October is my favorite month!  I have a couple of personal holidays, i.e. anniversary and birthday and a family fun holiday:  Halloween!  The weather is usually good for outdoor activities and even with living in the suburbs, I can get back to my farming community roots with harvest festivals taking place all over.  So I LOVE October.  And since I celebrate the entire month, I thought it would be good for you to find reasons to celebrate too!  

Research on mood and brain activity tells us that we can create positive changes with intention.  I believe that we hard on ourselves.  Most of us create impractical "to do" lists and are disappointed at the end of the day.  But instead of looking back and thinking of all the things that you "should" have done, celebrate what you accomplished.  

You've heard, "don't sweat the small stuff".  But sometimes it is hard to take your mind off of your worries.  The practice of meditation or mindfulness seems daunting because your mind is attending to all that you need to do or your thoughts turn toward worry, regret, sadness, shame, etc.  So let's create positive change with this intention:

CELEBRATE!  

I am sure you can find something each day to celebrate.  Here are some ideas to turn those negative thoughts into positive.

Human Connection: Our deepest desire as a human is to connect with others. What interaction lifted you up? Maybe it was a kind word or a smile from a stranger.  Even that brief conversation with your child or spouse counts!

Nutrition:  I am sure you dodn't eat junk all day!  Look back and celebrate the healthy choice (or choices) you made each day.

Physical Activity:  I don't have a physical activity tracker, but I know that many of you do.  Make sure that the goals you set are realistic.  And then pat yourself on the back for any of the steps that you took to meet those goals.  Make sure to give yourself credit for those times you stood up from your desk to stretch!

Rest:  This includes sleep which everyone seems to be lacking these days.  But what are some other ways that you physically or mentally rest?  When do you feel your body let go of tension and relax?  Pause and take a moment to breathe.  If you haven't already, sign up on my website to receive a 5 minute breath and gentle movement video to ease muscle tension.

Spiritual Connection: We each have unique ways to connect to our spirit.  Explore ways to do this on a daily basis.  Nature is a great way to connect to the spirit and mine is the sunrise.   As we move into autumn, sunrise is more accessible to all of us. The light of the new day brings possibilities.  Rise to celebrate those possibilities!

I would love to hear how you celebrate each day!  You can use the various social media sites so that I can find you!

Tag me in Facebook on my personal page, Stephanie Carter Kelley, or business page, Yoga Physical Therapist.  I'm also on Instagram @sck.yogapt

Just remember to Celebrate!