Currently we're running through a Z-A of activities to try, in order to manage stress and anxiety and support self-care.
Z is for.... Zero 7, Zoolander & Zen Gardens
This isn't going to be a normal A-Z. Mostly because it isn't an A-Z.
The Little Peaces blog will continue with shorter posts, offering a range of tips and ideas to help you with stress relief, anxiety management and self-care in creative and fun ways.
Z is always at the end and often gets overlooked as we all desperately try to find things to fit. With not much to visibly choose from. I know what it feels like to always be picked last. (Flashback to P.E Lessons at school - sigh.) So let's do things a little differently and give Z some love at the beginning.
What to listen to: Zero 7
I discovered this artist on the soundtrack to Roswell many moons ago with (still my favourite track) Destiny. Their sound, described as crossing many genres, is so relaxing. I think 'Ambient pop' and Ambient Techno' suits it most for me. It feels like listening to a lazy sunset. They have quite a range of songs too.
Listen out for: Pop Art Blue and Solastalgia. Not to mention Sia was hiding here in her early career!
What to watch: Zoolander (2001)
Comedy about a male supermodel. A satire on the fashion industry. What an utterly ridiculous film this is. It has Ben Stiller (who also co-wrote and directed), Owen Wilson & Will Ferrell. It has silly facial expressions. It has tons of fun and charm!
What to try: Zen Gardens
They basically consist of rocks, stones and raked white gravel. These beautiful, uncluttered Japanese spaces are so calming. The zen discipline is that of focusing the mind and working towards spiritual awakening. There's no denying the sense of awe they create in the enormous amount of visitors they receive every year. You can find one in London
But if you can't get to one easily, you can buy a mini version to maintain at your desk!
What awesome words:
Zany
Described by the Cambridge dictionary as strange, surprising, or uncontrolled in a humorous way. We don't hear the word enough as far I'm concerned.
Zesty
Usually used in terms of food, this means full of flavour and energy. It's lively and enthusiastic. For me, it's always conjured up a citrussy feel and that's even where the adjective comes from - the peel of oranges and lemons.
Zeitgeist
I learnt this one at uni, when it was mentioned that a film had captured the zeitgeist of a particular war. I remember thinking 'I have no idea what it means but it's a beautiful word.' A German word meaning spirit of the age.
I hope the letter Z brings joy to your January.
Saturday 13th January, 10:49am
The Twelve Prompts of Christmas
Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you may well be aware of the traditional English carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas. If you're not, then it doesn't really matter. The beauty of this exercise is you can be as vague or specific as you like. There's also no right or wrong answers, (as you'll hear me say a lot!)
Feel free to do these at a time that suits you best (i.e. not necessarily one a day in the actual 12 days of Christmas.) I hope you enjoy them and the season itself!
Recognising our foundations
With buildings, the foundations are a critical element. Designed to ensure balance and provide a firm footing. Once the structure is complete though, they're no longer visible. The same can be said of our everyday lives. When things are going well, our foundations are seamless. We don't think about how or why we're standing tall. We just do.
But what about when the storm comes, battering our walls and ripping off our roofs? Then we need to remind ourselves of what is grounding us and keeping our structure in place. So we can have confidence in our survival.
Our bricks and cement contain these things...
If you're swaying a bit right now, take this as a reminder to check in with yourself. The bricks and cement above can be your guiding prompts. If you need a consultation with a structural engineer, you know where to find me.
Monday 13th November, 6:45pm
13 Reasons to think positively about thirteen
Our fears (mainly superstition) of thirteen date back to biblical times. The poor number generally gets a bit of a bashing doesn't it? Personally, I love it and find its mystery fascinating. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could change the way we think about it? So, on Friday 13th, in the month of Halloween, I present you with 13 fun reasons why we can view the number between 12 and 14 more positively.
1. The names of the fears themselves are just wonderful
Triksideskaphobia - fear of the number 13, Paraskevidekatriaphobia - fear of Friday the13th
I don't know about you, but I love a word I can't pronounce. These two seem to be 'the more the merrier' in terms of letters too.
2. The unspoken avoidance can be quite funny
Buildings, aeroplanes and train stations (yes, Paddington I'm talking to you) miss the number out in their labelling. Floors, aisles and platforms mysteriously jump from 12 to 14. Do they think by pretending 13 doesn't exist, it can't hurt anyone? It's really just 13 disguised as 14 then isn't it?
3. Hidden 13
It's a number hidden in random little things, which haven't harmed us. To name a few...
A lot of the calendar months have 31 days. Surely this is just 13 backwards?
4. Time
Have you noticed how we have a 13:00 every day and survive? It's lunch time for me, and being such a foodie, I very much appreciate it.
5. Age
It's the first of the teens. The first step on a child's journey into the challenging world of young adulthood. I like to think kids are still sweet and innocent as they reach this milestone.
6. Entertainment
Great films and TV series have included this number in the title.
7. Maths
It's not just a prime number, (only divisible by itself and 1). It's also in the Fibonacci sequence, known for fascinating patterns in maths and nature. (Each number is the sum of the two previous ones.)
8. Feminine number
It's considered a fertility number by the ancient Greeks. Some mythologists view it as feminine due to a 'regular' woman having 13 menstrual cycles in a year. Interesting!
9. New beginnings
The common misconception of the Death card in Tarot (13th card) is the literal reading. Yes, it does symbolise endings, but these can lead to rebirth and powerful new beginnings!
10. Elements
This number is associated with the element of air. Creative and intellectual energy is ours!
11. It can be lucky
In places like Thailand, India and Japan, 13 is considered a very lucky number. The Italian expression fare tredici (“to do 13”) means hit the jackpot!
12. A personal connection to it
I was born in the 13th hour of the 26th June (double thirteen!) Is the 13th of the month a special date for you? Do you have happy memories of living at number 13 perhaps?
13. Mindset
Some people feel that today's date is associated with terribly bad luck. There's no concrete evidence to suggest anything bad is more likely to happen to us on this date than any other. It's simply a matter of personal belief.
Our brains are wired to focus on negatives, to keep us safe from impending danger. If something bad happens on the 13th day of the month, we are likely to keep noticing others. But what if we deliberately focused on good and positive things? There's likely to be lots of them too.
Friday 13th October, 1:13pm
Changing 'if' to 'let' (a poetic response)
Below is my interpretation of six lines from the famous poem - Rudyard Kipling's 'If' (highlighted above) It's part Writing for Wellbeing exercise, part creative response translated into my own words. Do I feel slightly self conscious sharing this? Yes! It's not written with proper rhythm, metre etc but it's not meant to be. I believe there's no right or wrong way to respond to a poem. Especially when we're not at school and it's not being marked for coursework or an exam.
It can be really freeing and fun to play with words. Sometimes more fun when it's other people's! We will all have different interpretations and bits that resonate with us most, in any poem. I love this poem but I found it interesting as part of me resisted slightly when it mentions 'man' to mean humans. I have to remind myself just how old the language is.
What speaks most to you and how would you rewrite it? I'd love to hear your versions.
Wednesday 13th September, 10:41am