the rewards for many years to come.