Anxiety Buster: Breathing

I have 'White Coat Syndrome' - which is when your blood pressure reading is normal at home but when a doctor or nurse takes it, it's often skyhigh. I am slowly improving with my GP over time, but still take my readings at home to share with him so that he can keep an eye...

Letters on a page

Supper was leftovers. I can't start the laundry just yet. The kids are all taken care of and occupying themselves. My husband is out for the evening at a church function. All is quiet. One would think that this would be the ideal time to write... and I'm convinced it is... it's just that, I...

4:45am

Perhaps I should have started to write around 1:30am, when I was feeling the nudge just as strongly as now. It's been a few days of nudging... a few days of feeling the need to write... and not really knowing what to say but just feeling the need to get something, anything, down. Instead, I...

Anxiety Buster: Time to Think

How do you spend/invest your time? Who do you spend your time with? Do you have any guilt over your answers? I think our personality types play into how we answer these questions. For me, as an INFJ, I struggle with what I have to do versus what I need to do. In my list...

Anxiety Buster: Advanced Meal Planning

After many years of planning meals more on the fly than with forethought, and feeling the need to reduce my anxiety and stress in every area possible, I started working on meal plans last November. My first goal was to attempt to plan meals for 2 weeks in advance. As we live in the country,...

Circling

Have you ever flown in an airplane that had to circle around before it could land? I feel a bit nervous about landings and am usually a bit worked up and overwhelmed, just wanting the flight to be over with. My patience is a little thin. I try to smile. Stay calm. And trust that...

Getting away

Several years ago, I took a break from social media. It was so good to just quiet the noise. My mental health needed the break. Months later, when I returned, I determined to be more intentional with how I used it. I think it is good to figure out why you want to be on...

The trouble with Elna

Shortly before marrying my Father, my Mother bought her first sewing machine, a circa 1958-1964 Elna Zig-Zag (now known as the Elna 3). She sewed bridesmaid dresses to bathing suits and many different outfits for me. Elna is a simple machine, very basic and plain (you get 2 stitch patterns to choose from: straight or...

Slow Progress

Is feeling pain, progress? Is pain better than apathy or a numb, empty feeling? Does the pain actually mean hope? We have been "broadcasting - live" church services from our living room for the past month on social media. We are fortunate to have a tech-savvy pastor in my husband. He has also been posting...

Slowing Down

I had begun last week with such high hopes and expectations for buckling down and getting things done. I was ready for action! I got a few things done on my check-list but not nearly all that I had envisioned. So, this week, I am trying to be much more gentle with myself and stop...