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How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19
As many of us are dealing with the recent pandemic it has made me consider how to live fearlessly during COVID-19. I believe that we do need be concerned about the coronavirus. We definitely need to take precautions, but how do we live fearlessly instead of letting fear and worry steal our joy? Fear Based Living It’s easy to fall into fear based living. There was a period in my life where it felt like fear was an all-consuming reality. I was fearful of so many things, including interacting with others. When we are living in fear it is easy to fall into victimhood. Instead of seeing the world as…
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4 Lessons from Start With Why
This week I wanted to share with you 4 lessons from “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. This book is part of my 2020 reading challenge, where I have chosen 12 books to read in 2020. I believe an important aspect to self-care is learning and seeing things from a new perspective. This book in particular has been very helpful for understanding my why, not just for this website but in my personal life. Why I Chose “Start with Why” Start with Why was a book recommended to me several years ago by a friend. It was also part of the recommended reading from my husband’s company. I had also…
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Learning to Trust Ourselves
The importance of trust, especially in learning to trust ourselves is a topic that has been coming to mind lately. Trust is not an easy thing to build and it can be damaged very quickly. So how do we learn how to trust others, and even more, how to trust ourselves? Building Trust Building trust sounds like an easy thing, but with trust really being part of our emotional being, how do we build trust that lasts? I’ve been reading “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek this month and I’ve been re-evaluating the way I look at trust. Building trust isn’t an easy thing, especially if you’ve had past trauma…
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4 Things I Learned from Failing Forward
This week I wanted to share 4 things I learned from and about Failing Forward. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that one of my goals for this year was to read 12 books that would help my mental well-being this year. My goal is to read one book every month and to share my impressions with you. I decided to start with one of the more difficult concepts for me, the idea of failure. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell was a very enlightening read for me. His insight and personal awareness of how many of us are not equipped to fail successfully is…
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How to Start a Self-Care Habit
How do we start a self-care habit? This seems like an easy question but it’s not so easy to answer. There is often talk of self-care and how we need self-care. The question is how do we apply it in a personal way to our lives? How do we reduce the “noise” in our lives enough to allow us to find personal self-care? What is Self-Care? According to the dictionary self- care is defined as “The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.” That sounds simple enough. Take an active role in protecting our health, well-being and happiness,…
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Blue Monday: Reasons to Hope
Tomorrow is the third Monday in January, also known as Blue Monday. This is considered one of the most depressing days of the year. How do we find reasons to hope and have joy on one of the most depressing days of the calendar? What about the other times that we feel depressed or sadness especially during the winter months? What is Blue Monday? Blue Monday was originally created by a public relations company. Using a rather unscientific formula, they determined why Blue Monday is one of the most depressing days of the year. The formula brings in factors of debt, weather, time since Christmas, time since failing New Year’s…
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12 Books to Read in 2020
January has come very quickly and many of us have set New Years Resolutions for the coming year. One of my personal goals was to create a book list of 12 books to read in 2020. I love to read but I don’t always make time for it. My goal was to read books that would help me with my mental health and challenge me in the area of personal growth. As a way to help me with accountability, I will be sharing my impressions of each book with you. My hope is that these books can help you in your journey towards self-care this year. Choosing Books for Personal…
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Realistic Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions
As 2020 is just around the corner, the topic of realistic goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions comes up in conversation. Goal setting can be a struggle for me, but not because I’m unmotivated. On the contrary, one of my strengths is achieving. I tend to set impossible goals or have too many goals. For goal setting to be effective we must set realistic goals in a way that does not bring stress or guilt. Instead it should bring inspiration and motivation. Goal setting does not have to cause anxiety or be discouraging. It can be a powerful tool to help you meet your goals without punishing yourself. Why Goal…
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Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays
As Christmas Day draws near, there are so many things to do and so many places to be. This can bring with it feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious. Sometimes coping with anxiety during the holidays can be difficult. How do we find ways to lower our anxiety and find peace and meaning during this busy time? Having Anxiety is not Abnormal We all deal with anxiety at one time or another. It can feel like having anxiety is abnormal, but that is truly not the case. Considering the pace of our lives and the acceptance of busyness as a lifestyle, anxiety is an epidemic in our society. According to…
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Practicing Self-Care during the Holiday Season
Practicing self-care during the holiday season can be a bit of a challenge. It is a season filled with additional commitments. This can mean finding moments to relax and be mindful can be rare. It made me think of the self-care habits that I have in place over the holiday season that bring rest and restoration. Self-Care through Handmade Holiday Cards One of my self-care practices over the holiday season is making holiday cards. Not only do people love handmade cards, it can be an outlet for slowing things down and finding mindfulness. I find using a loose medium like watercolor is very relaxing. Working with my hands and concentrating…