mind body spirit nurturing – Strength Scripted

My Self Care Today…

Coffee by the water is my go-to when I need an energy boost, to recharge or for mental clarity.

My coffee order today was a medium cold brew, chocolate caramel syrup, sweet cold foam and 1 sugar. Delish! I love it when they add the cookie crumbs but they were all out today, but I was still satisfied!

What are you doing for your self-care today? Hot bath with candles + music? Journaling with a face mask on? Deep conditioning your hair? Long walk? Let me know in the comments! I’m sure others would love to get some ideas for themselves. Let’s spread some love 🤍

xo, J

Personal advice on living freely with chronic pain and/or disability.

Of course there are levels of severity when it comes to chronic pain and it can affect everyone differently- the person who is suffering and those around them. There are many challenges when it comes to living with chronic pain such as flare ups, multiple doctor visits, tests & medications, unable to do certain tasks around the house, people getting annoyed by your complaints, doctors not believing your pain levels, the list goes on and I’m sure you can add to the list as well. Not only are you dealing with this pain often, but you have to deal with the side effects as well.

Some things I have learned along the way I would like to share them with you. Although I consider my case minor. I deal with back and neck pain from a car accident, which include random flare ups and muscle spasms, unable to lift heavy things, unable to sit and stand for long periods of time and constantly having to stretch. My advice may or may not help you, but I encourage you to keep an open mind and share this post with a friend who may benefit from this read.

My biggest advice is to journal. Journal around your pain or disability and the narrative around it (the way you talk about the condition to yourself and others). Work on changing the vocabulary you use when you are talking about it and switch to more positive wording. Step out of the victim role and mentality. Instead of saying things like, I can’t do anything I love to do anymore because of the pain, say something like, I know it’s been hard to do the thing I loved to do, but I am doing my best to manage the pain and one day I will be able to enjoy those things even if it’s just a fraction of it. (i.e you loved hiking before your injury, but now it’s hard to get out there, so instead you choose to walk a short distance in a lovely park or trail.) Do your best to find the positive in things. Be sure to make writing affirmations into your journal daily as well.

Second piece of advice is to be your own advocate to the medical professionals. Educate yourself around your injury or disability, understand which tests are for what, what medications are actually necessary, and when you should seek a second opinion. Speaking up for yourself and asking questions without doubt or fear is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. I am a medical professional so I am always cautious and keep myself well informed when it comes to my health because I will not be a lab rat or allow them to play the guessing game or order unnecessary tests. We must realize that doctors are human like us and can make mistakes so it’s important to be a second set of eyes to overlook your care, but at the same time a lot of medical care is about money. Some doctors will try to bill your insurance, or you, for tests or medications that could be avoided. That’s why it’s important to ask the right questions. If you have someone close with a medical background to help you be a second set of ears, that would be great as well.

My third piece of advice is for my faith believing friends. Pray! When you pray about what you’re going through, you suddenly don’t feel alone because you know God is listening. Giving your worries, fears, anxieties and doubts to God and leaving them at His feet with full faith that He will indeed take care of you, will release so much pressure and negative feelings from your mind. Whether you pray to God or the universe, you cannot deal with this pain and emotional traumas alone. You have to give someone else the load to carry while you breathe and enjoy the life you have however you can.

My last piece of advice for now is to try your very best to keep doing the things you love even if it’s not exactly how it used to be or find something new that you enjoy doing.The point here is to enjoy your new life however you can and to keep yourself busy/distracted from focusing on your pain. I notice when I am not doing anything but sitting on the couch, I tend to focus more on the pain I am experiencing so instead I force myself to do something more productive like read a book, get some writing done or call a friend or relative to chat. Feeling sorry for yourself that you can no longer do yxz will only amplify your suffering. Again, let’s change the narrative here! When you are happy and enjoying life however you can, your loved ones surrounding you will notice and it will lift them up as well. Keep a positive attitude as much as you can!

So that’s it for my top advice for living with chronic pain and/or disability. I hope that you found this post helpful and can incorporate some or all of it into your life. If no one told you lately, I will like to tell you that you are stronger and braver than you think!

Now go be great!

Xo, J

What is self care? The most used and abused word.

Let’s dig deeper into the meaning of Self-Care

We need to talk about the real meaning of “self-care” because it has turned into such an overused word that is beginning to change the true meaning of it. Sure many self-care practices involve bath bombs, skin care routines, yoga etc. but the more vital part of self-care is why you’re doing it, how it makes you feel and how it’s helping you improve yourself worth, self love and confidence. There’s more to self care than bath bombs.

Self-care is building an unbreakable bond between your mind, body and soul.
Janice Avilla @strengthscripted

I don’t make self-care a priority because it’s fun and trendy. I make my self-care a priority because it fills my cup up. It gives me energy to tackle the day. It lifts me back up after a long hard day. It makes me feel worthy of being loved by myself, not others. It makes me happy. I do it for ME. I do it for my son. Because when I take care of myself, I’m more happy and at ease and I can give my best to my son and the people around me.

Practicing self care regularly has allowed me to connect more deeply with myself. I am more in tune with my mind and body. I can read the signs my body is giving more clearly. I know when my period is coming, estimate when I’m ovulating, and recognize that certain pain in my body is my mind trying to distract me from something bigger. I can identify the emotions I’m feeling and help myself process those feelings accordingly. My anxiety has gotten better because I can organize my thoughts and determine whether they are rational or not. I have created my own inner happiness that is untouched by my environment. All because of my commitment to self-care

I have created my own inner happiness that is untouched by my environment. All because of my commitment to self-care.
Janice @StrengthScripted

Society and big brands trying to sell you their products slap the “self-care” word all over their marketing and hope people will fall for it. Influencers claim if you use their essential oils or bath bomb then you will feel so much happy and fulfilled because of this self care act. In reality, people need to look within and find what you actually need to feel fulfilled. Everyone’s self care needs are different and no one can tell you what YOU need to do for self care to fill YOUR cup up and improve YOUR self love. If you don’t like to take baths then what good are bath bombs gonna be? What works for some might not work that well for you.

My biggest advice for beginning your actual self-care journey is to journal. Write down anything that comes to mind, everything that makes you happy, things you love, things you want to do someday, your goals, dreams, desired lifestyle, etc. etc. Just write. You will get to know yourself in your journal and begin building your self-care routine that’s catered specifically to you. It’s much more special when you build your own routine. I would check out The Self Love Journal that I created to help you get started. It’s a workbook style PDF with journal prompts, self care planner etc to help guide you on your journey. [Check the shop tab on top or click the link above]. It’s what helped me so much on my own journey so I worked really hard to put a book together to share with others. When I began this journey I was alone and didn’t know others who were interested in anything self-care (explains all the burnout in the workplace), but you don’t have to feel that way because I am here for you! My mission here is to create a community for women who are all on their self-care/love journey that can share their experience and advice to others and help build each other up. If you’re interested in joining the group chat, please comment below or email me directly [check the contact tab] so I can add you. It’s a secure and private chat vetted personally by me!

Lastly, I hope that this post has resonated with you and has given you the motivation to make self-care a priority to you. If you’re still feeling a bit unsure, join the chat and start there or purchase the The Self Love journal to get started. But you don’t really need any of these, just yourself. You got this!!! One stepping stone at a time.

Now go be great!

Xo, J

More than self-care. Mind, body and soul nurturing.

Self-care is more than doing things that brings you instant gratification or temporary happiness. It’s deeper than that. Self-care should be focused on caring and nurturing your whole self. Your body, mind and soul. Something simple like a hot bath can be used to nurture your body, but when you add a book, some candles and a yummy smelling bath bomb then it starts to nurture your mind as well. Playing meditation music in the background can make this task focus on all three areas of self-care!! Yesss please!

It’s important to make sure you are including self-care activities that focus on the different areas because if we only did things that cared for our body, then our mind and soul is neglected. Try to find ways to improve your self-care routine by making sure they focus on your mind, body and soul. Another example could be- going for a walk. But instead of just walking, you can either listen to meditation music or an educational podcast- both will nurture your mind, but another option is to listen to nature. Be fully present and listen for the birds, the wind blowing the trees, the squirrels running, the high tide river, etc. all the noises of nature can bring you spiritual peace which in turn will bring you mental peace.

The last example I will give you is doing a mind dump where you literally dump everything on your mind onto a piece of paper. Messy, unorganized thoughts just written out in any order. Once your mind is clear, journal! Start with a simple question like- “What will you surrender in order to protect your peace today/this week?” or “What kind of lifestyle do you want? How exactly do I want my days to look like?” Then start writing. Visualize yourself being that person as you write. Don’t stop your thoughts, just write it all down in your journal. Do this daily and find different journal prompts that work for you and watch real change start to happen. (Follow this blog because I enjoy sharing journal prompts that I love or sign up for me email newsletter here.) If you are a beginner or fairly new to journaling, I would suggest purchasing my Self Love Journal. It’s a PDF file so you can print it out and immediately get to work. It’s available under the “Shop” tab above and at my Etsy shop and you’ll be able to read more in detail what it includes. It’s absolutely worth it!!

When we care for all three parts of us, we will achieve a whole new level of SELF LOVE and peace. In your self-care time, you will learn so much about yourself; what you truly enjoy doing, what brings you real happiness and gets the happy hormones firing, what helps you fully relax, how you recharge, what gets you excited, etc. Feeling aligned within and focusing on filling your cup up, you allow yourself to experience life differently. We are a little less tense, a little less stressed, more gentle, more positive, more loving. It’s the start to a whole new perspective on life. A whole new YOU.

I hope that you benefited from this post in some way. I’d love to hear your self-care routines! Comment below with yours! 🙂

xo, J