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Making Space 2023: Day 16

Christine Hennebury

Welcome to Day 16!

People often suggest deep breaths as a way to reduce stress and while it’s a good suggestion, stress often makes me feel like I *can’t* take a deep breath.

That’s why I chose this great video of Easy Breathing Exercises to Help You Breathe Better from Ask Dr Jo, perhaps this will be my new step 1 when I feel stressed.

Wishing you ease and space in your day, whatever that may look like for you. 💚

still image: Dr. Jo, a woman with light skin and brown hair who is wearing a blue tshirt, is demonstrating one of the exercises with her hands at shoulder height with her elbows bent. She looks like she is holding an invisible exercise ball. The title of the video is in white text against a yellow background in the upper left side of the image.

And I thought it would be nice to try more meditative drawing so here’s a video called Mindfulness Drawing Meditation from Art with Flo. This video is 12 minutes long but feel free to do just part of it if you are pressed for time. The instructor works on an iPad but gives instructions for using paper as well.

still image is of an iPad and an apple pencil on a brown wooden table. The iPad screen has the words Drawing Meditation superimposed upon it and, as background, the screen has a series of patterns within interlocking shapes drawn in grey.

About Making Space 2023:
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. 


In 2021, I started doing daily December reminders with a post called Give Yourself Some Space,  and that’s how the ‘Making Space‘ December tradition began. Throughout December 2021 and 2022, I wrote a short post that included two videos – one for exercise and one for meditation – and a bit of encouragement for you to make space for yourself at this busy time of year. 


These posts are not about cramming more things into your month, they reminding you that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and that you are worth taking good care of.


Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need at 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. Just do whatever you can to give yourself a little more breathing room.


Personally, I am trying to Finish 2023 Soft so I am putting conscious effort into resting whenever I can. My overjangled nervous system needs a chance to unjangle and that process may look different every day. 


So, some of these posts may be long and some may be short but please know that every single one of them is written with the hope that you can find a little ease in your day, whatever that looks like for you.

Published by Christine Hennebury

I'm a writer/storyteller/director/creativity & lifestory coach with a black belt in ITF Taekwon-do. I read voraciously and I write like my fingers are on fire. I'm the founder and Chair of the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl and I'm a former president of the St. John's Storytelling Festival. I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie.