Chronic Mom Life

Chronic Illness Blog

Marya

5 Easy Breathing Techniques for Stress

5 easy breathing techniques to reduce stress and anxiety during social isolation and quarantine.

 

If life seems kind of overwhelming lately, stop and take a deep breath in. Now slowly exhale. Notice any difference? Your breath is one of the most powerful tools that you have to help reduce stress and overwhelm. When you take a deep breath, it sends a signal to your brain that it’s okay to calm down and relax. Then your brain transmits this message to your body. There’s lots of different ways to practice easy breathing techniques for stress that will help you to feel so much better.

Breathing techniques are very simple to do. First find a quiet place if you can, like a chair. Try to relax. Then you’ll inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, then exhale out your mouth. Another easy breathing technique is  belly breathing, where you hold one hand on your stomach and focus on the sensations as you inhale and exhale.

As you get more experienced with practicing these simple breathing techniques, they will become more and more natural to you. You’ll remember to do them any time and place that you’re feeling stressed out.

4-7-8 Breathing Technique

One of the many problems with stress is that it gives us a really short fuse. And that makes it harder to be kind and patient with those closes to us! Letting that anger out is rarely helpful. Instead, walk away and practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique. It’s really pretty simple!

  1. Breathe in for 4 seconds.
  2. Hold your breathe for 7 seconds.
  3. Exhale for 8 seconds.
  4. Repeat once or twice.

It may not seem like much, but you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel! While it may not do much to treat chronic stress in the long run, it is a quick distraction for your mind and an effective strategy to calm down quickly.

Try a Breathing Meditation

Breathing meditation techniques are very beneficial to know. They’re a very effective treatment to reduce anxiety and stress. Not only that, but they’re easy to do and you can do them anywhere…while waiting in your car, at the office, or standing in line anywhere.  The basic idea is to take a few minutes to sit (or stand) quietly, with your eyes closed (if practical) focusing your mind only on your breath. Feel the air flowing in and out of your nose and try not to think of about anything else.

It’s very effective breathing technique once you get the hang of it. It does take practice, but do give it a try.

Deep Abdominal Breathing

Get in a quiet place, place your hands on your abdomen. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Try to completely expel the air.

Alternate nostril breathing

While sitting on the floor is optimal, you can also do this in the car.

  1. Place the thumb of your right hand on your right nostril and press firmly. Take in a breathe through your left nostril.
  2. Place the ring finger of your right hand on your left nostril and press firmly. Remove your right thumb from your right nostril and slowly breathe out.

Equal breathing

Sit in a comfortable position, either at your desk or on the floor with your spine straight. Breathe in and out for equal counts, ranging from 1-4. Once you’re comfortable, you might try it for a bit longer.

Daily Breath Awareness

Schedule a 5 minute breath awareness during a quiet time of the day. Turn everything off, tune out and just focus on your natural breathing pattern. You can even do this in 1 minute breaks if that’s all you’ve got. Being conscious of your breathing will reduce anxiety, soothe emotions and even boost your energy.

Breathing exercises of any time will help to sooth frazzled nervous symptoms. I hope you’ll give these techniques a try!

Do you have any favorite breathing exercises for stress that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!

 

 

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How to Stop Stress Eating

How to stop stress eating during periods of stress and anxiety from isolation, quarantine or other events beyond your control.

If you’ve been struggling with stress eating during this most difficult period of self isolation and quarantine, believe me you aren’t alone. Internet jokes abound about the “Quarantine 15.” I’ve been struggling too, but the ramifications for me are more serious as an IBD patient. I’m in pretty stable shape, do not want to flare right now and definitely do not want to have to take immunosuppressants. I function best on a diet consisting mainly of proteins, vegetables and fruits. But I still go looking for my legal treats which are raisins and baked goods with almond flour, so I’m reviewing some recovery principles and tips to stop stress eating to help get back on track.

Identify Your Stress Triggers

It’s essential to know what causes you stress in the first place. Many times, specific things can trigger a stress response but for some people it can be an overall general feeling of stress. Some examples might be social media overload, watching sad reports on the news, talking to triggering people, feeling bored or overwhelmed. Start journaling how you feel, and note what’s triggering stress, anxiety and a desire to emotionally eat.

Learn to Practice Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is one of the best ways to deal with the stress that all of us are experiencing right now. It can help to start reducing how often you turn to food because of stress instead of actual physical hunger. It’s very simple to do. When you begin to feel stressed out, take a minute to do some simple breathing exercises, relax, and sit with your feelings for a minute or too.

It doesn’t mean starving yourself, but it helps you to recognize if you are actually hungry or just reacting to stress. Being more mindful is a wonderful way to start reducing how often you turn to food because of stress, and not physical hunger. When you start to feel stressed, take a moment to just take some deep breaths, relax, and sit with your feelings for a few minutes. This doesn’t mean you are going to deprive yourself and not eat, but first understand if you are hungry, or your brain is just reacting to the stress.

Most of the time we tend to stress eat because it’s a quick fix and a way to numb out what we’re feeling. But if we can learn to just sit with the feelings in a non-judgmental way, we’ll find that they will pass.

Don’t Deprive Yourself

If you’re on an extreme diet or skipping meals, you’re more likely to turn to food first to deal with stress or anxiety when they occur. You’re so hungry that you’re ready to eat anything, and might stuff down as much as you can to mask what you’re feeling, possibly leading to an all-out food binge And it probably will be the most convenient, unhealthy option.

Is It Emotional or Physical Hunger?

It’s essential to learn the difference between emotional and physical hunger. This is where learning mindfulness principles can really help you to understand if you’re actually hungry, or if your brain is looking for a dopamine hit. Here’s a few ways that you can tell the difference:

Signs of emotional eating include hunger coming on suddenly and for very specific comfort foods like carbs. It may lead to mindless or even binge eating. You might be eating even though you’re not even hungry. And worst of all, you feel sick and awful afterwards.

But if you’re physically hungry, you’re probably looking for a nourishing meal with some protein and a vegetable, maybe a small amount of bread. You’re satisfied when you’re full.

Easy and Healthy Comfort Food Ideas

What’s the Best Way to Eat for You?

Low carb and keto diets are everywhere right now. They’ve certainly helped lots of people but may not necessarily be the right thing for you, especially right now. You might also want to take a look at the Mediterranean Diet, Weight Watchers or something else. I personally follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to help manage my ulcerative colitis symptoms. It’s a healthy whole foods diet with lots of comfort food ideas (but I still have to be careful!)

Don’t do anything extreme right now. Some people might appreciate the distraction of counting macros, others might get really stressed out by out. Look and see how you might make your existing diet healthier. Look for ways to incorporate more fruit and veggies into your daily diet, using whole grains (or possibly eliminating them if they cause you trouble). Once you’ve identified the best way of eating for your individual health, you can then work on creating some healthy go-to comfort meals and snacks for you and your family.

The first thing you should do is consider what “healthy” means to you during this time. It is an important detail, because they will determine what kind of swaps or comfort foods you want to choose from. Maybe healthy means adding in more fruits and veggies, enjoying whole grains instead or processed grains, cooking more from scratch, or more specific options like low-carb or low-fat. Once you know this, you can work on finding the best healthy comfort foods for your family.

Healthy Food Substitutions

Begin by creating a list of your favorite comfort foods. What sounds best to you right now? It could be pizza, meatloaf, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, brownies cookies or ice cream. It really doesn’t matter what it is. Once you’ve done this, you can start researching simple swaps to make your meals healthier but still enjoyable.

An easy example to start with is by adding a few veggies alongside your scrambled eggs, or inside a grilled cheese sandwich, or add to a pizza. You can make amazing pizza crusts, cakes and cookies from almond and coconut flour that won’t spike your blood pressure. Experiment with “faux” starches instead of potatoes such as cauliflower, rutabagas and squash.

Make Your Favorite Comfort Foods Healthier

Think about what you can change about what you’re eating right now. Instead of having a taco plate with the all the works including rice and beans, why not just have the meat, cheese, veggies and avocado? You’re still having a taco experience, but with more nutrition and less bulk.

Instead of trying to take things away from your comfort dishes, focus instead on what you add in. You don’t have to take the shredded cheese and sour cream from your tacos, but what if you added shredded lettuce to them, and then have a side salad or other vegetable side dish? You are still enjoying your favorite tacos, but also having a lot more nutrition in your meal.

Start Cooking from Scratch

Hey, we’re all at home with time on our hands right now! It’s a great time to experiment with new recipes. I’ve become pretty home bound because of my chronic illness issues and I’ve used some of the time to try out amazing healthy dishes that have helped to stabilize my condition. Your overall health will be so much better!

Do you have any tips to help stop or reduce stress eating? I’d love to hear them!

10 Easy Screen Free Activities for Adults

10 easy screen free activities for adults and children during quarantine and lockdown.
During these difficult days it’s natural to want to feel connected to our friends or check in on the latest #coronavirus #covid19 updates. But one of the best things you can do for your mental health is to find some new screen free activities for adults so that you aren’t thinking about the news all the time.

Learn to use social media mindfully. Set time limits when you go online or it’s going to suck you in. I learned this the hard way yesterday when I saw some unfortunate opinions being spouted..I said something and the conversation took up room in my head for the rest of the day.

So last night I went ahead and deleted the Facebook app from my tablet for now. It’s too easy to spend too much time scrolling, seeing distressing news and opinions being shared and then getting sucked into negative conversations. Of course I still want to be informed so I bookmarked some credible news sites and am going to try to limit myself to checking in once or twice a day.

Unplugging is one of the best things you can do for your mental health, especially now. Here’s some fun screen free activities to do at home that don’t require internet access, a TV, tablet, computer or phone.

Adult Coloring Books and Other Projects

One of the best ways to be entertained and fill up the seemingly endless hours at home without using electronics is to find some hands on, creative activities to engage your hands and mind. Adult coloring books have grown in popularity recently. They’re distracting, fun, and get you out of your head.

Don’t stop there. Take out a drawing pad, your paints, puzzles or crochet supplies. If you know how to sew, create masks for your friends, family and service workers.

Read a Real Book

There’s nothing like the feel of holding an actual book. It’s timeless. And if you’re like me, chances are you might have a few unread books sitting on your bookshelf right now. Also, if you’re reading a “real” book it’s less tempting to switch to a social media app to check in. And good news, Amazon considers books “essential” and has not delayed shipping books to customers.

Journaling

All you need is a pen and paper. Journaling is a time tested way to find clarity, share your thoughts, get the noise out of your head and set intentions for yourself. Or maybe you’d like to try some creative writing, which could be a challenging process if you’re writing it down on paper than using a computer. It takes longer to write than to type for most people, so moving with the flow of your thoughts can be more challenging, but could provide some very interesting end results.

Be Present With Your Family

I know..you’ve probably been present with your family 24/7 for weeks now. But are you spending any intentional time with them? Try turning off the Netflix and video games, sit at your dining room table or living room and just talk. Discuss about what your family is going through, how you can help each other and what you plan to do when quarantine is over.

Read with your kids, cook, play games, and do crafts. When all of this is over, you’ll cherish the memories you made with them.

Start a Garden

Many people are thinking about self sufficiency now. Order some seeds and supplies and start a small garden. It could just be a small container garden to start, but it could be the beginning of a fun and relaxing life long hobby.

Take a Walk Outside

Of course this depends on where you live, but if your situation allows it, take a walk on your street. Notice the plants, trees and environment. Be mindful as you walk. Play some uplifting music on your headset if you use one. And sunshine is great for your immune system!

Call a Friend

Many of us have become accustomed to communicating digitally. But it will never compare to actually hearing the voice of a friend or loved one. A person’s voice will tell you much more about what’s going on inside of them than a carefully crafted social media update ever well. So go ahead and call someone (but you might want to send a quick text to see if they’re available first!)

Start a Vision Board

Many news outlets are reporting that life may not be returning to what we once knew any time soon. What a scary thought to contemplate! But this could also be a great time to create a vision board. Think about the lessons that you’ve learned from this crisis and how you might want to live your life differently going forward. Find some images to reflect that and create a simple vision board to inspire you.

Clean the House

Now is a great time to start going through closets and drawers. If you haven’t used an item of clothing or household appliance in awhile, put it in a donation bag. Getting rid of unwanted clutter is incredibly freeing.

Turn on Some Music and Dance

Granted, you probably need your device for this but find a fun playlist (or create your own!) If you start feeling depressed or anxious, turn up the music and dance!

Make Some Time for Self Care

Many of us are going without our customary eyebrow waxing/threading appointments, manicures, pedicures, hair cuts and coloring. But you can still make an intentional effort every day to look and feel your best. Get up and take a shower, put one some neat and comfortable clothes and some simple makeup, just as if you were still planning to go out. It will make all the difference in your mental health.

Today’s email will have some fun coloring pages for you to print out and enjoy with your family! What are some of your favorite screen free activities for adults?

7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Mental Health and Practice Self Care During Lockdown

30 day self care challenge to improve your mental health during lockdown, quarantine or other times of isolation.

If you’re quarantined right now during the Covid-19 pandemic or are spending more time at home due to chronic illness or caregiving responsibilities, it’s essential that you focus on both your mental and physical health. Both of these are vital to keeping your sanity and overall wellbeing. Read on for practical tips to improve your mental health, practice self care and even thrive during these difficult times.

Easy Does It

Right now is not the time to stress out about doing everything perfectly. If you’re a parent, your kids are home and trying to learn online. You might be trying to work online as well. During this time, try not to stress about being perfect and doing everything right.  Don’t compare yourself with other people (especially online!) who are at home and are being brilliantly productive.

Whether you’re spending more time at home because of the pandemic, chronic illness or caregiving, putting too many expectations on yourself is going to make your feelings of stress and panic worse. This is very detrimental to your mental health.

Do give yourself a break and remember you are trying your best given the difficult situation that you’re in today.  Everyday, set a couple of small goals that can aren’t too difficult to get done, but be open and flexible for things to change.

First Things First

Create a simple daily routine and stick with it. Consider what your biggest needs are right now. This could mean time for your spiritual life, self care, business tasks, connecting with friends online or on the phone, finding a therapist who you can work with remotely, getting in a little exercise or getting more fresh air. Once you’ve identified what it is you need the most right now, the quicker you can switch up your schedule to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

One of the best ways to do this is by using a journal. After you’ve had your morning coffee and feel somewhat awake, use a journal page to write down your intensions for the day. You can easily refer back to them later when things get busy or stressful.

Move Around

Don’t become a couch potato at this time. If you can get outside, go for a walk, walk the dogs, do some gardening or other home improvement activity. Take a family stroll if you can. If you live in an apartment setting or are on a very strict quarantine situation, there are dozens of YouTube workouts that you can do for free and without special equipment. Yoga, pilates and walking fitness workouts are a great place to begin.

However, this is not the time to pressure yourself to become “bikini fit” or do any intense workouts that you’re not used to. For one thing, they can tax your system, leaving you more vulnerable to colds and flu. And if you try them and feel inadequate, it can set you up for destructive food binges.

Eat Mindfully

This is NOT the time to begin a diet. Pressuring yourself to follow the latest diet fad isn’t good for your mental health. But before you find yourself mindlessly raiding the refrigerator or pantry, take a minute to consider the following:

  • Are you genuinely hungry or just bored or stressed?
  • If you’re hungry, make a small plate and sit down at the table to eat it.
  • Don’t eat in front of the screen.
  • Eat with your family.
  • Make the healthiest choice you can with what you’ve got on hand.

Start a Journaling Habit

Journaling is one of the best ways to reduce stress, get the noise out of your head, get creative and practice mindfulness. There are tons of journaling prompts to be found on Pinterest, or you might want to check out some of mine! Set a daily time to do this, morning or evening and then just do it.

Limit Social Media

With our 24/7 news cycle it’s all too easy to check in on the latest #coronavirus updates at any time. This is incredibly toxic to your mental health. Every time I do it myself I start struggling with anxiety and overwhelm. Of course you want to stay informed but designate a few trusted news sources and check in with them once or maybe twice a day. Don’t mindlessly scroll. If you get on Facebook or Instagram, note the time and limit yourself to 10 or 15 minutes. Tops. Otherwise you’ll get sucked in. You won’t feel any better at the end of it and may find yourself looking to stuff your feelings with food or something else.

Create Your Own Personal Space

Being together with your family 24/7 is taxing. And I’m saying this as a long time homeschooler. Sometimes you need to get away from all of them. Every member of the family should have a safe space that they can retreat to when they’re feeling stressed out. It could be a bedroom, a corner in the living room, or a fort or tent outside.

Do you have any self care or mental health tips you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them! Please feel free to leave a comment below!

31 Days of Thriving at Home Challenge

Learn practical tips for self care, mental health, mindfulness and more so that you can thrive at home during this uncertain time of pandemic, quarantine, lockdown and isolation.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed and anxious about what’s going on in the world right now, a 30 day plan of intentional self care might just be what you need to help balance out your mental health. Self care is the intentional practice of caring for our physical, mental, and emotional health. Self care isn’t selfish. It’s essential for us to refuel our minds and bodies so that we can carry out our work and responsibilities without burning ourselves out.

This Thriving at Home challenge will help you to get start thinking about balancing your mind, body and spirit in a gentle and doable way. I don’t want to overwhelm you with stuff to buy and more things to do. Even if your time is limited, with a little intention you can still reap the mental and physical benefits of intentional self care and learn the art of thriving at home.

Like most other families, we’ve been living on lockdown for the past three weeks with no end in site. Our world has been turned upside down in some ways, not so much in others. The biggest unexpected change is having my 18 year old son with special needs home all the time. Though I had homeschooled my other three children, I was a little overwhelmed when I tried it with him and because of my struggles with chronic illness, felt it was better that he went to school. He is supposed to graduate in June. Though nothing has been announced yet, the writing is on the wall and now we’re also considering doing his transition at home because of the uncertainty of covid-19.

In an odd way I feel like my entire life has prepared me for this time of extreme challenge. I was a latch-key kid in the 70s and was used to finding my own entertainment (for better or worse) and learned to become very resourceful. After a very misspent youth I found myself in 12 step recovery rooms at age 23 and I’ve been living sober ever since.

The spiritual principles I’ve learned in recovery have served me well throughout my marriage and my challenges as a special needs mom who also lives with chronic illness. I know what it’s like to be housebound, to feel depressed and isolated and downright scared that my body was going to betray me if I went out. Since my situation made it difficult for me to get to meetings, I had to learn how to practice those recovery principles in my day to day life so that I didn’t lose myself in the stress of it all.

How to practice self care and thrive at home during times of quarantine, lockdown and isolation.

About the 31 Days of Thriving at Home Challenge

Once you sign up below, you’ll get daily emails for 30 days with self care, mental health and stress reduction tips that will teach your how to relax more and live more intentionally during these difficult days. I’ll also send fun printables for you to use in planning your day and coloring.

You’ll learn how to relax more and take a more intentional approach to stress reduction. You’ll reap the benefits of improved mental health, reduced stress and a better outlook on life no matter what’s going on around you.

Remember that like any new habit, it will take time and consistency for it to take root and become a lasting part of your life. But if you don’t plan and take action, it will never happen.

Quick disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, mental health professional or even a life coach. I’m just a mom who wants to share her experience, strength and hope with other people who are struggling during this unprecedented time.

What have been some of the obstacles you’ve faced in establishing a good self care routine? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

April Journal Prompts

April Journal Prompts

Like everybody else, our family has been pretty much locked down for several weeks for the sake of several family members who are high risk.  Journaling is one of the best investments that you can make for your mental health during this unprecedented time. So go ahead, find an unused notebook or journal you have around the house and get writing with these fun April journal prompts!

April Journal Prompts

  1. It’s April Fool’s Day! Do you participate in any fun pranks?
  2. The first week of April is Library Week – It’s a great time to visit your local library and enjoy a few hours of quiet time. What is your favorite thing about the library?
  3. What goals do you have for April?
  4. It is also National Walking Week – write about your favorite places to walk in your area.
  5. What is your favorite form of exercise?
  6. What are some things you have been doing lately to stay healthy?
  7. Celebrate ‘No Housework Day’ with a day off from cleaning and chores. What can you do instead?
  8. It’s time to catch up on your Resolutions for the year. How have they been going?
  9. For Garden Week – write about what you love about gardening.
  10. What are your favorite gardens to visit?
  11. Do you have something you always love planting?
  12. Today is Easter – how do you plan to celebrate it?
  13. Write about some of your memories of Easters past.
  14. Are you ready for tax day tomorrow?
  15. Celebrate World Art Day by writing about your favorite form of art.
  16. What do you love about Spring?
  17. What is something you look forward to every Spring?
  18. Name something you can do for yourself this Spring?
  19. It’s a great day to organize your files – write a list of what needs to be organized today.
  20. What are some other areas of your life that need to be organized?
  21. Do something for your business today and write about it.
  22. It’s Earth Day! What are some ways you can celebrate?
  23. It’s ‘Take Your Daughter to Work’ Day. Have you ever participated? Why or why not?
  24. For Arbor Day, write a story about planting trees.
  25. What are 3 things you want to get done before April is over?
  26. What are some plans you have for next month?
  27. Express your gratitude today for everything good that happened this month.
  28. What are 10 things that inspire you?
  29. What goals did you get done this month?
  30. It’s time for the end of month review – How did April go?

Bonus April Journal Prompts

  1. April is ‘National Garden Month’. Write a short story about gardening.
  2. What are your favorite flowers?
  3. List your favorite plants.
  4. Do you prefer indoor or outdoor plants?
  5. What is something you like to plant every year?
  6. It’s ‘Stress Awareness Month’ – what is your stress level like today?
  7. How do you personally deal with stress?
  8. What are 3 other healthy ways you can handle your own stress?
  9. How do you help your kids with stress?
  10. What do you feel is the root cause of your stress?
  11. For ‘National Pet Month’ talk about the pets you have.
  12. Do you remember any pets from your childhood?
  13. What is an animal you wish you could adopt?
  14. If you could make any wild animal a pet, what would it be?
  15. What are some of your favorite things about having pets?
  16. Celebrate ‘National Humor Month’ by writing down some of your favorite jokes.
  17. List your favorite funny shows.
  18. List your favorite funny movies.
  19. Who is a comedian you would love to see live?
  20. Who or what always makes you laugh?

Need some more journaling inspiration?  Check out some of my previous journaling posts!

How to Start a Worry Journal

How to Start Journaling for Stress Relief

A Beginner’s Guide to Simple Bullet Journals 

How a Bullet Journal Helps Mental Health 

5 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day

Finding Peace During Hard Times

 

Finding Peace During Hard Times

Finding peace during hard times

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” –  John 14:27

Just one month ago I took a long awaited trip to Disney World with my youngest daughter. Our family bought an RV and I began brainstorming and planning my bucket list road trip to Montana this summer. I was nervously following Coronavirus on the news, trying to make sense of the differing perspectives and holding onto hope.

Like everybody else, our lives have been turned upside down the past two weeks. My 18 year old son with Down Syndrome is home until April 15, at this point probably longer. His senior prom was supposed to be in May, and his graduation in June. His older siblings have brought plane tickets so that they could be here. He’s anxiously asking about a graduation party and seeing his friends. I don’t know what to say or do right now. We’ve been blindsided.

We also have to make a serious decision about his transition years considering that the virus is probably not going to go away any time soon. What will be in the best interest of his health as a heart patient and as a person with Down Syndrome who is anatomically wired to get sicker than the general population?

We’re all standing in the midst of troubled times unlike most of us have ever had to experience over the course of our lives. This horrendous Coronavirus is a rapidly spreading pandemic, affecting people across the globe from every walk of life. From the very young to the old, everyone in between, the disabled and the chronically ill, we’re all at risk.

It’s tempting to give into panic and worry in this trying place. You may have been tempted to hoard supplies, watch the news 24/7 and worry about all the awful things that might happen to you or your loved ones.

Fear and worry are natural and normal human reactions to events we have no control over. Fear and worry might be the most tempting reaction, but it’s not your only choice. There’s another option that is easy to overlook – peace.

Peace is a Choice

We often think of peace as an occasional state of mind that we stumble across every now and then, usually when things are going the way we want. It’s easy to feel peaceful when we’ve had a nice day at the beach, or a loved one’s cancer battle is going well.

But it’s also important to remember that we can choose to walk in peace, no matter what’s going on around us. Even in the midst of a terrible pandemic like Coronavirus. Even when we’re afraid of losing our jobs and are worried about feeding our families and keeping them safe.

What God Says About Going Through Hard Times

Finding peace always begins with turning our eyes upward. It starts with turning your eyes upwards to the throne of God.

I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil, He will keep your life. (Psalm 121)

Friends, God is the same yesterday, today and forever. It might not look like it right now, but He’s still on the throne. He still reigns. Take a minute to  meditate on that truth for just a moment. No matter how crazy things get, despite the chaos pain and heartbreak that is occurring at this very moment, God is still in control.

How to find peace during hard times of chronic illness, isolation and quarantine.

Where is God in All This?

In Matthew 10:29, Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Remember how very precious you are to God. From the very beginning He knit your cells together. He knew all about you before you were born, what you would look like and what struggles you would have to face. He loves you and those that you love.

Does God Care about the Coronavirus?

Matthew 14:14 reads, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he reached out to people with every kind of disease and disability in a variety of ways. Some of those people were healed by simply touching the hem of His garment. Remember that the very same Jesus who had compassion on the sick and frail thousands of years ago still has compassion for those who suffer. He knows about every physical struggle and chronic condition that we have to encounter in this life and on this earth.

Get Out of Your Head & Serve Others

One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to serve others. As a Christian, you’re standing in the middle of an amazing opportunity to let your light shine. Right now, people are desperate for words of prayer, encouragement and hope.

Here’s some practical ways to serve others:

  • Be kind to those around you, especially to those who are serving the public during this difficult time.
  • Don’t hoard critical supplies.
  • Share your resources with those who don’t have any.
  • Send a text to a friend.
  • Pray for those in your circles – family, friends, neighbors, professionals.
  • Post positive things on social media.

If you start to struggle yourself, remember God’s care and provision in times past. He didn’t fail you then, and He’s not going to fail you now. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member or pastoral staff. Some churches have lay ministers that you can meet with. Don’t feel that you have to walk through this frightening time alone.

Let’s Pray

God, today we choose to rejoice in Your Sovereignty. We are reminded that You are ultimately in control and no virus, flu, or illness can enter our lives without Your Divine permission. You alone hold the power of life and death.

We lift up all of those who have been affected and will be affected by Coronavirus. We ask for complete healing over their bodies and continual peace over their hearts and minds. We pray for speedy recoveries without complications and hardship.

We also pray for those who are working on the front lines including medical professionals and first responders right now. These servants are certainly close to Your heart. Father, please protect them from this awful disease. Comfort them as they comfort others. Encourage them in the midst of this battle and remind them that the armies of God are greater than our earthly foes.

You are Lord over your creation. Father, we plead with you to stop this deadly Coronavirus in its tracks. We pray for the development of good treatments to shut this virus down.  Just as You have full control over every virus, Father, we ask You to stop this one.

Finally, God we pray for those who have lost or will lose loved ones to the Coronavirus. Walk with these precious souls. Let us be compassionate to them, come alongside those who are grieving, and comfort them in their affliction.

Father, we thank You for who You are and for all You’ve done. We know You’re in control even when the world feels chaotic and crazy. Let us remember to fix our eyes on you in this trying moments. Keep our gaze fixed on the Cross. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Practical Tips for Soul Care During the Pandemic

  • Create a routine. When you get up, resist the urge to check your social media feeds. Take some time for prayer, meditation and devotional reading. Then take a shower and put some light makeup on.
  • Get moving. Take a walk outside if you can or do some in home yoga or other fitness activity.
  • Eat well and stay hydrated. It can be tempting to indulge on the quarantine snacks, but don’t. You’re going to feel ten times worse at the end of this if you’ve added on pounds. Try putting on your regular jeans every few days to remind yourself of how you’re doing.
  • Reach out to others. Text friends and family. Connect with online ministries and recovery meetings.
  • Create something. Whether it’s cooking, art, gardening, journaling or something else, creating something with your hands is one of the best ways to take your mind off your worries.
  • Spend real time with your family. Play an actual game, do a puzzle, cook or bake. Take a walk together. The memories that you’re making during this difficult time are priceless. This is our moment to rise up and shine for our kids. We can model inner peace, strength and resilience to them.

Do you have any tips for coping during this difficult time? I’d love to hear them!

March Journal Prompts

March Journal Prompts

Here’s a list of fun March journal prompts to help you stay consistent with your journaling practice.  In Florida, March is a beautiful time of year and I like to try to get outside as much as I can to visit some of our beautiful natural parks before the long hot summer hits.

March Journal Prompts

  1. What is on your March bucket list?
  2. What are your business goals for the month.
  3. What does happiness mean to you
  4. What are you excited about this month?
  5. Are you happy with where you are in your career?
  6. How do you go about meal planning.
  7. What method do you use for your to-do lists?
  8. What are some ways to relax when you’re stressed?
  9. What is your favorite comfort food?
  10. What are your favorite self-care activities for the month?
  11. Spring is coming up soon – what are you excited about?
  12. It’s Plant a Flower Day – what are your favorites?
  13. Do you track your goals quarterly?
  14. Describe how you deal with your difficult emotions.
  15. What are 3 things you want to accomplish this month.
  16. What do you feel is holding you back lately.
  17. March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day – do you celebrate this holiday?
  18. How do you feel your social life is going lately?
  19. What do you wish you could say to someone?
  20. On the First Day of Spring – what do you like to do to celebrate?
  21. What do you think makes you a good person?
  22. What do you want people to remember about you?
  23. What do you hope your kids say about you?
  24. When it comes to productivity, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
  25. What is your dream business?
  26. What will get you closer to your dream business?
  27. What is something you are grateful for
  28. How do you prefer to express your creativity?
  29. It’s close to the end of the first quarter – are you on track?
  30. The 30th is ‘Take a Walk in the Park’ day. Where can you go walking?
  31. Describe how the end of your first quarter is going.

Bonus March Journal Prompts

  1. What are some healthy meals you love making for your family?
  2. Find some new healthy lunch ideas for your kids.
  3. March is Family Nutrition Month – how can you improve your family’s nutrition?
  4. Do you grow any vegetables or herbs at home?
  5. List 5 ways to add more vegetables and/or fruits to your family meals.
  6. How has nutrition changed from when you were a kid.
  7. How important is nutrition to you?
  8. In what ways do you find a healthy balance in your life?
  9. What do you want your kids to learn about nutrition?
  10. What do you feel are the pros and cons of focusing on proper nutrition.
  11. What is your favorite craft to do alone.
  12. What craft do you love to do with your kids.
  13. What is your first memory of making crafts?
  14. Do you enjoy homemade birthday or holiday gifts?
  15. Spend the day working on your favorite creative project, then journal about it.
  16. Make a craft for St. Patrick’s Day.
  17. What are some crafts your kids enjoy doing?
  18. How do you feel about wine and paint events
  19. Sketch how you feel right now in your journal.
  20. Draw a picture of what March looks like to you.

 

 

How to Start a Worry Journal

Worries are an unfortunate fact of life. Whether it’s your everyday life or bigger worries such as health and financial woes, it seems like there’s always something to worry about. However, you don’t have to let your worries get the best of you and become overwhelming. Start a worry journal and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the benefits to your overall health and wellbeing.

What is a Worry Journal?

A worry journal is a private place where you can write down all of your worries. When used correctly, a worry journal can help to get the negative thoughts out of your head. When you worry too much, it can often lead to more anxiety, stress and depression. If we keep them bottled up, it can lead to a range of mental and physical issues.

How to Write Your Worries Down

The first step is to begin writing down all the worries you have at the moment. You’ll notice that as you write each thing down that’s worrying you, it will help to release the power that it has over you. This step in the process only takes a few minutes.

The next step is to begin to evaluate your worries. Ask yourself some questions to determine why you have these worries, and what you think could happen. Once you have defined your worries, you can go to work on reducing them. Here’s some questions that you can ask yourself in your journal:

• Is there any evidence to support my worries?How
• What is the worst thing that could happen?
• Could I look at the situation in a different way?
• What evidence do I have that could argue against the worry?

How to start a worry journal-3

What Should I Journal Before Bed?

If your goal is to sleep better, experts suggestion writing in your journal about three hours before you go to bed. This will give you plenty of time to both list your worries and then analyze them. It can takes some time to process everything and you may not feel better right away. But after a few hours, your brain will feel more relaxed and it will be easier to get to sleep.

The Mental Health Benefits of Keeping a Worry Journal

When you have a lot on your mind, it can become very overwhelming. Writing it down is the best way to release them from your mind. Many times we’re not aware that we are bottling things up and over time, the things that we’ve been holding in start to come out in unhealthy ways.

Here’s some health benefits you may experience by writing in a worry journal before bed.

  • You’ll sleep better.
  • Journaling is a positive outlet that can help with weight struggles.
  • Reduce anxiety
  • Improved immune system
  • Boosting happiness levels

And once you’ve written down your worries and analyzed them, create a gratitude list. Gratitude can help to increase happiness levels and thinking about what you’re grateful for is a great way to fall asleep.

How to start a worry journal-2

Journaling Tips for Beginners

Have a dedicated space. Set aside a small space with your journal, pens and whatever helps you to feel focused and relaxed. Ideally, this should be away from the noise going on in the rest of the house!

Try morning pages. While we’ve been discussing journaling before bed, morning pages can also help you set the tone for the day. This is how morning pages work:

  • You must do your morning pages immediately upon waking up.
  • You write until you’ve completed three pages in your notebook, which is about 750 words.
  • Morning pages must be handwritten.

You can write about whatever comes to mind. For the first half-page or page, you  may find that you’re filling the page with random thoughts, but if you stick with it,  you’ll likely end up with some gems in the rest of your writing. It’s all about being patient and committed to the process.

Keep it simple. While’s it’s important to analyze your worries, it’s also important to take care not to go into a lot of depth with them. Spend just a few minutes writing about each worry that you have.

Write about your day. This can help with stress because you’re not bottling things up. It’s a great way to free up all of the tension, anger and frustration that you might be experiencing.

List your fears and concerns. If you can, try to organize them into chronological order. Focus on the worries that are affecting you right now. Many times our worries are focused on the future. Just think about what’s troubling you today.

Create to do lists. If you worry about having too much to do, creating a to-do list can really help. Every night write down the main three things you want to accomplish the next day.

Begin with your most pressing worry. It’s always a good idea to start with the most pressing worry. As you focus on your most pressing worry, it will help you to better deal with the smaller ones. Not only that, you’ll experience relief faster if you start with your most pressing concerns.

Don’t judge yourself. One thing that you may struggle with is judging yourself harshly. You’re not weak. Your worry journal is a safe place to vent your worries and concerns. If you censor yourself, you won’t get the full benefits of the journal.

Identify ways to look at your worries differently. For every fear or worry that you’ve written down, try to identify at least one way that you could could view the situation differently. If you tend to fear the worst, try thinking about something positive that could happen from the situation.

Bring a journal everywhere with you. It doesn’t have to be your worry journal, but having a smaller journal will allow you to write in your journal as things come up, like when you’re having problems at work or are nervous about an upcoming appointment.

The majority of the time, you’ll find many of the things you worry about often resolve themselves in time. They may not be as bad as we perceive them to be. By questioning and analyzing your worries, you’ll be taking away their power and seeing for them for what they really are, rather than what they could be.

These are some of the best ways to journal in order to take your power back from worries. By facing your worries head on and gaining a better understanding of them, it can really help to reduce the worry and help you live a more intentional and less stressful life.

If you follow the method above, you’ll be surprised by how much better you feel. A worry journal is a very simple, yet very effective tool for reducing anxiety and preventing excessive worry.

11 Wellness Podcasts and Audio Books to Transform Your Life

 

wellness podcasts

As a mom with chronic illness, I’ve come to understand that body, mind and spirit are deeply connected. For example, stressful situations have an almost immediate impact on my mental and physical wellbeing and it’s become essential to check in with my health daily and continually look for ways to keep growing. Here’s a few wellness audiobooks and podcasts I’ve discovered that can help anyone to lead a more balanced life.

Wellness Books and Audiobooks

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World 

Mindfulness, also referred to as living in the now, is a particular form of meditation practice that can help people with a range of issues, including stress, anxiety and burnout. Meditation means to think. Mindfulness meditation only takes a few minutes each day, and you can do it almost anywhere. Following the 8-week program carefully will lead to remarkable results.

Yoga: The Top 100 Best Yoga Poses: Relieve Stress, Increase Flexibility, and Gain Strength

 There are thousands of yoga poses. This beginner’s guide teaches 100 poses which can help you see results in terms of strength, pain relief, and an increase in inner calm. Yoga counts for both aerobics and strength training, making it the perfect workout to do at least a couple of times per week. Yoga also counts as a moving meditation because it requires such focus. 

How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness: A Mindful Guide

Chronic illness creates many personal challenges, from relationship issues to financial issues as well as mental health concerns. Author Toni Bernhard addresses these challenges using practical examples to illustrate how mindfulness, and compassion can help her readers make peace with a life suddenly turned upside down.


Wellness Podcasts

TED Talks Health

https://www.ted.com/topics/health

TED talks are incredibly popular and with good reason. The idea behind the acronym is to have Technology, Entertainment and Design all merge. TED talks are short, sharp, and to the point. Listen and learn more about the topics of healthy eating, the latest in cancer research, and much more.

Bulletproof Radio

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bulletproof-radio/id451295014?mt=2

This podcast was founded with the goal of looking at every aspect of how humans can improve their health and learn to be the best they can be. In particular, these programs look at ways to add technology to our live to help us get fitter, and the body, mind and spirit connection that propels people towards their goals.

The School of Greatness Podcast

https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/

Hosted by Lewes Howes, this is an inspirational podcast about health, wellness, and being all that you can be. His special guests are successful & influential figures in their profession or industry. Listen regularly and you’ll be on your way to transforming your body, relationships, and more.

The Cabral Concept

https://stephencabral.com/podcasts/

Host Stephen Cabral practices traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda), and takes a holistic approach to health. Learn about organic foods, juice fasts, easy circuit training, and more.

Bee the Wellness

https://beethewellness.com/podcast/

Primal living is a very popular topic right now. Bee the Wellness is popular podcast that talks about getting back to basics, with a Paleo or Primal diet It also emphasizes adding activity to your daily routine so you are not sitting in a chair all day, but are up and moving like our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

The Daily Boost

https://player.fm/series/the-daily-boost-best-daily-motivation-life-career-goal-setting-health-law-of-attraction-network-marketing

This podcast will give you a wonderful boost in all areas of your life, health, wellness, and more. The focus is on balance in life even as you go for your goals and strive for success. 

Inspire Nation

https://player.fm/series/inspire-nation-daily-inspiration-motivation-meditation-law-of-attraction-health-career-spirituality-self-help

This podcast encourages listeners to aim for the life of their dreams. The host offers various insights based on his new-found appreciation of life after two near-death experiences. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, this podcast can help you set goals and transform your life into the one you’ve always longed for.

The Jillian Michaels Show

https://www.jillianmichaels.com/podcast

Jillian Michaels rose to fame through her work on the TV show “The Biggest Loser,” and has inspired and motivated countless people to lose weight and keep it off. Her work stems from her own struggles with weight. If you’re keen to transform your body and life, this is a good place to start.

wellness podcasts

Wellness Podcasts Can Inspire Your Health Journey

Many of us are so busy with work and family matters that we don’t pay enough attention to our health—until we get an expected diagnosis. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Wellness podcasts can help to both  inspire you and keep you on track with your health and fitness goals. You can also create your own reading and listening list and track your progress to a brand new you.

You can listen to audiobooks and podcasts you can listen to almost any time or anywhere. You’ll be encouraged to pay  more attention to your health and take the action steps you need to meet your health goals.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, physically transform yourself or live more comfortably with chronic illness, there’s an audiobook or podcasts that’s just right for you.

11 Wellness podcasts you don't want to miss

 

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