Blog | Page 7 of 7 | West Coast Dreaming

12 Monthly Pages about Self-Care to include in your Bullet Journal

by Nikola | Nov 12, 2018 | Bullet Journaling, Happiness

Are you overwhelmed by your daily to-do list and could use a break? Do you feel guilty about not feeling happy despite all that goes well in your life? You are not alone and you might not schedule enough “me-time” into your daily and weekly routine. Here are 12 monthly pages about self-care that you can include in your bullet journal. You can also download these FREE printables.

Spending time with yourself is one of the most important things you can do for your mental and physical well being. Studies have shown that self-care or “me-time” not only reduces stress and depression, it also boosts creativity, productivity, happiness, gratitude, and empathy.

Even though you might feel you are taking time “out” of your schedule, you are actually putting energy back “into” your life.

Chances are, if you are using a bullet journal, you are already dedicating time to yourself. Great job. Keep at it.

Include these 12 pages ideas in your Bullet Journal as a “Me-Time” challenge:

Simple pleasures

What songs do you turn on to boost your mood?
What movies never fail to put a smile on your face?
What friends always know how to make you feel better?
What items such as blankets or cozy socks can you always turn to?
What never fails to brighten your spirits?

Loving the age you are right now

List all the reasons why you are happy to be the age you are right now.

Unexpected Beauty

List all the times when you discovered unexpected beauty in a seemingly ordinary moment.

Empowered

Write “I am” statements that make you feel empowered.

I am enough.
I am creative.
I am a strong.
I am full of ideas and vision for my life.

Anything is possible

If anything was possible, what would your life look like?

Happiness list

List all the things that make you happy, or smile:

Smelling flowers
Seeing the sun breaking through the clouds
Watching my child sleep
A home-made meal that I receive praises for
Sipping tea with my best friend and discussing love, life and Bollywood movies

Practicing Gratitude

There are probably very few of us who enjoy waiting in line for something. Think of all the lines you wait in and write about why you are happy to be waiting in them.

Thank You

Thank your body for all it is capable of.

What makes you feel strong?

List everything that makes you feel strong. If negative thoughts pop-into your mind, push them away and tell them they have no power over you.

This is so me!

What items & rituals make you feel most uniquely you? Here are a few ideas:

Wearing scarves
Your favourite belt
Your favourite jewelry

Adventures await me

What adventures would you like to someday embark on?

For this page I used Japanese Keyboard-memos and layered them on the bottom of the page. Aren’t those cute?

What colour captures who you are?

Fill this page with cut-outs, colours, and tapes of that colour.

Wow, that was a blast. By including these self-care practice pages into your bullet journal you will have gone onto a self-discovery journey by the end of the year. Each month, it might not seem like you put anything into your journal that you don’t already know, but putting words to your thoughts and feelings will let you get to know yourself even better, giving you inspirational prompts throughout the year and for the year ahead.

20 Time Management tips for busy moms! Or just anybody!

by Nikola | Nov 5, 2018 | An Organized Life

20 time management tips for busy moms | www.westcoastdreaming.com/20-time-managagement-tips-for-busy-moms Haven’t we all been there? Do you have lots of dreams, but don’t have a moment to spare to even think about making them come true? Or you are so overwhelmed by life and your tasks that you have come to believe that you don’t have any dreams? With these time management tips for busy moms or simply busy people, you can get ahead of the game and carve out more time for what is really important to you!

1. Assess your time

Over a few days, assess your time and note what you spend your time on. Try to create a weekly schedule of your current time “consumption”. After you have recorded a typical week, go over each chunk of time and note down ideas on how to improve your flow. Remember to also record travel or commute times in your schedule.

Seeing your days mapped out on a piece of paper will likely get your time improvement ideas flowing. Note down your ideas and go to the next point. If your schedule still feels as overwhelming as before and you struggle writing down ideas, put your schedule aside and move to the next point. You will have a clearer vision when you revisit your weekly routine.

2. Prioritize

The trick being organized is to understand what your priorities are. List all of your to-do’s in one list and then start sorting each item into a separate section: Needs to be done immediately, do this week, long-term and ongoing projects. In your schedule mark the time blocks that are non-negotiable: work, getting to and from work, picking up children, eating & sleeping

What time slots are available after this exercise? What blocks are flexible and could be re-arranged? And what will you fill the rest of your week/days with? Look at your priorities and draw ideas from there. Do not forget to schedule regular me-time to improve your physical and mental well-being.

3. Think ahead

Prepare as much as you can for the morning the night before. Lay out your clothes the night before or assess whether you could take a shower before going to bed.

4. Plan ahead

Every Sunday, go over the to-do list of the next week and if applicable, discuss the next week with your family and make a meal plan for the next week. This will help save time, stay on track and keeps you motivated to achieve your goals.

5. Make extras

Whenever you cook a meal make extras or double the recipe so you can freeze the extras. This not only saves you time but also money. You can assess what produce and groceries are on sale and then cook accordingly.

6. Organize, organize, organize

Organize your files and documents for you and your entire family so you can find what you need when you need it. Clutter will forever keep you in the hamster-wheel of feeling overwhelmed. Experts say that clutter in our lives leads to losing focus. Start small. Organize your house and quieten your mind one day, one shelf and one drawer at a time. You can do it.

7. Eliminate bad habits

Aren’t we all guilty of doing this? Just one more scroll on your social media, just one more episode of the latest show or not being able to stop playing games into the wee hours of the night.

Even though there is nothing particularly wrong with enjoying those things, they are time killers. Just as much with food and drinks, take everything in moderation. If you are short on time, assess your time wasters and see how you can fill them with something more productive. Instead of TV, try to meditate or doing Yoga.

Believe me, I know how hard this is and how alluring the call of the couch can be. I have been its “victim” for so long. Now, after I am done for the evening, I usually go write these articles, come up with improvements for my website or learn more about the art of blogging. If somebody had told me that I would be doing all this almost every single evening I would have laughed so hard. I am not kidding! Best thing, I love doing it.

As you are following your dream, things fall into place and you will find the motivation and energy to do that. PLUS, you can allow yourself an evening out once in a while or going to bed early because you are tired. Just stay focused and don’t let the bad habits distract you again. You and your dreams are worth it!

8. Use empty pockets of time

While dinner is happily cooking away on the stove, use the time to clean up your kitchen or you could also pay bills or get organized for the next day while your child is doing homework.

9. Streamline your errands

Assess your commute, where you shop and what routes you take. Streamline everything so that you can get most errands done without having to do multiple trips. We started ordering our food from a local grocery store online and one of us picks it up on the way home. I swear I am also saving money that way.

10. Everything has its assigned place

Looking for items before you head out the door is one of the biggest time wasters. Put your clothes, jackets, shoes away when you come home. Place your keys and wallet ALWAYS in the same spot and you will be able to leave your house without feeling stressed when you are in a hurry.

11. Give everyone a job

Don’t try to do it all by yourself. Enlist your entire family to help around your home. Every member of your family can have assigned tasks, whether it is setting the table, helping unload the dishwasher or sorting laundry. Researchers of a 75-year Harvard study came to the conclusion that kids who had chores fared better later in life. Children with chores were healthier and happier as adults, had become responsible and gained valuable life skills.

12. List it – Post it

Start weekly to-do lists and hang a family calendar in an area in your house that you frequently use. Making tasks and appointments visible for everyone will help your family stay organized and on track. Don’t forget to update your calendar and lists.

13. Be ready to go

Have your purse, or bag packed and ready to go by the door. Fill it with all the items you might need, such as snacks, napkins, colouring book and pens or whatever you need on the go.

14. Use the internet

As much as I love and support shopping locally, it also takes a lot of time and driving back and forth to get everything. Buy gifts online, switch to online banking and research items before you go to the store. You’ll then know exactly where to get for what price. You can also look into ordering a veggie-box from a local farmer. They often deliver or you can pick it up on your way home. That way you eat and support locally plus will have saved time.

15. Cleaning habits

Don’t like scrubbing away in your bathroom and shower? Try drying out your shower first with a squeegee and then with a cloth after every use. That way you will rarely have to scrub and your shower looks sparkling for a long time. Do the same with your sinks and faucets. I love this technique.

16. Learn to say no

This is your life and no one can live it for you. You are working hard to achieve your dreams, spend more time with your family or learn a new skill. Whatever it is, learn to say no to the things that are not bringing you closer to your goal. Some things you will still have to do, but you could also say no to the TV that is beckoning you to turn it on. Always trust your gut, you will find your rhythm.

17. Pick your battles

Decide what you can live with and what absolutely needs to get done around your house. My mantra is: A home should be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. Truth be told, it is helpful if your husband likes cleaning it a lot. Sometimes I feel our home could be a little bit “happier” *grin*.*nocomplaints*

18. Find inspiration wherever you can

As with every change you are trying to introduce in your life, it is hard to stay on track when you lose that drive inside of you. That also applies to how you spend your time. Find inspiration wherever you can. I like to listen to my favourite songs in the car until my skin tingles with positive energy.

19. Routine

Once you have assessed your schedule and implemented a few changes, set up routines for yourself and your family. Routines are comforting for children and adults alike. By using a routine, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel every single week. Things will start to flow which in turn allows you to be more flexible.

20. One hour method

If you set aside just one-hour per day to work on goals, you will start to see results in just a few short weeks. Seeing yourself progress, will keep you motivated and inspired. An hour a day is small enough to not overwhelm you but large enough to make progress. Setting yourself a time limit will keep you focused during this time and you will power through your tasks.

Let me know what you think and if this helpful at all. I have tried to pick items that I have experience with so my advice can be as authentic as possible. I know there are many more strategies out there. Find the ones that work best for You!

12 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress this Fall

by Nikola | Oct 1, 2018 | Happiness

The fall is usually a very hectic time: school is back in session; the workplace seems to be at its busiest time, traffic is worst between September and December (at least here in Victoria, BC) and before you know it is only a week until the winter holidays: presents need to be bought and wrapped, the house should have been decorated and you were supposed to enjoy the slower fall season with pumpkin spice, baking and cozying up with a blanket. Does this sound familiar?

Check out these 12 ways to reduce stress this fall and stay happy and healthy:

1. Get the right amount of sleep

This is what many people struggle with, but there is no way around it, the more quality sleep we get, the happier we are. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults between ages 26 – 64 should get on average between 7-9 hrs of sleep per night. If you struggle with this as I do, try to set realistic guides on when to go to sleep. Challenge yourself every week to do better than last week and don’t be hard on yourself when you have not changed your habits in one week. It takes time.

2. Soak up the sun

As the days are getting shorter use any moment you can to spend outside. Sunlight triggers the brain to release serotonin, which is thought to help reduce stress, increase your mood and overall happiness.

3. Be active

You will likely not be surprised to see this point here. We all know that we should probably exercise more, but most of us struggle to incorporate time for working out into our hectic days. Try to think less exercise and more being active. Go for a quick walk during your lunch break. Park the car further away from work, run around with your children for 10 minutes before dinner is ready.

4. Schedule regular “Me” time

Yes, you can do it. Assess how you spend your day and find a pocket of time that you can dedicate to yourself. Start small and make your way up to one hour per day. When you work until late, being it either for work, your own business, or for household chores, you might start to feel resentment for not having time for yourself. Dedicate at least 30 minutes before going to bed to yourself. This will help you unwind and make you more productive the next day. Check out this neat infographic on “me time” by happify.

5. Start a project you wanted to do for a long time

Is there a DIY project or any other project (around the house, or a trip you wanted to make) that wanted to do for a long time? Schedule time for it now! It feels good ticking off one item off your list, whether it’s a chore or something that you are interested in.

I found a really cool vest on Pinterest that I wanted to crochet. Mind you I had learned to crochet when I was in elementary school and never done it since, but so what. Once it’s completed, I’ll post a picture.

6. Incorporate healthy eating habits, but treat yourself once in a while

If you are just starting out with healthy eating habits, track what you eat for one or two weeks. You’ll be surprised by what you’ll find on your list. I always am, even though I have been very health conscious for years now. Once you have figured out who the culprits in your diet are, try to substitute them with something healthier. Go easy on yourself. People find it rarely easy to change everything about their diet and then stick to it. Take a little bit less sugar in your coffee or limit the number of sweets you eat or pop you drink. I am certainly not an expert enough to go into lengths about healthy eating, Lauren and Alex over at Avocadu.com do a way better job at it. Check them out.

7. Give gratitude

This is a big one for sure. Giving gratitude will solve so many things for you. My favourite activity is to note down – at least once a week, but ideally every evening before going to bed – the things that I am grateful for. This will shift your focus on the things that you already have in your life. Once your mind is shifted to positive, you will notice more things to be grateful for or things that make you smile. The more positive vibes you send out there, the more you will receive back.

Give thanks to people around you, they might need to hear it more than you think.

8. Surround yourself with things that make you feel good (decorate your home/space)

When I think of fall, I think of cozy scarves (I LOVE scarves and even wear them in the summer), fall clothing (which is by far my favourite), blankets, hot tea, a fire in the oven, and fall decorations. Indulge yourself and shop for an item or two, but don’t get into a shopping frenzy. Material goods won’t make you happy in the long run, but surrounding yourself with a few key items that will make you feel good, can do wonders.

9. Do something for others/Give back

Much as with giving gratitude, giving back shifts your focus to the positive while knowing you made a difference in somebody’s life. Help a friend in need, or offer to help them without them asking, volunteer with a local organization if your time permits, or if you are hard pressed for time, consider donating. Every dollar counts. Even if you can only spare $5, your local non-profit organization will use it to help someone in need. Whatever makes your heart sing when you think about all these possibilities, choose that one. If you can, become a monthly donor, if not, one-time donations are just as much appreciated.

10. Your happy soundtrack

I bet you know exactly what music makes you happy. Have you ever tried to compile a playlist of those favourites? If you are like me, you like a wide arrange of music, but there are just a few songs that you connect with on deep level. They make your heart sing, so to speak. Have this playlist on your phone and whenever you need a dose of happy, put it on. Works like a charm anytime, trust me.

11. De-clutter one area of your home per week

Organizing and de-cluttering are liberating for the soul and mind. But again, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything at once. Start one drawer at a time and see how your home is being transformed. Plus, when you go slow, there are more items to tick off your to-do list. And that’s a good feeling any day put that special check-mark on your item list.

12. Start a bullet journal

Have you also seen these wondrous things on Pinterest or on the internet in general? The beautiful journals people seem to create with ease and in no time? And they look like so much fun. Besides the therapeutic creation of the journals, the content you put into these journals will help you with a lot of the above-mentioned points:

- - You’ll get organized
  - By creating these journals, you will spend time on yourself
  - You can list the things that you are grateful for or went well. You’ll automatically focus on the positive.
  - You’ll start ticking things off your to-do list because you can put your to-dos in there.
  - You can track spending, eating habits, your mood, chores and so much more.

Stay tuned and find great resources here to help you create your own journal. It will be extra simple and fun!

Three signs you are onto something

by Nikola | Sep 4, 2018 | Happiness, Dreaming

How to Listen to Your Gut?

You have probably heard that advice one too many times before. This is obviously one of the many things easier said than done. What I often ask myself is something along the lines: “What the heck does that mean?” or “My gut is not talking to me at all”! But all in all, there is something so fundamentally true to that statement that we should not overlook it, just because our “gut” is sometimes confused.

The more you check in with Mr. or Mrs. Gut, the easier it will become to listen to them. If it is dead silent (not necessarily a bad sign) it could be translated to “Not too sure about this one, please come again”. Eventually, if you will keep trying to listen and to follow your dreams, it will talk to you. Loud and clear.

Here are three signs how your gut might try to tell you that you are onto something:

1. The idea keeps percolating in your head

Your idea stays with you for a long period of time and you will get back to it over and over again. You will probably start feeling very excited when thinking about your idea and you will start reading about it, researching, daydreaming and talking to other people about it.

2. You see ways to achieve your goal

Another dead-on sign that you are onto something would be that you can see how you can achieve your dream. Or, you see yourself taking the necessary steps towards it.

In the case of landing one of my jobs, I did not hesitate to write my application. I was that excited about this opportunity, it almost wrote itself. I thought of easy ways to keep myself in the mind of my future employer, following up with them at the right moments, without being afraid of being cumbersome.

When I had the idea about starting this blog, I had mentally made a list of things that would need to happen for this dream to become a reality. I knew I was able to create a website and maintain it, I had an idea what to write about, I knew what I needed to learn more about and I had a pretty good idea how to find all that information.

So after percolating this idea for about six weeks, researching the topic and the technical side of things and seeing myself doing each individual task, I took the leap of faith and purchased a domain and started setting it up. I am still freaked out about it. In a very good kind of way, believe me.

3. You start telling people

You might find yourself telling people about your plan. Maybe in parts or maybe the whole idea, but you might find yourself telling your friends and/or family about bits and pieces of it just to test out your idea and hear what they might think about it. Will they be supportive of your idea? Or will they share their experience of having gone through something similar? Will they give you good ideas on how to tweak things?

Whatever you do, whatever your signs will be, your gut will tell you when you are onto something. Just trust it.

One more thing:

Don’t underestimate the power of talking about your dream.

You might be shy about it, not sure if you ready to share it with the “world”. I certainly was. What I just recently learned is the following: You need to tell people about your big dream. Or the one you are currently working on. You might be surprised on who shares in your dream, who can help you get started and who can connect you with people who are already living the dream.

If I had not opened up about wanting to get back horseback riding, I would not have had the opportunity to go with my daughter’s daycare provider. I would not have learned about the co-worker whose family owns horses might be interested in leasing one out. I would not have connected with a woman who used to train horses while both of us enjoyed a Zumba class and I would not have been told by a stranger I met walking to hold onto my dream and fulfill it.

Granted this stranger turned out to be a woman who walked her two Icelandic Horses *love* on a local trail while I was out walking the baby in the stroller. Nevertheless, I think of her often and she is an inspiration to me. So go out and talk in whatever form feels comfortable to you. Good luck.

Ideas on how to overcome these three major challenges

by Nikola | Aug 15, 2018 | Dreaming

When you think about your dream, what are the main challenges you are facing? Is it time, money or health?

Health

This would be the biggest item I would say. If you have the time, skill and money to live your dream, but are not healthy enough to do so, those assets become meaningless.

Your situation is as unique as you are. Evaluate your personal situation and see where you can find help. Some health-related challenges you might be able to overcome yourself, but many others you might not be able to do so.

For example, I was struggling with a very bad back, with arthritis pain so severe that sometimes I would not be able to get out of bed. It was debilitating. I spoke to many people, doctors and practitioners about it. What helped me, in the end, was strengthening my core by doing Pilates, changing my diet and adding supplements to my daily regime. When I was at my worst, I could not even begin to imagine that I would feel that much better as I do now. Often there is a way.

However, just as often, you need to seek help. I sought help as long as I needed to find the way that worked for me. Believe you can get better, seek help and listen to your gut.

Money

The second biggest obstacle to fulfilling your dreams is probably money because if you had enough money, you probably would also have enough money to make time for your dream.

So, yes, this is also a tricky one. Just because you want it, money will probably not rain down on you. Try to find avenues that are available to you:

How much money does it actually cost to make your dream a reality?
Can you earn more in the job you are currently in? Will this be enough?
Could you find a new job that pays more?
Can you learn more skills to get a higher-paid position?
Can you find an additional way to make more money?
If you have said no to all of those, can you tweak your dream to get even a little closer?

Let’s say your dream is to sing professionally. Could you join a choir or a band? Can you connect to someone who shares your dream and you could practice together? Or in my case, does it have to be your own horse? Could you start saving money for lessons and then find out if you could help out with chores in the barn to get the lessons cheaper? Once you have come to a step or even a few steps closer to your dream, you will connect with people that might help you along the way.

Time

Time challenge can also be a huge obstacle in your path to success.

For many parents, their day might look like this:

Get up and ready to go
Get the children fed, dressed and ready to go
Drop them off at daycare or school, drive to work.
WORK.
Drive home (prime time to figuring out what’s for dinner),
Ppick up kids from daycare or school,
Come home, make dinner,
Spend time as a family,
Help with homework,
Get them changed, bathed, teeth and hair brushed,
Read stories, say goodnight,
Clean up kitchen, make lunch and breakfast.

By that time, a lot of parents (like me) are so exhausted that they happily turn to their couches, without any energy to work out, learn, spend time with your hobby or even realize your dream. Dun, dun, Dunn.

Does this sound familiar?

I know, and I only have one. How other parents handle more than one is beyond me.

However, even with a tightly packed day, I am certain there are some things that could be tweaked to bring you more flow.

Time management, getting organized and prepared in advance are your friends.

Record where you spend your time for a few days and see how you can find room to improve.

Can you cook in batches
Get groceries delivered?
Could you get children more involved in daily chores and routines?

Get organized and prepared for the day ahead in the evening to de-stress your morning routine. The possibilities are endless.

Good luck and have fun tweaking.

Next Entries »