How I Survive The Rough Points Of Every Day

I'm in NYC for fashion week, I haven't slept, but I do have a few things to share and reflect on!! Firstly, appreciation shoutout. Erin is an amazing, vegetarian, beauty-loving girl who lives in Washington and has been helping me with social media work, content, posting schedules etc as I've been overwhelmed. She told me to take some of my own advice and meditate, as I've been working myself to the ground recently. I filmed this video about 3 ways I personally meditate, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbiApdtHMPU) but Erin decided to write a small post about how she goes about it too. Check out her writing below, as I was really moved by her words and I so completely connect with everything she says!!

Swimming In Queens Bath, Kauai 

I’ve always found whenever I’m underwater I’m at my most centered and life seems clear. Light is filtered, sound is muffled, my body is light, and I close my eyes and it’s just me. Stress from the world seems to melt away and impossible tasks seem easy. If only I could keep a piece of the ocean in my pocket so I could dive in whenever the world gets a little too big.

Unfortunately, the ocean doesn’t quite fit in my pocket and I can’t exactly bring a tank with me to school, so I’ve had to come up with a few other ways to replicate the incredible calm that the water brings me. Meditation and mindfulness are easily the most transportable and versatile methods for calm that I use. It’s amazing the difference that just 3 minutes of meditation can make.

It can be intimidating to try to start meditating if you’re a total beginner. Heck, it can be intimidating at any level! “Meditation” is a big word that most people think means sitting in silence in an uncomfortable position for hours on end. But did you know that just a few minutes of focused breathing counts as mediation?

I’ve been using the “Stop, Breathe, & Think” app to help me practice meditation, and it’s been amazing! I can track how my body and brain are feeling at any point during the day, as well as what emotions I’m feeling (because, surprisingly, “meh” is not an emotion; who knew??). The app suggests activities to bring me where I want to be, whether it’s happy and calm, focused, and so on. It can take a little as 1-2 minutes so I truly can do it anywhere.

https://www.stopbreathethink.com/

One of my favorite things about this app is that there’s a kids version! Mental health starts from day one, and I am a huge advocate of talking to kids about feelings. This app is a tool to do that. It has tons of sweet activities for children to learn to identify how they are feeling and start practicing mindfulness and meditation along with you. (And who says you need to be a kid to use the kids version? Sometimes you just need to tap into your young side!)

--@erinmelaniie