MARITSA PATRINOS: “15 Easy Things You Can Do That Will Help When You Feel Like Shit”

1. Get a drink of water.

You could be dehydrated! Your body needs water. Not juice, soda, or alcohol — get a tall glass of water and make yourself drink all of it.

2. Make your bed.

When you have a lot to do and it feels overwhelming, making your bed can be the first step in getting your life on track. It will also (hopefully) discourage you from getting back into it.

3. Take a shower.

Life feels different when you’re clean! And it can give you a burst of energy if you’re feeling lethargic. Wash your hair and give yourself a head massage.

4. Have a snack — not junk food!

Did you eat enough today? It’s super tempting to eat junk food when you feel like crap. If you don’t feel like making a whole meal, maybe eat just a piece of fruit; something you can burn throughout the day and not in a burst of five minutes.

5. Take a walk.

You might need some fresh air and not even know it. Give your body some natural light, breathe some different air, move your legs a little, even if it’s for just five minutes. Allow yourself to think some different thoughts.

6. Change your clothes.

Even if you aren’t going to leave the house today, put on real clothes. Or, if you’ve been wearing the same uncomfortable clothes all day and feel restless, change into your sleepy clothes and slippers and relax.

7. Change your environment.

Staring at the same four walls day after day can be drudging. Can you work from a cafe, a library, or a friend’s house? If you can add going somewhere to the list of things you did today, you may feel more accomplished.

8. Talk to someone, not on the internet — it can be about anything.

If you don’t feel like talking through your troubles, that’s OK. Visit a friend, talk to them about a movie you saw. Call your mom and see how she’s doing.

9. Dance to an upbeat guilty pleasure song.

NOT ELLIOT SMITH! Pick something high energy and bump it. Dance like a rock star for one song to get your blood pumping again.

10. Get some exercise.

Do some cardio, work up a sweat. If you don’t have the time for a whole workout, look up a sun salutation on YouTube and stretch for as long as you have time. Do some push-ups or sit-ups at your desk.

11. Accomplish something — even if it’s something tiny.

Do you need to grab some groceries? Schedule a doctor’s appointment? Reply to an email? If you can’t get to the big stuff on your list, focus on the small stuff, and don’t forget to congratulate yourself for getting something done.

12. Hug an animal.

If you don’t have a pet, can you visit a friend’s? Or can you go to an animal shelter?

13. Make a “done” list instead of a “to-do” list.

Instead of overwhelming yourself right now, start feeling better about what you did get done. You can add “brushed teeth,” “washed dishes,” or “picked out an outfit” to your list. It doesn’t matter how small the task, prove to yourself that you’re effectual.

14. Watch a YouTube video that always makes you laugh.

I personally recommend this one.

15. Give yourself permission to feel shitty.

You’re allowed to have a shitty day, and you don’t have to fix it all right now. If you try to fix it and it doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Give yourself the time and space you need to feel what you’re feeling.

GOSTICA: “11 Grounding Techniques For Empaths To Avoid Apathy And Depression”

Empaths, let’s all agree on one thing — I really think that it is a challenge for Empaths to stay grounded as they’re constantly being bombarded with a real mix of negative, external emotions.  Even if they stay home and don’t venture out of their personal sanctuaries, their empathic antennas are picking up so much of the pain from the outside world.

Because of this, empaths can easily become consumed with depression, listlessness and apathy and lose sight of what our roles here are to do.  All of the following techniques have been tried and tested by yours truly and I can attest to the benefits of them, although I have to say on the darker days, especially when there is a lot of solar activity, even these techniques don’t always clear the emotional debris.

GROUNDING TECHNIQUES FOR EMPATHS TO AVOID APATHY AND DEPRESSION:

1.) Change your thoughts

Yes, you should change your thoughts.  Many of us help create our life situations with the thoughts we keep, especially dark, repetitive ones.  From the second a negative thought pops into our head we only have a matter of moments before its settles in and changes our mindset from positive to negative, once this happens, one bad thought after another keeps rolling in.

The best way to avoid it is not to indulge in them in the first place.  When a dark thought pounces, change it, immediately, to a good one.  Sounds simple, it’s not.  It’s difficult, but we do have a choice about what we think (and feel).  We can allow our thoughts to rule us or we can rule our thoughts… Change your thoughts change your life!

2.) Exercise and play

In the western world many of us turn to exercise for the benefits of weight loss and a toned body.  However, exercise offers so much more: it can release pent-up emotions, remove impurities through sweat, enhances and uplifts moods, energizes and allows us to have fun.  Instead of referring to it as workout-time, we should call it playtime.

When it comes to playtime do what you love.  Some of you maybe stuck in a boring exercise routine that you do out of necessity rather than play.  If this is the case, find something you love.  What did you love to do as a child?  Being out on your bike?  Skipping?  Hula-Hooping?  Bouncing up and down on a trampoline?  Horse-riding?  All excellent forms of play (exercise).  If you detested running and were no good at it, chances are it will probably be the same now.  If you loved gymnastics then yoga will definitely be a great one for you to try.

If you don’t like rules, routines or set times then go freestyle.  Make the rules yourself.  Get the music music cranked up and dance like nobody’s watching (which it’s probably best if no one is whilst throwing your shapes out).  Dance, stretch and jump your cares away and get a sweat on.  All you need is 10 minutes a day, but I guarantee if you’re doing something you love those 10 minutes will easily turn into 20, 30 or 40… Who needs a gym or a class?

3.) Meditation

This is a must if you have a busy head with endless mind-chatter and fearful thoughts.  It will help you deal with stressful situations and give you clearer insight.  There are many forms of meditation out there; it’s just a case of finding what suits you.  If you’ve never attempted it here’s one to try:

Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight, close your eyes and, breathing through your nose, focus on your breath. Inhale for 3 seconds and exhale for 3 seconds.  On the inhale feel your tummy expand and on the exhale feel it deflate (Note: when you first try this it is common to get dizzy or feel anxious).  You will find, at first, your mind turns into a monkey and starts jumping all over the place, from one thought to the next, but just keep coming back to your breath.  Start with a few minutes and build it up to whatever suits you.

4.) Creativity

In a world of rules and routine, we seldom get time to be creative but this is one of the easiest ways to revel in the feel-good-factor.  When we create, from our passions or interests, it has an uplifting effect on our psyche and because we’re engaging in something we love it keeps our minds away from dark thoughts and feelings.

Many will say that they’re not creative because they don’t see themselves as artistic.  But you don’t have to be a master crafter or award-winning composer to indulge in creative outlets.  Simply making a dance routine, writing a story or poem, arranging flowers or devising a menu, are forms of creativity.  We all have a way to be creative, it maybe that you’ve just not discovered yours yet.

5.) Chakra balancing

The 3 best ways to self-balance our chakras is through: meditation, yoga or using crystals:

Yoga: The Five Tibetan rites is one form of yoga specifically designed to balance the chakras as well as short (10 to 20 minutes max), kick-ass workout for body and mind.

Meditation: Though doing either a guided, chakra meditation or just focusing positively on each one in turn will help keep them balanced.  You can get guided meditation CD’s at Amazon.com.  Check also: How To Balance Your 7 Chakras System

Crystals: The healing power of crystals has long been known in many cultures, from Atlantis to ancient Egypt.  Many ancients had crystal chambers that would be used to heal many an ailment.  Check: How To Heal Your Chakras With Crystals

6.) Laughter

As grown-ups we spend too much time being solemn and serious, and too little time having fun (especially in the current times).  Do you remember the last time you had a proper belly laugh?

 

“You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing!”

 

We hear children laugh all the time.  They don’t know how to take life seriously, it’s all about play and fun.  We should all strive to stay childlike. To see the world in wonder and above all have fun and laugh.  Anything that makes us laugh will make our spirits soar. It really is a therapy.

7.) Nature

Being outdoors in nature will have a healing and uplifting effect on all. If you work in a city with no access to parkland make sure you get out at weekends away from cars and air pollution.

8.) Essential Oils

As with crystals the healing power of essential oils has been known through the ages. It is through the olfactory senses that much benefit is derived from the oils. The best all round essential oil is Lavender because, unlike all other oils, it can be used without a carrier-oil and applied directly to the skin or put straight into your bath water (other oils can irritate the skin if used neat).  Amongst its many benefits, it is an antidepressant antiseptic, antifungal, it can even be used as a sleep aid.

9.) Love

The most important self-healing tool we have is love… it makes the world go round.  Doing what you love will uplift you more than anything else.  The Beatles were onto something when they sang, “All you need is love!”  Unfortunately, we are humans, having a human experience, in a human body and love is one of the last emotions we tend to bathe ourselves in.

10.) Truth

Truth is an all encompassing liberator and once you become an advocate your eyes will be opened to another world.

11.) Water

The body is made up of 75% water (some body tissue even contains 95%), so it will come as no surprise that this is way up there on the self-healing scale.  any of us are unaware of just how dehydrated we are.  An insufficient supply of water creates problems with the functioning of our body, affects our well-being, appearance and accelerates the aging process.  The heavier we are the more water we need.  If you type, ‘the healing powers of water,’ into any search engine you will get hundreds of pages worth of information on the subject, but by far the best I have so far come across is the site of Dr. F. Batmanghelidj M.D. who is a pioneer in the discoveries of the healing power of water.

Water washes more than just dirt away; it has the power to cleanse our energetic body and clear negative energies.  If you’re skeptical, try this when you come home from a hard day at work:  Instead of reaching for the wine, jump straight in the shower and see what a lifting effect it has on you.  Combine it with the healing power of salt and you’re onto a winner.

 

 

 

~via HowToExitTheMatrix.com

INSIGHT STATE: “Path Of Spirituality: Spiritual Awakening Stages”

Spirituality is a natural function, a state of reconnection with the Self, with our Essence.  In order to find it and develop it, we must take a fresh look on who we are, our lives, and focus on the Essence.

To achieve our goal, we must pay attention to our sensations, emotions and thoughts.  Specifically: to encourage the positive ones (those that lift us) and to change the negative ones (those that get us down).  In other words, to learn to control them.

If not controlled, the Ego is trying to seize power and cut our connection with the Self, to divide us.  Spiritual development means to choose to pay attention to the Essence.  A re-education process is possible only if we use our qualities and take attitude.

This includes 6 spiritual awakening stages:

#1 Authenticity and integrity

By paying attention to our own sensations and feelings, we get the big picture objectively. A candid look, devoid of complacency, lies at the foundation of the inner edifice that we project.  Being honest with oneself implies sincerity, humility and simplicity.  An honest look within must be reflected in the way we express ourselves, act and behave.  Thus, the basic qualities come to light: authenticity and integrity.

#2 Determination and patience

The display of authenticity encounters fundamental fears (fear of loss, unknown, etc.), which are manifested in different forms — resistance, anxiety, denial. All tempt us to question and revise our beliefs.  We feel that we are alone, isolated from the world, without protection… a very uncomfortable sensation!

It takes determination, perseverance and courage to go on.  One might say it takes will as well, if the term itself wouldn’t be misunderstood: will doesn’t imply getting at any cost what you have imagined in terms of beliefs and emotions.  It means making clear choices and follow them through.  It means deciding to relinquish control and surrender to the Essence.

This also requires patience and confidence, because changes are determined by the intelligence of the body and heart, by the pace of what we have to heal and integrate, not by the impulsive desires of our personality.

#3 Refusing critics and accusations

When you feel bullied or stripped by another person, emotions are overwhelming.  The experience itself is very interesting, because it allows you to see your sensitive sides exactly, thus learning more about yourself.  Usually you discover an old wound, a lack of affection, a reaction to rejection etc.  In other words, even if aggression is real, it is interesting to understand the message behind it, which you need to take into consideration.  The situations we face are a reaction to something within ourselves, a manifestation of our inner being.

Spiritual evolution begins the moment we cease to accuse others for our troubles, because we understand that they are the reflection of our own wounds.  Spiritual attitude begins when we stop waiting for the others to satisfy our need for love and attention, and we understand that we can be masters of our own lives when we relinquish control and connect to our inner being.  Bonus: expanded consciousness will enable us to see injured and clumsy beings in others, but also their bright side.

#4 Consciousness and responsibility

Working on developing these qualities, we develop and refine our self-consciousness.  Being more aware of what is going on within ourselves and everything around us becomes a path to spiritual evolution.  It’s like stepping back to see the big picture and distinguish the real forces behind appearances, behind the games of life.

Consciousness is the key to our evolution.  A sharp mind helps us understand that we are responsible for our lives.  This is another important step towards spiritual growth.

#5 A lucid and tender view

Becoming a lucid observer of our own being and facing the lights and shadows doesn’t mean to keep a record of our flaws and imperfections and to feel guilty.  In connection with his inner being, the observer acts as a caring parent to the child’s development, combining kindness and tenderness with rigor.

Effusing upon yourself all the kindness and compassion is an excellent way of healing the soul and open to the Self.

#6 Laugh at yourself

A tender look on ourselves is proof that we can step back and see ourselves as a different person.  In other words, it is a posture in which we can laugh at ourselves and everything else, because we identify all the games that underpin our actions and attitudes: fear, power, seduction, etc.

When we take ourselves too seriously, we are dominated by a certain rigidity of the mind, which wants to make us believe that we are somebody, in which case there is no honesty, nor simplicity.

Note: This laughter is accompanied by a tender, loving look upon us and others.  Love lifts us, irony holds us down.

Spiritual evolution is based on the recognition of our inner forces and how they work.  It is a quasi biological and neurological recognition of our forces and sensations.  It translates as an exchange of vitality and energy.

 

 

 

~via insightstate.com

PERRY GARFINKEL: “The 7 Habits Of Highly Spiritual People”

“The Dalai Lama giggles his way to enlightenment. Alfred E. Neuman has that eternal grin. The Laughing Buddha is, well, laughing. Spiritual people are happy.”

 

In truth, that headline is misleading. This list is merely a starter set, not the be-all and end-all assuring spiritual bliss. (And what’s so mystical about the number 7 anyway, other than that it appears to boost book sales?) As the unofficial and self-declared Stephen Covey of spirituality, I add this encouraging caveat: just like bad habits you can’t break, the same can be said of good habits. Try some of these, reap the rewards — those would be love for and from others, love for yourself, love in general — and they will become addictive, giving rise to many other random acts of spiritual goodness that will take over your life.

#1 Highly Spiritual People Give Rather Than Take.

To give is indeed divine. Some research on altruism suggests people commit selfless deeds precisely because such acts make them feel good, therefore refuting the notion of selflessness. Hogwash. Is breathing selfish? If we didn’t give, and give generously, we’d die. I really believe that. Giving is human nature; it’s just that we forget our own Spirit-Nature sometimes. Giving can take many forms; simply paying attention to someone is a gift.

#2 They Say Yes More Than They Say No.

Naysayers are a downer. “No” closes our hearts like cholesterol. (Naturally, this excludes saying “No” to drugs or other self-destructive, noxious or illegal behaviors.) “Yes” affirms life. People always would rather hear yes rather no. Unless it’s when you ask your doctor, “Do I have herpes?”

#3 They See Possibilities, Not Problems.

As Shunryu Suzuki writes: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” And this may be the only time you hear Norman Vincent Peale quoted right after Suzuki-roshi, but there is something to the power of positive thinking, if not “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Spiritual people are optimists. They believe in belief. They are the lemon-to-lemonade folks, the problems-as-opportunites advocates, the positive spin
Masters.

#4 They Walk A Mile in Your Shoes.

They understand that empathy means feeling another’s pain but not so much that they take on others’ pain and become another’s pain. With that empathy, they tend to know exactly what to say or do for you to make you feel better. In gratitude, we say to them, “You are a saint.” Even when we do not mean it literally, it is true — literally.

#5 They Count Blessings in Small Wonders.

They do not expect Spirit to appear accompanied by fire and brimstone and a big neon sign flashing in the sky. They are not waiting for the Big A-ha. Nor are they waiting for the cure to cancer, the job promotion, or the love of a lifetime. They appreciate the tiny details: the smile of a child, the sparkle in an old person’s eyes, the morning’s first ray of sunlight. While others have recommended not to sweat the bad small stuff, spiritual people savor the good small stuff.

#6 They Give Compliments Generously, Accept Them with Humility.

There is no limit to people’s need for praise and appreciation. I suspect that even Donald Trump deep down is desperate for a compliment. Spiritual people do not see people’s “need” for support as a weakness or flaw. They see it as a cry for love, and they comply without hesitation. On the other hand, those who respond to a compliment with grandiose objections and deflections, who cannot accept a compliment with grace, probably feel they are not worthy of it. But they are worthy of it. Even the Don is worthy of it.

#7 They Worship Where and When the Spirit Moves Them.

They don’t need a temple or church to practice their spirituality, nor do they need a Sunday morning service at 10 a.m. They don’t even need a rabbi or a priest or a lama or sensei. Their spiritual setting is a forest, a beach, a mountain top. Their setting is a movable spiritual feast, for they know the true spiritual setting is within. And it travels with, and within, them wherever they go.

And a year-end bonus:

#8 They Laugh a Lot

Have you noticed? Santa ho-ho-ho’s his way down the chimney. The Dalai Lama giggles his way to enlightenment. Alfred E. Neuman has that eternal grin. The Laughing Buddha is, well, laughing. Spiritual people are happy. Not just the smiley-face kind of happy, but the deep-down-content kind of happy. If you have trouble getting to happy, try this trick I learned years ago from no less a sage source than the musical “Bye Bye Birdie”: “Just put on a happy face.” The act of smiling alone triggers a happy hormonal shift, from “gloomy mask of tragedy” to “spreading sunshine all over the place.” And what could be more spiritual than that?

So, let’s get to the point.

1. Source created perfection
2. You and I are part of that perfection
3. We inherited the DNA of Source, and we said, “Hey, you know what, we want to also create perfection.”
4. Source put up a curtain, and created imperfection so that we could create perfection again.

That’s it.

Our imperfect world was created so we could create perfection, instead of having it given to us. It’s like a picture puzzle. Source created this elaborate painting and we said, “Wow, what a painting! We want to create one like that.” So Source made it into a picture puzzle, separating the pieces so we could put it back together.

The chaos in our lives, the distance we feel with others — and within ourselves — is all an illusion. It’s because of the space that was created when all the pieces were pulled apart.

The effort we came here to do is to remove the space. Every time we snap the pieces together – BOOM – another piece of perfection appears in our lives.

Imagine if you were a five year old kid and I said, “Here’s a puzzle, it’s already assembled.” Would you enjoy it? No. The first thing you’d do is shake it up in the box, creating space between the pieces. The more you’d shake it up, the more chaotic it would become.

Then you’d dump it out on the floor and start building the puzzle. That’s when the fun would begin.

That’s what effort’s all about. Happiness given to us doesn’t feel like happiness. Happiness that we create – now that feels like happiness!

Create your happiness this week. Create your certainty. Create your love. If there is pain and struggle in your life, then remind yourself of the picture puzzle. Remember the Light is there, perfect, and that you asked for the sweat on your brow simply so that you could feel the satisfaction of being a Creator.

And know that whatever you are struggling with will have a positive result.