Embrace your higher selfie
Who’s going to go on a digital detox? Not us, that’s for sure! Try this realistic journey to discover you and your full potential
Who’s going to go on a digital detox? Not us, that’s for sure! Try this realistic journey to discover your full potential
If you begin to consider how many times you look at your phone during the day, would you be surprised to know that the average adult spends eight hours and 41 minutes a day on media devices?
What if we then compared that to the amount that the average Brit sleeps, which is eight hours and 21 minutes? It may only be 20 minutes more that we’re tuning into tech than we are to our unconscious, but the stats tell us something alarming – that we prioritise our media devices more than sleep or anything else that we do within the six hours and 58 minutes that we have left in the day. It’s no wonder that we’re always complaining that there aren’t enough hours in the day – we just don’t realise how ineffectively we’re using it!
With their book #Higherselfie, Lucy Sheridan and Jo Westwood have set out to help those living in the digital age to feel inspired and be more self-aware. Their modern approach to everything from love and relationships to work and living make this book a unique spiritual guide to millennials.
Not into the ‘spiritual stuff’? Relax, this is more to do with living mindfully to help you succeed in all aspects of life, despite the overwhelming nature of all things modern. So whether you’re feeling uninspired, are struggling to make ends meet, or can’t understand why you haven’t managed to bag that promotion despite doing all the right things, #Higherselfie will help you feel empowered.
JUST GO FOR IT
Too often, ideas or plans will play on our mind and we won’t act on it. Our justifications can vary from self-doubt (‘I’m not ready yet’) to casual dismissals (‘I don’t have the time’), but it’s important to realise that we’ll never be as wise and experienced as we will be tomorrow or next year. It will always be possible to have more experience, money, motivation, clarity, or any other reason why you shouldn’t do what it is that you want to do. ‘Trust that you’ll gain what you need to along the way and the act of doing it is the only thing that will train you in what you need to keep doing it’, Lucy and Jo advise.
Actions need to be tangible to bring change into effect. That means that while a meditation session on Youtube might ready you for the day ahead, it won’t get you any closer to putting your stamp on the world. Writing that blog you’ve been meaning to, or setting up a book club, however, will. And if it’s something that someone has done already? ‘Often we get caught up in thinking that because someone else has achieved something we desire, it means there is less for us,’ say Lucy and Jo. But in fact, it means that there is more because these pioneers have paved the way for us – it’s our ego that attempts to convince us otherwise.
That isn’t to say that you need to think positively all the time – that would be mentally exhausting. ‘Consciously feeling so-called negative emotions is not only healthy, it’s essential. Wallowing in a pit of self-despair is not helpful to you or the rest of the world, but neither is being caught in a tyranny of positivity.’ Try to tune into your emotions and be aware of it so that it doesn’t lead you completely astray. ‘You can be at peace and
feel the full breadth of human emotion at the same time, if you learn how to manage your energy every day,’ Lucy and Jo explain.
BE PRESENT
Having the ability to tune into what is happening around us makes all the difference in the way we react to stimuli. If you’re someone who often says something and immediately regrets it, it might be useful to try meditation. Before you panic, think about the fact that it may just take minutes to retune your thought processes. ‘Meditation rewires your brain. It centres and grounds you. It aligns you with a deep sense of peace and helps you see the truth through the drama.’
You can be a whole lot more constructive if you focus on the present rather than the future. ‘Instead of throwing all your energy at a predetermined outcome, which has probably been manipulated by your ego, pour your commitment into the process.’ For example, rather than being set on getting the job, channel your energy into sending applications and aceing the interviews. And if it doesn’t work out? Accept that the outcome is for the higher good. ‘A side effect of dwelling in a high-vibe state is that life naturally gets easier and stuff gets done,’ say Lucy and Jo. ‘When you just be you with love and commitment, free of expectation, people are drawn to you.’
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONNECTIONS
It’s near impossible to keep all of the people you’ve been acquainted with through life in your circle. There are plenty of reasons why a friendship or relationship can end, but know that that’s OK if it does. ‘People always leave us with a lesson and that insight is a gift, even if it was delivered via an angry text,’ reveal Lucy and Jo. If there is animosity, remember that drama doesn’t follow you. ‘We are responsible for how we respond to all the situations in our lives.’ If you do find yourself in a dramatic situation, take a breath and let the intensity of the feeling pass and be proud that this time you made it through with clarity. This applies to social media too – before you share your private thoughts, think about how the action would benefit you or anyone who sees it. ‘The comments from concerned people in your network might feed your hunger to be seen and heard by others, but they will never solve the problem.’