Self-Care Sunday:Creating a Vision Board
Well, the first month of 2024 is coming to an end. What’s next? It’s time to start looking ahead and planning for the rest of the year. This is an amazing form of self-care. While sometimes flying by the seat of your pants is fun and exciting, having a set of goals in place can help create a sense of control and satisfaction over your life. One way to do this and get your creative juices flowing is to make a vision board.
What’s a Vision Board?
A vision board can be whatever you want it to be. They are typically a collage of images put together to encompass your vision for the year, or whatever time frame you may choose. Ask yourself questions like “what is my intention?” to help you get the vision board going. Creating a vision board can help you physically see the vision you have in your head. It brings clarity to your ideas and will aid you in setting intention. What’s not to like?
Using a vision board will help you to see your dreams in front of you and make them look attainable. If it seems silly to you, we promise it’s going to be a great tool for self-care. Physically seeing the things you want to do in a collage of images will create an emotional connection to those dreams floating around in your head and help you grasp them.
Making a Vision Board
· Creating a Physical Board
o You can make a vision board by using cut outs from magazines, print outs, anything you may have laying around that inspires you. Creating a collage of items that represent where you want to be and your intentions.
o The images don’t have to be straightforward. The board is for YOU so create it with images that symbolize your intentions and goals, don’t worry about what it would look like to anyone else.
o Hang the board somewhere that you will see it often. It will be like a subliminal message to yourself to keep working towards your goals!
· Digital Vision Board
o To create a digital board, utilize an app such as Canva. You can take your own photos and make a collage to print out for a physical board, as well.
o Having a digital copy of your board is a great way to be in your own face about making sure you’re working towards your intentions. Make it your phone background, screen saver, whatever. While you’re add it, make it your screen saved on your smart TV to remind yourself when you wake up from that Netflix nap.
To sum up this Self-Care Sunday, trying out a vision board can be a great way to help you achieve your goals. Ask yourself what’s most important this year and get it onto the page. We hope using a vision board will make a difference and help you with progress.
- Published in Self-Care Sunday
Self-Care Sunday: Get Rid of 5 Things You Don’t Use
Well, we are a few weeks into 2024, an excellent act of self-care is to declutter your space. It’s not only good for your home, but it will also be therapeutic for you.
By now you may have impulse bought some things or dug things out of storage you never got rid of. Clutter itself can be a stressor, and when we are at home staring at it all day, that feeling of stress can elevate.
So, what should you get rid of? If you have some items you’ve been hanging onto throughout the year thinking you’ll use it, and you haven’t yet, it’s probably time to let it go. In 2024 we are cleansing our minds and our spaces.
Where to Start
· Kitchen
o You probably have kitchen items that have been gathering dust and taking up space. That spiralizer you ordered at 3am because you thought you’d make zucchini noodles? If you haven’t touched it in a year, get it out of your life.
· Closet
o Purging clothes is the best way to start getting rid of things. Haven’t worn it in 6 months? Goodbye, old t-shirt!
This is just a starting point. Going through every area of your house and finding one item you don’t use anymore to get rid of should bring you to about 5 items, which is an excellent place to be in for starting the declutter process.
Benefits of Getting Rid of Things
· Concentration
o A clean and decluttered space will help you concentrate. You won’t be thinking about that item taking up a corner or continuing to debate whether to get rid of it or not. Having a space with less stuff in it will help clear your mind and keep you focused.
· Boost Your Mood
o Getting rid of the things you don’t need will help boost your mood. Being in a cluttered space can give you the feeling that you don’t have your life together. If we are going to be stuck at home all the time, we should be in a space that makes us happy and doesn’t cause us to feel bad.
· Letting go of the past
o Clearing out items you don’t need can help you to let go of the past. It’s a new year, and we are moving forward. Getting rid of the things you don’t use can symbolize letting go of the past and allow you to move on with your life. This is an incredible act of self-care.
To sum it up, this week’s self-care to do is getting rid of 5 things you don’t need. Go through each room in your house and get ready to say goodbye to items gathering dust. You’ll be able to focus better, and you’ll free up space for new items, or lighten your load towards a more minimalistic living space.
- Published in Self-Care Sunday
Self-Care Sunday: Join the Self-Hug Revolution!
Hugs provide comfort and security, and in this time of isolation we should be practicing the act of hugging ourselves for self-care. In the spirit of National Hug Day on January 21st, we have put together a list of reasons to embrace yourself. You’re living through a pandemic and you deserve a hug!
Provides a Feeling of Security
As things continue to become more uncertain as each day passes, the lack of human connection most of us are experiencing can feel elevated. It won’t be the same but wrapping your arms around yourself will help you feel comforted in a stressful time if you’re by yourself.
Improves Mood
With mood boosting, we take what we can get these days. Wrapping yourself up in your own arms is proven to help boost your mood and reduce stress just as a hug from someone else might. It’s not going to solve your problems, but it will help.
Relieves Pain
Believe it or not, hugging yourself can help relieve minor aches and pains. Crossing your arms and wrapping them around yourself can cause mixed signals that can relieve pain. Studies show it releases oxytocin which can relieve pain. When you are hugging yourself, you can give yourself a little back massage to relieve pressure points that may be neglected due to not being able to go get a massage.
How to Give Yourself a Hug
Now that we know why we should be giving ourselves a squeeze on the daily, let’s look at how to do it properly to get those benefits. It’s as easy as wrapping yourself up like you would someone else in a hug, but here are some tips for hugging yourself.
· Cross your arms across your body in a way that’s comfortable to you
· Rest your hands on your shoulders, or arms above biceps. Whichever position is available to you.
· Squeeze yourself with enough pressure for the kind of hug you wany
· Once you are in the hug, rock back and forth, stay still, lay down, do whatever makes you most comfortable.
· Give yourself a little back or neck massage if that’s something you think you’d like. This is for YOU, so do what makes you feel most comfortable!
So, are you ready to give it a try? National Hug Day is right around the corner like we said (January 21st) and it’s the perfect time to give it a go.
- Published in Self-Care Sunday
Self-Care Sunday: Journaling
Journaling doesn’t have to be a big thing to do. In fact, it’s one of the best forms of self-care you can practice. When you journal, you don’t even have to write. It can be whatever you want it to be. Writing, drawing, coloring, scribbling over and over in the same spot with your pen, really anything. Instead of being a formal practice, journaling is supposed to relax you and get your thoughts out of your head quite literally. Sometimes all we need is to have a conversation with ourselves.
· What Are You Proud Of?
o We just finished up a very challenging year. What did you do that you’re proud of? Write something down that you accomplished, and you feel amazing about.
o This can be anything. Taking a walk every day, finishing a project, getting out of bed in the morning, etc. It doesn’t have to be something huge. In 2024 we are celebrating all achievements, big or small.
· How Are You Feeling?
o Sometimes we don’t have anyone to talk to about what’s going on. Turning to your journal can be a helpful way to get everything going on in your head out so you can sort through it. If you can’t put a finger on how you’re feeling, writing it all down might help you make some sense of it. If anything, the act of physically writing it down can help you shake the feeling and quite literally get it out of your head.
· Reflecting
o Now that we are in 2024, maybe it’s time to look back on 2023, even if we know we want to pretend it never happened.
o What did you learn? Did you bring any good habits with you from quarantine? How did you feel about the whole thing? Did you learn any new coping skills that have helped you?
o Writing down thoughts on your previous experiences can show you how much you learned, even if you thought you didn’t learn anything from it. Trust me, this is a good one to try.
· Who is important to you?
o Sometimes it’s good to sit down and take stock in the people in our life. Through the pandemic, many of us faced relationship strains, whether friends, family or romantically.
o Who are the people you are still in contact with? Who do you still value? Who did you leave behind or have a fall out with?
o When we go through something extreme, such as, well, a global pandemic, people are going to come and go. Take a minute to think about who you value and why, and maybe through the process you’ll see that you are still giving time to people you shouldn’t.
We hope some of these questions help get you going with journaling. Taking time to get everything down on paper is all you need to gain perspective on things you’re thinking about. Think of journaling like talking to yourself and getting your thoughts out of your head. Put that pen to paper, and start working on your self-care!
- Published in Self-Care Sunday
Self-Care Sunday: Social Media Cleanse
As we bid farewell to the eventful journey that was 2023, let’s welcome the dawn of 2024 with open hearts and a renewed commitment to self-care. The previous year, like a rollercoaster of emotions, may have been a wild ride, but as we stand on the cusp of a new beginning, it’s time to hit the reset button and prioritize our well-being.
Reflecting on the past, one aspect that deserves our attention is the role of social media in our lives. The extended periods spent within the borders of our homes have connected us to our screens, offering glimpses into the lives of others. While social media can be a source of connection, it’s crucial to acknowledge its potential challenges. In the spirit of Marie Kondo, let’s declutter our virtual spaces, leaving behind the negativity and embracing joy in 2024.
Consider the accounts you follow – are they uplifting or detrimental to your mental well-being? If you find yourself scrolling through a celebrity’s extravagant lifestyle, fueling feelings of inadequacy, it’s time to unfollow. In the coming year, we simply don’t have room for negativity. Surround yourself with positive energy by curating a feed that brings you joy.
Similarly, resist the urge to engage with accounts that prompt judgment or criticism. As we embark on a journey of positive energy in 2024, making fun of others has no place in our online spaces. Instead, focus on accounts that inspire and uplift, fostering a sense of community and connection.
Now, as you embark on this digital detox, anticipate the benefits of unfollowing accounts that don’t contribute to your happiness. Your feed should become a tapestry of positivity – filled with the posts of friends, artists, and content that resonates with your interests. This conscious curation promises a more delightful social media experience in the coming year.
In summary, let’s reclaim social media as a realm of joy, not a pit of despair and envy. Engaging in a social media cleanse is an act of self-care, and don’t hesitate to click that unfollow button. As you declutter your digital space, you might find that, much like Marie Kondo’s philosophy, letting go brings a sense of lightness and fulfillment. Embrace the positive transformation, and let 2024 be the year of uplifting connections and personal joy.
- Published in Self-Care Sunday
