Greetings all!
Aren't these adorable!? I love starting my week with a smile!
See
more here: https://www.boredpanda.com/cute-rabbits
Which one was your favorite? Drop me a line and have a great week!
Monday, November 15, 2021
Monday, November 8, 2021
10 Simple Habits
Greetings all!
A friend recently shared a wonderful article with me “29 ridiculously
simple habits that can completely change your life” - and
Ideally, of course, I would like to program my brain, go to sleep – and wake up all refreshed and improved. But of course, miracles like that are not yet a reality and some work is still required...
I thought all of the ideas in the article are great and here are the top 10 that resonated with me (in no particular order)! Of course, these habits might sound simple but implementing some of them is a different matter!
1. If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it immediately.
This is actually something I have been doing for a while and it definitely works for me and helps me save mental energy. Sometimes thinking about an unfinished task or an unpleasant to-do (and it seems it is rarely anything pleasant that we procrastinate on!) takes longer than actually doing it.
My trick is to be realistic in terms of the time, especially when it comes to work tasks. “It shouldn’t take long” usually is quite the opposite! But when it comes to life outside of work – well, I just turn the timer for 5 minutes and start going! It might take a bit longer than 5 minutes but the relief in getting it done is so worth it!
So, just do it and do not even put it on your to-do
list – unless you really love crossing things off your list! I have
seen a friend tackle a task that was not on her list, then add it to the list
so that she can cross it off! If that sparks joy – go for it!
2. Log out of social media apps
I am very rarely on social media but I do love YouTube cute animal or how-to videos – and this is a rabbit hole that might eat a lot of precious time. So my solution is to set up an alarm!
Also I think that social media – although good for staying connected – might be dangerous. If you see pictures of others being happy and doing amazing things whereas you think your life is boring and messy and busy – will you remember that those pictures are curated? If you have a choice of posting an amazing travel picture on top of the Eiffel Tower and a picture of you washing dishes, which one will you choose? So do not get too fixated on comparing your life with the Instagram pictures!
3. Spend some time alone
This is a huge favorite of mine! Most of us need alone time to recharge and process.
4. Eliminate as many decisions as possible
This one can be challenging so I try to remember that sometimes good enough
is good enough.
Read my FOBO post!
https://findingbalanceandjoy.blogspot.com/2021/01/fobo-what-it-is-and-how-to-fight-it.html
5. Say “no”, Delete apps and unfollow people
I am combining several habits in one here. My motto is - Choose what sparks joy and say no to
what does not (if you can). And as you know by now, I am huge on spark joy and that applies to things, tasks, and people!
https://findingbalanceandjoy.blogspot.com/2018/04/spark-joy.html
I also try to incorporate the below habits for health and emotional well-being:
6. Eat the rainbow
7. Drink more water
8. Go to bed at the same time every day
9. Write down - or just think about - three things you’re grateful for every day
10. Contact one loved person every day
Read the full article here: https://www.mamamia.com.au/simple-habits/
What did you think? Drop me a line!
Monday, November 1, 2021
CALM: November-2021 Calendar
Greetings all!
Here is the November-2021 calendar from CALM: and it’s all about gratitude and paying attention and not taking things for granted (from https://blog.calm.com/blog/november-2021-calm-calendar).
So many wonderful suggestions! My favorite ideas were from November 8, 27, and 30!
Image
from
November 1 - Think of one thing that you are grateful for right now. Give yourself time to soak in the feeling of gratitude and notice how you experience it in your body.
November 2- Think of the person who makes you laugh the most in your life. Send them a text expressing your gratitude.
November 3 - Name a part of your body that you are grateful for and why. Optional: draw a little heart there (a temporary tattoo of sorts).
November 4 - Think of someone who has been kind to you. Take a moment to pause and feel your gratitude for 30 seconds.
November 5 - Mindfully eat your lunch today and practice gratitude for the food you have to eat. Listen to Calm s Gratitude Before Meal session.
November 6 - What teacher are you thankful for? Tap into gratitude and take a moment to think about what you've learned from them.
November 7 - What song makes you happy? Take a few minutes to lie down, close your eyes, and listen deeply. Or, dance!
November 8 - For every letter of the alphabet, write down something that you are grateful for.
November 9 - Take a photo of something that inspires gratitude in you.
November 10 - Think of a place in the world that you love. Close your eyes and imagine yourself there.
November 11 - Practice maintaining eye contact when you say thank you. Do the same when someone thanks you.
November 12 - Buy or make a small gift for someone you appreciate.
November 13 - Take a gratitude walk. Open your senses to your surroundings and silently say thank you to everything that you are grateful for.
November 14 - Talk about gratitude at the dinner table tonight.
November 15 - Relate to your hands and feet with gratitude. How do they support you? How do they bring possibility into your life?
November 16 - Practice gratitude for the people who have come before you. Think of the people who have helped make this moment possible for you.
November 17 – Write a thank you note to yourself for all of the ways that you have loved and taken care of yourself over the years.
November 18 - Get crafty & make something to remind you to practice gratitude. Maybe a gratitude jar, a note on your bathroom mirror, or a gratitude chalkboard in the kitchen.
November 19 - Ask 3 different people what they are grateful for and why.
November 20 - Relate to water with gratitude today. Savor the warmth of water while bathing, your access to clean drinking water, or the soothing quality of the ocean.
November 21 - Thank your body for sleeping last night (even if it wasn't for as long as you wished).
November 22 - Is there something in your life that you might be taking for granted? Take a moment to reflect on this.
November 23 - Do something you LOVE doing today. Be sure to give yourself time to FEEL the experience.
November 24 - Write a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life. Thank them and tell them why you are grateful.
November 25 - Think of a time when you felt seen and heard. Remember what you most appreciated about that moment.
November 26 - Type "gratitude" into the search bar in the Calm app and choose a session to try today.
November 27 - Look for the goodness in someone who you find challenging to be around.
November 28 - What color do you love? Keep an eye out for that color in the world today, and take a moment to soak it in each time you see it.
November 29 - Choose one of your senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, or sound) and move through your day with awareness of and gratitude for that sense.
November 30 - Inhale and think of something you're grateful for. Exhale gratitude. Repeat at least 5 times.
Hope you have a great week! Stay well and find gratitude!
Monday, October 25, 2021
Monday, October 18, 2021
Thought of the week - Responsibility
Greetings all!
Here is an inspiring thought for the upcoming week (from http://www.deeshan.com).
Hope
you have a great week! Drop me a line!
Monday, October 11, 2021
Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness
Greetings all!
Do you love this “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”? This is how English poet John Keats referred to autumn. Hot days give way to cooler weather, leaves change color and fall, and there is a hint of melancholy in the air and in our mood.
As I was enjoying looking at the pictures of autumn
around the world, I could not help but research a couple of interesting tidbits
about the season!
Why do leaves change color? Reddish or yellow is actually the natural pigmentation in leaves but during the spring and summer when there is more sunlight, leaves get overpowered with chlorophyll which turns them green. So as days grow shorter, there is less sunlight and less chlorophyll. Also strong red or purple color is actually sugar content from sap trapped in the leaves.
Were you ever curious why in some parts of the world this season is called fall and in others autumn? Read on!
According to Merriam-Webster, “Autumn and fall are used interchangeably as words for the season between summer and winter. Both are used in American and British English, but fall occurs more often in American English. Autumn is considered the more formal name for the season.”
Did you know that before the 1300s, this season was
referred to harvest, which was
probably rather confusing! Then the Latin word autumnus came into the English language, and poets sang praises to "the fall of the
leaves" - later shortened to fall.
Both autumn and fall were born in Britain and as
the British Empire expanded, the English Language was traveling to the
far-flung places. In my travel-obsessed mind, I have the image of a language
packing a carry-on with all the words and grammar rules and embarking on an
adventure!
Fast
forward to the American Revolutionary War with the United States gaining independence
from Great Britain – and the resulting divergence of some of the language. Isn’t
it fascinating?!
Regardless
of whether you call this season autumn
or fall (or something less!), it is a
beautiful time of the year.
Image from https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-ojyaq
Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge, Germany (image from SmarTours)
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia (image from SmarTours)
Lapland, Finland (image from SmarTours)
Scottish
Highlands, United Kingdom (image from SmarTours)
Sources:
Monday, October 4, 2021
Poetry Of Departures [Poem of the Week]
Sometimes
you hear, fifth-hand,
As epitaph:
He chucked up everything
And just cleared off,
And always the voice will sound
Certain you approve
This audacious, purifying,
Elemental move.
And they are right, I think.
We all hate home
And having to be there:
I detest my room,
It's specially-chosen junk,
The good books, the good bed,
And my life, in perfect order:
So to hear it said
He walked out on the whole crowd
Leaves me flushed and stirred,
Like Then she undid her dress
Or Take that you bastard;
Surely I can, if he did?
And that helps me to stay
Sober and industrious.
But I'd go today,
Yes, swagger the nut-strewn roads,
Crouch in the fo'c'sle
Stubbly with goodness, if
It weren't so artificial,
Such a deliberate step backwards
To create an object:
Books; china; a life
Reprehensibly perfect.
By
Philip Larkin
Sources:
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