Does life feel like a whirlwind as you manage new schedules, a new season, and a stressful national and global climate?
Time to get centered!
- Focus on joy and peace on a daily basis
- Savor the best parts of each week
- Get better sleep as we enter a new season
Tip #1: Focus on joy and peace on a daily basis
This is a good time to center ourselves and practice habits that bring us little moments of peace and joy. For me, looking at flowers, trees, and clouds and hugging my family are my favorite ways of taking a break and rejuvenating my sense of wonder and gratitude. What are your favorite ways to come into the present moment?
Our energy affects the energy of those around us, so we need to practice being present and centered as often as possible. I can sometimes feel crushed and overwhelmed by my list of “to-dos,” obligations, and worries, so when I feel that anxiety building, I must pause and reconnect with myself to remember what I want to be thinking about and doing. Otherwise, I risk being reactive instead of intentional and responsive.
How do you pause and reconnect with yourself on a daily basis?
I recently facilitated a group where we shared centering/grounding practices as part of our discussion. Check out what people shared and see what resonates for you. If you are not doing so already, challenge yourself to stop and embrace moments of peace and joy several times each day. Your spirits will lift and you’ll be more able to face any challenges that come your way with greater calm.
Practice stopping to savor simple beautiful experiences. Follow your children’s lead when they stop and notice, too!
13 WAYS TO GET CENTERED AND FEEL JOY:
- Exercise
- Draw, sketch or paint
- Go outside
- Appreciate the sun, wind, clouds and rain
- Be with friends
- Embrace silence
- Lay down and talk with your kids at night
- Walk in the woods
- Pray
- Meditate
- Cook or Bake
- HugRead
Tip #2: Savor the best parts of each week
Whenever we enter a time of transition, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on where we’ve been. I like to do this with my family whenever we drive home from a vacation, share a meal after an outing, or enter a new season or stretch of time. Sure, my teens might groan about a “mom question,” but they always appreciate hearing what each person shares during these conversations, and I gain valuable insights that I might never have heard if I didn’t ask. Here are the questions I’ve been asking when we’ve had friends and family over for outdoor get-togethers this past month. Try them with your family and friends and see what you learn!
Questions for older kids and adults:
- What are you savoring from the summer (or any season or week) that you want to “store up” to remember during the colder months ahead (or next season or week)?
- What are you most proud of yourself for this past week? What’s something you did that made you feel good?
- What coping skills have you been practicing lately? How are they helping you?
- What’s something you want to focus on in the coming week?
- What activities do you want to do together to celebrate this season?
Family Brainstorm:
Consider doing a family brainstorm about a coming period of time. It could be a season, a weekend, a vacation or even a day. Then post your ideas up somewhere. You can check them off as you do each idea. Then, you can use your list to look back at when you reflect at the end of that time period.
Variation: I’ve been posting a list of house and yard work that needs to get done each week for my family. My husband and I offer an outing or some money for more arduous jobs. Other jobs are just part of contributing to the family. Each week, we talk about who wants to do what, and then each person puts their name by a job or two, and then gets the pleasure of crossing it off once it’s completed. Everyone in the family is expected to contribute.
Questions for younger kids and toddlers:
- What did you like doing yesterday? What do you want to do today? Draw pictures or write simple words to show you are listening and post them somewhere your child can see. Then when your child needs something to do, you can point to the list and have your child choose an activity.
- Have you seen squirrels and chipmunks eating acorns and tomatoes and things in the grass? They are storing up for the winter. What do you want to store up like a squirrel? A great book to read together before asking these questions is Frederick by Leo Lionni
- What did you learn to do this summer (or any season)? Consider making a picture together to show all the new skills your child(ren) have learned over the summer/season.
- What do you want to do together this fall (or any season)?
Make an Activity Jar:
You can order books on fall activities from your local library to read together to get ideas. Make a list or draw pictures that you can put in a bowl. When your kids need something to do, they can pull a picture from the bowl. You can create an idea bowl or jar for each season that you rotate over the course of the year. Focus on joy as you create ideas together.
Want more questions to use with your family to get conversation going? I made two sets of Conversation Jumpstarts you can print out on card stock and cut into cards to use at the dinner table or in the car. Or you can just memorize a few to have in mind when you want to get your kids talking and connecting.
Jumpstart conversation cards —
Need help on how to get your family talking more? Schedule a Clarity Call with me and we’ll find some ways together.
Tip #3: Get better sleep as we enter a new season!
Sleep is the magic potion that can heal depression, anxiety, self-criticism, short-tempers, overwhelm, overeating, and a host of other negative feelings and experiences. It’s free and it will do you a world of good! Try getting enough sleep for a few nights and see how you feel.
Click here to read my blog on establishing good sleep habits in your home.
Further Reading:
Tips to Navigate the Summer to Fall Transition
5 Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Feel Better
Schedule a Clarity Call to get ideas that are just right for you!
