SOMETIMES TWICE A WEEK, BUT MOSTLY ON SUNDAYS
Taking care of your mind, body, and soul has always been very important to me. It’s fair to say that if one feels off, all three feel off. Keeping a balance can feel like walking a thin line or a tight rope at times, but it’s all worth it. I feel he most powerful when all three parts of me are balanced.
I like to start my morning with a smile and a prayer because if you believe your day will be both lovely and productive, then it will. I am a pretty positive person. I can usually see the bright side of things. So, I make sure to let my brain know that today will be a great day even if something may go wrong. As the day goes on, I like to perform simple tasks that allow me to keep my brain feeling healthy and fabulous.
- Journaling. I enjoying journaling when I wake up and reading my Bible. Both of those task fall more under the category of soul, but those are two ways that I also take care of my mind. Journaling allows me to clear my mind and understand what I’m feeling, how I’m feeling, and why I feel the way I do when I’m not in therapy.
- Reading. Our brains are like a giant cloud storing endless amounts of information. When it comes to feeding my brain its veggies, I enjoy reading everything from newspapers to my Bible, to nonfiction books and fantasy novels. It’s important that we keep our brains active. Its is our sharpest tool.
- Therapy. I see a therapist twice a week, but mostly on Sundays. Our minds are our sharpest tool. It holds so much information. In order to keep our brain healthy we should seek professional help when necessary. It doesn’t have to be for anything severe like depression. I’ve been seeing a therapist for over a year and I can definitely say that my brain has been feeling fabulous. My thoughts are a safe space. I like to keep a level of calm. I work through my trouble in therapy. A happy brain is a healthy brain.
- Puzzles. Sometimes life can be fun and games. I’ve downloaded a few apps where I can play simple games that challenge me. One game I enjoy is Sudoku. I also enjoy playing a numbers game where I have to match the block that slowly fall like a Tetris board to get a larger number. I’ve managed to make it up to 4,000 so far. It gets more difficult as the levels go higher. These games are entertaining, but they also force my brain to solve problems and puzzles.
FEEDING MY SOUL
Taking care of your soul may sound nuts to some. We can’t touch our souls, but we know it’s there. We can't really go to a doctor for a quick fix. Our souls are intangible and it's within. So, what do I mean by feeding your soul?
- Connect with nature. Sometimes it can be as simple as hugging a tree. My favorite thing to do is having solo picnics. I pack lunch, some snacks, and something to drink. I like to head over to Central Park, Astoria Park, Pelham Bay Park, etc and put my toes in the grass. As longs as the park has lots of greenery and trees, I’m happy.
- Make art. Create something. Art is whatever you perceive it to be. Whether it’s painting, pottery, or even something digital like content or films.When we express who we really are, we are expressing from within. There’s nothing surface level about that. Pick a paint brush and watch how you begin to feel over time. Creating art is therapy for the soul.
- Connect or reconnect with yourself. When you connect with yourself, you’ll begin to understand more about who you are. You will begin to understand your needs and wants. I find that mediation, yoga, and prayer are great ways for me to connect with myself. With prayer, it’s about honesty. I keep my prayers open so that I am able to be honest with myself and God. Meditation allows me to be still and find calm. I’m still working on it. Yoga will make your body stronger and make you feel more confident in your body.
- Connect or reconnect with others. Connecting with other people is just as important. One way to connect with people is volunteering your time to those in need. I always feel warm knowing that I helped someone who is in need or just anyone in need of assistance. This also connects to doing radon acts of kindness. There was a woman in the train who had her groceries and baby stroller. There was no way for her to carry the baby’s carriage and her groceries. Ultimately she would have to choose one or the other. Leaving the baby unsupervised isn’t an option. So, I asked her if I could help. We split the bags between us and we lifted the carriage up the steps. That wasn’t the stop I was supposed to get off on, but I made someone’s day easier and that was enough.
MOVING MY BODY
Lately, the Health and Fitness app have been my best friend! My goal has been to move my body in some sort of way every day. So far, so great! The steps I’ve taken in the past week is over 24,000! Keeping my body active has always been important to me. That’s why I strive to find ways to exercise and keep moving without always having to feel like I’m actually working out.
- Health & Fitness app. As stated above, these apps have been my new best friend. It has been proven that New Yorkers are walkers. I just so happen to be one of those people. Working out at home isn’t always ideal. In fact, I tend to lose motivation quickly, but these apps keep me inspired by simply going out and enjoying the weather. After all, it’s summertime.
- Stretching. Stretching is extremely important. I cannot stress this enough. I can feel the difference in my body when I stretch and when I don’t. When I stretch, my muscles are looser. My flexibility is better. My body is ready to go. The most important thing to me is keeping my body loose. When I don’t stretch, I can feel my muscle become tighter. Stretching is the way to go.
- Finding outdoor hobbies. I am still working on this one myself. Funnily enough, searching for new outdoor hobbies has become the new hobby that gets me outdoors. It’s a win win situation for me. During the summer the city hosts plenty of events with outdoor activities. There’s Yoga in the park. There are clubs for similarly athletic abilities and interest. Swimming at the beach or going to your local pool if you don’t have one is another fun activity. I love going up to Bear Mountain and Seven Lakes to go swimming during the summer season.
BALANCE & GROWTH
My goal is to continue to have a balance between my mind, body, and soul. I want to have fun while being active this summer. I want to create art. I’d like to continue to improve in therapy. My goals are within my grasps. Feeding your mind, body, and soul is within your reach. It is all in good time, and in this case, good fun!To balance it all, pick what’s is best for you. What would make you happy? You can just simply enjoy doing any of these tasks. However, if you’d like to go a little deeper, think about what your goals may be. Always be sure to do these things with intention. Remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. Trying is enough and you’re doing a great job! x
