You’re Not Enough

A big struggle many of us face when it comes to our mental health and self-esteem is self worth. Our minds tell us that we’re not smart enough or not pretty enough, and that overall, we don’t fill the glass all the way. The truth about this is… we’re not. We’re not smart enough, which is why we ask God to give us wisdom. And though we may not be the World’s standard of pretty, God thinks we’re all beautiful. Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made us in his image, and Psalm 139:14 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

This crazy idea that there is anything we can so, do, or think to reconcile our souls is a fallacy. God atones for our sins. He wipes away our blemishes. He says we’re beautiful and loved. Romans 3:23 says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You’re not enough. You’re not perfect, and God knows that. When Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for our sins, he fixed everything. He fixed the perfect mess that we all are.

So, the next time you’re thinking that you’re not enough, remember that you’re not, but that’s why you’re under Jesus Christ’s love and grace. 


Links to all the verses in their entirety

Cool Books to Cuddle Up with this Holiday Season

Reading can be relaxing for some people, a way to escape the pressures, stresses, and anxiety of the real world in exchange for another, more simpler one. Books are a great way to do that, so here are some (all of different genres) that make for fun reads!

 

1. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

The History of Love is about an old man who finds a long lost book which connects the old man searching for his son and a girl seeking a cure for her widowed mother’s loneliness.

2. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

“The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English in 1923 by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran. In the book, the prophet Almustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death.”

3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the haunting tale of a man named Victor Frankenstein, who in a passionate scientific frenzy, creates a vengeful monster who is never named.

4. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank is a coming of age story intertwined in the diary of this young girl, who, in the midst of being terrorized by the Nazis, chronicled her time before and during the war, especially her life in the “secret annex.” Frank, though she died a few months before the war was over, had planned to publish her diary. Her wish was fulfilled by her father, Otto Frank, years later.

5. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

If you’re looking for an easy read with a great message, this is the book for you! Inside these pages holds over thirty vignettes that display the lives of the occupants of a Chicano community, centering around a girl named Esperanza. Themes of hope, hopelessness, escape, and more are wrapped in to create a complex but universal message that can inspire all of us!

 

These are just a few of many books that you can use to relax this upcoming holiday break. Don’t let yourself get stressed out and remember to breathe.

Burnout: What is it? Do I have it? How do I recover?

What’s Burnout?

Burnout is exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. Examples of this are feelings of lack of control, work overload, values conflicting, impending stress, etc.; however, a combination of these is also common.  

Am I burned out?

Some signs of burnout are anxiety, anger, depression, increased illness, loss of appetite, insomnia, and chronic fatigue. The three overarching feelings burnout can give you are physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.  

How do I recover?

The main things you need to do to recover are free your mind, relax, and regain your sense of control.

Activities that can get Depression to lighten up.

Major Depressive Disorders hits about 6.7% of the adult population in the US per year. Seeing as how pervasive it is, it’s important for us to have skills and techniques top combat it. I’m going to give you 3!

 

Don’t sleep too often. Staying in bed or taking frequent naps during the day only worsens depression and your ability to cope with it. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time. It’s hard when you start, but routine helps!

Eat well. How one eats affects physical and mental health. Eating a good, consistent 3 meals a day (around the same time each day) will help your brain to create more positive thought patterns.

 

Be kind to yourself.  Try to dispel those negative thoughts and treat yourself!

 

So, enjoy the holidays by creating better habits and setting yourself up for success!

5 Yummy Things to Brighten Your Day or Calm Your Night

1. Put together a Bento Box!

A Bento is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal. Throw all your creative energy into making one of these!

2. Brew a calming cup of tea (or hot coco)!

All you need is a mug and some water! Tea and other warm drinks help to calm anxiety and relive stress.

Free stock photo of food, cold, person, people

3. Bake some cookies!

Here are a few recipes!

Chocolate Chip | Peanut Butter | Sugar Cookies | Snickerdoodles

Baked Cookies on Brown Rack

4. Savor some ice cream!

Chow down on some of your favs.

Ice Cream on Green Plastic Container

5. Have a Sandwich!

Sometimes, simplicity is best.

Wheat Bread Sandwich

Music to Calm Your Anxiety

It’s often hard for even the best of us to remember that God is always in control. No matter what happens at our job, home, or anywhere else, God is here. He’s here, and He’s in control. It brings to mind scripture verses such as Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Even if we mess up, God can fix it!

We also need to remember that God can be our comfort. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all.” God is omnipotent, meaning He is all-powerful. He has the Power to protect us and give us peace no matter the situation.

God can empower us to have peace and overcome. Now, here are some songs to remind us of that when we’re doubting:

Peace Be Still by The Belonging Co. ft. Lauren Daigle

Unfinished by Mandisa

I’ll Find You by Lecrae ft. Tori Kelly

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong UNITED

Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) by Kari Jobe

Thy Will by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family

Overcomer by Mandisa

Let’s be sure to remember our worth in God, and that He can help us overcome!

5 Destressing Activities

Imagine stress is water, and you’re a bucket. As you get more and more stressed, your bucket will fill up. Eventually, your bucket will start to get heavier and hevaier, weighing you down. In order to avoid this, we destress, putting in spouts to let the water out before it gets too full! Here are 10 ways to destress after a particularly stressful time!

1. Listen to Music 

Studies show that music has a unique link to our emotions that will help us to manage stress and relax. Check out our playlist here.

2. Take a Bath or Shower

Warmth stops pain sensors in the nerves and makes muscles relax. You’ll be less tense and get clean. You can even add bath bombs or salts to make it more fun.

3. Spend time with animals

Research shows that playing with animals releases feel good hormones (such as oxytocin) in humans.

4. Write down what you’re worrying about

This can be extremely soothing because it helps you to get off your chest your worries and get organized.

5. Create!

Just pick something you enjoy and start creating. It’ll help you get your mind off things!

Need more ideas? Look here!

67 Fun Activities To Relax and De-Stress by Outofstress.com

How to Deal With Stress: 5 Fun Activities to Help You Unwind by Huffington Post

40 Simple And Brilliant Ways To Relax and De-stress by Lifehack.org

52 Super Easy (& Totally Inexpensive) Ways to De-Stress by Sheknows.com

5 Inspirational Quotes to Brighten Up Your Day!

Selective Focus Photography of Dreamcatchers

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Free stock photo of landscape, landmark, building, wall

“We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.” ― William Arthur Ward

Tilt Photography of Calendar Schedule Number 18

“Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today.” – Will Rogers

Pair Of Red Boxing Gloves

“We May Encounter Many Defeats But We Must Not Be Defeated.” – Maya Angelou

Sunflower during Sunset

“Be kind. Be lighthearted. Fill your life with the energy you wish to attract.” – Nicole Addison

5 Self-Care Tips for the Body & Soul

1. Don’t Over-Think

You don’t need to have the answers to all of life’s riddles. Life is an unfolding, a discovering, an adventure. Sometimes over-thinking it all can get you into trouble. You miss out on the journey you’re actually on when you’re always stuck in your head. Take it all in with grace and grace will lead you in the right direction.

2. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Comparing yourself to others with envy robs you of appreciation for the sacred place your life is in at any given moment. Everyone has had their own long journey and you don’t know what that journey has been like for them ~ how they’ve struggled, what mistakes they’ve made. Use any jealousy you feel as your guide, it’s just showing you what you want in life. Let it lead you to take actions that advance your goals.

3. Eat Green!

Greens, greens and more greens. The more you eat them, the more your tastebuds change and you realize just how delicious food from the earth truly is. The lighter you feel, the better your skin looks, the more energy you have. It’s so easy to slack on healthy eating whenever we’re feeling down or overwhelmed, which only makes us feel worse. Stop and remind yourself to nourish your body, no matter what, and you’ll be able to take empowered steps forward.

4. Don’t Live on Social Media

It’s of course fun to be social. But reading through peoples statuses too often can lead to so many negative feelings, including depression. It’s like watching an advertising campaign for everyone’s life. It’s all shiny and sparkly and well-crafted to present the best, making you feel as though you’re the only one struggling in life. It’s okay to use, but limit it.

5. Watch Less TV

Such a hard habit to break, it’s so tempting to get lost in a Netflix binge. But too much TV robs you of time, creativity and sleep. Goals fly out the window. Motivation gets lost. So does conversation. TV is addictive and it lures you in, try to keep it in moderation.

BONUS: Just Be You

You are perfect. You are invaluable. You are enough.

“We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.” 
― Malcolm X

[Courtesy of Strong Sensitive Souls https://strongsensitivesouls.com/25-self-care-tips-for-the-body-soul/]

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Where Do You Want To Be Mentally?

This is the day that you take control of your mental health. Draw from your support system. Evaluate your current mental state to determine if you are where you want to be. Here are a few questions to get you started.

  1. Who do I talk to when I am feeling low?
  2. How do I get my endorphins up?
  3. How do I identify my triggers to know that I am in need of help?