5 Ways To More Restful Sleep
Journaling for Self-Care
Scientific studies have proven that writing therapy helps increase happiness, strengthen confidence and even improve mental and physical health. Therapists and coaches of all kinds have prescribed journaling as a tool to help heal and work through traumas.
Scorpio Season + Mercury Retrograde is prime time for shadow work and purging the dark places we like to keep hidden. Journaling is a very accessible way to bring to the shadows to light and give clarity to our inner worlds.
I am always surprised by the darkness that comes out through my writing as I tend to be a happy, cheerful person. When I write freely, a lot of anger, bitterness and emotion always come to the surface. After decades of doing this - that still surprises me! But that hurt and darkness is still there and in my experience, the more that I acknowledge and honor that pain, the less it tends to sabotage me in daily life. With a regular journaling practice, I have found that I relate better to my husband. I tend to not make him my emotional punching bag because I've already fought it all out on the page. It helps me to understand that these feelings are within me, not evoked by something he is or isn't doing.
Highest Self & The Art of Transformation
Scorpio Season is all about depth, introspection, truth and transformation. Transformation can be at once a scary and exciting proposition, but sometimes the fear of the unknown can keep us clinging to old stories, patterns and beliefs that we've long outgrown. This month is the perfect time to go deep into yourself, find and identify what's no longer serving you, lovingly release it and assume your new identity.
I think most of us want to be the highest version of ourselves, but what exactly does that mean and how does that look? A helpful, tangible exercise is to write your obituary. This may sound macabre, but if life is a journey, it's helpful to know the final destination so that we can more easily plan the best route to arrive there.
A little luxe goes a long way
We've been working hard since June creating new habits and performing self-inquiry, now take a break to treat yo'self!
Bracing for today's Moon in Scorpio and Mercury turning retrograde on Thursday can have us feeling some type of way. Let's hang on to that last bit of luxe Libra energy this week which will hopefully provide a softer cushion for us as we prepare for the intensity that this month will bring.
This post was inspired by my favorite red and black Old Navy flannel pajamas aka my husband's least favorite piece of clothing. I wear them 2 sizes too big and they're the softest, comfiest ever but admittedly, they are pure man repellent.
While shopping in California last week, I ran across the most darling Ugg pj set (not a sponsored link or post). I loved them but don't usually spend $100 on jammies so I didn't buy them. Well, I couldn't stop thinking about them and started adding up in mind how much time I spend in my jammies - aka my huge checkered flannel man repellers. A lot. I actually spend as much time as possible in my "comfies." They're the first thing I put on when I get home and I live in them until I have to leave the house again.
Life is Beautiful
Libra season is all about harmony, balance and beauty. Stunning beauty surrounds us every day but many of us are focused on lack or scarcity - or what we don't have, that we take this beauty for granted.
Taking the time to notice our blessings and express gratitude for them increases feelings of appreciation and gratitude, which instantly raise our vibration and makes us a magnet for attracting more of these experiences into our lives.
How to Create a Purposeful Morning Routine
Easy Tips to Purify Body, Mind, Soul & Space
Acts of Service
Since Hurricane Dorian passed on Wednesday, there's been a flurry of activity here in South Florida. It's astonishing how quickly local agencies, businesses, charities and citizens have organized to get aid to our neighbors in the Bahamas.
Virgo is service-oriented sign and so I thought it fitting that we go with the flow of the Universe and discuss volunteering this week.
So often there's a misconception of self-care - many interpret it to mean "treat yo self," when really the goal of self-care is to create a life you don't regularly need to escape from.
According to Positive Psychology,there are three kinds of happiness:
1) Pleasure and gratification
2) Embodiment of strengths and virtues
3) Meaning and purpose
Control & Surrender
With Category 5 Hurricane Dorian looming in the Atlantic with sustained winds of 185 MPH, I am flooded with thoughts and feelings. I live in Jupiter - a smallish beach town on the Southeastern coast of Florida. Growing up here, we've been through many hurricanes and have our plan and supplies firmly in place. In 2004, four storms hit us (Charley, Frances, Jeanne & Wilma) within six weeks and any Floridian who went through that most likely has hurricane preparation down to a science.
We do what we can - put up shutters, make sure we have food, gas, water and batteries, ensure the generator works, procure medications (my husband is a Type 1 diabetic and needs insulin to survive), gather all important paperwork and pray. But the rest is really out of our hands. It's a very interesting exercise in control and surrender.
I didn't know what I was going to write about today as this week was extra hectic with increased work load, a corroded pipe that led to an unscheduled kitchen demo, a sick kid & storm prep. But then I realized that this balance between control and surrender is such a strong metaphor for life and an important component of self-care that I couldn't write about anything else.
How To Get Unstuck in 4 Simple Steps
How many of us feel like we've been swimming in quicksand? We've been making moves, but those moves seem to get us nowhere fast. We've made plans and laid foundations but the payoff is slow or nonexistent. This feeling of being stuck is one of the most confusing to deal with and difficult to shake because nothing is necessarily wrong per se; life just seems to monotonously replay itself day after day like Groundhog Day.
How can we break up this tired pattern and breathe some fresh air into our lives? By creating space for new energy.
Energy stagnates and accumulates in heavy, familiar places which is why repeating old patterns and stories is our go-to default programming.
So what are some tangible ways to get unstuck?
Connection
Studies have proven that human connection can exponentially increase happiness and contentment. In these fast times, technology can act as a double-edged sword; one one hand, someone is always a scroll or a click away, on the other - our screens can easily act as a barrier to interaction with other human beings we are sharing space with.
When I was studying Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, one of our weekly assignments was to strike up a conversation with someone we normally wouldn't - someone sitting close to us on the train or the bus, a clerk, server or cashier etc. I decided to practice this one day while waiting for my oil to be changed and it ended up being on the most positive experiences I've ever had. I had a lovely conversation with an older woman who was also waiting for her car to be serviced. I learned so much about her life and experiences, her grandchildren, the ways she has seen the world change in her lifetime - it was a truly beautiful moment of connection and shared perspectives.
8 Fun & Easy Ways to Boost Creativity
Reconnecting with our creativity can be a really fun and enjoyable form of self-care and August's playful energies provide the perfect backdrop in which to explore the things that light our creative spark.
Think back on your childhood - most likely you moved your body daily at recess, had play dates with friends and created drawings, paintings and crafts in art class. Chances are, you felt a lot more connected to your creative center before deadlines, bills and responsibilities started to overshadow the fun stuff.
This week's focus is all about tapping back into that sense of freedom and flow to help increase your happiness and contentment. Your spirit wants to reconnect with your creativity and passion so you may be surprised by how fast inspiration comes once you give it a chance to roam free.