Categories
Uncategorized

Self-Care Is Essential

What comes to your mind when you hear the words self-care? Often people think of massages, manicures/pedicures, or shopping. While these are definitely great forms of self-care, there are so many other forms that are equally beneficial for us.

Let’s look at the definition of self-care. It involves doing things that promote good physical, mental and emotional health. All of these areas are important in our lives and are the keys to overall wellness. When we don’t feel good, it impacts so many parts of our lives. Add in the daily challenges of life including coping with a chronic illness and you have a mounting amount of stress.

Practicing self-care is NOT selfish. It’s necessary! I like to think of it as maintenance. We have to be able to look at ourselves and notice when we need a little fine tuning. Don’t feel bad about doing what you need to do in order to feel better and function better. If you wait until you are depleted, you won’t be able to do anything at all.

Remember, it’s not just our physical health that matters. Our emotional and mental health matters too.

Do you often feel the need to say yes when you really want to say no to something?

Do you refuse to set boundaries?

What about ignoring your needs?

None of these are examples of self-care. As a matter of fact, they are just the opposite of what we should be doing. Learning to say no, setting healthy boundaries, and paying attention to what we need emotionally and mentally is saying yes to ourselves.

Self-care helps to balance us out. When you are feeling stressed or your emotions are getting the best of you, take a few minutes to breathe deeply. Maybe get outside for some fresh air and take a walk. Have a cup of coffee or tea. Practice positive affirmations. One of the biggest things for me has been having access to a counselor.

Yes, a counselor. Having someone to listen to you outside of friends and family makes a world of difference. It doesn’t mean that you’re crazy. With depression and anxiety increasing by the day, we need to normalize therapy. There are so many of us who need support without the fear of being judged. We all want to be heard right? Another thing that I’d like to remind you of, is to allow yourself space to just be. Embrace the quiet moments for they will often bring us back to our center. We all need love and self-care is where it should begin.

Monaye

Categories
Uncategorized

Pressure Challenge

Life is full of ups and downs. Some days are better than others. On the tougher days, we may feel large amounts of pressure. Pressure to meet deadlines. Pressure to make difficult decisions. Pressure to just “get better.” Regardless of what pressures we face, what matters is how we choose to deal with them.

The decision is really up to us. We can cave to the pressure or we can welcome the pressure.

Yes, you read that right. Think back on difficult times in your life where you couldn’t see a way out. You made it right? It is often during those times (the process) that we experience growth.

Let’s look at two of the most beautiful gems in the world: diamonds and pearls. They both go through a process to become the beautiful pieces of jewelry that ladies love to wear.

In order for a diamond to be formed, it has to endure a tremendous amount of heat and pressure.

When an oyster shell is irritated or damaged, it produces a pearl. What would happen if we made an effort to face our issues like the diamond or the pearl producing oyster shell? We could share our testimony with others. Or encourage and help those going through similar struggles.

My challenge to you is to dig deep when you are up against pressure. You’ll never know what beautiful thing is waiting on the other side.

Monaye

Categories
Uncategorized

Hello Lupus

                             Storms make trees grow deeper roots.

I’ll never forget the day I heard the doctor say, “Your results are back and you have SLE Lupus.” I’d heard him, but surely what I heard was wrong. I said, “I have what?” The doctor repeated his words. You see I had already completed lab work that he ordered weeks prior and I was at my appointment to get the results.

In that moment, I was nervous and anxious because I really didn’t know what to expect. I had so many questions. How would this disease impact my life? What would that mean for my day-to-day routine? I was 39 years old and other than a previous surgery, my health had always been pretty good. The doctor reassured me that it was not a death sentence and that it was a manageable disease. He gave me some informational pamphlets, asked if I had questions, wrote a prescription and sent me on my way.

As I walked to my car, I couldn’t help but to feel like I’d just been given a death sentence. While I didn’t know everything about Lupus, I had heard of people dying from complications. I couldn’t help but wonder what path Lupus would take me on.

It seemed like as soon the diagnosis was confirmed, every possible symptom became my reality. Migraines, rashes, fatigue, painful joints, digestive issues, and hair loss to name a few. Because I didn’t have anyone who I could relate to, I began to feel depressed. I had goals that I wanted to accomplish. I was in the process of changing careers to something very rewarding in the Criminal Justice field.

Lupus put an end to that.

Here I was on a new path in life. Certainly not the one I wanted for myself. So what was I going to do? Give in to the pity party swirling around on the inside of my head? I wanted to. But I couldn’t.

I allowed myself time to process this new normal. I cried. I cursed. I questioned God even. But at the end of the day…I realized this:

I found out how strong I was.

I realized that there were others like myself.

I realized that I could use my voice in a positive light.

I chose to go to battle with Lupus.

I remembered that I had two little ones who were depending on me.

I found strength in my struggle.

Whether you are a fellow Lupus warrior or fighting a battle of a different kind, please don’t forget that you are victorious! Your illness does not define you. If you are reading this, you are still here and the world needs more of you. Even if you feel like you don’t have much to offer, that’s simply untrue. The world needs your smile, your words of encouragement, and your determination to keep going! You never know whose life you may impact with your courage.

Monaye

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving.” – MLK

Categories
Uncategorized

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Categories
Uncategorized

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.