Joyful January Day #31: Share An Uplifting Quote

Share an Uplifting Quote 

Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.
Image taken during the Van Gogh Alive exhibition, Wellington January 2021 

Use the positive power of words

Sometimes someone says something and the words settle in your skin. Sometimes these words make you feel something. They may inspire you. They may shift your perspective. They may clearly say something that you cannot express yourself. 

I love quotes. I have inspirational teaching and kindness quotes throughout my teaching planner to help inspire me, they are also there to keep me going on the harder days and help me to refocus my energy. 

Recently I went to an exhibition of van Gogh, it was a multi-sensual experience that blew my mind to be honest. Quotes from van Gogh's writings were part of the exhibition and they really touched me. The quotes were so relevant to modern life. 

A little quote from my son
shared one day on a 
beach walk... wisdom comes
from many places.

The wisdom from people in other places, perspectives or times can be transferred in a quote, providing a useful platform for us to reflect on our own circumstances. Quotes sometimes offer a new  perspective on our present circumstances, they can sometimes help us understand ourselves better or think about others in different ways. 

I know pithy quotes are not for everyone but if they are good for you feel free to embrace them in ways that work for you. You may put them on your walls, in frames on a desk, on a pinboard, on the fridge or you bedroom mirror, in a diary... anywhere you will see them often and enjoy them. 

As we finish our Joyful January I hope that what we have shared has helped you find some joyfulness as we start a new year together. Perhaps you have tried one or two things or maybe you have participated every day. Perhaps some of the daily inspirations have become new healthy habits for you. Whatever the case our hope for you is that you have started the year well and will keep on looking after you so the rest of the year can be a happy, healthy one for you and those you care for! 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

 

Joyful January Day #30: Switch off and truly tune in

Switch Off and Truly Tune In

Being truly listened to is so close to being loved it is hard to tell the difference.

Have A Conversation Without Your Phone (or other distractions)

Listening is more than just the physical act of hearing, it takes an effort both of mind and body to truly tune in. Being truly listened to is so close to being loved it is hard to tell the difference, I am not sure who said that originally but I think it is pretty accurate. Many of us live in a world full of distractions- road noise, other people, TV, music, emails, our phones, alerts and so much more. So many distractions, and these listed are only some of the ones outside of our own heads! 

So what might it look like if we really listened?  

We would give the person/people speaking our attention with our mind and body:  

We would quieten the voice in our head, the one that judges, plans what we will say, predicts what the other person will say, goes through the shopping list, wonders what might be happening on social media... 

We would turn our body to the person speaking, and avoid moving in a distracting way  

We would listen to understand not to prove ourselves right or better or smarter or more amusing

We would add to the conversation not change it to better suit our own agenda 

We would paraphrase and question genuinely, showing curiosity and interest

We would listen actively so there'd be no interrupting or tuning out 

We would see this as a good use of time, not a waste of time  

This might sound intense, but of course we don't have to be creepy about it, in fact it is more about being respectful and enjoying the journey of the conversation instead. It is about being prepared to appreciate the other person's perspective and learn more from them. Active listening can support positive wellbeing by improving relationships, helping us to tune out distractions so we are less overwhelmed and adding to our knowledge or shifting our perspectives- it's got a lot going for it! 

“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. 

But if you listen, you may learn something new.” 

Dalai Lama 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #29: Give yourself some compliments

Look In A Mirror and Give Yourself Some Compliments 

Be your own cheerleader! 

Hey good looking!

Love those eyes

You are truly fabulous 

That's no surprise! 

(you might like to even come up with some actions for this if you feel inspired 😁) 

How often do we look in the mirror and only see our imperfections and flaws? 

Do you ever start listing them? Oh my bum, boobs, chin are too big or baggy. Oh there's another wrinkle, pimple, spot. Oh I'm so ugly. Oh I'm too fat, oh I'm too skinny. Oh my hair is too grey, too frizzy, too straight,  too brown, too boring, too messy, too... too... too... 

How many times have you berated yourself when you have made a mistake? I am so stupid! What an idiot! What was I thinking? I am always doing this sort of thing, when will I learn? A stream of insults internally beating up on yourself. 

Would you say these sorts of things to your best friend when you see them? Would you say them to the cashier at a supermarket or a waiter at a restaurant? Would you say them to a stranger you meet at a meeting or conference? 

So why is it OK to say it to yourself? 

This mean little voice isn't deliberately trying to hurt you, we can think of it as part of our caveman brain just trying to keep us safe by keeping us away from things that it thinks might hurt us like other people's judgement or being vulnerable and sticking out if we fail. These things won't kill us but our caveman brain can't really tell the difference between reality and perception. We can't necessary control the thoughts that come but we can control how much energy and attention we give them. We can change the types of thoughts that we feed off by being aware of what we are saying to ourselves and then we can start challenging them. 

A little dissatisfaction isn't always a bad thing as it can help motivate us to make positive change in our lives if we need to. Continually berating and putting ourselves down isn't helpful. It is useful to have that distinction. 

So when you look in the mirror... what might you see instead of a list of flaws and imperfections? You might see the stretch marks that showed the miracle of growing life. You might see the strong muscles that carry you every day. You might see that smile that lights up the room. You might see the frizzy hair that makes you unique. You might see the wrinkles that show the rich life you have lived so far, the joys and sorrows, the long summer days in the sun. You might see a person that is loved and cared for (by yourself and others!).

What can you say to yourself instead? 

You can try affirmations, these are statements that about yourself that you say to yourself. As it is often said, you've spent years putting yourself down so why not try and be kind to yourself and see what happens? Positive affirmations can teach our brain to believe these new thoughts rather than relying on old negative patterns.  

To create an affirmation: 

• phrase it positively 
• use 'I am'
• speak in the present tense 
• make it short and sweet 

You might start by listing some of the negative things you say to yourself often and then write the positive affirmation that counters this. This is not just what you see in the mirror, our physical presence, but other thoughts and beliefs we hold about ourselves. After creating our affirmations we need to keep saying them, out loud and internally, every day. If after a while they aren't working for you it may be that there is a deeper, older negative belief that you aren't aware of that is still ticking away like a music track on repeat in the background. Please note, if our thoughts are disrupting the ability for us to live a rich, fulfilling life then we may need to seek help and talk it through with someone. 

If nothing else today, please be kind to you! You are amazing, you are worthy, you are loved, you are making a difference, what you do makes a difference, you are beautiful, you are magnificent, you are worthy, and YOU ARE ALREADY ENOUGH! 

For more reading: 

5 Steps to Making Affirmations 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

 

 

 

Joyful January Day #28: Listen to your body and enjoy a healthy meal

Enjoy Your Food

Listen to your body 

Last weekend we had our Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit, it was full of great tips, strategies and inspiration for us to go forward and be our best selves going forward. To try and capture it all would take a book, or perhaps many books, not a blog so I am not going to try here. 

One of the things that came out of the summit for me was the reminder to tune into our own bodies and listen to what they are telling us. I am fascinated by the way that the body and brain operate subconsciously in response to stimuli, for example someone rolls their eyes at a staff meeting which might cause fearfulness (of disconnection from the group, isolation, potential conflict etc) and so our adrenal glands produce more adrenalin, our heart rate increases slightly, our breathing changes, our muscles tense a little and then consciousness hooks in when we notice some discomfort or funny feeling in our chest which might be a while later... but by now we are right wound up! The better we learn to tune in to our body, the better we are able to be aware of the internal conversations that are happening under the radar and then make better decisions for ourselves. 

This also relates to our choices around health and wellbeing. So how might listening to what our body is telling us help us make more great food choices for our bodies?

As Catrina Bengree said it is about noticing when we feel hungry, not avoiding any particular food so eating what we want and enjoying it, importantly noticing when we are satisfied and then focusing on something else. We are less likely to have a 'snackcident' if we are listening to our bodies and responding to our hunger/satisfaction cues and then moving away from the food when we are satisfied! Eating consciously, or mindfully, helps us tune in. So focus on what you are eating and enjoy that rather than eating in front of a TV or flicking through social media. 

We eat for a variety of reasons that aren't always to do with hunger. For some of us we just eat out of habit like my grandmother who always had a slice of bread with jam at the end of her evening meal, she called it a plug. Tuning in to our body helps us become aware of our habits and adapt them if they are not serving us. For some of us we eat in response to our emotional state- we eat because we are sad, angry, bored, stressed, tired, lonely. This can become a problem if we aren't aware of our emotional state and eat whatever to avoid facing what is eating us! It all comes back to us tuning in and listening. 

There is so much wisdom inside us, we just have tune in and listen. 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #27: Turn off your phone

Turn Off Your Phone 

We all need a break and so do our smartphones. 

Does your phone go everywhere you do? How often do you turn it off? 

What do you do when your phone 'pings'? Do you dive to look at what is going on for fear that you might miss something important? Do you ignore it but have an annoying little little thought niggling away that you should really look at it? What if it is something important? It could be, you know!!! 

This takes up mental energy, even if we do ignore it, it still interferes with our attention. Our attention is a precious commodity, it really is! If energy flows where attention goes, do we really want to give our valuable energy to every ping and blip from our phone? It also increases anxiety and can create a sense of overwhelm in an already busy life. 

Social media feeds are also a potential attention-grabbing, energy-sapping interference. How many times do you just check something on a social media account to suddenly find thirty minutes have disappeared or perhaps you have zoned out of a conversation and missed something important? Sometimes the zoning out might be just the thing we need to do to chill out but that is a mindful choice! The other thing with getting lost in the social media zone is that that old gremlin of comparison can sneakily start whispering in the background... everyone is doing, looking, feeling better or more successful than you... you are a failure. This is not great for our self image and low self image impacts on our motivation, energy and even body function! 

So perhaps we need to be smart and turn our smart phones off every now and then. (As a side note apparently switching off our phones from time to time is better for the battery life of the phone and the planet too! Bonus!) 

Here are a few tips to help manage the phone overwhelm: 

• turn off notifications- that means you will look at notifications when you want instead of when your phone wants you to, turning your volume down as well can help reduce anxiety from loud noise of the phone ringing
• find settings on your phone to manage your digital balance- you can set time limits for specific applications as well as general use, you can give bedtime settings too on some phones. 
• get an old fashioned alarm clock so you don't need to use your phone to wake you up- that way you won't get bombarded with scrolling through notifications first thing in the morning, and it removes the temptation to check your phone before you go to sleep which will help you sleep better 
• let people in your life know that you won't be checking your messages continuously- that way they won't worry when you suddenly can't be reached immediately or don't respond quickly... that'll save causing more anxiety around you 
• leave your phone behind sometimes on purpose- your phone won't get lonely if you go to the toilet, go for walk, sit in a meeting, eat a meal, watch a movie or have a date without it... it really doesn't care and those people who care for you won't mind if you put your health and wellbeing first and don't respond immediately

If any of the above suggestions make you feel really uncomfortable then it might be worth taking some time out to investigate your relationship with your phone to see if it really is a healthy one. For some of us there may be legitimate reasons but for most of us it could be a habit we've fallen in to and one that we might need to change for our own peace of mind. 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #26: Drink More Water

Drink More Water 

Wonderful Water! 

Water gives life. Water is a powerful force that can break down mountains over time. Water provides homes and sustenance for creatures great and small, weird and wonderful. Water moves and bends. Water changes states. Water is life. 

Water is essential for our planet. 

Water is essential for us. 

If you are blessed to be able to turn on a tap and get clean drinking water pause and feel grateful as so many on our planet do not have this luxury, let alone having water to bathe in and water our gardens. 

Water is the drink that helps us to think... and so much more! 

Think about how many of our body functions rely on water. Just look at the percentage of water for these body parts, it's amazing, I'm surprised we don't slosh as we walk around :)

• our blood is 50% water 
• our brain is 80-85% water as are our kidneys 
• our heart is 75-80% water as are our lungs 
• our skin is 70-75% water as are our muscles 

And these are just some of the organs in our body! In fact all of our systems need water in some way, shape or form. The average percentage of water in the whole human body is 60% so drinking water makes sense. 

I know we get lots of different advice about the amount of water we should drink, sometimes I get confused so here are two ideas I use to work out if I'm are drinking enough: 

1. if you are feeling thirsty you are probably already getting a little dehydrated so drink regularly throughout the day 

2. this is GOLD! Rowena Szeszeron-McEvoy says "drink more water till you've got clear wees!", it is such an easy to remember guide :) 

If we are getting dehydrated it is likely our thinking will be a little fuzzy, we may have a headache or feel light-headed, we may feel fatigued and our muscles might even start cramping. Our body will give us signals like these symptoms along with yellow, possibly strong smelling, wee and a dry mouth... but it's best not till wait till then. 

Tips to help you stay hydrated: 

• water is best so try to have more water than other fluids if you can 
• if you don't like the taste of water try adding lemon or mint leaves to give it a bit of flavour 
• you might prefer it chilled so have some in the fridge for quick access when needed 
• take a drink bottle with you, I always carry my drink bottle with me and it's bright pink so I can't miss it! 
• tune in to your body and check that when you go diving for a quick snack you aren't actually feeling hungry... sometimes we have confused the two signals
• on hot days or when exercising heavily drink more 
• sometimes having a drink of water gives you a chance to pause when you are in a stressful situation and means you don't react quite so quickly :) 

Love your body and stay hydrated! 

Reference: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-percentage-of-the-human-body-is-water#where-in-the-body

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day#25: Dress Up Just Because

Dress Up Just Because You Can 

Image from WOW exhibition: David Walker's 'Lady of the Wood'

Feel fabulous in what you wear 

This may not be about wearing a ball gown and top hat and tails, if you want to then by all means go for it, this is really about wearing clothes that you love and feel good in. 

One of the reasons we don't wear the clothes we love is that we are saving things for 'good', but how often do we wear them? I wear my wedding dress at every formal function I can, I love it, it feels beautiful and I enjoy wearing it. I bought a beautiful green sari in India many years ago but only wear it very occasionally, it feels lovely, I might wear it when I get home and revisit our memories of India with some lovely food and looking at the photos! It's there and I feel great in it! Perhaps you might wear something special for dinner at home, light some candles and celebrate just looking and feeling fabulous. 

Dressing up can be motivating. I think it was Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic that spoke about getting up, getting dressed up a bit and putting make up on to write when she was in a slump, it showed inspiration that she was ready and willing. It also made her feel more alive, and therefore more motivated, than she was in her sweat pants and slippers. Makes sense really. Years ago when I was going to serious meetings I used to wear bright colourful quirky undies and/or socks, no-one else saw them but I knew they were there and that made me feel a bit brighter in my suit. 

Dress like a pirate 
if that floats your boat!

It feels good to dress in clothes that we love and that makes us smile, inside and out. When we smile we get a positive energy boost that we then pass on to others. So when we wear something that we feel good in we create a happier healthier environment around us, and we don't have to wait for very special
occasions to do it. 

And if dressing up isn't your thing? Then, if you can, wear what makes you feel good today for as long as you can and really enjoy it. :) 

Here are some prompts to consider what you might wear today (or any other day):

 

Do particular colours make you pop? 

Is there anything that you wear that makes you feel happy, powerful, energised, spectacular?  

Do particular types of fabric make you feel fabulous?

Does adding accessories like make up, jewelry, nail polish make you feel special?  

Are there shoes that make you feel wonderful?  

Whatever you wear I hope that you are feeling fabulous today! And if you do dress up and feel like it, take a photo and share it... celebrate your fabulousness :) 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

This was held live on 22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop- recordings are available NOW Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #23: Notice One Thing You Haven't Noticed Before

Notice One Thing You Haven't Noticed Before  

Keep your eyes open, the world is more amazing than we think 

Have you ever gone for a walk with a preschooler and you have to keep stopping as they pick up an amazing rock, an interesting leaf, or need to enjoy the progress of a bug who is also on a little journey? Everything is fascinating and worthy of attention. Somewhere as we get older we often lose this sense of curiosity and wonder at the world that surrounds us. I understand that we have places to go and people to see and not every blade of grass or pebble needs to grab our attention but I do think there is a middle ground. 

Architecture is often 
overlooked but can 
be fascinating

Today's challenge is really about opening our eyes and, as much as anything, noticing the wonder in the ordinary world around us. It could be the colours in someone's iris as you get close, it may be the colours on the hills as the sun hits them, perhaps the colours of leaves or flowers and how different hues blend. You might spend time watching a bee go about their business, this is the beginning of new plants and flowers, this incredibly important work for our planet and they can carry on buzzing away while we appreciate them. It might be noticing an art work, the form, colour, materials. I know often when I look at artworks I marvel at what incredible things people can do when inspired and how from even rocks or leaves beautiful and/or provoking artworks can arise. Before we eat we can notice the shape and colour of our food. We might just look at our home or neighbourhood with fresh eyes. 

Noticing what is around us is a part of bringing ourselves to the present and can create a greater sense of balance and harmony. 

What might you notice today? 

Notice more so you can enjoy life like this wee guy enjoying an icecream! 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop (recordings available) Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #24: Get Outside And Move Your Body

Get Outside and Move Your Body

Movement + Fresh Air = Great stuff for your wellbeing 

If you can then we encourage you to get outside and get moving today. This is a double-whammy as you are getting that life-giving fresh air and shifting energy around your body physically. It is a great way to show appreciation to your body for all it does for you every day, when you think about how much we put our bodies through we really need to give them a standing ovation for their daily efforts! If you can get into nature that is really helpful too, it helps us feel calmer and reduces stress which in turn supports better physical health. Win-win-win! 

For those who can't get outside, as we said earlier, if you can open a window and get some fresh air that is helpful in itself. Moving our bodies (inside or out) can happen in a whole range of ways: 

 

yoga 
tai chi 

dancing 
biking
hiking

walking 
jogging or running 
skipping 

playing on a playground 
weights 
boating 
swimming 
digging 
gardening
house painting 
skateboarding or scootering 
playing sport

kicking a ball 
playing with a pet 
climbing 
playing games like hopscotch or elastics or tag 
martial arts 
play fighting 
water fight
bouncing on a trampoline
rowing 
 

Don't let the weather stop you from enjoying being outside. 
It is said that there is no bad weather just poor clothing choices :) 

How many different ways might you move today? Fast or slow, high or low?

What ways can you move outside? 

What movement can help you get more of the clean fresh air? 

Who might you move with? 

Where might you go to be outside moving? If you can't go anywhere at the moment where would you like to go? Even mental rehearsal through imagining can help us get some positive vibes. 

Whatever you do I hope it fills your soul and fuels your body. 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop (recordings available) Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

 

Joyful January Day #22: Dance Like No-one Is Looking

Dance Like No-one Is Looking 

This was from a light show in the New Plymouth gardens, 80s music and lights... I was in my need to dance element! 

Just move your body! 

Dancing can be a great way to get fit, choose your favourite music (or go without music if you wish)
and let your body move. It is an expressive artform, you can choose to let loose and just move any way you want. It can be a great stress relief especially if you allow yourself to let go of everything else for a little while. Dance is also great for engaging our brain, improving cognitive skills through the challenge it can provide. I know when I am learning new steps it takes a lot of focused energy to master them but the feeling of achievement when I finally get there is huge. 

As our balance in our body improves through dance so to does the balance in our brain. 

I remember years ago going to an arts conference for teachers focused on dance and feeling completely out of my depth especially when I saw the dancers float in and sit down, they moved so gracefully and looked beautiful. I felt so awkward and clumsy and really wondered what I was doing there. Then something magical happened once I started going to the sessions, all that self judgement slipped away when I started having fun with it. On occasions I still pull out my version of a back spin I learned in the breakdancing session for fun :) [Please note: my back spin is still a work in progress but I have fun doing it when the mood takes me, even if I need extra help to keep spinning :)]

Dancing can be fun when we let ourselves enjoy the freedom of movement... we don't have to do it with anyone else if we don't want to but if we are dancing with others we need to remember that unless we are on stage we aren't performing for anyone so it is OK to just do our thing (and if you ask the choreographers for shows I do, often when I am on stage I am still kind of doing my own thing... but that is more about my skill level than anything else!). I love the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt "you wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realised how seldom they do". Generally speaking people are so busy thinking about themselves, (or looking at their phones!), that they don't have time to think about you so don't scale back the joy you can feel when dancing just to avoid the imagined judgement of others. And if anyone is judging you remember that is actually their business and not really your business at all. Just do your thing and enjoy the freedom!

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop (recordings available) Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar

Joyful January Day #21: A Few Of My Favourite Things

 A Few Of My Favourite Things 

A collection of favourite things I have around my desk at home, all of these things have a story and meaning attached to them... I'll share some in this post. 

Take photos of things you love and display the photo 

I am away from home at the moment and a collection of photos is great to ease the home-sickness, so my photo is displayed on my phone that I have with me. They remind me of the things I value, engage positive memories and help me feel centred. The meaning we attach to these items and images don't have to make sense to anyone else, they are just for us. I know Marie Kondo might suggest I get rid of some of them but for now they bring me joy and that is their purpose so they can stay, that being said this exercise has helped me with how to approach decluttering another space and I can already see what no longer sings for me :)

Here are my five special things for today: 

The white feathers, the pink bike and the card with buttons- my connection to my dad, the nickname he gave me was Buttons, whenever I see white feathers I think of him and the pink bike reminds me of the bikes he would paint on any wall before he would paint it 

The photos of my boy with myself and his dad- he'd actually just 

come out of hospital with pneumonia the day before the photos were taken, it reminds me of the love and joy we share even when things are tough 

The wings quote, the lion and the plate- remind me of our marriage, we were married at Larnach's Castle where we got the plate, the lion is a sketch of the lions that stand at the front of the castle. The quote says "we are each of us angels with only one wing and we can only fly by embracing one another" and this also reminds me of my supportive friendships 

The little bear- this was a gift I was given when I graduated with my M.Ed., it had been a real struggle to get to the end of this study and there were many times I wanted to give up but the encouragement of others and my own determination got me across the line... this reminds me that I can do hard things 

The wee candle in the tin and the star- the candle was a gift from one of my students a very long time ago and it says "Teachers keep the bright promises of tomorrow" and, together with my sparkly star, reminds me that my job in life is to share the light with those I am lucky enough to work with and help each of them sparkle 

What are a few of your favourite things? I hope you get some time to reflect on them and the meaning they hold for you. 

This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021

That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.

22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop (recordings available) Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/ 

Click here for a link to the Joyful January Calendar