Life is all about balance. Even on busy days, it’s so important to make rest a priority.
After all, rest can help you recharge your batteries, give you more energy and let your mind relax.Â
When you hear the word rest, you may associate it with sleeping.Â
But rest is so much more than that.
Here are three ways you can incorporate rest into your ongoing routine.Â
Take A Personal Day
If you feel like you need a day to yourself, it’s okay to take one. Spending a weekend or even a weekday to step back and focus on yourself may be exactly what you need to get yourself back on track.
Blocking off some time for you can help you connect with your inner thoughts and truly unwind.Â
Reflect Through Writing
Writing or doodling is a healthy practice you can utilize anytime or anywhere.Â
Getting your thoughts, feelings, and experiences out on paper can help you stay in tune with yourself. When it comes to writing, there are no rules. You can write about anything that comes to mind.Â
If you’re stuck, there are several online tools that deliver fill-in-the-blank prompts.
A few examples include…
Today I am grateful for _______.
My friend ______ made me smile.
Tomorrow I am excited to______.
Limit Any “Noise”
Whether we realize it or not, our phones can be very distracting. Concentrating on your book or enjoying your meal isn’t always easy to do with a phone buzzing in the background.Â
Putting your phone on silent or placing it in a different room during your rest time can help you establish a truly restful environment.Â
Coming out is a process that can look different for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community, whether it be a gradual process or a sudden realization.Â
It comes from exploring your identity and accepting yourself for who you are.Â
For some, it can be challenging to navigate through these emotions. It’s not uncommon to have questions or to feel societal pressure from peers, but it’s important to remember that you are not alone.Â
That’s why National Coming Out Day on October 11th is meant to be celebrated. This day was first founded in 1988 by Richard Eichberg and Jean O’Leary, who both fought for the rights of the community.Â
National Coming Out Day marks exactly one year after the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It recognizes the brave people who are free to be themselves and acknowledges those who may not have a safe space to come out yet.
It’s a day to celebrate the courage it takes to live authentically in any way you choose, while still reflecting on those in the LGBTQ+ community who may not be in an environment where they can come out.Â
If you or someone you know is needing to support to come out, there are ways to reach out:Â
Thank them for having the courage and vulnerability to share with you.
Respect their wishes, whether they want to let others know or trust that you can keep it to yourself for now.Â
Carry on with your relationship as usual and reassure them nothing has changed.Â
Be prepared to offer them a shoulder to lean on.Â
Allies or those in the LGBTQ+ community can all come together to learn more about visibility and highlight self-acceptance. To find out more information, check out the resources below.Â
Many of us feel a sense of body dysphoria at some point in our lives.
We judge our human vessel by what it looks like outside and often disregard the brilliant abundance of our human nature inside. We can get stuck under a blanket of doubt, sadness, and stagnation.Â
We have negative words we tell ourselves, and some negativity is given to us by others, contributing to our despair. Most media resources show only bodies that are not accurately depicting the majority of people.Â
The average American woman weighs between 148-204 pounds. The average adult American male is 195.7 pounds.
There is no time for living in a shadow of self-doubt. The time has come to rise and shine and contribute to your best self and humanity. Let’s radiate our loving light, live our best life regardless of shape and size, and embrace our whole, wonder-filled selves.
Engaging in inspirational offerings fuel our motivation and get us moving and gaining self-care and self-love.
One way to fuel our self-esteem is with music. Most of us will bop and groove, leading to a full-on private performance and exercise! It can help us move and free ourselves from inertia and self-loathing.
Lizzo, a rap artist, enamours audiences with her fuller body and music. Her messages include we should love our bodies for what they have done and can do for us. “Your body is perfectly yours, even if it ain’t perfect to anybody else,” her voiceover began over clips of herself showing off her curves. “If you only knew the complexities your body possesses, you would be so proud of it.Â
I’m so proud of you. Making it this far in a society that gives us a head start into self-loathing, hands us a dysmorphic mirror and leaves us desperate to catch up with who we think we should be.”
Yoga is another exercise and healing arts practice that lifts the spirit. Yoga practice combines warm-ups, postures, mindful breathing, and meditation.Â
Yoga is inspiring and, when practiced safely, can help us move with joy regardless of shape and size. A yoga practice can help us gain confidence and balance our weight from the inside out.Â
Physical participation strengthens and relaxes our bodies. The philosophical and spiritual practices feature moral disciplines called Yamas. Â
One that applies here is Ahimsa, non-harming or non-violence in thought, word, and deed.Â
Ahimsa is not only our external judgments but also our internal personal harms that hinder our true selves. Â
Our media sources depict yoga as something that is not always accurate and can challenge our experiences with Ahimsa. We may physically harm ourselves by pushing our bodies to do more than they can. We may judge others who appear more at ease in their bodies, clothing, features, and shapes compared to others in our group.Â
When we can drop into our deeper selves, the judgments cease, and we experience feelings of contentment and connection, and these ways of thinking and being can be carried with us throughout our day.
The benefits of yoga come from the union of many nourishing ingredients, including physical practice and reading yoga’s philosophical and historical wisdom. We can gain mobility, independence, and confidence. When our bodies, minds, and hearts are comfortable and stable, we gain mobility, independence, and trust. We expand and move closer to our innate wholeness and unity with all beings, all shapes, and all sizes.
Habits are behaviors we do so often that we typically don’t even realize we’re doing them – such as brushing our teeth, saying thank you, or grabbing a coat before going outside.Â
Like most things in life, the more you do something, the easier it becomes.
So, if there is something you’ve been wanting to tackle, now is the time.
Every task (even the scary ones) have the potential to become a habit if you want it bad enough.
How and Where to Start
What option do you think sounds easier and more fun?
1) Cleaning your entire kitchen in one afternoon.Â
2) Setting aside 10 minutes daily to tidy up various areas of the kitchen that need attention. This can be anything from cleaning one counter or unloading the dishwasher.Â
Breaking up large goals into 10-minute tasks can help make any activity feel much less intimidating.
Simply setting aside a few minutes a day to quickly tidy up areas of your home that need it, can help prevent huge messes from pilling up.
Log Success
When we have so many things going on, we can often forget to acknowledge and appreciate those small wins.
All milestones, both large and small, deserve to be celebrated.
Writing down and checking off all the tasks we completed that day can help remind us how hard-working we are.
“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell
“There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it’s now okay to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it’s simply the way things are.” – Tammy Baldwin (Senator).
Pride Month celebrates LGBTQQIP2SAA which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit (2S), androgynous, and asexual. Portland has been organizing Pride Month events since the early 1970s. Now it amasses attendants from all over the Pacific Northwest region for the Pride Parade to celebrate the freedom of self-expression and love.
LGBTQ+ has been a part of the human experience for centuries. It can even be traced back to ancient written text and artistic depictions from the time of Alexander the Great. It is well known that history has been recorded, destroyed, and reshaped by the perspectives of powerful male figures throughout time. Whether these figures were in support of or in restriction of the LGBTQ+ community, it remains the same that this way of identity and love has transcended time and will continue to do so.
In today’s documenting of the times, states like Florida and Texas have legislators restricting education and medical treatment for LGBTQ+ related topics. These bills marginalize this community, out individuals before they may be ready, punish them for it, and penalize professionals that try to help. This takes away protection from these individuals and perpetuates discrimination that do not allow people to be their whole selves. These bills take away basic rights and isolate people from support, help, or compassion.
Pride is also about persevering. On a local level, Basic Rights Oregon is an organization that was formed in 1996 to fight against anti-gay ballot measures. It works to reform policies to create a safer environment for the LGBTQ+ community, which has contributed to Oregon being ranked as one of the top LGBTQ+ friendly states in the U.S. To echo Tammy Baldwin’s sentiments, it is important to normalize the expressions of LGBTQ+ so that people can safely show up as their whole selves.
Check out these links to learn more about Oregon’s history and continued efforts in supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Did you know that June 8th is Best Friends Day? It’s a time to celebrate the social connections we have made as well as recognize the benefits that building strong social connections has on our lives.
It’s no secret that friends do so much for us–spending time together, celebrating the good times, and comforting us in the hard times. But having a social connection is also beneficial for our well-being and mental health.
Friends can:
Boost happiness and reduce your stress.Â
Improve self-confidence and self-worth.Â
Increase your purpose.Â
Help you cope with challenges you may face.Â
On this day we can also remind ourselves of the power of social connection. Research indicates that a lack of human connection can be more harmful to your health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. The pandemic has decreased our in-person connection while also increasing our online interactions. While technology can help to connect us in new ways, excessive screen use also disconnects us from nature, from our own thoughts, and from others. We need face-to-face interaction in our lives and losing that piece of our society over the last two years has not been healthy.
If you are searching for ways to expand your social connections and make new friends, try some of these suggestions from the Canadian Mental health Association
Join a new club, or try out a group activity
Reach out to an old friend you’ve lost touch with
Volunteer for a cause you care about
Eat lunch in a communal space
Introduce yourself to your neighbours
Ask someone for help when you need it
Do a random act of kindness
Now is the time to check in with friends and acquaintances and let them know that they are important to you.Â
On April 8th we honor the Day Of Silence for the LGBTQ+ community. This campaign was created in 1996 by Maria Pulzetti and Jessie Gilliam. National Day of Silence is observed in April each year as a movement against the harassment and bullying of individuals identifying with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) community.
The first event was held during their University’s pride week, where participants wore tape in the form of an x to spread awareness. This campaign has grown since then, and now anyone can join in and stay silent during work, school, or at home.
The Day Of Silence is a time to take a vow of silence in protest of the discrimination felt by LGBTQ+ people in school and in their daily lives. Allies all around the world can take a moment to understand the struggles faced by people in the LGBTQ+ community.Â
We can educate ourselves further by learning more about the LGBTQ+ community by hearing about lived experiences, reading their stories, and watching videos.Â
To strive for a more inclusive society, we can understand others on a deeper level.Â
April 22nd marks when nearly 200 countries observe Earth Day – a holiday that consists of advocating for both policy and environmental change on a global scale. a time when we can invest in our planet. We can create a more sustainable future by helping the environment, one small act at a time.
You can take this opportunity to get involved in your community by picking up trash from neighborhoods, beaches or parks to help prevent any harm to wildlife. We can all try to find ways to reduce the waste and pollution around us.Â
There are other ways we can cut down on our carbon footprint, even in our daily lives. Here are some ways we can celebrate Earth Day.
Find alternative transportation to driving (such as biking, carpooling, or taking public transportation).
Plant a seed in the ground and help it grow.
Use natural cleaners in your home.
Use a refillable water bottle to cut down on plastic.Â
Bring reusable bags to take with you shopping or to the grocery store.Â
Try to go zero waste at home
Implementing some of these activities can help us reuse, reduce, and recycle more often. We can be kind to the planet by treating it the way we want to be treated.Â
While making changes to our lifestyle is one way we can help, getting politically active can also help our voices be heard and push for more widespread change. Consider contacting nonprofit environmental organizations to get involved or make a donation. Green Dreamer has an extensive list of these organizations, including ones that focus on social and environmental justice, conservation and reforestation, wildlife protection, climate justice, ecological agriculture, and ocean conservation.Â
For additional resources, check out the links below.Â
This day is all about taking the time to show others that you care. Not just to the people that you know – but strangers too.  There are no limits to the amount of kindness we can show others.Â
To celebrate, you can find ways to incorporate meditation into your day.Â
Yoga instructor Amalia offers a guided practice to follow.Â
In the Buddhist tradition, there is a teaching about the god Brahma, who had four faces, one for each of the four kinds of unselfish love.Â
In the language of the Buddha, these are called Karuna (compassion), Upeksa (equanimity), Mudita (appreciative joy), and Metta, or Maitri (loving-kindness).Â
Because the god Brahma is said to dwell (vihara) in these four forms of love, they are known as the Brahmaviharas– or the divine abodes of the heart.Â
Abiding by these divine abodes of the heart every day may sometimes feel challenging, especially when you are exhausted or overwhelmed.Â
But it is not impossible to do. You can begin by offering loving-kindness to yourself during meditation.Â
Sit in a comfortable place and take two or three deep breaths with slow, complete exhales. Do your best to let go of concerns or preoccupations momentarily.Â
For a few minutes feel, or imagine your breath moving through the center of your chest- in the area of your heart.
When you’re ready, mentally repeat slowly and steadily, the following, or similar phrases:
“May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.”
When you say these phrases, allow yourself to sink into the intentions they express.Â
Loving kindness meditation consists primarily of connecting to the intention of wishing ourselves or others happiness.
Many of us have not been taught how to love ourselves. The culture we live in with its many systems of oppression, our families, and our life circumstances can all make this even more challenging to truly embody. Know that loving ourselves (and others) takes practice.
If feelings of warmth, friendliness, or love do arise in the body, connect to them, allowing them to grow as you repeat the phrases.Â
After a period of time (minutes, days, weeks, months, years) of directing loving-kindness toward yourself, bring to mind a friend or someone in your life who has deeply cared for you. Then slowly repeat the phrases of loving-kindness toward them:
“May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.”
As you say these phrases again, sink into their heartfelt meaning, and if any feelings of loving-kindness arise, connect the feelings with the phrases so that the feelings may become stronger as you repeat the words.
Over time, you can bring to mind other friends, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, and finally, people with whom you have difficulty. You can either use the same phrases, repeating them again and again or make up your own that better represent the loving-kindness you feel toward these beings.Â
We all have opportunities to practice kindness, and it doesn’t require ideal circumstances or lots of resources.
The more we give love, the greater our capacity for loving. This is how, even through small actions, loving-kindness can become limitless.Â
Here are some ways you can start spreading kindness in your community.Â
Send a text message, email, or snail mail, just to let someone know you are thinking of them.Â
Add canned or packaged goods to a neighborhood food pantry, or donate a book to a little free library. If you have the resources, consider starting one of your own!Â
Paint rocks with fun doodles or positive messages and leave them along sidewalks in your neighborhood.Â
Deliver a home-cooked meal or order takeout for someone.Â
Assemble and donate first aid supplies.
Eugene/ Springfield Specific:
Black Thistle Street Aid is a collective of outreach workers, herbalists & medical practitioners providing access to free healthcare through pop-up clinics and medical outreach to people experiencing homelessness in the Eugene-Springfield area. Find a list of items needed hereÂ
Visit the Acorn Community Cafe. A new vegan cafe, coffee shop and food resource on Monroe Street in Eugene, Oregon. Its mission is to combat hunger and build a resilient community. Cafe sales and community donations allow them to fund their daily free meals and expand into offering an employment program for unhoused or at-risk youth”.Â
Kindness is impactful and can inspire someone else to pay it forward.Â
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop.
