Strrretchhhhh...

Selfcare Emergency Meter: Preparatory Measures and Pick-Me-Up
Time Commitment: 5-10 minutes

I have loved to stretch ever since warm-up and cool-down stretching for cheerleading in high school.  It helps me to reconnect to my body.  How many of us live our lives straight from our brain?  Some days I just power-through as a floating head, which no attention to my body except when I dress in the morning.  Our bodies are amazing mechanisms with intelligence built-in all over!  We cannot give our brains all the credit, in turn, forgetting about our bodies.  

I am trying to get back into stretching.  It's free, easy to do (it's not necessary to turn yourself into a pretzel), and the option is always with you because it's impossible to forget your body at home.

Procedure:
Sometimes I lack creativity.  Thank goodness for YouTube :)  I searched "guided stretching."  Feel free to search and try many.  Let me know what your favorite is!

I have attached the following video because it is thorough, yet short.  My goal is to memorize the stretches, and complete the routine in the morning with fun music to wake myself up and help prepare for the day.



Why this is wonderful: Stretching reminds me that I'm a whole person, all by myself.  Many times my days are spent meeting other peoples' needs (that is basically the definition of the mental health profession!).  That is okay because it's what I love, but I am responsible for giving back to myself (as we all are!).  Stretching brings my intention and consciousness back to my own body, giving appreciation to this wonderful mechanism that enables me to do the work I love. <3

Second Morning

Selfcare Emergency Meter: Overhaul
Time Commitment: 1 hour

Do you ever have particularly stressful mornings that set your entire day up for disaster?  I do!  It's super distressing because morning is my favorite part of the day!  By no means is this selfcare tool only for morning people though--just ask my roomie!  "Second Morning" is about giving yourself a second chance to have a good day.

Procedure:  When work, a relationship, or life in general is stressing you out or taking every ounce of your energy all before noon, the rest of your day could look rather bleak.  When you notice this negative inner prediction arise--hold it!!  Recognize and acknowledge that this is a moment of choice!  Choose to have a Second Morning; a re-do, if I may.  Notice the stressors from your conventional first morning and let them go.  They already happened, so they don't need to affect your current mood in this new moment in time.  The stressors may take further deliberation, yes, but do not hold on to those spinning negative thoughts and feelings. You have a choice!  Restart the coffee pot (I usually switch to decaf at this point...).  Inhale that comforting aroma.  Take a little walk with your coffee: around the office, down the street, around your house.  Feel your footsteps on the ground.  Reconnect with your body.  Continue your day.

Believe in your Second Morning.  Have faith in this fresh start and it may surprise you with how well it works!

Why this is wonderful:  First, it uses multiple senses.  Engaging these senses allows you to reconnect with your body and bring your energy back inside, instead of spilling it all around you.  Second, this highlights an element of choice that we have in our lives.  You are not doomed to have a "bad day."  Rejoice! :)

**Thanks Twinkle Lights facebook page for the pictures I used in this post.  Good stuff! <3

Yardwork/Gardening

Selfcare Emergency Meter: Overhaul
Time Commitment: 1 hour increments; ongoing

Relaxing- a mysterious phenomenon people may accomplish during that elusive construct known as "free time"

So, one goal I have for this summer is to learn how to "relax."  It really is as mind-boggling as the definition I have written above.  I have 18 consecutive years of education under my belt as of now.  I am good at school.  Now, I want to be good at relaxing!  I need it!

In the past couple of weeks, I have found working in my yard to be intrinsically rewarding and, quite possibly, relaxing. 

A bit of background about my yard:

It is shared by 6 people who live in the house.  It has been a site for storage and/or accumulated junk from people that have lived there in the past: car doors, bathtub, tires, etc. Six people are renting the house, but rarely does anyone want to put their time, money, or energy into the yard since we don't own it.  I have decided (maybe because I enjoy Better Homes and Gardens waaayy too much) that I want to adopt the yard and make it an enjoyable place to hang out.

Procedure: Get to know the area you're working with first.  I sit in the yard a lot and look at it.  I enjoy the breeze, the occasional sunshine streaming through the leaves, and the odd, wooden, bobbin-like piece of furniture we use for a table (see picture).  I spend time with the yard, building a relationship around my belief in its potential.
Next, begin a 3-phase process with small, measurable (and achievable) steps within each phase that will foster your own success. This part was very helpful for me to organize my thoughts; it's easy for me to get overwhelmed by looking at the big picture too quickly.  The three phases are: Break-down, Rebuild, and Polish. Break-down, for me, consists of getting rid of items in the yard, weeding, pruning, and getting the lawn mowed so I can see what I'm working with.  Rebuild consists of delineating where flower beds will go and blocking areas off, then repairing the lawn by planting grass seed.  Polish is the fun part because it's when I get to plant things in the flower beds and add nice things to lawn (patio chairs, etc.).  It's good to remember that that phases do not always go in perfect order and each can be repeated as needed.  The phases provided a structure to motivate action, and are definitely not rigid.

Throughout the process, I am striving to be cost-effective, not only because it's smart, but because it's really my only option! :)  I am utilizing friends and craigslist.  I have borrowed yardwork equipment from friends, and have received plants from friends' gardens.  I have been selling the random stuff out of the yard on craigslist.  I have also been scouring craigslist's "free" section as well as their "farm and garden" section.  Additionally, I answered a lawn-mowing advertisement on craigslist and had the lawn mowed for $20, AND I got valuable advice from him on my next steps with the yard as well as things to be weary of.

Wow, that's a lot of words for today!
Let's get on to why this is wonderful!

Why this is wonderful: It attends mainly to movement and sight. 
I feel really good when I'm working in the yard.  Raking, weeding...bending, stretching, reaching.  The work is great for my body.  My muscles feel it afterward and I didn't have to go to the gym.  Also, this movement is good for re-discovering that connection between my mind and body.  Refreshing.  As for sight, the space becomes much more welcoming and comforting when you can see the care put into it.  It's incredibly rewarding for me to see the tremendous amount of progress I have made in a short time. Yes, some things take more time (like grass growing...), with delayed sight-gratification, but that is great too!  Gardening and yardwork are amazing practice for cultivating patience. And one could never have enough patience....

Dancing- shake it offffff

Selfcare Emergency Meter: Overhaul
Time Commitment: 1 evening


I love to dance.  Really.  When I go out dancing, it really is for an overhaul.  I NEEEED it.  My life has been so stressful in unpredictable ways that I schedule a night to go dancing once a week, and I notice a huge difference in my abilities to cope if I skip one of these nights.  When I dance, I stop thinking with my brain and start to connect with my body.  I tend to get lost in my brain and logical thought patterns throughout the week.  It's as if my brain is just floating along and my body is no longer important.  Dancing allows me to let go, to trust and appreciate this mass of bone and muscle that hauls me from work to class to work all the time.
Even my nephew loves to dance <Dec 2010>:  (pay no attention to the creepy laughter in the background...lol)

Procedure: If you are not one to go out dancing, I highly recommend dancing around your house to music of your choice for an extended period of time.  It may not accomplish as much as a night out might, but it will accomplish something, and that counts.  Now I will focus on going out dancing for the night.  Preparation at home is almost as important as the going out part.  I turn on the upbeat tunes, and allow myself plenty of time for my makeup, hair, and clothing.  I am an artist, so I love to experiment, and reinvent my style depending on what mood I'm in.  Although you may not consider yourself an artist, I recommend using awareness in the preparation part.  Makeup, hair, and clothing can be forms of armor.  They can prepare and protect you for the night.  But, keep in mind to do only as much as you can be confident and comfortable with.  Rock your style!! If you are uncomfortable with your look, you are vulnerable.  I don't want you to be super susceptible to stress or criticism when the night is for shaking all of that off! :)  When you meet up with friends at a dancing venue, take your time.  Let the music pull you out of your seat.  Forced dancing is not fun, and adds stress.  I just recommend if you don't normally dance, to get up if you like a song, and try!!  Sometimes I close my eyes when I dance and just let my body follow the beat.  I have to trust my body.  You have to trust your body.  Let gooooooo...  Just try.  And drink plenty of water.
This video should pump you up:

Why this is wonderful: It attends to 2 senses: sound and movement (movement is explained in my "Music" post).  This technique has the potential to disconnect you from your critical thinking mind, which can be such a welcome release after a long week!  I have also found this to be a crucial way of expelling stress from the body, literally shaking it out. I have found that my body stores stress in my shoulders and back.  These areas get tight throughout the week and it is so difficult to relax them.  Dancing gets my muscles moving.  I move my arms, hips, legs, torso; I turn and bend; I let the music move me and I feel exceptionally better afterwards.  Also, on a more physiological side: dancing is a work-out.  This not only allowing you to burn calories easily, but gets your endorphins pumping which results in a happier mood! Whoa!

Loud Music- but be aware of your eardrums

Selfcare Emergency Meter: Pick Me Up
Time Commitment: ~4 min (length of 1 song, or more if you choose)


Loud music... Where to start?  Well, it is an old favorite that I utilize almost everyday.  At home, I use this as much-needed break from studying.  At work or during class, I am able to pop in my headphones during a lunch or bathroom break and release some tension.  It really does "pick me up."  Loud, enveloping music transports me out of the stressful situation I am in, offers me support and delight, then allows me to keep those qualities in order to better deal with the stressful situation when the song ends.


Procedure: Pick a song with an upbeat feel, preferably one with a strong beat and lyrics you can follow along to. Upbeat is crucial because music can have a profound effect on your mood.  Depressing songs (which definitely have their own time and place) will bring you down and make you more susceptible to stress.  I recommend making a playlist ahead of time with tried-and-true feel-good tunes on it (*notice my "Music of the Moment" list along the left sidebar). If you are at home (and alone if you feel more comfortable), stand up and allow yourself to move to the song.  Allow yourself to sing as well.  You may not feel like moving, you may not feel like singing, but TRY!  Engaging your body really helps to expel stress that gets stored in your muscles and bogs you down!


If you are at work or school, the procedure is much more internal (unless the environment is accepting of singing and dancing).  Focus on the beat of the song, notice the different instruments/sounds, and sing along in your head.  Maintain awareness; this is not the same as listening to the radio on your way to work, when you make lists and plans in your head while listening.  Keep your attention on the song and thoughts related to it.  What does it remind you of?  What feelings from the song can you hold onto after the song has finished?
Polite Dance Song by The Bird and the Bee is a song on my list, check it out and you will see that it is relatively gentle, but still upbeat and fun:

Why this is wonderful: It attends to 2 senses: sound and movement.  Ok, "movement" is not a traditional sense.  But, I think of it as a bodily sense.  Most senses deal primarily with your head or hands, but what about the body as a whole?  Movement is important and nourishes the body, so I am including it :)  The song choice itself brings with it happy thoughts and memories that can flip your mood and arm you against stressful events.