Wrap up: Toolbox Catalog
Welcome Back!
We have reached the end of this eleven-week series Me-Time 101: Self-care in the time of Covid. During this tumultuous time in human history, the need for self-care has only become more evident. What a privilege and a joy, then, to share with you over 30 tools from my personal toolbox. Just by adding one thing at a time over months or years, our toolboxes grow naturally. My own journey began with the techniques of breathing and relaxation back in high school. Later I added understanding of the power of nature and meditation, while sound therapy, energy practices and gratitude are more recent additions.
What about you? What self-care tools do you now have in your toolbox? Which of those offered over the past weeks have you tried? Which were helpful? And what have you learned about yourself through these past weeks?
I have learned that our well-being benefits from balancing our intellect, emotions and intuition. To put it another way, well-being generates from the balance and integration of one’s mind, body, and soul. In this series I have sought to share with you some of the techniques and tools that have brought balance to my life. I hope some of my stories have illustrated the value in making me-time in the midst of the crazy. That much needed pause not only reduces stress and anxiety it reaches inward to the soul and outward to the Universe and All That Is. What a gift!
Please share this series with anyone who you believe may benefit from its content. Or return to it yourself anytime you need to be reminded how important you and your well-being are. (Just login and look in the archives.)
Read on for a toolbox catalog followed by a toolbox index of all that we covered during this series. Read to the end to learn what’s next!
Catalog of Me-time and Self-care Tools
One-Minute Conscious Breathing
Set a timer for one minute (or two or three. . . ).
Sit relaxed and alert and quiet.
Close your eyes.
Place your attention on your breath, especially the physical sensations of breathing.
Come back to yourself.
How do you feel?
Three breaths
Place your attention on your breathing.
Count each, slowing breath - 1 in - out. . . 2 in - out. . . .3 in - out. . . .
Done.
How do you feel?
10 - breaths
Sit or stand in a relaxed but alert posture.
Close (or open) your eyes.
Breath deeply and naturally in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Count ten breaths (1 in and 2 out, etc). (Just start over if you get lost.)
Relax into each consecutive breath.
Repeat.
As you finish, come back to yourself.
How do you feel?
Mindful Eating
Place your attention on the food before you.
As you take each bite, be aware of the textures, flavors, and smells of your food.
Chew slowly.
As you swallow, feel the food make its way to your stomach.
Check in with your emotions as you eat.
Mindfully eat for at least the first three bites of each meal or snack.
Done.
Guided meditation
Find or use a Guided Meditation of your choice (ie. apps Smiling Mind, Calm, or Headspace).
Sit quietly in a quiet space where you will not be interrupted.
Follow the instructions.
As you finish, ask: How do I feel?
Stargazing
Be curious. What can I learn from the night? What can I learn from connecting with nature at night?
If possible and safe, step outside. Stand or sit under the night sky. (Alternatively, open a window and gaze out the window.)
Take 3 deep and centering breaths.
Engage each of your five senses one at a time as you look in the sky. Ask yourself: What do I hear? See? Smell? Feel? Taste?
Return or go to bed with gratitude for the night and all it has to offer.
Take a bath with epsom salts
2 cups epsom salts dissolved in a full bath of warm water
Soak for at least 12 minutes.
Limit Your News Consumption
Disconnect
Before sleeping, shut off your phone and other devices (or at least use airplane mode).
Three Gratitudes
Each morning or evening, take a moment to think of three things you are grateful for from the day.
Gratitude Journal
Get a journal.
Choose a consistent time of day to practice gratitude.
Write at least 3 things you are grateful for, even if it is simple.
After one week (one month, etc), check-in with yourself. How is this practice impacting your mind and heart?
Tense and Release
Close your eyes.
Focus on the body and the breath.
Begin with belly breathing then return to gentle breathing.
Tense and release the toes and feet. Hold your breath as you tense, release the breath as you release. (3X)
Tense and release the calves and thighs, holding and releasing the breath as you go. (3X)
Tense and release the glutes/buttocks, holding and releasing the breath as you go. (3X)
Pinch the shoulder blades together, then hunch the shoulders, holding and releasing the breath as you go. (3X)
Scrunch the shoulders to the ears, holding and releasing the breath as you go. (3X)
Tense and release arms and clench the fists tight, holding and releasing the breath as you go. (3X)
Move the neck left, right, (3X) then chin up, chin to chest (3X)
Make a scrunchy face including the forehead, nose, cheeks, and mouth. Release and repeat, holding and releasing the breath as you go . (3X)
Tense and release the entire body now, holding and releasing the breath as you go . (3X)
Focus on the new sensations in the body and the breath.
Learn things new and interesting to you
Get curious.
Make time.
Get up earlier OR
Alter how you use your time.
Learn!
Feed your Creativity
Make a playdate with your inner artist.
Set aside 2 hours per week.
Go alone!
Connect with nourishing people
Set a time to be together in person or online with someone nourishing to you.
Meet.
Set a new date before you go.
Laugh a little
Watch a funny video or show.
Hang out with friends who make you laugh.
See a comedy show in person.
Attend a laughter yoga class.
Exercise
Your choice! Do what you like.
Walk
Nap
Know what kind of nap you need.
Nap for an appropriate amount of time for your purpose.
Improve Qi/Energy Flow
Tai Chi
Qigong
Acupuncture
Water Wonders experiences
Swim
Become a Water Drinker
Sensory Deprivation Tank
Sit near water
Sound Therapy experiences
Gong bath
Singing bowls
Binaural Beats
Play Delta binaural beats fairly loudly for ten minutes as you lie in bed while wearing headphones or earbuds.
Remove your earbuds or headphones after listening.
Mindful walking
Choose a place you want to practice mindful walking (such as a back yard or nearby park or beach).
Decide how long you will mindfully walk.
If possible, remove your shoes and place your attention on your feet.
Walk slowly, placing one foot in front of the other in baby steps.
Ask yourself: What sensations do I feel? How does my body respond? What are the sounds I hear? How do they affect me? How does my breathing alter? What emotions am I experiencing?
Finish and put on your shoes.
Thank yourself for taking time to practice mindful walking.
How do you feel?
Variation: Labyrinth Walking
Mindful walking - Night version
A variation on this practice is to encounter the nighttime with a mindful walk.
Forest Bathing
Dress appropriately and bring water, etc.
Go to the woods or forest
Walk and/or sit
Unplug from devices
Be curious, connecting with your senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch
Stay as long as you can!
Check in: How do you feel in mind and body compared to when you began?
Bird watching
Download to your device a birding app such as Seek
Enjoy a slow and curious walk outside just about anywhere as you listen and look for birds to identify.
Learn as you go.
Check in: How do you feel?
Loving-kindness meditation
Place your attention and intention on YOURSELF and say: May I be well. May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be loved.
Place your attention and intention on A LOVED ONE and say: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be loved.
Place your attention and intention on AN ACQUAINTANCE and say: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be loved.
(This is the challenging one.) Place your attention and intention on SOMEONE YOU DISLIKE and say: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be loved.
Place your attention and intention on ALL HUMANITY and say: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be loved.
Place your attention and intention on ALL CREATURES and say: May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful. May you be loved.
Service to Others
Prayer
Your own prayer practice
Contemplative prayer
Praying to ancestors
Community
Religious communities/synagogues/churches
Power of 8
Toolbox Index by Category
Calm and focus the mind
BREATHING
FOREST BATHING
MINDFUL WALKING
MINDFUL EATING
DISCONNECT FROM DEVICES
EXERCISE
TAI CHI/QIGONG
SOUND THERAPY
WATER WONDERS
LABYRINTH WALK
BIRD WATCHING
GUIDED MEDITATION
Feed the intellect
CONNECT WITH NOURISHING PEOPLE
FEED YOUR CREATIVITY
LEARNING THINGS NEW AND INTERESTING TO YOU
WATER WONDERS
BIRD WATCHING
Nourish the body
SLEEPING/NAPPING
FOREST BATHING
MINDFUL EATING
DISCONNECT FROM DEVICES
WALK
EXERCISE
TAI CHI/QIGONG
SOUND THERAPY
WATER WONDERS
LAUGH
ACUPUNCTURE
Feed the Spirit
FOREST BATHING
LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION
MINDFUL WALKING
EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY
EXERCISE FLOW
TAI CHI/QIGONG
SOUND THERAPY
LABYRINTH WALK
STAR GAZING
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
GUIDED MEDITATION
Open the Heart
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
BREATHING
SOUND THERAPY
LABYRINTH WALK
COMPASSION MEDITATION
CONNECTING TO NOURISHING PEOPLE
LAUGH
GUIDED MEDITATION
Nourished by Nature
MINDFUL WALKING
FOREST BATHING
WATER WONDERS
EXERCISE
BIRD WATCHING
LABYRINTH WALK
Before you Go
Before you go, I want to say thank you to my subscribers! During this series my readership has expanded from 53 to 77! So thank you for joining Life Cheat Sheets. I hope you have found this series valuable.
My next 11-week series, “Reasons for Hope,” begins next week. I can’t wait to articulate the many ways I have hope for humanity. If you would like to spend a few minutes each week with your attention on hope, then stick with me! And if you recommend Life Cheat Sheets to a friend or family member, I would be very grateful. Let’s share hope!
You can find this entire series along with my previous series in the archives. Please leave a comment. What are you doing with your me-time? What benefits does self-care bring to you and those around you?
Until next time,
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be loved.
Brenda
Next up:
You can find my other series “Parenting 101 Coupons: A Gift from your Parents” and “Partnering 101: A Deep Dive into Leaving Kindly” in the archives.
If you like it, share it! Help me reach my goal of 100 subscribers.
Brenda BraykoWriter. Teacher. Gong Player.
Find more of my writing at GreenBaytoKorea.blogspot.com
Learn about my business at CelestialSoundGB.com
On Instagram @applebb09
All photos by © Brenda Brayko 2022.