Hello👋🏻 Happy New Year guys ☺️and welcome back to FEELING GOOD WITH SOFY ☺️ !

I would like to start THIS TOPIC with this episode: 

I remember an afternoon, (during the middle of my school period), where I was very sad, I felt very “sick” and I was crying, I felt very bad (toxic people, the expectations at school…), I searched for some motivation on YouTube and I found this video depression motivation..After listening for some minutes (some people talking..) a man (he was interviewed…) said SOMETHING that MOVED ME, he said SOMETHING like:” I just wanted to give up, I don’t want to continue living anymore…” and then WHAT MADE HIM CALM DOWN: MINDFULNESS ❤️🫶🏻 He said:” It’s MOMENTUM, WITH MOMENTUM COMES HOPE, WITH MOMENTUM COMES POSSIBILITY…”🫶🏻❤️.

I didn’t know back there what he was really talking about 😅😂❤️ BUT I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING GOOD, his voice was so calming and positive at the same time, he made me in a way see HOPE 🫶🏻.

So let’s explore together THIS ARGUMENT! ☺️

WHY I have chosen, in the first place, the word POWER as a KEY WORD for my new and second article THE POWER OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION : 

In my very first article (7 HEALTHY WAYS…) I wrote about THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDFULNESS, how It helped me and still does (remember that this is a journey… ❤️😊) to manage my symptoms of depression, anxiety…

BECAUSE:

• once you learn to focus your attention on the present moment, being in THE HERE AND NOW, AND NOT WANDERING AWAY WITH IT, It can be for example, on difficult past/future situations…you may or maybe not (we are all different)..understand the reason why MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR LIVES, IN A WAY A VERY IMPORTANT POWER 😊.

You could (probably) ask yourself this question: “AND WHAT ABOUT NOW? I AM PRESENT, BUT I FEEL STUCK, (COMPLETELY) LOST!”

And I ask you then: “ARE YOU REALLY, FULLY PRESENT?”

I tell you that because I have also asked that question to myself a number of times 😅. And that’s totally ok, the importance is to find a way out of it ❤️🫶🏻. 

As I mentioned in my first article (SEVEN HEALTHY WAYS…) I was introduced to MINDFULNESS by my mom’s ❤️ Swedish best friend ❤️ because I was too preoccupied about my modeling career, six months have gone and no castings, less test shootings, I didn’t have the courage to ask them like ” HEY, WHAT’S GOING ON…” 😂😏.

BUT let’s go on with what I was saying,

(I am going, to write an entire article about MY MODELING STORY WITH AGENCIES further on😊), 

I was constantly alert if someone of the agency would call on me, I spent most of my time 

scrolling on Instagram, AND THAT, MADE ME EVEN MORE ANXIOUS, DISAPPOINTED seeing other models succeeding by going to castings, having jobs and so on… 

So, my mindfulness coach introduced me to MINDFULNESS ☺️.

As I mentioned before, I struggled to communicate with my agency and I was (CONSTANTLY) TRYING TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING (BIG).

I had quite an heavy anxiety attack, (almost a panick attack, it took a while to calm me down, I was and am very grateful for the presence of my mum ❤️❤️ and dad ❤️❤️), due to a misunderstanding between me and the agency. 

Fortunately, the day after I had my first mindfulness session 💕,even if I was feeling very low,

THIS (LEARNING ABOUT MINDFULNESS), WAS AN ESSENTIAL STEP TO TAKE ❤️🫶🏻.

I felt almost immediately, a warm feeling, seeing my mindfulness coach, even if we were long-distance (online coaching), and even if I felt quite hopeless, (my situation I mean), 

SEEING HER SMILING made me feel at ease, the whole situation, also. 

I told her what had happened and that I felt very guilty…ONE THING THAT SHE SAID and that it took quite a long time for me to realise it 😄is that: WE ARE ALL HUMANS, WE HAPPEN TO DO ALSO MISTAKES, WE ARE NOT PERFECT. 

(That thing that happened.. could have been accepted by another modeling agency,by the way 😂.)

Then ACCEPTING what has happened, I really thought It was a catastrophy🙈, I was so ashamed. 

IT DOESN’T HELP, DWELLING ON YOUR PAST MISTAKES, ACCEPTING what has happened, learning from that experience and NOT STAYING STUCK THERE with that feeling of hopelessness WAS NECESSARY for me, for moving on 🫶🏻.

• ACCEPTANCE: finding acceptance in the present moment is essential, I know you may find yourself in a difficult situation BUT ACCEPTING IT, IS CRUCIAL, to take then steps forward

(baby steps also) 🫶🏻. 

She asked me then: (from what I remember), “What makes you smile”? “What is the first thing that comes to your mind”?. Also here 😂😂 it took a while…before I saw a picture of me hugging husky puppets in Lapland (also, because the next day we flew to Haparanda (Lapland)…🥰🐶)

I remember that the following MINDFULNESS sessions, 

she introduced me also to: 

1)•VISUALIZATION, she guided me 🫶🏻, she said to me: “Imagine to be on a photo shooting, what can you see? In wich place are you? Outside on a beautiful beach for example or indoor maybe in a photo studio? What clothes do you wear…?” and so on. 

For me, VISUALIZATION is both: 

✓a safe place to imagine: for example, if I am feeling low I can sit on a chair or on a yoga mat (for example) and close my eyes…

✓BUT ALSO, it regards: my future dreams…

2)•GRATITUDE: I already mentioned it in SEVEN HEALTHY WAYS with JOURNALING 📝. 

Yeah, maybe I was already grateful for many things BUT NOT IN A MINDFUL WAY. 

I remember her asking me more than once: “WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR, IN THIS EXACT MOMENT?” “It could be whatever you want: a person, a thing, an animal…”. 

You don’t have to be grateful just when something amazing arrives, NO!! When it comes..yes gratitude!! BUT IN THE MEANTIME, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE, I AM TRYING TO BE GRATEFUL ALONG THE WAY ❤️🫶🏻.

3)•AFFIRMATIONS: FOR ME, THEY ARE POWERFUL POSITIVE QUOTES TO ENHANCE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM.

I love ❤️ this one that she (my mindfulness coach) recommended me: I AM MY OWN TEMPLE 🫶🏻⛩️or I am on my way!! This, regarding my modeling journey…or SOMETHING ELSE…☺️.

I still struggle with AFFIRMATIONS 😅, it is challenging BUT I THINK that THEY ARE also VERY USEFUL,

And…AS EVERYTHING: the more you practice the more familiar you will become with them!!😄

During my severe state of depression… MINDFULNESS CAME ALSO TO MY HELP ❤️.

I remember that I started with BODY SCANS, I re-downloaded THE MINDFULNESS-APP 😍 AND INSIGHT-TIMER, FOR ME THEY ARE VERY USEFUL 😍😍.

I was, and still am, quite new to MEDITATION, BUT I AM BEGINNING TO FEEL A VERY GOOD CONNECTION WITH IT(AS WITH MINDFULNESS 😊). I remember more then once, still, because:), I am practicing it almost everyday 🧘🏻‍♀️☺️, that during my practices MEANINGFUL WORDS pop into my head such as: DO NOT PUT SO MANY EXPECTATIONS ON YOURSELF, SOFY or DO NOT STRAIN YOURSELF TOO MUCH, SOFY, YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE THE BEST YOU COULD which means also 🫶I AM ENOUGH. 

(My current therapist 🫶🏻 recommended me HEADSPACE, GUIDED MEDITATIONS…on Netflix!)

After my practices I PUT these WORDS ON PAPER, I do it by JOURNALING OR as a form of POST IT. The last ones are also very helpful because they remind me to be present by just seeing them on my wardrobe, for example…my entire bedroom is quite full of them😂😂 😊 😍❤️, in this way they are more real 💕or if I am somewhere else THE MINDFULNESS APP comes to my help! IT GIVES ME DAILY HEALTHY ENCOURAGING NOTIFICATIONS such as: I BREATHE IN SELF-ESTEEM,

I BREATHE OUT SELF-HATE, I AM LOVED… 🫶🏻.

Another day, I was meditating, and out of nowhere or not exactly 😂😂, I visualized myself sitting by my desk FEELING HAPPY because I was about to start one of my new journeys: BLOGGING 🥰🫶🏻.

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION ARE not just EXERCISES: meditation🧘🏻‍♀️, breathing, body-scans…

THEY ARE ALSO:  

•THE WAY YOU EAT: I give you an example ☺️: I think it was a month ago, one of these day I was particularly anxious, dizzy, so I decided to prepare a COLOURFUL LUNCH: avocado🥑, baked sweet potatoes, roasted carotts 🥕 in the oven, Kidney beans🫘, red bell-pepper, cold smoked salmon topped with coriander. I FOCUSED MY ATTENTION ON THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME-MADE VEGETARIAN DISH, then ENJOYED IT… and that what means, in a MINDFUL WAY? It means eating, without watching at the same time your mobile phone, being thankful of having food, trying also not to eat quickly…🫶🏻❤️

(In one of my next articles, I am going to discuss about (severe) anxiety and give you tools also, that are helping me along the way. If you want, feel free to share also yours 🫶🏻)

•THE WAY YOU DRINK: same also, for how you drink, a good, warm cup of herbal tea/tea or caffè latte. How does this tea, that you are drinking, taste for example? 😍

•THE WAY YOU ADMIRE A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE: sitting on a bench,chair…and just looking at a beautiful view, It could be at the sea, in the country-side, at the mountain…and JUST BE THERE 🫶🏻. 

•SCENTS: the scent of scented candles, I love, ❤️ to have them also in my room 😍, inhaling essential oils, is also a way for me to wind down. The smell of freshly baked biscuits, I give you an example (I like to make examples 😄😂🫶🏻). Some months ago, when my mood was still very low, I began also to focus my attention on scents. While watching Bridgerton 😊😍 I took a cinnamom biscuit and inhaled the super good scent of it and then enjoyed it together with my tea 😊.

SO, MINDFULNESS PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MY LIFE 🫶🏻❤️❤️.

You may believe or think that I am always or usually fully aware of being fully present with myself BUT that is not so true 😅💕 I AM STILL LEARNING, I still have moments where I completely feel like saying BAD things to myself (SELF-HATE) I am very grateful to have, for example, my mum ❤️❤️ saying to me :” No, that’s not true att all!”…IT IS A JOURNEY REMEMBER THAT 😊!

In my next article I will be talking about TOXIC PEOPLE. 

(This topic IS NOT AN EASY ONE FOR ME, BUT I DO THINK, that it is IMPORTANT to discuss about that AND IT COULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU, if you also have found yourself or are finding yourself in a same or quite same situation..🫶🏻)

See you soon, guys ☺️ 🫶🏻!!

With Love 

Sofia Lena 😊

Testi, links e Photo credit responsabilità di Sofia Perissinotto

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