I've always found it difficult to switch off; I just have a busy brain, whether I'm worrying about work, contemplating a huge life decision or simply thinking about food, I've always got something whirring around in there (hard to believe sometimes I know).
In desperate attempts to bring myself some zen in the past I've tried meditating, yoga, stewing in a hot bath - essentially all the stereotypical ways you're
supposed to chill out and find some calm away from the busyness of everyday life and the endless ticking of your thoughts.
Quelle surprise, none of them worked. The quieter and calmer I tried to be, the louder my brain became. Now though, I think I've finally found my own ways of switching off; they may not be the most conventional, but they're distractions and they work for me.
WALKING // Over the past few months I've really got into walking (I know right, someone tell me to calm down because I'm just out of control #staywild). Seriously though, there's nothing like sticking your headphones in and just wandering with absolutely no purpose and with nowhere to go.
CONVERSATION // This might seem like an odd one, but getting into a really in depth conversation with someone about something specific can make me switch off and forget about everything else. No getting distracted by my phone, no wondering what I'm going to have for tea and no worrying about anything else that might be going on in my life; just pure and simple conversation between two people.
MUSIC // There's no greater distraction from the rest of life than driving somewhere while singing along to your music at the top of your lungs. Just remember to stop when you're at traffic lights or you'll distract everyone else on the road too.
KNITTING // Hello @callmegrandma. I took up knitting a few years back and subsequently gave it up because that's what I do when I'm not very good at something. I've recently started doing it again though and there's something very therapeutic about it. Because I'm actually not very good at it I have to concentrate on it and not on anything else so I find myself getting completely lost in scarves and...alright just scarves because that's as far as my skills currently go.
GYM CLASSES // I'm SORRY to be that person, but exercise makes me feel a lot better about
everything. I say gym classes in particular because they involve actual concentration, following instructions and they're normally really bloody hard work. There's a reason I drag myself out of bed at 6am every Tuesday morning for body combat and that's because I know it'll actually give my brain a rest, if not the rest of my body.
Trousers -
H&M (*aff*
here) // Boots -
H&M // Top -
New Look // Jacket -
Topman
Photography - Violet Glenton
What do you do to switch off?
Amy x
