7 Days of Self Care - Day five: Small pleasures for the win

It's no secret the pandemic and all the lockdowns have created a prolonged state of anxiety, overwhelm and fear for the future.

This can easily put us in a heightened state of stress in our body, which we know is quite harmful for our mental and physical health.

Research shows that enjoying and revelling in small moments of joy during times of stress can actually UNDO the negative physical and cardiovascular effects of stress. 

Moments of laughter and delight release a spark of dopamine throughout the body, which acts to reset the cardiovascular system after the prolonged stress we may feel during, say, a global pandemic. 

Positive emotions associated with moments of joy can make you more open-minded, which ultimately help you think more creatively and productively, according to Ingrid Fetell Lee, the author of the book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness.  

Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, has conducted research on the high levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness and boredom in assocaition with COVID. If you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, it is absolutely normal during this confusing time of uncertainty. 

At the moment, it's easy to fall into the bleak news cycles and think everything is doom & gloom. And it's OK to have those emotions- those feelings are utterly valid. But try to feel and process them, and let them pass through.  

Commit to making joy your priority and noticing the small things that bring you joy. All these moments remind us we're not alone, and some parts of life are still normal.
 

Finding small moments of joy

This crisis has allowed us to find additional meaning in our lives.

Little things all of a sudden become very important. Focus on them and be mindful of how special it is to revel in a small moment of pleasure or joy. 

• reconnect with the inner child and what makes you happy

• Finding time to get back in touch with hobbies or activities you enjoy

• making the choice to learn a new skill can be a great way to practice self-care

• Try experiencing new things in order to forge happy memories

• Maybe there’s a knitting project you’ve always wanted to try, or you’ve been meaning to learn how to needlepoint.

• Practice hygge, the Danish word for a way of living that embraces finding pleasure in everyday experiences.

• If you've got kids at home and solo activities are unrealistic, seek out activities you can enjoy together, like making art or dancing

• self-love ritual- create something just for you

• do anything that makes you feel good!

• use the good glasses- life's too short for “saving things for best”

• cook something utterly amazing,

• wear a beautiful robe all day

• luxuriate in the sun

• eat some fancy cheese and drink the fancy wine

• have a beautiful bath or shower with a luxe body wash

• get someone to give you a massage

Surround yourself with things that bring you JOY, no matter how small. 

Positive emotions bring relief from stress, and they can help us break free from rumination and gloom, helping us to cope better and gain more resilience. 

I'm trying to take a step back at the moment to pause & uncover those small moments of joy; the ones we often overlook when we're busy or we already have enough going on to fill our positivity quotient. 

Finding daily delights doesn't have to be extravagant or expensive.

Discover the little things that make you smile, and enjoy every step of the process of finding out why you fell in love with it in the first place.  

Reminder, it's not selfish to allow yourself to feel joy! You deserve pleasure, to deserve to feel good, you deserve to be looked after.  

Be kind to yourself and treat yourself like you would a best friend by giving yourself moments of warm, loving embrace. One can find a greater appreciation of life and a deeper sense of spirituality during this crisis, if one is willing to change.
 

At Killer Queen, I love to focus on self love, self care and empowerment as a HUGE part of my brand values. 

I bang on quite a lot about self love and self care because I know firsthand how important it is to take care of you- and the vital importance of “filling our own cup” first, before taking care of others.

I'm here to remind you that your life, your energy, your power, your time- has value. It's time to RECLAIM IT.

After months of running on empty and being in survival mode, it's time to love yourself more and begin to THRIVE once again.

I take a bold stand for women owning their throne and reclaiming their confidence, and I want you to come out the other side of this pandemic feeling stronger and more resilient than ever, and royally loving who you are. 

Get ready for a dose of radical self love and care. The kind that will hopefully make you feel like you're on top, rather than sinking.

Ready to do this together? Read more articles on self love and empowerment here

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Feeling inspired? Want to share your wellnes tips?

Feel free to get in touch with me

At Killer Queen we LOVE and CARE for our community so much- your health, safety and wellbeing is paramount! We truly believe self love needs to be at the forefront of everything we do.

We’re also HUGE believers in rest, setting boundaries and relaxation as integral parts of self-care. We’re throwing hustle culture in the bin and encouraging gentle, mindful work instead of grinding away and burning out. We’d love to encourage you on your journey to truly loving and nourishing yourself from within.

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