wellness – Page 2 – Site Title

My Daily Habits

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Breakfast is a must. I usually have a light breakfast and it is pretty much the same everyday. I admit it is boring but I’m a low-energy person in the mornings so anything more than a piece of toast seems elaborate! This is what living single does to you! Gone are the large breakfasts with eggs, bacon, pancakes, toasts and sometimes an omelette. These days, simple is the name of the game. Sometimes, I might add a slice of fruit. This morning, I had papaya and it was delicious.

Shower is a must. I hate baths but showers I love. I spend a lot of time in the shower sometimes just humming to myself and sometimes doing my beauty routine but not going to go into that here. Let’s just say, I take grooming seriously.

Some days, it’s a run to the supermarket to stock up on stuff and on other days, the pet store is on my list. Chachi, the cat, goes through food like crazy and his back end does show the after-effects of too much indulging. Like he says, “Mom, I have nothing better to do!” He’s right there but he works out with me so he is healthy that way. I do meet up with friends once or twice a week just to have coffee and catch up on things and that is enough for the week!

Workouts are a must, not a day goes by without some form of workout. I’m into Pilates now and sometimes the fusion stuff. Cardio is a must and so is yoga. Meditation is next on the list and breathing techniques are right there at the top of the list. Writing is a daily affair. Day dreaming is another must and just destressing for all its worth! Eating healthy is part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle so meal planning comes into play. I don’t spend days in advance planning but I do think about lunch and dinner when the day starts. Waiting till the last minute means I eat just about anything when hunger strikes like cheesecake! Yes, I still do have the craving for that creamy bit of nothingness and it still has a hold on me. We have a love-hate relationship going.

Getting a goodnight’s sleep is very important so I start preparing early. I have dinner at 5, yes, that’s early but after dinner, I don’t snack and I don’t eat anything else until morning rolls around. Shower comes next and it is time to get into something comfortable. The roomier the better! I do another round of meditation to get ready and then lights out at 9:30 p.m. and it’s cuddling time with the little brat, I mean with Chachi, the cat. I usually sleep through but since Chachi is crepuscular, he’s up and about, but that doesn’t really bother me.

Those are some of my daily habits. Weekends are a whole different story and you don’t want to know what those habits are!

Daily writing prompt

What are your daily habits?

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Anxiety

According to Wikipedia, it is defined as “an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events.”

Panic attacks, on the other hand, “are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a rapid, irregular heartbeat, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a sense of impending doom or loss of control.”

These are not very nice emotions but I’m sure that you’ve experienced them at some point in your life and in my case, “anxiety” visits more often than I want it to. Not to a crippling degree but when it does, I want it to leave like an unwanted visitor who is not welcomed to stay.

According to verywellmind.com, there is a simple technique to take the power away from anxiety. They call it the 333 rule. This rule is said to be a gamechanger on how to manage anxiety.

Notice three things you can see around you. Observe the objects carefully. Note the details, colors, and shapes. This process helps to shift your focus from internal anxiety to your external environment.

Listen closely. Identify three sounds you can hear. They could be loud or subtle sounds and concentrate on them. This also takes your focus away from the internal turmoil and puts it on something else.

Move three parts of your body. Roll your shoulders, wiggle your toes or just turn your head. Pay attention to the sensations caused by each movement.

Repeat all three as many times as necessary until you feel calm and collected.

If that fails, then here are some quotes to get you on the way.

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” Anne Lamott

I love this one. Unplugging in my case means going within to a place of quiet. Meditation is my go to method and breathing techniques are another way of quieting the mind and to let nirvana reign.

“Anxiety is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.” Jodi Picoult

True. You’ve got to move meaning you’ve got to do the work to get rid of anxiety. You can choose to sit still and “rock” but staying still in one spot is not going to do it. Anxiety needs action.

“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.” Mandy Hale

Taking a breath and letting go has worked but not always. The “see what happens” part scares me but it’s worth a try.

“Living with anxiety is like being followed by a voice. It knows all your insecurities and uses them against you. It gets to the point when it’s the loudest voice in the room –it’s the only one you hear.” Unknown

Shut it down, make room for the stillness to come in and take a step in the right direction, one step at a time. If all else fails, put an “out of order sign on your forehead” and retreat. Let anxiety go through you. It’ll find its way out in a little while, it always does.

LET GO OF CONTROL AND KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN.

Have an amazing day.

SPICE UP YOUR DAY!

Feeling down? Nothing’s going right? You’re in a down phase? The world’s a cruel place? Prince Charming is a no show?

You’re not alone. Give it time, work on yourself but in the meantime here are some tips to pep up your mood and get you soaring again.

MEDITATION

It’s been around for a long long time and it still works today. Just five minutes a day will quiet the mind and send those endorphins spiraling upwards. Try it. Close your eyes, go within. Take a breath, hold for 4 counts and let it out for six. Watch the transformation take place. You’ve got to keep at it to reap the benefits.

NATURE

It is my all-time favorite activity. Nature soothes, nature calms and it teaches how to give those stress hormones a run for the money. Just 10 minutes a day should do it. You’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle anything the world throws your way. A cup of coffee later and I’m raring to go!

GRATITUDE

This is an important mood booster. Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It has the power to change your mindset and to take you from the glass is half empty to the glass is all kinds of full! Try it. Think of three things you are grateful for right now. Not that bad is it?

LAUGHTER

Find something to laugh about everyday. It has been said, laughter is the best medicine. It really is. I watch standup comedies or funny movies to boost my mood and to release stress. Laughter also strengthens the immune system and releases cortisol and adrenaline, two main stress hormones. Chronic stress puts your health at risk so laugh it away. Aim for a dose of laughter each day.

JOURNALING

It is “the practice of regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and reflections.” This is my way of getting my pent up emotions out in the open. Believe me, it’s a miracle worker and once you get them out, you do feel a lot lighter. Write it down, get it out, do the dance and set it free! It’s a definite pep me up!

SMILE

This one comes naturally to me. I smile a lot. Just having a smile on your face tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy and it releases the “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These are needed in your arsenal to add to your overall well-being. So, SMILE for all you’re worth!

Just a few tips to rev up your mood. These methods work for me and I hope it does for you as well.

“Be so positive that negative people don’t want to be near you.”

I say, “Aye, aye Captain!”

Have an amazing day.

The Benefits of Meditation

“Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.” Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

An important quote that speaks to the importance of quieting the mental chatter that runs rampant in our daily lives. Meditation takes us back to the quiet within. It is a practice that tames the mind and one that gives us access to deeper wisdom and intuition.

In Buddhism, “meditation is a core practice that involves training the mind to achieve a state of calmness, clarity, and insight, ultimately leading towards enlightenment and liberation from suffering.”

It has been said that the Buddha meditated for 49 days under the Bodhi tree to gain enlightenment, however, we don’t have to take it to that extreme to reap the benefits. Starting out with 10 minutes a day helps to quiet some of the chatter. I do 30 minutes a day. Find a quiet space, sit down with legs crossed, if that is next to impossible, you can sit with legs outstretched. Close your eyes and go within. Concentrating on the Third Eye Chakra helps to keep unwanted thoughts at bay. They will enter, it’s only normal, acknowledge and let go. Where’s the Third Eye Chakra? It is located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows. It is said to regulate sleep and some say it has “the ability to see beyond the physical realm and access deeper levels of consciousness.”

All fine and good but my goal is to quiet the mind, give it respite from the constant chatter and to smack it down from the constant negative self-talk as well. Meditation has helped me to do just that. Combine meditation with deep breathing and you have a sleep-inducer of the highest order! Take a deep breath to the count of four and release to the count of six or eight. It works wonders. Don’t get agitated if your mind does hoops and refuses to settle down, given time it will. Patience is required so don’t give up too quickly. I started out with 10 minutes of meditation and have worked my way to 30 minutes a day. It is doable.

“Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there.” Deepak Chopra

AND

“The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts, it’s to stop letting them control you.” Unknown

Have an amazing day

Unwinding After a Demanding Day

Those high-pressurized days are over with. I’ve taken time off to concentrate on writing and I have all the time in the world to work on what I’m working on. No more churning out articles to meet deadlines and all the pressure that comes with it. These days the only form of stress that comes my way is dealing with what needs to be fixed around the house, Chachi, the cat’s demands, and stress of my own making!

So if that happens my go to method of unwinding is to take a walk in the garden which is geared for relaxation. It has a whimsical quality about it and just watching the butterflies fleeting from flower to flower is soothing and calming. Listening to the birds is something that helps me unwind as well. The bedroom is an oasis for relaxation and it is kept dark and cool. I never have the heat on in the bedroom, I like it cold with lots of blankets! Sometimes listening to music helps but nothing jarring. It has to be soft and mood inducing. If that fails, stand-up comedy helps to bring out the laughter and this definitely does the job of soothing a frazzled nerve.

Meditation and yoga are two of my current methods of winding down for the evening. I’ve always turned to yoga but took a break after hurting myself doing a pretzel move! No more twisting and turning or headstands for that matter. These days I listen to my body so 30 minutes of slow languid moves helps to tone the body, calm the mind and to restore the soul. Meditation and deep breathing combined are major when it comes to getting ready for bed. It never fails to calm my mind and to put it to bed. Not always an easy thing to do since my mind has a mind of its own!

Daily writing prompt

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

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The Most Fun Way to Exercise

I think anything is fun if you enjoy doing it. I love walking and I walk almost everyday and what makes it fun is that I am surrounded by nature which is an added bonus. I am not only getting fit but I find peace and calm while I’m doing it.

Yoga is another go to method of getting fit. I can do this beautiful fitness routine in the privacy of my home and that makes it fun. Chachi, the cat, joins me most days and sometimes doing the Downward Dog pose gets challenging with him running in and out and some days I burst out laughing and we wind up cuddling. I think that was his goal all along. 😉

Cardio and weight training is a must. I say a “must” because in my mind it is. I am a fitness fanatic and I workout seven days a week. I’ve been told to back off and take a break but it goes in one ear and out the other. Workouts keep me energized and those cheesecakes I keep talking about don’t have a chance of adding a pound or two meaning I am where I should be weight-wise but it takes effort and focus to keep it going day in and day out.

I love working out so whatever I do to keep fit is fun and I don’t need props or anything else to make it fun. However, I love having Little Chachi as my trainer or rather he thinks he is. Some days he sits on the bed and watches me and when there is a break, I reach over and plant kisses on his forehead and that is his reward for staying out of my way. He loves it and it makes working out fun.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

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My Morning Ritual

I don’t jump out of bed although the cat alarm clock starts going off at around 5:30 in the morning. Chachi, the cat, has had enough of this thing called sleeping and he is ready to go. He sits patiently on the bedside table and taps me on the forehead with one paw. If that doesn’t work, he runs one paw gently down the length of my hair! And if that doesn’t work, he gives it his all. He thumps me on the forehead again not too gently this time and lets out a HUGE sigh!

I spend the next few minutes cuddling up with little furball. He gets lots of kisses and hugs which sends his purring out of the stratosphere! He loves cuddling but only for a few minutes at a time. Then it is time to get out of bed and me looking like death warmed over (just kidding) I head to the bathroom and he waits outside huffing and puffing. Patience is not his strong suit.

Time for my first cup of coffee and my usual breakfast. One slice of toast with some fruit. Occasionally scrambled eggs are added but that is too much work in the mornings so I do the least amount of work possible. I head back upstairs, turn on the TV to see what havoc Trump has unleashed on the world. One thing is for sure, there are never-ending stories of a regime that has gone rogue but no surprises there. The only thing is we’ll have to put up with it for the next four years.

After breakfast, it is time to get ready for the day but before that I look to see what the Daily Prompt is about today. It gets my brain going. Shower comes next and after getting dressed I head downstairs. Some days I meditate but most days it is shoes on and off for a walk. I love being outdoors when no one is around. Sometimes I tell myself I have claustrophobia but it is all in my mind just as hypocondriac is. That’s my daily routine, I might throw in a workout or two but most days the routine stays the same, nothing earth-shattering but it gets me going.

Daily writing prompt

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

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Good Vibes (Archives)

“One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”

Dictionary.com defines good vibes as a “slang phrase for the positive feelings given off by a person, place or situation.” When good vibes are present you feel positive emotions or rather you radiate trust, love and kindness to those around you.

“A kind word, a genuine smile, and a warm gesture can send the best vibes.” Unknown

I can agree with the genuine smile part. Sharing smiles is a part of my DNA and if we share eye-contact, a smile is the first thing you’ll see before we even exchange a word. There is nothing wrong with sharing a smile with strangers. Who knows you might have changed their day for the better and it didn’t cost you anything to do so.

However, today ‘good vibes’ was the furthest thing on my mind. Something didn’t go quite right yesterday and it triggered an emotional response which filled me with agitation and that is putting it mildly. Afterwards, I wanted to make it right but I had to give it time so I tossed and turned all night and woke up with a big chip on my shoulder and not quite ready to blow it off. I have to keep moving to stop the overthinking I told myself. I put on my old sweats, the rattiest I could find to exaggerate how I was feeling, bundled my hair on my head and looking like a nightmare, I decided to do a thorough cleaning of the bedroom especially when I could see the dust bunnies grinning at me daring me to touch them. I got all the necessary stuff ready and a big bowl of water to wipe everything clean. Good vibes at this point was nowhere to be seen! Cleaning was and is not my favorite chore but it was one way to drown out my mind so I got ready to tackle the impossible. Just as I was getting ready to start, Chachi the cat walks in, takes one look at the big bowl of water and looks at me as if to say, “What’s the pool doing in the middle of the room mom?” That was enough to light up my eyes, put a smile on my face and to bring the good vibes rushing back in. Just an example of how little it takes to change the mood in an instant if only you’re ready and willing to let it.

“Let it go. Change the channel. Turn it off. Unsubscribe. Unfriend. Unfollow. Mute. Block. Walk away. Breathe.” Unknown

The day took off on a better note afterwards and I had a clean bedroom to boot. The problem was still there but it didn’t need to fill my whole day and neither did it have the power to destroy my mood, my day and my good vibes. Here are some rules, there are seven of them to help you to get your energy back, to bring oomph back into your life and more than that to put that smile back on your face. It did on mine.

7 RULES of LIFE

Make peace with your past so it won’t disturb your future.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

The person in charge of your happiness is you.

Don’t compare your life to others. Comparison is the thief of joy.

Time heals almost everything. Give it time.

Stop thinking so much. It’s alright not to know all the answers.

SMILE. You don’t own all the problems in the world.

So for today, GOOD VIBES ONLY!

Have an amazing day.

Activities I Love!

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There are three activities that I have come to love in my search for peace and serenity. They are walking, workouts and meditation.

These three things have helped to forge a way out of situations I find myself in and they have helped to bring a sense of cohesiveness to my life. It didn’t happen overnight, it took time and a certain mindset to keep at getting better.

Walking is my go to when I need to clear my mind of all negative thoughts and just 2o minutes out in nature helps me to do just that. It is free and all it takes is to get out there and see what remedies “nature” in its all-knowing wisdom has to offer if you are willing to listen that is. It may seem like a mindless activity but it is not.

Working out is a daily companion. I work out seven days a week and I don’t stick to one thing. It gets boring that way. I switch it around. Some days it is cardio, some days weight training, some days Pilates and some days Yoga. Whatever I choose to do, Chachi, the cat, is right there working alongside! More like standing right in front of me and waiting to be picked up and kisses rained down on him! That’s his allure to working out. It works just fine for the both of us.

Meditation, well I can’t live without it. It is a big part of my day and one that helps to center and to bring calm into my life. It also helps the “monkey” I call my brain to take a seat and to be quiet for a while.

These are activities that are part and parcel of my life. Simple things, non-materialistic but I find Nirvana in them and they will continue to be a part of my existence.

Daily writing prompt

What activities do you lose yourself in?

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Stay Calm, Stay Focused (Archives)

Staying calm and focused when your mind tells you otherwise is normal. It is human nature. My mind goes haywire and jumps around like a monkey when I’m stressed or I have to concentrate on what is before me and what needs to get done. Oftentimes I need to take a step back, go within myself to find the strength in silence and to focus on what I need to do to move on. It doesn’t always work but it does work if I stay focused.

“The ability to remain calm and focused on what truly matters is a superpower.” Unknown

Be like the tree that has weathered many storms and is still standing. It takes practice and a certain kind of mindset to weather a storm, any storm. If you’ve never worked a day in your life and the time has come to find a job, to get independent and to stand on your own two feet, you tend to lose focus because the unknown is formidable. However, with each fall you take, you gain the strength and the know how to get back up and to keep moving. Time, focus, calm and lots of practice makes it possible and soon you will be standing like that tree, strong and unshakeable in any storm. Breathe and keep moving. Standing still is never the answer.

“Breathe darling. This is just a chapter. It’s not your whole story.” S. C. Lourie

Stay focused but not on the wrong things. I can’t do this is not one of them. This is way too scary is not one of them. The ‘monster’ is too hard to slay is not one of them. Focus on finding the positive within the negative. Be prepared to put one foot in front of the other but whatever you do, do not take the easy way out or rather the coward’s way out and give up. It is easy to give up but much harder to step into an unknown arena and to win the day. YOU CAN DO THIS!

“Sometimes you need to slow down, remain calm, and simply let life happen. Take a deep breathe and focus on the simple important things: you are alive, you are breathing, you are enough as you are. You got this.” Unknown

Finally, tell the monkey in your brain that keeps dragging you all over the place with no end in sight to take a hike! Breathe, calm yourself down and stay focused on what you need to do to make it. YOU’VE GOT THIS!

Have an amazing day.