How are you doing?

2020 has been an interesting year, wouldn't you agree?

I did something this year that I thought that I would never do.

I signed up for a group coaching membership.  Yep, I did.  The past few years have been difficult and I have really been struggling with trying to figure it all out.  So I had to try something.  And in my typical fashion I had to do something that was somewhat anonymous.  The group is big enough that you can attend and not be seen, but you get all of the teaching.  And this works perfectly for me, and I have been learning a lot.  I am so thankful that I put aside my preconceived ideals and make this investment in myself.  

What could have been a very difficult year - that continued to spiral downward, has become a year of healing that I am so thankful for.

​Are you taking time to invest in you?  It is really important that you do.  I carried some baggage around for far too long, and I wasn't taking care of my health - I just kind of let everything go.  This is not a good place to live your life.

Making active choices to live intentionally is where we all need to be.

I have made a variety of changes in my life and part of it includes the environment that I live in and how I start my day.  I am going to share a bit of that with you.

I have been following Yoga with Adriene on YouTube for years.  I am not a big fan of public displays of exercise, I like the comfort of my own home.  I start my diffuser with a relaxing scent, play some relaxing music (which for me is jazz), lay down my yoga mat and spend 30 minutes relaxing and stretching.  It is an amazing way to start my day. 

​Now that I am working from home I have more time in the mornings because I no longer have the commute.  Yoga helps clear my mind, stretches out the muscles that ache from the night (which seem to be increasing year by year) and gets me motivated to take on my day!

Yoga for Writers is a favourite of mine.  I like the stretching with a little bit of core.

Taking the time to invest in my mental wellness has so important.  

I created the My Journey journal years ago and it keeps evolving and become something that is a huge part of my life.  It is my weekly check in with myself and has become a place where I can see my journey unfold and give myself more grace in my journey.

If you are interested in checking it out for yourself all you have to do it CLICK HERE to download your free journal.

2020 is year that I will always remember and I am thankful that I used this time as a positive experience.  It is so easy to get sucked into a negative environment - and it happens.  But you don't have to stay there.  You get to choose, I really hope that you will join me as we choose to end 2020 well.

​You are invited to the My Journey journaling workshop on ZOOM.
 
When: Nov 1, 2020 03:00 PM Saskatchewan 

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAuf--qrj0sEteZkpPaFpI2tyFVz9gMgWSv 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Let's finish 2020 well, all participants will receive a free digital journal and I will be giving away a special prize to someone that attends the workshop on Sunday!

​Hope to see you there! 😀

While visiting a friend a few years ago we were enjoying a chance to catch up with one another over a cup of tea.  

At one point I looked down in my tea and noticed chunks of something in the bottom of my cup.  Since I wasn't sure what my friend had put in my tea I had to figure this out.

She told me that she always cuts up pieces of ginger and puts it in her tea.  It just stays in the bottom of the tea and adds great health value.  

I have started to this daily as well.  But I wasn't sure what the health benefits were so I did a little research - I just had to share what I learned.  ​

​When life throws a few character building exercises at you, how do you process?  How do you work through it?

I have been trying to figure this out for myself.  In the past I have always used teaching.  Yep, I would be struggling with something, I would do tons of research to learn and grow and then I would feel compelled to share it with everyone, whether they wanted to learn about it or not.  

This time it's different.  I can't explain what I am trying to deal with -  I don't know what to google!!!

I feel like I am lugging this huge weight around and I don't know how to fix it.  I feel broken in a way I have never experienced before, and I don't know how to move forward.

I have been carrying this for the past two years and I need to be able to move forward.

I do not have all the answers.  I am not sure what moving forward means or looks like.  But I am finally ready to start taking steps forward.

Are you carrying something?  Want to join me?

It's always better to work through something with friends who are there to support and encourage.  What do you say?

I know for me I have a lot of areas in my life that have been impacted.  Through what has happened to me emotionally, mentally and spiritually has been affecting me physically as well.  So there is a lot of work to do.

Through my blog and social media I will be sharing how and what I am learning (I apparently still feel the need to teach - even when I have no idea what I am doing 😂 ).  I'm even thinking about resurrecting my old podcast - what do you think?

Join me on my journey on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carolyn.carleton/ and sign up for my emails if you want to learn more.

Leave me a comment and let me know if you want to join me on the journey.  We are in this together!  I need all the support I can get.

It's okay to pause and rest.

In fact - it is necessary.

​Over the past few weeks I have seen people on social media trying to be all the things to everyone.  It's not necessary and you are only setting yourself up for burn out and you are teaching your family to have huge expectations for you.  

Use this time to slow down and teach what a balanced life can look like.  Build into your family with your time and attention - not continuous activities.  Allow them time and space to use their imagination.  It's how they discover their gifts, what they like to do - it provides them a safe space to learn who they are and at any age it helps them move toward what they will eventually study in school and choose as a career.  Don't get in their way.

Not only do our children need the time and space - but so do we.  I have been making more time to write in my journal, to sit and read a magazine (I don't know when the last time was that I actually bought a magazine or looked at one) and to deep clean a few neglected areas of my home.  I have made getting exercise and drinking more water a regular part of my day.  I have been figuring out how to use my Fitbit  to help with my daily choices.

Since my car accident I have had a difficult time trying to find ways to be active that didn't hurt or cause me to be dizzy.

About a month ago I started doing this video, it was such a great way to get me moving again and it is designed for all levels.  You can even sit in a chair to do it if you need to.  I have now been able to move onto other videos on this YouTube channel.  I would encourage you to check it out.  In just a few weeks I feel noticeably different.

There are so many good reasons to choose to push that pause button and enjoy each moment and find gratitude in this time. 

Tonight around the supper table ask your family what their favourite moment was from the last few weeks.  

It is a good way to keep the focus on the positive and also a great way to find out more about your family.  If you would like to share their answers in the comments I would love to hear them.  🙂

It has been a long time since I have made time to write.  I have been walking quite the journey over the past two years and I haven't taken the time to process it all. 

So, last night I made myself a cup of tea and sat with my journal - it has been a long time.  I turned to a blank page and it just stares at you sometimes, you have so much to write but you don't know where to begin or how to start. 

When I teach my journaling workshops I always ask the group to start with the date.  It is always a good place to start.

​So with the date in the top right corner, the words began to flow.  Finally after four pages I felt like I had made a good start.  There has been a lot going on and my heart needs a lot of healing.  I have always found writing to be a form of healing for me.  When I wrote my book it caused me to deal with a lot of issues from my past so that I was free to move forward in my life.  

With all that is going on with the COVID-19 I have been found myself coaching people again.  One of the main things that I tell people is that they need to start writing about this experience.  As we write it is incredible to see the awakenings and healing that can emerge.

I have always felt that my life experiences and character building exercises are for me to share.  As with my book and my journey over the past two years, I heal by writing and sharing.  And hopefully through my sharing I can help others on their journeys.

Overall, writing as therapy has proven effective for many different conditions or mental illnesses, including:

• Post-traumatic stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Grief and loss
• Chronic illness issues
• Substance abuse
• Eating disorders
• Interpersonal relationship issues
• Communication skill issues
• Low self-esteem

Don't know how to start?  Write the date and see where you go from there.

Follow the five steps to WRITE:

​Finally, keep the following in mind while you are journaling:

• It’s okay to write only a few words, and it’s okay to write several pages – just write at your own pace.
• Don’t worry so much about what to write about, just focus on taking the time to write and giving it your full attention.
• Don’t worry about how well you write – the important thing is to write down what makes sense to you and what comes naturally to you.
• Write as if no one else will read it – this will help you avoid “putting on a show” rather than writing authentically

Find a notebook and just start writing.  It's where you will find me - and I will be blogging more over the coming weeks as well.  I have a lot to work through - it's time to start the healing.