Category: Mindfulness

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....

Join The Creative Hour

You can also join our weekly Creative Hour - Art for Self-Care. The Creative Hour is a gathering of like-minded folks to make art, take a break and add self-care to their week. No art knowledge is necessary. Click the button below to find out more.

Creative Hour: Yes, I want to know more

My Garden Is My Happy Place

6/5/2018

Spring at last in Nova Scotia.

If you are not in these parts at home you might wonder why I declare spring only now.

Spring starts for me when the first leaves come out on a particular tree in our backyard.
Today, it happened.

The first leaves are out. They are small and fragile. The lush green is so wonderful to see - again.

A sunny warm day brought me out into the garden to tackle all kinds of weed. It is a hands-on job on my knees. It is not always comfortable to hunker down like that but the smell.

The smell of the fresh earth and the green gras just make my heart sing.

I was reminded again how important it is to dig in the earth. To take in the smells, and letting long forgotten memories pass me by while doing my work.

I felt tired afterwards but also rewarded and happy.

Did you know that multiple studies have shown how playing in the dirt can have a drastic impact on our mental health?

Here is a great short article by Alanna Ketler

So get out there if you feel a bit down. If you don’t have a garden yourself go to a public garden and put your hands into the soil.

Take off your shoes and walk the ground.

Have fun playing and getting dirty. (smile)

Take good care,

Jacqueline

What is your biggest wish today?

14/1/2018

The future depends on what you do today. Mahatma Gandhi HealingForGrievingHearts.com

I hope your new year has greeted you well. A new year always brings reflection about where we have been and where we want to go.

What is your biggest wish today?

After the loss of a loved one. Your world can feel upside down. You are living a new reality that has been thrown at you and sometimes you wish that....

What is that one wish you have right now? Unfortunately you cannot bring back your old life with your loved one. So what is it?

Don’t dismiss it. (smile) Just think about if for a moment.
Feel into your heart and listen.
Perhaps it is a good idea to close your eyes to hear your inner wish better.

Now, write that wish on a piece of paper or in your journal if you have one.

Is it a wish that you feel is achievable or is it a wish that is so out there that it will take years to fulfill it?

Either way. Take that wish seriously.

Write it down.

Tomorrow look at that wish again and see if your wish has changed over night.

Does it need adjustment? If so write that change next to your wish.

Try to look at your wish every day for the next one to three weeks.
If you would like you can also visualize how your life will look like when your wish becomes reality.

Maybe your wish changes to something new over time. Or it stays the same.

By starting to acknowledge your wishes and your hopes your brain will start to function in a new way. It will start to think towards the fulfillment of that wish and start to plot and create possibilities to make it happen.

When we are grieving it is difficult for us to think of anything else than the pain and sorrow we feel. Sometimes it is good to give our brain something else to think about.

Yes, such a "distraction" can lead to new insights of your life and reality.

It is possible that your thoughts will go in the opposite direction and will tell you that you will never be able to achieve that wish. If that happens, send me an email. I am here to help you. I answer every email personally.

You might find the above recommendation a bit too simple. I understand, but still….(smile)

Just try it out for one week. Give it just seven days of attention and see if you feel a change in your attitude and well-being after that week.

If you like to share your experience; I am here for you.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

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

Can you transform your grief?

4/4/2017

Transformation Happens - Listen Quietly HealingForGrievingHearts.com

Before losing my mother, I had lost people that were close. I did understand that without them there would always be a scar on my heart. Life without them wasn’t the same anymore.

Despite all that knowledge and my training as an art therapist I thought that one day that scar wouldn’t hurt anymore. After dealing with the shock and the pain I would just move on with my life thinking of them in a loving way but without pain. Transforming all my grief.

Two weeks ago, my mother would have celebrated her 87th Birthday if she would still be with us. When the day came I couldn’t believe that despite her being dead for almost four years it was again a tough day.

I realized once more that grief is an ongoing process that will last a lifetime. Yes, it does quietly change and transform into something new but still....

These special dates can bring to the surface a mix of love and grief.

We might experience it as feelings of being ‘off’ and we are not quite sure why. Then we remember the closing in of a date or an anniversary and we feel the pain.

It is like our body has stored the memory in our cells and when the day comes closer these cells take over.

What helps me a great deal on those days are rituals and the permission that I give myself to have a good cry.

Whether you are grieving a recent loss or one from long ago, my heart goes out to you.

Take good care,
Jacqueline

Grief explained by an old man

19/8/2015

Grief is like the Ocean it comes in waves.... www.HealingForGrievingHearts.com

A beautiful story of grief, scars that deep love leaves behind, the crashing waves of sadness that overwhelm you sometimes.

We don't know where it originated and I don't know who wrote it but the following resonated deeply with me.

I share a part of it here and you can find the whole text at: http://www.tickld.com/x/old-man-explains-death-and-life-to-grieving-young-man

I'm old. What that means is that I've survived (so far) and a lot of people I've known and loved did not.

I've lost friends, best friends, acquaintances, co-workers, grandparents, mom, relatives, teachers, mentors, students, neighbors, and a host of other folks. I have no children, and I can't imagine the pain it must be to lose a child. But here's my two cents...

I wish I could say you get used to people dying. But I never did. I don't want to. It tears a hole through me whenever somebody I love dies, no matter the circumstances. But I don't want it to "not matter". I don't want it to be something that just passes. My scars are a testament to the love and the relationship that I had for and with that person. And if the scar is deep, so was the love. So be it.   Scars are a testament to life.

Scars are a testament that I can love deeply and live deeply and be cut, or even gouged, and that I can heal and continue to live and continue to love. And the scar tissue is stronger than the original flesh ever was. Scars are a testament to life. Scars are only ugly to people who can't see.

As for grief, you'll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you're drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it's some physical thing. Maybe it's a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it's a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don't even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you'll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what's going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything...and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life."... more at http://www.tickld.com/x/old-man-explains-death-and-life-to-grieving-young-man

Does this story resonate with you?
In what way?

Let me know.

<<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.

Join The Creative Hour

My Garden Is My Happy Place

What is your biggest wish today?

Can you transform your grief?

Grief explained by an old man

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.

Join The Creative Hour

My Garden Is My Happy Place

What is your biggest wish today?

Can you transform your grief?

Grief explained by an old man

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.