Shining Out of Comfort Zones

Wednesday, December 9- Comfy
           Curled up under the blankets warm and cozy with a cup of tea is one of my comfy moments. I love being comfy especially on cold and rough days. I am always cold so blankets and warm clothing are always near me. I love days when I can curl up in a blanket with a book, journal, and cup of tea and just relax, and take a moment to enjoy the warmth and comfort. When I am depressed being comfy is just about the only thing I want to do. I want to stay in sweats, curl up in a blanket, and forget the outside world exists. I use to find this to be a huge negative and at times it made recovering from the worst difficult but now I have learned to use being comfy as a coping strategy. Being comfy now means setting an amount of time to be comfy, maybe an hour or one day a week I allow myself that silent, individual space to be comfy and do what I need to do but once that set time is up I need to force myself beyond the physical comfort zone and well as my mental comfort zone. Its all a matter of moderation and knowing what I need, when I need it, and when I am just using it as an excuse. Comfort is key for moments of recovery but uncomfortable moments are far more important to push beyond what you know and find what could be the next amazing thing in your journey of life.

Thursday, December 10- Comfort Food
          Potatoes.... As many of you know my comfort food most certainly is potatoes. I love potatoes in any form; french fries, mashed, smashed, baked. You name it I will eat it if its a potato. Recently I began limiting my potato intake because well lets just say I love potatoes so much that I might have been eating them a little to much. I find comfort foods and food in general to be one of my favorite things. Food brings so much opportunity. It is what energizes your entire day and what you choose to put into your body certainly shows through out your day. I always find when I am down and out that comfort foods and some good company to go with the food helps me to relax and forget about whatever anxiety I am feeling. Today was a potato day and boy did I need it today. Comfort foods after a long day of teaching is always a positive and happy way to end the day.

Friday, December 11- Gift
       This week I have been talking about gifts and gift giving with my students. We have been writing about what it is like to receive and give gifts. My students are amazing at only the age of 7 or 8 and many of them thought of amazing gifts they could give to the people they love today. Most of the things they wrote about were not physical items they could give to people but rather things they could do for people they loved. One of my students talked about cleaning the house for her mom while another talked about helping a friend when they are sad. It is amazing to see how these 2nd graders get kindness and how to treat others better then most of the adults in this world. Over my semester with my 2nd grade friends I have found  them to be a true gift in my life. They give me pictures and notes and share their love each day with me. Knowing I leave them in just a week makes me sad. The thought of not seeing them each day and hearing all of the stories and things they want to share with me in all honesty makes me want to cry. They show true kindness and love to everyone they meet and bring a smile to my face in each moment of the day.


Saturday, December 12- Twinkle 
        Today I had a chance to spend a lot of time with friends just relaxing. I can say this is probably the first time this semester relaxing and truly just enjoying the company of friends was possible. Between all of our schedules this semester has been a whirl wind of events, to do lists, and work. We all have agreed that we spent most of our time running around like chickens with our heads cut off so it was nice to get a chance to unwind and spend time together without a large amount of work and things to do hanging over our heads. Days that are filled with fun and time spent with people I really enjoy always helps to bring a twinkle into my eye and restore life into my daily routines. Yesterday was definitely a chance to restore life through relaxation and time together. It is amazing how spending just one day with people that I love can really change my mood and emotions in an instant. For me spending time with people I love has always been a 'coping' skill for my anxiety and depression. It often times helps me to look beyond my own head and opens my eyes to everything I am missing because of the things going on up in that head of mine. Spending time with people I love centers me and helps me to balance myself out. I get a twinkle of hope back and can spread love more easily when I am relaxed and ready to go myself.

Sunday, December 13- Shine 
      Last night one of my best friends sent me an awesome article about apologizing. I have over the last few years fallen into a bad habit of apologizing every time I perceive that I have done something slightly annoying or unplanned which is completely ridiculous and out of control. At the beginning of the semester my friend found a bell app on her phone and started ringing it at me every time I apologized for something ridiculous. For example I have apologized on many occasions for talking to her about things I am struggling with or something I just need to get off my chest so I can move on. Every time I apologize after this she gives me a look and just shakes her head in disgust at the fact I apologized for something that needs no apologizing. Last night we were just chilling out in our suite when I received a Facebook message from her across the room. It shows an awesome cartoon (which you can see below) that shows what to do instead of apologizing for things. I loved it because no only was it slightly funny (okay a lot funny) but it also was true to my life and things I have been doing. This article shows me that I can shine and love myself. I need to accept myself for who I am and stop apologizing for all of the things I think I shouldn't be. Creating self love and shinning to my true potential can start with simply saying thank you for listening rather then apologizing for talking. Below is the cartoon that came with the article. Enjoy and shine by loving who you are instead of apologizing.