Falling Into Self-Care
Welcome to my very first blog. If I am completely honest, I am a bit terrified about the idea of opening up for the world to read my thoughts. I am pushing through that fear in hopes that my sharing will help you in some way. As I opened a fresh, blank document, my fingers moved really quickly across my keyboard. Thoughts are bursting out which tells me that this is the right time for me to venture into writing. So, here we go!
First a little about me. I like to try to see the beauty in things and try my best to be optimistic. I also suffer from anxiety and depression and at times in my life, it has taken me right out of commission. I hid it and tried to fake that everything was ok when it wasn’t. I have sacrificed myself to please others and have learned, the hard way, that I am not invincible. I have spent the last months reading, meditating and found an incredible coach and feel so grounded and more connected to myself than ever before. Also, summer is my season!
I love summer. I love being warm and I love being near water. It is a season of growth for me, it’s a season of joy and when I feel like my best self with such ease. As the weather is turning colder, my thoughts move from joy to fear. Fear of the cold, dark and frozen days ahead. I feel grounded right now and it feels great but how will I find healing and growth in the cold days ahead? The lakes will be frozen, the temperature so cold I don’t want to leave the house and the darkness, oh the darkness. While I am feeling grounded and more joyful, I am working on a plan to stay warm and happy. While I love the colours of fall, cozy sweaters and the idea of hibernation, it also brings up feelings of sadness and the loss of my favourite time of year. With the sadness, there is also something really nice about getting back to some sort of routine. New agenda books, planning the next quarter, new cozy clothes and old favourites that have been tucked away for the summer. I am also filled with so many questions. What will my new routine look like? How will I find joy in the colder days ahead?
One of the things that has really helped me through some of my darkest days has been meditation. It’s amazing how as little as five minutes of meditation to start your day can really help set it on the right track. It really helps calm my nervous system and start my day with happy thoughts. I love the Insight Timer app so much and highly recommend it! If you are at the beginning of your meditation journey, just curious, advanced or somewhere in between there is something there for you. I love to do manifestation and gratitude meditations in the morning and sleep meditations at the end of my day. It’s so important to my mental health. They also have some really great bedtime ones for kids if you have littles in your life. I started doing them with my granddaughter and it’s become something we both look forward to when she sleeps over. If you are interested and not sure where to start, I am happy to recommend some of my favourites. Feel free to send a message through the @minobimadisiwin social media channels and I will send you some of the ones I love the most.
In a world where many of us are still working from home, one of my best mental health tips is to shower or have a bath and change from the clothes you slept in to a fresh outfit. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I will generally change from pj’s to some type of comfy outfit. Yoga pants, tee, hoodie etc. I treat my face to some skin care, even if it’s a quick wash and moisturizer, brush my teeth and brush my hair. It makes a huge difference on how I feel going into the day. Some folks say you should dress in your regular work clothes, if that works for you, awesome! Feeling fresh, cozy and comfy is what works best for me this time of year! This may sound like a no-brainer to some and to others it could be the thing that makes the day 100 times better. I will continue to share some of my favourite cold weather tips in the days and weeks ahead.
I am not an expert. I am here to share my journey on how I do my best to live “mino bimadisiwin ~ the good life”. I hope this helps you mentally prepare for the fall.
Stay connected with us at @minobimadisiwin on all social media platforms and tell us how you are easing into colder weather.
xo Angie