DEEP: Body Love's Theme Reframe Mistakes, Practice!

Welcome to blog 2 which continues with the theme of mistakes and practice as featured in August's newsletter: Reframing Mistakes August 2014 and Blog 1 - DEEP Body Love's Theme: Reframing Mistakes

Think of something you do easily…walk, drive, swim, ride a bike.

Just think back to where it all started.  Can you remember all the mistakes that were made? What about when a child first learns to walk or feed herself? 

In all of these aspects there would have been falls, bumps, giggles, laughter and practice, practice, practice a sense of achievement and accomplishment.  If we were kind to ourselves, we may have enjoyed the processes too!

The next time you make a mistake, pause, breathe and ask these questions?:

- How can this serve me? 

- Can I use it to develop, create? 

- Am I overwhelmed and need time out? 

- Can it help  me to do something differently to improve, change something? 

- Is it just a mistake, worth a giggle, and ready to let it go?

Pick a recent "mistake" and ask yourself one of these questions. And then reply with your answer.  I'd love to see what you come up with!

Enjoy

Liz 

My own White Knight in Shining Armour - Part 2 of 3

Villain - Inner Critic

I would like to introduce you to my villain in my latest story.  This is when funnily enough I had a mixture of emotions and feelings.  I am the villain in the latest story, great that means I can do something it about it right!

Bummer, you mean only I can do something about it.  I cannot blame anyone and here is where the fun continued  my, 'the' (am working on 'the' to externalize it, to make it easier to work with - part 3 of this blog) INNER CRITIC had an absolute ball in really messing with - 'double bind' either way I looked.  I was good because I now had clearer insight and it was bad because I was choosing this then!  You get the picture. 

This is what really hit me, right between the eyes when I wrote the second story.  I was no longer verbalising the 'villian' as an external person.  There is no doubt that at some point in my life as a child the person could be seen as a villain and really did the best they could with what they knew and who they were at the time. 

As an adult it is up to me to look after me and sure I needed to learn how and needed to learn what it looked like and to say I made mistakes is a understatement but I got there and therefore realised that my villain is actually the inner critic who has many costumes, disguises, voices etc, not all bad sounding and looking and is extremely adept at being a chameleon and changing when I get to see it clearly for what it is.  

I would like to introduce you to my White Knight in Shining Armour.  Me!  I do not mean this to sound precocious etc or from ego as I really do have many White Knight's in shining armour, who have come and gone through out my life and some continue with me and I have been so blessed and grateful.

What I mean is that once I gained awareness, had insights. I could honor that I had way more control in my life.  I realised and as with any story there are constant conflicts, battles, which eventually reduce in number and there are no longer battles, perhaps conflicts that are shorter and can be resolved in a much more compassionate way.  I do have to say that I truly believe that life is a journey with twists and turns, ups and downs and will continue to be but the difference is the angst is not as powerful for as long and paralyzing. 

Takes continual wellbeing, having fun, enjoying life, feeling feelings, discernment around what and who works, nurtures, nourishes, strengthens, brings you joy, love and fun.  This is no fairy tale.  I promise you it works.  The thing is, for the 'baby boomers' like me there is absolutely no quick fix.  Small continuous steps, with the challenges, overcoming obstacles, allowing permission to have fun in the process is what it takes and endless compassionate patience and compassion for yourself and others.  

This was a revelation to me and a testament that I had indeed grown from a depth that matters and is a permanent healthy change.  Just like when you plant a seed, no matter how much you want to see what the flowers look like you have to wait.  It needs the weather, time to be nourished, weeded, groomed before it can blossom and then it out grows itself, lets go of bits it no longer requires, experiences the seasons as it must and then blossoms once more, looking different and so it is.  Um, I use to think that was so 'twee' (sorry Louise Hay, she is a very wise lady!) and now I feel it kind of ends something at the same time as stating a new beginning. 

One of my white knights in shining armour.  

I write these blogs when I get to them and am constantly amazed just how much they bring me to a place of clarity, acceptance and gratitude.  

They are definitely a living breathing in the moment journal.  

Can I ask you who is a person who wants the best for you?  If you have such a person, can you imagine what would be one thing that they would say to you right now to help you believe in yourself for just 15 seconds?

If this is hard for you, what would be one thing you would say to someone you care about to help them start to believe in themselves for 15 seconds? 

Write that down if you wish and then say that to yourself.

You so have what it takes to succeed in your life in a way that is real to you, your version not anyone else's story or fairy tale.

Oooh my inner critic "How many pictures of you????!!!!!! 

White Knight - "I know, wow, finally I get that I own me. 

Thanks for the reminder."  :-)

High Five

Road Trip - Visual Journalling

First of all I would like to thank Jill Allison Bryan from Creative Oasis Coaching.  www.creativeoasiscoaching.com.

In her last newsletter she inspired me to write this blog, in a way that I could give myself permission for it to be good enough and have the courage to do that.  I am pretty busy at the moment, not too overwhelmed (articles coming about that soon) and wanted to write at least something that was short but ok, so here goes.

I have just received the Visual Journalling - Going Deeper than Words, Barbara Ganim & Susan Fox and have started a 6 week 'road trip' with this and wow, already.  I have been journalling for some time in different ways and this is the next stage for me.   I have much to say and my timer tells me I have 10 minutes left. 

Quote from the book - "Traditional methods of prayer and  meditation have been elusive for me in the past ... For me; painting in my meditation.  It is my gift from Spirit, a tool to help me as I journey down all the roadways in this life ... toward the joyful discovery of who I am really am." - Jeanne Prom.

I feel that this resonates with me.  I am not a writer, a painter, a sculpture, an artist but we are all absolutely creative in many ways.  My creativity I believe is through my passions of occupational therapy, creativity coaching and soon counselling, supporting others to connect to who they are, give themselves permission to be and soar.  I do this more and more through creativity, creativity coaching and narrative.

I have been exploring myself more many, many years for lots of reasons.  In latter years to get to play with creative modalities.  Just love, in heaven for me.  I am so curious and intrigued what this road trip will reveal. 

I wondered if you noticed anything in the quote that sparked a thought for you.  How would it feel to write about it, draw it, create symbols or not and just notice how you feel.

A writing prompt if you wish ...
If I was planning for a road trip, what 3 things would I take and why.  Have fun. 

High Five!

Perspective - Inner Critic, Gremlins

Yesterday I wrote on face book about being affected by inner critics, which really zapped my energy and man I was there.  I mentioned a couple of things that I did to help.

I did feel a little better, however my goodness talk about getting a 'rain check'.  I had a few lessons that just appeared!!!  Firstly I heard that someone I really care about has just found out that she has to have 15 months of chemotherapy - um.  You can guess that immediately it put things into perspective.  Then I heard about someones history and was shocked what they had experience and who they were despite, because of this. 

At this point I really was suddenly not thinking about me and how I was feeling and was so in gratitude for my health and my life, immediately and in awe of the human spirit for both of these people. 

I did plod on and do some things I needed to do. I also definitely employed - that what I did was good enough and it is.  I then met a friend to celebrate her birthday at 6 pm.  Honestly being distracted and especially with someone you care about, really, really worked, instantly.  All these messages are telling me so much.  The place we initially planned to go to was closed as was many in Whangarei on a Sunday evening - haha.  We ended up going to an Indian Restaurant called Shiraz, which was  lovely.  Really enjoyed it.

We then went to the 'Old Library' to see a play.  I was not sure what it was about.  It was called The Intricacies of Caring'.  It was excellent.  2 young men played all the characters.  Basically they were young men who spent time in the each one's bedroom, drinking, smoking and just really wasting away.  A friend of theirs commits suicide at 21 and this starts to change things for them. 

They go on a kind of road trip in NZ to a place called Jerusalem and it is about their explorations of life, each other and their family.  Honestly. I so needed reminded to listen and hear the messages.  I had a lovely evening and felt blessed to be there.

When I got home I could not believe that I had so many messages that reminded me about what really matters and whilst I do not want to discount the gremlins, inner critics as they do have an impact, I was totally surprised how quickly I could change not only what I was thinking but also how I felt when I heard about the others, which demonstrates that I have that capacity. 

I am not sure what I am trying to say here because I totally believe in compassion, experiencing all our emotions and hands up to this being a working progress, but I guess it is about really listening to what works for us and doing that.  My previous attempts was to still work through what I was doing, which initially was the structure, process and paperwork for coaching, plodding on and I kept having the thought, 'man I really seem to be in the depths today, but I am not going to let it stop me.'

Sometimes I think I can think too much and some of these thoughts could be habit.  I do believe they are around because I am stepping up and love my life so much and allow myself to express who I am in my coaching even more and in general, so this can get challenged, which means I am on track.  Having said that perspective really did make a difference and having a distraction was amazing, whether that be creativity, activity, someone else's incredible story, predicament, what ever it is, can so help also. 

Don't you just love that we all just keep learning.  I meet amazing people and I am sure we all do and honestly it really does remind me what being human really means.  We are so powerful, more than we can imagine and yet most of us still play it small.   We are incredible. 

Space Cadet - eek

What a few days.  I have literally been a space cadet for 5 1/2 days, out of nowhere - I am not kidding.  Tuesday evening I had just met with a lovely collaborator around a potential after school programme for girls aged 13 - 15.  I felt tired but just fine and thought I would use the warmth and aroma of fresh cotton linen from a candle I had lit in my gorgeous coaching room and did some meditation, which took about 30 minutes.  By the time I left the room and walked up approximately 15 steps, I was so cold from the inside out, my bones felt cold.  I was shivering, my whole body ached, I had a sore head.  I promise it was as if a switched had been flicked and I reacted. 

My husband and I were really quite surprised.  I then experienced cold clammy sweats and hot sweats, this continued throughout the night.  The following day was the same and the day after, which was Friday.  Surely today would be a better day, only slightly this time the paracetamol stopped working and now I was left with a sore head that continued until Sunday, today, I then moved to a stronger analgesic and now for the first time since Tuesday evening am free of pain and just feel spaced out, literally, light headed, not quite grounded but much better.

What the hell is going on?  I hardly ever, ever get a cold or bug and if I do I usually recovery pretty quickly.  My husband picked up the bug and thank goodness, after 2 days felt much better.  I kept thinking that this is not real, what is different this time around? 
 

I looked at my wellbeing, well I should be practicing what I am preaching right!!  I had just completed a Wellbeing Muse to motivate me to practice the things that enable me to live a balanced life with joy, fun, creativity and be resilient to all life events. When I say resilient, I do mean to experience them, to have the all emotions not just the yummy, cute ones.  Most of all this prepares me and teaches me to be totally present with anyone I am with.  Great motivation!!  It matters - you can get the picture. 

So why then am I so 'floored'? I get up do a wee prayer, the gratitude thing, meditate - that counts for something.  I was eating fairly well, drinking water, well maybe not so much water in the last 2 - 3 weeks, I usually exercise every single day even if it is 20 mins, well maybe not so much in the last 2 - 3 weeks - WHAT!!!  (Saying that out loud!)   I was not drinking each night at least 2 glasses of wine sometimes more in the last 1 - 2 weeks, maybe I was - oops.

Now I am not suggesting that anyone who is unwell bought it on themselves, well in some cases maybe, eg eating, drinking excessively, not exercising, burnt out, the body will stop us one way or another.  What I was noticing was a difference in me, when according to Liz, life is pretty good and my wellbeing has been the best it has ever been, so what is going on?  I am learning to connect with my body, listen to her, become accustomed to her and feel that we have been doing really very well.  Having said that I think my antennae was tuned in to space cadet city.

As I back tracked, I had been counselling but not as much.  I do have a new gratitude book and that has been great.  Then I started to realise I am leaving Occupational Therapy in June 26th.  I have been an OT since 1995 and loved my role, with only a hiccup in 2004.  It has been my biggest identity.  I am a Life Coach also and this is not so accepted, definitely not as a Profession as is OT.  Ok so that is a challenge.  I will be working with 11 - 12 year olds in schools around a programme called Y's Girls, which is about a fun active and creative programme designed specially  by the YWCA.  It aims to support positive peer relationships, positive body image and health lifestyles.  This was never on my agenda and how lucky I am to have this opportunity.  Up until 3 months ago I was really quite scared of this age group, not now.

In July I will start a post grad counselling course - narrative therapy and my whole focus is work with with people who have disordered eating and combine this with coaching and creative therapies.  It took me years and years to give myself permission.  Not only that the reason I made myself give up the safety of the OT harbour (ships are meant to sail) is that I truly wanted to challenge myself with my coaching, I wanted to get out there, have fun, share so many ideas with others and finally allow myself to also reach as many people as I could with Nourish to Flourish - Body Positive Coaching, all about living life from the inside out.

Phew as I sit here at 4.30 pm Sunday afternoon, still experiencing shivers, cold sweats at the moment. I think WHAT!  I am not done.  Now this is from someone who recently did a 6 week Wellbeing and Mindfulness Green Coaching programme at an Adult Education Establishment - oh dear, just switched to hot flushes!!  Haha, is this not hilarious?  Where is all this balance stuff, which does not mean equal measures of everything, it means considering a few aspects of ourselves. 

I also had a list of projects I had wanted to do for my coaching, there is a lot of work to be done.  I have been training as an ARTbundance creativity coach and working on certification which has been fantastic, honestly just love it and so much to look forward to.  There is not one thing that I do at the moment that I don't love - ahhhhh.  There's the thing a few years ago I did not even know what my passion was.  I love and am passionate about everything I do.  I have found it harder to say no and manage, without realising.  It has become easier to be say no around things that are not for my highest good or purpose.  I never considered for a moment that this would have been a challenge.  Don't you just love light bulb moments?

Oopsy, me a life coach, me an Occupational Therapist who supervisors others and works in rehab, me who teaches wellbeing, mindfulness, balance -  no cannot be I would be a phony if that were me, surely, surely you have to not be human and do everything by the book, you have to get it right so you can prove to others that they can live this amazing life that you most of the time do, so they can know that someones else life was so messed up and look at what they have achieved, so have hope, trust, have hope that you can create the life you want right!  The thing is you so can and I did, right up until this point, well a few hours ago when it really hit me.

I have been so unrealistic about what I can do.  I love everything I do so much that I never thought for a moment I would need to say no to stuff, to trust that enough is enough and that is ok, to trust that there will always be opportunity, to trust, give permission, have compassion to be a regular normal human being.  Nooo, I am a role model, aren't I?  I am a phony, aren't I?  I am so blessed to be a human being and contrary to being a phony for the first time truly with a 100% of me, right now at 50 and a little bit I am getting I am the real deal, me the real deal, with all the flaws?  Now I question that 'flaws'.

I was doing the best I knew with what I had at the time.  Makes is a bit hard to swallow especially being in this field for nearly 20 years and really only just getting it now.  My intellect got it by my wee inner being not quite, actually she probably did but not my wee inner child.  Was I connected to who I am? You bet, at times.  Did did I listen? You bet at times.  Did I get confused about the messages?  You bet at times.  Now I get wow, I have been 'floored' and I am not joking for 5 1/2 days.  I have cancelled events and people and feel bad about that but it was necessary.   If you had said to me Liz I want you to take 5 1/2 days off, there is no way on this planet I thought it would have been possible, unless I was laid up.  Hello planet - universe.  Why do we want until our body's say, enough already and then stops us in our tracks?

Now I only have a bug thank goodness.  I have been so grateful for my health and cannot imagine for one moment what it must be like for people who suffer so much ill health.  I feel that I have been so blessed with a tiny reality check of being the 'real deal', a human being and honestly what a frigging relief.  Jeez, I had no idea of what I was doing to myself, maybe I did actually and did not listen.  Now this will help me, my coaching, all I do and my aim in life is to support others to feel good enough, gain a sense of balance from the inside out and value themselves as human beings and ride the waves of life knowing this. 

Sometimes the ride will be exhilarating, fun, sometimes terrifying and other times it will hardly be noticeable but we can experience all of the emotions of what is to come, we can learn to trust our body compass and we can so jump off at a lagoon somewhere, a resort or have a picnic on the bank.   I have been camped up for a few days and the river of life still awaits me. 

I am back on track to enjoy and be more in the moment and I of course will hit fog, mist, rapids, stillness and loose my way but nothing like this and if I do, maybe I can compassionately accept that I have been given an amazing opportunity to hide out a little in the cave, recuperate and be in the space to let things happen.  What I know is that when you come out things change.  I have only been out for 5 1/2 days and what a difference.  I also know I can make choices on my journey and not need to have to be made to take time out.  Worth a thought, don't you think?

So, can I ask if you have been saying to yourself, if I was ill or had a few days of sick ......, be very careful because you may get this in a way you were not expecting.  If you feel this is a way out for you right now, then please, please listen to yourself and trust yourself and do what ever it takes to look after yourself.  Once you give yourself permission you can do anything, anything.  You will be and are the 'real deal' too and be proud. 

Wellbeing & MIndfulness Green Coaching

This was taken on the last night of a 6 week coaching programme.  The first I had done for Adult Education at Community Education Whangarei, Kamo High School.  Have to say that Shona the co-ordinator is amazing and so organised.

These ladies are quite incredible.  They are just like you and me and yet how little we know of each other. 

We would spend the first part of a 2 hour session/lesson out doors walking with different focuses and environments. We started with a measure of how we were feeling before the walk and then after and you can guess, mostly it was always better. 

It was a real reminder to me about not really having to know or even understand when something feels good for you.  What is important is that you can give yourself space so that you notice you, notice what makes you smile, feel good, laugh and just um hits the spot and follow that as a guide.

I learned a lot from these ladies and was reminded that no matter what we are taught, or the tools we have unless we give ourselves permission and feel deserving to implement them then they will not work.  We only need to make it one tiny small step to show up.  It is a start.

These ladies taught me and reminded me that talking and sharing is one thing but it is in the doing and the being that is another.  I am grateful to them and we are all going to meet up in June to check in with our Wellbeing, Mindfulness and vision statements.  How cool.

Also half of us will being doing a fun/run walk, so how cool is that to be inspired to really walk the talk.  I am grateful. 

Mindfulness

Before you speak, ask yourself:  Is it kind, is it necessary, is it true,

does it improve on silence? - Shirdi Sai baba

It also makes me laugh for some reason. 



Dear Time Travelers
When something really intriguing and exciting comes my way, I feel compelled to share it. And this is one of those cases. I'm totally inspired by The Creating Time Mega Event...three FREE weeks of inspiration as people all over the world will come together and welcome the ending of time as we know it...and the beginning of an exhilarating new life!


The Creating Time Mega Event celebrates the release of the new book, Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life by ArtellaLand.com founder Marney K. Makridakis and features 25 amazing luminaries inviting us to "time travel" as a collective community to create a new paradigm of time.

Have you noticed that time is moving faster than ever these days? That it's virtually impossible to engage in or observe any conversation that doesn't somehow bring up "time" in a negative context? That "time" is the one thing that seems to hold most of us back from living the lives we were born to live? I see this all the time in my work, and I imagine that you do, too!

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OTcoach - Coaching Approach in OT

I am currently developing a workshop about the Coaching Approach in OT and Jen Gash in an amazing OTcoach and has a great web site, has kindly shared some of her resources.  She and I are part of International SIG Group.  Anyone is welcome. 

This narrative from one of her slides:

• Staying with the client, “whole” listening, giving time to think, asking intuitive questions
• Allow their process to unfold and their wisdom to be unlocked 
• Using tools to explore and align values, beliefs and goals

I have just read the Kawa Model and have adapted it for a Wellbeing and Mindfulness Green Coaching 6 week programme in adult education that I started on 23.02.12.  It was only when I allowed myself to adapt this model for the 'well', I guess you could say and specific to Wellbeing and Mindfulness that I am really understanding how much the coaching approach sits so well with OT.

It is a perfect match because these 3 points although of course they are part of enabling skills, as is coaching and OT.  The last point really resonates with me.  I love meaningful and purposeful activity, I get that, however what I have noticed on occasions is that sometimes this is much more than ADL's, functional stuff, roles, and often through asking coaching type questions a persons values, beliefs and goals in life have been revealed not only to the Therapist but also to the client.  Once you tap into this, the flow of life so to speak then we can really engage the client, not that you cannot engage the client anyway with our OT skills, it just that the coaching approach is such that it elicits the whole therapeutic relationship much more quickly, resulting in the client being heard and hearing themselves.

I have been surprised the amount of times I have approached a client (I work 2 days as week in neuro rehab) with so what do you enjoy doing and not even talking about the deficit, impairment yet and the client sometimes comes up with that.  I then ask such obvious questions, like so what do you need to do to be able to do that and this is when options and possibilities start to open up.  Of course as an OT I have ALL THE ANSWERS!!!  I can make great rehab plans, implement a structure and suggest what next, for sustainable on going rehab without me being around,this is not going to last very long.  People are really quite creative and ingenious too.  Almost all of the time this seems to support the client with going to places that they do not want to go to because they are being guided by their values and therefore often their strengths.

I am learning even for myself that when I connect to values more and think about my life flow, it helps me to do the things I don't really want to do.  I am really valuing so much the 'marrying of' OT and coaching skills and feel really blessed to have also discovered the Kawa Model. 

"How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?  I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.  You have to have a dream a goal and you have to be willing to work for it."  Jim Valvano

I really believe that the dream/goals is driven by our values and once we tap into what really matters, a person can achieve anything.  

Wellbeing & Mindfulness

I have been attempting to be mindful and develop  my wellbeing for quite some years.  Always a working progress, please remember that. 

The other day, well I was not really owning up to how I was really feeling which was like this little dude.  I was trying to be all mellow, chilled, I have to walk my talk, right!.  Well nah, not happening.  I was ready to take anyone out, well slightly exaggerating for effect but seriously that hammer was ready.  I was surprised why I was feeling that way, using my poor head, which definitely was not mindful, present.  I was in the past, the future, reminding myself that I should be grateful, blah, blah, blah.  Oh I did try to get present and do some breathing, focus and nah!

And then it hit me, not the hammer!  The meaning of mindfulness, being present.  It means with ME, no matter what I am experiencing.  No where does it say it has to be for only pretty emotions.  Ah!  Not that I wanted to go here I certainly did not and honestly the more we do this the better.  So I decided to just sit in my agitation, whatever it was and be with it.  And I did.  I used some Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Techniques.  Just got this a previous post;

I allowed my thoughts to be and tried to let them pass on a cloud which worked for me this time, last time it was on leaves in a river.  I really did accept that I will continue to have thoughts and tried to let them go peacefully, and not judge if I don't manage that.  Did not manage totally but certainly made a big difference.

I did sit with my feelings and breathe (know this happens quite naturally - sorry had to put this in again, it makes me smile - I am easily pleased)

I tried to breathe and notice the breath - 3 - 5 times, trying to enjoy it and I did

I did connect to the feeling, and breathed into it, made room for it

I did not try to change how I feel, although it felt uncomfortable, but thats all

I did not try to make it ok, well, just a little bit but got back to not making it ok 

I did accept that it was there and it started to feel better already, just stopping the struggle, I guess as ACT would suggest, switching off the struggle switch.

Then I asked myself these questions;

• what shape is it?
• is it moving?
• is it solid, soft, heavy, light?
• what colour is it?
• what temperature is it?
• where in the body is it?
• how is it feeling?
• as suggested noticing the breathing and just sat with it

Honestly it really did help.  Later I went for a walk, which was brilliant.  Now I have to say that the walk alone may have worked, being outdoors, by the ocean, in the garden is so powerful and just being with nature. 

I guess overall it was a great reminder for mindfulness is that it is about being present with what ever appears and honestly the thoughts and what we attach to them are far worse then the actual situation. 

How would it be to give the techniques above a try, even if it is going for a walk or being in nature.   Enjoy

Wellbeing, MIndfulness with Natural Resources

It never ceases to amaze me just how refreshing and easy it is to be outdoors.  I look down from our balcony on to an amazing fern, which happens to be a favourite of mine.  Just looking makes me sigh, take a breath in and sigh again.  That is all it takes. 

We have a beautiful country here and are so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty and space.  I am passionate about many things and one of them is about being outdoors, just being mindful of where you are.  It does not matter how small the green area is or where, even if you cannot physically reach it, you can imagine it and if this hard then you look at a picture, the healing and clarity it can bring is profound and even more profound than that is that you really do not have to even try that hard.  If you can even for just 5 minutes give yourself permission to either be in it, day dream, look at a picture and just breathe the effects are so rewarding.

The other day I was a little overwhelmed and could not think.  So instead of reaching for another cup of coffee or nibbling through dark chocolate Brazil nuts, I went out and did some weeding.  I was really quite busy and went out.  Have to say that there were battles in my thoughts - what you don't have time and guess what I made time and guess what, how much more clarity did I have just being out there and how much better did I feel?  Another guess what, truly how much more effective was I?

I would really encourage you to consider connecting with the outdoors in some way, even for 5 minutes, a walk, a stroll, feeling the breeze by the ocean, even a walk around town in a way that is a stroll and notice say the sounds, you will be surprised how many birds you might hear above the traffic.  Even just strolling and breathing in a relaxed manner will make all the difference. 

I am doing more and more coaching outdoors for wellbeing and mindfulness.  Even if it is hard to actually be there, we have wonderful imaginations and pictures to help us.