Hi everyone. I hope youāre all doing well. Youāve probably noticed that I havenāt been very active. Well, Iāve decided that I really needed to take a step back from everything, including my business and personal life, and really figure out what I really want. Iāve been burnt out for a while, and my nervous system has been very unregulated. Iām finally in the right mindset where I feel safe to give myself a proper break, and really dive in for the healing process. My physical health has been getting significantly better, and I feel like I can accomplish more physical tasks. Right now, Iām working on my mental health and getting back into my spiritual practice. Slowly returning to my routine and hobbies have been very helpful for that.
I want to make a little series out of this. Itāll be a monthly check-in, where I talk about whatās been helping me to balance my physical, mental, and spiritual health. Feel free to follow along. Hereās what Iāve been doing in late June-July:
1) Journaling
In the past, I used to keep a journal here and there. I did find it very helpful to write all of my thoughts down and process my feelings, but I couldnāt keep the habit up for long. I slowly got back into it after taking my break, and now I feel like I can do it more often. I got inspired by journal ecosystems, and decided to create my own. So far I have my daily planner, media journal, commonplace journal, sketchbook, and more. Iāll make a more detailed post about my ecosystem later. Not only am I keeping up the habit of journaling, but Iām also making the experience more enjoyable and creative.
2) Stretching
Since my physical health is getting better, Iāve been getting back into my exercise routine. I started doing some simple stretches to get my body use to moving around more. This always feels good to do, both physically and mentally, and Iām glad I can do it more frequently again.
3) Plant Propagating
I recently learned how to propagate my pothos plant. It was getting too big in my room, so I decided to trim back the vine and saved the leaves. I have a lot of leaves propagating now, and Iām thinking about giving some of them away after I pot them in some soil. Itās been a fun new hobby/skill I discovered for myself.
4) Resting/Listening to My Body
One of the best things I learned during my break is to know when itās time to rest. In the past, I would push myself to get a lot of work done without giving myself breaks in between. I only rested when the work was done, and it wasnāt enough rest at all. Now, Iām making sure I take proper breaks between work, especially if Iām feeling off. Iām also going to bed at an early time every night.
5) Getting Back into Gardening
Because of my physical health, itās been hard to get back into my garden. I use to be able to go outside almost everyday to weed the garden, plant seeds/seedlings, water my plants, and harvest the garden. Now, Iāve only been able to harvest some of the perennials and biennials, and use them for product making and personal use. Sometimes I just walk around, just to be in the presence of nature. I missed it a lot, and Iām glad I can slowly get back into it.
6) Cleaning and Cleansing My Space
Every week, I started to do Sunday resets, and I make sure to clean and cleanse my space. It gives me a lot of peace of mind to make sure everything is organized, and the energy in my home, especially my bedroom, feels balanced.
7) Making Personal Herbal Creations
Iāve been so busy making products for my business, that I havenāt had the chance to make anything for myself and my family. Recently, one of my cousins asked me to make her a tea, and it was something I never made before but wanted to try for her. It was fun to make something like that, and it didnāt have to be a part of the business. I use to make a lot of home remedies for personal use, before even starting Ashantiās Garden. Now, Iāve been trying to do it more often. It also inspired me to add onto my herbal studies. Iām currently learning more and more about Traditional Chinese Medicine.
8) Making Homemade Meals and Drinks
I love to cook, and I just got back into cooking my own meals. Iāve been getting creative with different food and drinks. I even created a Spring Cafe theme on my art instagram @thewolfandthefaerie back in the springtime, and Iām hoping to make a Summer Cafe theme next.
Thatās it for now. Thank you for reading if you made it to the end. Whatās something you like to do to get your spark back? I have the comments on for this post, so feel free to share your thoughts on this subject. Iām hoping to have another post like this for the end of August, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, Iām going to try and post more frequently here. Iāll see you next time, and I hope you have a great day/night.
With lots of love,
Ashanti
