Today, the chatty part is relatively short so I am keeping it above the videos.
I’m chilly and feeling a bit off-kilter today so I absolutely LOVED Martha’s 2020 advice to Have a cuddle – i.e. to seek comfort and to find ways soothe yourself when you are feeling frazzled.
I know some people who have a little basket of soothing things that they keep handy for when they feel overwhelmed. Those baskets include things like warm socks, soft blankets, fidget toys, candy, one-player tabletop games, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, candles (scented or non-scented), hand lotion/lip gloss, images they like, stuffed toys, a journal and pen, a favourite book…you get the idea.
You don’t need to create a giant basket of stuff, all you need is a few go-to items or techniques to help you to feel a bit more grounded, a little bit more connected to the here-and-now. And you don’t need to set aside a lot of time either – just a few minutes of low-key self-soothing can help you feel a lot better.
For example, as I discovered earlier this year, I can find calm and peace of mind by listening to cello music and I can improve my focus for work by listening to music designed to help people with ADHD.
Whether you seek a cuddle, make a collection of soothing things, listen to music, or try some more structured ways to calm yourself like these ideas for grounding or the 5-4-3-2-1 coping technique for anxiety, I hope you can help yourself to feel at ease and at home in your body today. 💚⭐
Sidenote: It might be a good idea to also practice these techniques when you aren’t in distress so you can more easily use them when you feel off-kilter. Keeping a list of things (on your phone or in a notebook) to try when you feel a bit off might also be helpful. You don’t want to have to think of these things in the moment!
Anyway, with the chatty part out of the way, here are the videos for today.
I really enjoyed these drills for improved cognition today. I don’t know if my cognition improved but I sure laughed at how tricky I found it to keep track of the arm movements when moving my feet forward in a heel dig.
And I really liked how there were physical practices included in this meditation and that she suggests that those actions can be used at other times to generate the same effect.
About Making Space 2022
About Making Space 2022
In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating. Last year, it was my turn and after an introductory Go Team post called Give Yourself Some Space, I created a series of reminders called ‘Making Space‘ that offered a suggested short exercise video and a suggested meditation in case you needed an easy way to find space for yourself in your schedule.
For 2022, I’ll be doing the same thing but I’ll also be including a link to Martha’s post from the same date in 2020 and I’ll offer a few extra ideas for relaxation, creativity, and self-kindness here and there.
These posts are not about insisting that you do more, more, more during this busy season. Instead, I want to encourage you to remember that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and you are worth taking good care of.
Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need in the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day.
