I realized in my last post, I wanted to encourage everyone to try more mindfulness activities, but I didn't give you a lot of guidance on what to do. So here we go, here are some mindfulness activities for adults that are easy to integrate into your day. (more…)
I never realized how much energy was burnt by the thoughts running through my head, until I found that mindfulness increases energy. Recently I disclosed to a friend how much I have battled with my body over the years. I have never had an eating disorder. But I have always felt as if I was taking up too much space. I wanted to make myself disappear, or shrink into a miniature version of myself. But I never knew how. I’ve hidden my insecurities and self-harm for years. But recently, I decided to live a more authentic life and talk about things that most of society keeps under wraps. Body Issues When my friend and I discussed this issue, she told me she didn’t know my generation still had this problem.…
Dear friend, Do you remember that time we had big plans to do something amazing on the weekend? I told you at the last minute that I really wanted to go but I just couldn’t do it. Well, I remember it. Because it was hard for me to make the decision to take care of myself instead of going to do something fun that I was really looking forward to. What did I do that day? Instead, I spent the day making sure I had healthy food lined up for the week. As part of my self-care routine, I took a few short controlled naps. Focused on physical and mental health, I drank a gallon of water and meditated. I arranged my calendar for the week so I would not…
Her small hands hesitate just the slightest bit as they brush over the thick pink scars. Brown eyes meet mine and then immediately flick back down to the rushing water of the pedicure chair. Her eyes pry, "What happened to you?" or "Who did this to you?" I can't be sure which. (more…)
An elderly Myanmar man was dangling his parasol from one finger while he placed his hands on his back and swiveled his hips in a circle, stretching. I felt myself smiling. Another middle-aged couple was barefoot in the grass performing some exercises together in the morning breeze. Young boys on bicycles whizzed by and plenty of locals were relaxing by the water on shaded benches. Loving Myanmar Today I set out on a walk having no idea where I wanted to go. It was early and I wanted to take advantage of some cool air before the sun burned through the haze and turned the sidewalk into a human frying pan. I set out around the lake, focused on my breath, and tried to let the thoughts that entered my…
Maybe the most important lesson I have learned about feeling better is just loving myself with narcolepsy. I'm not going to lie and say it's easy. But I do think this is especially important for people with a chronic illness. I have ups and downs and I'm constantly working to try to do it more consistently. It's easy to get into negative patterns and tear ourselves down. It takes a lot of practice to reverse that so that we are consistently giving ourselves positive messages. (more…)
