Today, I’d like to invite you to pause for a little bit.
Yes, even in the midst of AllOfTheThings, I’m hoping you can let your body and your brain refresh a little.
Maybe that means taking a break away from your desk.
Maybe that means giving yourself a few minutes to exercise.
Maybe it means meditating, or colouring, or calling a friend.
Maybe it means taking your time with your tea/coffee/glass of water.
Maybe it means deciding not to participate in that argument someone is trying to drag you into.
Maybe it means giving yourself time away from being hard on yourself (tell your inner critic that I said you get AT LEAST 5 minutes of quiet right now.)
Whatever ‘taking a break’ means for you right now, I hope you can find some space to pause in a way that serves you well.
It’s hard to decide to take a break and it’s even harder to actually take one.
Just do what you can, even if you can only stop for a few seconds right now.
As always, here’s your gold star for your efforts.
A drawing of a cartoonish gold star with a happy expression, surrounded by small black circles and dots.
Here we are at Day 31 and I hope you were able to use my posts as reminders or prompts to make a little more space for you in your days.
It can feel a bit weird to add something else to our lists this time of year but it is worth it. Making space for ourselves helps remind us that we aren’t just here to get things done, we are here to live our lives, to enjoy ourselves, and to be ourselves.
Anything you do that reminds you or who you really are, anything that reminds you of your own power, will help you show up in the world the way want to show up, will help you to be responsive instead of reactive. And all of that will help you feel better over all.
This is the last entry for Making Space 2023 but tomorrow I’m starting our Go Team 2024 entries. Go Team 2024 will be a month of posts encouraging you to be kind to yourself and to recognize your own efforts each day.
Whether you view January as a month to jump into new goals, to continue on your current course, or to just putter along through while you figure things out, I’m going to be posting every day to remind you that your efforts count – no matter what those efforts entail.
Wishing you all ease as 2023 becomes 2024 – a change that has as much meaning or as little meaning as you want to give it.
Even though I (gently) boss you into being kind to yourself, you are, after all, the boss of you and you decide what matters.
Onto our videos!
If you want to ease your way into the new year, here’s 10 Minute Bedtime Yoga video from Yoga with Adriene
Still image shows Adriene lying on her yoga mat with her head on a pillow, she is wearing comfy clothes and her dog Benji is sleeping near her feet.
If you want to welcome 2024 with a bit more oomph, here’s The Fitness Marshall team leading us through a dance to Lady Gaga‘s Bad Romance.
Image description: three people in dance clothes doing claw hand gestures as part of a dance move.
If you want a restful meditation to welcome the new year, this 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation / Present from the Calm app channel might be just the thing. The video features a crackling fire in a fireplace and that seemed like a good meditation focus to me.
Still image shows flames crackling around a tall cone of logs and sticks in a fireplace.
And if you want powerful energy to greet the new year, perhaps this 5 Minute Meditation to Access Your Superpowers from 5 Minutes by Great Meditations might be a fun way to start.
Whether you choose calm or energetic or something in between and whether or not you choose to do any of these videos, I hope December 31 treats you well and that you have the space you need for your own peace of mind.
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.
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.
Please remember that you don’t have to spend this week making plans for how to make 2024 your best year ever.
If that kind of planning feels good, have at it. But if it feels like something you *should* do, please do something else instead.
You can spend this week making space for yourself, taking deep breaths, just puttering along in whatever way suits you best.
You can also take January one day at a time once it gets here.
You also have the option of labelling January as Planuary, like I do, and deciding what kinds of plans to make once the calendar rolls over to 2024.
(Maybe that’s not how the movers and shakers do things but I am not interested in being a mover or a shaker, except in the most literal of terms – I like being able to move and sometimes stuff needs shaking up.)
ANYWAY!
Here is your movement suggestion for today. I really enjoy this 5 Minute Foot, Core, and Pelvic Floor workout from Dr Bri’s Vibrant Pelvic Health.
Still image is of the instructor smiling on a sunny tropical beach. There is a small inset photo of her feet and the words ‘Quick Foot and Core’ are superimposed on the right side of the image.
And today’s meditation is Releasing the Resistance from Great Meditations. I don’t know if you are feeling resistant to anything in particular right now but it is such a common feeling that I figured it would be useful no matter what is going on for us at the moment.
Still image is a drawing of a person with flowers in their long brown hair, they look peaceful. On the right side of the image is text reading ‘Releasing the Resistance guided meditation’
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.
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.
Note from Christine: I made a mistake when scheduling this post and it went up early. My apologies for the mixup.
I hope that this last weekend of 2023 finds you with lots of space to do the things you need and want to do.
And if that space isn’t naturally-occurring, I hope you can find a way to make some.
Please remember that you don’t have to do the videos I link to and you don’t have to do the things that other people say you *should* do with your time.
We all have things that need to be done, I get that, but we also have a lot of pressure to do things that other people have prioritized. I hope that you can make a little extra room for your own priorities today and let other people deal with at least some of the things they tried to push off onto you.
The videos below do not have to be priorities for you, I only offer them to make it a bit easier for you to do a little movement and a little meditation without having to put too much extra thought into choosing a video.
I always love a video from Ask Dr. Jo and this Real-Time Morning Stretching Routine is especially enjoyable.
Yes, I know you have probably already started your day but these stretches are just as good in the middle of the day as they are first thing.
Image description: the title of the video is in the upper left on black text, on the right side of the image is a still from the video showing Dr. Jo pretending to wake up. She’s sitting on a blue mat, her feet and calves are covered in a blanket and she is lifting a sleep mask up onto her forehead.
And just like the stretches above, this 7 minute guided morning meditation from Meditate Daily with Andrea Jean is good any time.
Still image is a cartoon drawing of a person sitting crossed legged in meditation. The background is grey and white text at the top reads ‘7 Minute Meditation’ and at the bottom it reads ‘positive morning’
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.
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.
I hope that Day 28 finds you with some ease and space in your day.
If not, I hope that you have the energy to create some of both.
Please remember that this making space series is about creating the space that YOU want and need, about doing what makes you feel like yourself. Do what works not what someone says you *should* do.
If you are looking for video suggestions for today, I really like this Yoga for Lazy Days practice from Yoga with Joelle. I’m not really keen on people labelling themselves as lazy but I can get behind declaring a day as a time to be lazy – laid back, relaxed, and at ease.
Image shows the instructor lying on her stomach on a mat on her lawn. She has the upper part of her body raised and is holding herself up on her right forearm.
And for our meditation, let’s give this one by Tara Brach a try. I love the title Arriving in Mindful Presence.
Image description: still image is sunlight on a closeup of golden grasses.
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.
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.
Since we are getting to the end of the year, I’m seeing a lot of social media ‘accomplishment’ posts where everyone who had tangible projects this year is listing the things they got done.
If your year didn’t play out like that, please don’t take those to heart.
I’m happy for people who can quantify their experiences like that – or at least can spin things that way- but I’m also proud of those of us who had less tangible, visible accomplishments.
Lots of us, including me, might have spent the year just putting one foot in front of the other. Or learning to stay a little calmer in times of stress. Or stretching just a little before bed. Or helping a friend through difficulties. Or any of a million different things that can’t be measured or that you can’t or don’t want to talk about online.
Your focus on those things doesn’t make you lesser than those with a tangible list. The work you did – for yourself, for your family, for your community – is incredibly valuable and I am proud of you for doing it.
Please continue doing what you can with the resources you have and resting whenever you need or want to.
And here’s a gold star for your efforts- visible, invisible, tangible, intangible, it all matters and you matter.
This is a photo my husband took a few years back of a gold star made of lights, with strings of coloured lights surrounding it, on a boat in Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador, where they host a Christmas Boat Lighting every year.
In the spirit of putting one foot in front of the other, I’m suggesting a short walking workout to help you make space for yourself today.
This is a 10 Minute High Intensity Walk with Jordan from Bob and Brad. You don’t have to match her intensity unless you want to but I felt like she was good company!
Still image shows a person in exercise clothes mid-step superimposed over a background of purple, pink, and yellow. The title of the video is in white text on the right side of the image.
For our meditation today, I thought we could try another walking meditation. I like how this one A Walking Meditation That Reduces Anxiety from HealthyPlace Mental Health combines the instructions for walking meditations with a bit of practice.
You can just practice with the video or start with the instructions and then do your own waking meditation. (And, of course, you can always do something else entirely. Do what works for you, please!)
Still image shows the instructor sitting at an office desk facing the camera, behind her on her left is a book shelf with a plant and a book called ‘Stop Anxiety’ on a stand.
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.
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.
As we count down the last few days of 2023, , it might seem like it would be easier to slide along and just hope for the best from the new year.
And maybe that’s what you need right now.
If so, have at it! That might be the best way for you to make space for yourself in your life right now.
But, if you are thinking about sliding along just because it’s easier than trying to carve out some time for you, I hope you’ll reconsider.
I hope you take a few minutes and think about what would feel good for your minds and for your body and do a little bit of that.
I have two suggestions below but really I just want you to find something that works for you.
I just want you to have a little extra space in your life.
With that reminder in place, here are today’s videos:
This Chair Stretch Workout from Caroline Jordan felt pretty good for me and I hope it helps you, too.
Still image shows text reading Chair Stretch Workout on the left and on the right is an image of the instructor in exercise clothing sitting on a chair and doing a leaning stretch with her upper body.
And speaking of feeling pretty good, I enjoyed this cozy 7 minute meditation from K.A.Emmons so hopefully you will too.
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.
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.
As I write this, I am sitting on my bed on Christmas night. The last 24 hours have been a flurry of activity and I’m tired. BUT I am not worn out because the weeks leading up to now were soft instead of hectic.
I don’t mean to suggest that every day was an oasis of calm relaxation – I had plenty of busy days in there – but I did operate from a softness plan.
Whenever possible, I made my decisions based on how I wanted to feel and I chose rest way more often than I usually would have.
And, instead of pushing to finish things, I sought ways to pause them. I wasn’t always successful but I did pretty well.
And I did a bit of work to figure out what times made my usual tasks feel easiest, so they were less like chores and more part of the flow of my day.
I know I have celebrated many of these things over the past few weeks of finishing soft but I am coming back to them again because I have come to a realization…
I want to continue soft.
I don’t know what that looks like but all I know so far is that I like this feeling and I want to keep inviting it into my life.
It may be trickier to continue soft than it was to finish soft but I am pretty damn determined so I will figure it out.
I took this photo on my way to my car from a Christmas Eve party. I was deliberately strolling back to my car instead of hurrying and my reward was noticing that the lights on that tree at the centre look kind of like a giraffe’s head and neck are sticking out of the ground and looking at the house. Image description: an evening photo taken across the street and down an incline toward a row of joined houses. Several houses are decorated with holiday lights and one house has a deciduous tree in front. As I mentioned above, the lights on that tree look a bit like the head and neck of a giraffe sticking out of the ground.
If you are celebrating Christmas today – Merry Christmas!
If you are just having a Monday – Merry Monday!
No matter what you are doing or not doing today, I wish you ease and a feeling of spaciousness.
Since days like this are often fraught with emotion – good and bad – I thought this Morning Yoga for Calm Connection from Yoga with Kassandra would be a good choice.
Whether you are seeking calm connection with others or with yourself, I hope it helps.
Still image shows the instructor leaning toward the floor in a wide-legged forward fold.
And for our meditation today, I thought a centring practice would come in handy so here’s a 5 minute mindfulness meditation | ground and centre from Yoga in Melbourne
Still image is of a silhouette of person on a beach at sunset. They are standing with their arms above their head and their hands are clasped.
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.
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.
Whether you are celebrating Christmas Eve, celebrating Sunday, or just ambling through an ordinary day, I hope you can find some ease, rest, and space in there somewhere.
And, no matter what, please remember that you are doing the best you can with the resources you have. Try not to be hard on yourself about things left undone.
If you are looking for a way to get out of your head and take a break from your to do list, here are two videos to try:
Still image shows the instructor in an exercise studio, the video title is superimposed over the middle of the image.
And for our meditation today, here’s a Midday Recharge from Mindful Peace
Still image shows a clear glass cup of coffee on a white table with a laptop computer next to it. The title of the video ‘Midday Recharge: Guided Mindfulness Meditation is in white text at the top of the image.
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.
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.
