Find Peace & Harmony Today. ~ Cheryl
Motivational Monday
Find Peace & Harmony Today. ~ Cheryl
Category: mindfulness
Slow living lifestyle series – Slow Food
Why embrace the slow food movement?
Slow living is all about enjoying the little things in life, and slow food is all about enjoying food in the same way. Slow food is about savoring local, traditional, wholesome, and, whenever possible, organic and homegrown food. It’s about taking the time to cook and eat your food mindfully, and about appreciating the flavors and textures of each bite.
Embracing the food culture around you is all about cooking with what’s in season, using locally sourced ingredients, and sharing the deliciousness of carefully chosen foods with your loved ones.
Slow food’s focus on quality is more important than you might think. And I’m not trying to be cliché, but we really are “what we eat.” I’d like to add that we are also “how we eat.”
Eating slowly and mindfully allows us to savor our food and appreciate its flavors. It also gives us a chance to connect with the people we’re eating with and the environment around us. When we eat quickly and on the go, we’re more likely to make unhealthy choices and overeat. We’re also more likely to miss out on the social and environmental aspects of food.
So next time you eat, slow down and savor your food. You might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!
If you’re always grabbing whatever is fast, easy, and convenient, you’re probably living a fast-paced, stressful life where you’re always multitasking. Eating slowly just makes sense when you’re trying to live a slower, more intentional, and enjoyable life.
CREED OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT
- Good: a fresh and flavorsome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture
- Clean: food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health
- Fair: accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small-scale producers
PLANT AN HERB GARDEN
If you wanna start small, planting some herbs in indoor planters or even in a small flowerbed is a great way to build your confidence while adding natural, homegrown, and organic flavor to your cooking. Your family can help with caring for the small herb garden, learning together how natural the process of real food is and how the earth can nourish our bodies. It’s a fun and rewarding activity that everyone can enjoy.
PLANT A VEGETABLE GARDEN
Vegetable gardens are the way to go. They’re one of the best ways to connect with nature, the seasons, and the earth. Growing your own vegetables is a great way to learn about what’s in season locally, and it’s also a fun and rewarding way to add fresh, tasty veggies to your diet. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction you get from eating a meal that you grew yourself!
Peace & Harmony, Cheryl
Create a ‘Soft Landing’
Create a soft place to land in your home a refuge from the stress of the day.
Our daily lives can be pretty demanding, and it’s easy to get stressed out if we don’t take care of ourselves. One way to make sure we have a chance to relax and recharge every day is to create a “soft landing” place when we get home. This could be a whole room or just a small corner, but it should be a safe and comfortable place where we can unwind and de-stress from the day.
Once we’re home, we feel a sense of security that helps us forget about any problems we might have been dealing with. Our homes are also a place where we can shift our focus from the outside world to our inner selves.
To create a cozy spot in your home, start by scouting out some potential locations. Or, if your whole house is your happy place, you might just need to declutter a bit. Your habits can often give you clues about the perfect spot, as you might naturally gravitate to a certain area of your home when you’re feeling the need for comfort.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your soft place to land:
- Choose a spot that is quiet and relaxing.
- Add some comfortable furniture, like a sofa, armchair, or chaise lounge.
- Make sure the lighting is soft and inviting.
- Add some personal touches, like throw pillows, blankets, and plants.
- Create a space that is just for you, where you can relax and unwind.
Any space that helps you relax and de-stress can be your own personal sanctuary. A basement, attic, spare room, or even an unused storage area can be transformed into a calming oasis with some cozy furniture and your favorite items. And if you’re lucky enough to have a garden or patio, spending time outdoors can be a great way to unwind and let go of the day’s worries.
To prepare these spaces, just declutter and add a few beautiful objects that make you feel relaxed. Choose a spot that’s quiet and away from the hustle and bustle.
Your personal sanctuary should be a place where you can relax and feel safe. When you come home after a long day, you should be able to exhale, relax, and know that you are in a safe space. You should feel a sense of peace and tranquility as you settle in and center yourself.
Peace & Harmony,
Cheryl ~ Organizer & Coach
If you’re looking for help to create your ‘landing pad’ contact me! envisionsdesigns@gmail.com
𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝑰𝒔 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑰𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉.” — 𝑩𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏
Chill Today . . .
Sorry for that . . . I’m not sure what the disconnection was! Still Chill . . . let go and dream of better days.
Peace ♥ Harmony
Cheryl XO
Simple Way to Teach Mindfulness To Kids
“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”
Children as young as preschool can learn mindfulness techniques, I have used it in my classroom with my preschoolers. I would see a student playing with other students and having a difficult time – then it would happened before I interceded I would hear one student say “Let’s take a big breathe”
I will be starting a PARENT / TEACHER ZONE on the blog to help out all those parents and teachers that have found themselves in different roles in their lives. I will say I have seen some teachers just “Own” this situation of education that we are in right now. Some have taken education to a new arena and I will be sharing their tips, resources and brilliant ideas every week on the blog.
If you are a teacher or parent that has found a tip, trick or a resource that has helped you through this educational world and would like to share, please comment below. I love hearing everyone’s innovative ideas!
Peace Harmony & Breathe!
X ♥ O Cheryl
Resource: ↓↓↓ Mindfulness Music
Wellness Wednesday
This mindfulness exercise I have used in my classroom with great success with children that were having a tough time calming themselves at certain times of the day.
This exercise not only helps children learn about how their emotions can cloud their thoughts, but it also facilitates the practice of mindfulness while focusing on the swirling glitter in the jar.
Try having the kids focus on one emotion at a time, such as anger, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter is like that emotion.
If you leave the jar where they can use it with assistance (if glass) it will be a tool they will reach out for in those moments they are struggling.
Peace Harmony & Love
Cheryl XO
Wellness Wednesday
If you working at home with your children, have the kids practice meditation with you. As a former teacher, we used it in our classroom to calm chaotic moments, the students enjoyed practicing it – we made it part of our curriculum.
I use the CALM APP on my phone, there are so many different meditations to choose from.
Peace Harmony & Love
Cheryl XO
#MeditationMonday
Peace Harmony & Happy Mindful Monday!
XO Cheryl
#WellnessWednesday
A Shift in the Focus of Wellness Programs
For many of us, a quarter to a third of our lives will be spent in the workplace.
On a daily basis, we will spend more waking hours in our workplace than at home, and experience more exchanges with team members than family members.
When corporate wellness programs first took off, the focus was primarily on smoking cessation or weight loss goals. Current wellness programs have come a long way since then – now, program offerings have expanded to focus on more than just the physical aspect of health. Employers are now using corporate wellness programs to increase employee engagement and to become more mindful of mental health at work. Companies are doing this by combining more traditional well-being efforts with career coaching development programs.
Keeping Wellness Simple
This year, more workplace wellness programs will be switching to a “less is more” approach. One possible reason for employers not seeing the participation levels they want in their wellness programs is because the program is too confusing. Employees desire simple, uncomplicated wellness tasks and objectives – most likely because they already have enough on their plates. The last thing employers want to do is stress out employees even more by asking them to complete complicated tasks.
Workplace wellness programs can be simplified by focusing on five key factors that contribute to a successful wellness program:
- Accessibility
- Communication
- health assessments
- Screenings
- Health education
By keeping employee wellness simple, employers can expect higher participation rates and less confusion surrounding wellness initiatives.
Lifestyle-by-designs 