HOW WAS YOUR DAY???? A DAILY CHECK IN
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i had s cheat day with fried chicken at a church dinner today. Also a peanut butter brownie with chocolate frosting. Why did I do this. Now it will take me two weeks to lose it!
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Self Care Activity #2- Self Care for Your Body
A recent email contained 99 suggestion for self care. This week, in order to simplify things, we will focus on self care for our bodies. The following suggestions were taken from:
Try out a few (or several!) this week.
Self-care for your body
Pause whatever it is that you’re doing and drink a glass of water. Keep a full water bottle or cup with you at all times.
Take three deep breaths (I love the 4-7-8 technique, a practice from Pranayama). Or explore other ancient yogic breathing practices and their many benefits.
Pour boiling water into a heat-safe bowl, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil, and put a towel over it. Carefully bring your face under the towel, and enjoy the scent and the sensation of the steam.
Put on your favorite jewelry. No matter how luxurious the pieces are (or aren’t), remind yourself that you are worthy of adornment and celebration.
Try our favorite DIY matcha face mask. (It’s not a self-care list without a face mask, is it?)
Make yourself a fruit platter; cut up apples, peel oranges, wash raspberries and blackberries, make melon balls—whatever is in season, decorate a luxurious tray with delicious and affordable fruits. Indulge in the vibrant flavors of all your favorites.
Take five, ten, or fifteen minutes to stretch. Meet yourself wherever your body is at—there is no need to set flexibility goals, just to move your body within its limits and enjoy the embodied movement.
Practice self-massage—your hands are a great place to start. Here’s a guided hand massage with Tracee Ellis Ross.
Stand up and fold forward to get your head below your heart. Cradle your elbows into one another and let your head dangle for a few moments. Or, scooch your bum to a wall, and rest your legs vertically on the wall while you breathe deeply.
Go on a walk, even if it’s just around the block (you can try a walking meditation). If you live in a city, do a “stoplight walk,” where each time you come to a red light, you take a right turn. There are no stops, and you get to take an unusual and unpredictable route.
Come back here and let us know what you tried and how it went for you.
How is your mantra working for you? Do you need to edit it? Do you need to scrap it and start again from scratch? Once you've settled on your mantra, remember to repeat it to yourself throughout the day, every day. Write it on a post-it note and place it where you will see it. I am still working with the one I chose earlier. "I am fit and strong."
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Weight is the same yet again!
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weight stayed the same
So tired today. I know it is fried chicken brownie sludge tired from yesterday. Will I never learn? Not sure I am beast material right now, but will do my best.
RRRRRRROAR 🐱
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mantra from my walk this morning:
I am strong. I can climb these hills.
Kept repeating and it was easier than usual!!! I think you are on to something!
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Go, Cat! You ARE a beast!
I walked the grounds at our library before going into my yoga class. I was one hot, sweaty mess.😂
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i think it is so cool that your library has yoga
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It's our senior center that offers yoga, but the center and the library are both on the grounds of a former monastery. There is a lot of green space with trails for walking and hiking. Have a great day!
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your library geounds sound so lovely!
Babysat yesterday and had an eating failure. Back on the wagon today.
Thanks for all your encouraging posts!
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thank you for the daily encouragement.
You help me start each day with a smile.
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Self Care Activity #3- Start an Art Journal
I've had this activity in the wings since the last challenge, but since there has been discussion of art journaling in Beach Banter recently, I thought the time was right to introduce it here. I know that many of you will object and claim that you are not an artist. Actually, we are all artists, but that's a discussion for another time. For now, let's just say that you don't have to be able to draw or have a lot of art supplies in order to art journal. Anyone can do it! An art journal is a great place to work on some of those emotions that may be contributing to overeating.
QUIZ : Can you guess how I was feeling when I created this page?😂 (Notice that this art journal spread involves no drawing whatsoever.)
Information presented below came from
How To Start An Art Journal - written by Emily McGowan
The written word is a place of refuge for me. It’s a space where I cannot be interrupted,corrected, or needlessly criticized, a place where I can feel my feelings without judgment. But lately, my words liquefy and fail me when I need them most, especially in the face of war, persistent human rights rollbacks, and the continued climate crisis. There’s so much to say but few words left to use, not to mention that some of my feelings don’t even seem to have appropriate words to describe them.
Saudamini Madra is an LA-based artist who turned to art to de-stress from a fast-paced work life. “Art journals are where you can visualize these amorphous concepts as a tactile scene and better relate to yourself.”
It’s a respite for me, too, to spend time with images instead of words. Outside of the restrictions of language, there is no need to self-edit, to come up with some deep insight, or to accurately express myself. The practice also brings me back to moments of presence in my childhood, where I’d sit at the kitchen table with my cousins, drawing and chatting and generally having no place to be.(Seriously, when was the last time you sat and doodled with your old school supplies?)
Art journaling can lower anxiety on self-reported scales. But many people have hesitations about starting, mainly because they assume you must be an artist to keep an art journal. But that’s like assuming you must be a writer to keep a diary.
Like written journaling, there are actually few barriers to entry when it comes to keeping an art journal. Sure, you can go all out with aesthetic stickers and washi tape, incorporating dried flowers and old concert ticket stubs. But you don’t have to have all the fancy accessories to express yourself—just a pen, a spiral notebook, and maybe crayons.
Whatever your reason for exploring art journaling, here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way to help you face your first intimidating blank page. 📓
How to start an art journal:
Center pleasure in the process; I can’t stand how colored pencils lack saturation, so I use crayons or markers instead! Creating a sustainable habit starts with enjoying it.
Your work can be as realistic or as abstract as you’d like. I find that words can fail me, and drawing realistic hands might, too, but blobs of ink and color are simple and reliable.
Remember: You do not have to produce to post about it on social media. (You can if you want!) But there is no pressure to share a polished piece of artwork; I’m intrigued by the WreckThis Journal process because of this very idea.
My favorite prompts for visual journaling:
Document your day by drawing outlines of the things, places, and people you interacted with. Art journals can also trace our personal histories like diaries, not just our feelings in the abstract.
Dedicate an entire page to scribbles; no structure, no intention other than being present and connecting pen to paper for a minute or two. After, you can color or shade in spaces, look for shapes in the squiggles, or even flip to the next page and start again.
Or add intention to your lines — each line can symbolize a feeling or thought you are experiencing. I recently did this during a state of overwhelm, and once I was done, I colored my anxious lines in with soothing, happy colors as I processed my feelings.
Free draw to your favorite music; what images come to mind with the rising and falling of the melody?
Free write on a sticky note or small paper until it’s full. Paste it into your journal and draw around it—what colors and shapes come to mind from what you’ve written?Or do this the other way around, by starting with free sketching,then write about what you see.
Recycle old magazines and clip out images and words that resonate with you. I find this helps me release some of the worries that come with creating something entirely from scratch.
Or choose one of the prompts Dr. Warson offers in this article from GoodTherapy.
Starting by coloring pre-drawn pages can be less intimidating. Madra recommends mandalas, as they are meditative and designed to focus your attention (you can get started with her downloadable mandala coloring book or head here for more of our favorite coloring books).
And finally, you can use your own interpretation of these journal prompts, replying to them with artwork that’s as abstract or as detailed as you’d like. Let shapes and colors depict your feelings as you read each prompt.
When I’m in my feelings, the lines on a blank page can be discouraging. What do I say when the world is already full of words?Instead, I’m looking forward to the comfort of my art journal, the soothing scratch of my crayons, the blank page welcoming me to just be here now.
My entries over the years have included things like prescription labels from new medicines, feathers from my old craft supplies, tiny scraps of plastic wrap I’ve melted onto the page, pasted-in four leaf clovers, half-destroyed promotional stickers, and plenty of found objects and papers. In fact, I can hardly keep up with my art journal because of all the objects I collect and want to include in recording my story.
“While my words might still fail me, this art journal is a safe space where my self-expression can succeed.”
If you are interested and have any questions about getting started, feel free to post questions here. I have taught a mini course called "Art Journaling for the Non-artist" and am happy to offer suggestions to get you started.
Is your mantra working for you? Do you need to edit it? Do you need to scrap it and start again from scratch? You have permission at any time to change your mantra, just remember to repeat it to yourself throughout the day, every day. Write it on a post-it note and place it where you will see it. I have slightly altered the one I chose earlier. "I am strong and fit."
Reinforce your mantra by incorporating it into your meditation practice and try meditating for four (or more) minutes.
- Find a comfortable place to sit, preferably in a chair with your feet on the ground, but you can do it sitting upright in bed. Remember your posture. You should be sitting up straight with your shoulders back and down.
- Set a timer for 3 minutes.
- As you breathe in through your nose, say to yourself "I am strong".
- As you breathe out through your mouth, say to yourself "and fit".
- Repeat until the timer goes off.
- You may well get distracted. That's okay. Every time you are distracted, just start over with the next breath in.
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question: I have been changing my mantra every day. After reading this, I think I am supposed to pick one and stick to it?????
Interesting that color saturation is Emily’s main consideration for journaling. I love the preciseness of newly sharpened pencils and the ability to ERASE and pretend it never happened. It just crossed my mind that the materials we choose say something about our personalities. I am going to pay more attention to this. My flamboyant granddaughter gravitates to glitter crayons while my grandson the same age likes very fine lined black drawing markers. He makes Monster Trading Cards while she creates houses with happy people in them. Why have I never pondered this before???
I am off to find my box of Prismacolors and my BIG pink eraser. 😊❤️
thank you for your morning post1 -
Your mantra is whatever you want it to be. The book I was reading suggested sticking with a mantra for a while, but if it works for you to change it daily, then that's what you should do.
Why have I never pondered this before??? Because you have been too busy doing other things!
Down 0.1. At least it's not a gain.😂
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down .6
We are going GREAT!
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i remember when I could do moves like the one pictured above.
boy, those days are looong gone 😂0 -
I never had those days.🤣
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😂….I have trouble believing I was ever able to do stuff like that when I look in the mirror today.
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I am in awe of you, Cat. I never had that strength
and flexibility.
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all that strength and flexability is long gone now. In my younger years I was a diver on a swim team and a gymnast. Now I am a stiff old fart with s bad knee.
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You were officially a badass!
KEEP PRACTICING BALANCE - IN YOUR PHYSICAL BODY AND IN YOUR LIFE!!!
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even when i don’t track, I check in here to see what you have left for me 😊
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I'll keep posting them then, Cat. This one is appropriate for me today as I weigh exactly the same as i did last Monday.
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