Category Archives: Mind/Body

The mind body/connection is undeniable. A healthy mind and positive focus can make a big difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.

5 Simple Things You Can Do To Nurture Yourself

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Nurture. As parents, when we think of the term “nurture”, it evokes a great sense of responsibility. We take our role as parents very seriously but, ironically, many of us stop short of nurturing the most important piece of our children’s growth. Ourselves.

For some parents, the question, “How do you nurture yourself?”, evokes feelings of guilt. There seems to be a disconnect in our minds between what it means to be a good parent and what it means to take care of ourselves. The fact is, a parent who takes time to nurture their own well-being not only has more to give, but sets the tone and example for how their children, and the family as a whole, will take care of themselves.

Are you nurturing your own sense of well-being? Or, are you so frazzled you have absolutely no idea where you would begin?

To help you get started, I’ve listed five simple things I do to nurture myself:

1. Schedule An Appointment with Yourself

Exercise is the most important piece of my sanity. The other day I was bemoaning a week’s worth of missed morning runs and yoga classes because of my crazy schedule.  When my husband asked why I didn’t just put a recurring appointment in my calendar, it occurred to me that if I schedule an appointment with myself each day, I would have to justify rescheduling or canceling it. Now when I look at my calendar I can decide where the priority is and, if I need to, I can reschedule my appointment with myself! Either way, that appointment is important and it deserves a place on my daily calendar.

2. Invest in A Really Great Water Bottle

A large percentage of the human body is made up of water, so it only makes sense that drinking water isn’t just good for you, but can make you feel pretty darn good. It might seem silly, but I have found that if I really like a water bottle I am more likely to keep it full and with me throughout the day. When you buy a water bottle consider things like the size, shape, and how the spout works.

3. Buy Fresh Flowers Once A week

I have to admit, my Scottish upbringing made this a hard one for me at first. On the surface, buying fresh cut flowers that will eventually die seems wasteful, but flowers make me smile. People who smile are happier and there is even a study that proves flowers can improve your emotional health. Whenever possible I buy the Star Gazer Lillies, their fragrance is so powerful that I can smell them the minute I walk in the door to my house, and that makes me smile…

4. Make Your Bed

It’s the simple things that impact us the most. No matter how chaotic the day gets, if you make your bed you have at least accomplished something! For whatever reason, I feel a sense of calm when the beds are made. In our house, breakfast is only served to those who have made their bed and have their shoes on.  For some people a clean sink, a clear desktop, or an orderly closet might take the place of a made bed. Whatever works for you, be consistent!

5. Always Have A Goal or Future Plan

Happiness. A sense of purpose. Motivation. Positivity. All of these things are bolstered when you have something to look forward to. Whether it is a fitness goal, a professional goal, or a planned vacation, make sure that you always have something to look forward to.

How do you nurture yourself?

This article was first published as Responsible Parents Model Healthy Self Care on Technorati.com

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Recap of Week 3, Now Week 1, of Half Marathon Training

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Michele's shirt
Image by ScrappinMichele via Flickr

It still hasn’t really hit me that I’m training to run 13.1 miles. Every time I say it people look at me like, you? run 13.1 miles? Yeah, Good Luck with that! I’m still struggling with it. For me, visualization is HUGE. I need to see something to understand it. I can’t think in my head about running  or think about how that room will look in red. I need to see it! That is my focus this week. To do what I can to get my mind on track.

I ran twice this last week and worked out once on my EA SPORTS Active. Next week I plan to add Yoga to my routine at night. Yoga always gets my mind and body in sync.

My body really wants to do this, but my mind keeps saying, “uh, can you really do it?” I haven’t convinced myself yet that I can and I know that until I believe it, it won’t be possible. Now, having said that, I really need to stop focusing on the 13.1 mile run. After 1 mile, I think “that would be 12.1 more miles to go.” After 2 miles “that would be 11.1 more miles to go.” I need to set smaller goals and forget about the 13.1 miles. It is 18 weeks from this Saturday. I have time to work towards that. AND, as I was talking to Fiona today I realized, I can walk 13.1 miles today. I know that I can do. It’s the running part that is tripping me up. So, why am I freaking out?

These are the steps I’m going to take this week.

1. Put my training schedule on my calendar. Seeing it each day will make it real. It’ll be my appointment and I’ll work everything else around it!

2. Run 2 – 20 minute runs during the week and 1 30 minute run on Sunday. My goal is to do a 60 min long run in 3 weeks.

3. Put up some pictures of me running. This will help me visualize myself as a runner and remember who I’m active for….ME!

4. Start using running podcasts during my runs to take my mind off the run. (Fiona suggested the JogTunes Indie Podcast)

You will also no longer see the words, “training for half marathon” on my weekly recaps. I’m going to rename my training, ScrappinMichele’s Active Training. I’m training for life, not a half marathon.

I have decided to use my daughter’s dance time to run. I usually sit in the waiting area and chat, but today, I will run at least 20 minutes. I’m going to go put my running clothes on right now (at 1:45 pm) because that way I’ll have no excuses… I’ll be ready!

Let’s Talk!

What mental hurdles do you have when tackling a new fitness goal?

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ScrappinMichele’s Week 2 Wrap Up, Fitness Mental Block

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Week 2 of my half marathon fitness training went much better than last week. I walked 2 days and then ran a 5k on Sunday. It wasn’t an official 5k, but I wanted to get a benchmark starting point.

I’m not sure what came over me, but I woke up on Sunday morning with this urge to just go run. I knew that if I went alone, I may not run far, so I volunteered my oldest son to go with me. Fortunately he agreed. I couldn’t wait to get out there.

The 5k

I laced up my Nike shoes, turned on my Nike+ and we just started running. We talked and ran until the Nike+ said we had gone 2.5k. Then we turned around and ran back home. We walked about .5k and ran the rest. It wasn’t a fast run, just a slow steady run. We finished in 37 minutes averaging about 12 minute miles. I was happy with that time. I have not run consistently in the last few months and the last 5k I ran was on October 17, 2009.

When I was done, I felt so good. Running makes me happy. It makes me feel like anything is possible because for me, running wasn’t always possible. Well, physically it was, but mentally it wasn’t. But somehow I got past that and now I’m a runner.

The Empowered Mile

That first mile of my first 5k was the longest and most difficult mile I have ever run. It felt endless. It felt impossible. I managed to get past that first mile and I don’t know where the energy came from, but I was able to finish the 5k.

I was the kid in gym class who finished last, not real great at any sports. I always told myself I’m not an athlete. So maybe I’m not good at the sports where you need to use an object and hit another object, but damn…I’m good at the sports where you need to use your body. My body doesn’t fail me when I treat it right.

Fitness Mental Block

This week was more of a mental hurdle than anything. I needed to get past the thought that I can’t run a half marathon. I know it’s possible, but I haven’t been able to envision myself actually completing it. As I was running the 5k, all I thought about was “I really can do this.” That run somehow helped me push past the fitness mental block.

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Here I Come!

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6 Ways to Save: Reinventing Yourself

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By Nancy Kalish

In a tough economy, the tendency is to hunker down at your job — if you still have one — and hold on for dear life. But the truth is, now might be the right time to branch out and learn something new that will boost your employability. “For many people, especially those 40 and up, new training helps them compete with younger workers who are assumed to have the latest skills,” says Tory Johnson, CEO of the career-coaching firm Women for Hire and co-author of Will Work from Home: Earn the Cash — Without the Commute (Berkeley 2008).

You might even consider training for a new career in a field that’s in-demand more than your current one. But before you do, consider the costs of retraining. Just because you invest time and money doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job. Ask about a program’s job-placement assistance — and track record — before signing up.” Here are four great ways to gain more skills without spending much: 

Explore the possibilities Check out a current list of the 50 most in-demand occupations, learn how much they pay and exactly what training is needed at Career Voyages, a Web site run by the Department of Labor. There, you’ll get an in-depth overview of many growth industries, such as health care or homeland security, and can even see videos of what being a pharmacy technician, for example, is really like.  

Fill in your gaps Do you want to work in an office, but your computer skills are rusty — or nonexistent? Take a class to catch up. Find free or cheap courses at your state’s unemployment office, community college or YMCA. CareerOneStop, a government program, also offers free skills development workshops and training courses. You can also find free online tutorials for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and many other popular office products at the Microsoft Web site.

Take online classes at top universities — for free Learn how to create your own iPhone app from Stanford University, market yourself and your business with Web 2.0 tools from Utah State or explore Introduction to Computer Programming, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging or any of the other 1900 courses offered by MIT. You can find many other free courses at the Open Courseware Consortium. You won’t get academic credit, but these classes are great things to put on your resume or mention at a job interview.

Get your degree online If the lack of a college diploma is holding you back, you can complete it from home, at night, on weekends or whenever it’s most convenient for you, with an accredited online college or university. Bonus: A virtual school is much less expensive than a brick-and-mortar one, and many offer financial aid. You’ll find several hundred listed at eLearners, offering degrees in almost every field. One caveat: Before enrolling, check out the university’s career services program to make sure they actually place students in companies you’re interested in.

Consider an externship If you’re able to work at little or no pay for a short period, an externship (an internship for people who are no longer students) could be your foot in the door at a company or industry that’s new to you. Simply go online and search “externship,” and you’ll find thousands of listings in almost any field. Most externships last from three to six months. In that time, you’ll gain valuable experience to add to your résumé, new contacts and an idea about whether this industry is right for you in the long run. Also consider targeting a particular company you’re interested in and pitching yourself as an extern. 

Temp while you train In this case, you can earn while you learn. Some temp agencies provide great afterhours training to their workers. For example, Kelly Services, one of the biggest temp agencies in the world, offers registered temps online courses such as “Basics of Selling,” “Mastering Cold Calls” and “Presentation Skills” through its Kelly Learning Center. If you’re an accounting or finance professional, the Robert Half recruitment agency provides free continuing professional education to registered candidates (aka temps). It offers hundreds of online courses covering accounting, financial analysis and budgeting and financial management. 


Copyright © 2009 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.


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Goals vs Resolutions

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It’s January again, which means that everyone is talking about making New Year’s resolutions. Some of the most common resolutions are to lose weight, stop smoking, and make more money. While there’s lots of talk about achieving these goals, there’s less talk about how or what’s important about achieving them.

In my opinion, using the term resolution has a negative connotation since many of us abandon our New Year’s resolutions by February anyhow. I refer to my resolutions as goals, but I also take it one step further and redefine what that means.

Redefining Goals: What’s Really Important?
Ask yourself this question: What’s most important? Reaching the finish line or learning something from the journey?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the need to achieve our goals that we lose our focus or even ourselves along the way. Sure, being successful at something or being able to cross a goal off your list feels great, but sometimes what we learn from the process is more valuable. For instance, my goal of shedding those stubborn 15 pounds of leftover baby weight initially became a goal because I wanted to feel good about myself again. But as I’ve been working towards that, I’ve realized that even if I don’t get to that magic number, I’ve still achieved something. Becoming healthier and being a role model for my children, and even my husband, is equally, if not more important than looking great.

How Do We Achieve Our Goals?
The best way to achieve our goals is to start them when we feel motivated…NOW! Don’t wait until a future date to begin working towards something because the more we put something off, the less we feel motivated. And motivation is extremely important because it’s what keeps us focused on our goals. Without motivation, excuses start to creep in and before you know it, you’ve decided that your goals are no longer important.

Another key to achieving goals is to constantly reassess them. When you revisit your goals regularly, you may realize that you need to alter or make them more realistic. There’s nothing wrong with tweaking goals along the way, especially if it will help you achieve them.

You can read more of my thoughts about redefining resolutions on my blog,  The (Un)Experienced Mom.

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The Power of a Smile

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1207721_happyThis weekend my mother and I went to afternoon tea.

We skipped the holiday hustle and bustle and we went to a little tea room that made us feel as if we were a world away. It was painted on the inside as an English garden, complete with sky, clouds, and a gazebo where my mother and I sat. We had a nice view of a painted pasture. All we needed was a little wind and maybe a bird and we would have, indeed, thought we were outside.

For a couple of hours, we reconnected. We did what we do best: we talked. And talked. And we talked some more. And we took down two pots of Cherry Caramel tea.

We closed the place down.

The owners, who were a mother and a daughter just a little older than us, began to clean up. The daughter waited on us and I hadn’t seen her mother until she came out and started to take the linens off the tables.

She was a short, petite woman with shoulder-length brown, wavy hair. Her face was drawn and hardened and with her olive skin, appeared statuesque. At first, she intimidated me. She didn’t look happy as she went about her work, clearing tables and folding linens, and I found myself sitting at my table watching her, wishing I knew what her day was like.

My mother and I have always dreamed of owning a tea room together, of coming in early in the morning and turning on the radio in the kitchen, singing and dancing while we baked away and talked about new recipes and what my crazy toddlers were up to. I envied this woman for making our dream come true with her daughter.

I continued to watch her going from table to table with a stoic expression and then she turned toward me and our eyes met.

She smiled at me as if she recognized me even though I knew she really didn’t and I smiled back.

What struck me most was how, with one smile, her entire face had changed. She had softened. With one smile, she was unlike anything I had thought while I watched her work. With one smile, her entire personality on the outside was entirely transformed. With one smile, my perception of her had changed, and so too, had the mood of the room. It was no longer cold and intimidating. It, like her face, became soft and welcoming and comfortable. I felt ashamed for thinking what I had thought about her and I was so pleasantly surprised inside to see such a wonderful, glowing, happy mother smiling back at me. She told me her entire life’s story with just one smile.

How interesting that an entire climate could change with one smile. How the outcome of an entire experience or entire day can change with just one smile.

How one little tiny expression can say so much.

How often we go about our day to day, stuck in our own minds, our own worlds, our own agendas, without acknowledging the people around us all doing the same. Serious, solemn expressions and looks of concern on the outside, which may not even be what’s going on in the inside at all!

There is just something wonderful about a smile. How it literally, physically, softens someone’s face and makes it just so beautiful. How it can take years off a person’s face and how layers of troubles and worry and concern can just melt away with a smile. How a smile can make a person who seems so unapproachable and “Closed for Business”, so open.

I realized from her smile that I forget to do it myself. All the time. Especially during the holiday season when I’m supposed to be the cheeriest, and instead I find myself stuck in the house with two sick children, behind in my cleaning, shopping, exercising and everything else in my life and so overwhelmed that I don’t even remember, let alone make the time, to smile.

One simple little gesture that can lift the moods of my children, my husband, even the sales clerk who refuses to double check a price for me. And more importantly, myself.

Even if, like me, you can’t keep up with the holidays, you worry about being able to afford all the gifts and the bills, you worry about the health of your families and you find yourself overwhelmed, try to remember to do one small thing. Smile. It doesn’t cost a thing and for even just a moment, a smile makes everything okay. It can change someone’s day, someone’s week, or someone’s life. Maybe even your own. And it’s so worth it.

For the first time this weekend, I was lucky enough to witness it. The power of just one smile.

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10 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays and Health

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1244412_christmas_background_2With the holidays upon us I wanted to take some time to talk about the effects that this busy time of year can have on our health.  It is tempting to push yourself with the amount of activity on the calendar this time of year.  Here are a few tips for taking care of yourself while still enjoying this joyful time of year.

  1. Pace yourself. It is not wise to plan several events in one day, especially if you don’t allot any time for rest in between.  It is better to attend a few get togethers and truly enjoy yourself than attend many and end up feeling yucky!
  2. Remember to maintain  a healthy diet.  Pigs in a blanket and eggnog do not a healthy diet make!  Certain medications need you to maintain your intake for your body to metabolize them properly (such as anti-coagulants).  So, don’t forget to eat and when you do eat, try to keep the foods as nutritious as possible.
  3. Be careful with alcohol, especially if it is contraindicated with any of your medications.  Even if it doesn’t interfere with any meds, alcohol can impair your balance.  So again, be careful!
  4. Take a nap.  Even if it is just for 15-30 minutes it allows your body to re-energize. You will feel better physically and mentally.
  5. Take time to enjoy the little things this holiday season.  There are a lot of ways that limitations may affect your holidays but there is so much more to be thankful for so focus on the positive!
  6. Do a lot of your shopping online. This avoids exposing yourself to the crowds at the malls (and the germs if you are immuno-compromised) and allows you to save your energy for spending time with family and friends.
  7. Keep it simple.  If you are entertaining or participating in holiday events, resist the urge to go all out, thus exhausting yourself.  Your guests are coming to spend time with you.  So, if that means sticking a frozen lasagna in the oven leaves you feeling up to visiting and enjoying your company, that is just fine!
  8. Get some sunlight.  Being indoors too much limits your Vitamin D intake.  Vitamin D is not only good for your mental health but your neurological health as well.  Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a risk this year, especially for those of us cooped up.  Ways to avoid this are to spend time doing things you enjoy, with people you enjoy and to get outdoors when you can.
  9. Laugh! Laughter is awesome medicine and the holidays are usually full of opportunities to laugh at others and yourself (in a nice way of course:-)
  10. Remember the true reason for the season.  The birth of Christ, being thankful and making goals for the new year that is almost upon us.  The world is about so much more than just us- so reach out and help someone less fortunate.  That will always make you feel better!
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One Woman’s Story of Triumph over Tragedy through Crocheting

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martha harrisAfter being hit by a moving car and thrown from her bike while returning home from dinner with her husband, Martha Harris awoke in the emergency room to some harsh realities.  She was told in that moment she may lose her leg by amputation, and though her leg was later saved, Martha was only at the beginning of a long road to recovery.

I stumbled upon the story of Martha Harris in the December 7th, 2009 issue of First For Women magazine.  This article moved me so much that I reached out to her asking if I too could interview her to write an inspirational article to be featured on my blog.  She graciously obliged me.

This story is inspirational because Martha, a young woman, found success and purpose crocheting hats after a tragic and random, near death accident left her wondering if she would walk again.

“Many bones were broken in my body, and I have had 4 separate surgeries to reconstruct my leg, arm and collar bone.”

But shockingly, not so much as a scratch or bruise on her head or back.  Her body required a lengthy healing time, which included lots of therapy and prayers.   However, she did bounce back to her pre-accident self…but with a new perspective on life.

“It was amazing to see all the mercy and love poured out to me by loved ones and strangers alike.  It put more of an urgency in my heart to give back to others that are less fortunate than me.”

modernvirtue hat with buttonsCrocheting as a part of her therapy to soothe and help with hand dexterity, she began creating hats and scarves and before long, people were asking if they could buy them.

“Last Christmas Eve, I was able to go into the slums of Camden NJ to give out hats and winter clothing to the children that lived there.”

Giving away these adorable hats and scarves to needy children gave Martha a great sense of purpose and it became clear, she had found her calling.  Martha even started a crochet circle and charitable group called Crochet for Cause, creating hats for little girls in need living in Camden, New Jersey.

modernvirtue scarfYou can buy her lovely creations at Modern Virtues on Etsy.  10% of all proceeds are donated by Martha to Covenant Mercies, a non-profit organization helping impoverished people locally and globally.  So when you purchase a one-of-a-kind, crocheted hat or scarf you are also helping someone less fortunate and supporting a real stand up gal, whose real-life story should inspire and motivate all of us.

You can contact Martha Harris directly at mlouwright@gmail.com.

If you have a story that you think is inspiring, and want to tell, please contact me here.

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Your Words Inspire Others

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Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

- Kalidasa

hope

Have you ever been struck by lightning? Or perhaps fallen in love so fast that when you fall out you’re not sure where or when the time went? Or held your first child in your arms one morning and the next they’re already old enough to hold you? What about heard, read or saw a word that instantly inspired you to take action? Big, bold out-of-the-ordinary action.

Can words do that? Inspire? Do actions really speak louder than words or does the action simply take credit for what the words started?

I say, words not only inspire action, but can persuade, inform, change our perspective and even entice. Words can change lives for the good and for the bad. One act of kindness or hate can change an entire lifetime or inspire a world of hope.

Recently a colleague of mine told me a story. A story about me. A story she heard from a woman she worked with and it was about me. A moment in time that had impacted this woman’s life so greatly that she repeated it to strangers!  It made a difference in her life. A BIG, bold beautiful difference.

“Wait, it involved who?”

That was my first thought! I desperately wanted to remember and really understand why this moment mattered to this woman almost fifteen years later!

So the basic story goes like this:  We were in English class and each of us was asked to read some text aloud. No big deal, right? Well for some of us no, but for others who had only just learned the English language it was an entirely different story.  It came to be her turn to read aloud and she began to struggle with the pronunciation of a word or two. Apparently I realized this and simply leaned over and whispered the correct pronunciation to her.  End of story.

That’s it?

For me, yes. (Until now).

For her, no.

Such a simple gesture.  So quick, so long ago but still fresh in her mind. Words that impacted her life so greatly that her gratitude shines. She shines. I like to think that at that moment she realized she was welcome at our school. Welcome here in America. Welcome to speak her mind freely without consequence. Free to speak and inspire and create action!

I wish that I could remember.

Truth be told, I don’t. Not that moment, not a lot about high school in general. But I wish I did. I wish I could look her in the eye and say that I remember.  I wish I could bottle that moment and inspire others to have more patience and tolerance and kindness.  My colleague said that she told me the story so I could tell my children.  I did and I thank her for helping me to remember to teach simple acts of humanity and humility by reminding me to show my children what compassion is and how words can not only hurt, but heal.

Do words inspire action? Without a doubt. Words inspire a lot of things. Words inspire forgiveness. Words inspire giving.  Words inspire others.

Actions may speak louder than words, but words, words are the ever changing syllables of our mind and heart.

Lately I’ve been inspired to get healthy, lose weight and inspire my family to eat better and exercise more.  This didn’t happen overnight but I was struck by an amazing group of women on twitter who amaze me every day with their wit, strength and guidance. Just a few 140 word sentences have helped me to begin my journey of wellness and self discovery. A lifetime of action inspired by just words.

Let lightning strike. Let your words inspire action each and every day. Put your words into plans and put your plans to work.

“Never confuse motion with action.” – Benjamin Franklin

Don’t just go through the motions of life. Smile and share and breathe in the beauty of a new day. Embrace your children, count your blessings and don’t ever let a day go by without saying these words: “I love you”. Find the words that create change. Find the words that inspire action in your family’s life that will make a difference. Believe that not only is someone out there looking for exactly what you have to offer but are waiting for you to find it and that when you meet, magic will happen or already has.

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