Stress is viewed as a bad thing, something that feels uneasy, unwelcome and difficult .  It fosters hardship in the body and in the long run can cause a lot of health complications.  While all of this may ring true, I’d like to shift your perspective and shed new light on this subject of stress.  I’m guessing with all the shifts that have taken place in the past couple of weeks you may be feeling overwhelmed and desire a little calm in your life.

Here’s the thing we need to remember; stress is a very healthy and necessary response in the body.  It helps us address difficult situations and can aid the body in healing.  Stressful situations will always be present in life.  It is our responsibility to manage them in a healthy manner.  That, my friend, is the real challenge; its our inability to respond appropriately to the multitude of stressful situations, big and small, that we encounter on a daily basis that causes hardship in the body.  If we can choose to participate in a new way and provide the body adequate time to rest, repair and rejuvenate we can stay healthy through times of change.

Here are 5 things you can do today to create calm in the midst of it all:

1.  Do your best.  And know that your best is going to look different every day.
Life is full of expectations.  The expectations that others have of us, and those we have of ourselves.  Especially in times of change, it is easy to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.  We tend to want to control the outcome, and worry when we can’t.  This cycle leads us right into sleeplessness, fatigue and irritability.  Make a commitment every day to show up in your best manner possible and offer others permission to do the same.  Celebrate small success and big moments and when someone’s “best” isn’t as solid as it usually is, offer grace.  Learn from it.  Have conversations about it.  Provide space for “best” to look different day to day, and be a positive guide and support to yourself and others.

2.  Create structure.
Working from home, managing the needs of the kids and getting used to life during a quarantine is a new experience for all of us.  Sit down with the family and together, create a daily schedule for everyone to follow.  Set healthy boundaries for work and play time by sharing your needs and inviting your family to do the same.  This will create ease throughout the day and provide a foundation for healthy communication.  Take time over dinner to discuss what’s working well and explore any shifts you may need to make.  We’ll all need to be a little flexible and open in the days ahead.

3.   Practice gratitude.
Many miracles have happened because of the power of positive thinking.  Even in the most challenging situations there is something to be grateful for.  It may take a little time to see the positive, but it’s there.  Strive every day to give thanks for 5-10 things in the morning upon waking, and again in the evening before going to sleep.  You may express all your grateful for by writing your thoughts down in a journal, or reciting them silently or aloud.  Do what works best for you, the most important part of practicing gratitude is making it a practice.  I promise, you’ll feel amazing!

4.  Anything that is mentionable is manageable.
This is a quote from Mr. Fred Rogers and it is a favorite of mine.  We cannot keep our worry, concern and overwhelm to ourselves or we’ll find that we continue to feed the worrisome thoughts.  Please talk to someone.  Share with your spouse, call a friend, reach out to a colleague or ask your boss for a few minutes of time.  When we can voice our worry, needs, expectations, and concerns it provides space for solution-based ideas.  The only caution I would provide is that your confidant must be willing and able to shed a positive light on the situation, share a laugh or two and be supportive.  There is no room for others to fuel your worrisome thoughts either, it’s all about forward motion.

5.  Please breathe.
If you’ve followed my work, you know I mention this a LOT.  But it’s for good reason; breathing can reduce cortisol (stress hormone), provide calm to the body, refresh your mindset, and provide new perspective.  Please take slow, deep belly breaths often.  At a minimum, set your timer for 10 slow abdominal breaths every hour, on the hour.  By the time you leave your work space you will have taken 80 deep breaths.  While breathing, close your eyes and focus only on your breath.  Practice this daily, and observe the change you feel take place in your body and mind.  Your worries will lessen and the stress your body feels will subside.  It’s powerful.  It’s free, portable and accessible anytime, anywhere.  Use it well.

It’s always an honor and joy to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Believe it can be!

XO,

With each new day, the sun rises.

I’ve not shared this story yet, but I feel it on my heart to do so today. Crisis can happen at any moment, in moments of great joy, in challenging times, in the quiet of the night. It’s not often we have the opportunity to prepare for it.

On December 28th, my family was enjoying all the wonders of Maui; it’s one of our favorite places on earth. At exactly 4 p.m. crisis hit our family. We were playing in the ocean when my son was picked up by a 4-ft swell. The swell carried him up, and then curled under itself, crashing him to the ocean floor. He landed on his chin and neck and his legs and back were carried over his body like a scorpion. He was immediately transported to the hospital and then airlifted to Oahu for care. He broke two vertebrae and had fluid and edema on two more. The surgeon shared it is one of the most painful injuries to endure.

The blessing in all of it is that he isn’t paralyzed. We were told by every paramedic and every medical professional that they “never see this happy ending.” This accident usually results in paralysis or death due to drowning.

We are grateful for the blessing in all of this.

Our son is 13 years old, he’s healing up beautifully and will be fantastic.

The reason I share this with you today is because of an experience I had in the grocery store this morning. With my cart overflowing with everything needed for a possible quarantine (except for toilet paper of course, we’re down to 7 roles and the shelves are still empty) I sat in the check out line with everyone else for about 30 minutes. During that time, a woman was talking with me and asking if I was worried about the virus. I responded that I wasn’t. She then asked if I was worried about supply problems with food, toilet paper, wipes, etc. I responded again that I wasn’t worried about any of it. I shared that I really love to focus on the positive. She said “well all these people are buying up shelves and shelves of food, what’s going to happen when we need more?” I responded that I guess that is good for us, because when ours runs out, they’ll still have plenty which means there will be supply for our families. She paused and said, “that is so true!” She seemed more calm after our conversation. And in the end, she smiled.

I am hopeful and I pray that COVID-19 dies off soon, that no more lives are taken as a result of it’s attack and that you, your loved ones and friends remain safe and healthy.

Worry does not take away the troubles of tomorrow, it takes away the joy of today.

We all must navigate a bit differently, life will be interesting, business may struggle, and my family can either enjoy the days to come of all being in our home together 24/7 for two weeks, or we can choose not to.

It’s all a choice.

This life is all a privilege.

The way we choose to interact with others can include joy, love and respect.

We can honor our differences and offer support.

Crisis is going to happen, it’s not often we get to prepare for what might come.

Take deep breaths, do everything you can to support your body in health and happiness. Know that we have a choice in every single matter, and that the quality of every choice we make, matters!

I will not worry. I will enjoy people and life, I’ll spread love, share kindness and believe in the beauty and grace of each new day. Just as I’ve aimed to do with every crisis we’ve gone through (when we didn’t have the opportunity to prepare).

I hope you’ll join me in all of it. 

Here’s to each new day and beautiful sunrises ahead.

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness!

XO,

Recipe:
Roasted Turkey Soup with Harvest Vegetables

Broth Ingredients:

• Leftover roasted turkey carcass *see note
• 1 onion, crudely chopped 2 carrots, crudely chopped 2 whole garlic cloves
• 6 quarts of water
• Broth Directions
• Bring all ingredients to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook until it reduces down to approximately four quarts of broth.
• Run the broth through a strainer and discard bones and vegetables.
• Set broth aside and rinse the stock pot to make the soup.
• *Note:
• If you do not have a full roasted turkey carcass, you can purchase turkey breast pieces, roast it and then use the carcass.

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 4 quarts turkey broth
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, diced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 can kidney beans
• 4 leaves of fresh sage, minced

Directions:

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic to sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery, sauté 2 more minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are cooked through. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essentials Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg