Monthly Archives: February 2023

Invest In Yourself. Enjoy The Difference

Once Upon a Line

You spend time and money keeping your car running. Give to your children, spouse and community. What about yourself? 

See how much more you can accomplish when you make yourself a priority!

  1. Hire a personal trainer or join the gym. Your health and fitness are important. Get an expert on your side. Many health clubs offer free personal training. Look for a gym with this service. If you have the financial resources, hiring the local expert can speed your progress.
  2. Hire a personal chef or take a cooking class. A personal chef typically comes to your house once every two weeks and prepares two weeks of food at a time. The meals can accommodate any food preferences you have. It’s not a cheap service, but it’s less expensive than a private chef!
  3. Take a course. What interests you? You could take a class on Buddhism, basket weaving, calculus, or a golf lesson. What would enrich your life? Identify what would do the most for you and go do it. You might ask your boss for a few ideas. It might give your career a boost.
  4. Hire a personal coach. A personal coach can help you figure out what you want to do with your life and advise you on how to make it happen. A personal coach is a sounding board, friend, and an expert on life. Let someone advise you and hold you accountable.
  5. Make time for yourself. Everyone needs a break each day to enjoy life. Use this time however you please without any feelings of guilt. Watch TV or YouTube videos. Gossip with the neighbor. Enjoy an ice cream cone or read a trashy novel. Spending some time frivolously is important for your well-being.
  6. Do something to advance your career. You might work on your resume, brush up on your interviewing skills, or spend some time networking. Take a public speaking course. What do you need to take your career to the next level?
  7. Read something just for you. Anything you like. It might be something that helps you at work, with a hobby, or just provide entertainment. Make reading a regular habit. Reading is one thing most successful people have in common.
  8. See the doctor. It’s important to see the doctor at least once each year. Get a check-up and ensure your body is in good health. It’s a good idea to see the dentist too.
  9. Set a few goals. It’s important to be working toward something. What will that something be? Without a goal, you’re just waiting for something to happen. Choose what you want to happen in your life. Spend whatever time you need to create a few goals that will enhance your life.

What can you do today to ensure a more prosperous future? Spend a small portion of your resources – time, money, or focus – on yourself each month. Make yourself a priority. You’ll enjoy the results.

If this is your first time here, WELCOME! If you have not yet checked out my , You Tube Channel head over now for ambient music content!

To Your Success,
Juan

Navigating Self Care On Your Commute

Once Upon a Line

The average American spend about an hour or more each weekday traveling to and from work. That’s at least 5 hours a week you can turn into an opportunity for self-care instead of wasting time or feeling stressed. If like me, you live in the Big Apple, we are busy. We are not rude, you are in the way.

How much flexibility you have to change your commute probably depends on your job and lifestyle. However, there are positive changes you can make under any circumstances. Look through this list of suggestions and come up with your own ideas for making your commute more productive and fulfilling.

Making Modest Changes to Your Commute

More activities can be accomplished while riding on your commute, such as in a carpool or on a bus or train. As long as you avoid distracted driving, however, there are still activities that can make your commuting time feel shorter and beneficial.  Depending on your commute style, here are some suggestions:

  1. Continue learning. As long as you avoid distracted driving or other safety hazards, you can study a foreign language or Macedonian civilization. Register for an online course or choose your own books, CDs, and podcasts.
  2. Plan your future. Figure out what you want to accomplish this week or this year. Daydream about your next vacation destination or set goals for advancing your career.
  3. Relax and meditate. If you’re on your feet much of the day, you may need some quiet time. Focus on your breath and observe your thoughts.
  4. Listen to music. An upbeat or soothing playlist can put you in the mood for the day ahead. Discover new artists or enjoy your old favorites.
  5. Be social. Taking your neighbors and surroundings into consideration, maybe you can spend your commute connecting with others. If voice and video calls are inadvisable, you might still text and post on social media.
  6. Bring snacks. Small things can make a big difference. Treat yourself to healthy foods or premium coffee to upgrade your travel experience.
  7. Help others. Trying to be of service can make your commute feel shorter and more satisfying. Pay attention to other commuters so you’ll notice someone who might appreciate a little small talk or help with carrying their packages.

Making Radical Changes to Your Commute

If a long commute is making you unhappy or interfering with your family life, you may want to reconsider the tradeoffs you’re making. Maybe a different job would be more satisfying or perhaps you and your employer can reach a compromise.

Consider these ideas:

  1. Adjust your hours. The same route can feel very different during peak and off-peak travel times. If your job doesn’t require any specific start or end time, you might be able to start early or leave late so you can beat the crowds.
  2. Stay home. How much of your job could be done remotely? If your employer seems receptive, propose working from home on certain days of the week. Offer to start with a trial run so you can evaluate the results.
  3. Sleep in. You might be able to take a nap even if you can’t afford a chauffeur. Some trains have quiet cars where many passengers go to snooze. Organizing a van pool could give you and others a chance to take turns driving while the rest of the group relaxes.
  4. Walk or bike. Is your office too far away to walk there? You might still be able to travel on foot or bike part of the way so you can enjoy some exercise outdoors.
  5. Disconnect completely. Studies show that time off from technology makes you more mindful and productive. You may even start looking forward to turning off your phone once a day or more.

Each additional minute of commuting time takes a toll on your mental and physical health, according to a research review by Scientific American. If you’re unable to shorten your travel, you can still make those hours more rewarding by devoting them to self-care.

Which one of these suggestions will you being implementing immediately? Sound of below.

To Your Success,
Juan

Self Nurturing Strategies for Sundays

Self Care, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Self-care on Sunday involves dedicating a day to yourself each week, especially if you don’t have much time during the week to really focus on you. Here are some activities that can be great to do on Sundays:

Let yourself sleep in – If you don’t get to sleep in during the rest of the week, at the very least give yourself this time on Sundays! Your body (and mind) needs the rest.

Go to brunch with friends – Self-care can also mean doing something you enjoy with other people. Grab a group of friends on Sunday to go to brunch.

Head to a park or the beach with your kids – You can also enjoy more time with your kids without cell phones and TV. Go outside to enjoy the fresh air and exercise. Ride bicycles around your neighborhood, have a beach day, or do a picnic at the park.

Have an hour of pampering – You might not be able to dedicate the entire day just to self-care, but at least fit in some pampering time.

Catch up on your reading or creative projects – This is the perfect time to pick activities you enjoy, but rarely have time for. Maybe there is a book you have been wanting to finish or a creative project you would love to do.

Get ready for the week – Self-care can also mean just giving yourself time ot really reset and prepare for the week ahead.

Self-Care for Introverts and Extroverts

If you are an introvert, you probably find that you are the most relaxed when you are alone. This doesn’t mean you want to be or should be alone all the time, but that you often need a little bit of time to yourself each day to recharge and gain your composure.

Have Quiet Solitude on Sunday – Self-care for an introvert can be as simple as just making sure you have some alone, quiet time on Sundays. You need this time to yourself to regroup and relax. It can be really hard when you go all day around other people and never give yourself this time.

Find Nature-Inspired Activities – Introverts also tend to enjoy time outdoors, again in a quiet and peaceful environment. Try to find some activities you can participate in that will encourage you to spend more time outside. 

Embrace Your Creative Side – An amazing way to practice self-care as an introvert is to do something creative. Learn how to crochet, write a poem or short story, color in an adult coloring book, or start painting.

Self-Care for Extroverts

Extroverts are more social creatures, getting their energy from being around other people. If you consider yourself an extrovert, you probably enjoy time with others more than time alone. But what does that mean for your self-care routine? Here are some tips for practicing self-care when you are an extrovert.

Enjoy Social Time with Friends – What might be a little more up your alley is scheduling in time with friends. What better way to practice self-care than spend time with those you love the most?

Volunteer Your Time – Looking for something more meaningful and fulfilling? You might like to volunteer somewhere as your self-care. Look into local community centers or animal shelters that are open on Sunday and see if they need any help.

Join a Local Club – Another social activity that helps with your self-care is joining a local club, like a book club. Not only will you be encouraged to read more, but you can get together once a week with your book club to chat and talk about the book. 

Whether you are intro or extrovert, meditation plays a key role in the reset process. If you have not done so yet, please head over to my Ambient Music  You tube channel for awesome content.

See you next Sunday!
Juan

 

Soulful Self Indulgent Sundays

Once Upon a Line

By now, you have seen hundreds of ads relating to Valentines Day. Nothing wrong with this. Well let’s take a break, and focus on, taking care of YOU. For the month of February, I will share useful tips and suggestions to help make this a habit, instead of a luxury.

Self-Care Sunday: Dedicate One Day Each Week to Yourself

Self-care has transformed a lot over the last few years. It began as a way to encourage people to do more fo

r themselves, which is amazing. But somewhere along the way, it became something people felt like they were forced to do.  Instead of focusing on having to fit it into your daily life, why not just start one day a week?

Why do Self-Care on Sunday?

Sunday is actually the perfect day to dedicate to yourself, since it is often already a day of rest for many people. You are winding down after a fun weekend, and likely getting ready for a new week to begin. Take advantage of the downtime by adding some self-care activities to your routine.

1. Setting Up Your Weekly Self-Care Routine

First thing’s first – figure out what your routine is going to be on Sunday. Don’t forget that self-care doesn’t have to be done alone, so if you have a busy house on Sundays, you can still do this! 

What you want to do is focus on your self-care on Sundays, whether that means an hour during the day, or changing the entire routine for the day.  Think of Sundays like a reset day. When you not only get your planning done for the week, but you give yourself some time to relax and unwind, reset your body and your mind for another busy week.

How is it Different from Daily Self-Care?

To put it simply, it’s not. You still want to choose activities that help you to relax, are good for your body and mind, and overall wellness. But you might have a little more free time on Sundays, so you won’t feel as pressured to fit it all in before or after work, or during your bedtime routine.

Think About Your Current Sunday Routine

In order to turn Sunday into your weekly self-care day, you need to consider what you tend to do on Sundays. This self-reflection helps you determine if these are things that can only be done on Sundays, or can be moved to another day to give you more time for yourself. 

Make a list of things you do every Sunday first. Then look at your list, and cross off anything that isn’t really necessary or might no longer be serving you. With what is left, determine if any of those activities can be moved to Saturday.

For example, if you do a lot of cleaning and chores on Sundays, could they be moved to other days during the week, freeing up a bit more self-care time for you?

Next Sunday, I will share a list of things you can start to implement right away. Why wait a week? Information overload. When you want to change a habit, it’s easy to give up, if you feel there is just too much pump and circumstance. Use this entire week to work out how you plan to carve out this time for yourself. 

See you then.

Please dont forget to head over to my  You Tube Channel for a variety of videos geared to help you relax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPtcPlU2O5A

To Your Success,
Juan