Fantastic Fridays (Life's Tiny Delights)

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Summer is by far my favorite season. I long deeply for it all year, and my excitement grows throughout the spring. I think there's a beautiful magic and peacefulness to the summer: beautiful sunsets, the sun beating down and giving life to the world, the beautiful heat that hugs as we go about our days, fresh produce, swimming, vacations, long walks, traveling, and sitting outside with friends sipping drinks. Sounds wonderful, right. My tiny delights post is dedicated to my love of summer. Here are a few of my favorite tiny delights of summer:

Enjoying Nature

Rain

Sunshine

The Beach

Sunsets

Fireflies

And I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures:

Beautiful flowers in front of the Parthenon

Flowers and river

Sunset

Sunset and palm trees

The beach!

Garden

Beautiful Flowers

With moments like the ones above, how could I not love summer?

And of course, here are some search terms:

• Karolina Musngs (hmm...wonder what musngs are? :D )
• Changing Cognitive Distortions
• Coping Skills
• Greek Yogurt in Greece (one of my favorite parts of the summer!)
• How to: Beginner Counselor

Now it's your turn:

What are some of your favorite things about summer?

Fantastic Fridays (Life's Tiny Delights)

Happy Friday! Because I was at the beach last Friday, my post was just a little different, and you can read it here.

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven."

-John Lubbock

I got to see this beautiful sunset every single night while at the beach! Beautiful and breathtaking! I was definitely not experiencing any Nature Deficit Disorder this week! The sunset was actually a really great time to develop the practice of mindfulness, as the entire "sunset time" lasted for about an hour or so. In that hour, I tried to think of nothing that was going on except the very present moment I was living in, and it was really pretty easy to do. I feel like the sunset sort of envelops you into it, which makes it easier to focus only on that. It was beautiful... 

And of course, here are some search terms for the week:

• mediterranean pizza recipe (this gets at least a couple hits a week now)
• Can you wear contacts while flying (this has gotten at least one hit a week since I posted it...I definitely never expected the post to bring in much traffic after I hit "publish post")
• Challenging Cognitive Distortions
• Greek Yogurt Found in Greece (This is one of my favorite "fun" posts!)
• Therapist Burnout and Boundaries (VERY important!)
• Shoved on a plane (my post from yesterday!)
• loveinvest 2011 (not sure what this is about...)
• What Your Counselor Is Thinking

Ok, so no funny search terms for the week- except maybe the last one made me smile a bit. I actually haven't done a post called "What your counselor is thinking" but now I'm starting to think it would be interesting to write a post on that! What do you think?

Here's what I'd like to know:

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Where have you seen your favorite sunset?

Have you ever wondered what your counselor is thinking?

Fantastic Fridays (Life's Tiny Delights)

“I have always loved the beach. The smell of the salty water, the wind in my face, the gentle roar of the waves all combine to create a sense of peace and calm.”

--Anonymous

Hello from the beach! This week I've been blogging to you from the beach, which is why my posts have been a bit scarce. I'm taking my own advice and getting some time out in nature, and getting some good self-care. Needless to say, the beach, sand, waves, palm trees, and pool have been my tiny (...actually it's been pretty big) delight of the week. Developing mindfulness meant for me that I was trying to engage all my senses in the experiences, whether I was sitting in a chair, walking on the beach, standing in the surf, or  feeling the sun pound down on my shoulders. It's been fantastic! 

Since I'm writing this post a bit early to free up my schedule, I can't actually give funny search terms for the week, so I'm going to leave it at that!

What I'd like to know:

What's your favorite beach to go to, and what's your favorite thing about a beach vacation?

Thankfulness Project Monday

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  

~William Arthur Ward

What a great quote, don't you think? This is partly what this Thankfulness Project is about- expressing gratitude for the things I've been blessed by in my life. Of course the other part is that there have been proven benefits to this practice both physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

Here are a few of the things I'm thankful for right now:

• The Outdoors: Seriously- check out the picture on the link...isn't it BEAUTIFUL? I don't think I can tire of the beautiful aspects of nature. And, once you start looking for it, there are a lot more beautiful things then you originally realize. Why not spend time looking for something beautiful in nature that you hadn't noticed before?
• Fun TV Shows: I have the TV on a lot as I cook dinner, do dishes, complete tasks for work, or blog, and because of that, I'm always looking for TV shows to have on in the background. I love looking at these characters (either scripted shows or "reality") through the view of psychology and counseling! Plus, a little laughter in life is always healthy!
• Lightning Bugs: I think these little guys are so beautiful, and I'm so happy they are now out for the summer! Don't you think they make a summer evening even more beautiful and peaceful?
• Blogs: I'm thankful for the hours of time you each put into your blogs. Thank you for sharing your own pieces of advice and wisdom, and welcoming us into a piece of your life. I find myself motivated towards a healthier life just by reading each of your blogs! The blogging community is wonderful, don't you agree?
• Spinning: You can read my recap of my first spin class by clicking on the word "spinning". While I haven't been on a bike in a decade, i've recently started going to a spinning (cycling? does the term matter?) class on a regular basis. It's fantastic, and a great start to my morning!

Now it's your turn:

What are you thankful for today?

Is there a difference between a "spinning" class or a "cycling" class?

Nature Deficit Disorder & The Beauty of Outdoors

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." 

~John Muir

I got to spend my Wednesday night out in this! Absolutely beautiful:)

It is agreed upon that contact with nature increases mental health and holds many psychological benefits. Nature is SO healthy to be in, yet in our culture today, we often spend very little time in it. We get up, get ready & go to work or school, participate in other activities, clean, do homework, pay bills, go to bed, and do it again tomorrow. There are days I get so busy that I forget to even look at the scenery as I drive past it! This certainly isn't healthy!

When I was growing up I was expected to spend most of my summers outside playing, making up games, and being creative. I loved it, and still look back at those summers as some of the best times of my life! Not only is nature psychologically healthy and can lead to a decrease in stress, but it allows children to engage in imaginary play, and helps them to develop creativity. Computer and video games, and watching TV, don't lead to these things. I fear that many children today are lacking this.

Within the last few years, the psychological community has started to recognize the extreme importance of spending time outside. Besides what I've already mentioned (stress relief & creativity/imaginary play development), it creates a situation where physical activity will likely happen. Walking, running, biking, hiking, playing sports, and swimming can all occur outside. Being outside in nature helps us to slow our thoughts, and live life in the present moment. This is where the development of mindfulness comes into play!

Go outside sometime in the next week! Sit outside and read a book, lay out in the sun (use sunscreen!) and take some deep breaths, play a game with your kids, or talk a long walk with your significant other. Notice what changes when you step outside, and enjoy the physical, mental, and psychological benefits of it!

Here are a few resources on "Nature Deficit Disorder"
Video on The Movement to Overcome Nature Deficit Disorder
Article: No More Nature Deficit Disorder

What I'd like to know:
What was your favorite activity to do outside when you were a kid? Do you struggle to spend time outdoors now, or do you take the time to enjoy nature?


**Confession: This is a repeat post from something I posted at the very beginning of this blog (in Dec 2010). Due to it being a different season (and the fact that I'm sure none of you were reading back then), I'm posting it again with a few things added into it!

Life's Tiny Delights: Enjoying Nature

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.  ~Author unknown, commonly attributed to Martin Luther

From time to time I like to focus on some of life's tiny delights. You can read my latest posts on this here and here. Because it's Spring, and I've been spending a lot of time outdoors, much of what I've seen include the signs of warmer weather- green grass, birds, and beautiful flowers. I could take picture after picture of flowers, but I try to limit myself. Remember that with life's tiny delights, it's about being mindful of all the little joys we have in life, not just the big events? Doing this will allow us to enjoy the moment to moment life that we've been given, and to be much healthier overall. So, that being said, here is my favorite little delight at the moment. Enjoy!

What are your tiny delights right now? How do you try to be mindfully aware of nature around you?

Nature Deficit Disorder & The Beauty of Outdoors

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is
     to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone
     with the heavens, nature and God.

Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and
     that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple
     beauty of nature.  I firmly believe that nature brings solace
     in all troubles.                                                                                   - Anne Frank 

It is agreed upon that contact with nature increases mental health and psychological benefits. Nature is SO healthy to be in, yet in our culture today, we often spend very little time in it. We get up, get ready and go to work or school, participate in other activities, clean, do homework, pay bills, go to bed, and do it again. There are days I get so busy that I can forget to even look at the scenery as I drive past it. This isn't healthy. When I was growing up I was expected to spend most of my summers outside playing, making up games, and being creative. Not only is nature psychologically health and can lead to a decrease in stress, but it allows children to engage in imaginary play, and helps them to develop creativity. Now days, children are lacking this.

The psychological community is now beginning to recognize the extreme importance of spending time outside. here's a link to a youtube clip we watched in class the other day. It sheds some good insight onto this issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972SgOmbUnM

Here's another link to an article. Go educate yourself:) http://bit.ly/hOphot

Please, go outside sometime during the next week. Breathe in the cool winter air, enjoy the wind in the trees, the forest, beaches, lakes...wherever you live. Go out and enjoy it! Look at the Christmas lights:) And enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of it.

Here's some of the beauty I've seen as I've tried to intentionally focus on what's around me:

 Outside the building I work at

 View from my balcony each morning

 Sunset on my drive home from work

Not quite outside. But it was a Christmas Tree, so it sort of counts!