Tag: mindfulness

TIME

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As I reflect over this past week, I am reminded about the importance of time. We often say that there is not enough of it in a day. Other times, we lament that it goes by so slowly. All of us at some point either waste a lot of time not taking advantage of the time that we do have. We spend time worrying, arguing, not walking in love, being fearful, hiding on to guilt, bitterness, and resentment. We devote time to mindless television and meaningless social media posts. We spend time majoring in the minor and minoring in the major. We waste time. We want time to stand still. We grow impatient with waiting, we get frustrated when we run out of it. We tend to overthink or overreact; or we make rash decisions. We concentrate a great deal of time doing things we know a waste of time versus sowing that time into something or someone that will benefit from the investment. We never quite master making the best use of our time.

So it is with God. We spend a great deal of time disobeying God. We spend time bargaining and reasoning with God. We spend time running away from God. We spend a great deal of time going through seasons-some of our doing, others by God’s. We spend a lot time complaining to God. We spend little time developing relationship with God. We spend time ignoring His instruction and even more time on a long winding road that ultimately leads us back to the source- remember the Israelites in the desert for 40 years? We take for granted the time God has so graciously given us. We take for granted every time we inhale and exhale. We fail to acknowledge God’s power each morning He wakes us up. We do not even take the time to think about the fact that even when we sneeze and someone says, “God bless you”, God does because you continue breathing.

Psalms 34:1 AMP says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” We must devote time to worship. We must devote time in prayer and meditation. We must devote time to spending time in His presence. We must devote time to obeying God’s instruction. We must give back to God the life God so graciously gave us. The time God has given us on this earth is on purpose with purpose for purpose. Certain things are intended to happen at appointed times and whether we want to admit it or accept it or not, God controls the time. the Bible instructs is to, “Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.” [Proverbs 19:20 AMP]. We will need everything God provides, permits, and prevents is specifically created for our experience in this life and the relationship we develop with God. We must not be distracted or deterred. We must always be focused on the fact that we are on God’s time and there is much to be done in the places He has given us charge over. Are we going to get it right every time? Absolutely not! But when we have wasted time going our own way, we must make the most of the time we then have as we live for Christ versus ourselves. We must spend that time developing relationship with God and His people sowing, weeding and watering the seeds we have planted and been given charge over.

I pray that as we go through this week, we will take a little time to spend time with God so that He can show us what He wants the week to look like. Mark 13:33 AMP reminds us to, “Be on your guard [constantly alert], and watch [a]and pray; for you do not know when the timewill come.” I pray that we will allow God to redirect us and focus you on the things that are important to Him and to His kingdom. I pray we will no longer waste time trying to explain, excuse or justify. I pray we will allow God to resurrect us, correct us, and position us where He needs us to be at the appointed and anointed time He has on the calendar for the moment where God’s grace and glory collide. I do not know about you, but I do not want to miss another moment with God. I want take full advantage of the time God has ordained for me so that I can spend that time learning, growing and becoming what God wants and needs me to be during my time on this earth.

I’m rooting for you… Coach V

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: Sundays are Made for Self-Care and Soothing the Mind

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When was the last time you relaxed and did nothing for a whole day? Do I hear crickets? Self-care is very important for everyday life. After a long work week or a stressful situation, a day of relaxing and pampering yourself is the perfect gift to you after a long week. Have you ever thought to yourself “Man I’m exhausted. I don’t feel like doing nothing!” But you want to do some more work knowing that your body is physically and mentally exhausted. That is why it is very important to take a time out and relax. If it’s just sitting in your chair or laying down, you are relaxing your body. Here are some fun things you can do while you are in self-care mode.

  • Blast your music! Only if you are in the room or house by yourself. You don’t want to wake up the kids, the husband or wife. Unwind to some of your favorite songs.
  • Listen to some of your favorite podcasts. I recently started back to listening to podcasts through Apple. Pick out some inspirational and relaxing podcasts that will feed you positive vibes.
  • Do absolutely nothing! You don’t anyone nothing so just sit back and enjoy your own company as long as you can.
  • Take a nice warm bubble bath– That will help with all the stressors you have been dealing with all week long. You may just need to soak in the tub and just close your eyes.
  • Get some fresh air– Whether you have a porch or a lawn chair, step outside and enjoy the sun beaming down on your face. Getting some fresh air is also healthy.
  • Watch your favorite show or movie– It’s nothing like enjoying and catching up with your favorite shows. Pop some popcorn while you are at it too just to make it look comfy.

Make time for yourself no matter what. Its the key to staying balanced, healthy, mentally and physically in shape and to keep your mind from going insane. Feel free to comment on self-care tips you use throughout the week. I would love to hear them.

Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl: April is National Stress Awareness Month!

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Many people may say stress is a bad word and truth be told, it can be very bad and lead to all types of things like health problems, trouble sleeping, emotionally and mentally exhausted and the list goes on! But with stress you don’t always have to focus on the bad stressors, but the good stressors we definitely want to look at. Nobody has time for frustrations, anger, exhaustion and body aches. What is stress you might ask? Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. The sound of that sounds stressful, but there are ways to detox and reset your mind to focus again. Did you know that April is Stress Awareness Month? It has been celebrated every April since 1992. In 1974, the International Stress Management Association was founded by experts and research for stress in the workplace as well as personal stress management. https://integracareclinics.com/april-is-stress-awareness-month-tips-to-help-you-cope/

I find it pretty interesting that a lot of people or even communities don’t talk about stress awareness and the health side of it. It’s apart of a lifestyle that we sometimes walk upon if we aren’t too careful about how we handle certain situations or take on too much.

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When we feel like we are getting stressed out whether it’s from our job, projects, or even personal situations, we need to pump the brakes and consider these tips for stress management.

  • Exercise! That’s something I could use in my daily routine. But exercising is one good way to help reduce stressors.
  • Mediation- Turn the lights out, light a candle or two, put on some soft soothing music and engage in healthy thoughts. Learn to relax your mind when you are feeling stressed.
  • Spend time with family and loved ones- Sometimes laughing with family or even friends can ease your tension and allow you to relax in a comfortable setting you are familiar in. We all need a good laugh every now and then.
  • Talk about your stressful situations to family or those you trust the most. The more you talk it out, the better you will start to feel. It’s not healthy to hold all that anger and stress in.
  • Take good care of yourself- Mental health plays a huge part and although our focus seems to be on the problem, taking care of yourself should be top priority. Eat a balanced meal, keep hydrated, get plenty of rest, spend time with yourself and pay attention to all the emotions you are feeling.

With all that said, please be sure to take precaution when you are stressed again. It’s normal to be stressed, but when it lasts too long, you might want to see your local doctor or talk to a therapist about possible steps. I will be back next week to talk to you more about stress and the three types of stress. Until then, educate yourself on stress awareness and see what other things you can do to manage your stress better. https://nationaldaycalendar.com/stress-awareness-month-april/

Self-Check One Two One Two!

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Welcome to Mind Talks with That Riverz Gurl and I want to say thank you for stopping by to my column where I will be talking about everything mental health, self-care and more! Let’s talk about self-care because I feel like self-care is very much needed in today’s society. I want to ask a question really quick. “What does self-care look like to you?” Some may say sitting on the beach with a glass of wine on site playing some reggae music or relaxing in bed listening to music. For me it’s watching my favorite shows on Netflix, doing nothing, (I enjoy doing that the most LOL), reading a book on self-care, and listening to music. Whatever it is that you enjoy during your self-care moment, indulge in the moment and allow your body to relax and soak up the positive energy around you. Let’s really get into the post where self-checking is important in daily routines. Here are some things you should be checking on a day-to-day basis.

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  1. Checking your environment: Do you have people or situations that you have to get rid of so you won’t get distracted? If so, cut them out!
  2. Have positive energy: Make sure that you are displaying positive energy around you. I know sometimes that may be hard, but when you are displaying positive energy, your days will become better.
  3. Make time to take care of your mind: Don’t overdo it! Take a break when necessary.
  4. Take deep breaths throughout the day: Sometimes we all have to pause, close our eyes and take some deep breaths for relaxation.

“Learn to care for yourself because no one else will?”

That Riverz Gurl

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Learn more about That Riverz Gurl by visiting her website at http://www.thatriverzgurlbrandllc.com

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