Sidewalks

Tag: mental health

  • How to EXIT Your lazy & Unmotivated Era

    How to EXIT Your lazy & Unmotivated Era

     

     

     

     

    It all began a few months ago…

    I would wake up feeling exhausted despite getting a good night’s sleep. From there, things spiralled into a constant battle to get out of bed and a general lack of motivation.

    Naturally, my to-do list seemed to grow longer by the day, and I was overwhelmed by work and home obligations. I felt like I was forcing myself to keep going when all I really wanted to do was nothing. But even when I did allow myself some downtime, I couldn’t shake the stress of everything I still needed to do.

    You may have noticed huge gaps in the last months where I didn’t post despite already having so much written out. Most days, I procrastinated by watching movies or mindlessly scrolling through my phone, which only made me feel worse about myself.

    Then, there was a turning point.

    I finally decided enough was enough and decided to make a change. I felt horrible about neglecting things that were important to me, like my blog. Eventually, I found my way out of that lazy and demotivated state.

     

    Here are SEVEN tips that got me out of my lazy and unmotivated era-

     

    1. Journal-

    Are you actually lazy, or do you just have invisible barriers that make it hard to get stuff done & make you feel stuck?You have to be aware of whether you are actually “lazy” or struggling with something mentally that requires more than just “pulling yourself together.” Sometimes, being stuck has a deeper meaning. Pull out your journal and ask yourself, ” What are the situational factors holding you back?” “What steps can you take to improve it?” You’ll never know the real cause if you don’t take the time to be self-aware.

     

    2. Set clear goals

    Before you prioritize your tasks, it’s important first to establish what truly matters to you. Setting clear and SMART goals will give you the direction you need. Your goal should be challenging yet attainable; you’ll want to provide a specific timeline and focus on getting real results. Once you’ve set your goal, list all the tasks to help you reach it. Remember, having too many tasks can lead to burnout, so prioritization is key.

     

    3. Eat that frog

    Finish the bigger or high-effort task first to free up the rest of the day for others. This has been a game-changer for me. If you’re feeling unproductive, it might simply mean you can’t prioritize because you have too much to do. It all boils down to a basic question: “Which task do you think you wish you did first but aren’t doing?”

     

    4. Prioritize

    Many experts recommend taking a moment to consider two important questions when tackling your tasks: Is this urgent? Is this important? Remember to prioritize urgent and important work, then move on to important tasks.

     

    5. Exercise

    is one of the best ways to exit from an unmotivated or lazy state of mind.

     

    6. Face what you’re putting off.

    So, sometimes, I find myself in situations where I have to tackle something new and out of my comfort zone. And you know what? Instead of diving in, I have this terrible habit of stressing and procrastinating. But I’ve realized that once I actually start the task, the procrastination just melts away. So, put down your email and chat, turn off notifications, and get to work. You’ll be much happier once you’ve crossed it off your list.

     

    7. Time Blocking is your friend

    Back in 2020, I came across this awesome technique called the Pomodoro method. It’s all about studying for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. If procrastination isn’t really an issue for you, feel free to adjust the Pomodoro to suit your style. Oh, and my friend John absolutely loves the Forest app – he says it’s a game-changer for staying productive and removing distractions.

     

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    The tips described in this blog worked for me. If they worked for you, let me know. If something else worked for you, share it in the comments!

     

     

    (Photo Credits- Pinterest)

     

     

     

    Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.

     

  • How to Become a Morning Person

    How to Become a Morning Person

     

    Some people aren’t just naturally morning people (myself included).

    Being a night owl has been my natural rhythm for as long as I can remember. My most productive hours are late at night when everything is calm and quiet.

    I’ve realized that, as much as I enjoy being a night owl, I equally hate the feeling of wasting my day away. There have been many days where I woke up at noon, and it always left me feeling a bit down because I felt like I was missing out on my mornings.

    I used to have a messed-up sleep schedule from all my travelling, but now that I have finally settled down, I’m savouring a consistent routine.

    Waking up at 7:30 a.m. and prioritizing eight hours of beauty sleep has become my new goal. If you want to become an early bird like me, it’s all about practice and a positive mindset.

     

    Here are some tips that have truly made a difference in helping me embrace the morning-

     

    1. Go to bed early—This tip goes without saying but set an earlier bedtime so you can have good hours of peaceful sleep and wake up feeling like a beautiful princess.

     

    2. Keep your cell phone away from your bed. You’ll sleep better, and in the morning, it will also force you to hop out of your cozy sheets to turn your phone alarm off instead of snoozing.

     

    3. Avoid hitting the snooze button. “Just ten more minutes” is a slippery slope. End of story.

     

    4. Schedule a morning workout in your routine. One of the things that has worked best for me is scheduling a morning workout. Even if I am feeling lazy, I never skip it. It goes without saying that starting your day with exercise increases energy and improves productivity for the day.

     

    5. Instead of leisurely lying around in the morning, jump out of bed when you wake up. I like to make my bed right away, which stops me from getting back in. Seeing my bed neatly made when I get home evokes the same feeling of taking a nice, deep, satisfying breath of fresh air. It has been a game-changer for me. It’s a little ritual I do to make coming back home feel extra nice.

     

     6. Before you go to sleep, make a mental or physical checklist prioritizing your goals for the next day. This will help you wake up motivated to achieve that goal.

     

    7. Draw your curtains back when you leave bed and let the natural light in first thing in the morning.

     

    8. Stay Consistent. Remember that the habits you have now took years to form. Set reasonable goals and timelines to rewire them. It is not something that can happen in just a week or two. 

     

    9. Reward yourself. Take the time to celebrate the little wins. Whether you acknowledge them in your mind or jot them down, recognize and celebrate each small accomplishment. You totally deserve to feel proud of the progress you’re making towards a healthier lifestyle.

     

    xo,

    Yachna 

     

    What are some of your tips for becoming a morning person? I’d love to know in the comments.

     

    Featured Image Credits- Pinterest 

  • How to Cope with Blah Days

    How to Cope with Blah Days

    Have you had those days when you’re not depressed but not excited? 

    All the days feel the same. It’s been over a week, and I can’t seem to shake this feeling away. Something’s a bit off, but I don’t know why or what it is. I am not depressed, exactly, but not excited about life. I am distracted and not very motivated, even though I have a million things on my list that need to be done.

    Experience has taught me that if I don’t take steps to address this mysterious unknown feeling blah feeling, then it snowballs into a massive depressive state which seems impossible to come out from. The key is to put yourself in a better headspace so you can more easily cope with this strange feeling. 

    Here are a few things that I have been doing to cope with this kind of day or even turn it around.

    1. Recognize that it’s a feeling and our moods, like waves go up and down. Shrug your shoulders, chin up, wear your favourite lipstick, and choose to make it through the day. Nothing’s wrong, and there is nothing wrong with you. It’s just the way you’re feeling-and; our feelings usually change. 

    2. Don’t be hard on yourself. Don’t beat yourself up for feeling blah, and miserable. Be patient, gentle, kind, and understanding with yourself. You’re no worse than others, as we ALL have blah days. 

    3. Do something rather than nothing. Do a few mindless tasks so you don’t just waste the day, and you’re likely to feel better and slightly productive once you’ve got those out the way, as they’re usually the things you never want to do!

    4. Only do as much as you have to. Somedays, it takes all your strength just to make it through the day. Preserve your energy. Read that book, watch that show, take a cozy nap and allow some things to slide. You can always get to them another day. 

    5. Be extra nice to yourself. One of the best ways to fight a dull cloudy day is to be extra loving to yourself and do the things that lift your mood and brighten your day. For example, go for a dessert, treat yourself to something relaxing, watch a show or a movie, have a long bubble bath, turn up your favourite music, eat your favourite meal, or call a loved one. Do all the kinds of things that you know will boost your mood. 

    6. Get outside. Take a half-hour walk out in nature to lift your energy and take your mind off everything.

    7. Cultivate inner love. Practise solitude. Have a sufficient amount of alone time. Sign up for yoga. Write in your journal, and meditate for at least 20 minutes. Bringing this calm stillness will do wonders for your soul. 

    8. Watch a comedy show. Laughter is the best medicine. Watch your favourite stand-up, go through your favourite meme account, listen to a comedy podcast, or watch funny videos to get that dose of belly laughter. 

     

    xo

    Yachna

     

    What do you do to get over your blah days? Let us know in the comments < 3  If you’re going through one right now, sending you warm hugs :* 

     

    P.S.

    A love letter <3

     

    Exquisite dreamy artwork from Pinterest 

  • What is it Like To Relive Your Worst Nightmare?

    What is it Like To Relive Your Worst Nightmare?

    What is it like to relive your worst nightmare?

    Years later, it still hits me all of a sudden.

     It’s the middle of the day, friends surround me, and the sun is out. 

    But something isn’t right. 

    There is this feeling, a very uncomfortable feeling in my mind, in the pit of my stomach. I want to leave and go somewhere that is quiet and dark. My thoughts are consuming me. So dark and so monstrous, I was afraid. It’s wrecking me from the inside out.

    What would you do if you had to relive your worst life experience over and over until you die?

     To always be stuck in the time leading to your most traumatic experience and reliving it repeatedly?

    It’s the very definition of hell.

    A few months ago, I came across a stranger whose story needs to be shared with the world.

    Let’s call him Eleven. 

    Eleven is a 40-year-old single father of a teenage daughter. Struggling to find a steady income all his life, he has been a part of the criminal justice system, in and out of custody for criminal offences such as petty theft to survive. “I steal food to feed my daughter,” he told me as he struggled to hold back his tears. “I wish I wasn’t the way I was. Sometimes, I wish it never happened. For just one moment of life, I want to forget it happened.” 

    Starting at the age of six up until his early teens, he was sexually assaulted by several women who were his mother’s friends. 

    “She invited these women friends of hers to our house and would let them do things to me.” his voice trembling as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

    Eleven found it impossible to keep a steady job for longer than a few months due to mental health issues that followed after years of sexual trauma by his mother. 

    As an adult, he experienced divorce, poverty, homelessness and mental trauma that scarred him for life enough to drive anyone to a dark and dangerous place. 

    “I ran away when I was 13. Homeless. I had nobody. Who would listen to me?” 

    Now, 40. Eleven tried to kill himself on his 30th birthday. It wasn’t the first time he contemplated suicide. “I was seven when these thoughts first started to occur to me. I didn’t know what it meant. I just felt a rage within me. I can’t even describe how angry I was to be still alive.”

    Elevens said he felt separate from society with sadness and desire not to be a part of this world. “I would wake up every single day and (think), ‘I can get up.  I can brush my teeth, or I can kill myself. I can go to work today, or I can kill myself.’ 

    He said he felt trapped, horrible, disgusted about what happened to him. He said all he wanted to do was cry. “I was constantly feeling trapped in my mind, and I felt helpless because I couldn’t do anything to stop it.” 

    He told me that most people with mental illnesses feel that way constantly. “It devours us completely. It eats our insides away until we are nothing but bones. Fear controls us.”

    We may know what it’s like to be in life someone else’s life. We may not even understand it. Can we all agree that we are all humans going through different human experiences? 

    I noticed Eleven was smiling a lot as we talked. He was such radiant and positive energy to be around. When I asked him how he coped with the heaviness of life, he smiled at me and said, “laughter is my coping mechanism.”

    Let’s make people feel less alone in their struggle — to help them understand you’ve been there, too, and it’s going to be all right. Let’s be empathetic because we struggle mentally as we struggle to understand what’s next for us. 

    That day I learnt from my conversation with Eleven that “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”

    xx

    Yachna

    P.S.

    Hey, are you ok?

    (Pic Credits Veryrealfantasy)