5 minThis blog was written by Thirza from Krullen en Kruiden. Thirza loves being outdoors in nature and is a student of herbal medicine. She is a mother of three children, a columnist, and on a mission to take people into nature and let them enjoy all the beauty it has to offer.
In my previous blog, I introduced you to the power of herbs such as valerian and lemon balm as a remedy for gloominess. In my opinion, using herbs alone is not enough to completely combat gloominess. I would like to share with you my rituals, which I have found, together with the use of herbs, to be very helpful in finding and maintaining a better state of mind.
Part II: The power of healthy rituals
It is always important to explore what makes you happy, to do more of that, and to recognise what takes too much energy from you and to reduce it. In addition to using herbs, I list a few rituals below that help me:
I...
- start my day with hydration. I lose a lot of fluid while sleeping and I know that my body likes it when I replenish it. I don't drink cold water, because warming it up costs my body extra energy. I prefer hot water with or without wild herbs.
- like to use VitaminFit's Valerian and Lemon Balm drops. They give me extra support on gloomy and stressful days.
- go for walks in nature - As difficult as this is, it is very important that I absorb enough sunlight, especially in the morning.
The forest is highly recommended; the light shining through the branches and leaves (when there are any) has a similar effect to EMDR. It can sometimes help you recover better from painful situations and experiences that are the underlying cause of gloominess and aid your healing process.
I...
- do relaxing exercises such as yoga and breathwork.
- I pay extra attention to my breathing, because when I feel gloomy, I also experience more stress and tend to hold my breath.
When I feel gloomy, I notice that my body also becomes stiff. It is really difficult for me to do physical exercises, but when I do start, I always feel better. I don't fill my day with social activities or work; I really look at how I feel and try to create space between all my appointments so that I have enough time to recover. That way, I don't exhaust all my reserves.
I...
- meet up with the people who mean a lot to me. My circle is small, but that means I can focus more on the people I love. I love quality time; it's one of my love languages. I prefer going to the cinema, cooking together or getting out into nature.
- I massage my hands and feet with lovely oils. I use my feet and hands every day, so they deserve extra attention. A foot bath with healing herbs can also help.
- I don't eat every moment of the day, no matter how much I love to gorge myself. Food gives energy, but it also costs energy. On days when I have less mental energy, I try to eat lighter but nutritious meals so that I have more energy left to recover my body. I try to listen to my body really well, and if I do feel the need to snack, I do so.
- I get really frustrated when I can't get anything done when I'm not feeling well, but I have to be compassionate towards myself. My body is sending me these signals for a reason. So I surrender to them and stay in bed longer without feeling guilty when I can.
- I spend less time on social media, as it makes me feel even more like I'm not trying hard enough, so I prefer to avoid it, or just look at memes!
- Music heals me in a way that cannot be described in words, and I hope you get to experience this too.
I hope these rituals give you some guidance. It always helps me to write them down so that they become physical and I don't feel hopeless because I know there are things that will make me feel better.
Love,
Thirza
-Your green witch next door-
Photo taken by Ouxu.
