Month: February 2023

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MEMOIR ESSAYS – AN APPROACH THAT DEEPENS YOUR APPRECIATION OF YOUR LIFE JOURNEY

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Memoir Essays

Get your copy here: Memoir Essays

Perhaps you have considered writing a memoir or some other format to capture your life. Maybe you’ve started such writing. Or maybe you think it’s self-centered or egotistic to do this. Perhaps you think no one will be interested in reading it so it’s not worth the effort.

I see writing about your life as a gift to yourself and to others, whether they read it now or sometime in the future. The way I prefer to do this is with MEMOIR ESSAYS. These essays capture snapshots of your life including context and history. The formula is Memories + Context + History = Greater Appreciation for Your Life Journey. You can create MEMOIR ESSAYS, one at a time, starting anywhere in your life.  Start with a memory, do some research to learn more about the context and if possible consult with others. When you expand your memories in this way you will:

1) gain greater perspective and appreciation for your life journey, and
2) make your essays more interesting to those who read them.

As Russell Banks said, writing in this way is “much more than memoir; it’s history.

 My Kindle book on the topic is available on Amazon.com. It focuses on 6 strategies for identifying topics for your memoir essays:

  • Finding topics to explore from old photos
  • Digging deeper when a current experience triggers memories
  • Choosing a time period to focus on and capture highlights
  • Exploring music in your early life
  • Identifying pivot points in your life
  • Excavating the impact of major community, national or global events

A complete Memoir Essay accompanies each strategy to illustrate that approach. Each illustrates how to dig deeper, research the history, and round out your memories. Included is a free worksheet to keep track of your ideas.

Get your copy here: Memoir Essays

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

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3 Steps to Alleviate Information Overload

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Alleviate Information OverloadAre you an information junkie? Do you want to learn about new things and dig deeper into topics you are already familiar with? Do you want to stay current on many of the issues and concerns of the day? It can be simply all-consuming or overwhelming at times. Consider some ways to alleviate information overload.

Information overload has been continually growing since the Internet became part of our daily lives. Mobile devices give us access to limitless sources virtually any time we choose. There are both great benefits and significant negatives to this access. The more information we see, the more we want to consume it, which leads to becoming more overloaded with information.

Be more intentional about your pursuit and use of information. Rather than falling down the proverbial rabbit hole regularly, make some choices. Here are three suggestions for taking advantage of the treasure trove of available information and not allowing information overload to be another stressor.

1.    Categorize Your Information Seeking

Surfing the internet has become a recreational activity. With a phone at hand, many spaces of open time are filled this way. It can be entertaining or educational. It can give you a needed break from situations or tasks. And that’s all good.

In addition to random or stream of consciousness surfing, you can choose some categories to explore. What information will be helpful?

  • Think of your home life. Do you want to make your living space more comfortable? Do you want to get out of the rut of preparing the same 5 meals over and over? Do you need solutions to storage shortage? The list can go on.
  • Think of your work life. Are you ready to look for another position? Do you want to be more organized as you work at home? Are there difficult work relationships that you would like to handle better?
  • Think of your recreational and volunteer activities. What opportunities are there to expand or change what you are doing now?
  • Think of specific projects you are working on or would like to start. Perhaps it’s writing some family stories or memoirs and you need to find some context or history of the times. (My Kindle book, Memoir Essays, Memories + Context + History = Deeper Appreciation of Your Life Journey, has strategies to do this.)

You get the idea. Jot down the categories of things you want to explore and prioritize them. Then when you have surfing time, pursue one of them. Be more intentional with larger blocks of time. Focus on a priority topic and go beyond the scanning D stage. Document what you find that is useful. This process is an important step to alleviate information overload.

2.    Use Mind Maps to Organize

Mind maps are a visual way to organize both what you want to do and the results of your searches. Start with a mind map of the categories you selected above. Your center point can be “Exploration Topics” with a time period – a week or month perhaps. Then the branches are the categories. Add subbranches for the main things you are looking for or problems you want to solve.

To capture and further organize, do a mind map for each of the categories, adding ideas or questions you have as you explore.

Refresh or do new mind maps as you progress. When you have gathered the information you want, capture it in a final map for future reference. This practice can become a regular part of your life, helping you organize and manage all that information. Use it frequently – weekly, even daily. Some people use a mind map as a visual guide to daily priorities and tasks.

If you are new to mind mapping or would like a refresher, I have written about the basics here: Mindmapping as a Multifaceted Tool

3.    Decide What is Enough and What is Too Much Information

Consuming information is a lot like medication, there is a minimum effective dose that can be absorbed before the positive effects become null, and the negative side effects take over.

With information, this means that there is a precise amount of information that you need to achieve your goals. What is enough, what is too much? Continuing to gather information beyond a certain point can easily stop you from taking any action at all.

You procrastinate because you think there is something to be discovered before you move forward. You can have a mind full of data, ideas, possibilities, swirling around – and you are essentially paralyzed. Decide what is enough information and go with it. Take action.

These 3 approaches can go a long way to alleviate information overload in your life. This intentionality of focus can relieve stress and increase your productivity and accomplishment in both your work and personal lives.

If you’d like to try additional strategies, check this out: The Mind at Ease: 10 Mini-Habits for anyone who is stressed in the Age of Information Overload

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

 

 

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Introducing “5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster”

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Stress MonsterDo YOU feel stressed more often or more deeply in the past few years? I certainly have. The pandemic and all the ripples from it on physical and mental health, relationships, the economy and more have affected all of us. Taming the stress monster within our own lives is possible. Please read on.

In the pursuit of return to ‘normal’, I and I suspect many others, have pushed down a lot of feelings and ignored red flags. The result has been elevated stress. Some is a result of personal situations and challenges; some comes from external realities.

Some stress is good. It keeps us engaged and moving. But excessive amounts have negative ripple effects on many parts of our lives. If it gets to toxic levels, stress can affect both our mental and physical health.

And the stress shows up in many ways.  Have you experienced some of these common symptoms?       (Source: American Psychological Society)

  • Irritability and anger
  • fatigue or low energy
  • lack of motivation or interest in things
  • anxiety/nervousness/worry
  • headaches
  • feeling sad or depressed
  • Indigestion/acid reflux/upset stomach/muscle tension
  • appetite changes

We can do things to tame the stress monster in our own lives! In my new short report, “5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster,” I offer 5 practices that engage our senses and can interrupt and reduce stress. More importantly they can help prevent stress if incorporated into our lives:

  • Understanding and Utilizing the Power of Deep Breathing
  • Utilizing the Power of Sound to Calm and Heal
  • Using Our Vision to Reduce Stress
  • Using Our Sense of Smell – Aromatherapy
  • Adding Hands-On Creative Activities to Our Routine

I have compiled information from earlier posts and included additional information and resources into this report. It is FREE to download now! Feel free to share with others.

The information in the special report goes into detail about the 5 practices to explore as you strive to tame the stress monster in your life. All of these are self-care. If you think – even once in a while – that self-care is selfish or something that can be lower in priority than all the must-dos in your life, let me remind you that it is not.

Managing Your Stress is Self-Care

Self-care involves taking better care of yourself, which is essential for mental and physical wellbeing. In addition to relieving stress as the report details, it has a positive impact on your relationships and your ability to handle your daily responsibilities.

As you incorporate some or all these practices into your life, you will be improving your mental health and raising your self esteem. You will be raising your confidence and that boosts your mood and your attitudes.

As is pointed out in the report, these practices can be easily built into your daily and weekly routines. The key is to start with one or two things and incorporate them into your life. Add others as you choose. Consider the power of a personal wellness routine, as I wrote about here: http://carolbrusegar.com/effective-wellness-routine/

Please get your FREE copy of the report by clicking here: 5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster. No opt-in is required.

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

 

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Post-Holiday Hygge – Simple Ways To Cozy Up Your Home As You Wait For Spring

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Hygge, pronounced (Hue-gah), is a word used widely by Danish and Norwegian people to describe a feeling of well-being, protection and coziness. Denmark’s cold season is long and brutal. The idea of hygge was formed as a survival strategy to psychologically help people to get through the long winters. It’s become a way of life for them. The months between the December holidays until spring are an ideal time to implement some post-holiday hygge to cozy up your home as you anticipate the next season.

In recent years, the hygge moment has made its way to the US and has become a bit of an Instagram sensation. I wrote about hygge as self-care during the pandemic here: Self Care in Tough Times. But even before the movement, all of us have felt hygge before it got popular, on social media. Maybe we just didn’t know there was a name for it. The essence of hygge can be described as the feeling you get when you laugh with good friends, curl up in a blanket to read your favorite book, or the warm and homey feeling that you get from sitting by a fire with a bowl of homemade soup on a cold day. By naming these activities as hygge, we are adding some intentionality and meaning.

During the very darkest days of winter, holiday lighting indoors and outdoors along with special gatherings and lots of activity keep our spirits up. The post-holiday time after the lights are stored away for another year and more normal routines resume can be a glum, depressing time. Using these weeks – or even months in some climates – as a winter hygge season can be cozy and help stave off post-holiday blues. Whether you are coming home after a long day of work or school or working at home, creating post-holiday hygge in your home will lift your spirits.

The Elements of Winter Hygge

 These elements of winter hygge are all related to our senses – sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing.

Lighting. Achieving that sought-after hygge feeling has much to do with warm lighting. Soft, calming lighting will make your home feel soothing and welcoming. Accomplishing this can be as simple as lighting a fire in your fireplace, or a few well-placed candles and hanging some string lights.

Perhaps you have dimmers on some of your electric lights and rarely use them. They allow you to soften the lights per your mood. (You could even have a dimmer or two installed if you don’t already have any.) Changing out your bright bulbs to warmer lighting will also help give your home a cozy feel. There are all sorts of cute, hygge inspired lights and light fixtures on the market that you can install to give a little more of an authentic hygge feel. There are some fascinating hygge lighting options here.

 Scents. Scented candles, essential oil infusers and seasonal potpourri will also make your home feel more inviting and cozy this winter. Rather than the holiday scents – cinnamon, pine, apple, etc. – choose other cozy scents like, lavender, pumpkin, vanilla and sage. Scents, especially from essential oils, stimulate smell receptors in the nose. These receptors then send messages through the nervous system to the limbic system — the part of the brain that controls emotions. This is why essential oils are used to decrease stress and help us sleep. Check out this wide variety of essential oil diffusers to add to your post-holiday hygge home.

Cozy loungewear, slippers, blankets. Hunker down during the cold months in cozy loungewear and slippers. Choose natural fibers like cotton, flannel, silk or knit. You will look forward to coming home after a long day to put on your most comfortable clothes. Have soft, cozy blankets, throws and comforters where you relax – and in your home office.

Home cooking and baking. The scents and tastes of home cooked meals and home baked bread, cookies, cakes, etc. are essential hygge. You may find that prepping your meals ahead of time will help reduce daily pressure. Or use some of the ready-to-cook meal options you can now purchase. Crockpot meals are a winter favorite because they can be put together ahead of time, then set it and forget it. You will come home after a long day to the fragrant smell of dinner already cooking. And the taste surpasses that of takeout or microwave meals.

Baking bread and goodies can be a therapeutic, relaxing activity as well as a great shared activity with others. And of course the aromas while they are baking and the finished products are the best!

Soothing and inspiring music. We’re all over holiday music by this time of year. How about gathering some CDs or create a playlist that are your post-holiday hygge selections? Play them as background while you work at home, prepare meals, relax and read. This can be a tradition from now into the future.

If you want to learn more about this topic, I recommend this book: The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living  May you enjoy implementing elements of post-holiday hygge in your home!!

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!