Mindfulness

The Power of Doodling for Mental Health

July 12, 2018 by Marya Leave a Comment

We’re almost at the end of our 30 Day Self Care Challenge! It’s time for one last stress reducing tip to add to your self care arsenal. This one’s kind of fun…doodling for mental health.

I hope you’ve given all the quick stress buster tips I’ve shared with you so far a try and have found a few that you want to deploy regularly. Don’t forget to do the same with today’s tip!

Doodling Your Way to Better Mental Health

Doodling is a simple way to reconnect with your long lost creative side. It’s fun, easy and very accessible. You can do it anywhere, even if all you have is a pen and scratch paper.

While it can help you get in touch with your inner artist, doodling is also a great way to improve mental health. Not only that but doodling can also improve memory and make it easier for you to focus. And best of all, it can leave you feeling relaxed and revitalized.

To get started with doodling, you can grab a sheet of paper and begin right away . But it can also be helpful to use doodling books. These are books filled with designs and doodles that will inspire you to get started.

You can learn how to mix and match different patterns to create stunning images. Begin with a book like Joy of Zentangle or Zendoodle: Meditative Drawing to Calm Your Inner Self. If you’d like to commit to doodling daily, then you might like One Zentangle a Day.

Once you’ve spent some time learning about the art of creative doodling, you can branch out a bit. Check out a few doodle prompt books. The ideas on these pages will get your hand moving but are simple enough that you can enjoy a quiet conversation or listen to your kids playing in the background while working.

A good one to start with is Draw, Doodle, Design by Parragon Books. It contains hundreds of prompts and the high-quality pages are perfect for markers, pencils, crayons, and more. Another beloved title is Creative Doodling & Beyond You can practice your doodles inside the book, making it easy to implement each prompt.

Whether you choose to fidget or doodle, go ahead and have some fun with it!

How Fidget Spinners Help With Anxiety

Fidget spinners and cubes have become a very popular way to keep your hands busy and reduce stress at the same time. But if you think about it, it’s really nothing new. Many of us already do it. We might fidget with pens, buttons, keys, and anything else we can find. When we’re not fidgeting with our pens and pencils, we’re using them to doodle. I’m sure you’ve found yourself doing this during a meeting, a class, or a phone conversation at one time in your life!

Fidgeting helps us focus and it is a great stress reliever. If you’re not in the habit of fidgeting or give it a try. The rhythmic motion of playing with any type of doodle device tends to slow down your heart rate and might even help to lower your blood pressure… all great signs signs that fidgeting helps you to relax.

Getting started is easy enough. Just look around your house to see what kinds of fidgeting devices you already have on hand or carry with you. Make a small pile of everything that looks like it could be a good fidgeting device and give it a try while you’re sitting around having conversations, watching TV, or even just resting for a few minutes.

With time, you’ll figure out what works well for you. Some fidget spinners will work great for you and feel like lots of fun, while others may frustrate you to no end. Make a short list of the fun and relaxing ones.

Then simply make sure you have your fidget spinners easily accessible wherever you may need them. You can also check out of the inexpensive devices made specifically for fidgeting. Fidget spinners are the hot new trend right now, but they might be bit annoying and distracting to others.

Fidget cubes may be a better alternative. Trial and error will show you what works the best for you. Then simply get in the habit of using them as reduce stress and help you to relax.

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The Best Tea to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

July 2, 2018 by Marya Leave a Comment

Many people are looking for natural solutions for our crazy 21st century lifestyle. While there’s nothing wrong with seeking help or using medication if needed, natural remedies can also be a big help and take the edge off. Tea is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety.

If you’re a coffee lover who isn’t crazy about tea, keep on reading my list of natural teas for stress and anxiety. I have some tweaks and suggestions for you to make it more appealing.

There’s a long and historic tradition of making and drinking tea across around the world. It’s a beloved beverage to many people and is often accompanied by a calming ritual or routine. Together, these work as a elaxing break that will reduce stress and gives you time to breath, think, and even meditate if you like.

How to Create Your Own Tea Ritual

In preparation, you can begin a mindful process as you put the water on to heat. As you’re waiting, do a mental check in.

What does your mind need at this moment?
What does your body need at this moment?
What does your heart need at this moment?

Once you’ve done this bit of self examination, you can choose the best tea to support you at this moment. Now go ahead and boil your water and set out a favorite cup. Pick your tea (recommendations below) and set to making yourself a nice cup of tea.

Carry it to a comfortable spot, sit down, and enjoy the warmth of the cup in your hand. Inhale the fragrance of your tea, letting all the tension and anxiety leave your body. Bring your awareness to where you are right now and take that first sip. Take your time as you mindfully drink, melting the stress away.

Turn your tea time into your very own ritual. You might want to add a healthy treat, or browse a favorite book or magazine and spend a few minutes reading and browsing while you enjoy your cup. This is sacred time for you to relax and rejuvenate yourself.

How to Drink Tea If You Don’t Like It

If you’re used to coffee all the time and fizzy drinks, tea might be an acquired taste. What do you do if you’re not a tea drinker? My first suggestion would be to try some different teas and see what you like best. There’s something out there for just about anyone. My personal favorites include chai, vanilla nut and rooibos tea.

Coffee Can Calm You Down

If coffee’s your thing, there’s nothing wrong with it! Just know yourself. Many people can’t drink it past the afternoon or it might keep them up late. The ritual is the same idea..Brew yourself a good cup of coffee, make a cappuccino, or indulge in a cup of real hot chocolate topped with whipped cream or marshmallows. With just a little bit trial and error you’ll find the right drink for your very own stress busting ritual.

How to Use Tea to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

One thing to remember, when life get busy and stressful, it’s easy to let this simple little tea ritual go. But stressful times are when you need it the most. Be sure to make it a priority. Not only will it make you feel better but you’ll come back refreshed and able to solve problems easier and become more productive because of your little tea break.

In the end, by taking a few minutes for yourself (even if it’s just to make and enjoy a cup of tea) will help you to regroup. Try it out and see for yourself.

Here’s a few more tips. Keep everything for your tea ritual nearby. Have a nice tea cup and some tea in your desk at work, in the cupboard at home. Have one for travel so you can take your ritual with you wherever you go.

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Why You Must Find Time to Relax

May 23, 2018 by Marya 2 Comments

Does it seem like the world just keeps moving faster and faster? We’re working long hours, parenting, keeping up the house and yard and trying to fit in a social life in between.

We’re busier than ever, yet we are all still limited to the same twenty-four hours each day. Something has to give and unfortunately rest and relaxation are the first to go.

Sleep is essential for our long term health and survival. We can’t survive very long without it. If you’ve ever had a newborn in the house or been in any other situation where you didn’t get much sleep for days and weeks on end, you know how bad the effects of sleep deprivation can be.

Severe lack of sleep will be noticeable very quickly. Everyone has that occasional sleepless night but after a few days you’ll feel completely frazzled.

You can pull one all-nighter, but go for a couple of days on little-to-no sleep and you’ll start to feel like you’re going insane.

Sometimes people think that cutting back on sleep here and there is okay but it’s really burning the candle at both ends and sooner or later your body will pay the price.

We need to make rest, relaxation, and adequate sleep a priority to stay healthy and productive. Maybe you feel like you get more done when you get up a little earlier or go to bed a little later.

You might feel like you’re catching up on work when you bring it home on the weekend to work on. Sure, it gives you more hours to work on all that backlogged stuff, but it often doesn’t make you any more productive. Work will fill the space that you give to it.

By making rest and relaxation a priority and giving both body and mind to recharge, we can get just as much done in a shorter amount of time. That’s what I hope to show you during this month long exploration on the topic of relaxing and reducing stress.

Unfortunately it feels like we’ve forgotten how to rest and relax. Running on cylinders all daylong can feel exhilarating and super productive, but eventually you’ll crash. Taking intentional periods of relaxation will heal your body from the adrenaline surges and chronic stress and when you return to it, you’ll feel refreshed and more productive.

How to Find Time to Relax

Start a journal. Spend a few days noting how you’re spending your time and then you can make intentional decisions about eliminating time wasters.
Learn to say no. There can be so many demands from our family, kids’ activities, church and community. Most of them are probably worthwhile, but can you really handle them all? Identify what’s most important to you at this season of your life and let the rest go.
Take digital breaks. A great time to do this might be Saturday evening to Sunday evening. Turn the 24 hour news cycle off and get outside if you can. Your brain needs the break from the constant stream of content intake.
Ask for help. Outsource what you can. You shouldn’t and can’t do it all. Find family members to help with caregiving and household tasks. Hire a housecleaner if you can.
Take a nap. There’s nothing wrong with taking a little down time in the afternoon so that you can keep on being productive later in the day.
Practice deep breathing and meditation techniques. Deep breathing is a great way to reduce adrenaline surges and stress hormones. Just slow, even breaths will help tremendously.
Make an appointment with yourself for self care. It might be a nice hot shower, some yoga, foot bath or curling up with a book. Whatever works for you!

Relaxation and self care have to be intentional before they become ingrained habits, so go ahead and find time to relax!

Join us for Stress Reduction for Busy Moms & find a calmer you in 30 days!

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How to Practice Mindful Living

May 1, 2018 by Marya 5 Comments

Mindful living is learning to live in the present moment without judging yourself or others. This doesn’t come naturally to most people. In our rapid paced world, many of us suffer from destination addiction. We’re always thinking ahead to what comes next.

For example, maybe you’re headed out for a fun day at the beach. You’re excited to get away from everything and unwinding. But then, as you’re driving, you start replaying the argument you had with your husband a few days ago.

And before you know it, you’re all amped up again!

Instead of living in the current moment, you found yourself digging up dirt from the past. Doing this makes it hard to move on and can lead you to carrying around anger and resentment.

In recovery rooms mindfulness is referred to as “keeping your head where your feet are.”

Learn to Practice Non-Judgmental Awareness

Instead of reacting emotionally to situations like people do when they’re on autopilot, you can learn to focus on the current moment without and observing them without letting your emotions take over.

You might see an aggravating social media update from a friend that makes you angry. But instead of responding, you stay in the moment. You acknowledge your emotions without judgement. And then you just move on. This frees you from losing a day of productivity because you were obsessed with this one comment.

Mindful Living Helps Ground You in Gratitude

During unpleasant tasks, like while you’re washing dishes or cleaning up the kids’ messes, it can be tempting to let your mind wander. But an important part of mindful living is learning to stay in the moment, even if that moment is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

Don’t give into feelings of negativity as you’re staying aware during a difficult moment. Instead, focus on giving thanks. For example, you might say something like, “I’m blessed to have a home to clean” or how much you love your kids even when they’re being messy. Now, you’ve managed to stay in the moment without letting yourself focus on the negative.

Mindful Living Can Improve Your Mood

Few things can improve your mood quite like mindful living. Often, anxious thoughts are the result of worrying about the future while sad thoughts are related to regretting the past. Mindful living helps because it forces you to stop overthinking.

Unless there’s something you can do to change your past, you have to accept what’s happened in your life. If you do find that you’re frequently haunted by regrets or always worrying about tomorrow, it might be smart to speak to a trained counselor who can help you move on.

Mindful living is one simple way to improve your life. Try to spend a week focused on mindful living and see how your thoughts change.

Stop Living on Autopilot

Susan was driving her daughter to a playdate with a friend from school. She spent most of the drive thinking about the fight she just had with a friend. When she arrived at her destination, she realized she was actually at the grocery store, instead of friend’s house. She quickly turned her car around and managed to her friend’s house on time.

What Susan realized at the grocery store was that she had been on “autopilot.” She wasn’t fully present in that moment. Some researchers say that the average person spends over half their time on autopilot. This isn’t an intentional way to go through life!

Phone Addiction

One common problem in our society is phone addiction. Whether you’re at the doctor’s office or at a red light, you’re constantly checking your phone for messages. You respond to text messages when you’re waiting on line at the grocery store. You dictate your to do list into your phone while you’re driving.

You’re constantly connected to your smartphone, but the fact is that you’re disconnected from the world around you – your family, friends and coworkers.

If you make a habit of eating in front of a screen, you’ll notice your empty plate but then you can’t remember what your food tasted like. Or worse, you realize that you’ve eaten more food than you thought you did. This type of disconnect between your body and mind can lead you to overeat (with regrets afterwards) and to not enjoy your meals as you should.

How to Create a Mindfulness Journal

Mindfulness is a complete body, mind, and spirit practice. Through meditation and
contemplation, you begin to remove the negative from your life as you learn to recognize it. You’ll also begin to see what is triggering you and how your body physically reacts to that triggering. One way to do this is by having a mindfulness journal.

How to Set Up and Use a Mindfulness Journal

A mindfulness journal strongly resembles what some might call a devotional journal. In
many cases, people use a scripture or quote to prompt their writing. This verse or statement gives you something to reflect on about your own life. As you write in your journal, you’ll be reflecting on this quote and giving your thoughts how it applies to you.

Many mindfulness journals are prompt based to get your mind thinking and focusing on you and your feelings about your day or whatever stress you’re experiencing in your life.

The ideal time to use a mindfulness journal is in the morning. This allows you to bring
the focus to you and keep that focus for the day. It is usually part of a meditation routine
that allows you to meditate for several minutes, write about your thoughts, and take
those thoughts with you throughout the day. It is a form of written meditation that can
help you focus and de-clutter your mind and thoughts.

Mindfulness journaling helps to declutter your thoughts. Some people really struggle with monkey mind, and mindfulness journaling is a great way to lose the mental clutter. It’s also a way of getting to know yourself once again.

Mindful Living Tips

Now that you’re familiar with what the concept of mindful living is, you’re probably wondering how to get started. Here’s a few exercises to get you started.

Savor Your Morning Drink

The sacred brew…whether’s it’s coffee, tea or a smoothie, take a pause first. Practice being present instead of mindlessly gulping while you scroll your social media feed.

Take a Nature Walk

Be fully present in your surroundings. What do you see and hear? Before you tune out on your headset, Take ten minutes to notice your environment as you walk. Walking meditation is a wonderful tool to find your focus and calm your emotions.

Mindful Coloring

Choose a coloring page that inspires you and won’t stress you out. How do the colors you have chosen make you feel? What does it feel like to move your art tools over paper? What thoughts are coming up and how do they affect you? You may want to journal some of these emotions.You might want to alternate between coloring and journaling if it helps you.

You’ll probably feel uncomfortable the first few times that you attempt to practice being mindful. This is totally normal and just means that you’re not use to living in the moment. Keep doing exercises like the ones above regularly and you’ll eventually become comfortable with the concept of living mindfully.

Is Mindfulness Christian?

For a long time I considered mindfulness meditation as something potentially scary and to be avoided. At least it was taught that way in the churches I’ve attended. But in my journey of recovery and living with chronic illness I’ve learned that mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to cope with the anxiety and stress of the conditions I live with.

The physical science is there to support it. And far from “emptying my mind” I’ve found that when I lose the mental chatter it’s easier to focus on my devotions. I consider Romans 14 to be very applicable here. If it’s not right for you, then of course don’t do it but I’ve found it immensely healing.

I finally came to an understanding that mindfulness is simply “practicing the pause.” Being totally present where I am this minute instead of racing to the next perceived destination. I’ve noticed a very distinct difference in the way I process stress now.

Mindfulness is not prayer. It is a brain exercise that can be integrated with Christianity. Dr. Gregory Bottaro

Our bodies are wonderful gifts. They talk to us all the time and tell us when they are out of balance or when certain parts need attention. When we allow space to connect with our breathing and our physicality, we allow ourselves to truly see and hear what our bodies are trying to tell us. This allows Christians more clarity and power to help nurture the container of the soul. It also provides more strength to literally help you embody your faith. Eden Kozlowski

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5 Positive Podcasts to Improve Your Mindset

March 7, 2018 by Marya 9 Comments

If you’re a person who struggles with a consistent negative mindset, don’t worry…you can turn that around with some intention. There are lots of ways that you can do this but one of the best things you can do is to fill your mind with uplifting content. Positive podcasts are a great way to improve your mindset and get yourself out of a slump.

Mindset is how you perceive the world, yourself, and the circumstances around you and how you let it impact you. Whether positive or negative, your mindset affects every aspect of your life. If you have a negative mindset, you’ll experience a host of negative side effects in your life. But if your mindset if mostly positive, you’re more likely to experience positive effects in your life.

The following podcasts will help to help challenge the way you think and start living more positively. If you live with chronic illness like I do, you probably have a lot of down time and that can get pretty depressing. But you can use this time to boost your mindset, even if you’re stuck in bed. You can also make the time to listen to positive podcasts when you’re driving, in the car line, in the doctor’s office, or when you’re resting. Be intentional about it and you’ll be surprised at how much time you can make to improve your mindset!

5 Positive Podcasts to Improve Your Mindset

The Brendon Show with Brendon Burchard

Brendon Burchard is a motivational speaker and coach. He founded both the High Performance Academy and Experts Academy. He’s also the author of several best-selling books including High Performance Habits and The Motivation Manifesto.

In 2014, he launched a podcast called The Charged Life but later changed the name to The Brendon Show. His episodes focus on what he’s learning and doing in his own life as well as tips on motivation, personal development, and more.

Tiny Leaps, Big Changes with Gregg Clunis

Gregg Clunis is an entrepreneur and coach living in New York City. He became interested in personal development when he was a teenager and began reading books on the topic. In 2015, he launched his podcast Tiny Leaps, Big Changes where he talks about wellness, motivation, and personal growth strategies. Many of his episodes are short, ranging from just a few minutes to forty minutes. So grab a few minutes when you can and listen to Gregg!

Best quote: “All big changes come from the tiny leaps you take every day.”

The Daily Boost with Scott Smith

Scott Smith spent many years working on a radio station, encouraging others. Then he discovered podcasting and decided to start motivating people online. His podcast The Daily Boost became the world’s most popular daily motivation podcast. It quickly became a full-time business that he feels blessed to run. Scott has an engaging style and a soothing voice. Every Monday, he delivers a new edition of The Daily Boost. Each episode is under 15 minutes, so they’re easy to listen to even if you’re on the go.

Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey

Do you love bulletproof coffee? I do! The creator of bulletproof coffee, Dave Asprey is a powerhouse entrepreneur and author. He started and several successful companies before he created Bulletproof Coffee, a type of coffee drink that’s flavored with butter and/or coconut oil that’s hugely popular in the keto world. Dave then went on to launch Bulletproof Radio. His podcast focuses on “biohacking” or improving your own health through smart nutrition, mindset, and biochemistry.

The Lively Show with Jess Lively

Jess Lively is an entrepreneur who launched her first business as a teenager. She created and sold her own jewelry for years before becoming a business coach and helping other entrepreneurs. In 2014, she launched The Lively Show, a weekly podcast. On the show, she covers many topics like parenting, blogging, business, and more. But the overall theme of the episodes is living intentionally and being mindful.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is an author living in New York City. When she’s not busy writing, Gretchen is podcasting. Her show is called Happier with Gretchen Rubin and it features her sister as her co-host. Together, the two inspiring women have fascinating conversations about habits, happiness, and human nature.

You can improve your mindset and experience true personal growth by filling your mind with inspiration from positive podcasts every day!

This blog contains Amazon Affiliate links

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How to Lose the Toxic Habits That Drain Your Energy

April 3, 2017 by Marya Leave a Comment

Many women struggle with debilitating fatigue on almost a daily basis. While chronic illness is often a major culprit, toxic habits can drain your energy without you even realizing it.

If you don’t know what’s causing your fatigue, it can lead to an ongoing cycle of despair and depression. These destructive thoughts can bog you down and even prevent you from actively seeking solutions to the problems that you’re struggling with.

In order to free yourself from feeling constantly drained of energy, you’ll want to consider your typical routines and habits (both physical and mental) which might be sapping your vitality.

7 Toxic Habits that Drain Your Energy

Sitting for Too Long

It might feel like you’re running around all the time but think about how much of that time is actually spent sitting…in the car, waiting for an appointment, or at your desk. It’s said that sitting is the new smoking and that sitting throughout the day for long periods of time might take years off your life expectancy. If you work at a desk job, sitting is a necessary part of your day. But at times, sitting is also a choice. If you’re sitting or laying around too much, you should remember that it only makes you more tired and can even increase the risk of lifestyle diseases and ailments.

Look for ways to bring some movement into your day. Park a little further from your destination and walk a few extra steps. Take the steps when you can. Stand up every hour or so and do some stretches at your work space.

If you live with a chronic condition as I do, you are probably sitting or lying down a good portion of the day because of your chronic illness symptoms. Unfortunately, the longer we are sitting the more the body and brain moves towards a resting state. The end result is that we feel tired and unmotivated all the time.

Even though movement can be a struggle and resting seems more appealing, I want to encourage you to make it a part of the day. It can be as simple as taking a 5 minute walk every hour or so. If you have the room and the ability, get a rebounder and bounce on it for a few minutes at a time. Try doing some simple stretching exercises…anything that gets the blood moving will help you to feel better.

Too Many Carbs and Processed Foods

Processed cereals, sugary spreads, muffins and pastries for breakfast or snacks might feel like a quick fix because these foods make your blood sugar levels increase rapidly, giving you a temporary feeling of energy.

Unfortunately this energetic feeling is only temporary and within a short time you’ll start to feel tired or even crash because the temporary fix was…only temporary.

To help moderate energy and blood sugar levels, you’ll want to eat a protein based meal every 3-4 hours with healthy carbohydrate sources. Keep simple, healthy protein sources like hard boiled eggs available in the refrigerator. Protein bars and protein drinks are great in a pinch, but your primary source of protein should be natural food sources whenever possible.

Negative Thinking

Many of us probably don’t realize it, but negative thinking including ongoing resentments, worry and an inability to let go of the past can drain the physical and mental energy from us. You might want to keep a journal or log of your thought life and see how much time this takes from your day. The very act of writing your thoughts down can be a big release and as a result, you might not spend as much time trying to hold onto them in your head.

Toxic people can be found in any area of your life including family, school and business. Unfortunately you can’t always get away from them and in that case you have to find a way to co-exist. Learn more about how to manage toxic relationships.

Stop Mindlessly Scrolling Social Media

The act of continuously scrolling through our social media feeds has become a norm in our society. But think about it…have you ever considered the mental cost of consuming vast amounts of information that’s designed to provoke you? Or considered the emotional drain of watching other people’s seemingly happy lives and comparing your life to theirs? Social media can be a great way to connect but is also incredibly draining if not managed properly. Take a few simple action steps and see how you feel. Unfollow negative people and feeds. Try to keep your feed a positive source of encouragement. Limit your time on Facebook. You might even want to remove it from your phone completely.

Destination Addiction

Many of us are constantly looking to the next item on our to-do list, what we want to do or buy next. Learning to live mindfully is a great way to break the habit of destination addiction. It simply means staying in the present moment and not continuously looking to the next thing to satisfy us. Sure we have to have a big picture plan of the future and setting appropriate goals for our lives, but learn how to live within a healthy tension of big picture thinking and staying in the moment for today.

Too Much Clutter

Most of us have too much stuff. Start getting rid of things that aren’t serving you and you’ll probably be AMAZED at how much better you begin to feel when you don’t have to manage so many things!

The causes of fatigue will vary from person to another. If you haven’t been to the doctor for awhile, it’s a good idea to schedule a checkup and get some labs done. Even if you’re living with a chronic illness and fatigue is a fact of daily life, you can still minimize these toxic habits that drain your energy even more.

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