A Short Meditation
With Specifically Practical Ideas to Try
Hello ♡,
This week, something a little different. A short meditation that is on my heart. I know so many carrying so much.
Read with a cup of something warm.
May you be refilled.
Like the toothpaste that has been pushed and folded and squeezed,
the shampoo bottle you keep turning over
to find the last drops-
adding water and shaking it to try to get more.
You've tried. So hard.
You are empty -
on the shelf
on the counter
nothing left to give today.
The answer is not to shame an empty vessel -
one that gave everything.
The answer is to fill it.
The natural order of things is to empty and refill.
If you are feeling empty,
it’s not a failure,
it may be time to refill.
(I don’t really appreciate superficial self care ideas pushed in popular culture. Although they can be fun, they are rarely filling. I’ve never felt my soul refilled with a pedicure.)
Here are some Specifically Practical Ideas to Refill:
If you are an introvert, you need to get extended time alone. I understand how hard this can be for many: Leaving the house, going for a walk, may be necessary. It needs to be more than a few minutes. A locked door is also something that can help an introvert because they know they won’t be intruded upon. Phones left out of site to minimize pinging from others helps too.
If you are highly sensitive, you will also need quiet. Close the door, literally and metaphorically, on any outside stimulation, including your phone. Allow quiet to settle into your bones. Allow your sensitive system to be without stimulation outside of a book or journal. Reduce noise clutter.
If you are a creative, you will need to express yourself. Of course we are all wired to be creative, but for some this is the way you express yourself. Don’t underestimate small ways to express yourself. If picking up a pen or paintbrush is not an option today, reorganize a bookshelf, or move around a few things in your home to express yourself. Bake something, or make a recipe you have always wanted to try.
If you are specifically musical, listening to music is a way to refill. A therapist friend also told me that music is the one thing that can integrate all of the parts of our brain at once, which produces a sense of ease.
If you crave cozy, make a cozy moment for yourself. Get a heating pad, or blanket, and put on something old, familiar, and comforting to watch. Allow yourself to exhale into the moment.
If your faith is important to you, return to the ways you experience your faith the most. For many this is music, or a favorite book or devotional. Don’t perform your faith, return to the refuge is provides for you.
If you are an extrovert, schedule time with that person, or people, that fill your tank. Even if it can only be a phone call, you will need connection to recalibrate.
If you are specifically overwhelmed with tasks, resist the all or nothing idea, it paralyzes us. Choose one email to send, one bill to call about, or one appointment to make. Just one. Momentum builds on momentum. Tomorrow, choose just one more. Refilling can happen by chipping away at feeling overwhelmed.
Put your anger and worry into action if they are depleting you. Respond to one prompt for action you have received, or join that one group you keep thinking about joining. Donate the small amount you can to a group doing good work.
Finally, two things that refill all of us are physical movement and nature. I understand for some of us there are limits here, so adjust accordingly. If you are able move your body by walking for at least 20 minutes. Also, nature can help regulate your nervous system, isn’t that cool? Finding a local park or stepping outside in the sun for a bit can help.
With you,
Monica
Book News!
I found out my book will be translated into Russian also, the upcoming translations continue to be a surprise! I think we are at: Portuguese, Chinese, Indonesian, and now Russian translations so far.
The publisher has release the Intro and first chapter, you can read them if you click here…and then there are more chances to unlock parts of the book early!
Link! https://www.worthypub.com/dicristina-excerpt
Have you listened yet to the next episode of our Special Series on the book?
Episode 4: You are Not Your Pain
Thank you !! This is very helpful !!!