FOLLOW THE BUTTERFLIES …

My personal map to recovery… as my sister once said to me … “always try to follow the butterflies”.

Each day I will post one simple and easy “me” thing you can do to keep yourself smiling inside and out. Scroll to the bottom to find my latest suggestion. ENJOY!!

I am posting to the top of the list now. For those of you who have been following you no longer have to scroll to the bottom of the list for the latest post. Sorry, I am not the most computer literate in the world and it took me a while to figure this out!

I am currently recovering from a serious relapse and here is how I am doing it:

• This “tip” involves a considerable cost but I felt it important to include. It has been a very valuable investment in my recovery and well being. Recently I booked five days away at a beautiful spa. I invested in a deep tissue massage with a registered therapist (with a prescription for massage therapy I can recover part of the cost through my health benefits plan). I also booked two spa treatments. One was a body wrap and one was a facial. Being a health spa, the dining menu choices were very healthy and well balanced. I booked in carrying a lot of mental and physical pain. The spa treatments went a long way to address the physical pain which allowed me to focus on my mental health. When I checked out five days later I was well on my way back up those loathed stairs!

• Indulge in a small bouquet of grocery store fresh cut flowers and put them in a jar, vase, or even a coffee can and place them somewhere directly in your line of sight throughout the day.

• “Mini Me” day … take one hour today for yourself. Put on your favorite playlist and just listen … tinkle on the keyboard that has been collecting dust, change your nail polish to a bright and sunny colour, grind up some almonds and mix it with that honey and sugar and slap it on your face, roll around on the floor with the dog or the kids. Whatever it is that lets you be selfish for an hour today … do it!! It’s MINI ME DAY!!!

• Chose the window in your home that offers you your favorite view. Now get out the paper towels and window cleaner and polish the inside of the window. Now step back, admire the result, the sparkling glass but more importantly, that beautiful view. Wrap your arms around yourself (self hug) and out loud, say ” THANK YOU”. Now smile … and keep that smile on your face all day by remembering the beautiful gift you just gave yourself.

• Indulge yourself in your own “guilty secret pleasure” today. You know … that thing you do, or like that everyone around you thinks is”silly”. Sneak that small box of chocolates, watch a re-run of “Big Bang Theory” for the umpteenth time. Personally, mine is the movie “Dirty Dancing”. Speaking of which, I think I will put off that last load of laundry in favour of Patrick and Erin … LOVE that movie! Whatever your guilty pleasure is, indulge today. Have fun 🙂

• It’s ROCK AND ROLL FRIDAY!! This is the day you rock the body and attack the rolls … literally. Get off the couch, get out of bed, and MOVE 🙂 5 minutes, that’s all. Today??  Down on the floor and give your abs the gift of 10 stomach crunches. Physically not able to? Here’s an alternative … lay straight out on a flat surface and hug your knee as close to your chest as you can for a slow count of ten. Do this 5 times with each leg. Whichever you chose, when you are done, stand up and JIGGLE!! lol Shake it out for 10 seconds or so. Feel’s good huh??

OOPS!!!  Missed a day !  He he he … Saturday slipped by so quickly! Oh well … on to Sunday’s pursuit of the butterflies …

• CALLING ALL COUCH POTATOES (and wanna be’s) … today is the day you get to give yourself permission to have a jammies day. Keep your PJ’s on, stay snuggled in your fuzzy bathrobe you love, curl up with a good book, slip in a dvd … it doesn’t matter what you want to do or how you do it. Just do it! Permission granted, guilt not allowed! 🙂
• Make a stranger smile today. Hold a door open, compliment someone you don’t know, offer to carry out someone’s groceries … when that stranger smiles at you it is an incredibly fulfilling feeling. It will lift your spirits and give you something to smile about for the rest of the day.
• It’s Friday.  Time to make a plan for the weekend, ensuring you have something to look forward to.  Here a few suggestions …  a) Low on cash? Have a movie night! Borrow a dvd or blu-ray from your local library at no charge (look for a comedy), head on over to the dollar store and pick up a package of microwave popcorn, then gather friends and/or family together. You will be laughing and having fun in no time.          b) Plan a “makeover” day. This is good for guys and gals alike. Start by making a facial mask using 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half a tablespoon of milk. Mix together and gently massage into skin. Leave on for twenty minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry. Both you and your skin will look and feel relaxed and refreshed. c) Plan to grab the pooch (don’t have one? Ask to “borrow” the neighbour’s. They will thank you for it) and head to the dog park. It’s a guaranteed fun time and there are always other dog lovers to swap tail wagging stories with. Whatever you choose to do, plan it today, knowing you are going to have fun all weekend long!
• It’s “take a deep breath” day. Here’s what you do … put on a jacket, snow pants, sweater, depending on where in this wonderful world you live, go outside for a few minutes and look up at the stars. Close your eyes and draw in a deep breath. As you inhale think one happy thought. Your new kitten, your favorite candy, something that is calming. Reflect on that thought for a moment. Let your breath out slowly and empty your mind of that thought. Focus only on your breath slowly escaping. Open your eyes to the stars again. I promise you will suddenly feel light, easy, peaceful.
• Here is something free, easy and VERY rewarding that will leave you with a warm smile inside and out … do something nice for someone else! Why does this work? Well, when you practice a random act of kindness toward someone, specially a complete stranger (hold a door open, carry a parcel or package to their car etc.) you are making their day a little more pleasant which will leave you with a warm glow inside. Everyone benefits! So go ahead, be kind to someone and in turn, be kind to yourself 🙂