Nixing My To Do List in Favor Of My Mental Health

Nixing My To Do List in Favor Of My Mental Health
You are probably thinking…um…what? Getting rid of your to do list? That’s crazy! Nonsensical! How do you know what to work on?!

I know, I know. I have a toddler, a husband, a cat, a living space and myself to take care of and keep up with as well as trying to build my new business.

So how can I possible get anything done without a detailed to do list?

I do! Really.

At first, I didn’t even realize I wasn’t writing to do lists anymore. They used to be my thing, constantly needing the control of knowing what needs done. I even got to the point that I needed to map out estimated length of time something would take, what day to do it…what time of the day to do it. My Panic Disorder made me feel like I needed that power and schedule in my life to get anything done without a panic attack.

I’ll admit, I do thrive on routine. I get anxious and upset when my routine gets out of whack. Weekends are hard for me, I love when my husband is home but it’s just so different than the rest of the week it throws me off. It’s something I’m working on.

But the to do lists were even worse than needing a routine. Last week I realized I’ve been accomplishing so much for my little business and getting ready to launch without a to do list and I felt shocked but then I said, “hell yeah! I can do this!” It was empowering and thrilling.

Before I would make my lists, down to the numbers and then stare at it, filled with anxiety. Despite having things mapped out perfect, I felt overwhelmed with everything that needed accomplished and having that visual reminder just encouraged my anxiety.

Now?

Now, if I don’t remember to do it or take care of it, it wasn’t important enough anyways. If it really needs doing, I will keep reminding myself when I’m in the right frame of mind. I have a general list of “hey this stuff should get done to further my business” like blog posts to write, products to create etc but nothing solid that says, “I need to finish x number of posts before launch and this product needs to be ready in two weeks. Go go go!”

Ugh, even writing that brings forth my anxiety. It feels all wrong with how I need to work now.

Some people thrive on lists and having that visual, written reminder but I’m getting farther and farther away from needing that. And it feels damn good.

♥Kendra

Share: Do you thrive on having a to do list? Or does creating one make you anxious? Have you ever thought of nixing the to do list in favor of your mental health?.

 

Like a Bird

11/26/2013
Like a Bird | Tagged , , , , , , , | Thoughts

Journal in the New You: 2014 Edition E-Course

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Go HERE to get on the exclusive email list up for updates to Journal in the New You: 2014 Edition.

Last year, I created an e-course called “Journal in the New You”. It was a super simple, email based course filled with prompts to catapult you into 2013.

And then in 2013, I learned so much about myself and where my passions lay. My business and message has changed over the year and so I’m re-inventing the e-course this year.

Journal in the New You: 2014 Edition


6 week self-paced e-course for creative women.

Simply, this course is about journaling, diary keeping, photo taking and reflection.

But really? It’s about learning who you want to be and what you want out of the new year.

It’s designed for people who are interested in self discovery – people who struggle to feel confident in themselves and their current lives.

Who do you want to be in the new year?

This isn’t about goals and resolutions, failures and successes…it’s about living with joy. It’s about learning to live with confidence and a feeling of peace about who you are in this moment and where your life is headed.

By the end of this course, you will…
-Know your goals, purpose and intentions for the new year.
-Feel more in tune with your emotions and feelings. You will learn to recognize how they effect your actions and reactions to life on a daily basis.
-Discover your primary motivational drives, weather they are healthy, and how to use them to your advantage.
-Accept both the immediate and long lasting effects of your emotions and actions.
-Journal your damn heart out and start a practice of being honest and true to yourself.

So, grab your journal and camera of choice and get ready to explore the truth and find peace with you.

Journal in the New You: 2014 Edition officially launches on the time of new beginnings, The Winter Solstice, December 21st, 2013.

Official registration opens December 15th at the price of $38 for the full 6 week course + a pdf ebook at the end.

Pre-Register today for a full $10 off! Click the button below to sign up for Journal in the New You: 2014 Edition for only $28 (via paypal)!





Get ready to learn to feel good about who you are, in body and mind. Experience getting to know yourself and learn what you truly value.

Spread the word with these tweets:
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Don’t miss out on the awesome Pre-Registration price for #JournalNewYou14 http://bit.ly/18ifgQc via @likeabirdstudio tweet! tweet!

Learn to feel good about who you are, in body and mind. http://bit.ly/18ifgQc Join #JournalNewYou14 with @likeabirdstudio tweet! tweet!

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I can’t wait to start journaling and growing for the new year with #JournalNewYou14 http://bit.ly/18ifgQc with @likeabirdstudio tweet! tweet!

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♥Kendra

 

11/25/2013
E-Course | Tagged , , , , , , , | Thoughts(2)

Crafting Your Personal Mantra

CraftingMantra
I’ve never been big on affirmations, they can be hard to not sound cheesy or forced.

I am big on personal mantras. I talked briefly about this when I posted on Living For Yourself, but I wanted to expand on it today.

A personal mantra is similar to an affirmation in that it is something you come up with that you repeat to yourself, often that makes you feel better.

Your personal mantra can be about who you are or how you view life. “I’ve gotta be me!”

Or it can be something to help you calm down from the edge of a panic attack or depressive episode.

My manta is: “It’s okay.” I add to this depending on the situation but overall, my mind and body just need to know that “It’s okay.” Life is okay, we’re going to make it through. I’ve made it this far, through so many hardships and I’ve kept going and ya know what? It’s going to be okay.

When I’m driving to see my therapist, I repeat to myself, “It’s okay. It’s a safe place, with no judgement. It’s the place for me to heal.”

When I’m stressing about money or bills, I tell myself, “It’s okay. We have money to pay for dinner, we have money to pay our bills. It’s okay. We don’t have to choose between food and rent like before.”

When my son is throwing a tantrum and I am worn own, I take a breath and say to myself, “It’s okay. He’s a toddler, his life is still confusing and hard to deal with. We will be okay.”

When my husband and I are going out on a date and I’m worried about our son, we repeat, “It’s okay. His grandma knows how to take care of him, he’s less of a handful than he used to be. She knows how to put him down for bed now. He can survive without us for a few hours.”

See how adaptive my personal mantra is? That’s why I love it and use it often. There have been many times my anxiety has become too much and I need to take a moment away from the world and so I sit and repeat these words to myself. I struggle a lot with the idea that my feelings are in constant conflict with my thoughts. In my head, I know there’s no rational reason to be having a panic attack, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. So having this personal mantra to focus on, reminds my head and my anxiety that, “It’s okay.” It brings life back in to focus.

To create your own personal mantra, I recommend experimenting and paying attention for a week to see what you need and when you need it. If you need to remind yourself about self care then your mantra might be, “I before we.” If you need to work through food anxiety then your mantra might be, “Food is for nutrition, not comfort.” If you need some perspective on your life then your personal mantra might be, “My glass is half full…because…”

♥Kendra

Share: What is your personal mantra? How do you use your personal mantra on a daily basis?

 

11/22/2013
Like a Bird, Mental Health Wellness | Tagged , , , , , , , | Thoughts(2)