Spring

Guest Video: Self-Care with Jennifer Lee

2010-07-30T11:00:28Z

We're super duper thrilled to welcome Jennifer Lee (bio below) to Spring! We knew how much Jennifer values self-care, and she puts her money where her mouth is by recording the start of this video in her hammock! She is so my new hero. Enjoy!

Jennifer Lee, of Artizen Coaching, is a certified coach, author, and artist who believes in living life in full color. She blogs at Life Unfolds and she inspires creative entrepreneurs to bring their visions to life with the Right-Brain Business Plan. When she's not coaching, writing, or leading groups, she can be found painting up a storm, reading in her hammock, indulging in a mid-day nap, practicing yoga, or hanging out with her hubby and their adorable beagle mix.

Review & Giveaway: "The Fatigue Prescription"

2010-07-29T11:00:51Z

I've had the following conversation with my mother more times than I could count:

"How ya doing?"

"Tired, but what else is new?"

This exchange has gone both ways & has been repeated for years, which is why I was intrigued when I heard about The Fatigue Prescription, a new (work)book by Dr. Linda Hawes Clever. While I was initially skeptical of a book about fatigue by a Dr. Clever (yes, it's her real name, & yes, she's a real doctor) - I was waiting for it to culminate with, "Buy my magic vitamin herbal supplement!" - the book really delivered.

I admit that I was unable to work through the exercises because of the deadline I was on to get this up (curing fatigue just worked so well with our self-care theme this month!), I found the book to be really eye-opening. Dr. Clever goes beyond, "Eat veggies, exercise, sleep" to allow you to check-in on your relationships, your energy, your attitude, your likes, your dislikes, etc. She offers fascinating insights that had me exclaiming, "Wow!" out loud like a crazy person. One example: people over 50 who viewed aging optimistically lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those who viewed it negatively (what?!). Another example: the Latin root of the word "encourage" comes from "en = in" & "cor = heart", so when someone encourages you, they're putting their heart into yours. Right?!

Here's a smattering of the viewpoints she gives that really resonated with me:

"If your goal is to overcome fatigue, balance is not your ticket.(...) balance falsely implies a best way. The trouble is, the definition of 'best' is always changing."
"Taking a chance isn't necessarily a sudden event."
"When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority."
"(...) you will need to set priorities not only about what you do, but how well you do it." (Reminds me of Jess Larson's wonderful video from last week!)
"...happiness is an attitude." (I actually wrote "Whoa!" in my highlighter above that one!)

This really is a book that takes the best of doctor-speak and the best of life coaching-like questions & exercises to allow the reader to discover their own personal Fatigue Prescription. I'm definitely planning to dive in to some of the exercises myself, but you gotta really be in it to win it (translation: devote some real time & thought) to find out your very own Fatigue Prescription. I have a feeling the result would be worth it, no magic vitamin herbal supplement necessary.

And wanna hear the best part? We're able to give away a copy of the book right here on Spring! Leave a comment below about what's part of your Fatigue Prescription by next Thurs, Aug 5th at noon Eastern & we'll announce the winner right here on the 6th! If you can't wait that long, then you can order The Fatigue Prescription on Amazon or pick it up at your local bookstore. It's time to stop telling your mother you're tired & do something about it already!

Wednesday Artist Spotlight & A Giveaway from This Is It!

2010-07-28T11:00:37Z

Self-care is easy when you set your intentions and explore your inner thoughts with these lovely eco-journals! Jodi of This Is It! explained where they came from:

We were inspired to create our self-care line of journals by our desire to make something beautiful that also served to remind us of messages we wanted to have reinforced, such as “practice self care,” “remember to breathe,” and “take time to go within.” We love seeing these reminders again and again as we make the products, and we’re so glad that we get to share them with others. We hope these products and their messages help others on their own paths as much as they’ve helped us on ours.

. . . . .

To enter this giveaway for a chance to receive your choice of one of the journals from This Is It! linked above (you can also choose from Get to Know Yourself, Vent, & Because I'm Worth It), leave a comment before Monday August 2nd at 12 PM EST. Then come back on Tuesday the 3rd to see if you've won! While you're at it, you can find This Is It! on Etsy, Twitter, and Facebook.

Self-Care: July Video, Episode 4 - The Self-Care Stigma

2010-07-27T11:00:27Z

Welcome back to Self-Care month on Spring! We hope you've had a wonderful July and have been taking care of yourself :). We would love to hear your thoughts on all things self-care in the comments.

Today's video is the final video on self-care. It is also our most personal one so far. I (Carolyn) reveal a personal story that I haven't shared online before and hope you can relate to my thoughts/experience. It was a bit scary to talk about so I'm happy I did it with my Spring gals and can share it with all of you. Without further ado, you can watch the video below or download the mp3 for just the audio version!

And the winner of the Giveaway from Dollface LaLa is Aubien! Aubien, we'll be shooting you an email to get your contact info so that your print arrives super soon.

We'll be back tomorrow - yes, tomorrow! - with yet another Artist Spotlight & Giveaway.

Guest Post: Without Condition

2010-07-26T11:00:21Z

During the month of July, I’ve been writing for Spring about self care with regard to our bodies and weight.

I’ve written about accepting what we perceive as our flaws – celebrating those bumps, curves, speckles and scars that we’d otherwise wish away. Our bodies are perfect only in their guaranteed imperfection.

I’ve encouraged letting ourselves off the hook about being nutrition experts and gym rats. Being active is great, but you’re not getting into heaven because you run five times a week and nobody cares how many crunches you can do. I needed the soapbox for that one.

And last, but never least, I’ve talked about how we are each uniquely suited to embrace the body we’ve been given, no matter the challenges it may bring us.

So when I sat down a few days ago to write my fourth and final column about loving our bods instead of beating them up, I realized that my entire philosophy on the subject boils down to one idea: Confidence.

At 265 pounds and wearing a size 24 pants, I was confident about no more than a handful of my personality traits. I knew I was smart and funny, I knew I could string together some words on a page. I knew I was a good friend and a hearty eater.

…But those pretty much exhausted my list. I hated my body, my lifestyle choices, my failures. And I would have been hard pressed to come up with more pluses. Good speller? Lover of cats? Could drive?

Buried beneath all that weight and pain was a young woman with an untapped reserve of delightful traits. But I possessed none of the confidence to allow them to rise to the surface. That put me miles away from accepting my own flaws or embracing my unique blah blah whatever the hell.

Losing 115 pounds isn’t what made me confident. What ultimately changed me was realizing I would never be perfect, realizing I’d always be a wonderfully messy work in progress. It was then that I chose to be proud of who I am without condition.

I say “chose” because it was a choice. I decided to trust that being confident (even when I wasn’t feeling it) would serve me better than feeling bad about myself all the time.

I had to make an active decision to turn off the nasty critic that plagued my every move. She sat smugly inside my head sipping bitter coffee and reading the Wall Street Journal over her half moon spectacles.

“Nice thighs. Look at your arms. You can’t wear dresses like that. You love to eat, that’s your problem. Why won’t you workout more often? You need to lose 20 pounds by the fall. You gained two pounds last week. You ate pizza all weekend! You’ll never do this.”

What a witch.

Replacing that critic with unconditional confidence was a process, but it has now served me so well that I wonder how I ever got by without it.

Perhaps confident self love could be perceived by a less secure person as arrogance, but I can promise you it’s nothing close. I am a wellspring of flaws and they humble me daily. But I choose to forgive myself for being human.

Having confidence in who I am physically and in the choices I make for my health brings me so much more peace than spending my time always wishing things were different, “starting over” every day, hoping I’ll try harder tomorrow, and dwelling in the minutia of how many miles run, how many pounds gained or lost, how my butt looks in those shorts.

Self care is about being confident in who you are today, without condition. If you don’t step up to the plate and decide that you’re good enough, why should anyone else? We teach people how to treat us.

Instead of teaching people that you’re too fat, too thin, too old, too unmotivated, or any of the rest of that critical noise, teach people how lovely you truly are, without condition.

Jen Curran is a writer, comedienne, and baker living in Brooklyn, NY. Jen recently quit her "boring desk job" at a law firm to pursue what makes her happiest, and she chronicles the inspiring, messy, colorful journey on her popular blog "follow my bliss." Besides spending her time as a freelance writer, Jen also owns the boutique wholesale bakery, Fanny & Jane, she's a member of the award-winning sketch comedy group, Harvard Sailing Team, and she performs improv comedy at The PIT in NYC. She draws inspiration from her two zen cats, her talented, supportive boyfriend, her big, boisterous family, and from a sincere belief that anything we put our minds to becomes instantly possible.

Michelle on The Self-Care Disconnection, or The-Ridiculousness-of-Knowing-What-You-Need-But-Not-Actually-Doing-It

2010-07-23T11:00:33Z

Hi lovely people! Are you enjoying our self-care overload this month? I hafta say that I'm loving all the content this month & it's really brought self-care to the forefront of my mind. I'm thinking about it so much, actually, that I just had to make a video to share what I'm realizing, what I'm struggling with, & the disconnect between them.

I talk in the video about the Overwhelm (yes, capital O) I've been feeling lately & the posts I wrote about it on my personal blog, & wanted to share the links with you. The first one is titled The Beauty of the Big Ole Brain Dump (or How I Decided What to Take Off My Plate) and the conclusion is Big Realizations (or The Results of the Big Brain Dump).

Another special thanks to Jess Larson for inspiring this video with her very own. Go watch it if you haven't already!

And a quick reminder that you have until Monday at noon Eastern to enter the Dollface LaLa print giveaway, so go now & put your comment in the ring. Also, we still have spots open for guest contributors next month, so if you have anything to say/write/paint/draw/etc around the theme of Inspiration, let us know!

Guest Video: Jess Larsen on Self Care/ Tough Love

2010-07-22T11:00:38Z

Jess Larsen is back with her second & final video this month on why we sometimes don't allow ourselves to pee when we need to. OK OK, there's more to it, but seriously, I so sucked you in with that teaser. If you're anything like me (& Jess Larson!), you're guilty of that too!

If you're haven't seen Jess' other guest video about the 4 Juicy Bits of Self-Care, hop over & take in the double feature. Don't forget the popcorn!

Self Care: Tough Love from Jess Larsen on Vimeo

Jess Larsen is a young feminist entrepreneur who loves helping other women and crea tive business owners with the day-to-day bizness of business. She reimagines virtual assistance for her clients with a focus on self-care as a necessary piece of the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Jess also works as a birth doula, adores tiny succulent plants, and has one small tattoo in an undisclosed location.

Wednesday Artist Spotlight & A Giveaway from Dollface LaLa

2010-07-21T11:00:00Z

Look at that face! I was so excited when a simple "self-care" search on Etsy led me to Dollface LaLa & her print, "I Heart Myself". I was even more excited when Sandee offerred this explanation of the inspiration behind the piece:

"My work is about innocent mischievousness & girlish imaginations. I enjoy creating each illustration in a child-like and naive manner without much planning or forethought so that each piece is spontaneous and expressive, with details and a spirit that make it unique and one of a kind. My inspirations come from my favorite things, vintage toys, giant flowers, whimsical creatures, childhood, a little bit of rebellion, fairytales, girly girlishness, desserts, lots of fun and of course LOVE!"

Seriously, what is not to love? Nothing. That's what. And guess what I got tripley excited about? Sandee offered to host a giveaway of this print right here on Spring! OK, we're quadruply excited. To enter, leave a comment about one thing you love about yourself (it can be anything!) before Monday July 26, 2010 at noon EST. Then come back on Tuesday the 27th to see if you've won! While you're at it, you can find Sandee on Twitter, Facebook & blogging/showing off all her new characters! Check it out & give yourself some love.

Self-Care: July video, Episode 3: What do you do for self-care?

2010-07-20T11:00:00Z

We know you've been waiting, & here it is: all the things we do for self-care & why we do 'em! From weekly So You Think You Can Dance dates to weekday morning Judge Judy viewings to things unrelated to guilty TV watching, we each answer the question, "What do you do for self-care?"

And thanks to the genius of Tiffany, we now have mp3s of the audio that's in the video! Huzzah!

And the winner of the Giveaway from Shelby Healey (I just love that print!) is Heather! Huzzah again! Heather, we'll be shooting you an email to get your contact info so that "Bath Time" arrives super soon.

We'll be back tomorrow - yes, tomorrow! - with yet another Artist Spotlight & Giveaway. Triple huzzah! In the meantime, let us know what you do for self-care & why it makes a difference for you. We'd love to hear it!

Guest Post: A Lesser Person Couldn't

2010-07-19T11:01:00Z

I remember catching an Oprah episode a few years ago that featured a woman who’d had to have both of her breasts removed.

Yeah, heavy stuff.

I don’t recall many of the specifics surrounding the story (my brain tends not to work that way), but luckily they’re not essential to my point.

I do remember that Oprah invited a therapist onto the show to help the woman process the experience. Dealing with her situation as best as she could, she still struggled from time to time to accept herself, as any woman would. She expressed sadness and shame at losing such a huge aspect of her femininity, at feeling envious of other women who could still fill out their bras.

She cried a little, Oprah consoled her with some of her isms. It was run of the mill.

But then the therapist told her something I’ll never forget. She said, “A lesser woman would not be able to handle this experience. Whatever you believe in your life, please know that you’re going through this because you’re capable of dealing with it. A lesser woman could not handle the hand you’ve been dealt.”

I couldn’t help but tear up when I heard that. After breast reduction surgery and major weight loss in my early twenties, my body is far from unscathed. And for years I’ve had to work to accept my scars and battle a nagging “Why me?” voice that wishes things could have been different.

But when I saw that Oprah show and heard that therapist’s point of view– a lesser woman couldn’t get through what you’ve gotten through – I knew it was true for me too. I’ve certainly had my moments of being challenged by my situation, but I’ve always faced it bravely and with a desire to love myself through the process.

Perhaps the very act of being handed a difficult path in life makes you instantly stronger. But regardless, I began to understand that I bear the scars of my surgery and my weight loss because…well…because I can. Because I am strong enough to handle it.

Caring for yourself when it comes to your body means loving your physical self without condition. And learning to love your body without condition means believing that whatever you’ve been dealt is uniquely yours because you’re uniquely qualified to handle it.

Whether you’ve got a strange scar on your face or misshapen boobs, whether you think you’re too tall and lanky, or too short and stocky, whether you’ve battled illness or a body that won’t cooperate, love yourself enough to believe that you are capable of playing your own cards.

A lesser person couldn’t.