Self Care

Awareness, Childcare, Education, Personal Development, Work

What to Do When You Feel Hopeless

October 25, 2018

Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve felt hopeless, but you keep going because there’s this one thing that is keeping you afloat? It’s this one thing you look forward to regardless of everything else that is horrible about your particular situation. Everyone goes through these dark periods in their life. Unfortunately, I’m in the tunnel right now. A tunnel with no light, but here’s what I’m doing about it. These are some of the things that help me get through disappointment and heartbreak and maybe they can help you too.

I’ve mentioned my work in several posts and how I’ve been trying to take my career in another direction. Well, I’ve been seriously thinking about life/career coaching. I’ve been researching schools, learning everything I can and making a plan. However, it’ll take about a year to become certified as a coach through the program I have picked. In the mean time, I have to keep working because bills need to be paid and food needs to be put on the table. I’ve been using the past few months to do research and have been putting a lot of effort into my blog and hadn’t given much thought to my day job other than, that I’m stuck there for now.

Recently, a new little boy joined our program. He connected with me instantly. On his first day, he started bringing blocks to me so I could help him build towers and ever since then, I’ve been his buddy. The classroom he’s in has been having a lot of ups and downs. It has been a while since they had two regular teachers in there, so I’ve been trying to help out in there as much as I can. He has special needs and requires some extra attention that he wouldn’t be getting if I didn’t take the time. I’m in and out of his room throughout the morning and he often cries and tries to leave with me.

Most of his classmates were previously in another classroom I work in, so I knew them already, but their attachment to me is stronger than ever now. I’m one of the few people who have been a constant for them. Since there was an opening in their classroom, I have been pushing to be a teacher in there. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it which was extremely disappointing. I can’t get into all the details, but there was a lot of sneaky planning and plotting going on. Finally, when a decision was made, there was literally no communication with some of us who were being effected by these changes.

I wanted this job so I could really make a difference for him and the other kids. I was planning which books I would read to them, projects we could do and fixing up the classroom routine. Talking with parents is something I struggle with, so I was planning strategies on getting to know the parents and hopefully building trust. I had it all mapped out in my head. I would take this job, make it as fun as possible for the next year and then when I’d be done with my certification, I could slowly start to build my business. With the news that they had given the job to another coworker, that came crashing down.

I didn’t know if I’d even stay for another day. In fact, I still don’t know how long I will stay, but here’s what I do know. I can still accomplish my goal. I didn’t get this job, but it wasn’t my end goal anyway. It just would’ve been a bonus. Maybe there’s a reason I didn’t get it. Maybe something bigger and better is waiting for me. If you’ve just experienced heartbreak or a major set back, here are some things to try.

Journaling

Journaling is great for getting out feelings and thoughts. You can write whatever comes to mind and sometimes you even learn something new about yourself. After you get all your crummy feelings on paper, it’s easier to let them go. If someone has hurt you, write them an unsent letter. Get those emotions out and then destroy the letter. You can also use your journal to make gratitude lists and remap your goals. If you are focusing on your future and what you are grateful for, you won’t be thinking about that thing that is making you feel like crap right this minute.

Reaching Out

Don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to someone. Whether it be friends, family or even a therapist. Sometimes, you need someone to bounce ideas off of. Maybe you want someone to empathize or just listen.Just knowing that you have someone’s undivided attention helps and of course you can return the favor when your friends or family are struggling. Let someone be there to help. You’ll feel better knowing that someone is on your side. At first, I thought no one would be on my side in this situation, but after reaching out and talking to some people, I’ve learned that others are seeing the same things I am. At first, I felt very much alone and started to wonder if I was over reacting, but others have validated my experience. If I hadn’t reached out, I would have continued feeling alone.

Get Active

Take a walk, try yoga, do a workout routine, go swimming, anything active. It will help blow off steam and is good for your overall physical and mental health. Taking a walk this weekend helped me. It was nice to just be outdoors, getting fresh air and being in nature.

Pamper Yourself

I treated myself this weekend. I made myself some yummy brownies that I shouldn’t have, but I was desperate for chocolate. I did lots of writing and spent time doing art projects with Rosebud. If you are doing things that you really enjoy, your mind is occupied and you won’t be thinking about those negative experiences. Other self care ideas include spa day, bubble bath, cooking a nice meal, shopping or whatever relaxes and re-energizes you.

I hope these tips help you pick yourself up off and dust yourself off after a huge disappointment. Try to remember that you are worthy of good things. How do you move past disappointments? Tell me in the comments. As always, thank you for reading.

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Personal Development, Self acceptance,

Why Do We Settle?

August 27, 2018

These past couple of weeks have been overwhelming, so I’ve been wondering how I can simplify my life. When I really thought about it, there were so many things that weren’t serving me. Everything from small daily annoyances to things that are life changing. This is not a vent post. This is about changing your mindset.

I’ve been having trouble with my cell service for months. I’m not sure why, but voicemails cut out or I don’t receive them until hours or days later. The majority of my calls are dropped and I usually have poor reception wherever I go. I’m not sure if it’s my location or my phone itself, but it is so annoying. My mom asked me why I don’t call the phone company to try to get to the bottom of this. Well, that’s a good question. Why am I putting up with this? Instead of getting annoyed, why not try to change my situation? I called the phone company and they updated some settings. However, the issues are not fixed completely and this time, I will be calling back. I pay for cell service each month and have insurance on my phone. As a paying customer, I deserve quality service. Why do we settle for crappy service, bad treatment or keep things that no longer are useful to us? I can’t be the only one who does this.

In January, I signed up for a payment plan for a pair of expensive glasses that scans text and reads it aloud. It’s a portable device that you can take with you to read menus, signs, price tags etc. You can also curl up on the couch with a book and it will read it to you. Apparently, these are the Goldie Locks of glasses because the lighting has to be just right. These glasses are also supposed to recognize products using a database, recognize colors of objects and even people’s faces. Unfortunately, none of these features work very well. Although the device is portable, it is still attached to a wire which is inconvenient, so I only took it to the store with me a couple of times. It was also advertised as being extremely quiet so those around you couldn’t hear it, but that wasn’t true either.

The only thing I loved about this device was that I actually was able to read an actual paper book for the first time. It was a book I ordered online. I didn’t have to change the format or alter it in any way. I just picked it up, pushed a button on the glasses and started reading. Now days, I can get most books on Kindle or Audible, but this particular one I couldn’t get in electronic format. That was in the first month of having the device. After that, I rarely used it. I purchased it in January and now we are in August. It has barely been useful to me and I kept telling myself, maybe I’ll use it later. Maybe my circumstances will change and it will become more useful.

I finally decided that this was no longer serving me. Why am I spending money on something I don’t use? Why am I keeping things that don’t work well for me? I posted it for sale on Facebook and the next day the company contacted me asking me to return it. I’m not going to get my money back, but I will no longer be throwing money away. That money could be spent on things that do make a difference in my life. I figured that there was nothing I could do until I paid it off, but the fact is, I didn’t know until I did something about it.

Too often, we get stuck in this negative mindset where we feel we can’t change things. Sometimes, I feel like it’s not worth the bother, but usually it is. If you can eliminate something that makes you angry, depresses you, places a burden on you or hurts you, it is worth the effort. Even if you have to disrupt your busy schedule or make a huge change in your life. What are the things in your life that are no longer serving you? What steps can you take right now to reduce or eliminate them?

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Awareness, Personal Development, Work

Permission to Let Go

August 26, 2018

I have felt very distracted this week. Every time I sit down to write, something gets in the way. Even now, the words are not flowing even though I am at peace with the decision I’ve made. I’m choosing to start over and follow a different path, yet again and I want to share this process with you. Especially, if there is something in your life that it’s time to let go of.

I am choosing to let go of the transcription business idea. There have been so many obstacles beyond what is normal. First, there was the discrimination which I would get no matter the field, but this was so blatant that it was even a surprise to me. Then I decided that my time, energy and effort was worth way more than 17 cents. The pitiful amount that some of these transcription companies pay their independent contractors is absolutely appalling. As one transcription group member said, “it’s highway robbery.” Finally, I took the time to apply to a third company and was so happy when I passed their test. Then when I received the daily E-mail with the work assignments, everything is in Google Sheets. While I can read the spread sheet, I can’t tell which assignments are completed and which need to be worked on. Their ways of assigning and completing work are very confusing to me. It was at that moment when I decided I was done!

As I’ve thought about this more and more, I’ve realized that this isn’t something I’m truly passionate about. If you aren’t passionate about your business, you will not succeed. I have no desire to push through all the accessibility barriers with each company I contact. I thought my grammar skills were okay until I tried brushing up on grammar and punctuation rules. I realized I want to be creating content. I don’t want to be duplicating and editing someone else’s. I don’t want to have to nitpick about commas, dashes and colons. I don’t want to transcribe phone calls where people sound like they’re under water or crappy audio with a constant buzz in the background. Most transcriptionists have multiple transcribing and sound editing software programs so that they can make the files understandable. Also, each company has a different style guide you have to memorize. For example, some companies want you to take out filler words and others prefer you leave most of them in. One company insists you type the curse words and another company requires that you use * symbols instead. Those are the simple rules, but these style guides go on for pages. The appeal of my own business is to follow my own guidelines, not everyone else’s.

The thing that drew me to transcription was the idea that I could make content accessible to people who needed it. The thing is, the people who genuinely need something transcribed shouldn’t have to pay extra for it. For example, if someone can’t hear, should they really have to pay for equal access? I don’t believe so. It’s a double edge sword. You want to provide a service and get adequately compensated for it, but then you don’t want to charge for something that should be available to them anyway. I also understand that providing access is only one part of the transcription field. Of course, I liked that I could transcribe from anywhere and have a flexible schedule.

Now, here’s the good part. On that horrible day when I decided that enough was enough, I was scheduled to talk to a life coach. I had come across her in a parenting group on Facebook a few weeks ago. She is currently getting certified, so I asked her about the process and didn’t think much about it. I had almost forgotten about the call and when I realized it was scheduled for that night, I was dreading it. I was in such a horrible mood that I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I wanted to curl up with the blankets over my head. Not to mention that I hate calling anyone I’ve never talked to before, but I made the call anyway. I knew as soon as I heard her voice that I’d like her. She shared lots of information about the program and answered my endless questions. During our call, she did a mini coaching session and when she asked what my dream career would be, my first thought was coaching. I told her that I have really struggled finding a meaningful career and that I’d like to help others to get passed their road blocks and find what excites them. It became glaringly obvious to me that transcription didn’t even pop into my mind.

The next morning, I started researching coaching schools and coming up with great ideas for a business plan. This is something I’m actually excited about and so many of the barriers that are there with transcription won’t exist in the coaching business. When I look back, the signs were all there. Physically, I was exhausted, stressed and felt low energy. I rarely had time to transcribe actual files or to practice at night. I wanted to be the best that I could be and I wasn’t able to do that. The money wasn’t there. The business counselor I was supposed to work with has been impossible to set up a meeting with. At first, my instinct was to push through, but then I started focusing on my mind and body. How was I feeling? Was I still passionate about my idea? When I really tuned into my thoughts and feelings, I knew it was time to let this go. After I did, I felt like a weight had been lifted. I had my evenings back. I could work on my blog. I could exercise. I could relax. Once I gave myself permission to let go, I felt so much better.

What do you need to let go of? What are you no longer passionate about? What are you passionate about and how could you be doing that instead? Those are some questions to ponder if you are in a similar situation. How do you know when it’s time to let go of something? Let me know in the comments.

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Work

I’m Worth More Than $.17

August 12, 2018

To say that I’ve been busy for the past few weeks would be an understatement. Normally, I’m dragging myself out of bed around 6 O’clock and I start my day off with exercise. I can only get a half hour in if I’m lucky because Rosebud wakes up soon after. Then I get us both ready for the day while trying to do random chores around the house. I spend an exhausting day at work. When I get home, I like to spend some quality time playing with Rosebud before dinner. After dinner, there is more play time, bath, reading and finally, bed. She doesn’t usually fall asleep until around 8:30. This is when I finish whatever chores need to be done.

I used to use the evenings for writing, catching up on E-mail and exercising. I want to do at least an hour of exercise each day and I am unable to do it all in the morning. I’ve been thinking of switching up my routine to find a workout that can be done in less time that has equal or better results. Anyway, since I started planning for the transcription business, my schedule has fallen apart.

By 9 O’clock, I’m exhausted. The last thing I want to do is transcribe files, but I’ve been trying. Last week, I posted about my terrible experience with a company I won’t name. This week, I signed up with Casting Words. Their application process was straight forward and things seemed accessible for the most part. However, there is not much work for beginners in the evenings. Yesterday, I took a vacation day from my regular job and I figured I’d work on some files while Rosebud napped. Of course that didn’t happen. Rosebud took much longer than expected to nap and by the time I got to typing, I was frustrated. When I opened the files, I discovered that you could only hear some of the speakers in each file. They wanted these meetings transcribed, but you could barely hear what everyone was saying. I understand this is part of the job and I will have to get use to it. I eventually found a file that was suitable and accepted the job, but when I tried downloading the audio, I couldn’t. I don’t know if it is an issue with their website or if it is an issue on my end, but I am completely discouraged.

I had to return the job, but I realized something. This is too much work for 17 cents per minute. It is 17 cents per audio minute, not for each minute you are working on the file. For example, the average transcriptionist might take 3-4 hours to type a file that is one hour long.

I have to be worth more than this. My time, energy and sanity have to be worth more than this. I have decided to take a break from practicing and applying to companies because I need my time in the evenings. I will have a meeting with a business counselor sometime in September and there may be a way that I could get help paying for training. Until then, I need to recharge.

I’m questioning everything. Is this business even right for me? If so, how will I make time to build up clients or to get the training? How can I do all of this while working at my day job that is so depleting? I constantly am wondering why I’m hitting all these brick walls. Do these signs mean I’m trying to go down the wrong path? I think I’d be good at transcription because I’m a good listener and a fast typist. I also don’t mind doing a bit of research. What draws me to the field is the idea of making information equally accessible to everyone. That is really important to me. I also enjoy learning new things and with general transcription, you never know what you may be working on from one day to the next. You could be working on a boring lecture one minute, but an awesome podcast the next. That being said, when I think about what I’m really passionate about, the things that come to my mind are being at home with my daughter and working on my writing. Unfortunately, neither of those things pay the bills. In the end, I’m still stuck with the wheres, whys and hows. Right now, I feel like I’m juggling and the balls are not staying in the air. Are you juggling? Are you trying to meet the demands of parenting, working, school or starting a new business? How do you do it? Let me know in the comments.

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Parenting, Personal Development, Self acceptance,, Uncategorized

Owning My Guilt

July 13, 2018

I'm reading Cara Alwill Leyba's new book, "Like She Owns The place”. 


 For those who don't know, Cara is an author and master life coach who works to help women empower themselves and change their mindset. I found her online several years ago and discovered that a lot of her message resonates with me.
One passage she wrote about guilt in, "Like She Owns the Place" stood out to me. She discusses the idea that women often feel guilty due to external forces. Such as ones culture, religion or the society they live in. It may come from childhood experiences or friends and family making them feel guilty. This may be intentional or not, but never the less, the guilt shows up. She poses the question, if you are not hurting yourself or anyone else, why feel guilty? Cara describes one situation where she was taking a day off from work, spending the day at home. Her plan was to binge watch a show and have a glass of wine. Meanwhile, her husband decided to reorganize a closet full of Christmas decorations. Seeing this, she felt guilty and went over to help, but he encouraged her to take time for herself. That’s the sign of a good man, by the way. She said she went back to watch tv, but it didn’t come naturally to her. She felt guilty for taking time for herself and not working.
I often feel guilty over things like this. Today, my mom took Rosebud so that I could rest as I haven’t been feeling well. I can’t rest though because I start feeling guilty and thinking of everything I need to do. If I’m napping on the couch, the laundry isn’t getting done. The dishes are piled up in the sink. Rosebud's toys need to be rotated. Countertops need to be dusted. That’s just the house work. Then there’s the work you actually get paid for. I don’t feel guilty about taking time away from my job outside the home, but I feel guilt over not working on transcription stuff. I think to myself, I should be transcribing practice files or doing the business plan paper work. As with the blog posts, I set imaginary deadlines and the guilt sets in.

This week is supposed to be my vacation, but I’m having trouble just letting it be. I always have to fill my time and not necessarily with the things I enjoy. I need to feel productive even in times when I should be resting. The mom guilt is never ending. While Rosebud is not here, I’ve spent much of my time doing things for her instead of myself. I’ve washed toys, did laundry and prepared her dinner for later. It's one way to ease the guilt of taking time away from her. Then again, when I'm spending time with her just playing, I get that nagging feeling about the house work. Then when I'm cleaning or doing other things, I feel guilty about giving her screen time. While she's away, I’ve been pondering how to take away the pacifier. Should I try a gradual approach or go cold turkey? This was prompted by her visit to the dentist this morning. In between cleaning and thoughts of the annoying paci, I wonder how she’s doing. What is she doing right now? Has she napped? What did she eat for lunch? Then I think maybe I should watch some videos of her. Oh, wait... I better get back to work.

As Cara points out in her book, when we are old, what will we be worrying about? Will we be worried about all the times we should’ve cleaned closets, typed up that report or swept the kitchen floor? Definitely not! We will be remembering things we enjoyed. The times with our loved ones, the things we’ve created or times we did something crazy, fun and memorable. The fact is, we all need time to replenish ourselves. If we don't get that, we become unhappy and lose sight of our strengths, passions and our joy. We need to start erasing some of this guilt. If not, what are we teaching our children and what are we doing to our emotional well-being? I’m finally in my element. I’m taking the time to write which makes me feel lighter and taps into my creative side. I’m sitting outside enjoying the breeze on my face, the shade of a tree and listening to the birds over head.

Here are some of Cara's other books if you are interested.
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      Awareness, Personal Development, Self acceptance,, Uncategorized
            
        A Daffidil in a Field of Hyacinths
        
          July 10, 2018                  

      
      
      

        
        
I was going to write an entry explaining why I haven’t been posting as much and it probably would’ve started off with the words, I’m sorry. I was going to say that I’m sorry I haven’t been writing much and I was even going to apologize for the subject matter of my recent blog posts. When I started this blog, I mainly focused on parenting and kids activities with some self care tips thrown in. I will continue to do those blog posts, but my life is changing.
I’m in the beginning stages of starting a business. If I had to compare the process to anything. It would be a plant. It’s a seed right now, but every day, it gets closer to sprouting. Each day, I take one more step closer to this goal. Also, I am being inspired by different things in relation to my writing. I am thinking a lot about my past and how my experiences have shaped who I am, so I will occasionally share that with my readers. I feel that with our political climate the way it is, it is important to share experiences so we can be more connected. These days, it’s easy to lose touch with humanity. We can hide behind a screen. We can stay in our own little bubble with liked-minded people. We all need need like-minded people in our lives, but seeing other perspectives helps us grow. It seems easier than ever to exclude those who aren’t like us. They are removed from us, so it’s easy to forget that many of our experiences are the same at the roots. In order for things to improve for all of us, especially our children who are growing up in this world we don’t understand, this needs to change. What would happen if anyone could reach out and find a mutual point of understanding or a shared experience? I have to write about what inspires me even if it makes others uncomfortable. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
This weekend, I listened to the Style Your Mind Podcast: Episode 102: Taking out the Energetic TRASH: How to Become a Match for What You Want. In this episode, Cara talks about how you should stay true to yourself and what inspires you. She talks about how you don’t need to be apologetic all the time. If you skip a day, a week or month of blogging, it’s okay. If it takes you a while to get out that latest episode of your podcast, it’s no big deal. What is a big deal is doing what inspires you and being available for those things that light you up. Honestly, I haven’t felt inspired to blog lately. I haven’t had the time nor the energy to set up crafty activities for Rosebud and I. I have come to realize that I can share more than that. Parenting is multi-faceted and so is my life. My life can be difficult, exhausting and chaotic, but it also can be productive, happy and beautiful and my blog is a snapshot of that.

I will leave you with this thought. What if you framed being sorry in a positive way? I’m talking about when you are sorry for inconsequential things. Things that wouldn’t necessarily hurt anyone, but we are always apologizing for them anyway. For instance, what if you thanked someone for being patient when you are a couple minutes late? This way you aren’t feeling so negative and you are appreciating the other person for taking time to wait for you. I want to thank you, my readers for being patient with me as I find a direction for this blog. Thank you for reading my thoughts. I appreciate the comments, likes and shares. If my posts are spaced further apart, it’s because I want to write when I am inspired and not just because of an imaginary deadline I set for myself. I want to stay true to who I am and where I’m at in life. I have picked up many things from blogs I’ve read along the way. Whether it be advice, support, information, inspiration or even solidarity, I have taken those pieces and made them apart of my own journey. Thank you for sticking with me even when I am the Daffidil in the field of hyacinths.

      


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      Personal Development
            
        Refilling the Cup
        
          June 27, 2018                  

      
      
      

        
        
The past few weeks have seemed more stressful than normal. It could be the job, Rosebud’s terrible twos or the unexpected expenses that keep popping up. Then there’s the process of starting my business which is partially dependent on other people at the moment, but that’s another story. By the time night roles around and Rosebud is finally asleep, I’m exhausted. Lately all my self care routines have been nonexistent so last night, after another draining day I realized what was missing. I needed to do something to recharge and put some of those thoughts out of my mind or at least get them out on paper.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’m a big believer in self care. You need to take care of yourself before you can give to others which is especially important as a parent. I’ve talked about some of my Self Care routines before. Recently I heard someone say that they can’t start giving until their cup is over flowing. This made total sense to me. Unfortunately, my cup has been running on empty which isn’t good for me or anyone else.

To fill my cup, I spent the evening doing things that I either enjoy or that are good for me. I spent some time reading, ate a homemade chocolate brownie and exercised to work off that chocolate brownie! Then to relax, I took a bath and used a Bath bomb that had been sitting in my closet for months. It was a gift from one of the kids I work with. His mom gave one to each of his teachers. I’m sure it was meant to help us destress. It was a nice treat. Even the cat wanted to take part in the fun.

Finally before I went to sleep, I wrote in my journal. Amazingly enough, I didn’t end up writing about the stresses of the past several weeks, but I wrote about some memories and found some inspiration for future blog posts. When I woke up this morning, I felt much better. I had more energy and felt refreshed. I know that I need to set one night aside each week just to relax and take my mind off things. The chores and the business stuff can wait. It will be there tomorrow. Then when I feel guilty about not writing blog posts, I realize it’s because I have no inspiration. If my cup is empty, I’m not inspired. The ideas are not flowing. It’s a reminder that self care is essential for your mind and body even if you only have a few extra minutes. Spend them taking care of yourself. It’s worth it. You are worth it! Make yourself a priority.

      


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      Parenting
            
        First Sleep Over
        
          June 1, 2018                  

      
      
      

        
        
Rosebud slept over at my mom’s last night because I went to a coworker’s retirement dinner. She did well. She went to sleep last night with no fuss. She didn’t even want to be rocked at first, which was similar to the night before. Tuesday night was the first time ever that she didn’t want me to rock her. I was sad about that. My baby is growing up. I love having our snuggle time before bed. I don’t see her all night so I like that time to tell her I love her and just sit with her, holding her, talking to her and smelling the scent of her body wash. This time flies so fast. She’s already doing preschooler things when it seems that yesterday I brought her home from the hospital. She slept until 8:15 this morning which she rarely does here. She’s usually an early riser.
I talked to her last night on Face Time to tell her good night, but honestly she wasn’t that interested. She was going through her bag and when she found her toothbrush she was off for the sink. She started running down the hallway leaving the phone behind. She said a quick good night as she was headed for the sink and that was that. I’m glad she feels secure when I’m not around, but I’m a little sad too. That’s what being a parent is all about. You are preparing them to be independent and to go out into the world. Whether it’s just the first sleep over or the huge step of going off to college. There’s always a delicate balance of holding on and letting go.

The funny thing is, I often want a break like this. A time with no kids to worry about, but I worry anyway. I wonder what she’s doing and what she is thinking about. I always think I’ll have a bunch of free time to write, reorganize closets, go through photos etc. You know, the stuff you never get around to doing. Then when the time comes, you do what you would’ve done anyway. Last night, I put her clothes away, exercised and wrote to a friend. Those are things I do most nights when Rosebud is here. The only different thing I did was put the brand new light pink sheets that I found on sale yesterday on my bed. It has been good for me though. Although I miss her, I got a good nights sleep and I was able to do some chores this morning. I haven’t had time to myself in ages. and it was good for me to reboot. Kid free time is wonderful, but I was so glad to finally see her this morning.

      


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      Personal Development, Uncategorized
            
        Adding a Little Luxury to Your Life
        
          April 8, 2018

This episode of the Style Your Mind podcast called, Little Luxuries got me thinking about ways I pamper myself. Some people think luxuries have to be super expensive, but there are some things you can do to pamper yourself that cost very little. For some people, luxuries may be days at the spa, vacations or buying top of the line items. Those things may be great, but not everyone can do that all the time. To me, luxuries are those things you do for yourself that make you feel your best. They are the things that lift you up. These things or rituals don’t even have to take up a lot of time.

Get Outside

One thing that makes me feel my best is spending time out in nature. When I start to feel down or if I start to get antsy, I find that taking a walk helps. I put Rosebud in the stroller and we go. usually we just walk around the neighborhood, but there are always new things for Rosebud to see and it gives me time to clear my head. I can look at the sky and notice the clouds. I see the trees, a beautiful sunset or hear the different birds. Just being around the sights and sounds of nature is relaxing. During the spring and summer months, I’ll often go sit out in the back yard while Rosebud naps because it is so peaceful.

I always enjoy being at the beach as well. It is my happy place even if I’m just sitting on the beach listening to the sound of the waves, looking at the sky and the ocean and feeling the sand under my feet. It’s amazing how it all comes together to make such a beautiful place.

Enhancing Your Space

A little luxury could be something you use to enhance your space. I love anything that smells good and lately I’ve been melting wax instead of lighting candles. I’ve found some amazing scents and the shapes they come in are so cute and decorative that you don’t want to melt them.

This strawberry scented cupcake looks good enough to eat, but I assure you, it’s wax. I will tell you all about this wax from Blended With Love in this review. It’s important that the space around me smells good so why not make it a little more luxurious than lighting a basic candle. Not that there’s anything wrong with candles. I have plenty of those too.

If you want to give yourself the gift of fresh flowers, I’ve found this fresh flower subscription.

Indulge

Buy or make yourself a sweet treat. Most people I know are doing their best to eat healthy, myself included, but sometimes it’s okay to indulge. Why not stop at a local bakery and get a small treat? Why not try that recipe you’ve always wanted to try? Maybe you really enjoy a special blend of coffee. Maybe a salty snack is more your thing. Whatever it is, it’s okay to enjoy it guilt freefrom time to time. A couple weeks ago, I tried a chocolate covered macaron from a local bakery. It was delicious! Was it good for me? Of course not, but do I regret it? No. I was having a rough day and needed a treat. I love to bake and try new recipes. I often share what I make with friends and family and it makes me feel great when I’ve found a new recipe that’s a keeper. I’m also happy when I’ve tried a new healthy option or recipe. When you know healthy food is giving you energy, that feels great as well.

Pampering Myself

After a long week if I really want to pamper myself, I take an epsom salt bath. I found this epsom salt on Amazon and it smells great.
 
I used to have some special lotion that I’d save for pampering myself, but I’ve started using them more often. I found this shea body butter from Victoria’s Secret a couple of years ago.
 
I’ve decided I don’t need to wait for special occasions to use the better lotion. Why not use it whenever I feel like it?

One more thing that I considder a little luxury is putting on jewelry. Before I had Rosebud, I almost always put on jewelry, but after I became a mom, I felt tired, overwhelmed and would forget to put it on or run out of time in the mornings. I’d think of it as I was out the door and then decide I wouldn’t want to take the extra minute to find the jewelry I wanted to wear. I mention this because putting on a bracelet or a pair of earings makes me feel more put together. There is something about it that starts my day off better. If I’ve had the time to put on jewelry, it means I wasn’t rushing around so much. When I’m not rushed, I’m much calmer and happier.

these are just a few things that make me feel my best and recharge me. The things that make you feel your best and recharge you might be totally different. What do you do for yourself that you considder a luxury?

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Personal Development

6 Ways Journaling Can Enhance Your Life

March 20, 2018

A few years ago, I came across several books and articles that talked about the benefits of journaling. They suggested that keeping a gratitude journal could boost your happiness. they mentioned how journaling can help you heal, gain clarity and help your creativity. I thought, why not give it a try? Since then, I have found lots of uses for my digital journal. Here are six of them.

1. Setting and keeping track of my goals:

I often write about my goals in my journal and small steps that I can take to reach those goals. Sometimes when I’m feeling down about not accomplishing a goal by a certain date, I can look back and see that I’ve been making progress towards that goal. I do this a lot around the start of the new year. Some of those resolutions stick, but most don’t and will resurface the next year. One benefit of keeping track of your goals over time is that you can see how far you’ve come. I look back at what I’ve previously written and see so much change.

2. Working through feelings and healing from past experiences:

I’ve written a lot about things that have happened to me and how those experiences have or are currently impacting my life. This can help you gain clarity on some patterns you have or where your blocks are that keep you stuck in the same place. I’ve found that getting these feelings and thoughts out is a release. They are no longer going around and around in my head. Once the bad feelings or thoughts are out in the open so to speak, they aren’t as distressing. On a side note, unsent letters can be therapeutic. You can say everything you’ve ever wanted to without that person ever knowing.

3. Remembering the good times:

Journaling doesn’t have to always be about the negative. Often, I use it to remember good memories. I write these memories down in as much detail as I can as a way to keep that memory alive. My daughter is growing up so fast and I want to remember what it was like when she took her first steps, said her first word or tried something new for the first time. Sometimes I include photos with my entries. Maybe some day I will share some of them with her. I write about memories of my pets, trips, happy times during childhood, funny conversations I have with people etc. It can be anything really. If it would make you happy to read about that memory later, write about it.
Speaking of memories, I saw this very cool idea. If you have a tween daughter, you might want to try this journal. This can be helpful for difficult topics. Instead of talking, you can write back and forth. Sometimes I’ve found that some things are easier to share in writing.

4. Sparking creativity:

Sometimes I open a blank page and have a brainstorming session. This mostly relates to my blogging, but you can do this for any project. As a hobby, I do ceramics so occasionally I’ll make lists of things I’d like to try to make. Free writing is another great way to remember events, write stories or clear your mind. There are tons of resources for free writing prompts. Sunday Scribblings is one I’ve used, but it is no longer active.

6 benefits of journaling pin

5. Remembering and interpreting dreams:

Although dreams usually seem like a crazy bunch of events jumbled together, it can be interesting to try to interpret them. After keeping track of my dreams for several months, I discovered that many of my dreams had similar themes. I’ve also had repeats of the same dream that were slightly different. Although I don’t know what exactly is behind dream interpretations, it has been interesting to see what certain things that show up in my dreams could possibly mean. Sometimes the dream meanings are relatable and other times they make no sense so it could be completely coincidental, but it is one way to explore some of those issues that are below the surface. there are lots of books on this topic or websites like Dream Moods.com.

6. Gratitude

If I’ve had a bad day or can think of nothing else to write about, I make a list of what I’m grateful for. It helps put things into perspective.

Woman reading journal. There is so much you can get from journaling and there so many ways to journal. You could use anything from a plain notebook, a photo/art journal to an entirely digital journal. Even if you only write for five minutes a day, it can still help you. Here are a couple of books that I’ve used to get my journal started.

Some items to get you started.
 
If you are like me and you like to write a digital journal, be sure to check out
Diaroapp. The app and website are easy to use and you can make backups. You can even add photos into your entries.
Do you journal? How does journaling help you? Tell me in the comments.

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