Hello my friends! I know it’s been a while since I blogged last, and Im sorry about that. I know y’all will understand that real life takes over and health and other challenges sometimes keep us from doing all the things we love to do. After last summers challenges with diabetes and going off of the meds that were making me sick, I started having a really hard time getting my sugar levels to stay down, so I’m back on the meds only at half doses. I’m still taking the doubled probiotics and this combination seems to be working really well for the blood sugar and for keeping the pain and inflammation in my knees down.
All of the lows and more lows of being sick had me pretty hopeless for a while, so when I started feeling stronger and could think more clearly, because lets face it, pain and failure take their toll on your ability to think positively. I NEEDED some new fresh ways to get my brain and body moving again, and they needed to be cheap and easy and give quick results!
I did some personal research and also just looked inward and outward at myself. I had let certain things go while I was sick and was only just focusing on survival, and my skin was rough, my gray hairs were grayer, my teeth were stained, my drawers were over flowing, my purse was uncloseable, my left leg wouldn’t straighten out, and all that only added to my funk! SO these are the things I did to fresh, recharge and change up my life, and get my brain focused back on living and give me hope for the future!
1. Get your smile back!
The first thing I did was get a new toothbrush head! They say you should change your toothbrush every 6 months or sooner if you’ve been sick. The one I had on my sonic was probably 9 months old, and I was amazed at how much of a difference the new one was at cleaning my teeth! I also pulled out my Crest White Strips and they did a great job at giving me back my smile!
2. Get A New Do!
It’s amazing what a new hair style can do for your self confidence! Just getting a trim made looking in the mirror so much happier than the scraggly look I had going on before! I still need to color, but I’m debating on doing something fun like going blonde or red? Haha! Either way it’ll be something new and hopeful!
3. Splurge a little on something!
This can be anything that you really want that’s easily affordable. For myself, I bought a new leather handbag. It wasn’t expensive just $28, but it gave me a new way of organizing myself. It’s pretty, classy, and it felt good to gift myself something that I really wanted!
4. Drink More Water!
I know we hear this all the time, but it’s really true! Your body is constantly fighting little battles and those battles leave behind gooey toxic waste! This is why they tell you to drink lots of fluids when you’re sick. If you have a chronic illness or other health challenges, you need even more water to flush those toxins. Emotions too cause toxic chemicals to be released in our brain’s and bodies. Water can help relieve depression and anxiety by washing out those negative chemicals. And really drinking lots of fresh water is like giving the inside of your body a good bath!
5. Plan A Trip!
It doesn’t have to be far away or for a long time. Just planning the trip is looking forward into the future. You get the fun of thinking about all the fun and relaxation you’ll have, the joy of sharing the experience with a friend or friends, and the change of pace, place and weather can do wonders for a tired soul!
6. Pray, Love, Eat!
I know that changes things up a bit, it’s usually eat, pray, love, but I think PRAYER is the most important part. Never give up on God. He’s not the cause of our pain, emotional or physical. He’s the one holding you up, standing by you when it feels like no one else is, he sees your pain, he counts your tears, and he gives you strength and solutions to find your way through.
LOVE others even when THEY don’t understand you, and LOVE others even when YOU don’t understand them. Love hopes all good things!
Eat! Change up your diet a bit. I’m not saying you have to totally give up on McDonalds, but eat more salads, less sugar, less chemicals and find easy to make simple food you make at home. It’s so much better for you and really you’ll notice the difference in your body very soon. You’ll have less bloat and inflamation, more energy and a lighter outlook, and that always feels so good!
7. Let The STUFF Go!
Getting rid of “stuff” is so freeing! You might be surprised at how much stuff you have that you don’t really need, rarely use or that just isn’t comfortable. This is the system I use because I know they say to get rid of everything you haven’t worn or used in the past 2 years, but sometimes I’m not ready to let go, or I just know I’ll use, need or want to wear something that falls into that category, so I tweaked it for my own needs. I let go and sometimes I take back, but this last month I let go of and donated three large bags full of clothes and shoes. I now have wiggle room in my drawers and closets, which got organized at the same time, and it felt so good to set those things free to be usefully to someone else!
8. Learn Something New!
It doesn’t have to be a huge new thing, or a career change, but learning a new skill or craft, taking a class, reading a character building book, studying a subject more deeply, or playing a new game can refresh your brain and get your thoughts and body moving in new directions! The wisdom of learning deep things, the social skills of interacting with new people in a cooking class, the self respect of building your own character, or the fun of playing a new game with old friends all bring positive occasions and interactions that refresh our lives and give us joy and hope!
9. Help Someone Else!
Even though you may have been in survival mode and it might feel like you have nothing to give that anyone would want, that thinking is not true. If you’ve been ill or depressed, I’m betting that you are a sincere thoughtful, sensitive, compassionate person. I’ve learned that many people are emotionally lonely. Just being there, being present, doing small dignified practical things for others can mean so much more than you realize. Just think about how wonderful it is to find a friend that can keep a confidence, or a neighbor that brings in your garbage cans, or a companion that just calls to check you’re ok without judgement, or that old friend that takes your kids to the movies to give you a break. Just try, reach out without expecting anything in return, pray about it, and let it be OK of they say no, then try with someone else. Eventually you’ll find lots of someones who need you too.
10. Stretch!
This is my way of saying exercise! It doesn’t have to be big or highly organized. No gym needs to be involved, just start stretching. My leg muscles were so tight that crossing my legs to put on socks was excruciating! So I just started stretching and holding the stretch. I remember the advice a chiropractor gave a friend years ago, that her muscles were so tight that she needed to hold the stretch for 2 minutes so that the muscle didn’t immediately snap back and tighten up again. After just a few days of moderate stretching my leg muscles were so much better! I’ve been adding in some light arm weight routines and extra walking and I hope to be doing even more soon, but just this little bit has made a huge difference in my mobility and how I feel! And that gives me hope for more in the future!
These are just a few suggestions to help brighten up your thoughts and bodies. They may seem small, but doing these things made big differences for me and the way I felt about myself and life in general. I hope that sharing them with you might bring some hope and refreshment to your souls too!
Thank you dear friends so much for stopping by and taking the time to share our journey with us! We hope this year of 2018 will be full of blessings and joy for you and yours! My goal is to be blogging every week, so I’ll hope to see you all soon!
Much love from mum and me!
M oxo
NEW PAIR OF WINGS 