FLOURISH - Issue #3
TMACK
Hi all,
I just wanted to share one of my favorite self-help acronym these days, TMACK, it’s something I came up with when I first started counseling. No, it’s not a kind of burger from McDonald’s haha, but I hope it can perhaps bring some positivity into your life like a Big Mac can. After years of guiding my clients through the ups and downs of this roller coaster called life, “self-care” is what has helped me and my clients remain centered and grounded. Implementing a daily self-care routine can really help improve your quality of life. No matter what kind of day you’re having, how you’re feeling or what you have coming up, having a constant reminder to check in with yourself and to regulate your emotions can bring a sense of clarity and calm that will help you face the day. None of these ideas and principles are new or revolutionary, and you have probably heard of them, but I hope that the TMACK acronym can help remind you to utilize these principles in your daily routine.
Thankfulness
Think of 3 things you are grateful for today. In the hardest of times it can be difficult to think of anything positive, but acknowledging the little wins - the things that did work out can do wonders for your mentality and state of mind. The warmth you feel from sunshine to being healthy enough to run around with your kids or even the bus coming on time are all examples of things you might be grateful for!
Mindfulness
Take a moment, maybe 3-5 minutes, to have a moment of quietness and calm. Try incorporating some breathing exercises along with some peaceful, meditative music. What thoughts and feelings arise? Don’t push them away, acknowledge them, name them (recall our previous issue!). The more you practice mindfulness, you will begin to notice your anxious thoughts fade away.
Avoid Overthinking
Examine your thoughts and feelings, are you blowing things out of proportion? Or placing unrealistic expectations of others… or even yourself? If you feel yourself spiralling, thinking of one possibility after another, take some time to slow down and clear your mind. When intrusive or anxious thoughts enter your mind, don’t feed into them, acknowledge and gently put them to the side. Sometimes our thoughts can get too much and too overwhelming and we might struggle to cope, that’s where a therapist can come in and help guide you through those feelings.
Compassion
Perhaps one of the most overlooked forms of compassion is self compassion. Being kind to yourself when you make a mistake or fail is important. Beating yourself up for your mistakes will hinder you from progressing and learning from your failures. Try to treat yourself the same way you would treat your sibling or a close friend when they make a mistake. Be understanding, be kind and be encouraging to yourself. It is important to recognize and accept a mistake, but it is also important to focus on how to move on and fix it rather than dwell with the failure.
Keep Going
The pressure of today’s society to make a big splash, to have crowning achievements and to be the absolute best can feel daunting and overwhelming. Don’t let that minimize the effect of “stacking days”, to keep going little by little. Slowly, over time the fruits of your work will eventually be realized. Focus on the present, do what you can today, don’t think about what happened in the past or worry about what might happen in the future. Repeat this everyday and soon you will look back and see how far you have come and the results of all those days you stacked up.
Try this:
Set aside some time in your daily routine where you can start a habit of applying TMACK to your life, a sort of ritual during your day. It might be in the morning while you’re having your breakfast, during your lunch break or at night after you get ready for bed. It would be best to have little distractions and a quieter environment. Think about what you are thankful for today, practice mindfulness and remind yourself to avoid overthinking, to be compassionate to yourself and to keep going!
Warm regards,
Florence
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