|
By Jackie White  Balancing all the things in life can feel like an impossible task. Sometimes it can get so overwhelming that we just forget about certain things, like taking care of ourselves! We know we have to go to work and take care of our families. We have to do those things, but spending time for ourselves often tends to go on the back burner.
Let’s peel back the onion on what life balance really means and why it’s important to be mindful of these areas. The 13 Areas of Balance outlined below are.most of the areas of life you will be juggling. It’s a lot and it’s normal to drop some of the balls because to be firing on all cylinders in these 13 areas at one time is probably too much for most people. The 13 Areas of Balance Self-Love - Making time for yourself and being kind to yourself. Health and Wellness - Take care to eat properly and exercise your body regularly. Love Life - Contentment in your current state of a love relationship. Family Life - Contentment with your family dynamics and relationships. Social Life/ Friendships - Satisfaction with connecting with others. Environment/home - Comfort and peace in your home and work environments. Career - Satisfaction with your career currently and for future opportunities. Intellectual/Learning - Continuous learning about things you are interested in. Skills - Practicing new skills for a personal hobby or career. Community Life - Spending time giving back to your community. Spiritual Life - Connection through religion, a higher power, nature or the Universe. Creative Life - Taking part in some sort of creative endeavor. Adventures - Making time for an adventure through travel or experiences. Balancing it All First of all, let’s recognize that there really is no way for you to be balancing all these areas equally, nor should you. Not all areas are as important as others and darn it, that’s where we get into trouble. We deem certain areas like family, love, and career as the top tier that need our attention. I cannot argue with that, but I will throw a flag on this play and say caution. When you get focused on only a few areas of life exclusively you will begin to feel burned out and not fulfilled. Putting You on the List When you ignore certain things like your health and wellness, sooner or later you will pay a price. You know that. But what about ignoring the need to see a friend or taking time each day to care for yourself in one kind deed or another? It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but just like with health and wellness, it will catch up to you. You enhance your life when you connect with others. You especially enhance your life when you decide you are worth being kind to...and for the record, you are worth being kind to yourself. That is really your number one job. Being kind to yourself also means that in these other balance areas you are spicing up your life. Think about it: learning something new sparks your brain to develop new neural pathways! That’s exciting! Connecting spiritually gets you to know yourself so much better. How about your home? A peaceful calm space is a luxury after a tough day at work. Being creative provides joy and inspiration to maybe an otherwise dull day. Being Intentional You see each area is important, so how do you manage it all? By being intentional. Choose the foundational areas you need to keep in balance daily (like taking care of your family, self-love, and health and wellness, for example). From there decide what other areas you can work on that week. Perhaps reading 20 minutes a day can replace scrolling through your social media, trying a new restaurant with a friend can fulfill your friendship area and your new adventure area! It’s all about being mindful of your time not trying to do everything at once. For more help to keep you on track use SoulShine’s Personal Inventory Tracker and meet us live on Facebook on the first Wednesday of the month at noon for a check-in. Shine On!
0 Comments
By Jackie White  because that’s just the way it is done in our families. However, above and beyond the rote mechanics of implementing a tradition, we should look a little deeper at the importance of tradition in how it anchors a family and provides a connection.
The definition of tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation or the fact of being passed on in this way. The way tradition manifests in a family is that it can put down roots and comforts amongst a family. It defines who you are as a family, where you come from, and who came before you. Your family may traditionally make lefse every year during the holidays because your family is originally from Norway. You might play “find the pickle” on the Christmas tree each year because your family hails from Germany. But what if your traditions have burned out? What if all you have left is making the green bean casserole because Aunt Carol has always made it since 1972? Maybe you need a refresh in the tradition department! New Traditions To even say new tradition seems like an oxymoron. How can something be new, yet a tradition? How does a new activity or new recipe suddenly become a tradition? Here is the great thing, there are no rules so you get to be creative here! Here are some ideas on how to start a new tradition that will last. Look to your Heritage Make a traditional dish or take part in an activity from the country or countries your family hails from. Tell favorite stories of your family. Storytelling is a great way to connect families together. Celebrate traditions from a different country every year as a way to learn and do something new. Remember the Meaning Remember the true meaning of why the holiday actually exists. Some find that going to church is important others voice their gratefulness and love for their families and friends. This is a good opportunity to let those you love know how much they mean to you. Make it Special Use the fancy china or make the special pie that takes forever to make. Get dressed up and light some candles. Decorate, turn on some holiday tunes, and shut the tv off. Holidays are supposed to special and out of the ordinary. Go ahead and be a little extra! Find the Fun Look for an activity that is fun that everyone can take part in. The alphabet game is always an easy and fun way to engage everyone at the table. For example, on Thanksgiving go around and have everyone say something they are grateful for starting with whichever letter they get as you go around the table. Crack Out the Photo Albums What better way to remember the family times than to peruse old photo albums. Tell stories of the past and remember who you are as a family. Also, don’t forget to take pictures and record the day’s events for posterity. Do an Activity Together Prepare the dinner together or take a walk after the meal together. Partake in a community service event together such as making blessing bags for the homeless or preparing and serving a meal for those less fortunate at a local church or shelter. Don’t Forget to Enjoy Yourself. Holidays can be hectic and we can get caught up in the stress of all the work involved. Recruit help early and don’t let the work of the day be your burden to shoulder. Most people don’t mind helping, they just might need to be asked, so ask for help. Do your best to stay positive and in the moment so you too can enjoy the festivities. Enjoy your holidays and traditions. Celebrate who your family is through the old and the new traditions! Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Gratitude.
That’s the answer to combat stress and anxiety, boost your happiness factor, and bring so many other health benefits into your life. The field of positive psychology as well as other health professions such as nursing and medicine are showing the positive effects of gratitude on the body through study after study. These effects benefit all areas of your life - psychologically, physically, and socially. Here are a few examples: 1. Psychological benefits of gratitude
It doesn’t stop there, DreamChaser! Studies have shown that expressing gratitude helps you to deal with adversity as well as bounce back from these hard times with more strength and motivation. As if that wasn’t enough, and this is my favorite one, studies have shown that practicing gratitude every day helps create neural pathways to naturally and permanently make you feel grateful, more positive, and happier daily. These studies have shown that a daily gratitude practice was as effective in treating mild to moderate anxiety symptoms as taking a daily prescription medication. Whoa! Think about it this way…if your anxiety is affecting your life to the point you need an intervention, you could treat it by taking a daily pill OR practicing daily gratitude. Do not get me wrong, being a nurse practitioner, I wholeheartedly believe you should take medications for illnesses when needed. But, the data from these studies support that practicing gratitude is one of the simplest, most effective ways to boost your overall health and wellness. Okay, cynics…I hear you out there saying, “It’s too good to be true”. Being a bit cynical myself, I present you with the evidence; the answer to how gratitude works. Gratitude affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for complex cognitive behaviors like focus, managing emotions, and predicting the consequences of one’s actions. Expressing and receiving gratitude stimulates the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, the two brain chemicals for emotions that result in an immediate positive boost in mood. It's like a calm button for the prefrontal cortex, making you feel happy from the inside-out. In case you missed this interesting point, you get the same effect from gratitude by expressing it or receiving it, meaning, telling someone you are grateful for them allows you AND them to benefit from the power of gratitude. Convinced? I sure hope so, DreamChaser! Gratitude is one of the most powerful best life tools you absolutely must add to your Best Life Toolbox. Here’s how to do it:
Yeah, that’s it! In a matter of a few minutes, you have brought the healing and life-boosting benefits of gratitude into your life. Really want to benefit from gratitude? Here are a few more ideas:
All signs (and data…sorry, science nerd here) point to adding the powerful force of gratitude into your daily life. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is as perfect a time as any to start! Shine on! By Jackie White  Stop for a moment and think. Think about your life and what you deserve. Is there anything that you see that you don’t deserve? Do you feel unworthy of certain things or do you avoid going for certain dreams because you don’t deserve that level of possibility?
Maybe it’s not you. Maybe you know someone who puts themselves down or is constantly apologizing? Your teenage daughter might be fighting unworthiness big time in her own heart and soul. All of these examples unfortunately are far too common in the American public. Unworthiness runs rampant, especially among women. The statistics are downright frightening. 66% of women feel they are worthless and useless while 70% of teen girls believe they are not good enough. That is unacceptable. We need to take back ourselves from ourselves! The seed of unworthiness can be planted by another but is fed by ourselves fixating on such a tragic belief. However, there is an opportunity for us to throw a wrench in this monkey mindset. Welcome to the season of giving and see how it can give back to you. During the holiday season, we are given opportunities to connect with others. There might be a family gathering or perhaps a Friendsgiving or an opportunity to volunteer to help another. You see there is no greater medicine for unworthiness than connection. Let me say that again, being connected to others makes you feel worthy. Connection feels like sunshine, it’s happy, joyful, and inclusive. Don’t mistake being with someone who is a downer as being connected to another, That is not it. Why does connection seem to eliminate these feelings of unworthiness? It’s found in a chemical release in the brain. It is biologically impossible to feel critical of yourself and feel connected with another at the same time. The part of your brain that judges yourself is silenced by the part of the brain that allows closeness and connection. The connection response in your prefrontal cortex overrides other responses like judgment. Whoa! This is freaking amazing! Now that you know this, you have a secret weapon to fight off your entirely too critical inner critic. This is an invitation to you to get involved this holiday season. Spend time with people you enjoy and that lift you up. Get connected in your community and do for others and the by-product of that is actually doing for yourself. Make this a habit and soon you will find that you are building yourself up and realizing just how special you are. Give yourself a gift of elevating your soul by making an effort to connect with others this holiday season and beyond. Shine On! Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Confession time, DreamChaser. I rarely stress during the holidays. Now, before you start hating me or calling me a liar, hear me out. I made the decision back in graduate school, which was by far the busiest time of my adult life, that the holidays would be a time of enjoyment and not added stress. I started taking intentional steps to de-stress the holidays before they even started. Now, many years later, this intentional proactive holiday de-stress approach is just what I do.
Quiz time! What is it called when it’s just something you do? You got it…a habit! I have a well-established habit of setting my holiday season up to be stress-free and, therefore, completely enjoyable. Since sharing is caring, I am going to give you 5 steps to take now, right now in the beginning of November, that will start your holiday de-stressing process. Ready? I thought so! 1. Make A List…and Check It Twice Rather than Santa’s gift list, I mean your personal holiday must-do list. Start with items that are already scheduled such as kid’s sporting events, holiday concerts, church programs, or work events. Next, add your expected holiday traditions such as family or friend get-togethers or annual cookie baking. Finally, brainstorm holiday traditions or events you want to do like watching a holiday movie (Elf or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, anyone?!?), seeing holiday lights, getting the Christmas tree, or decorating your house. The first time you write out this list, it is eye-opening! You can see very clearly why the holidays get stressful! Look hard at this list. You might be taking on too much; to have the stress-free and enjoyable holiday of your dreams, you might need to cut a few items. Trust me, doing less can make your holidays better. Take all items that made the cut and rank them in priority from must-do to “if we have time”. Open the calendar app on your phone or take your paper calendar…it’s schedule time! This is the only way that any of these items will actually happen. Start by scheduling events with a known date, then, plan all the other holiday fun. Pro Tips: Keep several days open! This allows for much-needed (and often forgotten) rest and relaxation time as well as flexibility to change your schedule around as needed. Another BIG de-stress tip is to start knocking things off that list now…who says Christmas movies are ONLY for December?!? 2. Set a Budget…and Stick To It Having a holiday budget and STICKING TO IT is one of the best ways to de-stress during and after the holidays. Look at your anticipated expenses and estimated income. How much do you have left over at the end of the month? This, DreamChaser, is where your holiday budget is! If it is less than you expected or would like to spend, where can you tighten up on your spending? Can you start putting aside a certain amount from each paycheck? Once you know how much you have to spend, make a list of who you want to buy for with a set amount you would like to spend. Make a point to stick to your budget…trust me, this will be worth it! 3. Get Your Shop (and Wrap) On The sooner you start, the sooner you are done…both shopping and wrapping. Once your budget is set, start shopping. There are already awesome deals available. As you get your gifts, wrap them right away (even if you don’t have a tree up yet). Getting a jump start on both of these tasks is huge for saving time, money, and stress. Just imagine how much more fun it will be to curl up with cocoa and a movie instead of fighting the holiday crowd come December 23! 4. Holiday Card Tips Okay, if you don’t do holiday cards, skip this one and pat yourself on the back for all that time, effort, and energy you have saved. I, however, love to send and receive these babies…lol. A huge time saver is to make printable address labels; it’s a little time consuming the first time but it makes it so much easier in years to come. Order your cards early…as in right now, today, after you finish reading this. Not only will you knock out this huge project before the holidays really get rolling but you will also save money as many companies have big discounts for early shoppers. Pro Tip: Who said it has to be a holiday card? Consider a New Year’s or Valentine’s Day card instead! 5. Set Your Boundaries Your holidays are YOUR holidays. Before you commit to anything, remember the “Best Yes” idea. Is this something that will bring you joy or add stress to your holiday? What does your ideal holiday look like? What traditions do you love? Is it time to let some things go? Get a clear idea of what will make the holiday season stress-free, enjoyable, and memorable. Say yes to the things that make this vision happen and no to those that don’t. If this is your first time setting boundaries, it might be uncomfortable at first and you might experience push back. Stick to your guns, DreamChaser! Once a boundary is set, keep it. Guess what happens then? No one questions it in the future! That’s it…my system for a stress-free, enjoyable holiday. Like all new things, it takes intention and determination the first time you do these steps. Trust me, you are about to experience a holiday like no other! Here’s to not only living your best life but also enjoying it! Shine on! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  The reactions to Halloween always intrigues me. On one end of the spectrum, you have over-the-top enthusiasts donning costumes and turning their home into the Addams family mansion; on the other, the cynics that would rather tempt being on the receiving end of a Halloween egging than hand out candy to eager little revelers. I typically fall somewhere in the middle. But, this year is different. The wonder and excitement that comes with 3 year olds is contagious…in a good way.
Take a second to imagine Halloween through the eyes of a little kid. For the first time, everyone is dressing up and playing pretend…even the trees are getting in on the fun of being pretty by changing color. There’s candy and treats at your disposal. Icky things like spiders and bats are suddenly looking cute and cuddly. It’s okay to scare people and play jokes. Ordinary pumpkins are transformed with paint, glitter, and carving knives. It’s simply…magical! As adults, we too often put away magic and wonder in favor of practicality and responsibility. While “adulting” does require these traits, we can forget to let loose and have fun. Halloween is a great time to release your inner kid and inject fun into your life! A bonus? It’s one of the times that NO ONE will judge anything you are doing…it’s all in the name of Halloween fun! Take a break from “adulting” and be a kid again with an idea (or two) from the SoulShine “Get in the Halloween Spirit” List:
Having fun is a key ingredient to living your best life, DreamChaser. Halloween is an awesome excuse to stop adulting for a while, embrace your inner kid, and have a blast! Happy trick or treating…and, Shine On! By Jackie White  Did you know that next to the beginning of a new year, the next season that feels like a good time for a do-over is fall? Maybe it harkens back to the time when we were all mentally prepared to go back to school. A fresh start, new lunch boxes, and new experiences!
So welcome to your fresh start! What’s great about starting fresh now is that you have a good solid 90 days to kick it into gear and feel accomplished by the start of the new year! In order to have the best chance at succeeding at this fourth quarter second (or third or fourth) try at this thing we call life, you will need some tools, and by gosh, I have some of those for you right here! The Fresh Start Tool Kit The Fresh Start Tool Kit is filled with ideas to spark you into action, keep you engaged and lead you to the finish line.
There you have it. 7 simple steps to take this year out with a big bang of accomplishment! Remember to put yourself on the list. Make a commitment to yourself that your goals are important too. Go after them and find the joy in the chase of your dreams! Happy Fresh-Starting over the next 90 days and Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  y’s reaction or response to mental or physical tension from a challenging or demanding situation but not all stress is bad! Wait…wha?!? For example, if you want to get stronger, you need to physically stress your body. Similarly, to go after a goal or dream, you have to step out of your comfort zone and possibly face your fear of failure. These are both challenging and stressful experiences for your body and mind, but, if you can keep the stress response to a minimum, these situations result in physical and mental growth. The key is keeping that stress response in check…learning to calm the chaos!
Keep Perspective - Your Mindset Matters As with all things, your mindset is key to learning to calm the chaos and bring your stress down. Many of the things that cause the biggest stress are out of our control. An example we can all relate to is the pandemic; think of all the stress that came from things you could not control like toilet paper shortages, worrying if you or a loved one would get sick, or school going virtual. So much stress over things we couldn’t control. Now, before you start feeling helpless, let’s remember what IS in our control - our thoughts, our beliefs, our actions. When you put your stressors into what you can control versus what you can’t control, you get your power back…you are back in the driver’s seat, no longer a victim, rather the victor. Doesn’t that feel better already? This, DreamChaser, is the first step to calming the chaos! Treat Stress Appropriately - Develop a Calm the Chaos Plan Now that we have our stress basics down with our mindset in check, it’s time to do the work to calm the chaos, or stress, in your life. Unchecked, chronic stress does a number on your body causing ailments from headache to digestion issues to high blood pressure to anxiety and depression. Developing an appropriate plan to calm the chaos is not only important but critical to living your very best life. The bonus? Keeping stress in check allows it to be a positive force in your body, one that pushes you out of the comfort zone just enough to get physically and mentally stronger! Here are a few ideas to inspire you while you develop your physical and mental calm the chaos plan:
Stress is an inevitable part of life, DreamChasers. While you might not be able to avoid it, YOU can control the role it plays in your life. YOU can make stress a positive force that makes you better rather than a negative force. YOU alone have the choice on your thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Keep these in mind while you develop your Calm the Chaos plan and get on track to living your very best life. Shine On! By Jackie White  We all are looking for ways to stay young, look good, and feel good. We try to eat right and exercise to keep ourselves healthy. We might even buy some expensive cream that vows to take years off our time-worn face! We seemingly are searching endlessly for a fountain of youth. Well, I have news for you. This elusive font has been right under your nose and within easy reach all along. The magic that can keep you young and healthy can be found in simple kindness.
Kindness really is like a magic spell or potion because it provides us just what we needed even when we didn’t even know we needed it. Kindness is free to give and to receive and in both instances it lifts your mood and restores your faith in humanity. Kindness is made up of simple words that aim to give love, spread joy and sprinkle happiness from one human to another. Seriously, what could be better than that? Have you ever delivered an off-hand comment to someone complimenting them on their new haircut? It may not have been totally thought out, it was just a simple string of words in your mind. But, to the receiver, you have just brightened their day and brought a smile to their face. It was easy for you to say, yet its impact is far greater than you may ever know. I have seen this time and time again when I walk my dog. She is a lover of all and delights in any interaction with anyone. She smiles (yes, my dog actually smiles), wags her tail, and greets the person like a long-lost friend. Most people respond by saying she just made their day. You see, dogs get it. All we need is to spread some kindness to each other and the world lights up. If you need more hard-core evidence about the importance of kindness, let me share the following bits of science-backed facts sourced from the Random Acts of Kindness website: Heart-Health: Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the ‘love hormone’, which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart-health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism, which is extra helpful when we’re anxious or shy in a social situation. Natalie Angier, The New York Times Pleasure: According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centers light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver. This phenomenon is called the “helper’s high.” Mental Health: Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy! Talya Steinberg, Psy.D for Psychology Today Lifespan: “People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early, and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status, and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week or going to church.” Christine Carter, Author, “Raising Happiness; In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents” Holy Cow, you cannot deny the power of kindness! Begin today with some self-kindness and then extend that out to others because by being kind to others, you are lifting your ownself up too. That’s the magic. Let’s practice: Hold the door for someone Compliment someone’s outfit Help a neighbor in need Listen when someone speaks, no, like really listen so they know they have been heard Make someone laugh Go visit someone who may need to see a friendly face Say something nice to a random person Bake cookies for the first responders in your area Write a letter to a friend. Blow their mind with a thoughtfully crafted gift of kindness in the mail! Get up before your spouse and make the coffee You see, it’s super easy and the rewards are for all. Spread some kindness today and Shine On! By Erika Fehrenbach Prell  Like so many others, it was our turn…”the VID” hit our house. Oh, sorry, that’s what I like to call covid because it brings images of other more scandalous diseases, if you catch my drift. Welcome to the crazy brain of medical providers...lol. Let me start by saying we were very fortunate; our cases were mild, even in the unvaccinated 2 and 10 year olds, and our vaccinated 13 year old was able to avoid infection.
While it could have been way worse, dealing with this was challenging mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had to dig deep into my Best Life Toolbox to make it through this lengthy quarantine, tapping into all the resiliency and positivity I could grab ahold of. At SoulShine, we try to inspire you to prepare for situations such as these. But, sometimes, the best lesson is to learn from a real life situation. So, here you go, DreamChasers... The 10 Best Strategies to Survive (and Thrive) During Covid Quarantine: 1. Take Care of Yourself We talk about this alot...you can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first. Listen to what your body needs. Get lots of rest. Lay low. Snuggle on the couch with a movie. Drink lots of water. Take a nap. Manage your stress. Your body needs to focus its energy and efforts in getting better so do the things to support this! 2. Protect Your Mindset This will test your mindset. Practice gratitude. Journal. Express your frustrations and fears with others or write them down. Here’s a big one...it might be a great time for a social media break. Not only is this a source of negativity, it was equally hard for me seeing people out enjoying life when I was cooped up at home. So, stop the scroll and replace it with a book or watch your favorite comedy. 3. Expectation Management 101 You are in survival mode; getting through the day to day will be enough of a project. This is not the time to take on something new. Do the best you can. For example, during our situation, both parents were positive and our oldest remained symptom free; he still needed a ride to and from school and activities so we took him masked with the windows down. Guess what? It wasn’t protocol perfect but he remained illness free. Give yourself grace...it’s okay if the house is messier than usual or the kids watch more TV. Just get through this time the best you can. 4. Connect With Others It’s hard enough to be sick but being in quarantine, away from others is hard, especially after you start feeling better and are just marking time. Humans are social beings and need connection. Make an effort to connect with friends and family outside your home. Text, call, or video frequently. 5. WebMD is Not a Real Doctor But, seriously, it’s not. I am at fault for doing a Google search as well, and I am a medical provider...lol. Here’s the thing...there are equally reliable sources as unreliable sources, and it can be hard to tell the difference. When you need reassurance or to get answers, skip WebMD and call your real doctor. I know you will Google anyway (wink), so here’s solid advice...never read past the first or second result. The most common answers pop up first and, guarantee, items three and on will be rare and very scary. Save yourself the worry and just call the real thing...that’s why there are nurse help lines! 6. Say Yes to Help Like other communicable illnesses such as influenza, getting covid is unlucky, a bummer, but just part of life right now. First and foremost, you did nothing wrong, therefore, you should not be embarrassed or feel shame. That might sound weird, or never crossed your mind, but this is a common feeling and experience for many who get covid. Your friends and family will offer to help...take them up on their offers to drop off food, run errands, or help in any way you need, guilt free but with a grateful heart. Guess what? There’s a good chance you will be repaying the favor before this is all over. 7. Have Faith It will be okay. The truth is, much of this is out of your control. When my husband and I both became positive, I was worried sick over my 2 and 10 year olds that were unvaccinated...so many thoughts were swirling in my head. The truth was, them getting covid was pretty much inevitable; you can’t exactly quarantine effectively from a 2 year old. And, worrying was only adding more stress to an already stressful situation. So, I chose to have faith. Faith that it would be okay. Faith that I was made for hard things. Faith that I could handle whatever was thrown at me. Focus on what you can control...your thoughts, your beliefs, your actions. 8. Find Reasons to Laugh Laughter really is the best medicine. Find reasons and things that make your laugh every day...it really will make you feel better! 9. Get Fresh Air Just because you are in quarantine does not mean you can’t go outside or take a drive for some fresh scenery. Sit on your porch or take a walk...the fresh air and sunshine will serve you well. 10. Push the Easy Button If you are like us, we had 4 people with covid, all with a different quarantine release-to-the-wild date (see? Humor and laughter…). This meant that someone was in quarantine for a total of 16 days, with 7 of those days being both parents in the Q. We still needed food and miscellaneous items. There are so many easy buttons available for this now! You can get delivery or pick up for groceries, home goods, and even food. Tap into these resources...you might find options to help post-vid, too! There you have it, DreamChasers, the 10 strategies that I used and abused during our Covid quarantine that allowed me to not only survive but also emerge with my sanity. I'd even say thrive as surviving challenging times builds that resiliency muscle. I sincerely hope that you don’t find yourself in this situation. But, here’s another truthbomb...there will likely be another situation that will test your resilience. Whether it is the Vid or some other trying times, these same strategies will help you to survive and perhaps even thrive in tough times. So, go ahead, and add these to your Best Life Toolbox! Shine on! |
AuthorsJackie White has been writing about life and its ups and downs for many years. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a life-long student of personal development she is intrigued by how each individual chooses to live their life. Jackie feels strongly that truly living your best life is imperative to attaining peace and fulfillment. SoulShine was borne of her desire to inspire and teach others to live their best life. This is her mission and her dream. Archives
February 2021
Categories |
RSS Feed