During the Pandemic, I’ve seen an increase in emails from sites I have subscribed to offering all manner of ways to get through this period of #ISO. I have to admit that lately I’ve been clicking DELETE rather than reading most of them as I haven’t had the headspace to be bothered.
Recently, however, I received an email from Dr Catherine Hansen as part of her Empowered Women’s Circle which caught my attention long enough to stop me pressing DELETE. A couple of years ago, Catherine wrote a guest series for me with several articles on the topic of Menopause and I have maintained contact with her through her regular Newsletters.
This week her newsletter opened with the question:
What did you do this morning Sue?
If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know that I believe in morning and evening rituals to set us up and close down our day. When I saw Catherine’s question I was interested to keep reading to see if there were any gems I could find to improve my morning ritual, and in the process, my day.
RECLAIM your life
Catherine has produced a very informative and useful blueprint based around the anacronym R.E.C.L.A.I.M. You can find the link to the BLUEPRINT HERE and it was the title that grabbed my attention: RECLAIM your life: A Doctor’s guide to health and vitality for the awakening woman.
I invite you to visit Empowered Women’s Circle for ways to live your best life, however, I’ve summarised R.E.C.L.A.I.M., below to give you an idea of what the blueprint contains. It is about being BOLD and dreaming BIG to create and work towards your vision over the next 6 – 12 months.
‘R’ is for Refuge and Reflect- this centres around our environment, the act of gratitude and time for reflection.
‘E’ is for Evaluate and Emerge – taking responsibility for our life and embracing our power to change
‘C’ is for Core Values and Centre – establishing our core values, selecting 3 top core values which we will ‘AIM’ to keep at the forefront of our mind.
‘L’ is for Lean in and Life it Up– breaking our vision into manageable steps ( I like to call them microsteps)
Here is where the A.I.M. comes into daily life for our mind, body and soul.
‘A’ is for Action (Body) – taking care of our body through healthy living
‘I’ is for Intellect and Intelligence (Mind) – stimulating our brain and learning
‘M’ is for Meditation and Mindfulness (Soul) – establishing a daily practice
Being with yourself in this way opens the door for miracles in your life that you would never know without this daily practice
Dr Catherine Hansen
We have all been living with restrictions for a number of weeks and I know that many of us are starting to feel ‘angsty and antsy’ as my friend JoTracey from And Anyways wrote in a comment to me. Jo has been reflecting on why she is feeling this way and has determined that perhaps it is because:
I haven’t been paying any attention to my creative soul – it’s all been about real stuff, practical stuff, day job, committee stuff and editing the book that I can’t seem to get finished. And walking…but that’s been keeping me sane.
Perhaps now during this time of uncertainty is the perfect time to reflect on how you can Reclaim your life and create a vision for a healthier, happier and more empowered future. Feel free to download the Reclaim your Life blueprint HERE which I have added to the Resource Library page.
34 Comments
I feel like I need to reclaim “no regrets”. I wish I could do everything but am ultimately limited by time. I want to pause and enjoy the moment and be happy with what I spend my time on.
Sounds like a healthy and peaceful approach. I heard a new concept recently – create a “not doing anymore” list. I’m not quite there but I’ve decided to stop worrying about the housework (it’s probably my biggest stressor – which means I’m very blessed). We have 3 teenagers working a very busy schedule of distance education and some big work proposals due and no one seems to see what I see. So – that’s MY goal – to decide to stop stressing about the way the house looks. And, for me, morning routine is my anchor for the day before things start coming at me. Thank-you for your reminder to “enjoy the moment” – well said.
Hi Emily what a great idea. Being in the moment is such a precious thing and something we are all guilty of not doing enough. ‘no regrets’ is certainly a wonderful ideal of living life to the full. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your week. x
Great question, Sue and Catherine. I need to reclaim STAYING IN THE PRESENT. Thank you for this important reminder.
Lovely! Thank-you for your comment. So simple, so hard and yet, so important! Sending love to you.
Me too, Donna! Although now that my Fitness Certification is just two group classes away I will have more time to devote to being more mindful and enjoying the moment. Take care my friend xx
Hi Sue, I agree with you on the importance of our morning and evening rituals and routines. You bring up a great point about being bold and dreaming big. I suspect in our early socialization many women have learned to live small in parts of their life.
I have told you before how I am a fan of your “microsteps.” You brought this concept to our attention last year. Joanne’s words also resonated with me…..”creative soul…”
I will spend some time giving thought to your last question. I don’t have an immediate answer, yet definitely worth pursuing. A great post, Sue! Thank you! xx
Oh, Erica, so true. Women sometimes stay small. And the world needs us to be BIG! The world needs what women offer – our connection, communication, gentleness, empathy, compassion, love, creativity – so many qualities inherent to women (and some men, of course) – that are vital to heal a world that needs us more than ever before. I enjoyed reading your reflections to Sue and admire all that she offers us with her wisdom and grace – a woman who steps up to share her whole, authentic self with us! Much love, many blessings! Catherine.
Hi Erica! I need to work on my creative soul as you would have read in one of my previous posts. When I jump into life at 110% I can lose focus and become mentally fatigued. I was struggling to be creative with my blog but I’ve accepted that will happen occasionally and I need to go with the flow. Have a beautiful week,Erica xx
Thanks for this reminder and the resources Sue. I like the idea of BIG and Catherine’s replies in response to other comments here. Always inspiring to read your posts and to hear from your guests. Thanks as always.
Such a good post Sue, I had to read it again! have shared for #mlstl
A thought provoking post. I feel I need to start making plans again. With so many things cancelled or off limits it would be good to have something written on the calendar.
Thanks Deb, I have found some interesting ideas through Catherine and her Empowered Women’s Circle. Have a great week and take care xx
Interesting – we’ve had all our routines ripped from us and have had to find new ones that work from home. This is harder than we realise. Routines stabilise us, no matter how small. #MLSTL (and it’s just so boring!! Ha!)
Hi Lydia, I do like routine so yes having to modify them has been challenging but there is always a way around a problem. I don’t mind boring at the moment as life can get way too busy and the current situation has certainly made me slow down. xx
Hi Sue and Catherine, Great question and reminder. As Sue knows, I’ve been doing the A.I.M. before and during this global pandemic. Every day is really a gift that I enjoy to the best of my ability. Have a wonderful week! #MLSTL
Always love your positive attitude, Natalie! Have a great week. xx
How did I miss this post f yours the first time around? And you’ve even quoted me… As you know, my morning rituals are nailed, but I’m liking the idea of an evening one to close out the day. You’ve got me thinking (as you very often do).
Thanks Jo and my pleasure to quote you. Have a great week. x
Hi Sue this is really interesting. I really need to reclaim my old ‘no excuses’ attitude. Your post has made me realise that’s something else I’ve dropped during isolation.Time now to reinstate it.
Hi Jen, yes I’ve gone off track a little during isolation and also trying to finish my Certificate III which I have now completed. x
It’s definitely something I’ve started thinking more about Sue. Weirdly my life doesn’t look that different but in some ways that’s been confronting. Others are moaning about not being able to go to the gym or catch up with friends or dine out and I’m like… “Meh.”
It reminds me how small my life is in many ways. And then of course because everyone else is pondering their existence and the meaning of life it’s hard not to do the same. I certainly have been. For reasons unknown I’ve started feeling confronted about ageing. My age. My stage in life etc…
Hi Deb, I know what you mean about our stage of life. I will be 63 this year and my husband just turned 72. Whilst I don’t dwell on age I do sometimes remind myself that there is an end point which is getting closer.
Hi Sue, I am not usually one to follow a multiple step approach. I do have routines, especially in the morning. I was drawn to the word reclaim however. I haven’t thought about it much, but I have lost some things during this pandemic and it is time to think about reclaiming them. Creativity comes to mind for me as well as Jo. I have also let go of my fairly strict diet in exchange for comfort foods. I think their ability to comfort me is over though, now it just feels like indulgence. I will be thinking about what else I might need to reclaim.
That was really thought provoking Sue – I seem to be slowing down and closing in more with each day of lockdown. Perhaps it’s time to open up a bit and embrace and reclaim some more of life. Now I just have to figure out what will get me fired up!
Thanks for co-hosting another great MLSTL with me and I’ve shared this on my SM xx
As I mentioned to you, my energy has been flagging a bit during the lockdown – it’s a combination of more chores to do at home and the summer heat here in India. Also the stress of outside chores – during which one is trying to stay safe! It’s time for me to reclaim life and discover a new way of functioning with the changed lifestyle. Thank you for the heads up on the resources on Catherine’s site.
Hi Sue – While I have slowed down, I make sure that I do some work that involves my limbs. It could be something as simple as rearranging my desk or cleaning the floor. Because I think such activities that involve physical activity is as important in keeping us refreshed. Thanks for sharing this nice piece.
#MLSTL
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Hi Sue, This is an interesting way to look at prioritizing our daily life. However, I don’t see any mention of just loafing in that plan. I know relaxation and laughter is so important to health. I’d put that in for sure. Thanks for hosting #MLSTL. Want to remind you and your readers to give yourself some TLC as well as down time today.
Hi Sue, I had not heard the AIM term before in this context (body, mind, soul) but I like it! I’ve looked further into Catherine’s links you provided. Thanks for them. I am spending time right now reflecting on where I am and my life vision. With so many of the things I love to do gone for the foreseeable future, I need to rethink my action plan…so I’m starting back with core values and strengths.
Hi Sue. Yes, you do bring home the need to mind body AND spirit. Good to have routines and rituals, but also moments to escape from ritual and just BE.#MLSTL
Sue, this is a timely reminder for me and one that I have given thought too lately as my world continues to shrink. Reclaim is a good word for what needs to happen right now to open it up again. I think I will start with ‘energy’ and see where that leads.
I do like the idea of paying attention to both our minds and are bodies, and of course they are so linked. Thanks for the interesting thoughts.
It’s really interesting for me to note some changes I had made thanks to COVID even though I had not really taken much notice. Today, Sat 16 May, I went to a cafe (10 people could sit) and had a coffee at long last where I could enjoy it from a glass but also at a table. The manager was very pleased to see me as I was her. However as I tried to re-create my morning out from memories of what I used to do preCOVID I realise I don’t want to fall back to some of them now but I do know I want to remain active. I am adjusting my apple watch goals back tomorrow as I know I am doing more walking than I gave myself credit for. Denyse #mlstl
nice post.