Keeping calm
...and a brief self-introduction
There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and it’s easy to get swept up in all of the breaking news - it’s never-ending. In my own work to stay calm - ish - I’m appreciating as many small pleasures as I can. Some people describe these as glimmers - moments of positivity, of beauty, of joy. Here’s some of what I’m doing:
Staying in the moment, as much as possible. And bringing myself back to the present if I notice myself wandering away into worry about the future or over-analyzing the past.
Watching videos that make me laugh - being in a state of amusement can help lift us (even temporarily) out of feeling low.
Watching videos where people are helping people, or helping animals, or helping the environment - any and all demonstrations of kindness and compassion remind me of the good in humanity.
Putting my phone down and being present in a snuggle session with our dogs.
Really enjoying an excellent cup of coffee - I’m currently drinking strong hot coffee with a splash of oat milk, maple syrup, and a little ground cardamom - delicious :)
Lowering my expectations for myself. This basically looks like giving myself some grace and allowing myself to be wherever I am. I know I’m going to do the best I can on any given day, and also, my best might look different on different days - I’m working on celebrating that. It’s not easy to do when it’s ingrained in me to “go go go” and to take pride in how much I can get done during a day, how much I can “push through”. But I’ve noticed that a lifetime of pushing through has landed me with injuries and anxiety, from creating a habit of not listening to my body or my inner wisdom. So this one is a process of undoing, and rewriting.
A brief introduction: I live in Massachusetts with my husband and our dogs. We have a small farm which includes (so far) a number of animals who needed a home (some horses, sheep and goats) and some fruit trees. I’m learning a ton about livestock care and we have plans to grow more fruits and veggies and flowers. It’s all a work in progress and I’ll be sharing about that journey here. I’m a clinical psychologist and an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner by training; I’ll share tips and reflections about health and wellness here. I’m an avid reader and lifelong student, and am currently in a course to learn about herbal medicine for women. And I have an online gift shop (artisanalbeing.com) where I share some of my favorite things. All of these things will probably make an appearance here, along with other topics I haven’t thought of yet! I’m envisioning this as a newsletter where I share what I’ve learned and what I’m learning, what I’m working on, and some longstanding favorite things as well as current obsessions. A bit of everything :) Very glad you’re here.