Mental Health Mantra 43/365 It has been a day and a half and my emotional tank is dry. The heating didn’t come on first thing so I had to navigate no heat and organise engineer, hot water, temporary heaters. It was 0 degrees here, very cold for Liverpool! Up since 3am with Luna who was really poorly with sickness and she is my baba and communicates it all with me. Ended up at the vets in the afternoon for check over. Some how, with many layers on I managed to sit down and complete this flower mantra for day 43 of 365. It is an interesting thing that I will ponder upon because it wasn’t early in the day like usual but when I could grab half an hour. Still, having done 42 images so far, it was so important to somehow grab some time to do it. I am going to take this mantra today and sing my way under the duvet *think of all you need is love* and hopefully I'll drift off listening to high frequency music. Sleep renews and reboots Love 'Art with Heart - Calm your Mind, Soothe your Soul.'
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Do you sometimes struggle with putting yourself first? It seems that if we are seen to do so, we may be seen as selfish. Funny word that 'selfish'. Self .......... ish The dictionary definition is: lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure. When I look at the Thesaurus alternatives, I'm faced with: Egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, self-centred, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking, self-serving, wrapped up in oneself; inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking, uncaring, uncharitable; mean, miserly, grasping, greedy, mercenary, acquisitive, opportunistic; informal looking after number one. My definition of selfish means 'focused on self' and certainly not all of those above. Sometimes, just sometimes, we have to put ourselves first. I am going to be itsy bitsy selfish as I take my Holiday at Home in August. That means, saying no and putting myself first. Does that make me selfish? Holidays aren't the only time I want to feel, rested, relaxed, nurtured, off radar. I want to feel this way during the year too. This past 4 years I have been calling in my core desired feelings - feelings that light me and and fill my boots. Thanks to Danielle LaPorte and The Desire Map Connected, Abundant, Creative, Radiant, Divine. Here are my 5 Ways to create your Holiday at Home 1. Make the Decision, find the time and block it out Look at your diary and find at least 5 days clear. You need to plan for this time. Mark it on the calendar, Make Space. Dedicate the time. I can't tell you how huge it is when you block out the time and not plan anything that is work related. 2. Tell Family, Friends, Colleagues, Potential Clients and Those Who Ask ... You're on holiday. When they ask where? You say, 'At Home.' It is very tempting to feel like you have to say yes to an appointment, a commitment or a work opportunity. Imagine you're going away on holiday - you would decline. You have to say the same. "Oh, that week? I'm on holiday, can we reschedule for the week of ______________" Whether you're taking 1 day, 2 or more, believe it, deserve it and let it sink in. 3. Create a holiday at home vision page. Somewhere you can see it. (I take a photo and save it as my desktop background and also have it on my phone wallpaper). I created a page in my vision book called 'Decadence'. I used to do this when I was younger, only those times I'd call them mood books. It nudged me to actually wake up and spend time finding out what I wanted for my holiday at home. How? **Think about the feeling you want to feel during your holiday time. Is it relaxed, soothed, energised. Cast your mind to previous holidays away - what feelings did they bring out in you? **Spend time with some magazines, scissors and glue stick. Go with your gut instinct, just cut out what appeals and lights you up, even if you have no clue why. Just cut. **Spend time placing it on your pages. Really look at these images, what is pulling you? No Art Instinct needed here. Just Gut instinct. This is where it begins. See what your soul is calling for your holiday at home. 4. Write down how the images make you feel. Spend a little time looking at the page you have created. Write down what those images and words mean to you? I wrote mine and here's what I wrote from looking at my vision page:
All of this from my decadent vision page. So go write down your feelings about your pages. What are the images telling you? 5. Choose With Your Heart When you look at your page and you have written out the feelings, you can begin to map out your week. The list has to make you feel excited, energised, relaxed and recharged. What can you weave into your holiday at home? Visit your own city/town/and find out what's on there. I would love to hear what's on your list. Moving into September and approaching autumn, it is important to take steps to boost your immune system. You may also be in a front facing customer service role, teaching, healing, therapy, retail - if this is you - your well-being is of the up most importance. Here are 5 ways to boost your immunity so that you feel like you're you're not dragging your heels by the time you get to January. This is just a sweet sample and by no means thorough. 1. Eat Yourself HappyWhat we eat has an impact on our immunity, we know this, yet often we struggle. Often we'll turn to something for speed. Let's consider introducing more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, pulses and good fats, such as avocados, extra virgin olive oil. Why not give yourself a try to let go of any animal protein, as well as refined sugars and saturated fat. If you're feeling a bit low in energy, a good daily multivitamin will also help to ensure your body is receiving the necessary vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Gentle Nudge: Go top up your fruit bowl and replenish that vegetable drawer. Try some cauliflower, it's a great source of fibre and potassium, which you can roast, mash or add to curries. 2. On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!During the summer we are keen to get out while it is light, and as we know autumn is approaching, we feel the move to stay indoors. But what we know for sure is that moving for 30 minutes every day will help to diminish any potential coughs and colds. It will really boost immunity. Walking is great but cardio is the best form of movement. Dancing, Running, Aerobic class, Cycling..... Gentle Nudge: Why not track a mile from your door, get out amongst the green space, create a playlist and power walk or run with your dog, they'll thank you for it. 3. Sleep EasyObviously the big issue about sleep is different for everyone. Some of us sleep well and some have difficulty. Either way, let's flip it. Think more about the time leading up to bed. Watching TV at midnight or on your computer working on an assignment is not going to boost your immune system. Pick a time to wind down of an evening, maybe from 9.30pm? Gentle Nudge: Before you go to bed, spend 30 minutes shifting the focus from what you are doing. Turn off the TV, listen to calming music, eat a few almonds as they're full of magnesium. Get yourself ready for bed, have a shower, lie on your bed and relax before turning out the light. Why not pick up a book? A good old fashioned paper book! |