Category: Art Therapy

The different forms of self-care and how to adjust them for your life

28/11/2022

Self-care is often thought of as something we do for ourselves when we feel down or stressed. (And to be clear, self-care isn't selfish or self-indulgence.)

But what if we made self-care a regular part of our lives?

Think about it – if we took care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and mentally regularly, we would be better able to handle the ups and downs of life. We would be more resilient. And we would likely be happier overall.

So how can we make self-care a part of our lives?

Get enough sleep. Most of us need around eight hours of sleep each night. But some of us need more or less. So pay attention to how you feel after different amounts of sleep, and ensure you're getting the right amount.

Eat healthy foods. Eating nutritious foods helps our bodies to function at their best. When we're well-nourished, we have more energy and stamina, and we're better able to cope with stress.

Take breaks. When we're constantly on the go, it's essential to take a break now and then. Take a few minutes each day to relax and rejuvenate. Maybe take a hot bath, read your favourite book, or take a nature walk while connecting to your surroundings and nature's beauty. I've started to add a power nap to my day. Just 15 minutes a day lying down and closing my eyes.

Exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. And even moderate exercise can help to reduce stress levels. So find an activity you enjoy, and make it a part of your routine. I'm not fond of Gyms, so you can mostly find me on a walk in the woods or at the beach. (smile)

Connect with others. Spending time with loved ones can help reduce stress and promote positive emotions. So make time for the people who matter to you, and stay connected even when you're apart.

Making self-care a part of your life can help you to feel your best.

So start today, and see how good you can feel! Or....

The Labyrinth Leads to Centre

23/9/2022

Labyrinth - Healing For Grieving Hearts - Jacqueline Steudler

Walking a labyrinth always leads you to the centre. The centre of yourself or your soul. You choose (smile)

You never can take a wrong turn. The difference between a maze where you get tripped up by the wrong path or wall, and you have to backtrack. In a labyrinth, you move forward.

We built the labyrinth in our garden a few years back, and every year it seems to become more difficult to keep nature from taking over. We built it when I moved to Nova Scotia from Switzerland seventeen years ago. (WOW)

At the beginning of my new life, I felt lost, not knowing anyone but my spouse and his family. That wasn't always enough to keep me creative and my community-based soul happy.

Homesickness came and went. I wasn't as confident as I had been in my familiar space to go out into a world where I didn't speak the language well enough. Trust me, my then school English wasn't great for an adult conversation. (smile)

In one of those homesickness moments, I remembered my walks in a labyrinth near where I had lived in Switzerland. Yes, in the middle of the bustling city of Zurich, there is a labyrinth a bit hidden in a park. I told my spouse, and we decided to build our own.

It's much smaller than the usual labyrinths, but it's wonderful to walk to the centre early in the morning before starting my day. It's my way of meditating.

A walk in the labyrinth always helps you to find back to your centre. In a time when your emotions are taking over your life, you will find it to be a wonderful addition to calm and nurture your soul.

Don't have a backyard to build your own? No worries, I have you covered.

Even moving your fingers inside the path of a labyrinth can help you have the same benefits as walking it. I've created a short video that shows you how you can draw your own labyrinth. It's super simple. Try it!

Watch here.

Let me know if it helped you too to center and calm your soul. Also, if you have questions or can't get it to work, send me an email; I'm happy to help.

Healing Grief Takes Courage

1/7/2020

I hope you're doing well and your time (mostly) spent at home during the pandemic is a good one. I still find it sometimes tricky that I can't move as freely as before. However, I'm always happy to spend the summers at home in Nova Scotia. Glad to see that more places can open up.

It has been a while since I wrote here. Do you also feel like the pandemic time is a weird one? Time either seems to stand still, or days rush by you?

In April, I released my short-read ebook 'From Grieving to Grateful: How to Heal a Broken Heart'. Thanks to terrific reviews, it became a bestseller on Amazon Canada for three days. (hahaha)
Always fun to see those sales metrics at work. And yes, I admit that it did feel good. (smile)
Following that, I had so many ideas about how I could help more women.

I'm working towards a new offering for grieving women. I want to reach and help more on their healing journey and create a supportive community at the same time.

Just keeping you in suspense for now, but in about two to three weeks, I'm ready to talk about it more and let you in on the secret. (smile) Stay tuned.

We all know that the journey of grief is never a linear one. You and I, we have our up and downs. Some days we breathe in joy, and some days we are just deeply sad and miss our loved one so much that our heart feels like someone is squeezing it.

Be assured that I'm not here to tell you how to grief or that you shouldn't be sad or cry. Instead, I'm here to help you find your healing journey through this messy and sometimes chaotic feeling of grief.

I leave you today with a quote from a young woman that I admire deeply.

"We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage."
- Malala Yousafzai

You might be scared of your feelings sometimes. I assure you there is courage in you. And you can tease it out with love and compassion towards yourself. A good laugh with a dear friend helps too. (smile)

From my heart to yours, take good care and stay safe,
Jacqueline

PS: Do you have questions? Just press reply, and I'm happy to answer.

Are you interested in my ebook From Grieving to Grateful? Get it on Amazon. (You can download the free Kindle App on Amazon to read it on your mobile devices or desktop).

Jacqueline Steudler, Artist, Art Therapist, Creative Grief Coach, and Lover of Nature's Beauty

How to cope with Grief on Valentine's Day?

11/2/2018

Be gentle with yourself. HealingForGrievingHearts.com

Special days in your calendar can trigger your pain of loss and grief.

If you and your loved one celebrated Valentine’s Day then you know what I am talking about. It isn’t easy to see all the decorations in the stores and the flyers advertising wonderful nights out.

It is difficult to ignore the beautiful red hearts everywhere.

What do you do when the feelings of deep sadness overwhelm you?
To whom do you turn for comfort and support?
Who do you ask for help to get through another special day of fond memories and stories?
Who will help you cherish the memories of your loved one?

Yes, it is always a good idea to ask for help from your friends and family. You don’t have to pretend that everything is OK. Reach out to others to get the hug you need or a listening ear to share your stories and memories.

If you feel you don’t want to reach out to others that is OK. Take a pen and paper. Share your feelings by writing them down so that what is going on inside your broken heart becomes visible.

You can ask yourself how your loved one would want to be remembered on that day.

Is there a dish that she or he liked very much?
Did he or she have a favourite flower?

Cook the dish or order it in, buy the flowers and decorate your dining table with them. Celebrate the love you still feel. I am sure you have even better ideas.

Healing the grieving heart starts when you become pro-active. Your soul wants to express itself. Feelings and love want to be seen. Give them a voice.

What is it that you can do on Valentine’s Day that will support your healing process?

Take good care,
Jacqueline

PS: Do you want to dive into rituals as healing tools? Healing Rituals online course is here.

Announcing the Launch of Healing Rituals online course

19/11/2017

Rituals help you to connect to your heart and ease your pain.

Today, I am happy to announce the launch date of the Healing Rituals online course.

Learn to create rituals that help you cope with your unique grief
and the overwhelming feelings of pain.

The Healing Rituals course will launch on January 19, 2018.

Creating your own personal rituals to remember your loved one allows you to access and work through your grief in a safe and constructive way.

While working with several clients, I realized that I suggest rituals often and how they can help with the chaotic and overwhelming feelings of grief. I am in the process of finalizing an online course that will give you creative ideas how to create rituals that resonate with your heart, honour your loved one, and at the same time support your healing process.

Let me know if I can be of help in any way.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

<<Previous

The different forms of self-care and how to adjust them for your life

So how can we make self-care a part of our lives?

Making self-care a part of your life can help you to feel your best.

The Labyrinth Leads to Centre

Healing Grief Takes Courage

How to cope with Grief on Valentine's Day?

Announcing the Launch of Healing Rituals online course

Author

Categories

The different forms of self-care and how to adjust them for your life

​So how can we make self-care a part of our lives?

​Making self-care a part of your life can help you to feel your best.

The Labyrinth Leads to Centre

Healing Grief Takes Courage

How to cope with Grief on Valentine's Day?

Announcing the Launch of Healing Rituals online course

Author

Categories

So how can we make self-care a part of our lives?

Making self-care a part of your life can help you to feel your best.