Category: Misc

Empowerment · Misc

International Mother Language Day

iamsairaLeave a comment

International Mother Language Day recognises that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion.

Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.

My mother language is Urdu. A beautiful sweet indo-persian language with a mix of words from Arabic, persian and Turkish, used a lot in poetry.

For International Mother Language Day, I’m sharing my favourite urdu word… “Qismet” which means fate or destiny. I use this word a lot and it acts as a reminder to me that everything that happens is meant to happen (and is the will of God) and also whatever happens will always have a reason behind it whether we know of it or don’t.

International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. What is your mother language and what’s your favourite word?

(This post is inspired by @halcyonmaguk who posted some amazing stories today for IMLD )

#internationalmotherlanguageday #urdu #language #bilingual #multilingual #keepourlanguagesalive #diversity #inclusion #unesco #kismet  #qismet

Health & Wellbeing · Misc

Grounding

iamsairaLeave a comment

“Grounding” techniques are just that. It’s a way to bring you back to your sense of normality when you’re mentally distracted by something else that may be causing you distress.

We all go through it, some more than others. Think about that time when you’re trying to focus on your daily to do list, but there’s just that thought or scene playing at the back of your mind constantly taking you away from your present moment. Maybe it’s that breakup that never gave you closure. Maybe it’s constantly worrying about your job, or something your friend told you. Whatever it is, these simple techniques and exercises use mental distractions to help redirect your thoughts away from those distressing feelings and back to the present moment.

I’ve added 3 grounding techniques I use myself so feel free to try them out.

If during or after practicing the grounding technique, you find your mind shifts back to the overthinking, that’s OK. You might even feel more relaxed and may think about it clearer and see things from a new perspective. If it continues to spiral, repeat the grounding technique. You can also make them last longer. For example, if I’m finding it harder to let go of certain thoughts, I might pick a harder colour and look for 10 things. There are no hard rules here, it’s about what helps you to feel better!

For best results, it is advised to practice grounding techniques every day, at times when there is no stress at all or on things that are only slightly distressing. This means when harder times come around, you are more likely to remember to use the new tools you have.

The one thing I will say for sure is that if you’re looking for ways to manage the overthinking, the worrying… it will require you to do something different.

Let me know how you get on!

#grounding #grounded #wellbeing #positivepsychology #exercise #mentalhealthwarrior #healthandwellbeing #coach #trainer #life #covidchronicles #checkin #love #selfcare #selflove #technique #saira #humanity #hypnotherapy #strengthcoach

Health & Wellbeing · Misc

Self hypnosis

iamsairaLeave a comment

Self hypnosis is a technique of putting yourself in a deep relaxed state in order for you to make positive suggestions to yourself.

During this pandemic, a lot of us haven’t had the privilege or opportunity to escape to the place you feel most relaxed. So having a technique you can do quietly at home, in a room, at your desk, or even in bed is a great way to “switch off” for a while.

“What is the difference between meditation and self hypnosis” i hear you ask…Well in both self hypnosis and meditation, you are taking yourself into a mild trance like state. The main difference however is that you would not necessarily use “positive suggestions” in meditation.
(Although that may also be down to semantics to a certain extent because we know that sufis for thousands of years have used  dhikr which is rememberance through words or phrases, so could also be used to reprogram the mind towards more positive thoughts).

There are many benefits to the body and mind with Self hypnosis. The most obvious benefits are the changes you might be able to make in your life due to the positive suggestions your subconscious mind is incorporating. Other benefits include improved sleep, more balanced hormones, and reduced stress.

Anyway, try and see if you can do this and let me know how it goes! Remember- for some people it may take a while but keep practicing.

As Frankie said…RELAX. 

Misc

#SelfCareWeek

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We are often fed with misconceptions that self care is a spa day out, or a weekend getaway. I mean these are some great indulgences but they’re not totally self care.

We are often left chasing these perfect self care experiences and truth is, they don’t actually restore us at all. For me personally, booking a spa weekend is stressful. How many of us stress out trying to find the perfect place, going through the booking process, booking your massages (sometimes feeling worse from it) and then the travelling back home to actually rest from the weekend… things like that don’t restore me. If it works for you, then thats brilliant.

Well if those self care experiences are not self care, what exactly is self care? How on earth do you practice it?

Self care is intentionally and deliberatively taking care of your wellbeing through restorative activities. Self care shouldn’t be a temporary activity that you do once just to tick a box.

Self care is simple. It can be as simple as saying some kind words to the person in the mirror. You. Telling yourself you are beautiful just the way you are inside and out.

Here are my top three self care restorative practices in addition to being kind to myself and eating a lot of fruit and vegetables lately…

1. Practicing stillness and silence.
2. Adding in some movement with music
3. Time in nature

Please visit @ dollhauslondon on instagram to view some shared practices of self care from others.

Misc

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”

iamsairaLeave a comment

I never really get time to take a walk anywhere. Since working from home became the norm, I found myself staying couped up in my home office all day. Whilst I got an occasional workout in and stayed active at home, I wasn’t able to get fresh air nor was I able to clear my mind.

So many things have happened over the past few months that seem to have completely occupied my headspace.

I went for a walk today because my mind hadn’t had any time to clear out its thoughts. All the thoughts that have accumulated over the past few weeks, any sad news, the media, not completing the things I wanted to, not reaching my goal…they just became  tenants in my mind. They weren’t doing me any justice and everyday id wake up feeling even more “mind heavy” than the day before. This isn’t a way to be.

Today, I took out literally 30 to 45 mins of my day to go for a nice long walk. I put in my headphones, wrapped up warm, got my trainers on and walked. I walked anywhere I could and even passed by the pharmacy to pick up a few things.

As soon as I got home, I felt happy. I felt like everything is OK. How did that happen? How did a little part of my day going for a walk, listening to music and not thinking about anything I had to do this afternoon, suddenly alter my very existence? Its times like this where I cant stress self care enough. Self care is used in so many discussions but no one ever tells you how to self care. The truth is, only you know how to. Your mind, body and soul have all the answers for you. Just don’t forget to listen.