camping season has begun.

happy easter or whatever you celebrate or not this time of year. it’s finally that time of year where i go on overnight camping trips in forests around my city, most preferably by small lakes and places where i can make a fire. i love making fires..

i use to have trouble sleeping when it’s too chilly outside but i managed to get som hours of sleep even though my face was pretty cold (+1°C).

the best thing is waking up in a warm sleeping bag and hearing the birds chirping.

nature is truly an antidote for stress. it lowers the blood pressure and stress hormone levels. it reduces nervous system arousal and enhance immune system function. it can reduce anxiety and improve your mood.

i always feel better after staying in nature and i sleep like a baby the day after. it only takes two hours to feel a difference. if you spend at least two hours in nature you drastically improve your health and well-being.

i didn’t get the chance to see any northen lights but there were no clouds, a nice full-moon and windless weather.

on keeping a journal.

hej, something i really enjoy is to write. i think the method i use is called microjournaling. you just write one or a few sentences. i use DayOne. it’s by far the best journaling app i’ve ever used (and i’ve used loads...)

sometimes it takes two minutes and sometimes it takes 30 minutes depending on my mood, what’s happening that day and how much time i have. but just one sentence is enough for me to have accomplished the goal for the day. with this mindset it makes it much easier to keep up the habit. most of the times, one sentence becomes two, three and four.

the thing with journaling is that i feel really good after writing. i feel lighter when i pour my thoughts on a paper or a screen. it helps me to organize my thoughts and feelings, and i don’t want good ideas or inspiring thoughts to disappear in an instant. so reflecting is definitely an emotional outlet for me and it helps me when i write songs. i get to pay my focus inwards.

here's what you can do:

• you can do a ”check-in" - how are you feeling right now? why are feeling this?

• you can ventilate your feelings - write about what upsets you and why it upsets yo

• you can improve your everyday life by reflecting about your good or bad habits

• you can keep a gratitude journal - truly recommend this

• you can keep yourself organized by writing tasks, shortterm or longterm goals, inspiration, lyrics, poems, this blog post :)

• you can keep a record of things you love to do

• you can take a brain dump if you’re feeling overloaded - you don’t have to keep them in your mind

on practicing yoga.

i’ve picked up this habit of doing yoga in the morning. well... most mornings when i work at home.

i’ve always wanted to practice yoga, especially after a 60 minute long yoga class at the local gym. i still can’t describe that feeling reading on the bed after yoga. my feet were pulsating and i felt amazing. i thought: ”i want to do this regularly!” but yeah, no. the habit never stuck with me. bummer.

but some years later..

in fact, these last couple of years, i now practice at home and i’ve managed to get this habit to stick with me. i think it was because i discovered my absolute favorite online yoga teacher - Adriene (Yoga with Adriene).

so, i’ve read that yoga improves strength and flexibility, as well as boosting heart and lung function. the key elements are physical postures and breathing exercises. yoga seems to improve the mood and decreases stress.

the more i practice yoga the more i realize it’s not about doing perfect, advanced poses.

• it’s not about getting the heels down when you do the upward-facing dog.

• it’s not about being able to touch your toes.

• it’s not even about doing the *** crow pose.

i think yoga is about cultivating more awareness by focusing on the process. you exercise, relax and get time to reflect and set intentions for yourself. it’s about binding together the mind and body.

and you'll make tiny, effortless improvements everyday without even realizing it. if you’re stiff then you’re really in for a treat. yoga is said to be more enjoyable for those whose bodies are stiff. that's probably one of the best parts of it all!