Do you keep a journal? This article writes about how journaling, even for just a few minutes a day, can help you with your mental and physical health!
Here are some interesting facts from the article:
We often write, and you may hear, about “self-care.” However, this may leave you wondering: How do I “do” self care? Plus, there are a lot of ways that life gets in the way of self-care. For example: I am busy! Getting a massage takes time and money! I don’t know where to start!
Well, you’re not alone. Self-care can look like so many different things, and can be different for different people. Try to keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for another. With that in mind, here’s a list of ideas to get you started!
Sometimes the hardest thing to do when coping with an illness is to take care of yourself. Or as many call it “Self-Care.”
Self care is not about indulgence, it’s about self-preservation – Audrey Lorde
Defining what self-care means is a personal journey. Sometimes self-care may look like a long hot bath, other times it may mean taking a long walk, playing a sport, painting, doing yoga, or journaling. Taking time to discover what helps you get through the tough times and difficult moments is an major part of the journey to living well. Taking care of yourself is important as a parent, it allows you to clear your mind, rest, and be able to take on life!
It’s also important for adolescents to engage in self care for themselves – this may look different from your forms of self care.
Sometimes people feel really alone, that they need to get everything done, or care for everyone else’s needs before their own. This isn’t healthy. Taking time to rejuvenate and being honest with yourself about what you can and cannot accomplish are key in becoming a healthier person.
Need more inspiration? Check out this YouTube Video by Kati Morton on ‘Self-Care in 5 Easy Steps.’
What activities do you participate in for your own self-care? Do you struggle with self-care? Does your adolescent do any self-care techniques? Please share with us below!
Take some time to reflect on happiness!
1. How do you bring happiness to yourself?
2. How do you spread happiness to others?
The Smiling Mind app is a free app for iOS and Android that has meditation exercises geared for age groups! We think this is really cool because meditation for a 10 year old is not the same as for a 19 year old or 26 year old or even a 50 year old.
When you download the app you can sign up with your email or sign in with your Facebook account. Once you pick your age range then you can begin the “programs” that are pre-set in the system.
After your session with the app checks in with “how you are feeling now” to help you track what meditations work best for you.
Overall we think this app is really useful and accessible.
Let us know what you think! Did you download and try the app? Do you use another app? Would you recommend this app for your child? What do you prefer?
Intertwining music into your daily routine is a simple way to help reduce stress in your life. Helpguide.org gives several ways to incorporate music into everyday situations that can be used to reduce your stress.
You can implement music starting first thing in the morning. Waking up to an alarm clock that is blaring a horrendous beeping sound can be a rude awakening! Try waking up to a familiar song that you enjoy. You could create an entire morning playlist to get yourself in the right mindset to start your day. To go the extra mile and really increase the positive effects of music, it is time to start singing. Who knew that singing in the shower could actually be helpful? “Singing is one of the best ways to shift the vibrations of our thoughts and the very cells of our body, helping slow and regulate breathing and promote relaxation.” When choosing your music, be mindful that the songs suit and benefit your mood, inspiring you or helping you to relax. While doing this pay attention to how you feel when singing and after to help keep in mind the songs that lift your spirits the most.
Continue reading Adding Music to your Daily Routine to Alleviate Stress
We recently found this article on WikiHow about how to cultivate a really supportive friends list on your social media accounts – Facebook is specifically mentioned, but this could be used for any Social Media outlet. The steps they list are all detailed on the website but we’ve included the main points of them here:
Continue reading Being Discerning with your Facebook Friends
What’s your light at the end of the tunnel today?
This week, we have an awesome resource to share with our users. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is a website dedicated to providing support to individuals who have mood disorders, as well individuals who know someone with a mood disorder. Mood disorders include diagnoses like depression and bipolar disorder.
Continue reading The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Self-care is all about improving ourselves, having more energy, and being more satisfied with the events happening in and around us.
Self-care involves a daily routine to achieve these goals by implementing the three core methods of self-care. When used together, these methods can lead to a better well-being and happiness within oneself.
One of these core components to taking care of ourselves is exercise.
