(Topic request from my daughter Ella)

I went to the chiropractor on Friday to take care of my aching foot. When people tell me I need to go to the doctor I tend to head to my chiropractor. He has been my amazing doctor for 36 years. Any time I have a problem I head to the chiropractor and he fixes me up. Whether it’s a headache, heartburn, cold, fever, aching foot, hip problem, you name it, he has fixed me. I am not telling you not to go to your doctor. I just happen to love my chiropractor. The last time I had a fever I got adjusted and it disappeared like magic! If you are local go check out Palmercare Chiropractic in Cheektowaga. The even more magical part of this is that my brother (also a chiropractor who lives in Virginia), bought the practice. It feels like something that was meant to be. You see, when my brother was 4 years old and having trouble breathing from his asthma, my parents found Dr. Jafari and he worked his magic on my brother. I’m not giving the work he did justice with my words. Allergies, asthma, whatever the struggle is, people have no idea the amazing work that chiropractors do. I didn’t mean to get off topic, but I am passionate about this.

My chiropractor wasn’t in this past Friday, so his wonderful new associate worked on me for the first time. She put her hands on my back and asked me what I do for a living. I laughed hard and started listing: mom to three children, PTA President, writer….she told me I hold all my tension in my upper back and gave me a wonderful adjustment. She told me to build in breaks into my day and not to keep myself busy all day. So, Ella, to begin to answer you, part of how I stay grounded is caring for myself with appointments such as the chiropractor, massage therapist, and nail appointments.

When the chiropractor told me to build in breaks during my day it sounded so easy. Isn’t it common sense to know that we all need breaks? I drop off my children at school at 8:45 Am and I head to pick them up at 2:30 PM. After I drop them off, I have a, “Ready, set, go!” mentality. “How much can I accomplish in approximately 6 hours?” is my daily question. This obviously isn’t working for me. Time to build in breaks. Time to take a lunch break. Time to take a couch break. I will take her advice and build in breaks. I can even take a coffee break and sit with a nice cup of coffee. I also think that taking breaks can reenergize you to be even more productive! I don’t tend to take naps. I did fall asleep on the couch for ten minutes not too long ago and I woke up raring to go.

Ella wants to know how I am keeping myself grounded during a busy day. She too is learning to cope with very busy days. She had three shows yesterday and is absolutely exhausted. She is laying down on the couch as I type this. It is ok to take a mental health day from school or work. Instead of pushing herself to run off to school, I let her stay home and rest today. I give my kids a couple mental health days a year. I need to take my own advice and write mental health day on my calendar every so often. I’m telling all of you reading this to take a mental health day!

I asked my husband Seth to rub my feet last night. I ask him frequently since my foot has been hurting. It is significantly better this week. I asked him to stretch my foot. They feel so tight. He made me realize I am gripping the ground when I walk. He was telling me that is my way of grounding myself and getting my to do list done. He told me to relax my feet as I walk and be more up in the clouds and less in my chores. Sometimes I am amazed at how well he knows me and the good advice he gives me. As I walked our dog this morning, I was conscious of my feet as I walked. I relaxed my feet and consciously walked differently. If only I could walk along the sand and feel the sand in my toes. That is another discussion. Right now, I was less down in the ground getting it done and more up in the clouds enjoying a walk with Tanner. So many lessons for us to learn every day. Today I learned to relax my feet when I walk. Thank you Seth.

I am sitting here fantasizing about meditation. I have a bunch of meditation CD’s from my friend. It’s time to take them back out and spend some time meditating. I am going to get my children to do this too. Do you ever notice that your children are stressed? We fill their lives with activities that they love. Between school, homework and activities, you may be noticing that they are stressed. Let’s build in some family meditation time. My husband would love this too. My son’s way of unwinding is on his Xbox. My daughter’s way of unwinding is on their I-pads. Ella also unwinds with her special Barbie that she loves. Doesn’t meditation sound so much healthier? Just being more conscious of your breath and your body can bring you to the present moment and make you feel grounded.

Time with friends is good for the soul. I just texted my good friend that I really want to reschedule our dinner date. I am embarrassed to tell you that I cancelled on us twice. My children’s schedule tends to rule my life. It’s all blessings as my husband reminds me frequently. I miss her and I want to see her, and I need to prioritize this. Time with our friends is so good for us. I also took my mom from work for her birthday and we went shopping ALL day. She took a mental health day for her birthday and we had so much fun. Throwing the to do list away, skipping a work day, and just having a fun day!

If you love to read, write, sing, dance, paint, I challenge you to build it into your days. I read every night before bed and clear my mind to have a good night sleep. My daughter walks around singing all the time. My other daughter is always dancing around the house or drawing me a picture. There are so many ways to feel grounded in our daily lives.

How do we know if we aren’t feeling grounded?

Trouble making decisions

Forgetful

Flighty

Mind is racing

Anxiety

Worry

Hot temper

Highly sensitive

Lack of focus and clarity

Your conversations are all over the place.

Short breath

 

How we can feel more grounded during a busy day:

Meditation – build this into your day. First thing in the morning or at night before bed are two excellent options for this.

Exercise

Take a walk

Journaling

Read a book

Take a bath

Think about your breathing

Take a mental health day to relax.

Paint or draw a picture.

Color. I still love to color.

Go out on a date and leave your children home with a babysitter.

Take a vacation!!!

Build in breaks into your day. Lunch break. Coffee break.

Be in charge of your day and what is coming next. Don’t let others control your day.

Write down your thoughts and organize them.

Take time to prepare.

Stay present in the moment.

Leave the past behind.

Set a goal and make a plan.

Go with the flow. If it doesn’t go exactly how you wanted it to go learn to roll with it.

Look at your day as a journey and enjoy that journey.

Remember that every day is a blessing.

I would love to hear how you stay grounded in your day. I hope this was helpful and I hope you will share something that has helped you!

 

Laughing, Learning, Loving,

Rebecca Greene, LCSW-R