Press Pause
You don’t have to keep going and going until you collapse. Everybody needs a break at some point.
In this post you will find information on trying new things, going outside your comfort zone, and other types of self-care that will help you relax, regroup, and reenergize.
Taking time to take care of yourself benefits everyone. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Don’t forget to press pause on your life to allow time for your cup to refill!
What is one new activity you want to try?
When most people are asked this question, they start thinking about big things like sky diving, learning a new language, or climbing Mount Everest. But the activity you choose doesn't have to be that big.
You can choose to paint a rock, learn to crochet, try your hand at writing a poem, or just learn a new breathing technique. The possibilities are endless!
Take a minute to think about this. If you could try something new right now, what would you want it to be?
It could be as simple as smiling at everyone you meet or driving a different way to work in the morning.
Or it could be a big project like traveling to all the state parks in a certain state.
Whatever you decide, just try to do something new every day.
Why is this important?
Trying new things:
Expands your mind,
Gives you a feeling of accomplishment, and
Helps you to focus on having fun instead of your problems.
Everybody needs a break from their problems - even if it’s only five minutes every day.
If you try something new every day, this gives you 365 opportunities to do new activities. What will you choose today?
"Do one thing every day that scares you."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
Do something that scares you?
You know Halloween is coming, but why should you focus on doing things that scare you?
Sometimes you have to move out of your comfort zone in order to grow. It can be thrilling to try new things - especially when you aren't sure what the outcome will be.
I'm not talking about haunted houses or diving off a cliff (although it could be that, too).
What I'm talking about is:
Trying that new recipe that you saw on YouTube, or
Taking on the responsibility of caring for a new type of plant.
Those are small risks that would be easy to take every day.
How could you grow from doing daily activities?
First of all, if you're doing them every day, you become a little more adventurous and learn that some of the scariest things could be your new favorite.
You are learning something new and expanding both your mind and your experiences.
Learning and experimenting become habits that stay with you throughout your entire life.
Allowing yourself to have fun every day improves your mood and benefits everyone around you.
Get started today. What is the first thing you're going to try?
New Adventures
You have seen all the self-help posts circulating the last few years.
You know that you need to let go and have more fun.
You understand the importance of taking care of your mind, your body, and your spirit.
You may have even seen my posts about doing something new every day.
You would like to try all of these ideas and see if they help you, but you have no clue what new things to try or even how to get started.
Let's see how I can help with that.
First of all, you have already gotten started by deciding that you want to try to do something new every day. But, the trick is to stop thinking about it and get started.
Pick something you have always wanted to try and just do it. Sitting here worrying about the details isn't helping. All that's doing is prolonging your procrastination.
The next thing is to figure out what you want to do.
It may be helpful to have a list prepared and ready to go. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Go to a new coffee shop. Don't worry about whether or not they have your favorite type of coffee - you can always try a new one.
Take a walk in a neighboring neighborhood. Sometimes you just need to see new things.
Try a new recipe from an ethnic background that you've never had before.
Learn a new breathing technique or yoga pose. It's always good to have new tools in your toolbelt.
Write a letter to your favorite author. Who knows, she may just send you a letter, too. How cool would that be!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. It's up to you to get started and to have fun with it!
Enjoy your new adventures!
Nutrition is Important!
Nutrition is a big part of self care.
No, I'm not going to give you a big speech about what you should and should not put into your body. You are capable of figuring out if something is good for you or not. Everybody has their own dietary needs and, therefore, it's your responsibility to make sure you are eating the right foods for you.
What I am going to do is give you a recipe for a:
Self-Care Smoothie
A handful of strawberries - and self love.
Strawberries are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. They help you lower your blood pressure, increase your HDL (the good cholesterol), and can even guard against cancer.
Self love is an important aspect of this recipe because when you make something with love, that love spreads from you to every aspect of your life.
One kiwi - and an ounce of creativity.
Kiwi is full of antioxidants and vitamin C. They help with your digestive health and immunity.
Creativity is an important thing to bring to the table because it opens your, expands your knowledge base, and gives you an outlet for the feelings that have been trapped in your body.
One banana - and a sprinkle of kindness.
Bananas have high levels of B6 that are know to help reduce swelling, strengthen the nervous system and aid in weight loss.
But don't forget to add the kindness because everyone could use an extra dose to brighten their day.
A drizzle of honey - mixed with compassion.
Honey has been known to reduce inflammation, treat coughs, and promote wound healing.
Compassion is important to help you lower your blood pressure and calms most situations.
A top up of milk - and some mindfulness.
Milk is packed with nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. It's an excellent source of protein and may prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures.
The mindfulness is important because it helps you to become focused and aware of what's going on in your body and the world around you.
Some extra ice - and a spoon full of support.
Ice is important because it s, after all, a smoothie! Ice is made of water and helps you to stay hydrated.
Don't forget that spoon full of support, though. Having people who believe in you and are there to cheer you on or lift you up can give you the strength you need to try new things and have amazing new adventures!
Blend - and consume often!
This is the most important step of the process. It helps you to become healthy both mentally and physically. For best results, do this as much as you possibly can!
Rock Your Routines
Self-care is a very broad term that could mean anything - like taking care of your mind, your body, or your spirit. You hear this term almost everywhere now. But are you actually practicing self-care for yourself?
You do have routines that you follow (even if you aren't a "routine" person.)
You get up in the morning (probably around the same time).
You have a certain way that you start your morning - brushing teeth, getting dressed, eating, and all the things you made into a habit that you may not even realize you are doing.
Yes, this is a routine.
The one thing I added to my routine every morning is journaling.
I understand that you're probably thinking that you just don’t have time to journal in the morning. I resisted it at first, too. And then I discovered a group who made journaling an essential part of the morning routine.
This is what I learned:
Writing in a journal every morning was a way to get old thoughts out of my head so that I could focus on what was happening today.
Getting those thoughts out of my head left me so much room to make decisions and remember important things.
I could write about any situation (even if it only happened in my head) and then let it go. Yep, I could move on to better thoughts and have more rewarding experiences!
Some of these thoughts came from out of the blue. I didn't even know I was thinking about them. It was so freeing just to let it go and move past them.
If you want to journal, you will make time to journal. Not having enough time is not a reason not to journal - it's an excuse.
How to journal?
Grab a notebook and a pen.
Find a place to sit down and
Just start writing in the notebook. Let the words flow from your brain, through the pen, and onto the paper.
Don't edit it.
Don't question it.
Just write it and let it go.
Journal at least three pages.
I found that the first page and a half were usually my to do list, complaints, or just mindless rambling.
But once you get to the 1 1/2 page mark of the journal entry, that's when you start getting to the things that really matter.
You can write more - especially if you're on a roll. But for the best results, try to write at least three pages.
Journaling Is Healing!
Journaling can be so healing and should be done at least once every day!
Although it is freeing to write whatever flows from your head, through your pen, and onto the page, sometimes you just want to answer a question or have some sort of prompt to help you write something different.
Fill out the form below and download your FREE copy of 60 Journal Prompts and you will be able to get started journaling right now!
You will be glad you did!
Have a healthy and pain-free day!
