Monthly Self Care Practices To Reduce Stress & Anxiety

Hello all

I'm excited to check back in with all of you sharing with you some of the discoveries I've had with some new self-care practices that I have been testing out on myself.

Last we talked I was doing some breathing practices and also some Qi Gong.

I recently did a podcast with a breathwork facilitator which was pretty interesting if you  would like to listen here's the link:https://www.tinastinson.com/podcasts/soul-aligned-self-care/episodes/2147893490

I feel like the breath work has been extremely valuable to me and I also believe this will be a lifelong daily practice because it's been so effective.  It can instantly lower my blood pressure and make me feel at ease and release any tension that I have in my body.  There are many different breathwork practices that you could try and can easily be searched on YouTube for some free videos.  I like doing box breathing and then just deep breaths in with double the breath out.  This seems to work best for me

Some of the new things that I am trying right now are:

• Getting out in nature
•  Earthing
• Adaptogens

Just to explain what adaptogens are they are medicinal mushrooms and some different herbs that tend to calm or regulate the nervous system.  Right now I am using  Four Sigmatic protein powder which is plant-based and very good quality.  I do have to give this a little bit of time to let you know how I'm doing but I'm excited about this experiment.

Now, I already know how much getting out in nature helps me but what I didn't realize was the effect it has on me when I can't get out in nature during the winter months.  it has a profound effect on my mood and my motivation and my health.  I've decided to make a point to go to a warmer climate during the winter months to support my health.

Now Earthing is a whole different thing. 

Earthing: Earthing is a movement that taps into the electrical energy of the earth. A form of grounding, in earthing, it is believed that Earth’s electrical field transfers to the body if some part of the body touches the Earth or touches an object that can conduct Earth's electrical field. 

With this connection to Earth, the body takes in free electrons, which are believed to serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that block the oxidation of other molecules, preventing the development of free radicals, which harm the body.

Definition compliments of Yogapedia

It's all about grounding on the earth with your bare feet. Now they also have ways of doing this without going outside, they have mats you could put on your bed under your sheets they have mats you can put on the floor under your desk that is grounding. I feel like the easiest way to do this and it doesn't cost a damn penny is to go outside take your shoes off and just put your feet on the ground.  the effects are instantaneous, you see we're made of energy and so is the Earth. To put it simply, the earth charges us. 

 Think of it as you, being your cell phone and the Earth, being the charging cord.  We run around in shoes with rubber soles blocking this grounding every day and some of us never even go outside.  Believe me, I know how hard this is to do in the winter, and no I did not do it, but I just started doing it now and it's pretty damn cold out.  I'm not going to lie it feels great to put my feet on the ground after being inside all winter and now I also completely understand why I love walking on the beach barefoot all the time just like every other person on the face of this Earth.  At least I believe that to be true.

So these three things are what I'm trying this month,  April,  and I will check back in with you and let you know the effects.

But I can say with great confidence that getting outside in nature and the earthing has already been quite effective.

 I'm excited to see the effect the shrooms have on me.

Lastly, I weaned myself off of caffeine.  I did this quite slowly by using caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.  so if it takes five Scoops to make a pot of coffee what I did was I used four scoops caffeinated and one scoop decaffeinated.  Then the next week I did three scoops caffeinated and two scoops decaffeinated and so on and so on.  I had no nasty side effects or headaches.

 I absolutely love the taste of coffee so I will probably still continue to have decaffeinated sometimes.  It's more about the process of having my coffee than it is about the caffeine.  At least now it is.

Reducing your caffeine is one of the first things you should try if you need to reduce your anxiety and stress.  Nobody wants to hear that but it makes a big difference.

By making these small Lifestyle Changes I'm making a difference in my health in the short term and long term. 

As most of you know nutrition has always been extremely important to me.  I've taken many classes and learned so much about how I can support my healing and my wellness with food. 

In 2019 I decided to become certified as a culinary nutrition expert and educator and went to the Academy of Culinary Nutrition to complete this certification.

 It was challenging to do at the time because I was working full-time but so much fun and I learned so much.

 I did this not just to help my clients but also to help myself and learn more about how I can optimize my health with the food I eat every day.

 I've learned so much since I had my stroke in 2007 through books classes and certifications.  This certification was one of the hardest to complete but I also learned the most.

If you yourself are on a healing journey I highly recommend the Academy of Culinary Nutrition to help you with this,  it's worth every penny.

They do an amazing program information session and they are having one I believe this month.

It's on April 11 and if you're anything like me, you'll love it:   https://www.culinarynutrition.com/infosession/?=ref427

 I always feel good about recommending this school because I believe in it at my very core and I can honestly say I owe my wellness and health partly to what I learned here. 

If you have any questions about the program please reply to this email or reach out on social media I would love to answer any of the questions that you have.

 To be continued next month for an update on the shrooms.:)

Xo, T