Self-Care With a Creative Twist

By Eve Brownstone, LCPC

This a friendly reminder and encouragement to take care of ourselves and each other.  I know we are tired of this lockdown. Enough already. It’s keeping us safe. I am looking forward to the vaccine, picnics with friends, swimming in a pool, hugs, and going for coffee at the local coffee shop.  Coffee!

What are you looking forward to?

Wanted to offer a few creative ideas to help sustain our mental health.

Lately, I have been suggesting to clients to write affirmations on their mirrors with a dry erase marker. Keep the permanent markers in the drawer. 🙂

Some suggestions for affirmations: (Say to yourself while looking in the mirror) 

I am good enough.

I do enough.

I have enough.

I am proud of you.

It’s okay not to be okay.

You got this! 

Also, I have been suggesting to couples to ask each other “How can I fill up your love jar?

Single people can ask themselves, first thing in the morning, the same thing. It can help to put a smile on your face.

Try to find at least five minutes a day to get quiet, find some stillness with your breathing. We can get so busy helping others and into our heads. Do you notice yourself not breathing?

Take a deep breath from your belly… take two. Pema Chodron, Tara Brach, and Mark Nepo are great meditation teachers and can be found on YouTube.

Use square breathing: Inhale for four, hold breath, exhale for four then hold and then repeat.  Breathe from your belly (a good place to breathe from) not your throat (not enough oxygen).

https://blog.zencare.co/square-breathing/

Cook a fantastic meal like red curry with vegetables. The smell of coconut milk will fill your home with delight. Bake something at least once per week, cookies or maybe avocado toast.:-). The act of creation gives us energy.

Been painting during the lockdown. Maybe made 50+ paintings. I usually don’t have an image in my mind before I start. I just start to play with color. Painting is like dancing on canvas. It gets me out of over-thinking. It has been a stress reliever and a form of self-expression.  Give it a go. Paintbrush or crayon, it is all good.

Put on a song like Taylor Swift’s Shake it off and shake it off. Dance like nobody’s watching.

Some other song suggestions:

                                 I Got The Power- Snap

                                 Can’t Touch This- MC Hammer

                                 Can’t Fight This Feeling- Justin Timberlake

         What’s your song to shake off stress? 

Other recommendations:

Yoga with Adriene and Walk Away the Pounds. Both are found on YouTube.

Adriene  Mishler has yoga for self-love, vulnerability and uncertainty, and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLlFSWgK2y4&t=4s

Leslie Sansone has ten-minute walks to hour-long walks. Makes you feel like you are dancing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAnL1nwnHX8

The creative arts can add a lot to our emotional well-being.  Dance, art,  movement, and music can help us: destress, give us more focus, delight and teach us more about ourselves.

Looks like Symmetry Counseling will be on telehealth (Zoom) at least until the Spring. Wanted to give you a few ideas to help get us through the next while. This too shall pass.

Reach out for support. Call friends, call Symmetry Counseling at  (312) 578-9990, or get in touch with us online to talk with counselor today.

Eve Brownstone, LCPC has sessions available at Symmetry Counseling. Feel free to reach out to Eve at ebrownstone@symmetrycounseling.com or by phone at 312-768-8762.