What I'm Reading This Week #21
Happy Friday all! I am beyond thrilled to not having to babysit seedlings indoors anymore. I know I need to babysit them outside now but I am going to have to do some serious research on how to stop algae and white mold because I feel like I tried all of the tricks and nothing helped. I can't wait for them to actually bloom. Well, my cantaloupe have flowers on them. I guess I'll have to get some knee high panty hose to hang them from on the trellis. I'll be keeping my eye on those bucket crops because I know it won't be long before critters try to come after them and when they do, I have insect nets waiting for them. HISS! So we'll see how phase two goes. Now let's phase into: 5 Best Compound Exercises to Strengthen Your Whole Body (Get twice as much done in half the time!) 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Be Eating, According to Registered Dietitians (I wish I liked avocados, maybe if I made a sassy guac/salsa combo w...
I have a hard time shutting my brain off when I want to sleep sometimes but usually reading a book at night does the trick - though I admit sometimes I end up reading a lot longer than I might want to before it works.
ReplyDeleteI've tried that and it does seem to help a little but then as you know, I wake up in the middle of the night and the hamster puts on some ONJ and gets Physical on the wheel.
DeleteLike the Mr., I like to read in bed before attempting to sleep. It definitely helps to quiet my brain and get me to relax, but the selection of book definitely matters. The book needs to be fiction, engaging, but not too exciting. I also try to set a time limit as to how long I will read, about a half hour, and will include it in my bedtime routine. That way I am still turning off the light at my preferred time.
ReplyDeleteOutside of bedtime two ways that I am able to mentally relax is to take a hot shower and focus only on how the water feels on my body and to sit by a large body of water, focusing on the movement of the water. It helps that I live near the Atlantic Ocean.
I too have struggled to be in the moment in more intimate situations. One thing that has helped me is to focus on what I feel under my hands, the different textures available to me, finding something soft, smooth, calming, which brings me back into the moment. I'll also be honest about what is running through my head, usually something silly or completely random, and we will laugh about it, which helps us reconnect.
So happy you have a nice body of water close by to enjoy! (We have a sea of orange barrels in every direction for about 20 miles) Those are good tips and I will give those a try.
DeleteThis is where the mindfulness meditation helps me
ReplyDeleteI sooo wish I could meditate. Last night I literally apologized 6x praying from my thoughts wandering even when I was talking to Grandma after. LOL I did try again this morning. Something I really need to super focus on.
DeleteI'm about 50/50 on this. When I'm really upset about something it's hard to put it out of my mind completely. But whether it's been a stressful day or a regular okay day, I always, always play a funky solitaire game on my Fire. I do this to help relax, to distract, and to calm down if I'm on overload. I usually have the game music turned off too because sometimes that can be annoying to hear if I'm amped up. Like Browren above, if I'm by water, like a lake up north, all my stress and thoughts go out the window because I'm able to just focus on the sounds of the water and any bird or animal noises nearby, and my breathing becomes more steady and regulated.
ReplyDeleteOn the bad days I will do an Italian lesson and/or pop bubble wrap. When we were on Long Island, it was easy to relax sitting on the beach-- even when I ended up in the water fully clothed I still laughed about it. I need an ocean or lake near me!
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