Self-Care Hacks

How Faulty Thinking Can Prevent You From Living Your Best Life | Self-Care Hacks Episode 153

It’s so easy to resort to faulty thinking when it comes to our physical appearance. What I discovered about my calves shocked me. DO YOU SUFFER FROM FAULTY THINKING? “Don’t you remember when the Roman soldiers came to the door?” I asked my older sister about thirty years ago. “What?! Roman soldiers? What in the world are you talking about?” she answered. “You know,” I said, speaking more slowly, wondering at my memory, “Mom would turn the lights off, shut the curtains, and we’d have to be really quiet so the Roman soldiers wouldn’t arrest us.” My sister burst into laughter. “I remember nap time each afternoon, and Mom turning the lights off and closing the curtains so we’d fall asleep more easily.” “No,” I insisted. “I distinctly remember knocking at the door, peeking out the window, and seeing Roman soldiers.” “That’s some crazy faulty thinking,” my sister assured me. The Jehova’s Witnesses or Mormon missionaries would come by every couple of weeks, and Mom always ignored them.” “Why did I see Roman soldiers?” I wondered. “Mom always played the Bible in Living Sound records during our nap time,” my sister reminded me. “You must have confused the missionaries at the door with the records.” I still shake my head at the convoluted thinking five-year-old mind came up with. Not just faulty thinking, but faulty interpretations of events. Even worse, I waited over 20 years to share my ‘memory’ with anyone. For some reason, I thought I had to keep it a secret. Most likely because we were supposed to stay quiet during nap time. THE LIES WE BELIEVE ABOUT OURSELVES But how often do we have faulty thinking in other, not-so-amusing areas of our lives? I can attest to how easily I fall prey to cognitive distortions in my life. The devil likes to present distortions as the truth in areas we feel most vulnerable. For me, it’s my weight and my overall appearance. For others, it might be something else. In order to take care of ourselves mentally and emotionally, we need to learn about faulty thinking, also known as cognitive distortions. It’s also helpful to understand the role of emotions [https://anitaojeda.com/do-you-need-to-set-emotional-health-goals-today/] in our lives. Listen to today’s podcast and let me know in the comments section if you’ve ever fallen prey to any of the ten distortions. How have those distortions prevented you from living your best life? If your struggle with faulty thinking has led you to depression, seek professional help immediately! SHOW NOTES This book by Dr. David Burns is easy to read and full of ways to deal with our cognitive distortions: Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. [https://amzn.to/45D7yPp] It's so easy to resort to faulty thinking when it comes to our physical appearance. What I discovered about my calves shocked me. #thoughtdistortions #cognitivedistortions #distortions #livingyourbestlife #mentalwholeness #mentalhealth #feelinggood #selfcare #selfcarehacks #podcast #growth #SelfCareSunday [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Self-Care-Hacks-Pin-1000x1500-layout2402-1i76jel-683x1024.jpg] COME BACK NEXT WEEK Next week I’ll share what I’ve learned about the role of doing brave things in order to take care of myself. INSPIRE ME MONDAY LINK-UP * Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time. * Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please). * Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter [//fresh.inlinkz.com/p/0da8c4db8be24ecfa2fe00ab48f322e0]

Improve Your Spiritual Self-Care Routines with this Free Checklist | Self-Care Hacks Episode 152

We all need spiritual self-care routines, whether we realize it or not! I’ll share a handy acronym to help you set new goals and habits. WHO NEEDS SPIRITUAL SELF-CARE? “Who wants to give their life to Jesus?” the pastor’s piercing eyes searched the congregation. I sat paralyzed on the front pew. My hand wanted to shoot up in the air; I had questions. For example, if I gave my life to Jesus, would I have to become a missionary? What if some African chief offered me meat? Would I have to eat it? Did God want me to dedicate myself to martyrdom at the tender age of five? If I gave my life to Jesus, would I enter into a constant round of doing things for the church? What if I had to stand up front and preach? Would I have to serve at potlucks while watching everyone else eat my favorite things? It seemed as if the adults in the pews around me spent a lot of time doing God’s work. Would making a decision to follow Jesus launch me straight into adulthood? I grew up thinking busyness for God meant spiritual self-care. If I taught classes to the youngsters, faithfully went to prayer meetings, vespers, church, and evening programs, I must be doing what God wanted, right? Wrong. It took me a few decades to realize it’s not what I do for God that matters. It’s what God does for me. > “All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.” > > > Luke 10:20 The Message DON’T CONFUSE BUSYNESS WITH RELATIONSHIP Spiritual self-care means we enter into a life-long relationship with Creator God. We don’t have to follow a church’s formula or a set of rules. But we do have to take time to nurture our relationship. In today’s podcast, I’ll share four ways you can work on your spiritual self-care (without signing up for potluck duty or preaching a sermon). SHOW NOTES Download your FREE spiritual self-care printable here! [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/PRAY-self-care-habits.pdf] Check out Michelle DeRusha’s book here [https://anitaojeda.com/discover-intentional-rest-and-your-true-self/], or listen to an interview with her here [https://anitaojeda.com/sch-096-spiritual-self-care-with-michelle-derusha-author-of-spiritual-misfit/]. You might enjoy this series on rest. https://anitaojeda.com/finding-sabbath-rest-for-your-brain-in-a-restless-world/ https://anitaojeda.com/the-connection-between-creativity-and-sabbath-rest/ https://anitaojeda.com/how-playfulness-and-adventure-help-you-find-sabbath-rest/ https://anitaojeda.com/the-key-to-finding-true-sabbath-rest/ We all need spiritual self-care routines, whether we realize it or not! I'll share a handy acronym to help you set new goals and habits. #spiritualselfcare #routines #goals #selfcarehacks #selfcaresunday #selfcare #takecareofyourself #freechecklist [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Self-Care-Hacks-Pin-1000x1500-layout2402-1i6kiq9-683x1024.jpg] COME BACK NEXT WEEK Next week, I’ll share the surprising thing I’ve learned about distortions. INSPIRE ME MONDAY LINK-UP * Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time. * Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please). * Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter [//fresh.inlinkz.com/p/9281de8cadfb45d6830a1edcb7c303be]

Want to Improve Your Physical Health? Download This Free Self-Care Checklist! | Self-Care Hacks Episode 151

You CAN improve your physical health, but the latest diet probably won’t help you. This checklist will. IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO IMPROVE YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH My health journey has lasted almost half of my life. I’m glad to report I’m in the best physical shape I’ve been in my entire life. Not bad for an old gal approaching 60! In the past thirty years, I’ve discovered magic pills to improve your physical health don’t exist. But you CAN improve your physical health, one small choice at a time. Everyone has a unique struggle, and no one-size-fits-all regimen, routine, diet, or program will work for everyone. The magic pill isn’t even a pill. It’s self-knowledge. The better we understand ourselves, the better we’ll understand where we need help (from a friend or a professional). When we feel comfortable in our own skin and analyze what we like and don’t like, it’s easier to choose help wisely. I don’t like exercising on a regular basis with other people. It took thousands of dollars in gym memberships to figure it out. A treadmill, the iFit app, and a stationary bike cost less than a year at the gym, and I actually use them. Someone else may need the interaction of a community. Today’s self-care hacks to improve physical health include a free checklist. It’s not the kind of checklist where someone else decides what you need to do. Instead, you get to explore your likes and dislikes and motivations. Start small, but start. Your body will thank you. All the people who love you and want to see you live a long and happy life will thank you. Download the FREE Self-care Checklist for Healt [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SWEAT-self-care-habits.pdf]h SHOW NOTES This article on fitness trackers [https://anitaojeda.com/how-many-steps-a-day/] may help you decide which one to purchase. You can find healthy (er) vegan and vegetarian recipes here [https://anitaojeda.com/category/self-care-nurture/healthy-eating/]. The experts weigh in on how much exercise we need each week here. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261] Do you really need to walk 10,000 steps a day [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/10000-steps/art-20317391]? It depends! [https://anitaojeda.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-to-get-you-going/] You CAN improve your physical health, but the latest diet probably won't help you. This checklist will. #selfcarechecklist #physicalhealth #gethealthy #healthychoices #healthierhabits #realfood #exercise #iFit #running #selfcare #selfcarehacks #selfcaresunday #podcast [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Self-Care-Hacks-Pin-1000x1500-layout2402-1i57qgo-683x1024.jpg] COME BACK NEXT WEEK Next week I’ll share four self-care hacks to improve your spiritual self-care routines. INSPIRE ME MONDAY LINK-UP * Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time. * Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please). * Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter [//fresh.inlinkz.com/p/fdb2aa235a0b4df9bcd8eef2150c5c8a]

How is Your Brain Holding Out? Download a Free Checklist to See if it Needs Your Attention | Self-Care Hacks Episode 150

How is YOUR brain holding out? Just because we get older doesn’t mean we have to get dumber. This free checklist will help you form a plan. IS YOUR BRAIN HOLDING OUT OVER THE SUMMER? “The computer program thinks you should gain one RIT point between now and next September,” I explained to a student. “What goal would you like to set for yourself for the MAP test in September?” “I think I can go up three or four points,” the student assured me. “Do you plan on reading books all summer and playing Free Rice?” The look of horror on his face said it all. “Remember, the brain is a muscle; if you don’t use it, you lose it,” I said. “If you don’t plan on reading and playing educational games this summer, why don’t you go with the computer’s suggestion for growth.” “You mean I’ll get dumber over the summer?” “First, you’re not dumb, so you can’t ‘get dumber.’ But yes, you can lose learning over the summer because you’re not practicing what you learned. Teachers call it the ‘summer slide.'” “And if I read books, it won’t happen?” “Not as much,” I assured him. “If you want to keep your brain holding out over the next two months, you’ll need to do a little reading and math each day.” “Imma not promising anything,” he told me, “but I might pick up a book.” I smiled and wrote his goal for next fall on my spreadsheet. Maybe he would; maybe he wouldn’t. I’ve discovered the same thing happens to adults when they quit actively learning. Today’s podcast will help you identify four ways to create a life-long learning habit. SHOW NOTES Some studies have also shown that learning new skills [https://anitaojeda.com/reasons-birding-can-help-you/] (especially those involving speed and processing) can help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s. Reviewing helps us move information from our short-term memory to our long-term memory, according to an article on Mind Tools [https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_05.htm]. The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/] Set a goal for the year to create something—and then use the handy habit-tracking sheet [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LARC-self-care-habits.pdf] to help make your goal a reality.G Get your FREE academic and artistic self-care checklist here [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LARC-self-care-habits.pdf]. ---------------------------------------- A person will never get too old to learn something new. #lifelonglearner #selfcarechecklist Click To Tweet [https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp7W1vk-2EC&text=A%20person%20will%20never%20get%20too%20old%20to%20learn%20something%20new.%20%23lifelonglearner%20%23selfcarechecklist&via=selfcarehackspc&related=selfcarehackspc] ---------------------------------------- How is YOUR brain holding out? Just because we get older doesn't mean we have to get dumber. This free checklist will help you form a plan. #lifelonglearning #creativity #artistic #selfcare #selfcarehacks #selfcaresunday #oldbrainnewtricks #neuroplasticity #freechecklist [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Self-Care-Hacks-Pin-1000x1500-layout2402-1i55pg9-683x1024.jpg] COME BACK NEXT WEEK! Next week I’ll share five self-care hacks for improving your physical self-care routine, along with another FREE checklist! INSPIRE ME MONDAY LINK-UP * Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time. * Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please). * Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter [//fresh.inlinkz.com/p/0a5dcae48b3f4622aeadd63411091be6]

This Mental Health Checklist Will Help You Focus on What YOU Need | Self-Care Hacks Episode 149

Learn to focus on what YOU need with this FREE mental health checklist! GET A FREE MENTAL HEALTH CHECKLIST! I love checklists and marking things off. In fact, I *may* forget to make a to-do list at times, and write down things I’ve already done just for the satisfaction of checking the box next to them. I hope I’m not alone. Not everyone loves checklists, though, and I understand. If you operate more efficiently by keeping a mental list in your head, today’s podcast episode can still help you. I’ve come up with a handy acronym to help you remember four essential ways we can foster good mental health habits. Even if you don’t think you need to have a mental health checklist, and doubt whether you need to spend time each week fostering good mental health, listen anyway. You may already do all of things on the checklist, and then you can pat yourself on the back because you have learned how to focus on what YOU need. I’d love to hear how other people incorporate good mental health habits into their daily lives, so leave a comment in the show notes if you have a hack you want to share with others! SHOW NOTES Researchers [http://selfcontrol.psych.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/KrossJ_Pers_Soc_Psychol2014Self-talk_as_a_regulatory_mechanism_How_you_do_it_matters.pdf] have discovered that talking to yourself and using your name (third-person) actually helps you maintain a positive attitude about messing up This article from Psychology Today [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile] explains the benefits of smiling. You can check out this article on WebMD [https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-symptoms-and-types.] to assess whether you need more mental health help. If you need help forming an action plan and an after-action review, this post [https://anitaojeda.com/do-your-mental-self-care-goals-need-an-after-action-review-now/] will help you. f you’d like a free printable self-care checklist for mental health habits [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WAGS-Checklist.pdf], just click here [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WAGS-Checklist.pdf]. It comes with instructions and takes about 15 minutes to complete at the start of each week. Learn to focus on what YOU need with this FREE mental health checklist! #mentalhealthmonth #mentalhealthawareness #selfcarehacks #selfcaresunday #gratitude #journaling #smiles #affirmations #selfcare #takecareofyourself #podcast [https://anitaojeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Self-Care-Hacks-Pin-1000x1500-layout2402-1i4tk2g-683x1024.jpg] ---------------------------------------- This Mental Health Checklist is FREE! And #mentalhealthawarenessmonth is a great time to evaluate your mental health habits. #selfcare #mentalhealth Click To Tweet [https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.me%2Fp7W1vk-2Eh&text=This%20Mental%20Health%20Checklist%20is%20FREE%21%20And%20%23mentalhealthawarenessmonth%20is%20a%20great%20time%20to%20evaluate%20your%20mental%20health%20habits.%20%23selfcare%20%23mentalhealth%20&via=selfcarehackspc&related=selfcarehackspc] ---------------------------------------- INSPIRE ME MONDAY LINK-UP * Welcome to the Inspire Me Monday Community! The link-up opens Sundays at 4 pm, Arizona time. * Link up your family-friendly inspirational posts (no more than two, please). * Visit the person who links up BOTH before you and after you and leave a comment. This helps keep our community vibrant! You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter [//fresh.inlinkz.com/p/cb741e5ad41c4f20b8055ed4adf3843d]