Shonda Palmer Wellness Coach

It’s really hard when you can’t sleep! It’s been amazing to be able to help people feel better and more rested. 🥰

Is it the chicken or the egg?
🧘‍♀️

Mindfulness
Meditation
Self-care
Self-compassion

How did you practice self-care this weekend?

Extra rest?
Walk outside?
Living room yoga session?
Crucial conversation about boundaries?

Self-care is important,
I promise. 😊

Mindfulness
Self-care
Self-compassion
Well-being

Here are 5 ways you can take care of yourself this weekend:

1. Do a 1-3 minute meditation (Insight Timer is a good app for guided meditations)

2. Practice some mindful movement for 15-20 mins (yoga, qi gong, walking)

3. Connect with a friend or loved one with a quick call or text that you’re thinking of them

4. Eat a meal mindfully (sit down, say a prayer of gratitude, look at your food, smell your food, TASTE your food)

5. Practice self-compassion by asking yourself what you need and then sincerely try to meet that need in a compassionate way.

Are you willing to take care of yourself? 😊

I think curiosity is the BEST feeling when I’m anxious or worried. I choose to be curious about what will happen for my good instead of what terrible thing might happen next.

It’s really helpful! 😊
Are you curious?

Don’t worry, it’s not just you. It’s very common to feel sleepy when meditating.

Hope these tips help! Just please don’t judge yourself if you fall asleep and listen to your body. Maybe you just need a nap! 💜

Have you ever fallen asleep while meditating? I have! 🥱

Do you sometimes hold your breath when feeling anxious or stressed? I do and I also find myself breathing very shallowly.

Try this to feel more calm and present:

Take a full breath in through your nose and let the full breath out through your mouth. Then continue breathing fully in and out through your nose a few times.

How did it feel?

Have you heard of a S.T.O.P. Break? It’s one of my very favorite mindfulness exercises.

It just takes a minute or less.

1. Stop. No, really- just stop. Be still.

2. Take a breath. In through your nose and out through your mouth, if you can. Feel the breath.

3. Observe how you feel. This can be overall or more specifically how you feel in your body, in your mind, or what emotions you’re feeling. You can also just notice your surroundings and anything else in your environment. Be present and fully aware.

4. I use to say “Proceed mindfully” (and I still encourage that) but I’d like to change it up to “Ponder what you truly need right now”.

Being aware of your needs and trying the best you can to meet those needs is an act of self-compassion.

You might become aware that you’re hungry and need to eat, or you need to get up from your workspace and stretch or take a walk outside…
There could be big things or small things that come to your mind that you truly need. Listen.

What do you need? 💜

Do you have a phrase you can say to yourself when you’re feeling stressed or negative self-talk is beating down your door?

I’d love to hear yours and if you don’t have one, try one of these on for size. 💜

I just want you to remember. 💜
How will you be kind to yourself today?
Any kind plans for the weekend? 🥰

Meditation is simple. (The hard part is doing it consistently. 😂)

An easy way to start meditating is to use your breath as an anchor point.

Just...take a breath.

Notice where you feel it.

What body sensations do you notice?

Just feel yourself breathing for one minute.

If your mind wanders, that’s ok. Come back to the breath.

If your brain starts telling you you’re doing it wrong, that you SHOULD be better at this, that’s pretty normal. Brains have funny ways of trying to keep safe and that’s just a non-helpful try. 😂 Come back to the breath.

That’s it. That’s a good start. 😊

You’ve got this!

I didn’t sleep last night (thanks Yerba Mate 😬)
I haven’t had propane hooked up for almost a week (no hot water, not stove or oven, no dryer)
so the plumber has been walking around my house since 7am. 😂

Yep, I’d like an extra serving of Instant Calm, please! 🧘‍♀️

I’ve been practicing the 4-7-8 breathing technique (made popular by Dr. Andrew Weil) for a few months and it’s great!

Have you tried the 4-7-8 breathing exercise before? Let’s do it right now!