Self Care

Health Benefits of Mindful Coloring

You’ve probably noticed that coloring books have been a thing right now, and an extremely popular one at that. Coloring seems like the perfect antidote to our stressed digital lives. It takes us back to a simpler time. There are many health and psychological benefits of coloring.

When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was hide away in my room and sketch and draw for hours. With no digital distractions, it was easy to get lost in it. But as I grew older, I grew dissatisfied with my work and never felt like it was good enough. To make things worse, I tried to get into an specialized art school but didn’t make it, and I stopped after that. However in my midlife years, I’ve begun to take it up again.

Mindful coloring is really a very simple concept. It is the art of coloring while practicing mindfulness. Being mindful is all about being in the moment, being engaged and involved in what’s going on around you. Unfortunately, mindfulness has become a lost art in our day with the ubitquous presence of cell phones along with social media and a 24 hour news cycle. We sadly miss out on the basic pleasures and simple joys of life because we’re so busy multitasking.

Have you heard of the amygdala? If not, you’ve certainly heard of a fight or flight response. This is what happens when you’re overwhelmed, overworked, and anxious. It gets worked up and leaves you feeling panicked. Coloring can help to calm the amygdala, which can help you focus on a more positive life experience.

Coloring is a no-stress creative outlet that anyone can do with just a few inexpensive supplies.

How is Coloring Mindful?

Mindful coloring is great for stress reduction. Think about it..when you’re busy coloring, you’re just doing one thing. More than likely, you just want to focus on coloring and not check your phone, do housework or watch TV. As you focus on one thing, you’ll clear your mind of everything as you pick colors and focus on what you’re doing.

Mindful Coloring Can Be A Teaching Tool

Coloring is a form of mindfulness meditation. The simple act of coloring can teach your to create better habits in other parts of your life. Mindful coloring allows you to learn to clear the junk out of your mind and focus on the task at hand, the act of coloring. And as you learn to focus and be mindful while coloring, you’ll learn beneficial tool to practice mindfulness in every area of your life.

Mindful Coloring Relieves Stress

One of the biggest benefits of mindful coloring is the way it relaxes you. You’re no longer focused on all the things that overwhelm and worry you. You’re focusing on something simple and childlike and it greatly reduces whatever’s troubling you. One of the big reasons for the popularity of coloring books is that it’s a great way to calm down and find focus.

Coloring is beneficial for anyone. It isn’t just for kids! Once you realize how beneficial mindful coloring is, you’ll return to it for stress relief, as a creative outlet and simple meditation. Coloring can be a great part of your self care toolbox, but if you live with serious mood disorders, please seek the help of a competent professional.

How to Get Started With Mindful Coloring

There’s so many options available not it can be a little overwhelming. And if you don’t like coloring mandalas, there’s lots of options to choose from that are completely adaptable to your skill and mobility needs. Don’t think you’re limited to just coloring mandalas. There are dozens books on almost every theme imaginable. Here’s a few ideas to get you started!

Coloring Supplies for Adult Coloring Books

There’s no rules for adult coloring. Don’t be afraid to experiment and feel free to color outside of the lines! Two of the most popular options are colored pencils and markers. Each one has its own advantage.

With colored pencils, you can change the intensity of the color by varying the amount of pressure you put on the pencil, which gives you more control over how your coloring page will appear.

Markers can give your picture an intense, vibrant look. They’re also a faster way to color, if you’re low on time or energy. However,they don’t allow you to vary your hue. So if you want to color a flower several different shades of pink, you’ll have some difficulty with that. And you’ll also have to check any new coloring books you buy to ensure your markers aren’t ‘bleeding’ onto the next page.

But don’t be afraid to experiment with coloring tools that are out of the box. Some people really using gel pens to color, while other people might prefer to use a box of crayons. Try out a few options and see what you strikes you as the most fun.

How to Choose a Color Palette for Adult Coloring Books

If you’ve ever become frustrated with how your pages come out, try working with color palettes to give your adult coloring books a more uniform look. You can find inspiration for color palettes in nature or around your home. Any time you’re out, if you see a color pattern that inspires you, just take a quick picture of it. For online inspiration, you can do a Pinterest search of color palettes, this inspirational brand palette guide from Canva, Design Seeds, or Color Collective.

The Best Coloring Books for Adults

There is science to support coloring for adults, and even Crayola is excited about the social trend. The brand now carries markers, colored pencils and their own label of Coloring Escapes for grown-ups.

With the explosion of adult coloring, the subject matter of coloring pages for adults is almost infinite. Look for what motivates you and helps to express what you might be thinking…even your darkest thoughts or edgy humor. Nobody has to see it but you!

Still Coloring Book Picks

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6 Creative Ways to Practice Self Care

In May of last year I had my hair, nails and feet all done at the same time. For the first time in 29 years. And I felt GUILTY about it. Guilty about being selfish, wasting money, feeling frivolous, feeling like I was the only mom at the homeschool group with her nails done.

But the truth is I needed the mental lift. After months of distressing GI symptoms which led to my ulcerative colitis diagnosis and subsequent messy ER visit, I needed to feel pretty again.

Months of focusing on crap and GI bleeding can do that to you!

Because I knew that things waere going to be crazy with end of the year & graduation activities, I had them done one more time, inwardly wincing at the expense. I’m glad I did it. I can’t justify the ongoing expense all the time, but I’ll definitely do it again when I can!

Sometimes as women we just need to do things like this for ourselves. It isn’t selfish to fill your own cup first.

I wrote previously about this at Why Self Care Is Not Selfish

6 Creative Ways to Practice Self Care

This is what practicing self care looks for me right now. Use it as a jumping off point for your own self care practice.

Daily Bible Reading – I’ve been a Christian since 1988 and still have not read the Bible all the way through. I’m using a plan from YouVersion and have committed to reading it through. I did stumble a bit during the past month (I was in Leviticus…) but picked it back up again. I’m going through some life transitions and uncertainties right now and need to keep my focus on God.

Daily Movement – I alternate between yoga and gentle cardio workouts. Because of my condition, I can’t do anything like bootcamp workouts, CrossFit or get to a gym. Much as I’d like a “ripped” look it isn’t realistic right now for where I am. And that’s going to have to be okay. Self care means if I need a day of restorative movement or even just stretches in bed, so be it.

Daily Creativity – Back in the olden days before motherhood, the Internet and All The Things, I loved to lose myself in art. I lost track of that part of myself and am trying to pick it up again, even if it’s just coloring at the end of the day. I think I’ve become so used to communicating electronically that I’ve lost sight of the sensory peace that comes with doing something tactile.

Daily Mindfulness – I really love the Calm app and use it every day. Sometimes for the 10 minute meditation and sometimes for body scans. If I have trouble sleeping, I listen to one of the sleep stories and have no trouble falling asleep again. Practicing the pause and keeping my head where my feet are is an essential way for me to stay focused and reduce stress.

Daily Nutrition – Following my diagnosis, I went on the SCD Diet, a grain free protocol for people with autoimmune, IBD and other disorders. I’m a NYC foodie at heart and this has been tough. I stayed on it for a month and then fell away for a few days, causing my symptoms to flare again. I’d really like to keep my colon if I can so I printed out some SCD meal plans that I had and started following them.

Daily Decluttering – All the stuff around me causes stress. We have two decades worth of stuff that we’re still weeding out. Going forward I want to live as minimally and simplistically as my crazy life will allow.

Other Self Care Strategies

Begin a gratitude practice. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Before you go to bed at night count down 10 things that you’re grateful for. It can be completely basic, like having a roof over your head and enough to eat. Practiced on a regular basis, this will help to transform your mindset.

Enjoy the little things. No matter where you are, be fully present. The magic is there, you just have to calm the mental noise down. Maybe it’s listening to your child laugh, hugging your dog, getting outside to watch the sun go down. Having a date night with your partner.

Take 5 minutes out. When life gets overwhelming, step away from it. Simply focus on your breath for a few minutes, then grab a big cup of ice water and see if you don’t feel better.

How Will You Practice Self Care?

I just gave you a few examples of how I’m going to fill my cup going forward. I’m a special needs mom with chronic illness, and a sober one at that. Self care is absolutely critical for me so that I don’t succumb to depression and anxiety.

Your idea of filling your cup may look completely than mine. So if you’re able to get to a spa or a massage, then go for it! Maybe for you, spiritual reading looks like 12 step literature, or following your favorite author on Facebook. Or maybe you can handle those hard workouts.

Do some quiet inventory and determine what you need to fill your cup. It doesn’t have to look like mine or anybody else’s. Find what works for you.

Just remember this…self care isn’t selfish. Take care of yourself. It’s okay and very necessary to fill your cup so you can be the person you want to be for your family, friends and community.

Self Care Tips to Beat the Winter Blues

Every year around this time of year the sky grows darker and the air gets colder. For many people, depression sets in. It’s a condition commonly known as SAD. Winter depression can be severe and debilitating. If you suffer from winter depression, be encouraged that there are positive steps you can take to beat the winter blues. Read on to learn how to manage your winter depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder and Winter Blues

The long, cold and dark winter season causes many people to feel down in the dumps. The degree to which they feel depressed varies widely. Some may experience full-blown depression while others simply seem to have the mild case of the blues. Most people assume they have Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. This isn’t always true. The treatment for SAD and the winter blues is quite different.

If you struggle with depression during the winter months, it can be tough. Finding the right treatment and diagnosis is key.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder is also referred to as SAD. It is not the winter blues. It affects people on a regular basis. Each fall and winter, as the sky grows colder and darker, people begin to experience this heavy sense of depression.

Symptoms of SAD include but are not limited to:

* Depression
* Feelings of hopelessness
* Anxiety
* Social withdrawal
* Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
* Appetite changes and weight gain
* Difficulty concentrating and focusing
* Lack of energy and difficulty sleeping

If these symptoms persist for more than a few days and consistently every year, you probably have SAD. It’s important to see your doctor and get properly diagnosed.

Because SAD is often caused by lower levels of melatonin and serotonin, treatment for SAD may include

* Light therapy
* Medications
* Home therapy

Self care including dietary changes, yoga, meditation and supplementation that have been shown to improve SAD.

Winter Blues

The winter blues is just as common as SAD. The difference is that the winter blues doesn’t last as long and may not show up like clockwork like SAD does when the seasons change. The winter blues often happen when a person is feeling down for a couple of days. Many times getting out and socializing, exercising and making a few dietary changes can help you to kick the winter blues to the curb.

There’s nothing wrong with you. Many people experience an occasional bout of the blues. And the winter is a common time for it to creep up. The sky is dark. The air is cold. People donít get as much fresh air and sunshine as they need.

Fun Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Scandinavian countries have a long and intense winter. They understand the importance of Hygge, which is is a great way to make your home cozier and boost your spirits. Little touches around your home can make a big difference. In fact, something as simple as a cheerful photo or a splash of color can change your perspective. During the winter months it can be difficult to think positively. Try some these simple tricks to lighten the mood.

Paint. Color can have a big impact on your mood. Cheerful colors like yellow, orange and purple can make you smile. Soft blues and greens can instill a sense of calm. You don’t have to go crazy and paint your entire home. Simply paint a wall or two in your favorite room.

Add flowers. Flowers always brighten any room and mood. Add a pretty bouquet of your favorite flowers to a table. Be sure you can see them when you enter the room. Daisies and bouquets of mixed flowers are generally inexpensive and can last a long time on your table. You might even consider joining a flower of the month club so this delightful splash of color comes to you on a monthly basis.

Accessorize. Add some pretty throw pillows or a new area rug to add fresh color to a room. Many people change their home decor to complement the season. You can add some brightly-colored items during the winter months to add some cheer to your home. Find colors that make you smile and feel good. A little bit of cheer can go a long way during the gray winter days.

Candles. Candles are a great way to create a dozy atmosphere. They provide more than aroma and light therapy. They come in every size, color and shape imaginable. You can add whimsy to your home and soften the mood while also adding color. Candles can brighten a room and your day. Look for candles that come in invigorating citrus scents and bright colors.

Photos, paintings and decorations. Find some colorful pictures to display or hang on your wall. It can be anything from a photo of a loved one or a piece of modern art. You’ll want to choose something that makes you smile. Try creating a collage of family photos and mounting them on a colorful background. You can frame this with a store-bought frame to create instant cheer.

Exercise to Beat the Winter Blues

You probably know that exercise can alleviate depression. Getting outside and exercising gets your heart pumping and improves circulation, giving you a nice mood boost. It also gives you the fresh air and sunshine your body craves.

If you absolutely can’t get outside, exercising indoors can help too.

Take a daily walk. Unless the weather is unsafe due to ice or extreme temperatures, there’s lots of value to good some old-fashioned fresh air and sunshine. The sunshine stimulates production of vitamin D which improves mood. Sunshine also helps your body manage stress. Taking a daily walk gets your body moving without the pressure of fitness performance. Aim to walk for twenty to thirty minutes a day.

Stretch. Yoga and other mindful exercise are a fantastic way to improve your mood and get the blood flowing. They also helps you become mindful and focused, as they pull you into the present moment. Instead of worrying about tomorrow or regretting yesterday, you’re in the now and as a result, you can feel calm, in control, and centered.

Dance and play. Adults often forget how to play. Focusing on life’s responsibilities they forget about joy and laughter. Find an activity that you love, that makes you laugh or brings joy. Consider dance, martial arts, jumping rope or even riding your bicycle. You might even want to take walk in the snow or build a snowman1

Run or jog. Running is a fantastic calorie burner and it’s great for improving your fitness. Almost anyone can do it. And it doesn’t have to be about performance, speed and distance. You can simply embrace the sport as a fitness jogger. If you’re new to running, combine it with periods of walking. The goal is to help boost your mental and physical health.

Swim. One of the reasons we can become down during the winter is because it’s perpetually cold and gray. Join a swim club or find a gym with a pool. The warm water and the bright lights will help you feel better. If swimming laps isn’t your thing, join a water aerobics or Zumba class. It’s great fun to laugh and boost your fitness at the same time.

Sometimes a person just needs a little extra help to beat the winter blues. Simply changing your environment and brightening your home can help. Make your home a place that makes you smile. Surround yourself with color and cheer. Think about the activities you did as a child. What made you feel good? Get outside and have a snowball fight. Go sledding. Climb a tree. Get in the kitchen and try a new recipe.

And remember, you’re not alone in this!

10 Thoughtful Natural Gift Ideas for Women

Giving and receiving thoughtful gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I’ve gathered some thoughtful, natural gift ideas for women who need some self care in their lives. If your family doesn’t know what to get you, just put some of these on your Amazon wish list!

1. Dry Skin Brushing Set

Dry skin brushing is a great way to exfoliate the skin while also relieving stress and anxiety as well as detoxing.

2. Essential Oils Set For Stress Relief

Essential oils are a fantastic way to boost your health for mind, body & spirit. Plant Therapy is an affordable and highly rated essential oil company that you can purchase through Amazon.

3. Home Workout Set

It can be tough for busy women to carve out time to get to the gym. But there’s so many ways to workout at home now and maintain your fitness! Give these a look!

4. Yoga Set

I love, love, LOVE all things yoga! Here’s some recommendations to create a restorative practice. (I’ve recommended the Manduka which is pricey, but if you’re committed to yoga for the long term you’ll want this. It’s the last one you’ll have to get for a long time.) And running a diffuser during your practice is heavenly! I’ve been using the VicTsing diffuser for a while & it’s stood the test of time, unlike many that stopped working after a few months.

5. Juicing Gift Basket

This is actually going to be on my gift list. While I use and love my Vitamix, the juice is pulpy and I think I need a stand alone juicer to get the veggies in on the days I can’t tolerate the bulk of vegetables.

6. Natural Herbs Gift Ideas

Planting your own herbs is a great way to save money and boost your health.

7. DIY Home Remedies Kit

Learn how to treat simple health troubles at home.

8. DIY Kit For Homemade Detoxing Products

Hopefully you’re staying on track with your health goals through the holidays, but we’re all human. Many people like to use the New Year to detox from over indulgence. Here’s some ideas to get you started.

9. Spa Gifts

You can never go wrong with a spa gift set for some pampering!

10. All Things Coconut!

Coconut in all its forms is incredibly healing and rejuvenating.

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How to Create a Gratitude Mindset

Having an attitude of gratitude means that you make it a daily intention to express thankfulness in every part of your life. Gratitude is essential to staying in the now. And it’s good for you. Gratitude can help to relieve stress, reduce anxiety and depression, and decrease overall chronic pain levels. Read on to learn how to create a gratitude mindset no matter where you are in life right now.

Why Gratitude is Important

Gratitude Relieves Stress. It’s hard to be both stressed out and grateful at the same time. While you can’t always choose your circumstances, you can choose a positive in the midst of it by practicing gratitude every day.

Gratitude Focuses You. In our technology and social media driven society, it’s very easy to to look at what others have and feel like we don’t measure up. Maybe you’re on disability and struggling to make ends meet. Or maybe your friends get to take fabulous vacations every year. Or you look at the carefully curated social updates on your feed and think that everybody has a great life except for you.

But when you embrace gratitude, it helps you to stay in the present and focus on the most important things in life, such as your family, friends, pets and community. Remember, your relationships matter far more than any material thing you might want.

Gratitude Energizes You. Without gratitude, it’s easy to slip into the victim mindset. You tell yourself things like, “I’m just destined to be a loser. I can’t have an amazing life. I’ve never had it easy, so why should I expect anything to change?”

Gratitude empowers you. Instead of being the victim in the story, you become the hero. You write the ending. You’re one who overcomes the odds to build a fulfilling life.

More Positive Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude is so much more than a mood booster. It can transform every aspect of your life if you’ll allow it to. Here’s some ways that gratitude can help to improve all of your relationships.

Gratitude Heals. In long term relationships, it’s easy to focus on what your spouse is doing wrong or how you feel your friend is never there for you. But harboring these types of attitudes can create a negative loop of thoughts. Maybe you think your husband is lazy. And you keep letting him know. But the more you tell him this, the less he tries. This can set a negative pattern that goes on for months.

Instead of focusing on what others should or shouldn’t doing, think about how they care for you and what you love about them. And then let them know. For example, you might say to yourself, “Yes, my husband just plops on the couch when he gets home from work. But he works so hard to provide for our family and I’m so thankful for that.”

Gratitude Strengthens. You may not realize it but when you’re grateful, it shows up in your relationships. For example, if you’re grateful for your husband, you’re likely to demonstrate this without even realizing it. You take the time to listen to listen to him and make the time to do enjoyable activities together.

When you express gratitude in your relationships, the other person feels valued and heard. As a result, they want to bless you, too. Often, this creates a continuous cycle of generosity that contributes to positive feelings on both sides.

So let your loved ones know how much you appreciate them. You can do this by thanking them for something they’ve done or who they are. For example, you might thank a friend for bringing you cookies after surgery. But you could also thank her for being so thoughtful when you were in the middle of a difficult time.

Relationships are precious and irreplaceable. Spend some intentional time letting a loved one know you care.

How to Create a Gratitude Mindset

A gratitude journal will not change whatever’s going on in your life, but what it can do is to alter your life perspective. A gratitude journal is a worthy investment of intentional time and effort. A gratitude journal is simply a space to record what you are thankful for.

By simply writing down the things that you’re grateful for, positive energy is fostered and increased. While the mundane and unpleasant aspects of life will still exist, they may become dim in the light of a heightened awareness of goodness and wonder. Keeping a gratitude journal can make life burdens feel lighter, or at least more balanced.

If you’re on a mission to start journaling this year, a gratitude journal is a great place to start. With this type of journal, you can write as much or as little as you want every day, use any type of notebook, and just write down what you are grateful for.

Gratitude journals are simple by their very design and are often quicker to write in than full out personal journals. If you don’t have time to write out a full journal entry, just scribbling down some quick thanks is perfect. When you are feeling depressed or are having trouble seeing the light, go back and read your previous entries and gain a new perspective on all that is right with your life, both past and present.

7 Survival Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress

The holiday season can be a great opportunity to spend time with family and friends and celebrate. While the holidays can be a joyous time the reality is that for many, holidays are stressful and can cause anxiety. Whether it’s because of finances, family dynamics or other worries, not everyone is excited about the holidays.

The expectations of seeing family, endless social events, gift shopping, and holiday preparation can become too much for even the most dedicated extroverts. All too often, anxiety and depression can become unwelcome holiday guests. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can reduce holiday stress and mindfully enjoy the holiday season.

One of the most common reasons that the holidays become stressful is the expectation placed on families who are sometimes overextended emotionally and financially. The added burden to provide big meals, provide gifts, pay for travel and overextend the budget feels like a heavy weight. Families begin to stress out just about the time they are putting away the Halloween decorations.

Despite Hallmark Channel’s fairy-tale insistence that families all love one another and that just being together is what really counts, many families are fractured, busy and unable or unwilling to live in harmony.

Have A Simple Christmas

There’s something to be said about having a simple Christmas. It’s very possible to have a holiday season without the stress and without going all out on decorations, events, and gifts. By scaling back and focusing on the more spiritual side of this holiday, you just might find more joy this season. And as an added bonus, when you keep things simple, you have a lot more time to enjoy everything this special time of the year has to offer.

For my older readers, do you remember what Christmas time was like when you were younger? Chances are you spent the month of December looking at Christmas lights, playing board games, baking cookies and singing Christmas carols. Gifts were probably less expensive but more meaningful and homemade.

So instead of buying more decorations, sort through what you have. Keep what you love and give away the rest. The house will be less cluttered and January clean up will be much easier.

Keep your calendar light too. You don’t have to go to every. single. event. Just pick a few activities and events that you know your family will enjoy. Spend the rest of the time with quiet activities at such as making cookies, crafting and watching holiday movies.

Limit Social Media

The amount of online drama and negativity has dramatically increased with no sign of slowing down. It seems to get worse every week! It can be incredibly draining. Too much time spent scrolling and absorbing other people’s outrage never helped anyone feel any better. Not only that, if the holidays are difficult for you it can increase feelings of despair and isolation. You might want to consider putting strict boundaries on your social media time.

Your time with God has to come first. Spend the first few quiet minutes of every day in quiet devotion and prayer to help center your thoughts. I like to pray the offices to spiritually check in as the day’s stresses begin to accumulate.

Eat Well

The sugar onslaught that begins around Halloween can result in decreased immunity, meaning it’s easier for you to catch everything that’s going around. As much as you can, make healthier and intentional food choices. If/when you choose to indulge, don’t turn it into a binge that lasts into January. Begin eating healthy again at the next meal. And be sure to stay hydrated.

Keep Moving

Set aside some time for movement – whether it’s walking, gentle yoga or just getting outside for a bit, getting your blood circulating is enormously helpful. Any activity or exercise you can fit in will help reduce your stress and elevate your mood. And it will help to keep the extra holiday weight away!

Set A Budget

Admittedly, retail therapy can be great fun but not so much when you have to face the New Year with more credit card debt than you can handle. You can minimize the damage by setting a budget and sticking to it.

Know Your Limits

As a chronic illness patient, I’ve had to come to accept that I can’t do everything that I used to. I don’t bake as much as I once did, try keep the decorations minimal and try to pick just a few holiday events to try to participate in. Set the priorities that work for you and your family and then stick to them.

For some of us, holidays can be really difficult. Not everyone has a supportive extended family close by. If you’re by yourself, look for ways to serve in the community. If you’ve sick, have experienced a recent loss or are experiencing ongoing financial struggles, you might want to step away from the holidays completely. Take a road trip, go to the beach or mountains. Detach in whatever ways make sense to you.

Practice Self Care

Self-care is a conscious choice that we have to make on a daily basis not only now, but throughout the year. Take some time and create a deliberate plan of self care for yourself to make it through the holiday season. Find my winter wellness tips here.

The key to having a stress-less holiday is all about preparation and setting boundaries. Holding to a plan that allows for the fun parts of the season without setting the family up for failure is the best way to ensure that everyone has the best time possible, even if times aren’t perfect.

Dreamer Life Planner: A Self Care Journal Review

My self care practice is in a constant state of evolution. I’ve been very committed to my yoga practice for about five years now and it’s played an integral role in my rehabilitation from my diagnosis of cervical dystonia. It’s also given me unexpected mental and spiritual clarity as well. And slowly, I’m rediscovering the girl who was before life’s craziness and responsibilities took over.

As a writer, I’ve always loved anything to do with journaling but for decades now (gulp!) I couldn’t find the motivation to do it. I have several partially finished journals and even tried to do it digitally, but I couldn’t sustain a regular journaling habit.

However for the past few months I’ve begun to make some intentional time to write in a physical journal. I’m keeping it really simple for now. Many days it just looks like some scripture writing and washi tape. Sometimes I’ll journal a bit.

Dreamer Life Planner

I was recently given a copy of Dreamer Life Planner to review. The creator, Kimberly Simmons, is a busy entrepreneur who juggles a full plate of business, homeschooling, married life and caregiving responsibilities.

As I read through the introduction, I was struck by how much we had in common. We both think out of the box, are frequently overwhelmed with life and it’s entirely too easy to forget who we really are.

She remembered who she was & changed the game.

“The idea behind this planner-journal is to make you think about YOU and remember who you are and what you need. Its purpose is to make you tap into the part of you that is only for you and find a way tobring her to the surface. Love her, fall in love with her, love on her… respect her, praise her, appreciate her… show her the time of her life and never let her forget that she is awesome, she is dynamic, she is perfectly imperfect, and she is always enough! She is the best thing that ever happened to you (and the people in her life) and she will always be your best friend, she will always have your back, and she will never leave your side.

Find her again, give her the desires of her heart, make her dreams come true, and love on her in the ways only you know how.”

The planner begins with a self care assessment. You’re going to begin to remember who you really are and what you love. This is going to take some time so don’t rush through it. For once, this is going to be about you!

This is followed by a self care strategy which shows you how to begin to implement this into your life and a calendar. You’ll want to keep this calendar only for you. No family obligations!

Entrepreneurs who are struggling with vision and focus will appreciate the self assessment section. Even if you think you already know what you’re good at, go ahead and do this anyway. Don’t put limits on yourself about what you can’t do.

The Dreamer Life Planner helps you to put your dreams into actionable tasks that are right for you and your unique schedule.

I’m a big fan of journaling my brain dumps but my pages are inevitably a mess. The Dreamer Life plan has some pages to help put some structure to your brain dump chaos and will help you to move forward with some effective action, confronting your fears and stumbling blocks along the way.

I think the Dreamer Life Planner is a great resource for any woman who’s become bogged down with life’s responsibilities and who needs to discover who she is once again.

Go check it out here! <<Dreamer Life Planner>>

Small Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Health

Small lifestyle changes can add up to improve your health. Much of what we talked about in this 30 Day Self Care Challenge, and especially the quick stress busting tips might seem kind of small. And when you’re feeling very stressed out and overwhelmed, they may seem like a small drop in the budget. Doing something more radical might be tempting so that you can see faster results.

While doing something as drastic as selling your house, quitting your job, and moving across the country could certainly be an option, it’s not your only one.

All the small changes and tweaks we’ve talked about throughout this self care challenge can add up to improved health and reduced stress. They may seem small but as you become more intentional about them, your efforts will multiply to bring about real changes to your overall health.

The key is to intentionally implement them one at a time and be patient. You’ll get a little bit of stress relief every time you try something new. Even if all you can do right now is getting an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night or starting to doodle when you feel stressed out.

That small beginning will help you to start to feel better right away. And the next small change will move you yet another step in the right direction.

And before you know it, you’ve made great strides towards a more less stress and a more fulfilled life.

The first part is always the toughest. It would be lovely to simply push a button that could make our stress and worries vanish, but that’s not reality!

But you do have the capability and power in you to change your life for the better, just one step at a time. And in the end, that’s much more valuable than a quick fix.

You’ll feel so accomplished with what you’ve done! You’ll be able to enjoy the fun and relaxing lifestyle you’ve created for yourself and your family.

So go ahead start making some small lifestyle changes TODAY. Go back to that list of things you made that stress you out.

Keep working through them. As you declutter your schedule and time goes by you’ll start to see more and more opportunities to for little tweaks and changes that will improve your quality of life. You just have to be mindful of them and then implement them.

As you do this, it won’t take long before you see some positive results. It might also help to remember that you’re not only changing your own life and how you’re feeling, but also the lives of your loved ones. A more relaxed and less stressed partner, parent, and friend is a much more fun to be around than a woman who’s constantly stressed out and snapping at everyone.

5 Small Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Health TODAY

If you’re in a bad place as you’re reading this, here’s a few quick stress busting tips that you can implement right now.

Unplug. Like, right now. Anne Lamotte famously said that “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

Take 20 minutes to try something new. It could be reading a new book, meditation, doodling or just going outside for a run or walk.

Drink more water. This can’t be overstated. Many of us are chronically dehydrated and fill up on water and soda. Adequate hydration affects everything from your overall health to your moods.

Just say no. This isn’t always easy or even possible, but carefully evaluate your time commitments and your energy level before you say yes to the next thing. It’s perfectly acceptable to say no when you need to.

Practice gratitude. No matter what’s going on, there’s always something to be grateful for. It can be as simple as telling a family member that you love them and finding something beautiful in nature.

Reflect on how far you’ve come

I have one thing to ask you. Compared to where you were at the beginning of the self care challenge, how much more relaxed are you feeling as you’ve made your way through the challenge?

If you’ve been applying even just some of what I shared with you throughout, you should start to feel less stress and have a calmer, more balanced life.

What has had the biggest impact on you? What tips and ideas have you found the most helpful? Those are the posts that you want to come back to again and again.

Take a few minutes today to reflect on not only how far you’ve come, but more importantly how this simple self care challenge has influenced you to take positive steps to improve your health.

I’d love to hear what positive experiences you’ve had as a result of spending the month working on relaxing more and stressing less?

The Power of Doodling for Mental Health

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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How Hobbies Improve Mental Health

Let’s talk a bit about hobbies and doing something creative. There are so many ways hobbies improve mental health. Hobbies and other creative activities help to bring balance to your life, ease mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Plus, they help you to reduce stress and relax more. Hobbies help to bring balance to your life, and are the perfect counterpoint to what you do at work and in your day-to-day life at home.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how monotonous things can get at work and at home. There’s never ending chores and responsibilities to get through every week. It can suck the life out of you if you aren’t mindful. Then there’s the periods of high pressure and stress in between.

We need something else in our life that balances all that stress out. Unfortunately for many people the TV or tablet has taken over. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with an occasional night of TV or Netflix, it shouldn’t be your main thing. Try to find some healthy, hands on hobbies instead of mindless screen time.

Having a hobby or doing something creative is the ideal way to do this. Do you have a hobby right now? If so, now is a good time to make sure you set aside some time for it each week. When we get busy with “have to do’s” it’s easy to get out of balance and let the fun and relaxing stuff slide. Our hobbies and pastimes are often the first thing to go.

Healthy Hobby Ideas

Coloring Books. Adult coloring books are everywhere. People have rediscovered their long lost love for art, got in tune with their inner creativity and embraced a new passion.

Cooking. If you’re a person who loves to tinker in the kitchen, cooking and baking can be a wonderful hands on activity to get lost in.

Journaling is one of the best stress relieving activities that you can do. Make it fun and creative by using different pens, stickers and rubber stamps if you like.

Gardening brings many people peace. There’s nothing like getting out in nature and creating a beautiful space away from the world to help you detach from life’s stress and craziness.

Calligraphy and hand lettering. Good old fashioned paper and pen can be incredibly healing. It’s a great way to fill up your offline days and get away from technology.

Finding a Hobby That’s Right For You

If you don’t have any hobbies at all right now and your time and energy is completely absorbed by work and family, it’s time to regroup. Start by thinking about the things you used to enjoy when you were younger..like before your kids were born. Reflect on the kinds of things you liked to do when you were a kid.

Does anything that you used to do spark your interest?If it does, make the time time to rekindle your love for your long lost hobby. Maybe you used to love painting with watercolors, or you enjoyed scrapbooking or mixed media. It doesn’t matter what it was. Just get out your old supplies if you still have some, buy a few new ones and see if you still like it as much.

But if you find that you don’t enjoy your old hobbies anymore, don’t stress about it. You’ve grown as a person over the past few years and your interests may have changed. Don’t be afraid to look into something new. Browse your local craft and home improvement stores for creative inspiration. See what classes are available in your community.

Ask your friends what they’re doing. Try anything that seems interesting and see what holds your attention. It may take a little trial and error, but I’m sure you’ll find at least one past time that’s perfect for you.

Mental Health Benefits of Hobbies

Hobbies will provide you with the creative outlet and relaxation that you need to balance out your busy life. It will take some intentional effort at first, but it will soon become part of your life and you wouldn’t want to miss your creative time.

When you find it, let me know what you decided to do. I always love to hear what others find relaxing and inspiring!

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