It’s been a long time coming, but my new website is finished.
Please come over to tamihackbarth.com and take a look around my new home. I can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you to Meredith Carty Sutherland for the branding, photos and website design.
Dear Friend,
2014.
It was a YEAR. I started by taking the month of January to reflect on the previous year and then spent the rest of the year really putting my self-care practices to the test.
Looking through all these posts, I can, without a doubt, say I feel genuinely proud of the work I’ve put out in the world this year.
I hope you find something that helps make your life feel more healthy, happy and sane.
Please click that link over there to make sure you don’t miss any updates in 2015 – get email updates (it’s FREE).
Without further ado, here’s 2014 in review.
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xoxo
January 2014:
Looking Back in Order to Look Forward
February 2014:
Tips For Starting and Maintaining a Daily Meditation Practice
Permission to Rest (For As Long As It Takes to Feel Better)
10 Things I Loved In February 2014
March 2014
Simple Techniques For Adding Self-Care to An Already Over-Scheduled Life
Want More Energy? Make Less Decisions.
Featured Teacher Nikki Stern: Connecting Food and Mood
10 Things I Loved in March 2014
April 2014
Removing Obstacles to Your Self-Care
May 2014
The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher Home Study Program – self care isn’t just for teachers!
Please Introduce Yourself (and how can I best be of service?)
Even Imperfect Self-Care Counts!
June 2014
Summer of Intentionality Part 1: To READ
Summer of Intentionality Part 2: To DO
Summer of Intentionality Part 3: To LEARN
10 Things I Loved in June 2014
July 2014
5 Reasons to Go On A Yoga Retreat
9 Ways to Keep Your Cool This Summer (+ 12 More)
August 2014
Favorite 15 Minute Dinner (vegan + gluten free)
10 Things I Loved In Summer 2014
September 2014
Treat Yourself: 8 Reasons Why Private Yoga Sessions Might Work for You
TGBTS Cooks! Green Muffins (aka my girl’s birthday cupcakes)
October 2014
Links Worth Clicking – Fall 2014
All the Self-Care in the World Can’t Save You
November 2014
Can Your Smart Phone Improve Your Health?
December 2014
Restoration Not Resolutions the WHY behind my annual New Year’s Day workshop.
Feel Lonely and Sad at the Holidays?
Why Choose a Word of the Year?
Dear Friend,
Why choose a word for the year?
I choose a word each year because it helps to keep me focused on how I want to feel. It helps ground me in my own desires. It helps me to stick to my intention because sometimes I suffer from shiny object syndrome. It sets the tone for my year. And sometimes it breaks me open in very unexpected ways. (I’m looking at you, NURTURE).
Here are a bunch of my favorite writings about words of the year.
Why I Hated My Word of the Year from Create as Folk. SPOILER ALERT: it brought tears to my eyes.
My Word of the Year for 2014 from Be Your Own Beloved
From Vivienne: When I pick a pretty word, a gentle one that warms my heart, that feels calming to say aloud….I have a gentle year (which is usually oh so appreciated).
But when I pick a word that feels deeply uncomfortable to say aloud, let alone write about in a blog post, those are the words that change my life. Those are the words that I need to choose to make transformations happen.
Choose One Word to Set the Tone for the Year from The Happiness Project /Gretchen Rubin
A Word to Guide The Way from Liz Lamoreux
A Word of the Year: A Practice also from Liz Lamoreux
If choosing a word for the year sounds like something you’d like to do and you’d like a gentle guide through a pretty simple process check out the link below for Restoration Not Resolutions.
If you’d like to try it on your own, check out this post from my girl, Rosie Molinary.
I hope you are well.
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you know someone who would like this or other posts from TGBTS, please share.
Other posts you might like:
Look Back In Order to Look Forward
Treat Yourself: 8 Reasons Why Private Yoga Session Might Work For You
Dear Friend,
Recently a friend posted on Facebook urging others to remember that the holidays can be particularly difficult for people who have suffered loss. My dear friend lost both her parents in the last couple years and was explaining that she experiences those losses again and again over the holidays and around birthdays. She just wanted to remind everyone that the holiday season can feel particularly tender for her.
I was not only struck by her emotional honesty, but also how deeply what she said resonated with me. While I have been making my peace with the season (see below), I have quietly discovered that on the actual holiday day, I usually feel a bit sad, a bit lonely, a bit disappointed, a bit like an outsider looking in. I use the word quietly on purpose here because I am not overcome by these feelings, but I am just quietly observing them and letting them have their say.
In holidays past I used to let those feelings take up residency in my body from the day before Thanksgiving until well after the new year. Now I just watch what comes up and almost before I know it, the feelings pass. Until they come again. And if something sticks around a little longer – that’s ok because I know now that all feelings (well, everything) is temporary.
So, friend, I wish you the merriest of Christmases. And if you find yourself feeling lonely or sad for whatever reason, I want you to know you aren’t alone.
I hope you are well.
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
PS – If you know someone who would like this or other posts from TGBTS, please share.
Other posts you might like:
How Not to Lose Your Marbles During the Holidays
8 Self-Care Tips for the Holiday Season
How I Overcame the Holiday Humbug in 7 Steps
Look Back In Order to Look Forward
Treat Yourself: 8 Reasons Why Private Yoga Session Might Work For You
Dear Friend,
I wanted to personally invite you to my restorative yoga mini retreat workshop Saturday, July 26th. The class is limited to 18 students and we’re offering a pretty sweet deal if you register before the workshop.
If you already know you want to come, please click here to register. You will need to click the Workshops tab once you are on our online scheduling system.
Below you’ll find all the details, but if you still have questions, please be sure to hit reply on this message and I’ll do my best to find an answer.
Hope you are well.
With much love,
Tami
If you wish you could hear from me every week with tips and tricks to help make life healthier, happier and a bit more sane, sign up for my weekly Teacher Goes Back to School newsletter HERE.
If you know anyone who you think would benefit from or like this post please be sure to forward it on to them.
Cool It Down – Summer Restorative Mini Retreat Workshop with Tami Hackbarth at It’s All Yoga
When: 2:30-5pm Saturday, July 26th, 2014
Where: It’s All Yoga 2405 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818
Investment: $50 before the workshop $65 day of the workshop
Register now: This mini retreat workshop is limited to just 18 participants.
Beat the Sacramento heat this July with a cooling and rejuvenating restorative yoga retreat. Let’s cool it down and relax into a mini retreat right here in Midtown.
We’ll spend the afternoon in a cooling oasis of restorative yoga poses using blocks, blankets, bolsters, straps, sandbags, eye pillows, the wall and and sometimes even a chair to hold the body in deeply relaxing poses to relieve tension and stress while inducing your body’s natural relaxation response.
With the help of essential oils and chilled river rocks we’ll soothe the internal summer fire naturally bringing the body back into balance. In addition to this cooling and balancing restorative yoga practice, you’ll also enjoy some cooling and balancing treats to eat and drink.
This is a work shop of deep self-care, nurturing, healing, cooling and balancing. It promises to be a super relaxing afternoon.
A quick note about restorative yoga. It works well when you feel fatigued or stressed out, frazzled or after having a life change or hectic summer season. While the restorative poses look as though you are aren’t doing anything except laying on the floor, this is far from the truth; resting in a restorative pose deeply relaxes the body and allows the mind to settle in a state of calm and stillness.
The restorative style of yoga is appropriate for anyone, at any age, ability or experience level. Previous yoga experience is not required. We will provide the props. If you want to bring your mat or any personal yoga props that you may prefer to use, please do. Dress comfortably in comfortable stretchy clothes.
Dear Friend,
I am shocked how fast June went by and how absolutely exhausted I was by the end. When I looked back on the month I was surprised to find I had slept 10 of 30 nights in a bed other than my own – crazy for a homebody like me. No wonder I felt ungrounded and if I’m being honest, a bit grumpy. Well, that and several days over 100 degrees.
July is already shaping up to be a busy month as well, but I am on notice to take especially good care of myself. Hot weather brings up the irritable, nothing is going well feelings if I’m not careful, so I’m making special note to practice some cooling restorative yoga, drink some fancy coconut milk drinks and not turn the oven on.
How’s your summer going so far? I’d love to hear how you keep yourself cool and comforted in the summer – please send me a message.
With lots of self-kindness and love,
Tami xox
PS – If something in this (or any post) resonates with you and you think someone you know might like it too, please forward it to a friend.
PPS – If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Links To Love:
Books I Love: Edward Tulane and The Dirty Cowboy
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For the last few months I have been doing these reflection posts after being inspired by Rosie’s posts. Taking time each month to reflect on the good things that happen each day/week/month has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff.
Ten Things I Loved In June 2014
Things I/We Did
1. Curve Camp. 3 days of body positive yoga, three life-changing workshops with Rosie Molinary, Dyana Valentine and Vivienne McMaster, a photo booth, friendship bracelet making, tons of great food and so many laughs. I can’t wait to go again next year!
2. Kicked Summer of Intentionality into high gear. I am happy to announce I finished five books in June. That pleases me because reading makes me happy and I can get sidetracked and miss out on one of my life’s simplest pleasures. So happy to have made reading a priority again!
I’ve been making headway on the new website (OMG- so excited!), I am signed up for a Be Your Own Beloved summer class to gain some insight into liking what I see in my photos, we’ve been swimming lessons and hanging in the pool and our backyard dining table has been getting a lot of use.
Travel was definitely a theme in June. In fact, I slept 10 out of 30 nights in a bed other than my own. June felt like it went by really fast and now I know why!
3. Coached my first teacher in The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher. By now I’m sure most of you have heard about my and Rosie’s sustainable self-care program, but did you know we’re now offering live coaching services too? I did my first session in June and I LOVED it. Working one-on-one with people on their goals makes me happy. People can move so quickly toward where they want to be with a little support. It’s so exciting! Please send me a message (tami_hackbarth at hotmail) if you want more information or want to schedule a session.
4. Art Journal class with Brene Brown using the Gifts of Imperfection. Last fall I took part of of this class and did not finish it. I have a long story I tell myself about how I “never” finish anything and I won’t bore you with the details, but I was determined to not continue down this path. Instead I blocked time out of my schedule and made working on the extremely pleasurable exercises non-negotiable. Because who doesn’t have to MAKE themselves do things they really LIKE to do? God, please tell me I’m not alone…. Anyway, I decided to use my one bite of the apple technique to get through all the exercises in the class and I’m happy to report I FINISHED and I had fun and I felt accomplished. Plus now I have this really, really beautiful journal filled with exercises from one of my favorite books. I enjoyed the art part of the class so much I made watercolor and hand-lettering part of my Summer of Intention.
5. Connected in person. Can we all agree we love the internet and how we always know what is up with our favorite people? Can we also agree that people aren’t really showing us the whole story on social media and seeing faces and sharing hugs and meals and entire stories is really what life is about? Note to self: more face to face time. More hugs. More tears. More hand holding. More time together. Showing up matters. That PSA is a reminder to all of us, especially me.
Products and Services I Dug:
6. Gizeh Sandals by Birkenstock – I wear these so much I might just need to get rid of all of my other shoes. If you are on the fence because you just aren’t sure you want to wear Birkenstocks, just do it. They are so comfortable and you’ll constantly be high fiving all the other cute ladies wearing theirs. PS – I might need an intervention. I want them in every color.
7. Nordstrom Rack for bras. A while back I shared I have been wearing the wrong bra size (by THREE cups) for my whole life and so I went in search of ridiculously gigantic new bras. Add insult to injury because these new gigantic bras are also really expensive. Enter Nordstrom Rack (I love I’m getting my rack taken care of at The RACK)… you get all the expensive brands at significant discount and you get to try them on before you buy. I tried going the Amazon route (which wasn’t terrible), but I had to return every single bra I bought. Again, not the worst thing in the world because they make returns super easy, but I love some instant gratification of walking out of a store bras in hand. So if you find you are in need of some new bras, check out the RACK.
Books I Can Highly Recommend:
8. Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
9. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
10. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
Bonus: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
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So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Let me know your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
Image Source: My Instagram!
Dear Friend,
It’s here.
The real secret behind my sustainable self-care – The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher Home Study Program has finally arrived.
And it’s not just for teachers… it really can be for anyone who is looking to refine their self-care program and to feel more at home in their life.
We see summer as a chance to unwind from the rapid fire nature of the school year. A chance to finally release all that tension in your shoulders. A chance to decompress before the “every day feels like Sunday night” anxiety of the August back to school countdown clock kicks in.
We know you love your work. We know you are living on purpose. But we also know that how you are living while living your mission is probably not all that good for you.
Skipped meals. Lack of sleep. Too long to do lists. An overworked mind frantically holding onto all the details.
What if it didn’t have to be that way?
What if you could have a whole new way of being in the world WHILE still doing this work that you love?
What if you could set it all into place this summer so that next school year is a completely different experience than ever before?
It is time for you get to healthy, happy, and sane with
The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher: Sustainable Self-care for a Successful School Year Home Study Program.
The idea behind The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher program is that with a bit of a time investment up front, your schedule – YOUR LIFE – will feel less overwhelming.
In the same way that long-term – semester or whole year – planning can help guide your academic year with your students, HHST can help you finally embrace self-care in a way that makes you happier and even more successful in the classroom.
How?
Just that – long-term planning.
The reality is taking time RIGHT NOW to plan for your health, happiness and sanity can help create a healthier, happier, saner school year and LIFE.
Here’s your chance to change how your school year goes, to start and end the year with enthusiasm and energy. To feel healthy, happy and sane.
With the home study program, you will get:
5 Illuminating Audio Recordings: One-hour recordings where we provide powerful guidance for you on creating a healthy, happy, sane life and map out the steps for the action plan you will be creating and putting into place.
5 Powerful Workbooks: Weekly workbooks with all the exercises you need to create you healthy, happy, sane life action plan and the guidance to help you put it all in motion.
And the opportunity to join a private HHST Facebook group for additional support.
AND THERE’S AN INCREDIBLE BONUS OPPORTUNITY!
THE FIRST FIVE PEOPLE to sign up for The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher Home Study Program by July 1st will receive 90 minutes of coaching (to be done in either three 30 minute or two 45 minute phone/Skype sessions) from either Tami or Rosie.
Here is what every good teacher knows: nothing changes unless you decide to change it. It would be our honor to offer you support on your journey!
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please be sure to pass it on. Sharing is caring!
Other posts you might like:
The Secret to Being a Happy Classroom Teacher
Learning to Set Boundaries and Getting More Comfortable Being Less Agreeable
Dear Friend,
Have you started your Summer of Intentionality lists yet? I am super excited to report lots of people have reached out to say they are starting to think differently about how they spend their summer time and want to use their time a bit more intentionally. Please leave a comment or send me an email (tgbtsblog AT gmail) and let me know what you want to read, do and learn this summer!
A few friends contacted me to say my lists were kinda stressing them out because my reading and to do lists are pretty long. This is such a great point! My lists {especially the fun ones} are long on purpose.
I spend a great deal of time (as do you) dealing with the seriousness of grown up life that when I have some free time rather than having fun on purpose or spending time getting lost in a good novel I find myself at the bottom of a Facebook rabbit hole wondering where the last two hours of my life went. {Please tell me I’m not the only one….}
These lists are mostly a reminder to myself that fun doesn’t have to be super planned or time consuming, it can be as simple as eating our meals outside away from all the screens or laying on a blanket in the backyard reading another Mercy Watson book out loud to my daughter.
There is probably no way possible for me to finish all the items on my lists. In fact, that’s part of the project for me – to see what I actually do by the end of the summer. So much of my life has been productivity driven, at least for the summer months I want to be sure to mix in some fun. And to let go of the idea that if something makes my list that I am obligated to finish it.
I say BOO to that business. Summer is for fun! And reading! And learning! Without further ado…
TGBTS/Tami’s 2014 Summer To Learn List:
I do hope you decide to make you own Summer of Intentionality lists. If you’d like to take a peek at some of my lists from the past click here.
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please be sure to pass it on. Sharing is caring!
Other posts you might like:
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar (aka Cheryl Strayed
10 Things I Loved In March 2013
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
Dear Friend,
Have you started your Summer of Intentionality lists yet? {Missed last week’s Part One: To Read post? Check it out here for details}…
Today I share with you my Summer of Intentionality To Do List aka my list of fun things I want to be sure to experience this summer.
TGBTS/Tami’s 2014 Summer To DO List:
Are you noticing a pattern? Not a typical to-do list! A list of fun things that would get lost in the day to day of life (or in the air conditioned house watching endless hours of Sprout) unless we are intentional with our time.
I do hope you decide to make you own Summer of Intentionality lists. Please leave a comment or send me a message and tell me all about it. If you’d like to take a peek at some of my lists from the past click here.
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please be sure to pass it on. Sharing is caring!
Other posts you might like:
Teacher Travels: De Yound Edition
Teacher Travels: Academy of Sciences
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: my first nectarine and plum of the season, vanilla vegan protein shake, watermelon, chocolate chips, dilly scrambled eggs, rainbow quinoa salad, lemon soy yogurt, cornmeal crust pizza, vegan brownie and french fries at sugar plum vegan, lemonade, almond butter and honey on rice cakes, coconut almond oatmeal, mango/pineapple smoothie, asparagus, cabbage and broccoli over israeli couscous, bacon burger and fries.
hearing :: three year olds “playing together” aka lots of crying, laughing and protesting.
smelling :: the swimming pool, watermelon and coppertone sunscreen.
seeing :: an artist born. my girl and i have taken up watercolor painting this week and i’m not sure who is loving it more.
feeling :: oh so full of doubt. discouraged. the other side of doubt. grateful.
wishing/hoping :: i am really missing restful sleep in the morning. a full mind is waking me up before sunrise. hoping for some peace and deep sleep.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
Recently several people have asked how I maintain a meditation practice (and a yoga practice and a writing practice). They were trying to learn my “secret” so they could add these useful practices into their own lives.
My secret is pretty simple.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good – Voltaire
Nothing is perfect. I no longer let myself get caught up in the limiting belief that a practice has to be or look a certain way for it to “count” because if I did, nothing would ever be good enough.
Easier said than done and definitely a daily practice, but seriously life changing.
For example, for my meditation practice to happen each day I have to do it before I do anything else. Sometimes I meditate before I get out of bed to pee. Sorry for the TMI, but I’m being real here. If I really have to go, I will and then get right back in bed to start.
Is now a good time to tell you that my meditation practice takes place in my bed, under the covers and on most days laying down?
I know it’s not how meditation is “supposed” to work, but it works for me.
My yoga practice follows the same principle of not letting the perfect get in the way of the good.
In an ideal world I’d devote 90 minutes on my mat each and every day. In reality my phone reminds me every day to “DO YOGA” and my physical practice is sometimes a single restorative pose (on my bed) before I teach my class. Sometimes it is rolling out two mats -one for me and one for my daughter- and moving the dining room table out of the way so we can play. We pull out all the props, turn up some “yoga music” {usually the Freedom 90 or Queen station on Pandora) and see what happens.
Again, not how it is “supposed” to work, but it works for me.
The same for my writing practice. Ideally I would spend the first 2 or 3 hours a day first thing (post meditation, of course) writing my most perfect prose. The reality is that I write in fits and spurts daily. I brain storm and keep my ideas in Google docs and write skeleton outlines and fill in the details in my head while I push my daughter on the swing at the park. Every afternoon I spend some time writing something.
Again, not how it’s “supposed” to look, but it works for me.
Have you ever been stopped from doing something you wanted to because the perfect got in the way of the good enough?
With lots of love and compassion,
Tami
xo
PS – If you find this helpful or know someone who would, please be sure to pass it on. Sharing is caring!
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
Other posts you might like:
Tips for Starting and Maintaining A Daily Meditation Practice
Meditation Mantra or How To Stay In The Moment Without Losing Your Marbles
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: my first apricot of the season, vanilla vegan protein shake, raw veggies at the park for snack, red lentil coconut milk soup, overnight oats with pecans and raisins, watermelon, chocolate chips, dilly egg salad, avocado olive oil and salt on country toast, pineapple “ice cream”, a tiny little bourbon and homemade ginger syrup cocktail.
hearing :: radio lab show on pathological liars. riveting!
smelling :: the swimming pool and fresh foothill air.
seeing :: the light at the end of the tunnel and visions of the future and the wisdom in the quote above. so true.
feeling :: satisfied.
wishing/hoping :: a safe and fun holiday weekend.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: here}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: my first peach of the season, vanilla vegan protein shake, green smoothies, raw veggies at the park for snack, red lentil coconut milk soup, hummus olive wrap, eggs with lots of garlic and dill, honey lemonade, chilled noodle salad with grilled pork, peanut butter cookie sandwich from magpie, overnight oats with pecans and raisins, kettle corn, zucchini and chickpea saute over isreali couscous.
hearing :: a tiny little dictator yelling MINE! ugh. three and a half you are HARD.
smelling :: swimming pool and ice pops.
seeing :: almost a complete turn around when i asked ruby to yell “i have another idea!” instead of her favorite word “NO”. life-changing.
feeling :: started the week overwhelmed. stuck. ended the week feeling pretty damn optimistic and grateful. a long over due lunch date with an out of town friend sealed the deal.
wishing/hoping :: for finalizing the healthy happy sane teacher home study and website.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: here}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: vanilla vegan protein shake, old fashioned vegetable soup, green smoothies, pork tamales, teacher appreciation chicken burritos, red lentil coconut milk soup, overnight oats with pecans maple syrup and strawberries, vegan creamy garlic pasta with sauteed broccoli, vegan lemon lavender muffin, roobios chai with almond milk, gallons of plain water.
hearing :: lady business radio with jessican kupferman (and myself laughing) and more kid coughing (does this ever stop?)
smelling :: mango coconut candle from my bud kirsten at kmk design.
seeing :: myself in new ways. i’ve been shopping my closet and remixing my clothes to participate in #stylememay on instagram.
feeling :: honored people are reaching out to me about the healthy happy sane teacher home study program. i helped create the program i needed when i was working in the classroom and i am so humbled by the feedback and interest.
wishing/hoping :: you and all the other (american) mamas a very happy mother’s day. have you checked out what i’m (trying to) teach my kids over at yes and yes? i got chills reading the other mamas’ words.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: here}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
I am thrilled to announce The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher: Sustainable Self-Care for a Successful School Year Home Study Program. I wanted to share it with you first because many of you approached me about wanting to take the program last summer when we taught it live and either you weren’t available during our session or (*gasp*) you aren’t a teacher.
You ask and you shall receive, friends! The Home Study Program is the exact self-care program on your timeline. And we aren’t checking for teaching credentials…(so if you non teacher types wanted to sign up…)
What isThe Healthy Happy Sane Teacher you ask?
The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher is a five week self-guided self-care workshop taught by me and Rosie Molinary, author of Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance.
In The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher program, we teach educators — from elementary teachers to college professors, support personnel to administrators — the best practices for self-care, how to let go of the pressure for perfection, how to know what adjustments to make when things get tough, how to identify personal boundaries and communicate them, and the power of claiming what you want in your life.
Each week there is a lesson in healthy, a lesson in happy and a lesson in sane – along with a workbook to help you incorporate the week’s lessons into your daily life. Rosie and I also spend a hour each week talking about the week’s lessons.
The Home Study program includes both the audio recording, the workbooks and a secret Facebook group where we can build a community of people dedicated to making our lives healthier, happier and saner.
If you are interested in The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher Home Study program please sign up for our mailing list and if you know anyone who would benefit from some guided self-care instruction, please send this message to them.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: vanilla vegan protein shake, baked potatoes with sauteed broccoli, strawberry coconut milk ice cream with almonds and chocolate chips, bbq chips, guacamole, hummus, egg salad and eggs over easy with lots of dill, sauteed kale and brown rice, old fashioned vegetable soup, green smoothies, toasted cinnamon raisin sprouted bread with peanut butter and raspberry jam, pineapple raspberry honey ice pops.
hearing: most messed up – the new record from old97s. a serious drunken romp not appropriate for preschool ears. which means more for me!
smelling :: summer heat in may. *gasp*
seeing :: pollen showers. why sacramento, why?
feeling :: so much better. that cough was a bitch.
wishing/hoping :: to reach all the teachers who need the healthy, happy, sane teacher program. is that you? someone you know?
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
++++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
For the last few months I have been doing these reflection posts after being inspired by Rosie’s. Taking time each month to reflect on the good things that happen each day/week/month has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff.
Ten Things I Loved In April
Things I/We Did
1. Used our health insurance. I hardly ever go to the doctor, but when I do I am so happy I have it. Bonus – I absolutely adore my GP and my new behavior medicine doctor. April was one of much contagious coughing in our house, so knowing we were taken care of helped ease part of the stress.
2. Traveled to Texas. My mom had a stroke in January and is on a long road to I’m not sure where. Thankful for everyone who has reached out with support to me and my family and especially to those who lent a hand with emergency child care and food offerings. The extra long hugs and mid day Skype sessions have really helped me hold it together. People, aging parents is h.a.r.d.
3. Binged on Scandal. I think I like it even more than House of Cards. Gladiators in suits and oh what beautiful suits they are! Olivia Pope’s wardrobe is a good enough reason to check this show out.
4. The Healthy Happy Sane Teacher is back! Last month I told you we’d been working all month to make it a home study program so people can get started right away and work at their own pace. All true and then we had to work through some tech issues and we’re thisclose to launching. So excited! I’ve kept up my HHST practices and once again am amazed at how much healthier, happier and more sane I feel – even when I had bronchitis it worked!
5. Preschool soccer for my tiny human. I can’t decide if three year olds playing “soccer” is the cutest thing in the world or the most ridiculous, but we started and laughed pretty hard. So far she’s comforted a crying teammate, refused to get on the field and asked the ref if she could blow the whistle. She really likes the post game snacks.
Products and Services I Dug:
6. MindBodyBliss with Nikki Stern. A cleanse, but one where you still eat. A lot. And the food is delicious – even my Texas living brother said so. The program was exactly what I needed to help me take really great care of myself when I was ill and dealing with travel and ailing mama stuff. I’ve recommended working with Nikki in the past and this gave me even more reason to do so. Nikki helps you take really good care of you in a way that is easy and yet profound.
7. The Mentorship Coterie with Hilary Rushford. 2014 is the year to invest in myself and my business and working with Hilary has been a dream. She’s smart, she’s funny and she is super helpful in seeing possibility where you haven’t. Plus she’s worked her tail off to create a beautiful community and business – both styling and mentoring. So glad I decided to work with her!
Things on the Internet I Can Highly Recommend:
8. Mindful Mondays series on Whoorl. Sarah James is a beauty blogger with noteworthy amazing hair (she even did a Pantene commercial), but recently she’s become a seeker of truth. Last year she started having some hard to diagnose health issues and as a result has been on a journey. I am loving her no nonsense style while she’s diving into some seriously woo-woo business. Kindred spirit for sure!
9. Everyday Snacks series on Shutterbean. You all know how much I love Tracy from Shutterbean and the Joy The Baker Podcast. She is my imaginary new internet BFF, so imagine my delight when I started following her on Instagram to discover a new hashtag in my honor (or so I like to think!) – #shutterbeandinner. Life only got better when Tracy started a series on healthy snacks on her blog: peanut butter filled dates with coconut, roasted strawberries with cheese over graham crackers, heart shaped cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.
10. Good Life Project with Jonathan Fields. I can’t get enough of this interview series, but I have also seriously been enjoying Jonathan’s “Jam Sessions” with topics like How Do You Stay Motivated Over A Longer Period of Time and Three Things That Will Stop Your Creative Life from Destroying You and The “Hair On Fire” Minus One Method To Getting More Done In Less Time. They are less than 15 minutes and are full of great information.
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.
Image Source: My Instagram!
Recently I checked in on my wellness prescription to see how well I’ve been taking care of myself and I noticed a couple of areas where I have been falling short.
Rather than beating myself up (as I would have before I found a self-compassion practice), I did a little investigation to get to the bottom of it.
What are the obstacles that are getting in the way of practicing good self-care?
Problem #1: Not drinking enough water.
I did a little self-inquiry and kindly asked myself – why aren’t you doing this?
Answer: I hate cleaning up all the water when my cup gets knocked over.
Solution: Buy a lid with a straw for my cup to prevent spills.
Problem #2: I am super grumpy 3 hours after I wake up and for some reason I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
So I did a little inquiry and asked myself – why aren’t you doing this?
Answer: My early morning caffeine was acting as an appetite suppressant and making me forget I was hungry until I was hangry.
Solution: Eat breakfast as soon as I get out of bed and post a photo to Instagram to check in with my accountability partner.
Need some breakfast inspiration? Click here.
Problem #3: Getting myself to the gym to lift weights twice a week for 20 minutes each session.
When I asked myself the question (with all the kindness in the world) – why aren’t you doing this?
Answer: My first response was I don’t have time. I am already stretched too thin. I have so much to do. I only have so much time for myself.
Also see: defensive. Also: only 20 minutes. (Hello, Facebook).
Reality check: All sorta true. But I know there is always something buried deep in “I don’t have time” (especially with a side order of defensiveness – I’m still peeking at you Facebook), so I kept digging.
I asked myself again – super gently with genuine inquiry – why aren’t you doing this?
Same question – Different answer: – Because I don’t have anyone to go with me. Not totally true and easily fixed. I could go at the same time my family goes or find a friend to meet me there.
Still curious, I asked myself again – why aren’t you doing this?
Same question – Different answer: Because I don’t have the right sports bra to be comfortable in while inevitably looking at myself in the mirror the entire time I’m working out.
Answer: Totally true. Not really what I want to admit because I thought I was way further along in my self-acceptance journey, but still true.
Also: Don’t you love getting to the real answer?!?!
So this leads me to this – I have been wearing the wrong bra size (by about 4 CUP SIZES for my whole life – leading to double boob and back fat) and you probably have too (even if you have gotten a fitting before).
What?
I know.
All this investigation into self-care lead me down the let’s buy new bras road. And you know what?
Finally wearing a bra that fits feels like I can take on the world. Including the weight room.
I’d love to hear how you work around the obstacles in your life – please send me a message or leave a comment.
With lots of self-kindness and love,
Tami xox
PS – If something in this (or any post) resonates with you and you think someone you know might like it too, please forward it to a friend.
PPS – Side note if you don’t have boobs or don’t wear a bra, the message is really about inquiry into how to overcome the obstacles to good self-care. Also, someone you know is wearing the wrong size bra, so help a sista out and pass this on to all the women in your life.
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Links To Love:
How to Write a Wellness Prescription
Want to find out if you are wearing the wrong size bra? Check out this post: Happy Boobs – be sure to watch the video Brittany shares and get ready to be amazed.
I got my new bras at Nordstrom Rack and they are also available at Nordstrom and online at Amazon.
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: vanilla vegan protein shake, avocado toast, old fashioned vegetable soup, chada thai yellow curry with tofu and brown rice, vegan burrito bowls, tuna salad on rice cakes, almond butter on rice cakes, falafel on pita, potato chips, too many crackers, lots of tea and cough medicine.
hearing: so much coughing. bronchitis for all! (not really, hoping you didn’t get it because it was awful!)
smelling :: rain.
seeing :: preschoolers play soccer for the first time and some obstacles to self-care disappear when i got the right size bra. <– true story. read about it here.
feeling :: almost well. still some low energy and coughing, but so much better.
wishing/hoping :: to regain some traction in life. being sick really cuts down on productivity. and sleep. and fun.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: pinterest}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
++++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: vanilla vegan protein shake, avocado, old fashioned vegetable soup, egg salad, raisin cinnamon toast, oatmeal with all the fixins, applesauce with cinnamon heated up (tastes just like apple pie!), hummus and celery, mandarins, tempeh with veggie heavy pasta sauce over brown rice pasta, chicken potstickers.
hearing: pouring rain.
smelling :: vanilla chai and coconut lime lotions.
seeing :: season two of house of cards. DUDE.
feeling :: calm. life transitions are difficult. i’m trying to stay in the moment.
wishing/hoping :: to stay healthy. #noupperlimits
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
++++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: vanilla vegan protein shake, avocado toast, white bean spinach soup, scrambled eggs with asparagus, lentil soup for breakfast, apples with justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter, green smoothies, almonds, popcorn, dairy free chocolate chip cookie bars, carnitas burrito.
hearing: us saying good bye to our (very) long term bird, yans. he was 34 years old.
smelling :: spring rain.
seeing :: plans for a visit to see my brother come together.
feeling :: calm and sad. life transitions are difficult. i’m trying to stay in the moment.
wishing/hoping :: to stay healthy. #noupperlimits
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
++++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: strawberry vanilla vegan protein shake, 4 pints of strawberries, avocado toast, white bean spinach soup, over easy eggs with brown rice and sauteed kale, mandarins, green smoothies, spinach and lentil bolani, tamarind chicken, awakening of faith from andy’s, vegan cupcakes from pushkin’s, beet salad every single damn day. .
hearing: happy birthday to me!
smelling :: cupcakes. heaven.
seeing :: myself get a little anxious about work stuff, so i went to yoga twice this week because i was convinced i didn’t have time. side note: there is always time for yoga.
feeling :: loved and optimistic.
wishing/hoping :: to stay healthy. #noupperlimits
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
+++++
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
++++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
Every day we’re faced with making a boatload of decisions. Big decisions. Little decisions. Hard decisions. Easy decisions. What to eat, what to wear, what classes to take, when to practice at home.
So Many.Decisions.
Are you already tired? Do you wish you had more energy? At least for the important stuff?
Please tell me I’m not alone in this! I recently went looking for ways to help me accomplish more without skimping on my much needed self-care.
Here’s the thing. It turns out we only have so much decision making power. It’s not just you or what you’re eating or even how much you are sleeping. It just is what it is.
So if you want to be able to make important decisions, it helps if you make less decisions total. Eliminating routine decisions seems to be able to help people make better important decisions.
According to the Harvard Business Review – Boring is Productive.
— Making too many decisions about mundane details is a waste of a limited resource: your mental energy. In the late 1990s, Roy Baumeister (a professor at Florida State University) and colleagues performed several experiments showing that certain types of conscious mental actions appeared to draw from the same “energy source” — gradually diminishing our ability to make smart decisions throughout the day.
(– excerpt from Boring Is Productive)
Forbes uses Albert Einstein and President Obama as examples of folks who simplify some of their decisions..
Take Albert Einstein. It has been reported that the famous physicist bought several versions of the same grey suit because he didn’t want to waste brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning. Now – decades later – President Obama does the same. — (excerpt from Steve Jobs Alway Dressed Exactly The Same. Here’s Who Else Does)
I’m not necessarily advocating that we adopt a uniform (although you would be hard pressed to find me wearing something other than a striped t-shirt and jeans) or to always eat the exact foods for breakfast, but how much do these kinds of decisions drain energy away from our creativity and productivity on issues and ideas that really matter?
How would our lives look if we made the routine parts of life, well, routine?
Recently I’ve been looking at systematizing parts of my life in order to increase my productivity, quality of life and energy levels. I figure I’ve only got so many kid free hours a week and I need to use them well. Especially if I still want to practice really good self-care including 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night, meditation and yoga.
One place that I’ve noticed a drain on my decision making power is scheduling recurring appointments like getting my hair cut, eyebrows shaped and my monthly body tune up massages.
Scheduling appointments is one of my most dreaded tasks. The back and forth with myself about when to do a service and at what time and then figuring out if my person is available and so on and so forth. It completely does my head in. I seriously get tired just thinking about it.
In order to cut down on this back and forth and the bad hair/eyebrows/back I’ve decided to schedule my next appointments out for the future. Until recently I have scheduled my next appointment while I am paying for my service, but with time at a premium these days even that was taxing my brain and leaving me feeling anxious about if I’d scheduled for too soon or too far out.
To combat this recurring feeling of overwhelm, I decided to try an experiment. This month I spent part of an afternoon on the phone with eyebrow, massage and hair people to schedule my 2014 appointments. I know, crazy, but hear me out.
By booking out so far in advance, I was able to schedule the first Tuesdays of each month for eyebrows, the last Tuesday of each month for massage and the last Friday of each month for my hair maintenance. Now when I am looking at booking private yoga clients or scheduling workshops, I now know which Tuesday and Friday afternoons are off limits. There is great comfort in knowing my appointments are set and when I am available to work with my clients.
I am also not walking around with crazy eyebrows, an out of whack back and ridiculous hair. Bonus is my service providers also have some stability in their schedules. It is the gift that keeps on giving!
I would love to hear from you. Please share what decisions you put on auto pilot into your life and how your energy level is as a result of making less every day decisions.
With lots of self-kindness and love,
Tami
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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More links:
12 More Ways to celebrate National Day of Unplugging.
10 Things I Loved in February 2014
Featured Teacher: Elizabeth Gallo
Top Five Self-Care Tips from Melissa at compliment.
Top Five Self-Care Tips from Sarah at Yes and Yes.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: burger king, vegan protein shake, sweet potato lentil soup, chicken tacos, iced tea, creamy garlic vegan pasta, sauteed broccoli, scrambled eggs with brown rice and sauteed kale and tomatoes, mandarins, green smoothies, kale salad with fruit.
hearing: my girl laugh like a mad woman on the swing, friends on the other line and some little sue.
smelling :: soup!
seeing :: some serious progress in my business and the kindness of so many people. it’s stunning.
feeling :: loved and optimistic.
wishing/hoping :: to stay healthy. #noupperlimits
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
Several people have asked me recently about how I find time for things I want to do like self-care when there are so many things in life that must be done even if I don’t want to. {I’m looking at you, dishes!}
I love this question because it is something I have really struggled with over the years, especially when things aren’t going well and I tend to slip into very black and white/ all or nothing thinking patterns. The last few years have been working on making self-care a priority and I’ll share with you some of my tips for getting in some self-care every day.
First a story.
During yoga teacher training all of us trainees were up to our eyeballs with homework: reading and writing assignments, 40 required studio practices, building a new home yoga practice, starting a new meditation practice in addition to the jobs that paid our bills and our families and social lives.
Needless to say, a lot of us *I* spent a good amount of time complaining about our lack of time to pretty much anyone who would listen – including our teacher, Michelle.
Apparently she heard about the homework A LOT and in a moment of frustration (and utter brilliance) she asked us to consider if we might making the homework worse by avoiding and complaining and procrastinating and telling ourselves about our lack of time. And maybe if we stopped doing that we’d have plenty of time to actually get our work done.
Ouch.
And yet, probably some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten.
Once I removed the complaining time, the avoiding time and the storytelling about my lack of time: BOOM! Suddenly homework didn’t actually take that long.
Apply lesson to other areas of my life.
I absolutely loathe doing dishes and will pretty much avoid them at all costs because it just takes so long to do.
Or does it?
I timed myself. Guess how long it took to unload and reload the dishwasher… less than FIVE minutes.
I no longer avoid doing the dishes.
This summer I received a beautiful necklace from my friend Melissa from compliment and it was tangled up in the box when it arrived. Seriously sad panda.
Then I remembered my timer technique. In my enthusiasm for problem solving I planned to spend 15 minutes on the necklace each day until it was untangled.
I got out the necklace, the timer, hit go and TWO MINUTES LATER it was untangled.
Did I mention how much time I had wasted worrying about the knots in this necklace? All I really needed to do was get started.
And that’s how I have been handling all the unpleasant tasks in my life – by using a timer I can see exactly how long something takes. Or if that way doesn’t sound appealing in a situation, I give myself a set amount of time and see if I can race through the unpleasant task. Or I simply split the task into 10 to 15 minute increments and do them in several sessions until it is completed.
The point being: Get started and it will probably take less time than you think.
One other tip I want to share that has been pretty life-changing is the Pomodoro Method/Technique. I use it when I have thinking work to do and I want to avoid the procrastination traps I can sometimes fall into (I’m looking at you social media) when I am not sure where to start or how I am going to tackle a project.
What does this have to do with self-care you ask?
I used to think self-care took a lot of time or it wasn’t worth doing. For instance, if I wasn’t able to go to a 90 minute yoga class, then no yoga for me that day. Or if I couldn’t get in for a massage with my massage therapist, then no massage for me.
Are you seeing a pattern? A little black and white and all or nothing.
So I started applying the timer technique to pleasant tasks as well.
Five minutes of legs up the wall feels way better than none.
Ten minutes of foot massage feels way better than none.
Fifteen minutes in the hot bath feels way better than none.
Again, seeing a pattern?
I’ve learned that the unpleasant tasks usually take WAY less time than I think they will and that pleasant tasks in short spurts can be quite beneficial especially when done a bunch of days in a row.
I have also found that by doing a little bit of self-care each day helps me build my self-care slash nurture muscle better than a big session once in a while.
What are your tips and tricks for building self-care into your daily life?
I would love to hear from you. Please share how you build self-care into your life.
With lots of self-kindness and love,
Tami
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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More links for self-care ideas:
Top Five Self-Care Tips from Melissa at compliment.
Top Five Self-Care Tips from Sarah at Yes and Yes.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: whole grain hot cereal with brown sugar almonds and raisins, broccoli bisque, pita pizza, beet salad with pecans, old fashioned vegetable soup with brown rice pasta, potato leek soup, egg salad on sprouted toast, green smoothies, mandarins, applesauce, pb&j on sprouted toast, olive rosemary bread, chipolte, chai with almond milk.
hearing: the ever patient voices of our wonderful preschool teachers.
smelling :: eucalyptus essential oils in the bath and continuing rain. i could seriously get used to this. love that we’re finally getting some rain.
seeing :: kid boogers again. she is just sick enough to be a grump.
feeling :: optimistic. i’ve committed some time and money in some continuing education and i can’t wait to get started.
wishing/hoping :: to stay healthy. #noupperlimits
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
+++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: avocado toast (i may need some sort of intervention), whole grain hot cereal with brown sugar almonds and raisins, beet orange salad with pecans, red lentil white bean coconut milk soup, green smoothies, mandarins, ravioli with sauteed broccoli, homemade bread, in and out, chai with almond milk.
hearing: sid the science kid theme song.
smelling :: soup simmering on the stove.
seeing :: a new babysitter! rain!
feeling :: like my word of the year is getting a good workout. as well as my body – this week was a massage and a release the beast session.
wishing/hoping :: for some more peaceful thoughts.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
+++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
I am not going to lie. This past week was HARD. Quite possibly one of the hardest of my life. Something about parenting a small child while being far away from my own ailing mama plus the reality of our situation settling in and really making itself known. And let’s not forget the seemingly never ending cold virus.
Today I offer you some tips on taking care of yourself while in the middle of taking care of the people you love.
[DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and if you are in crisis please seek immediate medical attention from a medical professional.]
A vast majority of these helpful ideas were crowd-sourced from my Facebook friends, many of whom have experienced parenting while caring for their own parents through long-term illness and transitioning into end of life.
I offer these tips to you because they’ve already begun to help me. If you have a secret self-care tip to share, please message me. I am all ears.
And you don’t even have to do all of them to feel better.
1. Reach out. Friends, family, loved ones, your primary care doctor, a therapist, a support group. Any and all of these can be helpful. A text, a phone call, a Facebook message. Isolating yourself is not the answer. No one can go through crisis alone, so please ask for help or at least let people know you need help.
We are programmed as humans to need connection and one of our basic human needs is to tend and befriend not just fight and flight. So reach out.
The number one thing take away from friends is we can’t do it alone. Ignoring our own needs and those of our immediate family does not help anyone – not you and not your ailing loved one.
2. Accept help when it is offered. I struggle with this, but I am trying to change that because I am finally understanding you can’t do it alone. If people offer you dinner, take it. If someone you trust offers childcare, take it.
6. Let people physically comfort you. Embracing long hugs and hand holding and letting yourself cry in front of others.
7. Recharge your batteries. Go on a walk, hit the gym, take a yoga class
8. Nap. Rest until you are better.
9. Sleep. We’re all just giant two year olds without it.
10. Laugh. Some people watch funny movies. I like to exchange ridiculous comments on friends’ Facebook statuses – usually on Friday nights. Because we old, but we are still funny as hell.
11. Stay away from negative media/the “news”.
12. Cry. Watch a sad movie and cry it out. Ugly cry on purpose.
13. Let your kid watch TV sometimes. And don’t feel guilty about it. (We’ve been loving Sid the Science Kid, Elmo’s Potty Time and Little Einsteins. Someone else recommended Kipper for its mellow vibe).
14. Keep a gratitude journal to keep perspective that not every single thing in your life sucks. Take time to add five small things that delighted you each day. I’ve been doing this on and off for years and it has made a huge impact on my happiness.
15. Silly play with your kid. We’ve been puddle splashing and mud stomping lately and while dirty (and gross) little girl has been lit up like a Christmas tree. And in turn, I’ve laughed and played and felt good about connecting with my kid.
16. Solo movie watching during the day. With popcorn. At home or the theater.
17. Eat soup.
18. Eat chocolate – if that’s your thing. Apparently it’s my peeps’ thing. Lots of chocolate on my list.
19. Read a lot.
BONUS!
6 Ways To Reach Out To People Who Are Hurting:
1. Offer to Skype with a friend if you are out of town or scheduling makes it impossible to get together face to face. While it doesn’t allow for hugging, talking to another human’s face is remarkably comforting.
2. Offer to babysit their kids. Nothing is more helpful than someone else taking your kid for an hour or two for fun. Especially if the parents are struggling with depression and fun isn’t on the forefront of their minds (but they still manage to feel terrible about it).
3. Offer to cook them a meal or pick their kids up from school or get them coffee. Families struggling with the basics of life need help with the basics. So if you’ve got an extra batch of veggie soup in your freezer, offer it up. When we first returned from picking up our kiddo, the last thing on our minds was food. And then like magic it appeared on our front porch and I never felt more loved or cared for.
4. Offer to take them to the gym or on a walk or run or yoga class. People need physical activity and to get the ickies out and yet they might be stuck in the caring for others instead of themselves loop.
5. Stop by to give your person a hug. Maybe bring a treat (or not), but hugging them longer than they want to be hugged.
6. Listen and allow people to just be sad without having an solution at the ready. Just being a shoulder to cry on.
Please leave any tips you have used in the comments below.
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A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: dairy free chocolate chip cookie bars, avocado toast, whole grain hot cereal with mango and blackberries, beet orange salad with pecans, gluten and dairy free flax muffins, grilled pork bahn mi, red lentil white bean coconut milk soup, steamed pork buns, pretzels, coconut granola, green smoothie, mandarins, lentil soup.
hearing: myself laugh. whoa. it had been a while.
smelling :: flowers.
seeing :: a bereavement counselor, light at the end of my tunnel and house of cards season 2. omg! so hard not to binge watch!
feeling :: so much better. thanks, friends.
wishing/hoping :: i was in charge in life. turns out most things are out of our control, so it makes sense to let those thoughts go.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
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Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
Dear Friend,
Recently I was given permission by two people I trust – my GP and my therapist – to stop everything and rest until I feel better. No matter how long it takes.
— Don’t they understand I have things to do? Can’t they see my giant to do list? And on and on….
The irony is not lost on me.
Obviously we teach what we need to learn. Over and over again. No matter how long it takes.
So I wanted to offer that same permission to you. To rest until you feel better. No matter how long it takes. Because you might need it – the permission and the rest.
Like I do.
Wishing you a peace-filled and restful week.
xo,
Tami
PS – if someone you know is having a hard time and would benefit from rest, please forward this message to them.
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: red lentil white bean coconut milk soup, popcorn, dairy free chocolate chip cookie bars, avocado toast, corn chowder, coconut cranberry granola, warm almond milk with cinnamon, beet salad, apple/fennel/pear salad, coconut yogurt with almonds and cashews, baba ganoush, classic hummus.
hearing: my inner critics being super mean. to rest. twice. and so many other lovely words from my friends.
smelling :: doctor’s office and afrin.
seeing :: my people rally to support me and my family.
feeling :: deeply sad. super tired. still sick. well loved.
wishing/hoping :: for this virus to disappear once and for all and to finally feel physically better (& for my momma to get well soon).
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
+++++
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
+++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
So much has happened in recently.
The phone call you never want to get. The last minute plane tickets. Public crying – at my most happy of places – the airport. The person I have loved the longest in a hospital bed. Plus a massive head cold to add a little more icing on life’s cake.
The worst time of my life.
Or was it?
I kept wondering why I wasn’t spinning out of control from anxiety or sinking into a massive depression.
And then it hit me!
My first instinct when I got The Call was “I better meditate before I do anything else today.”
What?
I know.
Turns out I’ve been practicing living in the moment and now I’ve been called upon to do it for real.
Let me assure you I am not in denial about the situation (I was for a few minutes, so I know I have snapped out of it. whew!) or that things have been easy. They haven’t.
But what I realized is that by keeping myself in the present moment, I could actually help the situation. I could make decisions based on the information right in front of me. I could be fully present with my family when I needed to be — for them AND for me. Plus I could keep myself from falling off the What If ledge of insanity.
Who doesn’t want more of that?
So my friend, if you haven’t already started a daily meditation practice, please do.
It’s not just you who benefits from your practice. By you living in the moment and staying present with the people you love, you can help change the world.
Join Headspace. It’s free for the first 10 days. And like any good dealer, they just leave you wanting more. I’ve written about it before here. I get absolutely nothing for recommending this program to you except the good feeling that comes from showing someone what has worked for me.
Learn about meditation from Andy Puddicome, founder of Headspace. Here’s his TED Talk.
Not into Headspace? Babble likes these other meditation apps.
Meditation Mantra Or How To Stay in the Moment Without Losing Your Marbles.
7 Steps to Jump Start Your Meditation Practice
Tech Tools for Making Your Life Better
So tell me…. Do you have a regular meditation practice? How did you get started? What keeps you coming back?
I would love to hear from you. Please let me know what you think.
xo,
Tami
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: potato chips and french fries by the truckload in texas (hello, comfort food), turkey avocado sandwich, brownies, hemp milk, oatmeal, red lentil soup, toast with coconut butter, popcorn, dairy free chocolate chip cookie bars, avocado toast, homemade veggie soup, loaded up 20 minute chicken noodle soup, garlic toast.
hearing: the southwest ticket agent explain how i could afford to fly on less than 24 hours notice.
smelling :: airports, airplanes, hospital rooms, rehab facilities. rain!!!!
seeing :: my family.
feeling :: shaken to my very core and oh so very loved and supported.
wishing/hoping :: for my momma to get well soon.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
+++++
If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
+++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
For the last few months I have been doing these reflection posts after being inspired by Rosie’s. Taking time each month to reflect on the good things that happen each day/week/month has done wonders for my ability to actually stop and notice the good stuff.
Ten Things I Loved In January
Things I/We Did
1. Blog break. Sometimes you need to step away from something you love in order to see how much you love it. I am glad to be back.
2. Fired up and Focused Challenge with the Yogipreneur. All I can say is -wow. If you have trouble getting yourself to work on your business, do this challenge. You can sign up at any time and it is totally free.
3. .Hosted my own personal summit and picked my word of the year. It’s not too late to do this life-changing practice. Click the link for instructions and inspiration.
4. Taught Restoration Not Resolutions – my first yoga workshop AND there was writing AND it was awesome – if I do say so myself. Have I ever mentioned how much I love teaching?
5. Connected with some super inspiring local business ladies. I am so excited to be working with and learning from this group. Can’t wait to share more about them as the year goes on!
Products and Services I Dug:
6. Southwest Airlines. It has been about forever since I’ve spoken to an airline employee on the phone. Last week I had the chance to talk to two different women from Southwest who were both so kind and understanding and helpful I wanted to hug them both.
7. Mailchimp. Such an easy way to keep in touch.
Books I Can Highly Recommend:
8. Positive Discipline for Preschoolers by Jane Nelsen
9. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte.
10. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Videos I Fell For: .
Bonkers Awesome with Joy The Baker. Of course, my favorite episode is with Tracy from Shutterbean and her fabulous organizing skills.
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If you enjoyed this post, get email updates (it’s FREE).
So what are you loving lately? I’m always on the lookout for what is delicious in food, drink, fashion, and life. Leave me your favorites in the comments or write a post of your own and link back here.
Image Source: I took this picture. Please do not use them.
A way to capture the spirit of each week…
tasting :: chocolate hazelnut milk protein shakes, chai tea with coconut milk creamer, fresh blueberries, pomegranates, mandarins, pinklady apples, orange freezes, avocado toast, green smoothies without bananas, chicken noodle soup, mashed potatoes with sauteed cabbage, homeroom510 vegan mac and cheese with sauteed broccoli and red lentil coconut milk soup.
hearing: so many podcasts. current faves: good life project, the art of simple, and joy the baker.
smelling :: citrus of all kinds. one of my favorite winter smells.
seeing :: so many pix! have i mentioned how much i love instagram?
feeling :: rested and ready to rock the new year! (are you on the newsletter list yet? be sure to sign up so you don’t miss a thing. changes they are a comin’!)
wishing/hoping :: for some rain. dude, we need enough water for the swimming pool this summer.
What about you?
What are your senses this Saturday?
Looking back, how was your week?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it. I’d seriously love to hear about your week. Now’s not the time to be shy.
This weekly tradition inspired by Pink of Perfection’s Five Sense Friday.
Don’t forget to click the links!
{imagesource: my instagram!}
+++++
Do you wish you could end the school year feeling as energized as you started it?
Does recovering from the school year take most of your summer?
Are you ready to press reset but have no idea where that button is?
The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher is the reset button.
Keep up with The Healthy, Happy, Sane Teacher here.
If you enjoyed this post, 
Teacher Goes Back to School 