Category: Health & Wellness

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7 Herbs You Can Grow at Home

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 7 Herbs You Can Grow at Home

There are few pleasures as simple or joyful as being able to pick fresh herbs to use in your cooking. Not only are herb plants useful and delicious; their luscious leaves and fragrances can make a home feel truly alive. Keeping herbs in the home can encourage you to cook more if you’re hesitant, or just raise the quality of your dishes if you’re already a star chef. There’s nothing more satisfying than cooking with herbs that you grew yourself.

Growing herbs can be intimidating for first-time planters who aren’t sure what it takes to keep them alive; here are 7 herbs that are easy to grow in your home and use to season meals all year long.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

1. Rosemary

One of my favorite scents, rosemary is a sweet-flavored perennial that goes great with savory dishes like roasted potatoes or chicken, and can even go in tea and ice cream. Rosemary is a hardy herb that can be grown simply by bringing a cutting from a larger bush inside; it can thrive indoors if you make sure to meet its needs. It generally has roots that are as long as the plant is tall, so make sure to give them deep enough of a pot to live in. Rosemary is also particularly sensitive to overwatering, so keeping them in a pot with drainage, or putting some gravel into the bottom of their pot, will allow them to keep from rotting.

Rosemary loves hot, sunny locations in the summer, so placing it in a South-facing window, which are generally brighter and warmer, will suit them. If you take these steps up front, rosemary can be an extremely durable plant that will provide you with fresh flavor for years.

Rosemary, along with thyme and sage, is easy to propagate from cuttings, so if you’ve got a friend with a rosemary bush outside you can start your own plant for free!

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

2. Mint

Mint is a beautiful, versatile plant that’s easy to take care of and can be used in so many recipes (or simply to garnish your favorite tea or mixed drink). Make sure to place them in an East-facing window that is a bit cooler if possible. Mint prefers to thrive in soil that’s consistently moist, which means that keeping it in a container with drainage is important to avoid standing water.

As with most of these leafy plants, experts recommend pinching leaves off the mint plant as you remove them rather than pulling them; pinching encourages growth in lower, dormant leaf buds and keeps your plant producing viable leaves.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

3. Oregano

In the mint family, oregano is another low-maintenance, fragrant herb that makes a great, fresh addition to pasta, pizza and vegetables. It prefers a bit hotter light, meaning South-facing windows suit it best. Oregano is more sensitive to overwatering than mint, so it only requires watering when its soil is completely dry. Oregano is a short-lived perennial, meaning that it needs to be replaced or reseeded every two years.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

4. Cilantro

Cilantro is a fresh-tasting herb that makes a great addition to salads and tacos. Cilantro prefers to grow in hot, bright places, making South-facing windows ideal for them. Similar to mint, cilantro thrives best in moist, well-drained soil.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

5. Parsley

Parsley might be best known as a garnish but it can be used for so much more; it can provide flavor for a lemon pesto or tabbouleh or add seasoning to a salad or soup. Similar to rosemary, parsley tends to have deeper roots and will need a taller pot to thrive. It needs bright light and good drainage to grow; parsley is used to humid environments and will welcome the occasional misting.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

6. Chives

Most often used to top baked potatoes, fresh-cut chives can add a fresh, zesty flavor to a variety of dishes. Chives will grow best in a sunny, South-facing window and benefit from regular watering and misting. When it’s time to harvest chivies for a meal, snip off leaves with some sharp kitchen scissors; just be sure to leave at least two inches at the base of each leaf so that it can regrow, and don’t cut more than a third of the leaves at one time.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS| 7 Herbs You Can Harvest At Home

7. Basil

Fresh basil can add a world of flavor to many Italian dishes and can even be used to make homemade pesto. Basil craves heat and light, so make sure to keep it near one of your brighter windows in moist soil. This plant is one of the easiest on this list to care for and is even sold in most grocery stores, but as a perennial, its stems will eventually grow woody and die. To keep a fresh supply of basil, you’ll need to replenish the seeds or replace the plant on a yearly basis.

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6 Ways to Add Creativity to Your Everyday Life

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 6 Ways To Be Creative

Many aspects of our lives encourage us to think of ourselves only in terms of our productivity, what we’re able to offer to others, what we have that will make us money or prove ourselves worthy in the eyes of the world. Especially now, when so much of our life is online and many of us are more in charge of our own work schedules, it’s easy to feel like we’re never doing enough, never working as hard as we could, never reaching our maximum for productivity. But we were put on this earth for more than just work. Our worthiness isn’t measured in the number of hours we spend making money. We need to remind ourselves, often, that we are built for more than just being productive.

Every day you experience new things, sift through memories and process emotions. You are a unique mix of thoughts, feelings and desires and you deserve to honor those parts of yourself that make you different from anyone else on the planet. You owe it to yourself to hold a space for expression, to spend time with the sides of you that aren’t for consumption, to simply explore what it means to exist without any expectations or deadlines.

Is there an art or hobby that’s called to you? Something you loved as a child, or have always wanted to pursue as an adult? Make time for it. See how your deeper self reacts when you give it a nurturing space to be heard. Life always feels more meaningful with intentionality, and there’s no goal more worthy than one that honors your passions. Here are ways you can express yourself creatively, even if you have no experience. Creativity should be an aspect of everyone’s life, and I promise that you have creativity within you.

1. Creative writing, poetry or journaling

There are so many ways to express yourself when you sit down with pen and paper. You can create a new world and fill it with characters you love. You can write down memories from your childhood or your thoughts about the future, explore what they mean to you or how they’ve shaped the person you are today. If your thoughts feel scattered or difficult to express, even getting them down in loose prose or a short poem can help unlock new outlets for your thoughts and experiences.

2. Dancing

Dance can be such a powerful, intuitive outlet for feelings you can’t even put into words. Whether you’re a trained dancer or totally new to it, dance has the ability to put physicality into your creation, using your whole body to express yourself. You can access this creativity simply by putting on your favorite playlist and finding a groove. Dancing has always been one of my personal favorite forms of expression, of course, and the rising popularity of TikTok dance challenges shows that people from all walks of life love to dance and that you don’t need classical training to enjoy dancing. As a bonus, dancing is also one of the most enjoyable forms of exercise and can keep you healthy and produce endorphins that make you happier.

If you’re new to dance, try playing a variety of tempos and styles of music, and just let your body move. If you’re shy, close your eyes and turn out the lights and just feel the rhythm. Remember, in creative movement you can do no wrong. Everything is perfect because it’s all about you.

3. Painting or Drawing

Artists leave a lot of perspective in the things they choose to capture and the way they choose to do it. Drawing or painting scenes from your everyday life, people or places that are important to you, self portraits or even small sketches of ideas that amuse you can help you explore what’s important to you.

Watercolors are a fun way to start learning to paint because they’re so forgiving— don’t be afraid to make mistakes! I like to start with a dot in the middle of the page and move outward from there. Often, I’ll play some music to help me find a flow. Sometimes I keep what I create and sometimes the end result doesn’t look like much. Either way, I’ve released some deeper emotions that were trapped and by looking at the art I created, I can sometimes better understand the feelings that I was experiencing under the surface.

4. Collaging

If drawing and writing don’t appeal to you, collage is a great way to express yourself visually by rearranging media you already have. Combining words and pictures you find important or interesting in a new way can be a pressure-free, stress relieving way to create something new. The experience of playing with the way we see things can be rewarding and can even spark entirely new thoughts.

If you enjoy more direction or affirmation, you can use collage to create a vision board of clippings that call to you, putting some intention towards the energy you’d like to call into your life.

5. Learning a musical instrument

If you’ve always had a love for music, it can be so empowering to learn how to play a musical instrument. With a bit of practice you can start interacting with your favorite songs in a whole new way, or even start writing music of your own. If you’re a lifelong music lover like I am, sometimes there’s no greater joy than being able to recreate a song you’ve always loved all on your own.

6. Photography

If you don’t feel drawn to drawing or painting, photography is another way to show off your unique eye. Whether you want to invest in a digital camera, experiment with a disposable one, or just use your phone, the world is full of interesting people and places to document. You can start a new album or scrapbook of loved ones, favorite places or special moments, or create a photoblog online to share your work with others. Photography can be such a powerful tool for exploring the way the world looks through your eyes, and it’s one of the best ways to hold onto the memories that shape and define us.

Today, try to make some time to create something that’s just for you. Whether that looks like spending a whole weekend on a project that’s important to you or just finding five minutes to journal or draw before bed, investing in creativity will always be rewarding.

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8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Whether it’s due to nutritional goals, environmental factors or simply wanting to expand our tastes, more and more of us are trying to incorporate more plant-based proteins into our meals. Plant-based proteins can be a healthy replacement for meat in many meals; research has shown that plant-based diets can reduce the risk of heart disease and can radically increase our intake of the nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants we need to live longer and healthier. If you’ve been following vegan or vegetarian diet then you probably know that getting enough protein is essential for a sustainable diet, but you might not know all the different choices you have for including protein in your diet.

You might already have a few favorite plant-based proteins, but expanding your knowledge of what’s available can help you plan a bigger variety of meals and even find new fun ways to get the protein you need.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Tofu

One of the most well-known of plant-based proteins, tofu is made from pressing soy beans into curds in a process similar to making cheese. It’s known for its soft, white, and rubbery appearance and texture and is a traditional meat substitute in many vegetarian Asian dishes. Tofu can also be used as a substitute for eggs in a breakfast scramble, a light protein supplement in smoothies or a silky vegan base for creamy desserts like pies and pastries.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Soy Protein

In addition to being pressed into tofu, soybeans can also be turned into protein on their own, making a firmer base with a texture similar to chicken. Soy is main ingredient in many plant-based protein products available in grocery stores from companies like Gardein, Beyond, Dr. Praeger’s, and Morningstar Farms.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Tempeh

Tempeh is produced by cooking and fermenting mature soybeans before pressing them together. Tempeh is a bit nuttier than other soy-based proteins and tends to have more of a crumbly consistency because it’s composed of pressed beans. It can add a bit of variety to a stir fry, be prepared in potstickers, serve as a bacon substitute or even be pressed into chips.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Seitan

Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan) is a protein made from wheat. It tends to come in strips that are a bit tougher and more textured than tofu’s soft composition. Seitan is the base of many Tofurky products as well as imitation bacon, and its savory taste pairs well with barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and Worcester sauce. Seitan can be a great meal staple cooked in its usual strip form but it also makes a great substitute for sausages, pepperoni, or anything smoked or barbecued.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Black Beans

Black beans have always been a great source of protein and make a healthy addition to any plant-based diet. Black beans are used as the base for many vegan burgers, especially ones that avoid using soy. Black beans can be prepared on their own with some seasoning, served on top of nachos, added to rice, or used in a Southwestern salad to add a bit more substance.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient whole grain rich in protein, dietary fiber, and all nine amino acids. Its flavor is neutral enough to serve as a rice substitute, and it can adapt to flavors well enough to be used in a variety of recipes for soups, salads, and even muffins.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Pea Protein

Pea protein is made from split yellow peas. Its texture is very fine, similar to yeast or flour, and it can be added to a lot of baked goods to make them more balanced and healthy. There are dozens of recipes online for smoothies, cookies, brownies and even overnight oats that use pea protein.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Plant-Based Proteins To Amplify Your Diet

Lentils

Rich in minerals, protein and fiber, lentils are in the legume family (along with beans) and are a dense, hearty protein. Lentils are a great supplement to many soups and are also dense enough to turn into fritters or veggie patties.

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4 Ways To Escape When You Can’t Go Anywhere

There are days when all of us need an escape. When life feels like you can’t bear it as it is one minute longer. When you feel like you’ve hit a wall and can’t move forward in any recognizable way. When you’ve fallen so far behind that you just want a do-over, but know it’s not possible. Lately, more of us have been feeling this way as our way of life continues to be shaped by this crisis. We just want to run far away from this pandemic, to a world where no one has heard of COVID-19, where the freedoms we once enjoyed are ours for the taking again.  

Unfortunately, there is nowhere we can run from COVID-19 and that inescapability is part of what makes this chapter in our history feel so challenging emotionally and mentally. It feels like there is no escape.


But we do have a way to escape a heavy moment at any time.  And this would qualify, to me at least, as a heavy moment.  


As humans, we have the most incredible superpower within our grasp at all times.  We have the power of shifting our mindset. We have this thing called a brain and it allows us to receive what the world is throwing at us in any way we choose.  Sure, some of you may be shaking your head at the thought of positive thinking when you can’t pay your rent and don’t know if you will have a job to go back to at the end of all of this. I don’t blame you; these problems are real and valid and as much as I would like to fix them for you, I’m unable to. What I can do is suggest that we are able to shift the way we are experiencing this challenging time.  The way we think about a moment shapes the way we experience it.  I know this is true as someone who has lived through various forms of trauma. As a result of my traumatic experiences, my mind has tended to overreact at certain moments in my life, similarly to the way people who have PTSD are triggered but at a much smaller scale. This tendency towards overreaction in the past has drained my energy and maybe even caused some of my illnesses.  


As I have gone through my own healing journey, I have learned to allow my mind and body to react to things in a more appropriate way, lowering my “fight or flight” response (Dr. John Amaral‘s work on the subject has been a great resource for me, and he has been helping me on my healing journey). I have learned to calm my mind so that I can choose how I react and respond to the situations that arise in front of me or around me.  And when I can choose how I respond to what’s happening, I am able to be at peace even in troubling times. Right now that is a good thing.  It provides me with a mental and emotional escape when a physical escape is impossible.  

Here are a few ways I help myself to escape the overwhelm that surrounds me:

Meditation

 Every day after lunch, I carve out a 25-minute period to listen to my favorite mediation app. Currently, I use Synctuition which has incredible guided meditations with brilliant production value that take you away like a Calgon Bath (“Take me away”… only those my age will get the reference). I put on my headphones, drink a glass of lemon water and lay down, sometimes on my front porch, sometimes in my bed, sometimes on the sofa, and sometimes right on the cool bathroom floor after a mid-day shower. I just close my eyes, take one deep breath and allow someone else to steer the ship for a while, flowing and following their words into a peaceful world where I don’t have to stay at home to keep myself and others safe. This has become an important part of my new normal.  Sometimes I fall asleep.  Sometimes I am fully engaged, enmeshed in this other world that my mind has created.  Sometimes, I have to stop after 10 minutes. But even then, I feel like I had a break from the current reality and I come away refreshed.

Journaling

Some days I decide to get my journal and find a quiet corner (which is my whole home since I am sheltering at home on my own). I set a timer for 10 minutes and I just start writing about a world that is not real. Lately, I’ve been writing about this character who is similar to me but has superpowers. This creative outlet allows my mind to escape this world that often feels like an endless cycle of eating, doing dishes, taking out the trash, and doing laundry over and over again.  Usually, I feel reenergized after doing this. The world I write about is sometimes bright and beautiful but it can also be dark and dreary and magical.  No matter what form it takes on a given day, spending a little time in this world allows me to come back to reality with a different energy.

Listening To Music

I love music and it’s always been one of my go-to’s for escape. Music has a way of taking us away, transporting us to another time and place.  It’s the tempo, the texture of the sounds, and the story it tells us. Sometimes, we can get caught up in a nostalgic moment when a certain song comes on. When I need a moment away, I start a playlist that I know will make me happy or really sad, and I just go there.  I play it and I allow those emotions to flood my soul.  This is a good form of escape as well because it helps us to release any pent up emotions. When we are done and take off the earbuds, we are ready to face what we have to in real life again.

Giving Your Mind Permission To Drift

My final suggestion for an escape is something I do all the time.  I like to let my mind wander. I do it a lot. I just sit at my kitchen table or on my sofa, or out in my backyard (usually with an animal by my side), and I just look at the sky, the trees and any passing wildlife, like a bird or a squirrel.  I just let my mind go.  I don’t try to think about anything. I just watch, and observe the leaves and they subtly shift with the wind.  I notice the different colors of blue and grey in the sky.  I ponder what it feels like to fly like those birds do. I really feel the warmth of the sun on my face. I try to absorb the moment through my senses and let my mind take it in without needing me to figure anything out.  I give my mind a break from all its thinking. I let it just be with me instead of having to keep me safe or figure out what’s next or make a list of things I still need to do. We just sit outside or in the kitchen and stay present in the moment.  I listen to the sounds around me, feel the wind as it slightly picks up against my face, I try to hear the birds from the next yard over… and usually I find myself smiling, feeling grateful for all that is.

These are some of the ways I escape without leaving my home. They don’t cost anything to do, and they will allow you to leave your worries behind for a few moments a day – a gift that is something I treasure in these COVID times.  


Stay safe everyone, and stay in your compassionate heart… 

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7 Books and Journals To Become A More Mindful Person

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 7 7 Books and Journals To Become A More Mindful Person

Mindfulness is a powerful tool for moving through life with awareness and perspective, but it can be hard sometimes to know exactly what it means to practice mindfulness. At times it can feel like an abstract buzzword, hard to connect to or put into motion. The truth is that mindfulness can help us more meaningfully experience the present and develop a more solid understanding of our own thoughts, and this process can be easier to begin with some guidance and direction. Here are seven books and journals that can help us understand and interact with mindfulness in different ways, helping us to cultivate our ability to stay thoughtful about our present.

Practice You: A Journal by Elena Brower

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A more amorphous, left-brained journal, Practice You‘s watercolor style and gentle, open-ended prompts may help draw some new reflections if you’ve felt blocked or stalled.

The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day by Andy Puddicombe

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A down-to-earth, casual conversation about mindfulness from someone who’s gone through Buddhist monk training more than once, helping you find a new on-ramp for meditation through humor and approachability.

Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress, More Peace by Patricia Collard

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An easy, approachable guide to increasing mindfulness (and its natural products like gratitude and joy) a little each day by paying more attention to our everyday motions.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

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A deeper read, Wherever You Go, There You Are walks readers through the process of “waking up” to ourselves in order to live more fully in the present moment.

The Mindfulness Journal: Daily Practices, Writing Prompts, and Reflections for Living in the Present Moment by Barrie Davenport

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This journal emphasizes non-judgmental observation, encouraging us to put aside our conceptions about how we should be thinking, feeling or acting and allowing us to simply pay quiet attention to the truth underneath.

Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday by Matthew Sockolov

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Full of exercises to establish mindfulness as a practice, this book has something different to offer you each time you return to it. Each meditation is easy to understand and states the amount of time it takes, making it easy to find the meditation that suits you best in the moment.

I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal Paperback by The Mindfulness Project

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A more deconstructed journal, I Am Here Now encourages looseness, playfulness and creativity as it asks us to consider what mindfulness means to us.

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5 Houseplants With Special Benefits

There are few ways to inject life into a home that are as effective or satisfying as adding live plants. Keeping houseplants in the home isn’t just a good hobby or a way to devote attention towards tending to a living being, although those are both great benefits. Houseplants exude all the forces of life, growth and nature that we glean from the outdoors, brightening our day and refreshing our surroundings. It does the body so much good to be surrounded by green life even while indoors.

In addition to the natural benefits that come from adding more life to your home, many plants also have special abilities to lend to us and our indoor spaces. Here are five houseplants that will not only provide you with a refreshed and peaceful space but will cleanse your air, provide you with sweet aromas or bring you positive energy as well. The living world has so many gifts to offer us, if we take the time to invite them into our lives.

Sansevieria

Also known as a snake plant, the popularity of the sansevieria has exploded over the past few years. Snake plants are hardy and resilient, thriving on low water and even dim light. They are also great oxygen providers, and many sources recommend keeping a snake plant in the room where you sleep to give you access to better air quality.

Pothos

Pothos plants are easy to care for and radiate light with their bright green leaves. They’re also great at filling space; a pothos plant hung from the ceiling can fill a corner with its leafy vines, creating just as much lush green as an expensive tall plant at a cheaper price.

Rosemary

Every home should have access to fresh-grown herbs, and rosemary plants are an easy place to start. Rosemary is hardy and will fill your porch or kitchen with a beautiful fragrance without needing much maintenance. The biggest risks with rosemary plants are overwatering and crowded roots; experts recommend keeping rosemary in a planter that’s as deep as the plant is tall so the roots have room to grow, and keeping it in a pot that has drainage.

Money Tree

Aside from the soothing patterns these plants are often woven into, money trees have a great symbolic value. They’re seen as an icon of prosperity, good luck and fortune and are believed to bring good things. In feng shui, money trees are known for creating positive energy wherever they’re placed. They’re also easy to care for, not having many light or water requirements.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera plants have been kept around for their medicinal benefits for thousands of years; they were first used by Ancient Chinese and Egyptians to treat burns. Having a living aloe plant in your home can bring the same benefits we’ve relied on for thousands of years to your home. Aside from its beautiful coloring and hardy nature, aloe leaves can be used to soothe skin, particularly after a burn.

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3 Ways To Avoid Burnout While Remaining Socially Conscious

We are at an unprecedented crossroads in America. After months of seeing our way of life, health, and economy altered by the COVID-19 outbreak, the eyes of the nation now turn to the fight for racial equality, justice and peace. There’s a lot to be thankful for in this time: our ability to organize with each other, see the need for help and fill it no matter where we live, the hope that this could be the potential start of lasting change for good in this country.

But living through such a high-stakes, heartbreaking time for social justice in this country can have its costs. Without intentionality and attentiveness, it can be easy to become burnt out by all the information we’re receiving and all of the work that is before us. Whether you’re out marching or looking for ways to help out from home, it’s important to equip yourself against fatigue, exhaustion and apathy. Here are a few ways to take care of yourself and ensure you can continue helping out wherever you’re needed the most.

Give Your Attention Where It’s Helpful

Staying aware of what’s going on is important, but remaining glued to devices every waking minute won’t help us be more effective and it can drown us in information and emotion. Remember to give yourself some time away from social media to reflect on what you’ve seen and experienced and how you want to respond to it.

Remember That Levity is Okay

If you need a moment to disengage, to watch something silly, read a book or take a nap, it’s not a failure. Our bodies and our minds need rest from time to time and there’s no shame in taking that time to ensure you don’t collapse entirely. Retaining a base level of energy is important for the long term.

Focus on the Good That’s in Front of You

When we look at all that’s wrong in the world, we might feel too overwhelmed to know where to start. Social media is a blessing and a curse: visibility is a huge strength for social justice, but it can become hard to decide where to put our attention. It always becomes easier when you have a concrete list, plan, or place you want to start. Whether it’s making a list of places to donate this week, deciding to sign a certain number of petitions today, or finding a place you want to volunteer your time, giving yourself a plan of action is always useful. If you’re looking for ways to help in the fight for racial justice, we have a few places to start here.

Overall, activism isn’t a one-time event. Not everything will be accomplished today. What’s important is having the planning, dedication, and grace for yourself and others to weather the storm and lend your help in the days, weeks and years to come.

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9 Journal Prompts For Personal Reflection

Journaling regularly can be a hard practice to get into, even if you’ve journaled in the past and know you enjoy it. It can be daunting to get started, to know where to begin, especially when we are processing so many daily changes and stressors. It can be easy to let journalling fall by the wayside even with the best intentions; we can become too bogged down in our daily list of tasks, or subconsciously believe we have nothing to write about. If it’s been a while since you’ve journaled, maybe you’re hesitant at the concept of trying to get caught up.

It can be freeing to reevaluate the way we look at journaling; to realize we don’t have to serve any particular agenda. There are no rules about what you’re allowed to write about or how you’re supposed to write it; journaling doesn’t have to be chronological or linear, it doesn’t have to have a certain amount of depth or gravity to be important. Even if you’re just writing about your favorite meal, or a day trip you’ve been thinking about, or a song that’s been on your mind; journaling is there to meet you wherever your subconscious leads.

Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-care: it forces us to be fully present with ourselves, gives us a direct outlet to listen to our deeper conscious, and forces everything else to wait for a moment while we focus on what we need. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, give yourself a chance to attend to some of the thoughts that usually move through your mind unnoticed. Sometimes all we need to help get us started is a small push, a bit of direction, a single question.

If you want to start journaling about yourself, your personal growth and experiences, here are a few questions to help get you started:

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself in the past year?

If you could have a conversation with yourself from 10 years ago, what would you tell them? What do you think they’d be proudest of you for?

Which quality of yours is the most important to you?

What’s one way you think you’re similar to yourself as a child and what’s one way you’ve changed?

What do you think your greatest weakness is? How has your approach towards managing it changed over time?

What are three words you would use to describe yourself? What are three words your favorite person in the world would use to describe you? How similar or different are these two sets of words, and why do you think that is?

What’s one thing about yourself that you wish other people would more easily recognize?

What’s the greatest lesson a role model taught you when you were young?

What’s one way you’ve grown or changed that surprises you?

Journaling is such a vital way for us to understand ourselves, our needs and perspectives on a clearer level. Take the opportunity today to spend a bit more time getting to know yourself today; self awareness always makes our journey easier.

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A Moment For Kindness

Over the past few months, many of us have been pushed to our limits. We’ve been faced with worries, stress, and questions about the looming future on a daily basis, and that doesn’t come without a cost. Many of us have been living in an extended survival mode; to help serve us better in difficult times, our minds and bodies come up with coping mechanisms to help protect us. When we feel threatened, we tend to let go of anything that feels unessential. The more stressed we are, the more things we let go, and empathy for others tends to be one of the first things to fall. It makes sense that we can’t always consider everyone else when we’re worried about our own safety, but as we start to realize that this will be an extended state, we have to make adjustments to our perspectives. The world will continue to be scary and stressful, at least for a little while, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to learn how to make the most of the world as it is.

Empathy, patience and compassion may not be the easiest traits to harness right now, but it’s important for us to start building a space for them in our daily lives. I believe that generosity begets generosity, patience begets patience, and kindness begets kindness. If we start inviting these energies into our lives, they can provide us with so much relief. This has been a trying time for all of us. Every one of us is dealing with some level of change, loss, and difficulty; how we treat each other right now can make all the difference in the world.

Being stuck in a long grocery line, experiencing slow service times, or having to work under the pressure of a pandemic can rob us of our capacity for grace and kindness but we have to remember that this will not be our forever. Eventually we will be able to look back and see either a time of high tensions and negative emotions, or one of warmth and community.

Kindness is more than simply a personality trait; more often than not it is a practice, a choice we have to make over and over again. Devoting intentionality towards kindness doesn’t just benefit our neighbors, it benefits us as well. Sometimes we underestimate the power of altruism, how good we feel when we know we’ve made someone else’s day better instead of worse. Challenging ourselves on our preconceptions, showing ourselves we have so much to gain from a little extra effort, can be a great goal to work towards during quarantine. After all, when you start holding more empathy for others, you start holding more empathy for yourself as well. Usually when we are directing negativity outward it’s because there’s negativity within. Many of us may feel disappointed in ourselves right now. We might feel like we aren’t getting as much done as we should, or as much as others seem to be doing— that lack of kindness to ourselves impacts everything we touch. Taking the time every day to acknowledge that we are all doing their best can be the first step toward a healthier relationship with ourselves and each other.

Empathy truly is a superpower. It can allow us to strengthen every connection in our lives and expand our perspective beyond our own experience. It can help us to slow down and turn our focus towards building others up instead of tearing them down. Practicing empathy for each other during a stressful time like the one we find ourselves in may not always be easy, but it’s one of the best things we can do to start creating the world we want to live in.

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8 Crystals That Can Help To Balance Your Spaces

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | 8 Crystals That Can Help To Balance Your Spaces

For as long as we’ve been human, we’ve sought out the sacred in nature. Something about crystals, rocks and precious stones has always called to us, whether through their appearance, the vibrations they emit, or something deeper. We are from the earth; it makes sense that keeping pieces of it would bring us comfort and strength.

Connecting with crystals is a deeply personal practice. Anybody who has worked with or collected crystals will tell you that the most important factor when considering a new crystal is your own response to it. You can select crystals for the properties you want to harness, of course, but it’s always just as important that you connect with and feel called to an individual crystal. This connection is what will create the energy in yourself and in your space; a crystal is only as strong as the effect it has on you personally.

Many crystal sellers will encourage you to interact with a crystal physically to learn more about it and see if it’s right for you. However, when this isn’t possible, looking crystals that are offered from different stores online and seeing which ones you spend the most time focusing on can be just as good of a test. We know that crystals are special to the person who owns them, but we also know that different types of crystal can produce and hone different energies and qualities. Here are a few of the most common kinds of crystal and their meanings, so that you can start to cultivate the energy you desire in your spaces.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | Agate Crystal

Agate

Agates can come in a variety of colors and shapes but all of them are useful for providing stability. Agates can heal a lot of internal imbalances like anger and low self-worth, and help to grow strength within. Over time agate can help with confidence and positivity, granting you extra reserves of strength and power.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | Amethyst Crystal

Amethyst

Amethyst is ideal for bringing peace and relaxation, producing feelings of contentment and diffusing tension. It works to undo stress and negativity while quietly giving us a boost in strength and protection. Amethyst can also be a great tool for manifestation, helping us bring our dreams to life when we allow ourselves to focus on them.

CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS | Black Tourmaline Crystal

Black Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a powerful protector, great at expelling negative energy from our spaces and minds. I use black tourmaline all the time because of its ability to act like a shield, protecting me from negativity and harm.

Crystal Quartz

Crystal quartz is unique for its ability to connect— both to us and to other crystals. It links to all of our chakras, bringing us closer to inner harmony. It can clarify our intentions, cleanse our emotions and purify our energy. Crystal quartz can also magnify the vibrations of the crystals around it, helping them to become more effective as well.

Moonstone

Like the moon, this stone has a healing feminine energy. Moonstone is good for stabilizing, softening, and can even quell strong egos, ultimately working to help you obtain balance with yourself and others.

Rose Quartz

Pink in color, rose quartz crystal has a close association with the heart chakra and is great for harnessing loving energy for ourselves, each other, and the world at large. Rose quartz can open our hearts up to extend our love outward, or help gather love to ourselves when we need it most. This influx of love can help to clear out small frustrations and petty grievances, freeing us of negativity.

Selenite

Selenite has a high, pure vibrational energy that can fill spaces with brightness and light. This crystal is the essence of cleansing and purity, washing out staleness, negativity and blockages. Selenite can help us connect to a higher level of consciousness, making us feel elevated and enlightened.

Turquoise

Turquoise’s blue coloring gives it a connection to the throat chakra, responsible for communication. Because of this, turquoise can encourage openness and honesty, even within our own minds. It’s also a strong advocate for health, working to keep your own wellness at the front of your mind.

If you’re interested in learning more about crystals, Energy Muse has a great index of hundreds of crystals and their meanings, as well as a crystal test to see where your intuition guides you and what it means.

If you want to add one of these crystals to your home, you can find our guide to shopping crystals online here.