Self-care

And then, we will all Keep Doing This VITAL, easy, short practice.

One of the many things I learned from the “Resilience Skills” University online course I took that I keep teaching you about here only in this group is that Resilience Needs Mindfulness.

And, 1 of the first things to learn about Mindfulness is how to practice conscious breathing and why.

Mindfulness conscious breathing exercise to practice daily 3 or 4 times—
In/Out: This is the first practice on Conscious Breathing:

breathe in (a good, deep inhale), and say or think “I know that I am breathing in”,
breathe out (a longer, full exhale), and say or think “I know that I am breathing out”

After a while of practicing this, you can shorten the cue words to saying or thinking simply “In” on the Inhale, and “Out” on the Exhale.

“When we continue to practice like this, something wonderful happens—-we stop the thinking.
This is already a miracle happening because when we think too much, we are not truly ourselves. But this way, our mind and our body becomes aligned/in the same place; instead of our body here but our mind is elsewhere— in the past or in the future.

If we practice breathing in and out with some concentration, we attain what is called the oneness of body and mind.
The body and mind are unified and you begin to be there truly yourself.

When you are not really there, you cannot see things clearly and deeply. You miss everything, everything seems to you not clear, vague.”

Running to the future or going back to the past- you miss life, that is only here in the present moment.

Breathing in and out consciously is how to get back to the present moment.

What you are looking for —joy, inner peace, freedom …is all in the present moment.

If you feel agitated and not solid, vulnerable, breakable — then you practice this in order to get solid again:

Practice sitting in a stable position and practice breathing in and out. Saying “breathing in, I see myself as a mountain, breathing out I feel solid.

From time to time, a very strong emotion overwhelms us. That emotion could be anger or despair or fear. And when we are overwhelmed by a strong emotion we feel very vulnerable, like we may die, But we are more than our emotions. We are more solid than we think. And therefore, practicing being solid like a mountain is very helpful.

Source: Thich Nhat Hahn’s The Art of Mindful Living (read by the great man himself on YouTube — I am always so calmed by his voice even.)

#Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Selfcare #Depression #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #MajorDepressiveDisorder #PersistentDepressiveDisorder #MoodDisorders #PTSD #PTSDSupportAndRecovery #Agoraphobia #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Trauma #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #AnorexiaNervosa #Addiction #EatingDisorders #Selfharm #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts #Grief #Suicide #Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #CerebralPalsy #Cancer #MultipleSclerosis #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #PanicAttacks #PanicAttack #ChronicFatigue #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #MyCondition #Relationships #FamilyAndFriends #RareDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #Arthritis #CrohnsDisease #NarcissisticPersonalityDisorder #Caregiving #SocialAnxiety

One of the best things about joy is that we don’t have to keep it to ourselves! To wrap up this week’s theme, our challenge to you is to intentionally bring joy to someone else over the weekend, especially to someone who needs it.

Who will you choose? A friend, neighbor, family member, spouse, or another Mighty member? What will you do?

We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below! 💌

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Who doesn't love a great song that can instantly raise your spirits? There's so many classics and feel-good songs that can get you in a dancing mood. 🎶

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks likes "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston and "Because of You" by The Cover Girls.

Share your song recommendations in the comments below.🕺🎵

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Albert Einstein once said, "Time flies when you’re having fun!" And that is so true, especially when it comes to the activities that bring us the most joy — the ones we get wrapped up into, willingly distracted by, and end up fully entertained.

What’s a hobby or interest that makes you lose track of time in the best of ways? (For Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks , that's definitely writing and creating various graphic designs on Canva. She can get so absorbed in her personal projects that she doesn’t even realize hours have passed!)

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression
#AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

This week we'll be focusing on joy 😊. To get us started, let's think of three words or phrases that come to mind when we hear the word joy.

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks says the three words and phrases that come up for her are "a bright, sunny day," "worry-free," and "love."

What's yours?

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

A big question that helps us follow through with our goals (and one that can also help when we are faced with those pesky challenges) is to ask, "how do we make our goals a priority?" For some it may be time management, for others maybe creating an action plan — the answer looks different for everyone!

What helps you to prioritize your goals?

For Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks , she likes to create schedules where she can check off her progress or add milestones for her goals. She also likes to celebrate her small wins by taking herself out to eat, or buying herself something nice.

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

Happy New Year, Mighty friends!

When it comes to achieving our goals, we know that challenges can come up! From self-doubt, to outside factors, to changes in circumstances, following through with goals can feel like a chore and even get overwhelming or discouraging.

What do you find to be the biggest challenges that prevent you from achieving your goals? How can you combat the challenges you face?

Mighty staffer @sparklywartanks says when she finds herself stuck on a goal she either changes it to fit how she's currently feeling, or she slightly adjusts it so it makes more sense based on how things are going in her life.

#52SmallThings #CheckInWithMe #Selfcare #MentalHealth #Disability #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #RareDisease #Anxiety #Depression #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Parenting #PTSD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #BipolarDisorder #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #MultipleSclerosis #Migraine #Spoonie

This is about choosing to look forward with hope and curiosity even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

To embrace the future, you must first accept that change is inevitable.

Life is a series of transitions and every ending, no matter how painful, creates space for a new beginning.

It’s easy to focus on what we have lost; to mourn the life we thought we’d have; or the plans that didn’t work out; but by fixating on what’s gone, we miss the opportunities unfolding before us. The beauty of what’s next lies in its potential; it’s the possibility of discovering something you’ve never experienced —- meeting someone who changes your perspective or stepping into a version of yourself you never imagined.

The future is not something to fear; it’s something to be curious about; what lessons are waiting for you; what dreams are yet to be realized; what joy is just around the corner?

Embracing the future requires a shift in mindset. It’s about reframing uncertainty as an adventure rather than a threat; yes, the unknown can be scary, it can make you feel unsteady and vulnerable; but it can also be exhilarating.

The greatest stories in life often come from stepping into the unknown; from daring to take a leap even when you don’t know where you will land.

Think of a time in your life when something unexpected Led to a positive change.

These moments remind us that life often works in ways we don’t understand in the moment, but they lead us to exactly where we need to be.

To embrace the beauty of what’s next, you also need to cultivate trust of yourself, and trust in the process of life.
Trust that you are resilient enough to handle whatever comes your way. Trust that even if things don’t go as planned, they can still turn out beautifully.
And trust that the challenges that you face are shaping you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable.

It’s important to remember that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting the past; the past is part of your story; it’s okay to carry it with you; but don’t let it hold you back; use it as a foundation to build upon, not a weight that keeps you anchored in one place.

Embracing the future also means staying open to possibilities— sometimes the beauty of what’s next doesn’t look like what you expected — it may come in the form of an opportunity you didn’t seek, a path you didn’t plan, or a version of happiness you never considered.

Being open means letting go of rigid expectations and allowing life to surprise you.

And finally, embracing the beauty of what’s next is about living fully in the present.

The future isn’t something that exists out there in the distance; it’s something you create moment by moment.
Each decision you make, each step you take, is part of shaping what’s to come.

Here’s to a Happy New Year 🎆🎊 🎉 Together, we will make it Great!

Your friend in this hard thing called life,
Dawn

#MentalHealth #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #MajorDepressiveDisorder #PersistentDepressiveDisorder #MoodDisorders #Depression #ChronicIllness #Disability #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #EatingDisorders #SocialAnxiety #Agoraphobia #Selfcare #Selfharm #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #PTSD #Trauma #Grief #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts #SuicideAttemptSurvivors #Suicide #ChronicPain #Mindfulness #resilience #Fibromyalgia #Migraine #POTS #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #IfYouFeelHopeless #AutismSpectrumDisorder #CrohnsDisease #Addiction #AnorexiaNervosa #Relationships #Caregiving #FamilyAndFriends