Monday Morning Self Care Hacks and a Free Cross stitch Sampler!

So it's Monday........up at 6am,  Coffee is on.

For almost everyone, Monday means sometimes different things to people; however, there are alot of us who dread seeing Monday mornings. Whether you work outside the home or inside the home. Whether you have kids or the kids are grown or you don't have kids, Monday morning self-care can make a big difference to your week.

I've been through different seasons in my life but still Mondays seem to always mean starting over again or a fresh new start for a new week.

When I worked for the past 35 years, Monday morning meant making sure I had plenty of coffee. So,, I am re-posting one of my samplers for you this week if you like! See below at end of post.

I, like others, dreaded it in my profession because all kinds of things crop up over the weekend and then Mondays really were the busiest days, almost crazy busy because of being off 2 days. Sick people don't choose when they get sick.

However, it was not until my last place I practiced I really developed some things that helped me on Mondays. I used to think these suggestions were kinda hokey, but honestly they really do help prevent or enable Mondays (or any day of the week) to be better.

1) try to get up at least an hour before the family wakes to get a headstart on the day. Journalling positive thoughts and keeping a gratitude journal helps alot.

2) on Sunday nights prepare for Monday morning by laying out clothes, accessories, shoes and put work bag by the door with the keys. YES!  THE KEYS. I've been running around many times just to find the keys in the past.

3) Try to incorporate some form of exercise at least 4 days a week.

Walking in the evening after work is good. Yoga is great. Just something that is a routine and I promise you will sleep better and the brain loves exercise. There have been studies that compared a group who only exercised 30 minutes a day 5 days a week to a group with no exercise and taking Prozac. The studies showed the group who exercised regularly showed better improvement that the Prozac group.

4) Arrive at work at least 20 minutes early and if you have your own personal office, close the door and read a devotional or encouragement either from online or a book. If you are a Christian, pray for the day and for all the people you will encounter that day. 

This really helped me so much.

5) Try to maintain your normal sleep wake cycle over the weekend. Monday morning will not seem as harsh to wake up to. Promise. (I learned this one the hard way but it works)

6) help others but remember to take care of yourself as well. I know that sounds like common sense but I have been caught in the endless wheel of giving , giving  and more giving and put my own health last. Just creates resentment and burnout.

7) If your workplace atmosphere is chaotic and you begin to dread the people you work with, first take a step back and see where you can help the situation. If not, try to find another place of employment.

No job is worth tearing down your spirit everyday.

8)  Eat a healthy breakfast. Yes it really matters to have normal glucose levels in the body.

9) Be aware when you greet your boss and coworkers and customers, patients/ etc. that body language can really be either positive or negative. Even if you think your A OK on this, look at a few You Tube videos on body language and meaning. It will amaze you AND you will have a better sense of understanding others.

Vanessa Van Edwards has the BEST You Tube interviews and meaning of body language I've found.

10) On Fridays really do close and conclude as many things possible. It's tempting to just leave when you can early or save for later, but this one really helps if the previous weeks work is not carried over to Monday morning.

11)  Find a hobby or make time to get one. Think of things you used to love to do as a child. Then this will help you remember your creative side. If you have little time at all, try to sneak in at least once a week something you love doing just to create. This one is so important.

So, enjoy this sampler when you can!

I hope your first day of the week finds you peaceful, restful, and enjoying what you do.

Monday Mornings

copyright 2013

Feathers in the Nest-designer

thread colors and linen as desired

Here's to going for the second cuppa now!

Jennifer Fox

A Sunday Caption

"Not sure why momma put me up here with yarn......I'm not a cat..........."

~~~Abigail 

Hope you had a good weekend!

Jennifer

Losing My Daddy

Hey friends.

Since I posted last I've been through quite a few changes. One of which is the death of my father on April 20th. He had suffered 6 months as a quadraplegic from neck down and on life support.
I could write alot about my daddy but long story short, he was my rock. Of course no one is perfect but in the last 3 years my daddy decided to have a good relationship with me, writing me letters, calling every Sunday night at 9pm -10pm to give me encouragement, check on me, tell me he loves me when he knew other family was being distant.

I treasure the time I spent with him for months, sometimes in a coma not knowing if he heard me or not. But I do believe he did. I wiped away tears. Eventually, making sounds through his trach some I understood and the respiratory therapist, some just loud moans. We found a way to communicate without speaking a word. That's what love does.

Did I say what took a very healthy man who drove a tractor and had just fixed the roof of his house?
A mosquito bite infected with West Nile Virus.

Yep, my father was number 5 out of 6 cases of West Nile virus in GA for 2016.

Unfortunately, for him he did not have a mild case but got brain and spinal cord infection of which there is no cure.
My daddy and I had alot of conversations of wisdom in his last 3 years.  He was fixer of all things mechanical or household. He didn't go to college or take any special courses in life. He just would figure out how to fix anything.

Previous to this, I had major shoulder surgery on my dominant arm.  This was 6 days before my daddy passed, taken off life support. Since then I have been in much pain, especialy on rehab days. I now have 3 metal anchors attaching my ligament to the bone and having complications in the past few weeks where the doctor wants to do another surgery but I honestly am trying to work it out with physical therapy as much as possible. I really don't think I can go through another shoulder surgery as this one was the most painful thing I've had including birthing babies. At physical therapy 3 times a week I am making the best progress in the past week so I'm not losing hope.

About week 3, I started to try to knit again and would off and on knit a row here and there.
This past week, knitting about an hour a day. Unfortunately, I am having nerve pain from the shoulder down to my thumb and very bad at the elbow with swelling. We are hoping this again will resolve with therapy.

Thank you to all who sent me encouragement through this time on Facebook and who PM'd me and shared their own experiences with the loss of a parent.

I read somewhere that there are rites of passages for all women and the final one is when her father dies. I found that interesting but totally can understand that point in life.
My father is buried right beside my son that passed away in 1985 and my daddy buried my son in such a way to give the option that I can be buried beside him when the time comes. At that time my daddy paid for all my prenatal care because he knew my spouse at the time couldn''t as he had no job.
He also paid for the casket and memorial service for our son.
He always was the first one I saw waking up from surgery. Always.
And I missed that so much this time in surgery.

At the very last 25 minutes when my father was passing, my brother held one hand and I the other. All our family in the room and supportive. My daddy's eyes became more open and it appeared he was seeing something over him and he looked so peaceful. I do believe he saw angels greeting him or maybe some of our family and his closest friends who had passed over also.

Dealing with constant shoulder pain and rehab of my arm and crying at the drop  of a hat about daddy, it has been a very rough 7 weeks to say the least.
The only consolation I have is that he is much healthier and happy now in a beautiful place called Heaven where I will meet him again one day.

        

I miss him so much. He made sure I felt love by him and in fact he left me a letter that he loved me much and always and I am having an Etsy designer who takes original handwriting and impresses it on a bracelet plate of solid silver so I can be reminded of how his spirit is always with me in his original handwriting. When I receive my memory bracelet back I will be sure to post the Etsy shop name and the owner because she is the sweetest while we conversed back and forth.

Today's mission for my husband and I is to work on my camera to get the best pictures possible so I can return to blogging regularly.

I have missed it alot.

I feel particularly blessed to have a very supportive husband who brings me coffee in bed, rubs my shoulder and back to work out the muscle knots, takes time away from work to take me and cheer me on during rehab of my arm, and who has been a vital part of help from this surgery.

I hope this finds all of you in a happy, peaceful moment with needles in hand creating something beautiful!

I also have spent my downtime watching ALOT of knitting podcasts and will share later on this topic.

So spread love and always remember life is short. Enjoy all you can with your creative hearts!

Love Always,

Jennifer