Tag: Making Space 2022

advice · cardio · fitness · habits · health · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · motivation · self care · yoga

Making Space 2022: Day 31

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

Here we are at the last day of 2022, the last day of December, the last day of my Making Space posts.

I hope that you have found these posts useful and that you have found your own ways to make space for yourselves in your days this month. I also hope that you have found (or are starting to find) ways to continue making space for yourselves in the days that follow.

And speaking of the days that follow – tomorrow, I start a series of ‘Go Team!’ posts that encourage you to be kind to yourself as you figure out the habits, systems, and practices you want to take on in the year ahead.

But before we get to that, I have one more thing to say about creating space for your future self and it goes like this:

New Year’s Day may be a symbolic time to start but you can add new ideas, habits and practices to your life at ANY TIME.

And, you can create your own symbolism or meaning around the time that you choose.

For example, even though I like the symbolism of starting new practices in a new year, I had a bit of sideways December so I couldn’t give a lot of thought to things I wanted to do in 2023.

Instead of putting pressure on myself to find time to focus on that, I decided to let December be what it was and that I would figure out what 2023 would look like once it arrived.

Or, to put it another way, I’m choosing to have Planuary instead of January.

By labelling next month as Planuary, I have given it a shape. I’m not going in without a plan and hoping things will just happen – that would never work for my ADHD brain. Instead, I’m planning to spend January figuring out what my plans could be.

And I’m inviting you to create space for your future self by doing something similar.

If you WANT to start something new sometime soon, you don’t have to come roaring out of the gate tomorrow. You can decide on your own terms and your own timeline when and how you want to get started.

You can plan to plan in Planuary.

You can write one thing on an index card and do that until you get bored with it.

You can make a giant list and a big chart and have a grand time with it (as long as you aren’t going to be mean to yourself if you have to change your plan – I can’t get behind that)

You can choose to just keep doing what you have been doing all along but add in the plan to be kinder to yourself in the process (THAT I can full endorse.)

Basically, I want to encourage you to give yourself the space to do things in your own way on your own schedule.

Your tomorrow-self doesn’t need to have it all figured out and doesn’t have to have the perfect plan.

Please be kind to yourself as you make space for future you to develop, expand, and think up cool and fun things to do.

NOTE:Have you ever seen DSri Seah’s Groundhog Day Resolutions monthly personal review system? It’s a cool way that they developed to check in with their resolutions and projects all year long. I love how they worked out a system that works for them without getting caught up in when things *should* be done during the year.

Here are our final videos for the Making Space series. At first I was looking for new year/end of year themed videos but there was such a variation in tone from video to video that I didn’t want to choose something that would be irksome. So, instead, I chose videos for calm and for energy/feeling good – I figured those could be most helpful.

I also chose a yoga video AND a cardio video so you could decide if you wanted to see the year out in a low-key way or in a burst of movement.

Whether you do these videos or do your own thing, I wish you ease, energy and lots of space for yourself as 2022 becomes 2023.

See you tomorrow for our first Go Team! post for 2023.

A video from the Yoga with Kassandra YouTube channel entitled ‘10 Min Morning Yoga for Calm. The still image features the instructor in light brown exercise clothing standing with her legs wide apart and her upper body folds forward toward the camera so she can touch her mat with the palms of her hands and her ponytail has flopped forward towards her mat. Text reading ‘10 Min Morning Yoga’ is overlaid on the upper left side of the image.
A PopSugar Fitness 10 Minute Feel-Good Cardio Workout with Deja Riley. The still image features the instructor standing in a white-walled studio with her arms in the air in a joyful sort of celebratory gesture (that is probably just part of an exercise movement but she looks celebratory to me.)
Another 5 Minute Mindful Meditation for Calm from the Great Meditations YouTube channel (I have really become a fan of that channel during this series!) The still age features light brown text reading ‘Calm 5 Minute guided meditation’ and a cartoon image of a person sitting in meditation with their arms, bent at the elbow, outstretched slightly to the sides in a welcoming or accepting gesture. Behind their head is either their long hair streaming upwards or a thought balloon that contains symbols of thoughts – question marks, ellipses, hearts, emojis etc. and behind their body there are symbols of tangible items like a clock, some gears, and the leaves of a plant.

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.

holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · self care · yoga

Making Space 2022: Day 29

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

I have to tell you that it made me VERY happy to find a short yoga video about creating space to include today. The video, of course, is about creating a feeling of space in your body and my advice tends to be about creating a feeling of space in your mind but, since we are all very wise and sage people, we know that that distinction is arbitrary, don’t we?

(If we were talking in person right now, I would be giving you an exaggerated wink so you’d know that I, too, know that while the difference is fairly arbitrary it doesn’t always FEEL that way. I do think that we are all wise and sage though, even when we feel foolish.)

ANYWAY!

For these last few days of December, I have been inviting you to consider ways to make space for your future self – even as you use self-kindness to make space for your current self.

NOTE: If you are just here for the videos, please scroll on down. I’m about to get chatty.

Today, I want you to think about how to make some mental space for future you by removing or changing a recurring hassle . That is, figuring out ONE small annoyance or frustration you can remove for your future self.

I’m thinking about things like the basket in the corner that is not *quite* big enough for the things you want to store in it so things keep falling out.

Or about the fact that your measuring cups are on a shelf that’s a bit too high for you to easily reach so you end up either making do with a regular cup or you take down all the measuring cups and then leave them on the counter.

Or the fact that everyone in the office keeps asking *you* for the same piece of information (a phone number/copier code/person’s name) over and over because they can’t seem to remember it.

Or the fact that something needs its batteries charged or that there’s a branch that makes a weird noise against the house when the wind blows a certain way or the fact that there is nowhere to lay your keys down near your front door so you end up misplacing them on the regular.

I don’t know what kind of recurring hassles take up your mental space but these kinds of low-key hassles end up occupying a lot of my mental real-estate – both in the moment and whenever they cross my mind.

But the thing is, those are the kinds of hassles that often don’t get dealt with because they seem like they shouldn’t be a big deal or that they aren’t worth the effort to fix or that they wouldn’t be a problem if we ”just” did…whatever thing that we clearly have trouble doing.

But it IS worth dealing with these things if they free up your mental space.

You have enough things that you *have* to think about without letting this stuff crowd its way in, too.

You don’t have to deal with every hassle at once though.

Today, I’m inviting you to just consider one thing, whatever pops into your mind first, and then make a plan to take care of it.

Get a bigger basket or store some of the things elsewhere. Find a new spot for your measuring cups. Write down the number or the code or the name. Charge the batteries. Cut the branch. Get a hook for your keys.

If you can’t enact your plan right away, schedule a time when you will take care of it.

Knowing that you have a plan and a schedule will immediately create some room in your brain because you will be able to stop asking yourself when you are going to take care of the thing and you will stop admonishing yourself for not having taken care of it yet.

By the way, if this is a thing you have been meaning to get to for a while but you just couldn’t do it, please be EXTRA kind to yourself if it ends up only taking a few minutes. Yes, the task was small but the obstacle was large and hard things are hard – being mean to yourself in the process doesn’t make them any easier.

If you have multiple things to take care of but none of them have a deadline and none of them seem obviously more urgent than the others, pick the one that is first alphabetically or the one that will make the most visible difference. When there is no obvious place to start, it doesn’t really matter WHERE you start, it only matters that you start somewhere.

This is about reclaiming some of your own mental space for your future self. You don’t have to pick big things, you don’t have to pick obvious things, you only have to pick things that matter to your current self and your future self.

And, as always, I wish you ease in the process.

⭐ <<<<This is for your efforts in figuring this out.

A video from the Yoginimelbourne YouTube channel entitled ‘Create Space 7min yoga flow’ and the still image features the instructor from the waist up, leaning their upper body and outstretched arms to her right while looking upwards to the left. They are indoors and the leaves of a houseplant can be seen on the lower left while the video title appears in black on the upper right.

The yoga video about creating space made me happy but so did the fact that this meditation video is specifically about breathing space. SPACE! We all deserve a bit more in the places where we want and need it.

A video from Teik Yen Ko’s YouTube channel entitled ‘Mindfulness Meditation: 3 Minute Breathing Space’ by Professor Mark Williams from the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. The still image features the light green cover of a book by Mark Williams called ‘Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World’ and the image on the cover is the silhouette of a city skyline reflected in a body of water.

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.

cardio · Dancing · fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 28

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Today, I am still thinking about our future selves but while yesterday’s thoughts were about timing, today’s thoughts are about traditions.

It’s stating the obvious, of course, but this time of year tends to be very tradition-laden.

Basically, there are all kinds of things that we do because that’s what we have always done. Those things can take up a lot of space in our lives – even if we enjoy doing them.

And whether those traditions are about celebrations, end of year tasks, or about our work, it can be a good idea to stop every so often and make sure they are still serving us – still serving the purpose we want them to serve. 

Traditions that make us happy are great. 

Traditions that serve the purpose we want them to serve are useful. 

Traditions done for tradition’s sake? Those are a burden.

And it’s ok to put burdens down when you don’t need to carry them anymore.

But it’s logistically and emotionally tricky to stop a tradition that other people enjoy. (Especially if and when that tradition involves a lot of unseen work that you do but they benefit from.)

And it’s even trickier to halt or change a tradition if it usually happens in the near future.

However, right now, you have an opportunity to think about the traditions you follow each December and start to reconsider them.

You don’t have to make any big decisions or start any arguments right now but you are close enough to your traditions to remember which ones you really treasure and which ones upset you or make you tired.

And you have time to plan how and when to talk to everyone involved about changing, removing, or enhancing those traditions for next year. You don’t have to have those conversations right now but you can start to consider when would be the least emotionally-challenging time to have them.

And while most of these thoughts will be about creating space for your future self, even considering changing or stopping traditions will probably give your current self a little extra space.

Just please be kind to yourself in the process. ⭐️💚

Of course, as always, I want you to do what works for you, what creates a sense of well-being in your mind and in your life. You don’t have to take my suggestions and you certainly don’t have to consider removing any traditions – you can make space in any way that works for you.

Here are a couple of videos that you might want to use to create space today.

As I was searching for a short cardio workout, I came across this villain-themed dance video and I thought it was hilarious. We aren’t evil because we are thinking about changing up some traditions but we might *feel* like villains – might as well embrace the role and have some dance-y fun with it.

An 8-Minute Villain-Era Dance Cardio workout with Sheela Awe from the PopSugar Fitness YouTube channel. The still image shows three people dressed in black workout clothes standing in a pink/red lit studio. The all have one arm extended toward the camera in a vaguely evil beckoning gesture.

And for our meditation, I thought cultivating a calm mind was a great way to start contemplating future changes.

A 7-Minute Guided Meditation To Cultivate A Calm Mind from the Tricycle YouTube channel. The still image shows the instructor wearing glasses and a pale blue shirt, sitting on a chair in front of a white mantlepiece above an unlit fireplace.

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.

advice · fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 27

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

We only have a few days left in this ‘making space’ series and I have been doing some thinking about how to make space for my future self so I thought you might like to do the same.

Right now, I’m keenly aware of the things I meant to get done but didn’t get around to, of the things I don’t want to do next year, and of the things that I want to do differently next year.

I end up in this spot every year, of course, and I have occasionally made the scattered note for my future self.* This year, though, I am making a conscious effort to sit down and list things to help 2023 Christine. And when my list is done, I am going to put reminders in my calendar about what to do or not do at specific times.

Note: if you want to try this but you get hung up on choosing a specific date for tasks, just pick a date to reminder yourself to pick more specific dates. So, for example, choose Sept 1 and put in an event that says ‘Consult list in (notebook or digital location) and make a schedule.)

Not only will this make space for my future self, it will make space for my current self because I won’t be trying to remember all kinds of things for the future AND because my brain likes knowing a plan is in place – even if I won’t be using it for a while.

If my approach doesn’t appeal to you, maybe you could invent your own system by asking things like: What kinds of things would I like to have more space around right now? What would give me that space? What can I do to make sure I can have that space in the future?

Only you can know what kind of space you need and it’s ok to take steps that make sense to you in order to create that space.

And whatever space you need, whatever steps you take to create it, I wish you ease and breathing room around the whole thing.

Remember, you matter, your efforts matter, and you are doing the best you can with the resources you have.

⭐️

Oh, and of course, I have included a couple of videos to help you create a little space for your current self today. Creating that space now will also help contribute to your future self’s wellbeing. 💚

*For example, my past self put a note in my calendar to order something on Sept 1, 2022 and a couple of years ago my December self put a note on November 15 to buy an extra set of lights to replace a set that had burnt out.

A Beginner/Low Impact 10 Minute Workout from Jolie Della Valle. The still image shows the instructor in exercise clothes standing in a field with her arms extended at shoulder height toward the camera.
A 5 Minute Meditation for Anxiety from the Goodful YouTube channel. The still image features a person sitting cross-legged in meditation on the floor front of a beige couch in a living room.

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.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · yoga

Making Space 2022: Day 26

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Today seems like a great day for some restful self care.

Hmm, that’s misleading. I think EVERY day is a good day for restful self-care, and active self-care, and, well, any kind of self-care at all, really.

ANYWAY, on to my point…

We are just a few days from the end of the year, and a few days from the end of a busy month. Instead of thinking in terms of getting more done or cramming more things into our day/week/month/year, I’d like us to be thinking about how to take things slowly, how to ease forward.

And, of course, I’d like us all to be kind to ourselves while we do that. 🌟💚

Here are two videos to help us to be kind and loving towards ourselves as we take things as slowly as we can.

PS – Martha’s delightful 2020 Wellness Calendar posts ended with a round-up post on December 26, 2020. So I am flying solo from here on in.

Jessamine Stanley’s 8-Minute Yoga for Self-Love from the Health Magazine YouTube channel. Still image features the instructor sitting on her left hip and using her left arm to support while herself while the sole of her right foot is on the mat, right knee is bent, and her right elbow rests on her right knee. She is dressed in pink/flowered exercise clothes and is on a pink yoga mat.

Loving Kindness Meditation 5 Minutes with Sharon Salzberg from the FitMind YouTube channel. Still image shows Salzberg (who has shoulder length blond hair and dark-framed glasses and is wearing a purple bottom up shirt) speaking into a microphone. On the left side of the image is text reading ‘Loving Kindness Meditation.’

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.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 25

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

On December 25, 2020, Martha offered us the gift of this post ‘Make Yourself The Priority’ – a reminder that self care and making space for ourselves in our days, our weeks, our lives makes sense.

We deserve the same care and attention that we give to others.

But learning to make yourself a priority isn’t a switch you can just flick on and be done with it. It’s a practice – one you’ll need to return to over and over until self care becomes a habit.

And today is as good a day as any to start doing that, even in a small way.

Perhaps you could begin by making your own preferences a little more of a factor in your decisions today. The way you like things done is just as valid as the way anyone else likes them.

Or you could take 5 extra minutes of breathing room before diving into your next task.

Or you could pick the thing that is most convenient for you even if it means a little more effort for someone else.

You matter, just as much as anyone else does (at the very least!) and it’s ok to organize your time and your efforts to reflect that you are one of your own priorities.

I wish you ease, self-compassion, and enough space to explore what making yourself a priority looks like for you.

And, as always, here are a couple of videos for you to try, if you are so inclined.

A 10 Minute Full Body Workout from the Human 2.0 YouTube channel. The still image shows a person in workout clothes in a small studio or home gym with free weights and other small equipment in the background. They are standing on their left foot with their arms stretched out to the sides and their right leg crossed behind their left with their right toes pointed to the left side
A guided meditation from the ‘Calm’ app’s YouTube channel. The video is called ‘Daily Calm: 10 Minute Mindful Meditation. Self Soothing.’ The still image shows raindrops on greenery and white text reading ‘Meditate: Self Soothing.’

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.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 24

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Welcome to Day 24.

May you have space and ease in your day whether you are celebrating, dreading, or just having a regular kind of Saturday.

Please remember that you don’t have to feel any kind of a way today.

It’s ok to just be who you are, do what you can do, and feel the way you feel. and I wish you strength and support for the boundaries you want to set around those things.

Basically, I want you to be able to spend your day today in a way that make sense (and feels good) for you, whatever that might entail.

And, by the way, if you are looking for a suggestion of one good way to spend your Christmas Eve/Saturday/December 24, Martha has a great reminder of an Icelandic tradition that I’d like to adopt: Read a Book, Eat Chocolate

No matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating today, I hope you are kind to yourself about the whole thing:

Meanwhile, if making space for yourself today includes movement or meditation, I’ve got you covered:

If you are feeling the need to get moving, here’s a Hip Hop dance video to try.

Another fun 5 Minute Family Dance Cardio video from PopSugar Fitness. The still image shows three people in exercise clothes standing close together in a pink room. White text reading ‘5-Minute Family Hip Hop Dance Cardio with Poofy Moffitino’ is on the bottom left side.

If you need to relax and find ease, here’s a slow evening yoga flow.

This video from Yoga with Joelle is entitled ‘10 Minute Evening Yoga For Seniors & Beginners’ and the still image shows Joelle in exercise clothes on a grey yoga mat. The background is purple and white text reading ‘Slow Evening Flow is above her and the words For Seniors and Beginners is in purple to the right.

And if you need some inner calm, here’s a guided meditation to try.

This video, from the Great Meditations YouTube channel is entitled ‘Guided Meditation for Inner Peace.’ The still image shows a cartoon image of a person in flowing clothing sitting in meditation against a light blue background. The words ‘Peace & Calm guided meditation’ are shown next to and below the person in white text.

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.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 23

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

It seems very fitting that Martha’s Wellness Calendar post for December 23, 2020 was Enjoy a cup of tea.

I was rushing around earlier and suddenly remembered that this post wasn’t ready – I had the videos but no text. I started to rush to write this but, instead, I made myself take a break.

I made an excellent cup of tea, enjoyed a magnificent snack (thanks for the cookies, Trudy and Emma) and just sat at my table, amid bits of wrapping paraphernalia, a couple of gifts, a potted plant that needs a new location, and a stack of things that need to go upstairs.

But just for those few moments, I didn’t let my brain match along my to do list, I just sat and had tea and cookies.

And when I was done, I felt fortified, ready to do the next thing – i.e. this post.

It wasn’t just the tea itself, it wasn’t just the snack, and it wasn’t just the break, like Martha mentioned, it was the whole ritual. The boiling kettle, the steeping tea, the sipping. All of those things came together to give me space to slow down, to prepare for the next thing, to feel ready.

Now, I know that you may not be in charge of your time today. Or your list might be longer or more complex. You may have someone waiting on you who can’t give you the time you need to enjoy a slow cup of tea.

However, I hope you can still find that kind of space, for however short of a time. I hope you can catch your breath in the car, or as you stir the spaghetti sauce, or on the way to the mailbox.

I hope that you can find a little wiggle room and have some ease amidst the chaos – even if you decide not to have tea.

Please remember – you matter, your efforts matter, and you are doing the best that you can with the resources you have.

Please be kind to yourself.

💚🌟

If you want to create a little space by exercising, here’s a fun and energetic cardio video from PopSugar Fitness.

And if you need a little top-up for your self-compassion, there’s a meditation link below (there was no embed preview for the video, there’s nothing going wrong with your phone/computer.)

A fun video from PopSugar Fitness called ‘10-Minute Thanksgiving Family Workout with Jayden Wells.’ The still image shows the three workout demonstrators posing in exercise clothes in the centre of a light pink studio set.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-z4HqdTQFw&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
There is no preview image for this embedded link but I really liked the meditation so I’m rolling with it. It’s a guided meditation called ‘Loving Kindness for Self-Compassion’ and it’s from the YouTube channel for a non-profit health centre called ‘Memorial Hermann’

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.

fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · self care

Making Space 2022: Day 22

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

While I’m sure there are people who are sailing through December with ease and orderliness, I write these posts for the rest of us. The people who are trying to have a grip on the end of the year/the holiday season/Thursday but with varying success.

And for those of us who are kind of puttering along, doing what we can with what we have, I think that things like self-kindness, adjusted expectations, and making space make all the difference in how we feel about our days.

Martha had some great advice on this topic back in 2020 with her reminder to ‘Stuff the turkey, not yourself’ The title sounds like the post is all about food but really reminding us that excess anything can be stressful and overwhelming. And she suggests a few boundaries to set to protect ourselves from that excess.

(I particularly appreciated the reminder to considered not doing multiple events in one day – I often forget how hard that is on my brain until it is too late to change my plans.)

When I write birthday greetings for people I often wish for them to have ‘plenty of time to spend as you choose and plenty of energy to enjoy it fully’ and I think that makes a good wish for right now as well.

Having the energy to enjoy ourselves depends on many things, of course, but choosing our boundaries wisely is definitely one of them.

What choices can you make right now to help protect your energy and your enjoyment for the days ahead?

Sending you ease, self-kindness, and energy to create firm boundaries.

Here are your videos for today:

A walking workout with a warm-up from Denise Austin:

A video from the Today Show YouTube channel entitled ‘Try This 5 Minute Walking Workout To Get You Moving.’ The still image shows 5 people in everything from business clothing to workout gear exercising on a TV studio set with wooden floors and blue walls. They are all standing with their feet wide apart and their arms outstretched (to various degrees) to the sides.

And here’s a short meditation about boundaries.

A video from the YouTube channel for the National Center for Health, Physical Activity, and Disability. The video is entitled ‘ Mini Meditation Monday, Week 9: Boundaries’ and the still image is of an exterior wall. The top of the wall is covered in greyish plaster and at the bottom the brick has been exposed, presumably by wear. White text reading ‘Mindful: A Meditation Series’ is in the bottom right corner.

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.

holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · season transitions · self care · yoga

Making Space 2022: Day 21

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

In the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 is the Winter Solstice – the 24 hour period with the least daylight in the year. After today, things start to get a little brighter day by day.

It’s kind of like when you know the most challenging part of something is almost over and there is some ease ahead. At this point, you have to keep putting one metaphorical foot in front of the other and you will get through.

One December 21, 2020, Martha was inviting us to Embrace the Light – not only to be hopeful about the fact that there will soon be more hours of sunlight but to look for other sources of light in your life to help lift your spirits.

That’s some really great advice from Martha. Not only can we take action to bring more literal light – candles, lamps, strings of coloured lights or whathaveyou – we can also look for things that lighten our spirits – friends, family, treasured memories, enjoyable pastimes- and make them part of our days.

So, if you can, try to create some space around those ideas today: What brings light into your life? How can you stay connected to those things, those people, those activities, throughout the year?

However you decide to embrace light today, I wish you ease and peace of mind.

I hope you can be kind to yourself as you move through your day.

May you have the space and the light that you need.

A photo of the sun rising over a distant hill on a winter morning. In the foreground are the silhouettes of large evergreen trees and in the middle ground are streets lined with houses and other buildings.
My sister Denise likes to greet the sun on the winter solstice. This is her photo from December 2021. Image description: A photo of the sun rising over a distant hill on a winter morning. In the foreground are the silhouettes of large evergreen trees and in the middle ground are streets lined with houses and other buildings. There is a light dusting of snow here and there throughout the photo.

Some people who practice yoga regularly like to greet changes in season (such as the solstice) by doing 108 sun salutations. If you are more casual with your yoga practice, 108 might be a bit much for you but perhaps you might enjoy welcoming the light’s return by doing a shorter version of the practice. I have found two videos you might like, a 10 minute practice from Yoga with Adriene and a chair yoga practice from Donna Freeman.

For our meditation today, I have three things for you to choose from. The first is a slow, breath-focused practice, and the other two are opportunities for reflection rather than guided meditations.

A 10 Minute Sun Salutation Practice video from Yoga with Adriene. The still image shows a blue panel on the left with white text reading ’30 Days of Yoga’, on the right, Adriene is doing a low lunge on a pink yoga mat that is resting on a brown wooden floor.
A video from the Donna Freeman YouTube channel entitled ‘Chair Yoga Sun Salutations: Two Ways.’ The still image shows the instructor facing to the left while sitting on a kitchen chair in a home studio space that features a large painting of a daisy hanging on the back wall. The instructor is at the edge of the chair with their legs extended in front of them (touching the floor), and their arms extended overhead and forwards. Their upper body is leaned forward slightly.

A Winter Solstice Guided Meditation 2022 from Jenna Goldman’s YouTube channel. The still image is divided horizontally with a black and white photo at the top that shows darkness between two outcroppings of light-coloured rock. The bottom image is of the sun in the distance rising over water.
In this video from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway from the Buffalo People Arts Institute explains what the Winter Solstice means to her. The still image, shows the speaker (with a museum exhibit behind her) speaking animatedly with her hands, palm upwards, in front of her. She has long brown hair with some grey in it and she has glasses. She is wearing a red shirt, a pink scarf, and a necklace and earrings made with traditional materials.
This video from the Canadian Mental Health Association is entitled ‘Holiday Story Time: Mouse Celebrates The Winter Solstice’ and the still image features the story title in the foreground and a background of evergreen branches, twinkle lights, and a small red star.

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.