Carpe diem! Seize the day! It’s a common mantra in today’s busy world.
The idea is simple: We should make the most of every day. Don’t put off living your best life. Maximize your experience, now.
It’s an inspiring concept. Each day we get is a gift. Each day is an opportunity to grow. For many of us, though, seizing the day is difficult.
Seizing the day requires motivation. To seize anything, you need energy, after all. And making the most of every day requires a Herculean level of strength and consistency amid life’s ups and downs.
This begs the question:
How can you seize the day when dealing with mental health struggles?
1. Establish A Rhythm Of Centering Yourself
You’ll feel best equipped to seize the day if you’re calm, clear-minded and non-reactive. That’s a tall order, but you can start small. See if you can incorporate these practices into your routine:
- Check in on your emotions and feelings throughout the day – spiritual therapy might help you here.
- Take a few minutes to be still and quiet every day (even just 5-10!).
- If possible, go to therapy on a weekly basis.
Exploring a self-care routine where the world is on pause and where you explore your internal world, will give you the feeling of spaciousness and calm to make the most of every day.
2. ESTABLISH WHAT IT MEANS (TO YOU) TO SEIZE THE DAY
In today’s hustle culture, “seizing the day” can mean outsized to-do lists and projects that demand overworking ourselves.
That’s overwhelming. (And maybe not possible — or healthy — for everyone.)
Here’s the truth: We can seize the day while being gentle to ourselves!
This means reframing the idea so that it means what you want it to. If seizing the day means taking on new projects and being constantly on the go for one person, for another, it could mean hikes and long lunches with friends.
So start here: When you feel calm and centered, consider what you want out of your days. Maybe seizing the day for you means:
- Pursuing new professional opportunities
- Being present with the people in your life
- Accomplishing tasks that are reasonable and meaningful to you
- Taking good care of yourself and your people
- Feeling like you grow a little every day
Once you’ve figured out what matters most to you, you’ll know how to seize the day on your own terms.
3. NURTURE MOTIVATION AND CONSISTENCY
Practicing motivation in your day-to-day life can be difficult, especially if you’re moving through a tough season.
If you have anxiety or depression, this can be even more of a challenge. But it isn’t impossible.
Acknowledging that you’re experiencing difficulties with motivation can allow you to be less hard on yourself.
Starting small with low-intensity actions can gradually build confidence and enthusiasm.
Create a day you are excited about. Incorporate activities that bring you joy and excitement. Schedule it in your calendar if needed to make sure each day includes rewarding activities.
Discuss your wish to uncover more motivation and consistency with your therapist. They can help you find the most useful practices for your specific circumstances.
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4. EMBRACE FUN AS YOU SEIZE EVERY DAY!
As we grow up our sense of wonder and playfulness tend to fizzle out. Incorporate play each day into your life and regain the sense of joy, wonder and aliveness that is innate to every child.
What did you love to do as a child? Perhaps you loved to draw, play soccer, look at the stars or play outside. Whatever it was that filled you up with joy as a child, reconnect with that and dig into your child-like joy and sense of wonder.
What activities make you happiest today? Do them and do them often. Incorporate those fun activities into your daily life until one day you wake up and look forward to every day because every day has some fun activity for you lined up.
5. Get out in nature
Being in nature reduces stresses and inflammation and leads to increase in creativity. No better way to seize the day than to take a break from indoor living and screens and reconnect with nature.
There is so much beauty and joy to be experienced by simply taking a stroll in nature. Enjoy the sunshine, the sounds, the animals and other humans that might be there too. Take a deep breathe. Observe reality vibrates all around you. You are in nature. You have arrived.
6. Help others in need
Seize the day and be of service to others in need. Helping others can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, improve mental and emotional well-being, and strengthen relationships and social connections. It is an opportunity to express love and compassion, and to contribute to the greater good of all.
Helping others in need allows us to experience the interconnectedness of all things. All of a sudden we tap into something greater than ourselves.
Helping others does not have to be some grand gesture. You can start small. You can start giving a helping hand to people in your immediate surrounding, your family, your friend, your community.
How could a day where you’ve helped people around you not be a good day? The value of service to others is immeasurable, as it touches the hearts of all those it touches and creates ripples of positivity that spread out into the world.
Working with a therapist can be a way to get to know yourself better, boost your self-care, and make seizing every day more achievable. At Manhattan Mental Health Counseling, we offer high-quality therapy online to help you reach your goals. Call us today or contact us online to learn more.
