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This week I am working on a content planner for 2021. My plan is to post at least once a week but from experience I know I am not good at keeping to that plan. That is why I am planning 52 posts for the next year. This way I have an idea to write about without having to come up with one on the fly. Who else struggle with blanking out when you need an idea but have a mind full of them any other time??
First of all, I love to write about whatever is on my mind at any moment which means I jump around from topic to topic. Since I know this about myself, I am starting with 52 blog titles and ideas so I can write when I feel inspired. Now the hard part is thinking of 52 ideas all at once, lol. Usually I am full of ideas but never when I want them, like I said above. I am sure it will take me a month to plan them all out. What I love about WordPress is I can go to the app, write a bit and finish is on my laptop. So when the mood hits I can get my thoughts down and not loose them.
The reason I am sharing this with you all is two fold. First I wanted to hear from you all about ideas. Leave me a comment here or on Facebook about a good topic. Next I thought it would be cool to share my process with you all. Maybe this will inspire you to start a blog or start planning/listing more. This last year it has been a struggle for me, usually I have a general schedule with therapies and groups but with covid it is all cancelled. That little schedule totally helped with my motivation and productivity. Since April, I had no motivation to do anything because the days are all just the same and my anxiety has peaked. I guess lessening my anxiety would be a bonus to this process.
Back to Post ideas, I have a few right now but lost steam after about 6, lol. Here are a few ideas I have so far: Why hobbies are important, What I love about the holiday season, My problem with clutter, It’s okay to cry, and My goals for 2021. It’s a work in process like everything that takes time. I can’t wait to get to know you all through out the next year.
There maybe affiliate links in this post blog which means I may make a few pennies if you buy anything.
We all know being on a screen before bed is not healthy. I guess the light tricks your brain into thinking it’s day time. I am guilty of this big time and I have a hard time felling asleep. But I have had insomnia since I was a teenager and never grew out of it. Over the years of raising my kids, my mind never shuts off from the ptsd and anxiety now. I have been working with my therapist to handle this but it is a long process for someone like me.
Back to the post, I have a list of 9 things we can do before bed instead of scrolling on Facebook or pinning on Pinterest. I usually play a game like solitaire but it is the light that affects your brain the most. The light tricks your into thinking it’s still day and not time to relax. So finding alternative ways to relax should help you fall asleep easier. This is also a great way to practice self care such as quiet time.
9 things to do before bed instead of being on your phone
1. Read a book for 20 minutes.
2. Do some adult coloring, this is my favorite way to relax.
3. Take a hot bath with some relax mix like lavender and Epsom salt.
4. Practice deep breathing for 10 minutes.
5. Journal write about your day or free write until you fill a page.
6. Make a plan for the next day or make a to do list.
7. Try a calming face mask or warm towel on your face and lay still for 10 minutes.
8. Do some yoga/stretching or meditation to 10 minutes.
9. Drink some tea or a calming drink and listen to so calming music for 15 minutes.
I hope some of these help you relax before bed. I need to challenge myself to put my phone further away from me at night. Personally, I find it hard to not have my phone close. What about you?
I love Puzzles too to relax, not so much before bed. I love this one for the holiday!
There maybe affiliate links in this blog post, which means I may make a few pennies when you make a purchase. This is at no cost to you.
Anxiety affects everyone differently and can vary from day to day in the same person. I have anxiety, which I was diagnosed with about 3 years ago. In the last year, I have noticed it more and more. I feel like I don’t have the classical symptoms like panic attacks or nervousness. With that said, my anxiety is underlying that means it is always there. I knew I have been hyper vigilant and always at a 8 or 9 for the last several years but never thought I won’t be able to undo it. I believe my anxiety is also mixed with my PTSD and I have hard time figuring out what my triggers are. Therefore, makes it hard to know exactly how to treat them but Self-care is the best thing to start with.
I love to use Lavender to calm down such as essential oils or in the bath.
Many of these symptoms are beyond the more common symptoms most people think of when thinking about anxiety. We all usually think about anxiety like shaking and not wanting to be in social settings. Please note that there are several different kinds of anxiety and I am not pretending to be an expert. I got many of these symptoms on this list from my personal experience and asking my friends on Facebook.
Some Lesser Known Symptoms of Anxiety:
Twitching
Unable to focus
Unable to sleep
Being overtired/fatigue
Napping a lot
Headache
Stomach aches
Muscle pain or numbness
Light headedness
Poor diet
High Heart rate
Leg weakness
Hot flashes
Lack of motivation
Social Avoidance
Unfocused thoughts
Ringing in the ears
Overthinking
Nail Biting
Hair Pulling
Blurry Vision
Not wanting to ask for help
People pleaser or unable to say no
Itching
Having to being extra early or strict schedule
Over preparing/planning
Procrastination
Perfectionist
Many of these also overlap with other illnesses like Depression. I have PTSD and Fibromyalgia that can cause several of these too. It is my belief that is why some of my symptoms are worse than others. I also think my anxiety can cause a Fibromyalgia flare up. Sometime you just can’t win but we keep on going.
Side Note, I do believe that discussing and treating these disorders is the key to managing them. I don’t just mean medicines and therapy, there are many other natural ways to help with Anxiety. A combination of them of more than one is probably best.
There maybe an affiliate link in this post which means I may make a few pennies on any purchase you make.
I know journal prompting can be overwhelming, especially those post with too many. I was going through a couple and it was too much for me. So I am here to make it easier for beginners like me. Since it is November the month for thankfulness I thought I would start in that direction. I will make this an easy list with about 10 prompts to start.
Simple Journal Prompts to spark thankfulness and self love:
Describe something good that happened to you today.
Who is the most important person in your life right now and why?
Describe something you think is beautiful; person, animal, time of the year, or anything else.
Describe something you completed that you are proud of.
What is your best quality and why?
If you were a business what would you mission statement be?
Describe something that made you laugh today.
What is one of your goals for the new year and why?
List 10 things you are thankful for.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?
Since you are on this journey with me, I will answer these journal prompts below. These questions should help you get to know me and yourself better. On the journey to self discovery learning to love self and who you have right now. I want you to feel free to answer one or more of these in the comments.
Describe something good that happened to you today.
Today is Nov. 5 2020 and my kids are remote learning on school chromobooks. Today after 4 replacements my son’s chromobook finally is working. The last 3 had camera issues and it is a requirement to have it on in class. The new chromobook came right before school started, YAY. Plus this morning the smoke detector went off at the same time I was waking my son up for school, needless to say he got up right away. No there was no fire, our smoke detectors like to play game.
Who is the most important person in your life right now and why?
Right at this moment, my oldest son is the most important person in my life. I can see he needs extra emotional help these days. He is struggling moving into adulthood from adolescents. I know he tries but he is developmentally behind from his Autism and Bipolar. He has come a long way in the last few years and he needs to learn his limits emotionally. He tends to get overwhelmed and shut down, which usually has to do with his job.
Describe something you think is beautiful; person, animal, time of the year, or anything else.
Something I love more than anything is a fresh blanket of snow. Snow is beautiful/clean and has a calming/peaceful affect on me. Plus some snow looks like glitter and I am obsessed with sparkly things. Then add Christmas light to the snow and it fells like a dream land. This is why winter and Christmas are my favorite time of the year.
Describe something you completed that you are proud of.
I am proud of launching this blog, it is scary putting your self out there. Mental health is important to talk about but there are still so many people out there that see it as a weakness. But being open and honest is not a weakness it take more strength than people know. In person I am an open book and well talk about anything but I have never real put it there for everyone. I just don’t want to be judged or told anything negative. As I go this will get easier and I hope to make new friends.
Plus I want this blog to look professional and not a hot mess like my other blog, LOL. This launch took me a lot more time than I thought because I made sure it was all similar/theme. I took a lot of time looking for the real pictures and writing my home page.
What is your best quality and why?
My best quality is my creativeness, which I prefer the term Artist. Now why is it my best quality? For the most part it is because not many people can’t sew or make art. That is what everyone tells me. Personally I think my Artist’s eye helps me see the world differently, I see beauty everywhere. I love being able to see something for more than what it is in tended for.
If you were a business what would you mission statement be?
My mission statement would be to simply inspire and help others have a better life.
Describe something that made you laugh today.
My daughter laughing at the kittens last night was the best. She was tired and had that uncontrollable laugh.
What is one of your goals for the new year and why?
One of my goals for the new year is to continue my personal growth. Become the person I want to be; understanding what makes me me is a big part of my personal growth. In the long run I am hoping this will help me be happier and less stressed out. Lessening my stress level should help me with my physical and mental health.
List 10 things you are thankful for.
My mom
Warm house
Food to eat
My strength
My kids
My fur babies
Money for bills
Season changes (in New England)
My meds for Fibromyalgia
Social media to start this blog
What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?
Hmmmm…. Thanksgiving is not my favorite besides the food. I can’t really remember a specific memory except a table of food. Other than that, I do remember starting to christmas decorating outside thanksgiving night with my mom. We did this in our old house where we lived for 15 years, so it was a big part of my life.
I hope these prompts will help you get started with journaling. If these don’t work for you, you can always just free writing to fill a page. The point of journaling is to get stuff out of your mind and see if there is a pattern. Second once you go back and read for answers you may realize something you didn’t know before.
There maybe affiliate links in the blog post which means I may get a few pennies if you buy something. This is at no cost to you.
We are going to write a graduate list for the month of November. I would love it if you could get to 30, one for each day. I know we are getting a late start but all of November is the season to be grateful.
To start you can make just a list and if you want you can go back add more.
Here is my list:
My mom
Warm house
Food to eat
Money to pay my bills
My kids strength or hard headedness
Facebook for staying in contact with people who are important to me
Smart phone to work from anywhere
Remote learning to keep my kids safe
My friends/family
My Cats that calm me down and give me so much joy!
There maybe affiliate links in this blog post, which means I may make a few pennies if you buy something.
I am sure some of you are wondering why I am choosing to start my blog right now. Well I have blogged before and loved it; sharing my thoughts and my ideas. Unfortunately, those other blogs were just not a good fit for these topics along with not being right time. We all know mental health is a struggle weather you have it or you are caring for someone who does. Life can get a bit crazy with with all the appointments. With covid I have decided to slow down and share my journey. I feel like I have a unique view to share with my experiences and education. There are so many things that I want to get into along my way such as self discovery and self love.
I also want to bringing awareness to affects of extreme prolonged stress. Yes this includes raising a kid(s), this really depends on your situation. For me, raising my oldest was very difficult and traumatic at times. This affected me even more because I grew up in an abusive home. Let me also state I would not change my life for anything. I learned a lot about my strengths and my abilities. But in the end any prolonged stress can affect your mind and body. If you are like me it will just hit you all of a sudden.
Self care is not selfish and needs to be done on a regular basis.
As I said above, my past has been as struggle but I am hoping to take a journey of self discovery to over some some of it. Not only is talking about the past healing but so is looking to the future. This is why the blog is important at this time. If I can inspire just one person I would be happy. I have trying to start this journey since the new year but 2020 has not been my year. It has made me more aware of my anxiety and take I need to get control of it. Slowly down has shown me that I need to motivate myself to get stuff done. As long as I can remember, I have always been running on auto pilot and was so busy I never had time to looked inward. It is common for caregivers to run on auto pilot when it is mentally needed. As an Autism mom that is also a single mom, there was no other way to get through the day.
As you can see this seems to be the exactly right time to start my blog. I really have a lot of things I want to talk about and learn throughout this journey. Now that my kids are older and with covid there is less appointments and therapies. I wish I had thought about doing this a few months back but yet again I was not mentally able. My anxiety was through the roof, it is seems to be a little better these days. My guess is it is better because I am talking about it. I wrote a couple blog post on my other blog and noticed a huge difference mentally. As I said before, that blog was not the place to continue those kind of personal post (it is my business blog).
Finally note, I am not in this to make money. I do know how to monetize a blog and will do so here but it is not the point. I really just want to make enough to upgrade this blog from the free version to get more options. I am a firm believer that blogging is not a get rich system no matter how many bloggers say so. With all that said, I want my journey to inspire folks and spread awareness. In my opinion people need to speak up to break the stigmas.
I can’t wait to go on this journey with you all. Ps. I suck at grammar and know it, LOL
There maybe affiliate links in this blog post which means I may make a few cent of each purchase you make.
Hello everyone, I am Alicia and this is/will be my journey.
I have come to a point in my life where I feel like I need to focusing on me. I became a mom at 19, which has been my primary identity for the last 21 years. Now I would love to express my personality and true self more freely. Maybe find some inner peace to relieve some of my stress and anxiety. I have had an extremely hard time raising my kids with all their special needs. As a special needs mom your needs come last or if at all. Unfortunately, after so many years your body/mind will start falling apart and you are forced to listen. Now that I have reached this point, I want/need to undo some of this damage.
Self expression is something that I totally believe in, we are all different and need to show that. I have always expressed my self but still felt pressure from social norms to be a mom. Not to mention the lack of time and money to be able to do such things. I love: funky stuff, colored hair, wearing cat ears, and make up. After being a stay at home mom since 2007, I have found it hard to express myself without feeling like I am over dressed.
Why can’t a woman dress up for herself?
Beside expressing myself on the outside, I want to work on positive journal prompting. I started a journal last year but didn’t quite know what write, so I think prompting would be a huge help. It could be interesting to write something without having to thinking about it, free writing. Back in the day, I wrote all the time but after having my first baby, he became the priority. There are a ton of journal prompts in pinterest. This is also one of the big reasons for starting this blog/journey, along with mental health awareness.
Like I said before, I love to write and have tried to blog before but the topic was not exactly what I wanted to write about. So they did not hold my attention that long. I have always dreamed of writing a book about my oldest kid but I have had a hard time remembering it all. The next best thing is a blog that includes some of that information in it. Who knows maybe a book would be next. Raising him has shaped a big part of who I am because I was still growing up when I had him. Here is some of my Timeline, please remember it is a work in process. Mom Brain is a real thing.
One of my biggest problems is I have too many ideas and a lack of focus these days. This year has been super hard on my ability to focus and stay motivated. To fight that I am making an inspiration board online. I will be adding to it as I find more inspiration around me. First and foremost, I need to work on my time management skills to be to do the things I want to do. Without time all the inspiration in the world would mean nothing, Right?! Besides journaling, I am obsessed with Happy Planner stuff. I have one and use it really good for a couple months then loose interest. I am going to try to refocus it to more personal needs, not chores. Filling it with just chores was discouraging me because is was overwhelming. I think mixing it with the positive journaling would be more inspiring in the long run.
What other topics should I discuss?
As you can see I am pretty much an open book, I have been through a lot and have a lot of options. I will not push my options on you and I am totally willing to have an adult conversation about anything. Deep down I hope this blog inspires you in any way you need it to. As I psychology major I understand mental health from a book and my personal life. I do think this does help me understand people/family better than others.
Please stay safe and healthy. I have had a cold this week that has knocked me down and now the rest of the family has it.
This Mom's Philosophy 