Setting Intentions and Self Care

Hello, people of the interwebs! I haven't posted in a while because of life things, but I really wanted to share some things I've been doing lately to look after my health as well as my mental well-being/stress levels. Self-care is essential because if we don't take care of ourselves on the most basic of levels first, we can't be free to help others or even be in the moment with our loved ones in the ways that we want.

One thing I have been trying to do nearly every single day for about two to three weeks now is set an intention for myself for the rest of the day. I try to do this in the morning, before I get out of bed. Basiclly this means, I set up in my mind what I want to accomplish on a certain day. It could be a to-do list of tasks, but more likely than not I try to set up a positive way of thinking as my intention.

Usually, I dread getting up and going to work. Whenever I feel that dread, I try to replace it with a better, more positive way of thinking. For instance, I may be thinking, "Man I really don't want to go to work. Customers are mean." I'll then try to replace that negative thought with one such as, "Yeah, this job isn't the best right now, but I've been busting my butt applying to other jobs. There are a lot of good things coming my way and I just need to suck this up in the meantime."

Most days, my intention is, "Today is going to be a good day, no matter what others do or say around you. You're in control of your happiness and you're in control of how today is going to go."

Another way I like to set an intention for myself is either through meditation or yoga. For instance, if I have the time in the morning to do a quick yoga routine, I'll quietly thank myself for giving the time to the practice, however little time that may be. If I don't have time for either, I have found doing a simple yoga pose for at least five minutes, focusing on my breathing, and setting an intention for my day, has been super helpful. That one pose is: legs up the wall. I know it sounds way easy and pretty lame, but don't knock it until you try it. If you even google it, you'll come up with tons of health benefits for this one pose. If you want to try it, here's a helpful video!

Socially, I have been trying to make time to see friends and family, though I still don't see these people as much as I would like to. Being an adult, having adult friends...it means everyone is busy and everyone has a different schedule. However, I have found that when I make time to see these people, the ones who matter most, it really boosts my mood and overall well-being. I can't really explain it, but I just feel better, mentally. I plan on working on this more and more.

Aromatherapy is something fairly new to me. My amazing boyfriend got me an aromatherapy essential oil diffuser for my birthday and I am in love with it. I currently only have two essential oils, because they're a bit pricey for good quality ones, but I seriously have found a positive difference in my mood. I even sleep better! I add a few (2-3) drops of the essential oil to my diffuser, plug it in and just let the scent fill the room. I have lemongrass oil, which helps with depression and anxiety, lifts mood, can be used as a pain reliever, and can even boost energy. Psst, it's what I have in my diffuser now as I write this.

I also have lavender oil, because it's amazing. It calms and soothes nerves, reduces stress/anxiety, and can aid in relaxation/sleep. To help me get a deeper, more restful night sleep, I have been putting the diffuser on with the lavender oil inside while I play on my phone before bed. I know, I know. I should be meditating or contemplating my life goals or some shizz, but I really just want to watch Youtube before bed. Sue me. Anyway, I'd say within 20-30minutes I am asleep. Which is amazing considering it usually takes me about an hour to an hour and half to fall asleep normally. I sleep more soundly and feel a lot less tired throughout the day because I'm getting a fuller night's sleep. If you're interested in getting your own diffuser, here's where my boyfriend bought mine from: Aromatherapy Diffuser

Also, side note: be super careful with what you put into the diffuser. Don't, for the love of your lungs, DO NOT put potpourri oil into it. Only pure essential oils.

Getting organized is another thing I've been doing to help myself get motivated and be a more productive person. This is partly due to the fact that my sister MADE me a dang planner for a birthday gift and I'm in love with it. Anyway, just planning out my week: what I have to do, what bills are due, when am I working and off, when can I apply to jobs, when I should do this or that...it's really helped to make my days more productive. In fact, yesterday was one of the most productive job-applying-laundry-doing-working-out-etc, day I've had in a long time. You can get nice planners for a reasonable price. Make planning things fun by using colored pens and highlighters and yes, many many stickers.
                                     

Finally, I have been trying to make time to read more. When I actually sit down with a good book and a possibly good cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoy it. I think my brain just gets so tired from all the other things I have going on sometimes that the last thing it wants to do is read a book. However, I've been making an effort to read more, despite feeling tired or wanting to play on my phone. Right now I'm reading Tina Fey's Bossy Pants and it's hysterical.

Anyway, this post was a bit of a ramble, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I hope this helped some of you out there who struggle to keep up with a self-care plan. You're not alone.

Don't forget to breathe.
--Dana

Mindful Friday (on Thursday): Life is strange and also frogs

Sunday was the beginning of  a lot of new HBO series starting. True Detective, Ballers, and Brink; to be specific. My boyfriend, myself, and a group of our friends have been looking forward to watching for a while now. Since my boyfriend and I don't have HBO, we go to friends' houses to watch certain shows. Anyway, Sunday night one of our friends picked the two of us up from our house to go and watch these shows at another friend's house. I was leaving the house when my boyfriend said, "Frog."

I almost didn't hear him, but I looked down to my feet anyway. There it was, a little green and speckled frog staring up at me. "Oh no! I almost crushed him!" I squealed. I would have felt so horrible if that had happened. Horrible, I tell you. I bent down towards it and gently ushered it into
the bushes by the house so no one else would nearly crush or actually crush the little creature.

Frog murder avoided, we all set off to our friend's house. On the way, and we had only been driving maybe three minutes, BAM. A car accident. It wasn't us, thankfully, but it was someone else. It must have just happened because people all over the place started racing to the shoulder and pulling over, running out of their cars to assist. The car was white and completely turned over on it's roof. All I saw was white and wheels in a mess of trees and bushes. It had gone over the guard rail and was sitting there. I couldn't see anyone inside.

I still can't find any information on if the person or people inside are okay or not. I haven't stopped thinking about it since Sunday and I probably won't for a long time.

More than anything, I can't get out of my head that the accident could have very well involved the car we all were riding it. If I hadn't stopped to nearly smoosh and then save a frog, maybe we could have been the ones in that upside down car, I know this is probably me just reading too much into the accident I saw, but I feel like sometimes things happen for a reason. Thankfully, I was meant to save a frog that day.

Want to know something? I googled what 'frog symbolism' means and was completely freaked by what multiple websites told me. Frogs are a symbol of change and transition. They can also mean a link between the living and the dead, though I'm still hopeful every single person made it out of that wreck alive.

This got me to remember that life is full of constant change, nothing is permanent. Life is all about births, marriages, love, buying houses, graduating, and even death and grieving. This constant change that life takes us through sometimes comes when we least expect or least want it to happen. Sunday reminded me of how instantaneous and abruptly a life can change. It's reminded me to be thankful for not only the people in my life, but also the time I get to spend with them as well.

Don't forget to breathe.
--Dana

Mindful Friday

My boyfriend and I have been together for three and a half years. I can't speak for him, but he is literally my rock. He makes me happy, helps me when I'm feeling anxious or doubtful, and he's just an amazing person. The last few days, he was pretty sick. He's had symptoms like this before, but this time around they were a lot more serious. A lot more scary too see, too. I have never felt so helpless in any situation before this. Here's this person I love more than anything in this world, and he's feeling so crummy and miserable...and I can't do a damn thing about it.


He ended up going to the hospital for tests and everything, which all turned out negative or normal (thank goodness).  I can't even put into words how grateful I am that he seems to be doing better and that there's nothing major or serious happening to him.

The whole experience was completely eye-opening, though.  It reminded me of how crazy and just effed life can be--and out of no where. You never know when something like sickness is going to happen and how something so simple can disrupt your every day routine. One minute I was texting him about watching Buffy, the next minute I found out he was being admitted over night to the hospital (scary shit). I also learned that hospitals (at least the one we had) suck, that you have to advocate for yourself and your loved one if you want to get anywhere.  I found out that my boyfriend and I both have some amazing friends and family out there who called, texted, face-booked, etc. good wishes and wanted to know how he was.

You all are amazing.

More than anything, this whole experience is a true reminder of how much I care and love this other human being. How much I needed to be there for him, even if it just meant waiting around with him while he slept in an uncomfortable hospital bed.  Even if it meant just going out and buying him Swedish fish or some chicken nuggets, getting him an ice pack to help him feel just slightly better. It reminds me that I care so so soooo much about him and I know he cares just as much about me as well.

Everything's okay right now and I'm feeling very thankful for him and for the rest of his family, friends, and I that he's okay. I also have a feeling that this entire ordeal has strengthened the already strong bond Ryan and I have together. I really feel like we can overcome anything, right now ; )

Don't forget to breathe.
--Dana