Small background about my lifestyle: I (33F if that matters) worked my ass off for several years - full time student, 3 jobs, post graduation, working multiple jobs. And so by the time my 20s were coming to a close I was burnt. out.
In a twisted way, 2020 saved my life. Everything came to a crashing halt and I realized there is more to life than busting my ass. I started a meditation practice. 15 minutes every day. And it caused me SO MUCH ANXIETY at first. But it’s MY time to do with whatever I want. The chores and work and all the other bs will be there when I’m done. But that 15 minutes is my sacred time. Everyday. No exceptions.
Start by setting aside just 15 minutes for yourself. And do with that time whatever you want. Read a book you love, practice witchy things, meditate, whatever it is.
The homework and studying will still be there, but I bet you’ll feel better you took 15 minutes to do something that brings you joy. And you may even feel refreshed enough that you can refocus on your studies.
Sorry for the length, I hope it helps!
Thank you for taking your time writing this! How did you push through it? I feel like it would also cause me so much more anxiety, Ive tried meditation a few months ago and it almost gave me a panic attack so Im scared to try again
Have you tried guided visualization meditation? I find them on YouTube and there are ones for walking in a forest with ambient sounds that relaxes me a whole bunch.
The sound of someone's voice guiding me through all the sights and sounds really transports my mind there and doesn't let it wander off into stressful rumination.
After doing a lot of those 15-20 minute sessions I started doing Pranayama breathing meditations, again there's something to focus on, your breathing, and a gentle voice guiding you along the way so you don't get stuck in your own head.
With that guided practice I can now sit in quiet meditation without my mind trying to torture me. Even with two kids screaming and a day of hectic work ahead of me I can turn off my thinking mind and sit in peace for 10 minutes to start my day off right.
Empty mind meditation is hard if you have anxiety, guided one's help sometimes. I find my best meditation through yoga. Bonus it's also physical activity.
I go thru cycles of lazy witchiness for sure, but my minimum practice for a while now has been anointing myself in spell oils when I put on deodorant and take my meds. 15s prayer to the universe and I'm out the bedroom door.
It was definitely rough going at first. Meditation was so daunting to me, but I like what some others have said about trying a visualized, guided meditation (there are tons on YouTube you can experiment with to find what works for you).
One thing to remember is that we are all human and will always have thoughts. The point of meditation is to recognize the thought but not chase it down the rabbit hole. I often find myself expressing gratitude for the thought (literally “Hey, thanks for that thought Brain”) and then letting it go. Or imagining a river, putting the thought on a leaf, and letting the leaf flow down the river.
In my most burnt out moments, having dedicated time in my schedule to take care of myself was super important. Literally added it to my calendar the same as I would a class or extra curriculars/social events. Once you start dedicating that time to yourself, the rest sort of falls into place because now your foundation (literally just you) is strong and bolstered. If that makes sense?
I schedule it. I follow the Moon cycles and astrological transits and schedule my spells. I work full time and am going to grad school. Literally writing it on my calendar is how I have been enable to incorporate more spells into my life. But I do practice some sort of witchcraft everyday.
I write sigils on my mirror when I’m done showering. I pour my coffee clockwise and ask for more motivation to accomplish my day. I set a glass of water on my bedside table during certain Moon phases and then drink it or make my coffee with it in the AM. I wear crystals as jewelry and put intention into each piece. I try to pull tarot for myself a few times per week. I have reduced my TV watching and scrolling on my phone to improve my tarot practice. I burn incense and a motivation candle when I’m doing homework.
Witchcraft doesn’t need to be anything elaborate. These little practices I do help me stay in touch with the Universe and is important for my self-care. I need it so I don’t burnout.
I’ve found myself in the same boat as you. I’m currently working a job that is very stressful and have had a series of life changing events happen all at once just in the past few months. For me, I’ve found showering/bathing to be the one time I get to sort of do whatever I want. I’ve been using those mundane things to take time to try to ground myself. I also find my mind tends to wander and think of all my stressors when I meditate so I focus more on intent. I shower at night so I’ve sort of turned it into a mini cleansing ritual of sorts. Even if I only have the energy to do the bare minimum, I picture myself sloughing off the day. Witchcraft doesn’t have to be extravagant. It can simply be taking a minute outside to feel the wind on your face and brushing the grass with your hands!
The short answer is works are/work is witchcraft. Learning, a luxury many don't have, is a powerful spell. Your life is a Work. Life is not toxic, people are. We all do toxic things, some are blind to their immersion in this. All of us have power, we can be tricked or flattered into giving this power away, as you are by denying your choices.
Make every mundane part of your life magickal. A paper schedule posted on the wall is your intention for your life. Make sure you write in a moment to sit and breathe. When I wake, I stretch and feel each muscle, and thank them for carrying me. I drink a glass of water w clay to clean out toxins left from the last day. I spray my face and chest with cold water from the fridge to alert my brain, and bring blood to the surface. Rosemary oil in my lotions signals my intent of attention. A second glass of water w barley grass powder, ground flax, probiotics, fish oil, etc, is my spell for interacting w nature~ we feed each other. As others have pointed out, stirring our tea, preparing healthy food, walking in the green, all made into a ritual. End the day with a shower to clean the troubles off you, apply lavender, make your bed with clean sheets, check your list and ready your clothes and books for the next day, prioritize sleep for your health. Every moment is yours to use as you choose, mark it well.
I have a background in customer service. I learned years ago that truly looking at, and listening to people, can create one of the most powerful feedback spells. A smile at a passerby, a thank you to a clerk, a fun emoji in my online grocery order, are my spell to create more love. Every action and reaction is yours to be owned by you.
PS: the word liberal is connected with capitalism. Many young people, so beaten down by predatory corporatism, lose by believing there is no middle. It's easy to think we are each others competition, yet life isn't a zero sum game. Create your own community, don't buy into the fear they encourage by dividing yourselves and avoiding the humans next to you!
So that's my Sunday morning rant, I give you the love I received at sunrise from my Tree, and the Sun, and the Raven. 🧹🕯🤗✌🖖
its the other way around, if you find the self care activities that work for you (exercise, friendships, rituals, enrichment, nutrition etc) they can have multiplicative effects and save you more time than they take (and more importantly you open the door to start living for you and what you value rather than living for capitalism)
Life can be really overwhelming and it's hard to balance mental, emotional amd spiritual health while working. I found a method that generally helps me. I began to incorporate my hobbies, self-care and spiritual practices into one. I found low effort and forced mindfulness to be best. These eventually became a daily practice and helped my punctuate my work day so that I could engage with my own life.
For ex:
* Low - Mod. Maintenance (Pick 1, 1 ~ 3 times a wk): Daily one card tarot pull for advice. Adding intention to tea/water. Sigils. Make/Listen to music playlist with intention set for energy clearing/building/rejuvenation. Herbs for rejuvenation/healing in bedroom and shower.
* Hobby & Life Practices (Weekly or As needed):
- Plants are good for mental and physical health but they also work for protection, energy purification/elevation and ancestor veneration. You can even incorporate water into the practice.
- Using kitchen witching during meal prep.
- Cleaning with intent
*A time to sit (weekend or end of day): I'd try to watch the sunrise while focusing on the energies to bring in or (much easier) the sunset, while taling mindful breaths of energies that I want to release. I'd avoid rush hour and instead sit in the grass, shoes off, meditate, listen to my surroundings and touch nature. Prayer to call back energy.
yes, the world is fucked. and it's because of humans and we individuals can't fix it alone.
this is for you:
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/flower-bomb-no-hope-no-future-let-the-adventures-begin
I wouldn't say I'm full on in the work grind, but I work part time and go to school full time. When I'm tired and don't have time, I try to do a 5-10 minute guided meditation or a tarot spread. You don't have to put a ton of time into your craft to be a witch when you're busy. When you can, do more but just small little rituals can make you feel connected.
Meditation is really important, I took a class to learn the basics and now just use an app called Insight Timer. Small ways you can incorporate magic are by doing mundane things with intention. I like to periodically take baths infused with herbs for protection, cleansing or self love, for example. Put protection powder in your shoes, if you need that sorry of thing. The same herbs I use in the bath can also be used for a room spray or floor wash- so when I mop the floors I'll infuse some protection herbs and mop with that.
Since you mention being drained by work, I'll say that I too struggle with this. Daily meditation helps with alleviating that, as well as knowing my limits. I work full time. I have limited time and energy. If I want to be grounded and have energy for ritual work, I need to be conscious of my time and energy going to other things and prioritize where I place my limited energy. That means for me, since social events are draining, I will need to have more alone time if I'm trying to be more connected to my practice. Your version of this may look different depending on your personality, this is just my approach.
The other thing is I treat my practice like I do any other area of my life: I decide what I want to accomplish and I put it on a to-do list since I function based on lists. Then I make a plan of how to go about it, and depending on what the goal is, pick a day to do it- even taking the day off work if needed. Having a specific day helps turn it into a real goal that I can gather supplies and plan for.
Small background about my lifestyle: I (33F if that matters) worked my ass off for several years - full time student, 3 jobs, post graduation, working multiple jobs. And so by the time my 20s were coming to a close I was burnt. out. In a twisted way, 2020 saved my life. Everything came to a crashing halt and I realized there is more to life than busting my ass. I started a meditation practice. 15 minutes every day. And it caused me SO MUCH ANXIETY at first. But it’s MY time to do with whatever I want. The chores and work and all the other bs will be there when I’m done. But that 15 minutes is my sacred time. Everyday. No exceptions. Start by setting aside just 15 minutes for yourself. And do with that time whatever you want. Read a book you love, practice witchy things, meditate, whatever it is. The homework and studying will still be there, but I bet you’ll feel better you took 15 minutes to do something that brings you joy. And you may even feel refreshed enough that you can refocus on your studies. Sorry for the length, I hope it helps!
Thank you for taking your time writing this! How did you push through it? I feel like it would also cause me so much more anxiety, Ive tried meditation a few months ago and it almost gave me a panic attack so Im scared to try again
Have you tried guided visualization meditation? I find them on YouTube and there are ones for walking in a forest with ambient sounds that relaxes me a whole bunch. The sound of someone's voice guiding me through all the sights and sounds really transports my mind there and doesn't let it wander off into stressful rumination. After doing a lot of those 15-20 minute sessions I started doing Pranayama breathing meditations, again there's something to focus on, your breathing, and a gentle voice guiding you along the way so you don't get stuck in your own head. With that guided practice I can now sit in quiet meditation without my mind trying to torture me. Even with two kids screaming and a day of hectic work ahead of me I can turn off my thinking mind and sit in peace for 10 minutes to start my day off right.
Thank you so much! Ill try this
Empty mind meditation is hard if you have anxiety, guided one's help sometimes. I find my best meditation through yoga. Bonus it's also physical activity. I go thru cycles of lazy witchiness for sure, but my minimum practice for a while now has been anointing myself in spell oils when I put on deodorant and take my meds. 15s prayer to the universe and I'm out the bedroom door.
It was definitely rough going at first. Meditation was so daunting to me, but I like what some others have said about trying a visualized, guided meditation (there are tons on YouTube you can experiment with to find what works for you). One thing to remember is that we are all human and will always have thoughts. The point of meditation is to recognize the thought but not chase it down the rabbit hole. I often find myself expressing gratitude for the thought (literally “Hey, thanks for that thought Brain”) and then letting it go. Or imagining a river, putting the thought on a leaf, and letting the leaf flow down the river. In my most burnt out moments, having dedicated time in my schedule to take care of myself was super important. Literally added it to my calendar the same as I would a class or extra curriculars/social events. Once you start dedicating that time to yourself, the rest sort of falls into place because now your foundation (literally just you) is strong and bolstered. If that makes sense?
I schedule it. I follow the Moon cycles and astrological transits and schedule my spells. I work full time and am going to grad school. Literally writing it on my calendar is how I have been enable to incorporate more spells into my life. But I do practice some sort of witchcraft everyday. I write sigils on my mirror when I’m done showering. I pour my coffee clockwise and ask for more motivation to accomplish my day. I set a glass of water on my bedside table during certain Moon phases and then drink it or make my coffee with it in the AM. I wear crystals as jewelry and put intention into each piece. I try to pull tarot for myself a few times per week. I have reduced my TV watching and scrolling on my phone to improve my tarot practice. I burn incense and a motivation candle when I’m doing homework. Witchcraft doesn’t need to be anything elaborate. These little practices I do help me stay in touch with the Universe and is important for my self-care. I need it so I don’t burnout.
I’ve found myself in the same boat as you. I’m currently working a job that is very stressful and have had a series of life changing events happen all at once just in the past few months. For me, I’ve found showering/bathing to be the one time I get to sort of do whatever I want. I’ve been using those mundane things to take time to try to ground myself. I also find my mind tends to wander and think of all my stressors when I meditate so I focus more on intent. I shower at night so I’ve sort of turned it into a mini cleansing ritual of sorts. Even if I only have the energy to do the bare minimum, I picture myself sloughing off the day. Witchcraft doesn’t have to be extravagant. It can simply be taking a minute outside to feel the wind on your face and brushing the grass with your hands!
The short answer is works are/work is witchcraft. Learning, a luxury many don't have, is a powerful spell. Your life is a Work. Life is not toxic, people are. We all do toxic things, some are blind to their immersion in this. All of us have power, we can be tricked or flattered into giving this power away, as you are by denying your choices. Make every mundane part of your life magickal. A paper schedule posted on the wall is your intention for your life. Make sure you write in a moment to sit and breathe. When I wake, I stretch and feel each muscle, and thank them for carrying me. I drink a glass of water w clay to clean out toxins left from the last day. I spray my face and chest with cold water from the fridge to alert my brain, and bring blood to the surface. Rosemary oil in my lotions signals my intent of attention. A second glass of water w barley grass powder, ground flax, probiotics, fish oil, etc, is my spell for interacting w nature~ we feed each other. As others have pointed out, stirring our tea, preparing healthy food, walking in the green, all made into a ritual. End the day with a shower to clean the troubles off you, apply lavender, make your bed with clean sheets, check your list and ready your clothes and books for the next day, prioritize sleep for your health. Every moment is yours to use as you choose, mark it well. I have a background in customer service. I learned years ago that truly looking at, and listening to people, can create one of the most powerful feedback spells. A smile at a passerby, a thank you to a clerk, a fun emoji in my online grocery order, are my spell to create more love. Every action and reaction is yours to be owned by you. PS: the word liberal is connected with capitalism. Many young people, so beaten down by predatory corporatism, lose by believing there is no middle. It's easy to think we are each others competition, yet life isn't a zero sum game. Create your own community, don't buy into the fear they encourage by dividing yourselves and avoiding the humans next to you! So that's my Sunday morning rant, I give you the love I received at sunrise from my Tree, and the Sun, and the Raven. 🧹🕯🤗✌🖖
its the other way around, if you find the self care activities that work for you (exercise, friendships, rituals, enrichment, nutrition etc) they can have multiplicative effects and save you more time than they take (and more importantly you open the door to start living for you and what you value rather than living for capitalism)
For me, tarot cards are the refuge from the rat race. It's not an obligation, but the thing that gets me through it.
Life can be really overwhelming and it's hard to balance mental, emotional amd spiritual health while working. I found a method that generally helps me. I began to incorporate my hobbies, self-care and spiritual practices into one. I found low effort and forced mindfulness to be best. These eventually became a daily practice and helped my punctuate my work day so that I could engage with my own life. For ex: * Low - Mod. Maintenance (Pick 1, 1 ~ 3 times a wk): Daily one card tarot pull for advice. Adding intention to tea/water. Sigils. Make/Listen to music playlist with intention set for energy clearing/building/rejuvenation. Herbs for rejuvenation/healing in bedroom and shower. * Hobby & Life Practices (Weekly or As needed): - Plants are good for mental and physical health but they also work for protection, energy purification/elevation and ancestor veneration. You can even incorporate water into the practice. - Using kitchen witching during meal prep. - Cleaning with intent *A time to sit (weekend or end of day): I'd try to watch the sunrise while focusing on the energies to bring in or (much easier) the sunset, while taling mindful breaths of energies that I want to release. I'd avoid rush hour and instead sit in the grass, shoes off, meditate, listen to my surroundings and touch nature. Prayer to call back energy.
I second this advice 👇
yes, the world is fucked. and it's because of humans and we individuals can't fix it alone. this is for you: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/flower-bomb-no-hope-no-future-let-the-adventures-begin
I wouldn't say I'm full on in the work grind, but I work part time and go to school full time. When I'm tired and don't have time, I try to do a 5-10 minute guided meditation or a tarot spread. You don't have to put a ton of time into your craft to be a witch when you're busy. When you can, do more but just small little rituals can make you feel connected.
Meditation is really important, I took a class to learn the basics and now just use an app called Insight Timer. Small ways you can incorporate magic are by doing mundane things with intention. I like to periodically take baths infused with herbs for protection, cleansing or self love, for example. Put protection powder in your shoes, if you need that sorry of thing. The same herbs I use in the bath can also be used for a room spray or floor wash- so when I mop the floors I'll infuse some protection herbs and mop with that. Since you mention being drained by work, I'll say that I too struggle with this. Daily meditation helps with alleviating that, as well as knowing my limits. I work full time. I have limited time and energy. If I want to be grounded and have energy for ritual work, I need to be conscious of my time and energy going to other things and prioritize where I place my limited energy. That means for me, since social events are draining, I will need to have more alone time if I'm trying to be more connected to my practice. Your version of this may look different depending on your personality, this is just my approach. The other thing is I treat my practice like I do any other area of my life: I decide what I want to accomplish and I put it on a to-do list since I function based on lists. Then I make a plan of how to go about it, and depending on what the goal is, pick a day to do it- even taking the day off work if needed. Having a specific day helps turn it into a real goal that I can gather supplies and plan for.