Self Care

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.

How to Get Moving to Manage Stress and Anxiety

We all know that physical exercise is an essential part of maintaining good health. However, exercise is also a great way to improve mental health. In fact, exercise is one of the best natural stress busters around. Getting in an intense workout to release tension and get those feel-good endorphins pumping through your body is a great way to manage stress and anxiety. But if you’re new to the idea of exercise and the idea of working out makes you cringe, I encourage you to give it a good try. Once you see how much a good workout can help to relieve stress, you’ll be far more motivated to make it an ongoing habit.

Is Exercise Good for Stress and Anxiety?

A good workout releases endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that function as natural painkillers. Endorphins are an immediate mood booster and not only that, they also help you sleep better! A good night’s sleep will also reduce stress and improve anxiety. Exercise will energize and refresh your body, leaving you feeling great during your workout and afterwards. Feeling better all around will help to reduce the physiological and psychological symptoms of anxiety.

Anxiety can quickly consume your thoughts and without intervention, can lead to panic attacks.. Engaging in physical activity that you find both challenging and enjoyable is a great way to get distracted from obsessive, harmful thinking. You’re literally burning the anxiety away. While your body is working, your mind gets a rest as you focus on something else besides what you’re worrying about.

How to Choose the Right Workout For You

Now, you’ll want to be sure to pick an exercise that you enjoy and isn’t a chore, or it might make your anxiety even worse. We all look at the perfectly toned bodies on social media and think that we need to do CrossFit to achieve that level of fitness. If CrossFit is your thing, then go for it. But if you hate the very idea of it, you don’t have to do it. Find what you love and makes you feel good! It might be as simple as a walk, gardening, a swim in the pool, or some gentle yoga. Do you you can and don’t compare yourself others. Good exercise is simply about getting your heart pumping and your mind off worries.

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive equipment to get started. Give a boost to your everyday activities and you’ll feel much healthier. Anything that you do during the day can be an opportunity to strengthen your mind and body. Set a simple goal of more physical activity will help you to feel more accomplished and boost your confidence. These are both really beneficial at kicking anxiety to the curb, since most anxiety is rooted in inner conflict.

Walking Outside

A walk outside is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. It helps promotes more neural activity in the brain. It is believed that blue skies help to relax the brain. The fresh air that the brain receives from outside promotes circulation, which can increase your cognitive abilities.

If you’re just starting out, put on a pair of sneakers and just go for a walk. Walking is a simple workout that’s accessible to most people. It’s low impact and you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment or special training to do it. Just get out there and do it. Start out with a simple stroll around the block after dinner. It can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be. After a few weeks you’ll be up to longer walks, picking up the pace, or even tackling a small hill.

Health Benefits of Hiking

We could all stand to get outside more. Hiking is a fantastic cardio workout that can be adapted to any fitness level. It lowers your risk of heart disease, and can help to improve your blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Not only that, but as a weight bearing exercise it will boost bone density and increase strength in your core, glutes, quads, hamstrings and hips which are essential to optimum mobility as we age.

Yoga for Stress Relief

Yoga and meditation are enormously popular and with good reason. They help to heal and relax mind, body and spirit. A regular yoga practice will also help you to incorporate breathing exercises (pranayama) that you can use any time of the day. Breathing exercises are a fantastic way to reduce stress and anxiety and you can use them no matter where you are! When the body releases stress hormones, the parasympathetic nervous systems activatesm which results in rapid breathing. When you get your breathing under control, it will go a long way to alleviating stress and anxiety.

Yoga will also help you to feel more grounded and confident, which you can then take with you into every area of your life. Any yoga practice will help you to develop those important core muscles. Improving the core muscles will naturally give you better posture, which will help you to project confidence.

There’s lots of great free yoga on YouTube. These are a few of my favorites:

Sleepy Santosha (for chronic illness)

Caroline Williams (worried about Christian yoga? Read why I practice without guilt!)

Yoga With Adriene (fun!)

Yin Yoga with Kassandra (yin is one of the most relaxing forms of yoga you can do…check it out!)

Weight lifting

Weight lifting can increase the production of testosterone. This hormone is known to inhibit the production of cortisol and regulate hormonal levels. The body also releases a surge of endorphins during a vigorous exercise. Weight lifting tones and improves physique. This can also help to improve self confidence for many women. It’s particularly important for women as we age to keep our bones and connective tissue strong, so that we can continue with daily tasks of living.

You don’t have to go to the gym to incorporate weights into your life. I like to use light weights during walk aerobics and a resistance band. That helps me to stay relatively toned. Do I look like a CrossFitter? No…but that’s okay!

How to Stay Motivated to Exercise

As I mentioned earlier, the most important thing is to find something that you love and that is realistic to your lifestyle. Then, start to visualize the results that you want, like improved overall physical and mental health. Doing this will help to carry you through on the days that you struggle with the idea of getting yourself moving.

If you’re having a rough or busy day, remember that a little bit of movement is better than none. A simple stretches, a walk around the yard with your dogs or even parking a little further away from the store still count as healthy movement.

6 Simple Morning Routines to Start Your Day

At the beginning of the New Year or when spring arrives, we often think about resetting our body and life. The best way to begin a new and healthier lifestyle is to begin an intentional morning routine. That first hour can make all the difference in your mindset, focus and energy levels throughout the day.

Morning routines set the tone for the rest of your day. Think about what you need to do to get ready for work, your family out the door and what you need to do for your own self care. If you begin each day in a state of panic, overwhelmed by your to-do list and running out of the house late, then the rest of your daily will likely be chaotic as well.

Set a Morning Intention

While it may be tempting to check your phone the minute you get up, this is never a great way to start the day. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the news drama of the day and lost track of your good intentions. Use your first minutes to listen to calming music, read some devotional literature or poetry. It will fill your mind with positive thoughts that will sustain you throughout the day.

Start a Morning Journal Routine

Try setting your alarm 20-30 minutes before you need to get up. You can use this time to yourself to get up slowly and participate in activities like journaling that are just for you. Sit quietly and write in your journal, whether it is a gratitude journal, you are writing what you plan to do that day, or simply try stream of consciousness writing.

Try Some Gentle Yoga

Another excellent practice for your morning routine is to do yoga or another relaxing physical activity. By getting your body moving in the morning, you naturally increase your energy and get some mood-boosting endorphins going as well. Morning exercise lots of physical and mental benefits, even from getting it out of the way (so you don’t need to worry about it later!) to boosting your metabolism for the remainder of the day. Get up a just little earlier to have time for yoga, Pilates, or just a brisk walk around your neighborhood. If you’re super groggy when you get up, take 5 or 10 minutes to do some yoga right in bed. You’ll be amazed at how much more grounded you feel.

Herbal Tea for a Body Reset

If you enjoy a nice cup of tea, why not try one that is not only delicious, but can help heal your body and mind as well? Instead of starting the day with a hard caffeine jolt, try some gentle rejuvenating tea such as green tea, rooibos tea or matcha tea.

Start Your Day with a Green Juice

Getting healthy nutrients into your body is another aspect of having a healthy morning routine. When fresh produce is in season, it’s a great time for juicing, especially with a green juice or green smoothie. You can easily incorporate your favorite fruits and healthy greens like kale, spinach and broccoli. You can even add additional herbs and spices for more vitamins and minerals and boost your energy without needing half a pot of copy.

When you start your day on a healthy note, you’re far more likely to continue with your good intentions throughout the day.

Bulletproof Coffee

Being honest here, while I love the idea of a healthy start with herbal tea or green juice in the morning, I need caffeine when I get up. Bulletproof coffee is a great way to get a healthy energy boost without adding sugar or processed creamers. It’s simple to make with grass fed butter and MCT oil. I like to add some collagen for its nutritional benefits.

I’m not suggesting that you do all of these at once! Try one idea out at first and see how it changes your attitude and outlook for that day. Later on, you can always add more.

5 Tips to Overcome Negative Thinking

Low self-esteem is the major cause of negative thinking. Negative thinking can lower your self esteem even further creating a vicious cycle where you’re constantly feeling bad about yourself.

But the good news is that you don’t have to stay in this rut. You can overcome the vicious cycle of negative thinking and low self esteem. When you’re able to overcome negative thinking, your self esteem will naturally improve. You’ll boost your self confidence and feel far more optimistic about your life, no matter what you might be going through.

If you’re ready to break the cycle of negativity, you need to understand these essential truths.

Recognize Negative Thinking Patterns

Your actions always begin with your thoughts. If you think you’re hopelessly overweight and destined to stay that way, then it doesn’t matter how many diet books you buy or blogs you read, you’re still going to struggle. The fact is that you’ll stay overweight because you haven’t changed your mindset.

If you want to change something in your life, you’ll have to change your thoughts first. Instead of thinking that you’re destined to be overweight, work on changing your thinking. Try saying to yourself that you’re in control of what you eat and how much. Doing this changes the story you’re telling yourself. You just went from the victim in this story to the victor.

Change Your Mental Outlook

You are the only one with the power to change your mental soundtrack. Just because you have some negative thoughts doesn’t mean you have to listen to them. You alone have the power to change your focus.

Instead of concentrating on the terrible day you had, start thinking about a simple pleasure – a serendipity – that you’ve been anticipating like getting to change into your yoga pants or flannel pants tonight or hearing your son’s laughter during a silly bedtime game. By focusing on what’s positive, you’re teaching yourself to let go of negative thoughts.

Remember Garbage In, Garbage Out

It’s hard to stay positive if you’re constantly consuming negative information. Watch your social media consumption. If you really want to change your negative self-talk, then you have to focus on consuming good stuff. You want to read and watch content that lifts you up. Not only will you feel better, you’ll notice that your self-talk is more optimistic when you focus on the good.

Practice Mindfulness

Stay aware of your present environment and what’s going on around you, whether you’re at home, at work or out running errands. It can be very easy to get sidetracked by negative thoughts if you don’t stay present. If you’ve found your mind going off on auto pilot, take a minute to focus on your breath and refocus. No judgment, just regroup.

Practice Positive Affirmations

What you say about yourself will become your truth. That’s why it’s really helpful to practice positive affirmations every day. Begin by looking in the mirror and telling yourself something like “I’m in charge of how I feel today and I choose happiness.” When you speak these positive affirmations out loud, they’ll begin to affect how you talk to yourself and how you live out your life.

Everyone struggles with negative thinking at some point in their life. The important thing to remember is not to beat yourself up when you’re in a mental rut. Accept that you had a negative thought, then just push it away and replace it with a positive one.

No matter how ingrained your negative thinking patterns might be, you can overcome it. Think of it as building new mental muscles. It will be hard at first but just like any other good habit or intention, it will become ingrained if you stay with it.

10 Symptoms of Stress You Should Know

Stress really isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually a natural process designed to protect or at the very least prepare us for imminent danger. Stress is what helps us run from threats or push through chaotic situations. But it’s important to recognize the symptoms of stress because they can sneak up on you without your being awareness of it. We get used to that feeling of constantly being over worked and over stimulated.

In small doses and for a short time, stress is a good thing. It becomes a problem when we are totally stressed out and it’s constant. Chronic stress is what causes things like adrenal fatigue, high blood pressure, belly fat and heart disease.

If you have a constant wired, tense feeling, more than likely you are stressed out.

Many times we don’t even realize just how stressed out we are until something major happens and our body then forces us to slow down. Don’t let it get that far. Learn to recognize the early signs you are stressed out. Learn to control the stress, work on reducing the stressful situation, and most importantly make time to rest and relax so you can recover from the unavoidable stress and pressure life throws at you.

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” – Khalil Gibran

10 Symptoms of Stress

A general feeling of anxiety and feeling unwell.
Trouble sleeping.
Lack of concentration and focus.
Mindless eating and snacking throughout the day. (Sweet and salty foods are particularly appealing!)
Needing a nightly glass of wine or beer to unwind.
Feeling overwhelmed.
Hair loss
Compromised immunity.
Depression and loneliness.
GI symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea.

The problem is that these symptoms of being stressed can stress us out even more. We may respond by pushing harder, which makes us feel even worse.

What Happens To Your Body When You’re Stressed?

Stress may cause emotional distress such as depression and anxiety. Not only that, but you may start having physical issues in your body. You may even notice certain issues that are more long-term problems from ongoing stress in your life. Here are some ways that stress affects your entire body and a few relaxation techniques to help you manage stress more effectively.

Ongoing Tension and Pain

One of the most common ways that stress can affect your entire body is by causing tension. This tension may show up in your muscles, neck, and other mysterious aches and pains. The tension can lead to chronic pain as well. This pain can be in the form of severe headaches or body aches that require medication to heal. If you have ongoing stress and tension, you may find yourself experiencing issues related to inflammation and even serious body issues like Fibromyalgia.

Eating Disorders

When some people are stressed they may experience eating issues that lead to severe eating disorders. You may find yourself binge eating. Or you might even find yourself experiencing so much stress that you can’t keep food down. This can lead to an emotional and mental connection that drives you towards anorexia or other related issues. Learning to live more mindfully and and developing strategies to reduce anxiety is one of the best ways to manage disordered eatings. (If disordered eating is making your life unmanageable, please seek professional help.)

Heart Issues

Another thing to consider is stress can affect your heart over time. Unchecked stress can lead to high blood pressure. When this happens you can experience shortness of breath and possibly even stroke or heart attack if it is ongoing and happens often. If your blood pressure or stress are out of control, it’s essential that you seek professional help right away in addition to stress management techniques.

You will find that as you remove stress from your daily life, you will start to find the long term effects will reduce. To remove them completely, you will need to focus on each aspect and work to make sure that your stress does not get to a level that the long term issues rise again. Regular exercise routine, meditation, and healthy eating can all help with this.

Stress Management Techniques

The only way to break the cycle of being stressed out all the time is to address THE problem… the stress.

We can do this by making a conscious effort to cut (or reduce) stress, learning simple relaxation techniques, and learning to give ourselves the time and rest that we need to recover.

Limit caffeine.
Don’t drink to relieve stress. Alcohol will likely make things worse.
Increase physical activity
Try meditation
Talk to a friend
Keep a journal or try adult coloring
Improve your time management
Know when to say no.
Take a day trip out in nature.
Join my 30 day stress reduction challenge for easy to implement, actionable tips to reduce stress in your life!

In this life, we’re all going to experience stress. Unchecked it can contribute to poor health.We can’t always control everything. But we can control how we respond to it.

You can’t always control what goes on outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.” – Wayne Dyer

Do You Need a Social Media Detox?

With so much going on in the world, many of us feel we have a responsibility to stay up to date on world events that can potentially impact our families. But consuming a steady stream of sensationalized headlines and political conflicts can leave us feeling overwhelmed with social media overload.

Sometimes I find myself missing the “old days” when we read the newspaper in the morning and just watched the evening news later in the day. Now there’s a 24 hour news cycle of news stories, headlines and images that are carefully designed to make us react!

The next time you’re consuming media content, whether you’re scrolling through your Facebook feed or watching the news, be aware of how each story is impacting you. What kinds of stories are you drawn to? Now think about what impact they’re having on you.

Do you feel discouraged or depressed after you close the browser tab? Mark Manson states the following in his excellent article In the Future, Our Attention Will Be Sold:

Social networks are the business model of the attention economy. They are wholly dependent on eyeballs and clicks to make all of their revenue. To do this, they design algorithms that show you the most interesting and attention-grabbing information available in your social network. If your newsfeed was full of the boring and drab day-to-day stuff, you’d stop looking at it. So instead, Facebook shows you the most extreme occurrences in your social network for the simple reason that the extreme events draw the most attention.

This has drastic effects not only on our perceptions of society as a whole, but also on how we perceive our personal lives.

Why Is Information Overload a Problem?

Have you ever started a new project and tried to learn ALL the information to the point that it feels like your brain might explode? That’s what information overload feels like, and it’s a daily reality for most people due to fast access to information from social media. Information overload be the cause of a number of stress related symptoms such as: * Headache * Stress * Moodiness * Overweight * Cardiovascular issues Not only that, but it often causes problems in relationships with family, friends and colleagues. When you post something that stirs up contention, that’s what will come back to you. If you struggle with information overload, remember that it’s an intentional choice you make to be connected all day. You don’t have to watch all the news and all the talk shows to stay current.

Don’t Go Down the Rabbit Trail

Anytime you want to learn something new, it’s incredibly tempting to start gathering tons of information. And with multiple platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and all the rest, it’s easy to get sucked into the due to the social media mob mentality and wander down the rabbit trail of never ending information. After awhile you don’t even recognize what’s good information and what’s bad.

Overload Leads to Poor Information Filtering

When you are bombarded with nonstop information and news headlines,, your brain can’t filter and process it all properly.. Your brain starts to generalize all information as being the same, instead of filtering information in terms of importance. This is makes wise decision making a real problem.

It Also Leads to Black and White Thinking

The older I get, the more I realize that the world is not black and white. The world is colorful, black, white, gray and everything in between and more. The same can be said for a lot of issues. There are very few issues that are either right or wrong, black or white. There are always many perspectives to consider.

If you have too much information at your fingertips and are rating everything the same, it’s easy to see things as black and white, which can make it hard to negotiate a happy life and successful business. And if you filter your newsfeed to read only the stories and opinions that you agree with, that only worsens black and white thinking.

Does Social Media Affect Your Health?

Social media addiction can lead some people to experience mental problems such as short-term memory issues and even depression. If you find that you’re just feeling mixed up a lot, forget appointments and aren’t doing your best in real life such as home or work, you probably want to consider information overload as a potential culprit.

The impact of social media addiction affects all of us. Families have forgotten how to talk to each other. People are wrecking their cars due to not being able to turn away from looking at their text messages. Many people are overwhelmed, unfocused and stressed out from the 24/7 news cycle and endless notifications.

But Can Social Media Help You?

For me, social media used positively can be a good thing but I’m learning how to implement boundaries. As a special needs mom with chronic illness and a woman in recovery, it’s easy for me to feel depressed and isolated at times and social media offers a great place to connect with old friends and those who share my interests.

Not only that, but it helps me to stay current with disability advocacy issues. But when I find myself using it to procrastinate about other things that I really should be doing, numb out or if I feel depressed after getting online, it’s time to reevaluate how I’m using it.

Learning how to practice mindfulness in my social media consumption has been really helpful. I’ve learned how to implement boundaries. For example, in 2008 when I first got my Facebook account, I got into a few stupid arguments that placed a strain on real life relationships.

I don’t always want to know my friends’ political leanings but I’ve had to learn to live and let live. I very rarely comment on public threads or memes that I know are designed to provoke. I hide people from the news feed who constantly post stories that are triggering. I do try to stay informed on what’s important but don’t get sucked into everything.

How to Stop Wasting Time on Social Media

If you’re not ready for a detox, learning to use social media mindfully can help reduce the screen time that may be stressing you out. Here’s a few suggestions:

Check in twice a day at set times. It’s a good idea to avoid it completely before lunchtime. Checking into your accounts with your morning coffee will cloud your productivity and getting caught up in the day’s drama will cause you to lose focus.

Focus on what matters most. If you’re a blogger or online business owner, when it comes to doing tasks on social media, money-making tasks should come first, then relationship building, then personal activities. If you focus on just whatever is in front of you when you check your social media, you’ll get sucked in. Develop a plan of attack.

Outsource. Find someone to help you with social media if you’re using it for business. There are many social media managers who are good at helping you do the job properly. If that’s not your main money-making activity, let someone else do it. (Shameless promo: I’m a virtual assistant and can help you lighten your social media load. Learn more here!)

Turn off notifications. If you use Facebook for business, turn off the notifications so that you’re not tempted to respond every time one of your friends posts something. If you’re a member of Facebook groups (which certainly serve their purpose) turn off the notifications and mindfully check in once a day.

Give yourself a set time limit for scrolling. 10 or 15 minutes tops is a good boundary to set.

Unfollow the people who stress you out. Seriously, even if it’s a family member. For me, I don’t need to know people’s politics or what crazy conspiracy theories they’re into. And I don’t have time to watch dozens of videos. You can always check in periodically so that they don’t think you’re completely ignoring them.

Be honest. Many times being busy feels good. It feels like you’re doing something and accomplishing something. But, the truth is, not all activities that make you busy are productive.It’s important that you develop the ability to be honest with yourself about why you’re really on the phone.

Be mindful. Whereever you are and whomever you’re with, be fully present with them. Practice the presence instead of being distracted by your phone. And when you do get online, take note of how you’re feeling first.

Do You Really Need a Social Media Detox?

For those of us who work online, doing a social media detox isn’t terribly practical. But if it’s a non-essential activity for you, you feel like you might be addicted and you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, doing a detox would be a really good thing for your mental health. Take the apps off your phone and tablet. You just might be surprised at how much better you feel!

Remember, if you’re already feeling stressed, anxious or depressed, it’s probably a good idea to do something else for awhile..something physical and tangible like going for a walk, journaling to get out of your head. If you’re looking to numb yourself, remember than social media can be abused just like any other substance like alcohol or food. And when you’re using it for the wrong reasons, chances are you’ll feel even worse afterwards.

The Amazing 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 ubiquitous 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 you 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

10 Natural Gift Ideas for Moms #selfcare

Giving and receiving thoughtful gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. As a mom with chronic illness, I appreciate natural gifts in to help me in my never ending quest of a natural and healthier lifestyle to reduce my toxic overload. 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. While I’ve used and enjoyed some of the oils from the “big” companies, Plant Therapy is an affordable and highly rated essential oil company that you can easily 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. (My favorite is 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

I’m not anti-doctor, but over the years I have learned to treat simple health troubles at home which minimizes trips to the doctor and antibiotic overuse.

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

On the worst of days there’s nothing like jumping in the shower or bath with some great products. You can never go wrong with a spa gift set for some pampering!

10. All Things Coffee!

I’m probably not supposed to drink too much coffee, but alas, I do. It’s my remaining drug of choice and I see it as a form of self care *snort*. I always love a good coffee accessory set!

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Natural Gift Ideas for Women