How long does self-care take?

 Friday is push day for a Sabbath keeper.  Push to get the laundry done. Push to get Sabbath feast prepared.  Push to finish working with clients for the week.  Push to clean the toilets...

  On top of those pushes I have to accomplish today, I need to pack a lunch for 3 people for tomorrow's lunch.  Robert and I are taking his mom to her sister-in-law's 90th birthday party.  It's a 3 hour trip one way so I offered to pack us a lunch so we don't have to stop at a restaurant for lunch.

  So, with all of the pushing going on, my strength is vanishing quickly.  I have 8 minutes while the washer spins out the excess water.  I wondered if anyone had written about ways to refresh oneself quickly.  Look what I found.  I'm not sure why the spacing is so weird but it is what it is.  Sorry about that.  Anyway, let's all take better care of ourselves in this heat.  

  Dawn

50 Tiny Self-Care Acts You Can Do in 5 Minutes or Less

Physical Care

1. Drink a full glass of water
   
2. Stretch your arms and neck
3. Take five slow, deep breaths
4. Put on lip balm or hand lotion
5. Sit with your eyes closed and your hand over your heart
6. Do ten jumping jacks or gentle movement
7. Step outside and feel the sun or breeze
8. Roll your shoulders slowly, forward and back
9. Wash your face with warm water
10. Rest your feet up against the wall

Emotional Reset

11. Say out loud: “It’s okay to feel this way.”
12. Place your hand on your chest and say something kind to yourself
13. Write down one emotion you’re feeling — without trying to fix it
14. Let yourself cry without apology
15. Smile at yourself in the mirror (even if it feels awkward)
16. Light a candle and pause
17. Do a quick journal brain-dump
18. Give yourself permission to take a break
19. Repeat a calming phrase: “I am safe. I can slow down.”
20. Imagine your safe place for one minute

Mental Clarity

21. Write down the three things cluttering your mind
22. Delete one app or file you no longer need
23. Clear off a small surface — a desk, counter, or corner
24. Make a short list: What’s in my control today?
25. Do a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise
26. Set a 5-minute timer and do one thing you’ve been avoiding
27. Change one tiny thing in your space — a light, a scent, a sound
28. Say no to something (out loud or in writing)
29. Write a one-sentence affirmation: “I don’t need to earn rest.”
30. Unfollow one account that makes you feel less-than

Soothing Sensory Input

31. Listen to one calming song
32. Rub a soft fabric between your fingers
33. Smell an essential oil or favorite scent
34. Put something warm on your neck or shoulders
35. Sip a warm drink and savor it slowly
36. Use a fidget toy, stone, or texture
37. Sit in a patch of sunlight or near a window
38. Listen to a nature sound (rain, birds, ocean)
39. Run your hands under warm or cool water
40. Dim the lights and let your eyes rest

Connection + Expression

41. Send a quick “thinking of you” message
42. Look at one photo that makes you smile
43. Hug someone or something (pet, pillow, yourself)
44. Share one honest feeling with someone you trust
45. Laugh at a funny video or memory
46. Say “I need support” to someone safe
47. Leave a kind note for yourself somewhere visible
48. Speak a gratitude out loud — just one
49. Compliment someone else (or yourself)
50. Whisper “I’m doing the best I can” — and mean it

Related: How to Break Out of the Self-Loathing Cycle?

Emotional Triggers That Signal You Need a Break

Tiny self-care acts become essential when you notice signs of emotional or mental overload like:

• Snapping over small things
• Feeling invisible or unheard
• Forgetting basic tasks or appointments
• Getting irritated by noise, clutter, or interruptions
• Feeling disconnected from yourself or your body

When these show up, you don’t need a weekend retreat. You need a reset—in 5 minutes or less.

Conclusion

These tiny self-care acts may seem simple, but they create powerful moments of regulation, reconnection, and relief. You don’t have to wait until things fall apart to care for yourself. You can start with five minutes — right now.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

Today my country is 250 years old.  That seems like a lot but it's really just a blurb in history.  Still, how did it get this old?

  Well, when the Pilgrims came here, and those following, they brought their faith with them.  They had lived under a king and it didn't go well for people of faith in their own country.  People traveled across oceans in ships with none of the conveniences that we would enjoy today should we decide to travel to a new country.  Their faith was immense and VERY important to them! 

  What courage those early arrivals had to travel to a land that none of them had seen.  Would we be willing to do that?  Would we be so brave as to take our families, and all of our belongings, and hope for a better life somewhere else on this globe?

  So we have it good.  I know we have it good.  The problem is that, for far too long, our government and big corporations haven't wanted us to succeed.  The forces operating against us farmers, for instance, are huge and heartless.  

 

 How do evil people get so much power?  I suppose it's' because we're all busy raising our families and working hard to keep them fed, safe, and educated.  Still, why should the MAJORITY live under the rule of an evil teeny tiny minority?  That is the question the early citizens of this vast land asked themselves as they began to loose their freedoms even here.

  

  Robert and I watched this 3 part miniseries, called SONS OF LIBERTY, recently.  I would encourage everyone to watch it.  We couldn't sympathize with those first Patriots like we can now having seen and felt what really was happening.  The largest military on the planet was trying to destroy the patriots rights to bear arms....

  Here's a video I found with clips from the series.  I'm sure you can find the series on YouTube like we did.  Let's ALL be thankful that God wants us free!  HE is the one who gives us rights.  

  Happy Independence Day everyone and Happy Birthday America.

  Love all of you patriots out there,

  Dawn

We are MORE than Conquerors!

 This meditation really blessed me this morning!!  The past week has been harder than usual as I had a HUGE MS flareup a week ago today.  I had to lay in bed a lot this week but I'm able to get some things done now as I hobble on crutches.  

  What do we do when life kicks us so hard we are bedridden?  PRAY FOR OTHERS.  I told satan that "Being you put me in bed all day, I have more time to pray for those who are hurting!"  To me, that's what being "More than conquerors" looks like.

  There is no shortage of needs to pray about in this world.  How awful for Venezuela to have had 2 huge earthquakes.  My heart goes out to them.  It's hard to imagine those who lost loved ones and/or are homeless to feel like conquerors.

  As I pondered this, I wondered how they can conquer in the midst of such a massive tragedy.  Then I thought of all the tragedies the Lord has brought me through.  All of the years of incest.  All of the miscarriages.  All the droughts.  All of the cancer episodes and now finally MS.  

  I used to make that list as a way to feel sorry for myself.   Now I see that it is a way of honoring our Heavenly Father who brought me through THEM ALL.  HE has made me a conqueror in spite of all the enemies attempts to take my life!!  PRAISES to HIM!!

  It would be a good habit for all of us to form to see the Lord's powerful hand that sustains us.  What has He helped you to conquer?  Maybe we need to make a list of ways that, even though all of hell was attempting to take us out, HE prevented that old creep from shortening our lives prematurely. That would help us to see ourselves as VICTORIOUS Christians, wouldn't it?

  So I bless you all as you learn to see yourselves as conquerors over the enemy forces waging war against us.  Sure, they don't fight fair, but we conquer over their evil plans by staying close to our Creator.  May this devotional help you to see your power, when you're submitted to God, to conquer pain and suffering through it all.

  May God bless you today with a greater idea of how you can rule and reign with Christ!

  Dawn

 

Encounter God’s Heart…

Victorious

Nothing can stop you if you just believe. In every season of the soul, victory runs deeper than what you see. Difficulties only serve to strengthen you. Mountains that once separated you from the Lord are now easy to climb. God has become the strength of your life. The same mountain of spices that once caused you to cower in fear now excites your sense of adventure. Trials that tried to destroy you have become foundations for you to dance upon. They now serve as memorials for some of God’s greatest manifestations of love in your life. You can look at the past and laugh because you are more than a conqueror! Jesus has proven his love for you. Now go! Enjoy life as his conquering bride. You are victorious! Jesus, you empower me to do things I never thought I could. I’m not afraid of the mountains anymore because you’ve proved your faithfulness so many times. I look forward to each day and every season of my soul because you are with me. In you, I am victorious!

From The Divine Romance written by Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez

Song of Songs 8:14 TPT

We will dance in the high place of the sky, yes, on the mountains of fragrant spice. Forever we shall be united as one!

Living with MS

 Right now I'm having an MS flare-up.  I thought I was having a stroke on Tuesday night when it started.  The pain in my left leg was so intense that I had to crawl to the bathroom.  The thing that calmed me was that my brain function was normal, and I could speak, so it couldn't be a stroke.

  Robert got me the pair of crutches from the old house we used to live in.  That has helped a lot but this serves as a reminder that I MUST find a way to chill myself before my nerves suffer like this.  

  What got me going?  Well, I spent 2 1/2 weeks with my daughter's family in MN as she had another preemie baby.  There were 5 children, whom I dearly love, but they sure can make a LOT OF NOISE and messes!  

  My newest granddaughter is now out of the hospital but, being the children at home are sick, Cora and the baby can't return home.  Even though they're enjoying the quiet of her sister-in-law's home, Cora knows that she is desperately needed at home.  PLEASE PRAY FOR MY DAUGHTER and her family!

  When I got home, my future daughter-in-law moved here and made her home across the street in the shouse.  It's wonderful to have her here, but all of their plans for an October wedding are adding to my stress.

  Lastly, my daughter-in-law is in her third trimester with their 5th child.  She's in relatively good spirits but this will be the first birth where her sister can't come for a couple of months to help the family through adding another family member.  This time her sister is GETTING MARRIED!!!

  I have a lot of faith that God knows what He's doing but it just seems some years are soooo overwhelming.!!!  This appears to be one of them.   I guess I shouldn't be so surprised to have a flareup this severe when the stress in my life is at an all time high--again!!.

  I went in search of an article about MS Flare-ups and got a lot of information from this one.  Perhaps it will help someone out there who has MS or who loves someone with MS.  I'll also share my favorite group's song "Tears are a Language God Understands."  Knowing that God truly does understand what we're going through is a comfort that grows as our family grows.

  I covet your prayers.

  Dawn

 

 >What It Means When You Have an MS Flare-Up

Some ‘flare-ups’ are temporary and expected, others can signal a need to change therapies

When you’re living with multiple sclerosis (MS), you probably already know that some days will feel better than others.

Unfortunately, part of living with MS is experiencing what healthcare providers call relapses and symptom fluctuations. Or what you might call MS flare-ups.

Often, people talk about MS flare-ups as if they’re one thing. But in reality, MS flare-ups can have different causes. And that can mean different things for your long-term health.

“Using terms like ‘flare-ups’ can be tricky because it means different things to different people,” says neurologist and MS specialist Robert Bermel, MD. “Some people talk in terms of flare-ups when they’re talking about a new MS symptom that is a sign of MS attacking a new area of the brain or spinal cord. Other people use it to describe good days and bad days with symptoms that come and go. And each of those situations calls for different management approaches.”

Understanding what’s really happening when you experience worsening MS symptoms is important to living well with MS.

Dr. Bermel explains how to know what’s behind your MS flare-up.

Not all MS flare-ups are the same. Get the details about what new or worsening symptoms may mean and how to take control of your MS health.

Types of MS flare-ups

You’ll typically hear about MS flare-ups described as a worsening of symptoms. That could mean that you experience symptoms where you hadn’t previously been affected. Or you could experience a worsening of your chronic symptoms.

During a flare, you might experience things like:

• Increased weakness or stiffness.
• Vision changes.
• More intense pain or discomfort.
• Numbness or tingling in areas of your body that had previously been unaffected.
• New or more pronounced difficulty with muscle coordination or balance.
• Fatigue.

The reason for your changing symptoms matters. Because some so-called flare-ups are likely to pass quickly. Others may signal that your condition is becoming more severe and that it’s time for a change to your MS management plan.

Dr. Bermel explains two situations that people tend to describe as MS flare-ups.

1. Symptom fluctuations

When people talk about MS flare-ups, they’re sometimes referring to fluctuations in their symptoms. That is, short-lived changes in how you feel and function. Though bothersome, these fluctuations, thankfully, aren’t associated with a change in how MS affects you long term.

“Symptom fluctuations are a worsening of your condition that comes and goes, without being related to new areas of inflammation in the nervous system,” Dr. Bermel explains. “They could last from a few minutes to a few days. But they’re not signaling a change in the severity of your MS.”

MS symptom fluctuations tend to happen in a pattern. Usually, a person with MS can learn what triggers might cause their own specific symptoms to worsen, sometimes in a predictable pattern.

“It’s common for patients to describe that if they are under stress or if they get sick, their MS symptoms worsen. Another example of this could be that someone is walking for exercise and notices that their foot drop worsens at a predictable point in their walk each time. Then, they rest and it improves,” Dr. Bermel illustrates.

Common fluctuation triggers include:

• High levels of stress.
• Overexertion.
• Illnesses, especially with fever.
• Overheating, like spending time in a bath or hot tub.

“Heat causes nerve conduction to slow down a little bit. And that slowing can cause your condition to temporarily worsen. If heat is the cause, symptoms should improve when you return to a normal body temperature,” he continues.

2. MS relapse

Other times when people describe an MS flare, what they’re actually talking about is an MS relapse.

During a relapse, what’s actually happening is that your immune system is actively attacking a new area of your nervous system. That causes a new area of damage and the development of new lesions.

“The term ‘multiple sclerosis’ means ‘multiple scars.’ That means that people with MS have scars, or lesions, in their nervous system,” Dr. Bermel explains. “A person who is having an MS relapse has developed a scar in a new area because their immune system is attacking a new area of the body.”

If you have new or worsening symptoms, especially a symptom that you haven’t had before, that last more than a day and aren’t clearly related to illness, like a fever, you may be experiencing an MS relapse.

“Talk to your MS care team about any new symptom lasting longer than 24 hours,” Dr. Bermel advises. “Relapses are a signal to us that your condition isn’t under adequate control and we need to do something different to better manage your disease.”

MS relapses can leave new scars, or what Dr. Bermel describes as “footprints on your nervous system.” But with proper treatment, relapses can often be well-managed.

It’s rare for MS to require emergency medical treatment. Your MS neurologist should generally be able to handle most needs — including MS relapses — in the office. But it’s probably time to head to the ER if you’re having new difficulties with tasks like walking, eating, drinking or taking care of yourself.

Preventing MS flare-ups

Can you take steps to proactively manage your MS and limit flare-ups? Absolutely.

“We now recognize that wellness is an important contributor to prevent symptom fluctuations and relapses,” Dr. Bermel says.

His best advice? Exercise when you can. And balance activity with adequate rest.

“When you live with MS, you have a certain amount of fuel in your tank. And you need to be sure you’re taking time to refuel,” he adds. “We encourage all patients to exercise. But if on Friday night you’re going to your child's football game, you probably don’t want to exercise immediately before that. You need time to rest before and fuel up.”

Other tips for staying healthy and avoiding flare-ups:

• Don’t smoke.
• Stay hydrated.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Get regular exercise.
• Follow a healthy diet.
• Address other health problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol — all of which can affect your MS.
• Get regular MRIs to monitor your MS.

“Achieving stability of the disease ― or what is called ‘no evidence of disease activity’ ― is now a realistic treatment goal,” Dr. Bermel says. “While current treatments can’t reverse the damage that’s been done, they can, when coupled with a healthy lifestyle, effectively stop the disease from worsening.”

Knowing what to expect from your MS and what steps you can take to manage it can make a dramatic difference in your life. Taking care of other health issues, reducing stress and knowing when to talk to your MS care team can help keep MS in check and keep you enjoying your life.

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