Sleeping isn't the only way to recharge your batteries. I don't particularly like sleeping, so I need other ways to get my energies flowing. Here are seven ways I have found both helpful and fun. Try and make time everyday for at least half an hour to indulge in these healthy pursuits.
1. Move your body
All forms of exercise are great for relieving stress, and it works in many ways. Firstly, it releases endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers that improve your mood. It also removes the build up of adrenalin that can occur if you are stressed and relaxes your muscles by warming them up. If you're not very sporty (like me!), try dancing and going for walks.
2. Picture this
At the end of the workday, imagine your stress liquefying and running out of your body so that with each step, you leave a coloured footprint that represents your stress. Then, notice that the further you walk from work (whether in the home or outside), the fainter the footprints become - until the stress has disappeared.
3. The scented touch
A massage with essential oils is absolutely heaven! When you breathe in the oils, they send a direct message to your brain via your olfactory nerves, where they affect the endocrine and hormonal systems via the hypothalamus. Odours have an amazing effect on our emotional states, because they hook into the "emotional" or primitive parts of our brains (the limbic system, also known as the rhinencephalon - the "smell brain"!). Aromatherapv massage benefits the physical, the emotional and the psyche. Create your own massage oil by adding up to 30 drops of a blend to 30 ml of pure vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or almond. The massage oil can he used for a full massage or spot massage at pressure points for quick effect. Anyone offering?
4. In comes the good air
Babies breathe naturally, but most children learn that shallow breathing seems to reduce feelings of emotional pain. Think of the furious child who holds her breath. These emotions don't go away, though. They accumulate in the form of stress and tension in the solar plexus, where they can cause all sorts of physical ailments. Shallow breathing also depletes our intake of oxygen, which can cause anxiety.
Relearning how to breathe is an important step in releasing stress. Try practicing natural breathing for five minutes a day. Imagine your breath rising from your feet and travelling up your body to the top of your head as you inhale. On the exhale, feel your breath descending again to your feet.
Do this also whenever you feel yourself getting tense. Lean back in your chair and just breathe.
5. Sound advice
Since so many sounds can be stressful - the 3 a.m. wail of your baby, the 6 a.m. screech of your alarm clock, the 6:10 a.m. screech of your alarm clock, the 6:20 a.m. screech of your alarm clock - it's only fitting that other sounds should serve to soothe. Why not take a 20-minute "sound bath" anytime your knickers are in a twist? Put some relaxing music on your stereo, then lie down near the speakers with knees slightly bent and allow the music to wash over you. The washing imagery is important; you should feel the music rinsing away the day's stress from your tired body.
6. Laugh it off
Laughter is a very effective stress-buster. When we let out a belly laugh, our bodies let out endorphins, those painkilling darlings of the exercise set. Related to morphine, endorphins make us feel good, which in turn makes us more resistant to stress. But it's not enough to sit back and wait for a coworker to fall facefirst into a custard tart. Humour must be actively sought out. One easy way to do this is to imagine how the writers for a TV sitcom might handle your most stressful "snags."
7. Craft it
The power of creating a bedcover, a garden or a cake can't be underestimated, especially if it reflects some aspect of you. It's great when the project turns out well, but there's also value in the doing. The act of concentration can become meditative, even trance-like, and mind clearing.
These sites are doing a wonderful job of getting indie crafters noticed by recommending products, designs and crafts from the independent sector.
Indie Quarter is a UK-based blog promoting independent designers, makers, artists and crafters. I especially like the "A day in the life of ..." series.
Anything Indie is run by a jewellery artist who clearly spends a lot of time looking for interesting artisans on the internet and getting them noticed.
Indie Love The title says it all ... I love her enthusiastic style.
MissMalaprop.com No malapropriasms on her site at all, just great reviews. MissMalaprop is also interested in eco-friendly and sustainable products and ideas, a view that I share.
Pretty Crafty Thing promises sensory overload and certainly delivers.
Please visit the wonderful blogs and support indie artisans.
If I'm suffering from a creative block, I can often get through it by sitting for a few minutes with my hands in the ushas mudra position.
A mudra is a yoga hand posture that facilitates the flow of subtle energy in a specific way. Our thumbs, fingers and the palms of our hands are constantly emitting currents of energy. By creating certain postures with your hands, fingers and thumbs you can stimulate certain energies and send this energy to particular chakras. This is a mudra which activates the sacral chakra (centre of creativity and sexuality) and hence is good for getting your creative energies going.
Mini mudra meditation for creativity
Put your hands in your lap, palms up, on top of each other. Ladies, interlace your fingers with palms facing upwards. Encircle your right thumb between your left thumb and index fingers. Guys, interlace your fingers with palms facing upwards. Your right thumb rests on top of your left thumb with gentle pressure. (This is because our energies rotate differently. But you knew that one already ...)
Concentrate on the sacral chakra at the sacral bone (on the lower back). As you sit, remember to pull your belly button towards your spine. This helps circulate the energy in the sacral chakra area.
Breathe gently.
You can do this as a mini-medition a couple of times a day for 10 minutes or even whilst doing something else. Mudras can be done anywhere and anytime. I often do mudras whilst vegging out in front of the TV. You don't have to concentrate on the mudra, just keeping your hands in the position (and sitting up straight whilst doing it) will do the trick as well.
You will also feel an increase in sexual energy, as creative and sexual energy is basically the same. If you don't want that ... well then: sublimate, my dear, sublimate.
You could just randomly brainstorm and write down all the things you love and bring you joy in life. A more fun way to mind map all the things you are passionate about is to make a word collage of cut-out words. Spend an hour or so browsing through magazines and cut out key words that jump out at you from the page because they resonate with your soul. Put them all into a little box or tin.
Next, try arranging them on a page in your journal or any blank piece of paper. Group them into sections that make some sense to you. Arrange them in shapes and patterns, possibly connecting them with lines.
Now you have established what you truly love, make sure to indulge in at least some of the pleasures every day. Ultimately, your goal might be to incorporate all or most into your daily life and work. Doing what you love and following your bliss is, after all, your life purpose. Keep looking at your word collage and let it carry you away into your ideal life.
Looking at my word collage, I might think of opening a craft coffeeshop that also serves as a meeting point for spiritually minded people. Or I could blog about all the subjects dear to my heart. Or I could open a spiritual retreat centre offering art and personal growth workshops. The possibilities are huge. And yes, I am working on a couple of ideas and letting the universe guide my on my path ...
| You Should Be a Social Worker |
 You are deeply caring and empathetic. You are able to take on other people's problems as if they were your own. Sensitive and intuitive, you understand human emotions well. Helping others gives you the most joy in life. You feel like it's your purpose in life. You do best when you: - Have a lot of responsibility - Greatly impact someone's life with your work You would also be a good philanthropist or stay at home parent. |
This week, I've been on a creative roll; writing (this blog) actually increases my craftyness and artyness. I've been interested in mixed media and found object art for a long time now and have made a few assemblage pieces. (They're showcased in the flickr box in the sidebar.) After working on some Valentine's jewellery for my craft stall, I got tired of all the sweetness and decided to go for the meat. These are some of my latest mixed media jewellery pieces:
Also made some suncatchers out of pieces of broken window glass. I have louvred windows and someone smashed one and fished my handbag out through the burglar bars. I decided I needed to get something good out of this and turned my anger into creative energy. Hey presto, the suncatchers were born! They should bring some posivitive vibes...
I’ve been tagged by Tania at Whole Living Today. Hmm, seven random or weird facts about me…
- I will do all sorts of DIY home improvements, but refuse to use power tools. That's what brothers and boyfriends are for ...
- In 2005, I finally visited Venice. I stopped short at taking a singing gondola, but otherwise it was everything I had imagined.
- I love Bollywood movies. Whenever I'm feeling a bit low, I'll watch a Shah Rukh Khan DVD and my heart starts soaring again.
- I grew up with loving parents, good feedback at school and plenty of friends. Yet I thought I was bad and the black sheep of the family. Can there be too much positive feedback?
- I didn't know unicorns were mythical creatures until I was 23. I just thought they were extinct. Still not sure ...
- Many people have said I am like: Liza Minelli, Sophia Loren, Fran Drescher and Barbara Streisand. I'm still trying to see the common thread ???
- Although my housewifely skills are on the low side, I enjoy hanging up clothes. I find it quite relaxing.
Ok… consider yourself tagged:
- Lady Rose at Enchanted Crafts
- Andrea at Mind Body & Soul
- Chris at soupornuts.com
- Fallen Angel at Secret Monologues
- Cat at Cut Out + Keep
- Sage and Daisy
- Tamaryn at her page on Indiepublic
Now for the rules:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Post 7 random or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.
