Who better to write a guide for keeping it together that the author of the memoir The Elegant Art of Falling Apart. Luckily for us Jessica Jones put herself back together and shares with us her tips for staying sane. Follow Jessica’s guide and stay sane.
‘After decades of in-depth research and field-testing (read: cancer; addiction; car-crash relationships; financial disasters and occasional fashion faux-pas.) I have developed Jessy’s Patented Daily Stress Reduction Programme. It is oh-so simple and takes a maximum of 30 minutes out of my busy, busy day.
1. Write a gratitude list each morning. Just five things – but make it a different five things each day.
2. Meditate for 10-20 minutes. Because I am far from self-motivated I get help from the scion of serenity Andy Puddicombe at Headspace.
3. Stop. Whenever you’re feeling stressed during the day – stop. Now, imagine a ball of sparkling light above your head. Take five calming breaths – breathe in love and light, breathe out fear and darkness.
4. H.A.L.T. throughout the day. Ask yourself: “Am I feeling too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired?” If the answer is yes, take action: eat; breathe; phone a friend; close your eyes for ten minutes.
5. Take stock: each evening grab a notebook, write FEAR on the left hand page and LOVE on the right. Now list what you did today that was motivated by each of these emotions. For example: ” Gave the finger to an idiot who cut me up at the traffic lights” would go on the FEAR page. “Phoned my mum,” would go on the LOVE page. It only takes a couple of minutes. Don’t bother writing down your thoughts and feelings; they’re irrelevant for the purpose of this exercise. I have noticed that if I do this exercise consistently, I soon begin to have days when there is nothing at all to write on the fear side of the ledger.
When I have a wobbly day, these simple practices can change my perspective instantly. Of course, if I only could remember to do them every day then I wouldn’t have so many wobbly days.’
Jessica Jones writes the acclaimed blog: Chemo Chic – A Guide to Surviving Cancer With Style. Visit it HERE.
Her memoir The Elegant Art of Falling Apart will be published this summer by Unbound. PREORDER IT NOW HERE.
Annie Stevens
Love your very helpful tips.
Certainly put things into perspective.