Day 30:
Wow! 30 days have past and I feel a bit dizzy from the roller coaster of emotions this month has brought, but I'm grateful for the progress my dear mom has made and the progress I've made to manage multiple stressors more gracefully. The journey has not been very graceful but rather messy and jarring at times, but there has been a lot of growth and awareness that I can see a little more clearly now as the fog begins to lift.
I plan to continue this practice into October with Creative Coping and really nail it down as a daily practice that I continue beyond the next month.
As for today, I took an Epson salt bath in the morning which really helped soothe my stomach ache and helped calm me and prepare me for the day ahead. I took nature pictures during work breaks. I wrote my blog during my quick little lunch outside by a rose garden. Engaging in some of my favorite things. That is the best way I've found to soothe my soul.
Day 29:
Today my body reminded me to find ways to soothe my soul. After a stressful day at work and a weird stomach pain all day, I watched Fringe with my husband while using the heating pad. It helped.
Day 28:
Today was all about soulful soothing in simple ways: taking my mom out for a delicious pizza salad (her first outing since going home after brain surgery), enjoying the view from one of my favorite spots, supporting a sweet little bake sale, savoring my first pumpkin bar of the season, photographing the amazing clouds just before sunset, and infusing my water for the first time with frozen pineapple chunks-delicious!
Day 24 - 27:
Coming back home late at night and going straight to work the next morning was rough on me. The busy style of life in NYC didn't quite leave me feeling relaxed, like some would think after a vacation and I also felt like I may be coming down with a cold. My soulful soothing practice fell by the wayside again, but I think I'm starting to slowly bring it back. We even went for a walk to Juanita Beach in the sun earlier today. The sparkling water was beautiful. The key is to keep remembering my focus.
Day 19 - 23:
I can't say I was much better about soothing while in New York City for 5 days, but being a tourist again does bring back one of my favorite soothing and self-care activities: photography and exploration. I really enjoyed the incredible views from the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Manhattan, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. And I enjoyed riding the subway for the first time, walking in the different neighborhoods of Brooklyn, trying Ecuadorian food in one of the biggest Ecuadorian populations outside of Ecuador, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, hailing a taxi in Manhattan, visiting Ellis Island, and meeting more of my husband's extended family.
Day 13 - 18:
Life happened and my mom came home from the hospital and I took a blogging hiatus. My soothing practice also took a hiatus; self-care kind of took a backseat and turbo mode set in. I do not thrive in turbo mode. I'm grateful for this practice to help me become more aware of this and really realize how important my writing and reflecting and sharing is to my overall well-being. Life always happens and that's why "practicing" beforehand is so helpful. And maybe even soothing.
Day 12:
This is my spiritual place. I have been waiting a long time to find a few minutes to visit this sacred viewpoint, where I wrote my first blog pieces last year. The incredible sense of peace and gratitude that fills me when I come here is priceless. I am grateful!
Haines Wharf, North Edmonds, WA USA
Day 11:
Chicken soup is soothing for the soul and throat.
Day 10:
Remembering to trust and follow my gut brings peace to my heart. And a fortune cookie message reminder:
Day 9:
Seeing my mom's older kitties getting high on catnip warms my soul and hopefully soothes theirs. :)
Day 8:
Delegating and spa time after work with my bestie is very soothing for the soul.
Day 7:
Today I'm so grateful for a much needed outdoor break to go hiking with my dear friend, Tami and her beautiful family. Being outdoors is naturally soothing to me and always has been. Also driving through the farmlands near where we went hiking was so soothing for soul. I also took a slight detour home from the hospital after visiting my mom to enjoy the setting sun and the rising moon. Nature is the ultimate soul soother!
Day 6:
Sleeping in and going out to eat with family visiting from out of town were all I could muster today for soothing activities, but it's something at least.
Day 5:
Day 5 was filled with angst and stress at first until I made the decision to delegate a few important tasks and instead rest after work. Part of self-soothing soulfully is listening to my body and mind and heart's cues and slow down when I feel I'm getting sick from the stress of multiple pressures and demands.
Day 4:
This practice needs to be tattooed to my hand so I remember to focus on soulful self-soothing each day! Today I managed to stop off at the park on my way to work after visiting my mom and talking with her therapy team in the morning.
Day 3:
Soothing my soul involved finding a secret hospital terrace and briefly enjoying the beautiful sunset with my sweetie before visiting my momma.
Day 2:
Soothing my soul today with little things like smelling honey tea, eating banana bread for dinner, and hugging a fuzzy cat. That's all I had time for today.
Day 1:
Today for my first day of soothing my soul, I want to start with creativity and think about all the different ways I find soulful soothing when I'm being creative:
Photography
Writing
This blog primarily. :)
Collage
Jewelry Making
Dance
First ah ha! It took me way too long to remember when the last time was that I danced. MUST DANCE MORE!
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