What’s in your tool kit for staying grounded, for getting inspired, for getting in the flow again? Whether you’re having trouble with focus, with making decisions, or finding reasons to laugh, this post contains three of my go-to tools for self care to cope with overwhelm and exhaustion. To keep myself well so I can do the work I love and be the person I want to be.
Daily practice
Establishing a daily practice to move my body and practice inner listening has been life saving for me. When I let this daily practice go is when I find myself in trouble. My daily practice consists of either yoga (I recommend this free practice with Yoga with Adriene) and a 15 minute meditation, or running and a 15 minute meditation. I try to do this 5 or 6 days a week.
Looking for moments of joy
When I was walking and taking the Halifax ferry to go for radiation treatments I developed a practice of looking for five moments of joy. They might be a child’s smile, a flower, the harbour water, etc. Then I would notice how my body felt and where I felt this joy in my body.
I have continued this practice of looking for moments of joy and tapping into the body feeling of joy on my daily walks with my dog Nita.
Why this practice of looking for moments of joy is important
We are training our brain and body to look for joy and to recognize the feeling. It
helps us to ground, be in the present. When we are looking for joy we see it more. It can crowd out the negative feelings. Last but not least it is healing.
Connecting with the body feeling of a positive experience is one way to start getting unblocked. The more we practice, the easier it gets.
Making time to do something with my hands every day
Doing something with my hands every day grounds and comforts me. As a fibre artist that includes rug hooking, drawing a new design, wet felting, spinning, dyeing yarns and fabric. I find meaning and purpose in working with textiles. If you are a gardener, you might feel great pleasure in working in the soil, working with plants. Or if you love to cook, preparing a good meal. Perhaps you love to write in a journal.
We spend a lot of our time in our minds and on our devices, which is the opposite of grounding. Making time to create and to work with our hands is related to wellness.
I find when I make time and space to do my daily practice, look for moments of joy and do something with my hands most days I feel in the flow. My creativity is alive and well. I feel excited about my work and life.
How can I help?
If you would like to develop a practice of setting aside time and space for creativity and wellness, and be part of a community of others doing just this, consider joining my membership community Creating Space. You will receive a weekly prompt for writing and sketching, and have access to a monthly 1 hour live session on Zoom. In this live session I prepare a presentation on a topic of interest to the group, as well as answer questions about creativity, inspiration and wellness. For more information and to join today.
If you are a leader or business owner, I’m happy to design a customized daily or weekly practice for creativity and wellness for your organization. Book a conversation with me today and let’s get started.
