Kathy’s Year in Pictures
A year in pictures, a popular exercise this time of year, can be a revealing activity. This particular post is inspired by the Think Kit Challenge of 2013 by Smallbox Web Design. The challenge is to write a blog post every day using the prompts from Smallbox. My extra challenge is to make each post relevant to mental health and the great work we do here at Integrative Health Resources.
Luckily, this first one is easy. My 2013 has been about returning to and improving the things that make my life better, that bring me joy and reduce my stress. Building a new business takes so much time and energy nearly everything else stops. My diet, sleep, exercise, social life, mindfulness and hobbies had all disappeared. In 2013 they have returned! <sound the trumpet fanfare!>
The year began with an intentional decision to spend each of the first six months working on improving a particular thing. January was getting enough sleep. February was eating well. March meant returning to the gym. April was about creating and strengthening my social circle. May included mindfulness practices, and I wrapped up June bringing my hobbies back. Here’s the mixed yet satisfying outcome:
Dear Husband and I are ready for a wonderful 2013.
Zoe believes getting enough sleep is a high priority, especially since I knitted this beautiful afghan just for her.
Eating a solid, healthy diet is so much easier than it used to be! I loved spending more time at Conner Prairie this year. Embracing places that make us happy is so beneficial!
Getting back in the gym and succeeding required me to admit I needed help. Transformation Fitness and Wellness has been right there for me, and I am feeling fit for the first time in years!
Increasing my social life allowed me to fly across the country in October so support a friend in the hospital, a priority I would have never embraced before. Happily my dear friend is on the mend!
I’ve learned my hobbies overlap with mindfulness. As long as Pinterest and other DIY forums don’t take over my life.
So what did I learn from this exercise? I’ve learned I don’t snap all that many pictures. I realized I met most of my goals in some form or other. Over the past year, I’ve embraced taking care of myself and having fun on a whole new level. I hope I can inspire my clients to do the same!