We've all heard the saying, "Ignorance is bliss."
Although we don't necessarily want to be ignorant, there is something to that.
Have you noticed that the people who are considered conspiracy theorists, or those who tend to be nervous about current events, or people with short tempers, all seem to have one thing in common: they watch a LOT of news.
I'm not saying the news in and of itself is bad. I think we just need to be careful about the types of things our minds and hearts are consuming.
Studies have shown links between playing violent video games and the impact that can have on people's minds, and their intents.
There have also been links between listen to certain types of music, and watching certain types of TV shows.
Granted, I know a good number of people who watch violent TV shows and listen to disheartening music who are still positive, upbeat, happy people. But they're the exception, not the rule. They have also made the choice to BE happy, rather than leave it up to their circumstances to make that decision for them.
Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things."
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we're told, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Another good verse to remember is, "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
Those three scriptures are proof enough for me that God has given us every tool we need to CHOOSE what we think about.
What we think about, what we focus on, what we listen to and hear the most, is what shapes everything we do. It determines our beliefs, which determine our actions, which determine our entire lives.
In my Essentially Vibrant group on Facebook, I'm running a 21 Days of Encouragement series with a quote, a journal prompt, and a coordinating essential oil to use. Today's quote is by an unknown author and says,
"Remember - most of your stress comes from the way you respond, not the way life is. Adjust your attitude, and all that extra stress is gone."
What we think about determines our attitude about EVERYTHING.
What we think about comes from what we allow into our hearts and minds - from the news, to TV shows and movies, to music, to even certain people and the types of conversations we have with them.
Something to consider today: how often do you find yourself listening to something that uplifts and encourages you, rather than something negative?
Let me know what the last encouraging thing is that you watched or listened to! If you need some ideas of encouraging TV shows or things to listen to, let me know. I'm here to help!
If you're feeling exhausted and would love 5 easy ways to boost your energy, grab my free guide here!
In our current social climate, with COVID and riots and now hurricane season approaching, it's easy for us to feel overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and just unmotivated. We can sometimes get anxious or depressed when we focus on the things that are troubling us.
One surefire way to turn yourself completely around is to focus outward.
When we take our thoughts away from our own problems and shortcomings, suddenly the world seems a little bit brighter.
A positive outlook is easier to cultivate when we focus on those around us. So how can we practically put this into action?
By doing the simplest of actions: Random Acts of Kindness, affectionately called RAKs.
Not only can these help us to focus on others, but we get a rush of endorphins when we do something nice for someone else, and this can also help us to feel more empowered and in control.
Let's start with RAKs in the home.
- Do someone's chore for them (even a parent doing a child's chore!)
- Leave love notes around, on their pillow, in their bathroom, at their seat in the kitchen
- Bring them a treat from the grocery store
- Make their favorite meal or dessert
- Announce a movie night and have their favorite movie (or one they've been wanting to see) all cued up and ready to go
Here are some ideas for RAKs in the office, for those who aren't working remotely or will be going back to the office eventually:
- Bring in bagels or donuts
- Leave a note of encouragement on their desk
- Bring in an extra cup of coffee from Starbucks
- Buy someone's lunch
- Wash out someone's coffee mug or lunch dish in the breakroom
Need some random ideas for when you're out and about? I have some of those for you too:
- Bake bread or cookies to bring to your neighbor (this is especially great if you don't know them or better if you do but don't like them!)
- Pay for the order behind you in the drive through
- Give someone a sincere compliment instead of just thinking about how much you admire their outfit or hair or whatever
- Leave a substantially larger tip than normal
I know you could easily do an internet search for these, but I wanted to share a few to get you started.
Here's my suggestion: make a list of 5 RAKs that you will do within the next week and as you cross each one off, write the name of the person next to it.
What other Random Acts of Kindness can you think of, or what have you done or had someone do for you that really blessed you?
In the movie Home Alone, as the family is rushing to get everyone in the car to the airport after oversleeping, Frank McAllister makes a comment to Peter McAllister that there's no way they'll ever make the flight. Peter tells Frank to be positive, to which Frank replies, "You be positive. I'll be realistic."
If you've seen the movie, you know they did end up making the flight.
That quote has stuck with me from the first time I saw the movie.
Oftentimes we can confuse pessimism with being realistic. We tell ourselves we're simply choosing to be honest when in fact, we're really just being negative.
We take this tactic when talking about our own attributes, reasoning this is why we don't speak highly of ourselves. We don't want to give ourselves false compliments. There's a huge difference between falsely complimenting ourselves, and having a positive mindset.
In order to have a positive mindset, we don't need to wear rose-colored glasses or ignore the harsh realities about ourselves, our situations, or our world.
What we do need, however, is the determination to not allow anything negative to stand in the path of what we want.
Our words have SO much power.
There's a huge difference between saying, "I hope I can achieve this goal" and "I am going to make this happen!"
It's great to hope. Everyone needs hope. But placing outcomes on our hopes rather than on our actions won't get us anywhere near our goal.
There's a big difference between saying, "I am just not creative" (which may be true in the moment) and "I am going to grow in my creative abilities!"
I'll be honest, this is something that I have had to be very intentional about improving. It's not easy! Positive mindsets don't come naturally to most people. I can almost guarantee you that the people you know who have a positive mindset have worked hard to have it.
If this is something you struggle with and you'd like a little kickstart, I would love for you to join us in our Drops of Blessings Facebook Group on Monday for our FREE 3-day Mindset Challenge!
We'll work together over three days to take a look at how we're currently thinking, and what we can do to flip our mindset switch to the positive setting. We'll explore truth vs. reality, and actionable steps you can take to help you speak truth over every situation.
Sleep Hygiene
When I first heard that phrase, I had visions of a bathtub in my bed. 🛀🏻 Literal hygiene.
Apparently not. 😂
Sleep hygiene refers to the ways you take care of your health to promote better sleep.
Some people are diligent about making sure they exercise regularly, avoid caffeine late in the day, stick to a strict sleep/wake schedule, and turn off all electronics.
Other people are on their cell phones as they fall asleep, or watching TV. They don't exercise, they consume a lot of alcohol late at night, and have a tendency to go to bed at all different times.
Which of those people do you think sleep better and feel more refreshed and energetic throughout the day?
My money is on the first group of people. Those are the ones with good sleep hygiene habits.
Did you know that 35% of adults admit to getting less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period? This, my friend, is the definition of sleep deprivation.
What happens when you're sleep deprived?
Lots of things. For one, sleep deprivation is the cause of 1,500 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries every single year in the United States.
And what else?
- It can cause you to be less alert, less able to focus, and less able to problem solve.
- It hinders your ability to lose weight (and can actually cause you to gain weight).
- Causes your skin to age faster.
- Impairs your memory.
- Can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure - both of which can be fatal.
- Increases risk of depression and anxiety.
This is why sleep hygiene is so important!
There's a lot more than just a handful of habits that go into sleep hygiene - the foods you eat; the books you read; what you think about during the day can even affect your sleep.
That's why I have a FREE Sleep Checklist available for you to download and work through, to help you develop better sleep hygiene habits so that you can begin to sleep more soundly each night, and wake up feeling refreshed throughout the day. I want you to live your life feeling as good as possible
Click here to grab yours!
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After a late or restless night, getting very little sleep, how do you feel?
Are you chipper, upbeat, optimistic?
Peaceful, calm, steady?
Or are you irritable, sad, frustrated, anxious?
One night of awful sleep is all it takes to wreak havoc on your thought processes and emotions.
Are you chipper, upbeat, optimistic?
Peaceful, calm, steady?
Or are you irritable, sad, frustrated, anxious?
One night of awful sleep is all it takes to wreak havoc on your thought processes and emotions.
How much more would your mental health be affected if your sleep was disrupted over several nights, weeks, or months?
Multiple studies have shown that people with a chronic sleep disorder such as insomnia are 17 times more likely to develop anxiety. It's also common for sleep problems to develop before major depressive episodes.
Incidentally, when people with mental health issues also experience sleep disorders, they're less likely to respond to treatment.
On the flip side, when treatment for the sleep disorder is given, it's much more likely that the mental health issue will improve as well. This has also been the case for children with ADHD. Not only can the disorder itself and the medication prescribed cause sleep issues, but when those sleep issues are treated, the symptoms of the disorder are sometimes eliminated completely as well.
We know that getting enough sleep is crucial for our physical health, but sometimes we don't realize the impact it can have on our mental health.
Rather than automatically assuming our emotions and mental health need medication, we should first look into how well we are caring for our bodies' basic needs.
Click here to grab a FREE Sleep Checklist that you can check off to make sure you're taking all the right steps to help your body get the sleep it needs, so that you can feel your best, both inside and out!
If you'd like to subscribe so you don't miss a single post, click here!
Multiple studies have shown that people with a chronic sleep disorder such as insomnia are 17 times more likely to develop anxiety. It's also common for sleep problems to develop before major depressive episodes.
Incidentally, when people with mental health issues also experience sleep disorders, they're less likely to respond to treatment.
On the flip side, when treatment for the sleep disorder is given, it's much more likely that the mental health issue will improve as well. This has also been the case for children with ADHD. Not only can the disorder itself and the medication prescribed cause sleep issues, but when those sleep issues are treated, the symptoms of the disorder are sometimes eliminated completely as well.
We know that getting enough sleep is crucial for our physical health, but sometimes we don't realize the impact it can have on our mental health.
Rather than automatically assuming our emotions and mental health need medication, we should first look into how well we are caring for our bodies' basic needs.
Click here to grab a FREE Sleep Checklist that you can check off to make sure you're taking all the right steps to help your body get the sleep it needs, so that you can feel your best, both inside and out!
If you'd like to subscribe so you don't miss a single post, click here!
