Welcome to the Carnival of Healing #28

Welcome to the Carnival of Healing, which is open and welcoming to posts about spirituality, wellness, life balance, positivity...whatever might make people feel a little better. When I host a carnival that already has a theme, like this one (and as opposed to, say, the Carnival of the Vanities) I don't like to lay another theme on top of it...I like to see what theme emerges on its own. And today we definitely have the theme of self-care.

In this crazy, always-on world it may seem like we're always diong things for other people, are always at the beck and call of other people...but how often are you at your own beck and call? Each post today is about doing things to uplift your spirits and take better care of yourself, and most of the ideas come with side benefits, so it doesn't even feel particularly indulgent...just good common sense.

Phyl at Spiral Visions rues the day she got too big to be picked up and carried, and wonders how to replace that feeling of comfort and lightness:

Now whenever I feel the urge to be carried the best way I've found to help is going to a park or playground and swing for a bit on the swings. It gets my feet off the ground anyway. Not quite the same feeling as being wrapped up in somebody's arms, but better than nothing. Of course another way that helps is to reverse the feeling and hold an infant or small child in my arms. That feels just as wonderful.

The side benefit here: everyone needs to take more breaks than they usually do. Look away from the computer, step away from your desk, take a moment of alone time, use your work breaks just to breathe not to run errands. Swinging sounds like an excellent "Calgon take me away" activity, without all those messy bubbles. [What's funny is that I never long to be carried, but I still love to swing, so I think swinging may be the cure for what ails more than one earthbound soul.]

Mensa Barbie shares her particular way of feeling a little more organized every day. It involves list-making and visualization and affirmations, so it combines the practical and the spiritual. Now, this might not sound like self-care, but as an oragnized person I can say that when I start to feel like I'm not being efficient or organized, I get stressed out. And as someone who has close friends and relatives who are not organized, I can see that they're not serene about the disorder in their lives. Every one of them has bought a book on how to organize their lives. So perhaps starting small with Mensa Barbie's advice is a good kick-off!

Britt Bravo from Have Fun Do Good is all for exercising for good health, but she gives us a couple of suggestions for types of exercise that make us feel good about ourselves now, as well as keep us more fit for life. Gospel aerobics and belly dancing are two examples.

I really think exercise classes that reinforce positive body image should be a requirement for girls in school. Think about all the good that could be done if women took all the energy they spend worrying about how their bodies look and put it into making the world a better place.

After reading Britt's great piece I'll admit that the headline of a piece by one of our Food & Drink editors over at the new BlogHer Network, Kalyn Denny, put me off at first: Looking Good is Very Empowering. But then I read her piece and couldn't agree more with her message that self-care applies to the inside and out:

Losing weight or maintaining your weight is about empowering yourself to be the best you can be. Taken a step further, managing your weight and eating amazing tasting food is a wonderful form of self-love.

Just as with Britt's exercise suggestions: deprivation or punishment are not the answeres. Eat foods you can enjoy. Partake in a form of exercise you will enjoy. These are the only habits you can really sustain for life!

Wayne Hulbert from Blog Business World proposes one other great habit we should all get into for life: deciding to accomplish (at least) one positive goal per day.

Wake up tomorrow morning and say to yourself that you are going to accomplish one positive goal during the day. It doesn't have to be a major world altering event in the cosmic sense; but it's the very first step in changing the world for yourself.

Listen, I know that if you're in a state of depression it's hard to imagine that you have the power and you have the control to lift yourself, even a little bit. But you really do. Take the advice of our contributors today: take a different kind of exercise class; eat a different kind of healthy food; get a hair cut; make a really short list of doable tasks for the day and cross 'em off your list; find a playgroud and swing for a while! (And pick just one of those things and know that you still accomplished your one positive thing.)

And, if I may close with a story of my own from my Personal Blog: never be afraid to share your passionate beliefs with other. Every now and then you change or just open a mind. And there's not much that feels better than that.

That's it, thanks for visiting. And thanks to those who contributed.

If you're interested in hosting or participating in the Carnival of Healing, check out this information page. It's still not too late to check out last week's carnival at Spiral Visions. And next week's Carnival will be at Intuitive innovations.

You can find other Carnivals at Truth Laid Bear and BlogCarnival.com