self care
For a healthy mind, body, and soul.
Life's Curveballs Suck
I can’t lie, I envision poking people in the eye when they say “new year, new you.” I understand the concept, but I hate cliches. I used to love this concept, until it became an overbearing leech on my mind’s stability. For a couple of years, the start of each new year has felt pointless, hopeless, and fruitless. You’re probably willing me to add more details because there’s clearly context here. You’re right. I apologize. Let me start from the beginning.
By Shannon Graham5 years ago in Longevity
Patience is the Key
A morning cup of Joe is essential for starting any day off right. It’s hard for me to stop at one. If one works well, wouldn’t two work even better? Plus I like the taste. Over caffeinating myself for years gave me the false belief that I could get more done in less time, burn the candle so to speak at both ends, work hard, play hard and not have to suffer consequences. The worst thing about overcaffeinating myself is that it tends to make me impatient, even anxious.
By Karen Dronzek5 years ago in Longevity
The Overwhelming Freedom of No Alarms, No Schedules, and My Resolution to Enjoy It
We all know it, and most of us hate it. Even if we escape it as children, eventually we grow up,\and have to succumb to it. That blaring, garish, screaming drill sergeant that sits next to our beds. Some call it an alarm clock. I call it heinous, a rude assault on all that is good in this life.
By Elizabeth Livecchi5 years ago in Longevity
I Walk
I’ve been called brave, ambious, and gung ho by friends, family and overly curious strangers at the supermarket. I feel as though I’m none of these things. I’m on the brink of 30, with a dwindling bank account, and fewer and fewer jobs prospects living in a foreign country in the middle of a pandemic. Maybe that’s bravery? That precarious line between being stubborn enough to go through with plans no matter the hurdles while being stupid enough to close your eyes and plug your ears when common sense screams “This is a mistake!”.
By Jacqueline McNab5 years ago in Longevity
Letting Go
It would be fair to say that few people thoroughly enjoyed 2020 - one could even go so far as to say few people didn't have an outright bad time. Taking into consideration all of the shortcomings offered to us by this storied year, I've found myself coming to the realization that while I did not have much to show in the way of physical accomplishments for the year, the greatest thing to come out of 2020 was an ability to slow down and spend time introspectively.
By The Music Muse5 years ago in Longevity
Just. Make. A. Decision
I've never been the one to write down my resolutions, burn them in the fire, and wish on a star. I thought it was useless. The past two New Years, I found myself huddled in my room on my bed crying. Always something goes wrong. This past year hasn't been easy, and in fact, I found 2020 one of the most challenging years so far. Imagine, I graduate high school, my Europe trip is in a couple of months, and I'm planning on building a tiny house. Suddenly, everything in the world stops, strapped for cash, my first overseas trip is out the window, I declined the only university that accepted me, toilet paper is hard to come by, and I can't even go to the beach? I thought the end was near, or maybe I had too many conspiracies in my head. New world order, as they call it. Even so, 2020 seemed to fly by, and that was the scariest part. I hadn't lived a year noticing it before, seeing the weeks and months rolling by. I know one thing, if I continue to live every year like 2020, and start something new, I would get stuck here. Stuck, with the same people I see, stuck driving the same road every morning, and worst stuck seeing the same barista every Sunday morning. The following you are about to read is what I have decided no longer serve me and the subtle changes I am implementing into my life. Enjoy.
By Hannah Stewart 5 years ago in Longevity
Inside out:
Every year come January first, there are tons of offers for gym memberships, yoga retreats, detox diets, and fitness apps. Literally, support of every kind. Offerings and deals looking to help anyone and everyone yearning for a fresh start. I’ve subscribed and applied to all sorts of memberships in the past, bought all kinds of gadgets and equipment hoping I would stick to my fresh start for years to come, or at least until I reached whichever goal I set for myself.
By Roberta DeAndrade5 years ago in Longevity
How To Keep Your Vibe Up: Pandemic Edition
The pandemic. Lockdowns. Daily deaths rising. Borders shut down. Hello America. While other countries who share the same continent don’t have an alarming surge as America, it’s important that we all get through this time together as one. The human race is fighting off a sweeping death that has taken millions of lives globally.
By Liana Vibes5 years ago in Longevity
My Ongoing Journey to Self Acceptance
January 2021 I’m always keeping track and keeping score. How old I am, what I’ve eaten today, how much money I’m making, how much I’ve worked out this week, how much art I’ve made this month. It can be draining to keep score. It can highlight disappointments I have with myself. But lately, I've been trying to tell myself, “think less, feel more”. As a dancer, that’s something that I’ve heard in the studio. I’ve also heard it in guided meditations and I think it applies to many parts of my life. Instead of basing what to eat on what I’ve eaten earlier in the day, I am trying to base those decisions on how hungry I am and what I want to eat. Instead of holding myself to a strict work out schedule, I listen for when my body and my mind wants to move. And as it turns out, as a longtime mover, I want to move pretty often. I think it’s about the rules we give ourselves and how they align with our values. I don’t know that working out for the sake of having a six pack and being slimmer truly aligns with my values. Moving my body for the pleasure that it brings me and my desire to maintain my relationship to movement and dance is more in line with my values. If I consider myself an artist and human that is interested in connection, healing, learning and growth then that’s what my goals should align with. I’m thinking that if I become more in touch with who I am at my core, then it will be possible to quiet down the comparisons that I often make between others and myself. My automatic response to other people’s achievements is often to compare myself to them and inevitably feel a sense of shame at the idea that I’m not measuring up to where they are. But, if I know who I am and I practice acceptance, curiosity and openness on the journey to accomplishing my goals, then I think it will matter less what other people are doing. Or, even better, I can applaud what other people are doing and be genuinely happy for them.
By Hannah Robertson5 years ago in Longevity
