The Missing Ingredient

I feel lost. Not how you expecting the newsletter to begin. But most people relate to this feeling. Getting lost in a mindless maze of over-simulated expectations to keep up. Days when your mood is all over the place, and you can barely focus on a task for more than 5 minutes. The days blend in and are filled with doing the bare minimum. Jumping between Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, you lose yourself somewhere. You want to change, and I want to too, but don't know how. As much as I preach productivity and an organized lifestyle on social platforms, I feel like this too, messy, moody, chaotic, and lost.

Most people are pretty motivated this time of the year to crush their goals and achieve their dreams. But goals are a tricky concept. Do you ever reach a goal? How do you know this is the goal, the final end? How do you answer questions like, when will you feel happy?

Would it be when you get a job? or

When you lose weight? or

When you live in your dream house? or

When you go out to parties every weekend?

Trust me I know this feeling. I spent years in this loop, running after the next fancy goal. Even with having everything you ever wanted, you still feel unhappy.

We live in a high dopamine-induced environment, severely affecting our mental health. So much so that nothing feels fulfilling anymore. Nothing that could happen right now would give you a sense of fulfillment. You will always reach your goal, but the goalpost always keeps moving forward. You will never be happy when you set those goals to reach societal expectations. Take a step back. What defines happiness for you?

Happiness is in the small moments in life.

Do you remember your last week's outfit or your big happy dinner with your family? Cherish those experiences every day. Look up from those screens. The comfort of a warm blanket on a cold night, the taste of a ripe, juicy fruit, the smell of fresh-baked bread, the sound of a loved one's laughter, the warmth of the sun on a winter's day. There are too many things in life that we take for granted.

Gratitude is the missing ingredient to a more content lifestyle; practice it daily! Check out the gratitude journal in my FREE 2023 planner here.

Here are a few steps that have helped me wind down, and you could do too:

• Go for a damn walk, the serotonin helps, the endorphins helps, everything about it helps.

• You'll feel like binge eating, but don't. Have a bowl full of fruits first.

• Be grateful, we constantly forget how blessed we are

• Talk to people, if not anything, you are forced to engage, giving a break to overthinking

• Delete those soul sucking social media apps

• Pick up a movie, show or a book that will make you forget time

• Try something creative, painting, cooking, anything, forces you to follow steps.

You don't have to give up on your goals but learn not to give up your sanity in the process.

The simple pleasures in life may be small, but they bring us happiness and joy. So let us take a moment to appreciate the little things that make life worth living and make it great.

You can download a beautiful (and free!) habit tracker. Do share the link with anyone who might benefit from it!

Some might like this issue, and some might not. I'm not here to preach a holy standard of lifestyle that you are supposed to live. Just sharing how life behind the screens can be. I want to help you and myself grow and feel better, both mentally and physically. These tiny daily efforts have significantly improved my mental health and can help you too. If you are still reading, I'm so grateful to have a loyal reader like you.

Reply to this mail or tweet me at me @mounika_2000 with the following:

• What is your biggest struggle that you wanna overcome this year?

• What steps are you taking for the same?

I respond to each and every reply.

Receiving email replies to the newsletter means the world to me. Thank you for joining me along on the ride, and meet you in the next issue of Swirling Visions.

PS: I share a lot of free checklists, templates, and trackers on my Twitter and Instagram. Follow me to stay updated.

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