Fun

Fun is Emotional Self Care

Sheri here,

What is emotional self care?  Why is fun important?

Nurturing our Emotions 

Nurturing our emotions requires becoming aware of them, then leaning into the feelings in a way that honors you and the emotion.  If you deny or ignore them, they will find a way to come out: anger, depression, stress, anxiety, or worse.*

I have found I need to feel the feelings and sometimes that is one of the “ugh, oh no – not that” moments. Set with the feelings, breath, and allow them to exist. Creativity and play somewhat offset any negativity – fun times are always helpful to make those strong feeling times easier.

I’ve spent several challenging years surrounded by negativity and sheltering in place as many of you have.  Small wonder we struggle with emotional self care.  Those of you who have been following me for any period of time know that I’ve had floods in the house, construction and illness in the family, that have challenged my sense of wellbeing.

Between feeling the feelings, a daily gratitude list – at least three things I’m grateful for, fun activities, and time dedicated to my spiritual program, I’ve regained my equilibrium.

While nurturing our whole self is important, one of the things I forget is to play, have fun, or take it easy. But I struggle trying to figure out what fun looks like sometimes.

Adult Fun for Emotional Self Care

I don’t know about you, but every now and again I need to be reminded to have fun and what it looks like.  Sometimes I have to make a list of what’s fun – joyful.  To be able to feel  happiness,  lightness, positivity, and laughter bubble up is like watching my four grandchildren play with the abandon of a child.

Then how does that translate into adult fun?  So here is the list I was recently brainstorming – which are your favorites or what is forgotten?? Hit reply and let me know.  While you are at it, tell me what’s on your fun list for the day?

  • Be creative
  • Write a story or a poem
  • Play cards or board games
  • Read a book
  • Take a walk in nature or local park
  • Write a gratitude list
  • Do some coloring
  • Draw or sketch
  • Take photographs
  • Spend time on Pinterest
  • Listen to music
  • Dance with abandon
  • Watch a funny movie
  • Engage in sports
  • Try some thing new like a recipe or a masterclass
  • Exercise, if its fun
  • Spend time with a hobby
  • Take up a new hobby
  • Knit or crochet or sew
  • Talk with a fun friend – a fun buddy
  • Read some jokes and laugh out load

While you are focusing on fun, minimize the negativity by setting boundaries. limiting the news, or deliberately choosing how to respond to situations.

Choose a focus on playful things and mentally avoid the situations that deliberately cause you pain.  Feel the feelings, but don’t go looking for them.

Nurture yourself and bring along a fun friend!

Honor those positive feelings, minimizing exposure, as much as possible to negativity.  This is self care at its finest – what’s on your list for fun today?

Around Town Here

I’ve opened a wait list for progress notifications on my book, Everything I Learned About Life I Learned on Vacation, is currently still in reviewer comment mode on its publication path. You can sign-up for the wait list here.

May you have a blessed, fun-filled week.

‘til the next time.

Ciao,

Sheri

*If you are suffering depression, anger or anxiety issues seek the appropriate help from a medical or mental health professional.

Summer is Time for Vacation

Sheri here,

It is summer, time for vacation!

Have you taken a vacation lately?

Did it involve travel?

Was it too wonderful for words?

Did you have fun and can’t wait to do it again?

As you may know, I recently went on vacation and retreat to Vancouver Island and it was fabulous – refreshing, relaxing and rejuvenating!  All the things I want from a vacation.  But traveling can be challenging.  While my flights weren’t cancelled, I did spend 5 hours waiting for connections.

Possibly, you haven’t had a vacation in a long time – do you remember that feeling of excitement and fun from a favorite vacation in the past?

Vacation is intended to be a break from the ordinary as a restful respite.  It may be a busy or active time without the stress of every day.

Some daily self-care routines may carry over into vacation – with more space for self-nurturing.

Staycations are Vacations, Too

You could have good reason, the cost of gas for one or the challenge of travel for another, that continues to keep you at home, but you can choose to take a “Staycation”.  A vacation where you stay at home and hang out the sign calling it VACATION.

How do you approach that?  Identify the characteristics of that vacation that you loved – do you like to go places, eat out, visit friends, play at the pool or the beach, go to a museum, take pictures or take a nap?

Whatever it is, you can create a staycation and do these same types of things! Plan it like any other vacation – choose the time and the activities, put the daily chores on the back burner and enjoy.

The Objective is Fun

For instance, if you love to eat out – choose to different places than usual. It doesn’t need to be expensive – the objective is FUN.

Look around your neighborhood or the area around home and see what fun things there are to do that you haven’t visited in awhile or ever.

Be the tourist in your hometown, enjoy the small local historical museum, the walk through the nearby park with a picnic lunch at the end.

Maybe your community is like mine and is doing Concerts in the Park – GO! Make it different, make it fun.

Who knows, maybe it’s playing a favorite board game with the family and friends for the first time in a long time, a laughter filled time.

Possibly, you’ll discover something you make a part of your regular life because it is close. You’ll get that sense of freedom and relaxation that vacation brings on a mini basis.

A couple of my favorite things are a nap in the afternoon or time with a trashy novel – a complete escape from the everyday ordinary.

A staycation is your opportunity to identify what marks a meaningful break for you – you are relaxed, joyful and you recapture that connection with the things that are important.

My Book Status

In the past, I promised to keep you posted on what I’m up to around town:

The other big news I have is about my book, Everything I Learned About Life I Learned on Vacation. I have opened a wait list for publication notifications.  You can sign-up for the wait list.

May you have a blessed, fun-filled week.

‘til the next time.

Ciao,

Sheri

Blue Footed Boopies

You Are Leaving The Zone

Someone just suggested you to do something new, exhilarating and different, like something you’ve never done before. The stepping outside your comfort zone suggestion.

Uh oh.  All the red flags go up and your initial thought is “NO”, not only no, but heck no.  No way no!  What part of NO don’t you understand?  The “N”, the “O” or the space in between? …

3D-NOBG_
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