10 Ways to Take #MentalMoments with Olivia Bowser, Founder and CEO of Liberate

By Olivia Bowser, Founder and CEO of Liberate

I’m excited to introduce my very first guest writer! Olivia Bowser is the founder and CEO of Liberate, a mental wellness studio in Los Angeles that exists to help you become your best self with classes blending yoga, reflection, conversation, and meditation. Today, she’s sharing 10 ways to take #MentalMoments, a practice geared towards adding more calm, joy, and light to your life. I hope Olivia’s suggestions encourage you to focus on embracing moments of self care, today and every day.

“At Liberate, we talk a lot about taking and celebrating #MentalMoments. A Mental Moment is anything you do to exercise and take care of your mental health. Whether you’re a mom, wife, entrepreneur (all three or none of the above) it’s important to make space within the organized (or not so organized) chaos of life to nourish your well-being. From adding meditation to your daily routine to calling your loved ones, there are so many ways to make room for more #MentalMoments in your life.

1. Add a personal goal to spend 20 minutes a day in nature. Spending time in nature can help reduce stress, and personally, observing the natural beauty of the world helps us keep a healthy perspective on our lives. PSA: Nature includes anything outdoors that you have access to!

2. Practice meditation regularly. We get it, meditation can be intimidating if you’re not familiar with the practice. Sitting in stillness? No thank you. That said, the more we practice stillness and tuning into our body and breath, the more we’re able to bring this sense of calm and mind-body connection with us throughout each day. If you’re new to meditation, our classes are a great way to ease into the practice as the meditations are fully guided and only 5 minutes long.

3. Try virtual therapy. Fact: Talking things through helps you to release tension, rather than keeping it inside. It helps strengthen your relationships and connect with people. Sometimes an outside perspective is just what you need.

4. Social Detox. Put. Down. The. Phone! Social media is a wonderful tool to help us connect with others, but it can also be destructive to our self-esteem and overall mindset. Give yourself a #MentalMoment by going one hour without social media. You could even upgrade to one entire day!

5. Add a gratitude practice. By practicing gratitude we can actually train ourselves to spot the positives in life. Try taking a #MentalMoment to start and end the day; Every morning and night, right before you open your eyes or close your eyes think of 3 things you’re grateful for. 


6. Connect with human beings. Now more than ever, it is extremely important to take time to connect with people you love, co-workers, strangers, whomever. Human connection is what inspires us, changes us, sparks us. Set a daily alarm to reach out to a human.

7. Exercise. The benefits of physical activity are not just physical – endorphins make you happy. Members of our community take their #MentalMoments by going for runs, hiking, or walking their dog.

8. Try something new. We’re often inspired by new experiences, scents at a restaurant, the view at a top of a mountain. It’s our job to seek these experiences out. They may be a bit more difficult to find during this time, but they’re out there.

9. Do something nice for someone else. Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by creating positive feelings and a sense of reward and purpose.

10. SLEEP. Yes this counts as a #MentalMoment. If you’re feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or even a little bit down, give your body a moment to recoup. Around 7 to 8 hours is the average amount of sleep an adult needs for their body and mind to fully rest.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to connection. Connection with your mind, body, and fellow human beings. It can be easier said than done. Explore this list in any order, and try half of this list at the same time by joining a virtual Liberate class. Use code NINA for 50% off a Liberate 3-Class Pack. This is your #MentalMoment!”

Learn more here and follow Liberate at @liberatestudio for more Mental Moments!