Summer of Self Care – Day 18

Decluttering: One Pile at a Time

Disclaimer: This is NOT my clutter. It’s a free stock photo. But it could be…

Today’s self care for the summer prompt is brought to you by someone who sometimes worries that she is a hoarder. Yep! That’s me!

After we lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, I realized I had accumulated a lot of stuff. Seeing that pile of home debris out front of our home made me feel sad and discouraged. After living without all that stuff for awhile, I felt as though most of that stuff was essentially unnecessary as well.

And almost immediately, people started replenishing household items and my creative supplies. I appreciated that greatly. And felt like I “deserved” to pick up a few things myself. Then, gradually, I started accumulating the same number of bookcases full of books. Add the death of my mom and the acquisition of the things she had kept, I began to realize I had started to accumulate more than I have room to store.

I am confronted with the realization that I have a lot of stuff. And that said piles of stuff sometimes makes me a little less than calm.

At the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to make decluttering one of my daily habits. Because it’s so important to me, I decided I needed to spend a little or a lot of time every day going through my stuff and purging what isn’t serving me any more. Or yes, what isn’t bringing me joy. I do like the philosophy of that book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I don’t take it all completely to heart, but there are parts of her process that I think are very effective.

Now you don’t have to declutter every day, but if there’s a space or a category of things you are feeling crowded by, today’s the day to take on the process of decluttering. And note that I said “process” – because it is not an event.

Decluttering takes consistent time and effort. It’s more of a self care activity than many people realize. Getting rid of clutter brings in space for things that will really serve you. However, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Acknowledge your feelings when you are sad about the connection you feel to a particular item. Sometimes we hold on to things that are broken, just because they were given by or belonged to someone we love and miss. Give yourself permission to take a bit of time to let go of things that are emotionally connected.

Clutter lives in your home, your car, and your office.

How many emails show up in your inbox every day that you delete without reading? Are you subscribed to things that just clutter up your inbox?

Is your sock drawer full of “holy socks?”

Are you regularly wearing all your clothes or shoes in the closet?

For me, taking on the task of laying new flooring in about half of our home, I am hyper focused on clutter. As we empty a room, I am mindful of what I can do without so I don’t have to bring the same amount back in. Even though I recently decluttered my clothes and office supplies, I am finding that a second pass through results in the decision to trim off just a little bit more.

And it feels good to release it all! You can donate stuff to a local charity or host a yard sale – both feel great!

Decluttering is an act of self care and creates space for more self care. We feel differently when we carry a lighter load.

Starting now means you will have less stuff before the holidays. Imagine how that would change the way you decorate for and celebrate the holidays? And your clutter just might be someone else’s “Christmas in July.”

Summer of Self Care – Day 17

Rhythm and Flow

What one thing can you do to create or get back into your natural rhythm or flow?

This is a self care question I ask a client when they are feeling overwhelmed.  The “What” they need to do is sometimes clear, but they are feeling like things are too out of control for them to be able to engage in normal or routine activities, leaving less time for self care. In other words, the “What” and “How” are interfering with the “Who.”

Overwhelm often happens when we are out of our normal rhythmic flow. This can happen when we have too much on our plate, when caregiving begins or ends, or when we get sick. So we find ourselves needing two extra days that we lost somehow and feel like all is falling apart.

Or maybe you’ve felt as though you haven’t had a flow and process for awhile now. New moms sometimes feel this way for 15 years. J

Self care often changes in the summer because days are longer or children are out of school. Work responsibilities may shift because colleagues are taking vacations or relocating.

The first thing to do is to take some time to think about what might be missing and what might fill that gap.

  • What are you longing for right now?
  • What do you know you need right now?
  • What can you live with and what can you live without?
  • What kind of flow or routine do you want to create?

Next, think about things you might have done in the past that made you feel grounded or centered. How did you recover from a setback or shift in routine before? Maybe routine is too strict for you, but a type of work or life flow might help you feel more like yourself.

A recent conversation with a client revealed that she knows instinctively that what she needs is to be creative. In the past, she would take time to paint or draw once a week, but she had stopped when she began taking care of her father. Another friend revealed that she missed her regular bike rides that ceased when she had an ankle injury.

My client may not be able to immediately start painting again, but with a few questions, she realized she may be able to watch painting videos on her tablet while caring for dad. Or she can buy an adult coloring book and start there while waiting for him to come out of the doctor’s office.

My friend may not be able to ride a bike for a bit longer, but she can possibly stretch or do short chair yoga routines to keep her endorphins flowing and stay more connected to a moderately active lifestyle.

Our personal rhythms and flow are often affected by a change in seasons as well. When summer comes, days are longer and we might feel like we get more done. In winter, we may sleep more and feel less productive in general. But the start of a season can often throw us off for a bit until we adjust.

Only you know your seasonal and daily rhythms.

  • Do you stay up late and sleep in? Or are you an early riser who tackles projects first thing?
  • What is your morning, after school, after work, or evening flow and how does it serve you?
  • Do you want to do something more? How could this fit into your rhythm or routine?
  • What do you need to stay calm and implement more self care when routine is disrupted?

I challenge you starting now to check in with yourself now and then to consider your natural rhythms and routines, especially thinking about what your self care needs are in the moment. These check-ins will help you create and continually modify your self care. And we’ll talk soon in another post about how to cope when challenges or crises come up and you need to shift your self care plan completely.

Knowing yourself – your “Who” and what works for you is critical in developing and maintaining strong self care habits. Being flexible when rhythms and routines change is paramount as well.

Find your true self in your rhythm and flow.

 

Summer of Self Care – Day 15

Doing the Wonder Woman Turn

Amazon. Hero. Icon. This book by Robert Greenberger is terrific.

This summer’s blockbuster movie proved that Wonder Woman still has a wide appeal. She represents strength, survival and a desire to find the truths necessary to save mankind.

What if Wonder Woman could fight off the bad mojo that creeps into your life?

Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to be going your way? It just seems like one thing after another piles on and makes you feel like whatever you do will turn to disaster.

One of my favorite self care techniques on days like this is to turn it around by doing something we call the Wonder Woman Turn.

 

 

Here’s how this works:

  • Begin by standing in the iconic Wonder Woman pose, with your hands on your hips, and take a few deep breaths.
  • When you’re ready, turn completely around, going counter clockwise in a circle three times.
  • Then shake your arms, your head and/or your whole body a little to get rid of the bad day energies.
  • Finally, click your wrists together in front of your face, in one of the other iconic moves Wonder Woman is known for.
  • Stand in the Wonder Woman pose again with your hands on your hips and take a few deep breaths.
  • Move on with your day and notice what happens.

(There’s another theory about the Wonder Woman pose, but we will save that for an upcoming post.)

There is power in routine activities that have been known to bring us comfort or return us to a place of calm. Maybe the power of this pose carries a legacy of strength and stamina.

Even if you’re having a great day today, try the Wonder Woman turn and see what happens.

PS – If Wonder Woman interests you, here are a few other books we’ve read or have in the TBR jar that are WonderFul.

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique by Jacob M. Held
Wonder Woman: The War Years 1941 – 1945 by Roy Thomas

Summer of Self Care – Day 14

Self-care and Online Connections 

These days, there are a lot of troubling things happening all over the world. It used to be that we got news from a couple of nightly news shows, magazines or the newspaper. But now, we see news throughout various social media platforms and apps, which also provide notifications of breaking stories throughout the day.

This constant exposure to real time, shocking or upsetting information can lead to feelings of anger, frustration or fear. And these emotions can cause anxiety and increase our levels of stress.

Yet in times of stress, many of us crave connection with others. After all, it is this connection that helps us to feel loved and cared for, right?

Conversations on social media can be delightful, fun, affirming, overwhelming, time-consuming, frustrating or anxiety provoking.

Add to that a constant barrage of notifications that you have email waiting, some with the high priority symbol or a red flag, and you’ve multiplied those feelings exponentially.

How can you practice self-care by limiting or scheduling when you will consume this information?

We’ve already talked about Tech Free Days and how they can benefit your self-care routine. You may decide that you want to include Tech Free Days regularly and can find ways to manage your day-to-day activities while limiting or temporarily eliminating your social media.

It also starts with an awareness of how you’re feeling about each media source.  Does Facebook or Twitter continue to bring you joy? Or are you constantly feeling angry, helpless or hopeless? Make a list of what you consume every day and start making tick marks in the Joy or Stress column to see if the good feeling you get when participating outweighs the stressful and anxious feelings.

If you want to keep up with news, you might limit watching just before bed or first thing in the morning. This can start or end the day on an anxious note. The beauty of technologies is that you can access most of this information on demand, allowing you to decide exactly how much and when you will take it all in.

Scheduling time to check email and/or social media throughout the day can protect you from unwanted assaults or interruptions. This strategy can definitely increase your productivity – most of us who respond immediately to a notification from news or social media tend to then spend at least 10 additional minutes online after reading the article or post that brought us there. Multiply that times just 10 notifications a day and you’ve spent 100 minutes online without even intending to. If this happens during the work day, you’ve lost 100 minute of productivity. This may make you feel like you can’t get caught up, intensifying your anxiety and stress.

Setting a reminder to check email and social media three times during the work day may not work for everyone, but you can certainly give it a try.  If you check first thing in the morning, just after lunch, and again about an hour or so before the end of the work day, that keeps most people up to date. Of course, if your work requires an immediate response no matter what, this scheduling technique may not work for you. Or perhaps you can find a back-up or strategy to connect to those emergencies without being tethered to the notifications constantly.

Consider ways in which you can connect with people IRL (in real life) again. It’s interesting to me how I still sometimes resist having coffee with someone because it means I have to put on makeup, dress a certain way, leave my house and stop what I am working on for a period of time. Or we email someone rather than call them for something because it’s… what? Easier? Faster? Convenient? Avoidant?

Face to face or voice to voice connections will become a thing of the past if we let them. But truthfully, they can be beneficial to our self-care. I give and receive this experience with a lot of fellow coaches because we can become very isolated in our primarily work-at-home-alone routine. Inevitably, one of us says, “I really needed to talk to you today. This really helped me a lot.”

On the flip side, social media can, for some, be a form of self-care and connection. Reading another blogger’s take on this recently, this hit home for me. Here’s a post from Rest for Resistance on self-care for the radical social media user.

“Offline self-care works great for some people. Yet it’s harder for those of us who don’t have space to sequester ourselves at home with friends and family. Due to isolation, many of us don’t have room IRL to even believe that we deserve space in our own lives. Social media is simply a better source of hope than the outside world.

We all deserve community, and many of us find that online.”

The bottom line is that, aside from the requirements of your job, you get to decide how and when to connect with email, news and social media sources and design your self-care plan around what works best for you. Maybe for today, your act of self-care is just being more aware of how you’re feeling and what might work better for you tomorrow.

 

 

 

Summer of Self Care – Day 12

Sorry, Not sorry.

Sorry pattern

How often do we say we’re sorry for things we’ve done that don’t require a sorry response? Has guilt become an automatic state of feeling for us?

We often say “Sorry” automatically without even thinking about it. “I’m sorry you’re sick.” “I’m sorry you didn’t get the job.”

Neither of these things can be controlled by us, yet we often hear or give a ‘sorry pattern’ response.

 

Here’s another list of Sorry Statements I’ve heard lately:

“Sorry I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Should I wear something more dressy?”

“Sorry, I’m just a moody mess today.”

“Sorry to bother you.”

How often do you hear  the word sorry as a response to an everyday, somewhat inconsequential thing? And are you able to change anything by being sorry for these types of circumstances?

If you realize that you’re just saying an automatic sorry, think about what it does to your self-care. It makes you feel like you did something wrong. Like you’re less than able in some way. Like you are guilty of something. It can make you feel discouraged and sad. Likewise, it doesn’t do a lot for the receiver either. They might just hear a bit of an automated response. And you probably feel like that’s what you’re delivering.

‘I’m sorry you didn’t get the job’ probably doesn’t make them feel as good as, “I know what an incredible employee you are – if there’s something I can do to make you feel better today, what would that be?” That’s an action you can take – being sorry is a passive response that doesn’t really help either of you.

So before saying you’re sorry, ask yourself these questions:

  • Have I really done anything to feel sorry about? (If yes, go to whether you can rectify it, and if so, how.)
  • Am I responsible for this? Why might I feel responsible for this?
  • Is this a “sorry pattern” response in my life? (If yes, what do I need to do in order to break this pattern?”
  • Do I really want to keep feeling guilty about this? How can I let this go once and for all?
  • How can I turn a an automatic sorry into an empowering statement or an offer of support or assistance?

What if your “I’m sorry” began with “Thank you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the creator of this Meme and the idea expressed here suggests, shifting the content of the response can shift the way you feel about yourself and puts the receiver in a space of recognizing your gratitude. Or, as in the above example your support.

To me, this is a self-care win-win.

So, if I normally say, “Sorry for being such a moody mess today,” I could say “Thanks so much for standing in this uncomfortable space with me today. I appreciate your unconditional support, especially when I am having an off day.”

“Sorry to bother you” could become, “Thank you so much for supporting me! You’re always so helpful when I need an answer or solution and I have something I’d like to run by you.”

“Sorry I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Should I wear something more dressy?” might sound like, “You know, I was feeling pretty casual today, but if you think I should dress up a bit more, I would appreciate your honesty before we get to the event. I know I can count on you to be totally honest with me.”

“Sorry you’re sick” could turn in to “It sounds like you’re in need of something comforting or healing. Is there anything I can do for you?  (but only offer something if you’re willing. Sometimes I think we use the word “sorry” as a way of being supportive, but we have no time or intention of doing anything. Only offer support if you can follow through – remember Day 4 – let’s not overcommit! It could also be expressed as, “It looks like you are really feeling lousy. Take good care of yourself!” Most of the time, people just want to be heard and acknowledged.

If you’re feeling like the word sorry is playing a bigger role in your life than it could be, try editing it out and replacing it with gratitude or support. As we’ve already learned, gratitude can change your life and it can transform the lives of those around you when they see you practicing extreme gratitude in every way.

Summer of Self Care – Day 11

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude can change your life.

No kidding. A daily practice of writing down even three things you are grateful for will significantly change your life in many ways. In fact, research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they’re thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel less anxiety, respond to stress more calmly, sleep better, are more compassionate and even have stronger immune systems.

That translates to better self-care, right? It’s one of the most simple yet highly effective self-care practices.

And not only will it change your life, it changes the lives of those around you. Because just think about what would happen in your home or your office if you were sleeping better, feeling better and treating others more compassionately? And, expressing your gratitude to them and for them, helping them to create their own gratitude practice.  It has a positive, cumulative effect on everyone you spend time with.

There are a couple of easy ways to incorporate gratitude in your life each day.

  • Gratitude journaling – taking a few moments at the start or end of each day to write down 3-5 things you are grateful for.
  • A round-robin gratitude statement while making or eating dinner.
  • Reflecting on or talking about the best things that happened during the day when you get home from work or school.
  • Writing down one thing you are grateful for in a note, text or on a chalkboard where you and/or someone special in your life can see it every day.

Ready to begin or re-start a regular gratitude practice?

Figure out the best way for you to express your gratitude and begin right now as you are reading this. If you think you’ll have trouble remembering to practice gratitude statements daily, set yourself a little alarm or create a calendar event with reminder in your smart phone. Or tie it to something you do regularly every single day, like brushing your teeth or making coffee. Commit to 30 days of expressing gratitude daily and then reflect on the changes.

If you’re willing, take a few moments to come back to the blog or Facebook post and comment how this experience felt to you. Or if you’re a regular practitioner, just leave a comment about how gratitude has changed your life or the lives of those around you.

Today, I am particularly grateful for all of you who have messaged me, shared, commented, texted and otherwise expressed your happiness with these #SummerofSelfCare2017 posts. It means so much that it’s helping you. And I’m grateful to the coach who first introduced me to self care many years ago – Cheryl Richardson. Her book The Art of Extreme Self-Care is amazing and beautiful to look at too.

There are lots of ways to express gratitude.

Summer of Self Care – Day 10

Ten Daily Habits 

On day one, I shared my belief that when we’re in crisis or depleted of energy from our “busyness”, we tend to be reactive rather than responsive. When we create personal energetic reserves, they help us feel as though we are connected to a place of balance and control. And creating personal energetic reserves is the best way to practice self care.

Your daily habits can be whatever you want them to be and you don’t absolutely have to do each one every day. In fact, at first, it may be hard to fit them all in. And these habits don’t have to be time consuming. On my current list, there are three things I can do in the space of 20 minutes that help me to ensure that my day starts off in a way that is optimum for me.  For example, you might decide you need daily exercise, some motivation from a favorite podcast and adequate amounts of water during the day. Three habits can be accomplished all at one time if you bring your phone, earbuds and a water bottle on a morning walk.

Here’s a list of my 10 daily habits:

1)   Morning pages/gratitude journaling.

2)   Yoga practice.

3)   Decide what three things would make today really great.

4)   Read something.

5)   Meditation or quiet time.

6)   Karma notes, texts or calls – something nice sent to someone else.

7)   Drink water

8)   Declutter – spaces, thoughts or inbox.

9)  Create at least one new thing (I might draw, paint or write. Just one little creative thing daily keeps me happy.)

10) Name the best thing that happened during the day.

Get the idea? I keep my list of 10 Daily Habits taped on one of the cabinets next to my desk so that I am constantly checking in to them, refining and refreshing the list as needed. When you first start, it helps to keep them handy and nearby.

Ready to create your 10 daily habits? Here’s a Ten Daily Habits Template to help you get started!

Summer of Self Care – Day 9

Tech Free Day 

Our lives are full of technology.

 

Here’s a gift of self care you can give yourself every week, month or for a few hours whenever you need it most. A Tech Free Day can be one of the slowest and most peaceful days you’ve spent in a long while.

Years ago, I discovered a blog post by Tiffany Schlain about her Technology Shabbats and we decided to give it a try. We picked a Friday night at sundown, even though we aren’t Jewish, and made sure to inform family members that we would be unplugged and would appreciate text or call silence unless there was an emergency.

The result? From Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown was the slowest 24 hour period we could remember experiencing for a very long time. We were more connected to each other and present. We created new ways to spend our time. We were more mindful of just how we were spending our time AND how much of our thoughts centered around an automatic desire to look something up on the phone or to turn on the television.

It was bliss. It was awkward. It was funny and sad and made us think about how really disconnecting technology can be. For devices that are meant to connect us with information and entertainment and service or support, they sure are keeping us from connecting in a meaningful way with ourselves and others.

I can’t stress how slowly time passes without an iPhone, iPad, television, radio, or E-reader.

For me, unplugging now and again is a self care habit. It forces me to get quiet with myself and those around me. It promotes extreme mindfulness. It relaxes me.

Now, I know what you’re saying – “I can’t have a Tech Free Day today because I am already reading this email in my inbox or looking at this post on Facebook!”  I get it.

So you have a couple of options:

  1. Start your Tech Free Day some time today when you can and commit to 24 hours.
  2. Schedule your Tech Free Day for some time before the end of our #SummerofSelfCare2017
  3. Take a Tech Free half day, or even just a couple of hours.

Spend a little time journaling during your tech free experience. Write down how it feels.  Whether this is something you want to do again. Whether you want your entire family to participate or you just want to go tech free alone. What would you like to experience tech free? Do you want to do this every week, month, or just when you really need it? Or do you never want to do this again. Could this be a regular self care practice for you?

If you’ve had to schedule a future Tech Free Day, what do you want to put in place to honor it? If you work at a job where you are on-call, can you switch with someone else? Set up a stronger boundary with colleagues?

You decide whether you feel comfortable leaving your phone somewhere you absolutely can’t access it. See how taking a walk or going somewhere without your phone feels to you.

Now, if you’re a caregiver, that may not be an option. But you can put it on silent and put it in your pocket, so you’ll get the vibration notice if need be but otherwise ignore. I would also encourage you to find someone you trust to provide respite care for you that will not text or call you unless absolutely necessary.

Will your family or friends forget sometimes and text you by mistake? Yes. Just assess if it’s an emergency, remind them gently that you are unplugged and carry on.

Can you combine a Tech Free Day in the future with a day trip, a weekend away or even an entire vacation? We took a Tech Free weekend to a local tourist destination once and it was lovely.  I’ve also used Tech Free Day as a reward after a huge project or event. What about a Tech Free Day plus a massage?

In the summer, Tech Free Days can be especially wonderful if you spend time swimming, hiking, biking or reading. (See Summer of Self Care Day 7 which can be replicated any day you choose.)

Now, in the spirit of walking my talk, I am on a Tech Free Day today as well. This is possible for me because some technologies feature scheduling options. I am enjoying being unplugged.

Enjoy the silence that happens when time feels like it stands still.

 

 

Summer of Self Care – Day 8

Summer Reading Day  

As a teenager, summer reading for me used to involve a paperback, a beach towel and some baby oil to encourage fast tanning.

Okay, it doesn’t have to be a paperback, and PLEASE don’t use baby oil, but summer does evoke a picture in your mind, right?

Doesn’t this just make you want to brew a cuppa, go outside crack open a good book?

I remember lots of summers spent reading as a child or young adult, and just not because I had a school summer reading list. (Although the idea of a summer reading list filled me with joy. I do realize that this isn’t the case for everyone.)

Reading all day makes the day go by very slowly. And, even if you are an avid reader, when was the last time you read a book outside? We get busy and forget that joy of reading a good book by the lake, in the backyard under a tree, in a rocking chair on the front porch or….you get the hint.

If you’re lucky and you have the whole day in front of you, by all means I say take a day to read. But if you’re like most people, you’ll need to carve out some time. First step – schedule it in for today. Try not to leave it for the last moments of the day, or you may find yourself falling asleep before you really start to enjoy it. And what about a trip to a bookstore or the library today to choose something special to read? If you’re not sure what might interest you, they often have a summer reading display or you can browse the list of current bestsellers. (Here’s the current NYT Online list of E-book and Print Fiction)

There are no rules for what you should be reading during the summer. This morning, I heard someone say, “I’m reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. Not exactly good summer reading, is it?”  Why not?

And it doesn’t have to be a book, does it?

You might go to the library or the bookstore and pick up a magazine you’ve never read before, just because it piques your interest. Or find an old favorite that you haven’t read for awhile. Or a magazine you might normally consider a guilty pleasure or “trashy.” A secret pal at work once gave me an issue of the National Enquirer, which I found to be an outrageously fun and silly way to spend that hour.

Audio books and podcasts are also encouraged if you want someone else to tell you a story. (I filmed a Just Five Minutes about Podcasts awhile ago – they are podcasts about every subject you can imagine. And one of my favorites is Harper Collins Audio.)

And don’t forget Short Stories, Essays or Novellas – often overlooked, if you ask me.

The only “self care rule” I think you should consider about this prompt today is to make sure it’s something you want to read for you and for fun, rather than a must read for work, school or someone else’s request.

So, this prompt is Read for Pleasure today, preferably not online or on a tablet if you can get away with that. (Unplugging, even just for an hour, is also self-care at its best these days. And get ready because, if you’re up to it, we are about to schedule a Tech Free Day!)

Summer of Self Care – Day 7

A Lucky Day for Self Care 

Today is 7/7 – if you think 7 is a lucky number, you must be loving 7/7/17!

Today is the day for you to make a few lists that contain 7 things each. These lists belong to you – not to someone else in your family. Don’t “should on yourself” either. Only things you want to list, not those things you think you should write down.

Here we go –

  • List seven things that contribute to a great Life
  • List seven easy things you’d like to do today 
  • List seven of your favorite movies (this one is especially important to a future prompt)
  • List seven things you wish you had time or could make time to do 
  • Make up your own list of seven – whatever comes to mind 

Now, you decide whether you want to do one or more of those seven easy things you listed for today. Or you could watch one of your seven favorite movies or schedule something you want to make time to do.

But, we’re not quite done.

Next step is to go to this website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Write yourself a short note reminding you about the summer of self care that prompted you to create these lists. You might want to jot down a few things  that are going on for you right now. Or what you hope you will be feeling or doing a year from now. Congratulate yourself for going beyond the 30 days of self care, if that’s your intention,  and making yourself a priority for an entire year.

Then set it to be delivered back to your email on 7/7/18.

This email a year from now will remind you of a few things:

  1. Self care is so important to you today you that are spending at least 30 days on it.
  2. Where are you in the list of things that contribute to your great life?
  3. What movie do you want to watch a year from now?
  4. What did you make time for that you really wished you could do?
  5. Maybe it’s time to bring a bit more self care back into your life.
  6. What else was important to you today?

I think writing letters to your future self is fun and illuminating. Feel free to use this resource any day you feel like it would be valuable to you.

Finally, for extra credit,come back to this post on 7/7/18 and comment on your experience.