Take Time to Do Something Real

Hi everyone from our place in the woods! How are you doing these days? I haven't written for a while, but wanted to get a word out to you this week, and keep in touch.. As you may know, I am a teacher, and am entering the crazy, crazy time of the year: JUNE! I sincerely apologize for not maintaining my regular writing schedule.

What about you? Is this a busy time of year for you, too? What season of life are you in right now?  Is your yearly cycle connected to the school year, with kids, or a business cycle?

Since we spoke last, about three weeks ago, summer seems to have arrived here in the boreal forest. I was so anxious for spring, but when it finally arrived, it seemed to skip almost straight into summer. The trees are now fully clothed again, wildflowers are covering the earth in careless beauty, and the beaches have opened up their sandy splendor.

The trees with all their covering, taken last summer. 

For those of us in the education field, this is the end of the year, and it is a time of intense pressure. The teachers and administrators have dozens of deadlines coming at them, all at the same time: report cards, end-of-year testing, finishing off the curriculum, planning for field trips and year-end celebrations. We feel the pressure to GET IT ALL DONE, while the kids are determined that THEY ARE FINISHED. LET'S GET ON TO SUMMER! The kids just wanna have fun, sparkly, crazy zany fun ... kind of like these eggs that they created for Easter earlier in the year:

Easter eggs made my Grade six class.

And no matter how much we push them to keep learning, many students have decided internally (perhaps, without even knowing they are deciding this) that they are DONE. They have been learning and working all year, and now, they feel, it is time to PLAY! They want something different and  unique, like this beauty created by one of several very talented artists in the class:

Sparkly egg created by an extra-talented student in the class. 

Can you relate? I sure can. For me, all of the intense pressure And it seems that the busier it gets, the more I want to slow down. My body, my whole self resists the intense pressure, and I have a desire simply to escape the insanity. Have you ever felt like that?

This year, I was blessed to be able to book a few days off, around the May long weekend, which led to a six-day weekend. in fact. But. in spite of the days off, I could not escape the feeling of pressure. I could barely relax: my body just knew that the pressure was still on.

The only thing that seemed to work to calm me down was a long walk on the beach, with a bit of a swim. The feel of the sand, sans shoes, is calming to the feet. And the soft lapping of the water overcomes the buzz of anxiety. I really do find that time spent on the beach is the most healing of times.



In this next pictures, I loved the monochromatic simplicity of sky, lake and stick. Something in my soul longed for such calm in my own life. To some it may be boring, but to me, it is sweet beautiful peace.  It is a feeling of blendedness and connectedness.  I love this. (This is the Instagram version, which is, of course, square. If you would like to follow me on Instagram, you can follow at Lifeinwoods, and let me know you came from the blog!

Time spent on the beach is the most healing of times. 

And this is a very similar view, but with less cropping. This beach is full of beautiful sticks and driftwood, perfect for throwing into the water, if you have a dog, or carving a coffee table if you have a saw. 

So, this weekend, walked and let my mind drift. And I got in the water, and almost swam. Which means I got in the water, up past my waist, and dunked my arms in the icy water, that only one month ago, was partially ice. And it felt amazing! I felt alive and completely in the moment.

And that is what I want to share with you today. If you are feeling pressure, intense pressure, take a bit of time to do something that makes you feel alive. For me, it is the feeling of fresh lake water rushing over my body. For you, it might be a ride on your motorcycle. Or an afternoon spent being silly with the kids and laughing at their corny jokes, housework be darned. Maybe it's getting your hands into the fresh soil of your garden. Whatever it is, do something real. Do something simple. And leave the pressure behind, just for a little bit. I guarantee all the work will still be there when you get back. But you will be just a bit different, a bit more alive, and bit more "you."

Take care, everyone. And I wanted to say a big thank you for the feedback I received about the free gift I want to offer. I can't promise it will be available until after June ends, but I want to reward my loyal readers with a beautiful print PDF, with a lovely quote on it. I hope to get it ready by July, at the latest. Have a wonderful June, everyone! Take care!

And one more thing: PLEASE, PLEASE COMMENT, if you liked the blog, and enjoyed it. (Or even if you didn't, or if you disagreed with something I said. I love to hear any feedback.)

I put a lot of work into these blog posts and your feedback, whatever it is, is gold to me. I find it hard to write without comments! So, if you are out there reading, please just drop me a line, and let me know you are reading, and how I can help you. I love engaging with people -- so I look forward to  hearing from you.


Love Sharilee. Hey thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear your comments and input in the space below. Also, if you like what you are reading, sign up through my Facebook page. or receive posts by e-mail byjoining here

My Christmas Was Better This Year

Hey, everyone! Happy New Year! I hope you had a good Christmas, and are settling into your routine for the new year.

It's been a while since I've shared with you here on the Life in the Woods blog, but I have missed this page terribly. School this year (like every year) is just so crazy busy, that by the time I come home, I am mentally and emotionally drained, and find it difficult to put words together.

Konmari Journey to More Space, Less Junk, and Less Stress: Introduction

Hi everyone! I am excited to share with you, a brand new series on the blog, called Konmari Journey to More Space, Less Junk and Less Stress. Over the summer, I have been working on something called a "tidying festival." You may remember the Konmari method, as explained in this incredible book called, the life-changing magic of tidying up, by Marie Kondo. 

You may recall that I wrote this review of the book back in April. Since that time, I have been going through each of my items one by one. Two weeks ago, I reached a point of near completion. and feel ready to share my journey with you. I share it with you, to encourage you, if you want to declutter. It is totally worth it, and this book helps you through the whole process. 

Ten Reasons to go for a Walk Tonight

How are you doing today? By any chance, are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, maybe a bit depressed? Or maybe like something is missing? 

If so, allow me to make a suggestion to help you for getting out of this mental slump. And it doesn’t require pills -- you don’t have to go to the doctor for any prescription. 

My idea for you is get your fix. Your nature fix, that is.

When was the last time you went for a walk in the park? Or the forest, or the field? When did you last see birds up close or hear the sounds of leaves falling from the trees? 

Has it been a while? Do you tend to dwell mostly, in the tunnel so many of us create for ourselves: home, garage, work, garage and then home again?  

If it’s been quite a long time since you felt in touch with nature, I am going to give you ten reasons to get in touch with nature again.

And don’t wait too long ... the snow is coming and this late autumn won’t last forever. Why not go tonight? 

1. It's excellent exercise. In fact, there is extra value in walking outside compared to the treadmill, because of the extra resistance you gain from walking against the breeze, as well the variety of muscles used by obstacles you may encounter outdoors, as well as natural slope.

2. Walking outdoors can help curb your appetite. Going for a walk outside always makes me want to eat less. As I get more in touch with my body, I tend to have less desire to eat unhealthy things and overeat.

3. Walking outside helps cure stress and anxiety. In fact, a recent article in Forbes magazine quoted Dr. Sobel, a leading expert in preventative medicine as saying that spending time in nature is one of the top cures for stress. 

4. Nature makes you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.  Whether it's looking at the stars at night, or simply gazing up a forty foot elm tree, we are reminded that we really aren't the centre of the universe! 

5. Time spent outdoors connects you with those you love. When I was a kid, my mom used to take my sister and me on nature excursions. Sometimes it was a mysterious path that we had never been on before. Other times, it involved going for a drive and finding an abandoned coulee. These are the best memories, because we were together, exploring.

6. A walk in nature is romantic. Whether you are planning a first date, or planning your retirement, there's nothing better than a romantic stroll to pump up the intimacy level between two lovebirds. 

7. A nature walk is educational. Helen Keller asked her friend what she had seen after a walk in the woods. She was shocked when her friend replied. "nothing." She then goes on to say, "How was it possible ... to walk for an hour through the woods, and see nothing worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch."  Let's learn from Helen. When we walk outside, there is always something to see, and to learn. 

8. A walk through nature helps cure depression. This fascinating article talks about the latest research on how walks through nature have documented physical and sensory effects that help people that struggle with depression. The author also goes on to explain how, in Japan, "forest bathing" is considered a therapeutic option for healing. 

9. An outdoor walk is excellent for planning and goal-setting. I have gotten some of my best ideas while on a nice, long walk. There's something about the rhythm of walking that lends itself to dreaming and planning.  In fact, don't think of a walk as just one more thing you have to do,  but as a productivity tool for getting more done in the long run. 

10. You are walking in the shadows of greatness. Jesus himself was a great walker. Albert Einstein is reported to have walked the 1.5 hour distance to work and back, when he worked at Princeton. And C.S. Lewis, was inspired by the regular walks he took on his five acre wooded property.  

So, have I convinced you to go for a walk tonight? I confess

that I have been skipping my walks lately, and during the writing of this post, I actually went out and got a quick walk in. So, what about you? What are you waiting for? 

Or are you already a dedicated walker? What are your reasons for walking? Tell us your story. 

Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page. or to receive posts by e-mail, join here. All photos are property of the author. All work is copyright under Sharilee Swaity 2014. 

Learn To Stop Binge Eating

Today I wanted to share a new insight  concerning overeating. This new perspective, I believe, can be the key to overcoming this problem of binge eating on a long-term basis.

I will first share the source of this insight. It is a website called Surrendered Hearts Ministries, and it is run by a Christian lady called Heleen. She is a woman who has struggled with this issue, and found help with it. What she had to say has really affected me. She talks about how she overcame her problem of binge eating by trying to solve it one year at a time, rather than one day at a time. And how the problem came from the perfectionistic attitude of trying to make each day perfect, and then feeling defeated when we don't make it (which is often.)

So the key, according to Heleen, and I agree, is to look at it as a long-term problem, and needing a long-term solution. Shoot for having a good year, and not just a good day. If you have a bad day, just start again, and go for the year. This approach works for me. When I try to have perfect days, and don't, I get so discouraged that I want to give up. One of the main causes of binging, Heleen points out, is discouragement, and this discouragement comes from not being able to eat right. Can anyone say viscous cycle?

She also recommends doing one positive thing for ourselves every day, for our body, soul and Spirit. I really like this ministry, and the approach, and have signed up for the updates by RSS. I admit I have a problem with using food as a crutch when I am stressed. I also know beating myself up about it doesn't help. Going for the goal of having a good year is such a good approach for me. A good year one day at a time.

Learned Helpless and Weight Gain -- VERY DEEP STUFF ON LOSING WEIGHT

Thanks! 

First of all, I am so, so grateful for the positive comments in the last few days on this blog. Like I said before, I am having trouble with this commenting system, so I just want to thank you on this post. THANKS! :)

And after I had such a victorious feeling on Sunday, I hate to bring up my next topic, but this is life. It has its ups and downs! I have good news and bad news. First the good news. I no longer have job stress. And now the bad news. I no longer have a job. As of today.

So,  I am back to deciding what to do with the rest of my life. Career decision. I need to go back to work again, but I am not sure where to go from here.

I saw something on Dr. Oz that was really interesting. You may have seen the show: it was about women who are very obese, and about some who were happy with being fat, and some that weren't. I'm not getting into the show itself, which was interesting, but one thing that the psychologist said on the show. He said that these women had been told they could not do anything. And I don't necessarily agree that all overweight women feel that they can't do things, but that is something that I struggle with: that feeling of helplessness.

I have just done some research on this. Before this, I had never made the connection between learned helplessness and being overweight. But there is a connection! Wow. This is a BIG revelation to me.

And this is very deep stuff. That's what this blog is about: some very deep stuff on losing weight. It obviously might not apply to many people, but it does to my healing and journey to wellness. And I found these articles on this topic:

1. From a site on eating disorders: Learned Hopelessness. This article says that women with eating disorders often feel helpless, and tend to default to "I can't, it's impossible," when things go wrong. And this feeling is connected to overeating.
   
   
2. Another article from the Institute of Psychiatry in London says that a study showed that women with eating disorders had a higher level of "learned helplessness" during childhood. Learned helplessness was the opposite of "childhood mastery."
   
   
3. And this is from another article from the same site on eating disorders. This article about natural eating, from the Cedric Centre for Counselling talks about how this feeling of learned helpless is the number one thing that leads people to disordered eating, whether it's binge eating, or anorexia, or bulimia. All of these disorders have a similar makeup. 

This last article talks about learning these attitudes a child: why bother? what's the use? Why try? I'm going to fail. I won't do it right. These are exactly the feelings that I struggle with, in my life, in many areas. And it is this feeling that leads to binging, and overeating, in many cases. These kind of feelings also lead to excessive stress, because so many situations make us feel that we cannot handle them. Hello! This so much applies to me. This is the root cause! I can't tell you excited I am to realize this. I will post more about this as I learn more, and ask the LORD to apply these truths to my heart and life.

I am going to learn more about this, and I thank God for this revelation. I don't know if anyone can relate to this, or not, but if you can, I'd love to hear from you. This is really hard stuff to talk about but it's real.

Stress Doesn't Work For Me

Stress doesn't work for me!

It just has been confirmed. This just in! Stress does not work for me. I know you are probably saying, "well, yeah, it doesn't work for any of us but what choice do we have? It's just part of life!" (Sorry, my husband hates it when I try to mind-read, too!)

But anyway, sorry for my silliness but seriously, stress does not work for me. I found this out these last two weeks or so when I got extremely stressed about what was happening my life. The stress I was feeling made it very difficult to concentrate on the work I needed to do to lose weight. (tracking, exercise, being aware of what I was eating.)

I have to avoid stress as much as I can if I am going to lose weight. This might sound strange to some people, kind of unrealistic but I know that about myself.

I am also what is called a "highly sensitive person" who takes a lot of the world and processes it more than other people. This is a condition that supposed to affect about 20% of the population and everything I've read about it rings true for me. (If you are interested, you can check out the link for more info.) And the thing is, it doesn't matter if other people recognize this as real or not. I know my self and what works for me.

In the last couple of days, things have settled down and gotten straightened out and this morning, the scale started going down a bit again. What was different? Stress or lack thereof. Yes, I was eating better too. But I felt able to concentrate again. 

Stress is very well-recognized as being a big factor in being big. I have always believed that it was a big factor for me, personally. It works in a couple of ways. First, it makes it hard to concentrate on what's needed. Too much stress also creates excess cortisol in the body which is associated with belly fat. So, it's a double whammy.

So to me, rest is another key component to losing weight. By rest, I mean not being too full of bad stress and feeling okay with life. And actually resting: getting enough sleep.

I am feeling way better today. I have decided to continue working at home and have some good ideas of how to market my writing. It's exciting! And the family stuff? Well, we all talked and got things on the table. It now feels more manageable. I just don't do stress well. And I am learning to accept that.

What about you? Do you find that stress is a factor in your weight? How do you deal with it?

Sharilee

Taking Stock

I just read an article in a Prevention magazine publication about willpower. What it said, in a nutshell, was that our motivation, all of ours, is limited. Therefore, you shouldn't try to cut down on your computer time at the same time that you try to quit smoking. Because there are actual physical reasons that you only have so much willpower on hand. Well, that explains a lot! All of my willpower is going towards my job! And that is not just an excuse; it's actually true!

So, as one blogging friend, said, it is hard to concentrate on exercising and eating right at the same time. I guess it makes sense, then, to focus on one thing at a time, until they become more habits. Makes sense to me! And sounds more hopeful, too!

This week, I did not record my eating and I did not exercise. But ... I am not eating junk food, for the most part. And I was before, a lot. I am not trying to get less stressed than I  used to. I am making healthy food choices, most of the time. And I am eating a lot less than I used to. So, even if I am not accomplishing as much as I would like, I do see that my lifestyle has changed. Definitely. I  am choosing to be positive about that ... instead of beating myself up for not doing more. The "more" will come, in time. I just don't want to regress ... that is the huge thing!!!! In the past, I have always regressed and gained weight. This time, I am going to hold on ... making better eating choices.

My life still has a lot of other stresses ... the job, the marriage ... that I am concentrating on. That still bring me stress ... and just the overall busyness of my life. The way it is hard to have time to go out and just relax. All of these things add up, and make it hard to add anything else. Yet. But I will in time.

And something must be working. I saw a friend I hadn't seen in a few months. She commented several times that I looked like I had lost weight. I really value her opinion. She struggles with weight, too, so she is not condescending about it, but just really encouraging.

So, for this week, I am going to try to continue to make good choices in my eating, without any junk food. I won't promise to exercise, or to track my food this week. But I will promise to do my best not to regress and to watch my eating.

Conservation of Energy

I just finished reading an excellent post of a friend:

http://melissavenableweightloss.blogspot.com/2009/09/it-will-become-my-lifestyle.html.

In this post, a friend of hers gives an explanation for the reason that it is so hard to exercise and eat right at the same time: conservation of energy. Here is the quote:

"Conservation of productivity. It's one of those physics laws that states that the total amount of productivity in a closed system must remain constant.The only solution is to quit your job and reallocate that productivity towards healthy living."

Wow!!! That is such a brilliant explanation!!!! So, we can only be productive in so many ways, and adding things means deleting things! Basically. So, I have deleted TV from my life (my husband and I cut the cable in August to save money), but what else? I went off of another site I used to frequent, Polyvore, to make more time for my priorities. But now I blog and do SparkPeople. 

But are there other things I need to delete? I have to clean the house, shop, do laundry, shop for groceries, cook, do dishes, go to work, work after school marking, preparing lessons, and doing adminstrative duties, keep up with my sister and kids, spend time with my stepkids (part-time), sleep, exercise, try to eat right, Worship and give time to my LORD .... that's just a random list. What can I delete? Plus organize, declutter and try to bring order to my house. Tell me, what do I delete?

Will that be Coffee to Go, Or Coffee Has to Go?

Well, one of my late-night research sessions has certainly paid off. While looking for more information on how to lose belly fat, I came across my interesting, albeit disturbing information.

Apparently, not only do I  have to give up Doritos, donuts, and late-night binge eating, but also coffee? Say what? Coffee is what all the skinny people drink, and eat. Who doesn't have a strung-up looking friend who never eats and drinks continuous cups of java, smoking something, all the while saying she's getting fat? 

Coffee is the drink of the creative types, the artistes ... gaunt, slight scary-looking folk who hang around cheap coffee joints and drink coffee because that's all they can afford. 

How in the world did coffee become something that can make you fat? As my gorgeous husband would say, it makes no sense!

 What is it about coffee, then, that it makes it something I should avoid? Well, coffee increases the stress levels of our bodies, literally, by increasing stimulation. That is why you can't sleep for half the night after having that late-night coffee date!

And that stress on the body can lead to an increase in cortisol, which, we know, may cause exhorbiant amounts of belly fat to be distributed on one's said abdomen.

Here's a link that explains the phenomen, a great webite strictly devoted to losing belly fat! Woohoo! Just what I need!
http://www.loss-bellyfat-stay-slim.com/Caffeine-belly-fat.html

Well, I am going to try to give up coffee, but I  have to say, that's a hard one for me. In a way, it's not that surprising ... something that good can't be all good for you! And somewhere inside, I had a feeling that coffee wasn't good for my weight. But I conveniently avoided that nagging feeling and kept right on enjoying it. Even if I don't cut coffee out 100%, I know I will have to cut back, to ease my conscience, if nothing else.

Timmie's anyone? I am going to try out that new steeped tea!

Is My Job Making Me Fat? Well, Actually, it's the Stress!

Well, I have been saying for years now that my job is making me fat. Sound crazy? Well, bear with me. It is a well-known fact in the fitness/nutrition world that too much stress creates an excess of cortisol, which in turn creates an excess of fat centered around the abdomen. It is true ... my job is making me fat! Well, unfortunately, I can't place the blame entirely on my job.

Other factors come to bear, as well, like overeating, of course, and not enough exercise (sigh!) But I do believe that stress is definitely a factor in my excessive weight gain. 

Teachers are known to have one of the most stressful jobs out there, and I am a teacher. So, what to do? Quit teaching? I have, a couple of time, exactly for the reasons that I have been describing. But I have an education degree, a passion for kids, and even what I believe is a calling on my life to teach. 

It's what I do, and love to do. But it cause me stress, and my body does not handle stress very well at all. My body, by all appearances, seems to go nuts with cortisol when I am stressed.

So, I have been constantly on the lookout for more information about how to stop this pattern. I found an interesting article that talks about the stress-cortisol-body fat connection that I would like to share:

http://www.elite-wellness-coaching.com/cortisol-belly-fat.html

This articles emphasizes the importance of de-stressing in different ways. As a Christan, I should not be so stressed. The Bible says to "fret not," but I do not obey that one. I do fret, a lot. 

And that is why I went back to teaching. I realized that the stress is primarily from my own lack of coping skills with life ... and that I need to overcome this, no matter what my profession. Yes, teaching is stressful, but so is being unemployed, or underemployed, or employed in a career that I despise.

So, I will continue to try to understand the whole process of how my body and mind work. And trying to get healthier, and thinner.