The Embrace Blog

Welcome to the Embrace blog where we share self-care tips to help you get the most out of life.

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Turning Regret into Wisdom - it's a process!

mind and emotion Dec 08, 2023

Do you have a current situation in your life that you think about often, with full regret? How often do you think about it? Does it bring you down or upset you or agitate you everytime you think about it? Do you then pass that onto others? Is it a cycle that just seems to keep repeating in your head that you can't seem to shake?

If you answer yes to these questions, know that you are not alone. In fact we are never really taught about regret and how to turn it into wisdom, we just experience it and navigate through the best we can.

What do you think regret is doing to your overall view of yourself? Your energy? Your "glow"? Do you put yourself up high on the list when it comes to self-care? Probably not, at least for me I know it knocks me down if I am suffering with regret.

If you can't think of any regrets you have, let's look at common reasons for regret and see if you can relate. Then we can...

Feeling Stressed? Try this...

mind and emotion Jul 09, 2023

Feeling stressed and can't seem to find a remedy?

Have you ever tried or even heard of Lemon Balm?

First of all what is Lemon balm, and where can you get it?

Lemon balm is a herbaceous perennial plant from the mint family. It is native to Mediterranean region and is widely cultivated around the world for its aromatic leaves and medicinal properties.

The leaves of lemon balm are primarily used for their medicinal and culinary purposes, such as in making herbal teas, infusions, tinctures, and extracts.

Now regarding tinctures, many are preserved in alcohol, but common sense dictates (as suggested by Anthony William and I agree) that we could be harming our liver and making it process that, instead of gaining all the goodness from the Lemon balm. Our livers become drunk with alcohol so is it really going to give us the best bang for our buck? Would you hire a drunk to deliver your nutrients, or would you think they were probably not...

The Art of Giving and Receiving

mind and emotion Dec 05, 2022

The Art of Giving and Receiving

You know I used to think it was kind of a funny expression "The Art...", why on earth would anyone call it an art? Don't you just give and receive? Well let me share an epiphany with you that I recently had and why I now believe it is an art.

Growing up I was raised in a family where we followed my Mom's wishes of the Jehovah Witness, and did not participate in any holidays, Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Halloween... all of them except for two occasions, a Wedding or Anniversary, then it was ok to give or receive gifts. Other than that there was no gift giving going on. So if you never married, you were SOL (sooo outta luck)! My gift giving and receiving "skills" were zero to none.

Now I'm not telling you this from a place of a victimhood as an adult, as it was what it was, however as a child I would say I felt like a victim because why was it every other kid got gifts, but I was not allowed to receive gifts?...

"Gratitude is the Best Weapon for Negativity."

mind and emotion Aug 09, 2022

Do you ever have those days where most of your thoughts are negative? Do you even notice or is it other peoples reactions to you that snap you out of it and into awareness?

The question then becomes, what can you do about it?

Having a discussion with a good friend Jo recently, and she said "Gratitude is the best weapon for negativity."

It stopped me in my tracks as I never thought of gratitude as a weapon, but when it comes to negativity, perhaps that is exactly what we need.

The key is first being aware of your negative state, then try to change what you are thinking, which may not always be easy. So what more can we do?

One option is to start repeating an affirmation to yourself and really listen to what you're saying (can be silently to self), and see how your mindset changes. I personally use "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you." Basically I'm acknowledging my "mood"...

Addicted to your phone? I think I am...

mind and emotion Jul 11, 2022

Addiction, a big word with a big meaning.

1: a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence

2: a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly

*https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction

Of course for many of use, myself included when we think of the word addiction, substance abuse comes to mind. But as I was thinking about what to write about his month, I started to realize that perhaps I have an addiction to my phone.

While watching a series, I noticed I would grab my phone during slow scenes to check FB, IG, my email, Noom, SnapChat and whatever other distractions I have on my phone.

Then I actually went out to run a few errands and thought I...

Connecting with Others as self-care

mind and emotion Jun 20, 2022

What do you think when you hear the term "self-care"?

Does it send a shiver down your spine as you think of it as "something else I'm not doing but SHOULD be doing", followed by a long sigh... well you're not alone.

Maybe you can consider a different definition and see if that changes your perspective enough to motivate you to try something new.

In a short phrase I believe that self-care is feeding your body and / or soul by doing something you love and causes no harm. I call this self-care.

If you look at it that way, it has a whole new meaning versus just something else to add to your "to do" list.

Well now, thinking about things you love that feed your body and or soul. Now that can cover a lot more than just the typical things like diet and exercise. Maybe it's treating yourself to a new haircut and style, or going to a pedicure, or just taking time for a nap... It may be...

Laughter is the best medicine!

mind and emotion Feb 16, 2021

I started off with the intention to write about "the bathroom scale" and it reminded me of a funny story, that I'm about to share. However before I do the purpose of this message is simple.

"Laughter truly is the best medicine."

When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?

Let's face it, the past year has been unprecedented in our lifetime, and has been quite a challenge for many. If we are fortunate enough to have not experienced loss (a person, a job, a relationship), we still are feeling the effects of self-isolation and limited gatherings. It's as if our freedoms have been taken away.... so I ask again, when was the last time you have a good belly laugh?

As cited in this article from the Mayo Clinic (click here to read the entire article) laughter both short term and long term effects. Some of the short term affects include:

As oxygen intake increases it stimulates the organs...

The Embrace Blog

Turning Regret into Wisdom - it's a process!

Feeling Stressed? Try this...

The Art of Giving and Receiving

"Gratitude is the Best Weapon for Negativity."

Addicted to your phone? I think I am...

Addiction, a big word with a big meaning.

Connecting with Others as self-care

Laughter is the best medicine!

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