Monday Self-Care

Even though I am self-employed and my Monday is actually Tuesday, Monday can still be hard for me. This is a reminder of how powerful our past painful times can still be in the present.

Before I became self-employed, I worked in an counseling agency. Like many jobs, there was a lot of pressure to create income. The actual "work" of seeing clients wasn't the problem. But, the work environment was.

I always had wondered what burnout was. But even when I was stressed, my personality was the "push on through" kind. So when I finally did hit a wall > it was hard. My nervous system had had it.

I had also wondered what panic attacks were like. My clients talked about them, but it seemed a foreign idea. Then, I began having them. Long periods of panic attacks and ongoing anxiety.

Being a responsible person and also very fatigued at the time, I was truly feeling stuck. I could not quit. I had bills. And, I had little energy to figure out other options.

The story out of that painful situation is a very meaningful one for me. But, I will save it for another day in order to get to the point.

If Mondays are hard for you, I want to help you.

For quite some time, in the World of Wanda, I've been sharing Mindfulness Monday. If there's any day that mindfulness matters, it may be Monday. After taking a fantastic art therapy training last year, and learning more about the transformative power of creating mandalas, I decided to focus on that creative practice this winter... another challenging period for many.

Once I began researching mandalas a bit more, I realized that drawing them ~ coloring them ~ creating them ~ especially on Mondays in the winter could be a very meaningful thing!

Having painted religious icons in the past, and learning about sacred geometry, I've found mandalas can also be a beautiful creative practice ~ a creative healing practice!

Carl Jung believed the urge to make mandalas emerges during moments of intense personal growth. I like the idea of expanding that more > if you want intense personal growth start making mandalas!

Any act of creation calls upon you to release perfectionism, thoughts of doing it "the right way," and disbelief! So >>> are you willing to do your best, let whatever you create be an enjoyable learning experience, and believe that just maybe the mandala making process could turn up some interesting transformative insights for you?!

For Mandala Mondays, you can join Wanda and me weekly in the Wanda Petunia Love Facebook group! We will explore mandala making there over the next few months! But whether you join us there or not, consider adding the drawing, coloring and painting of mandalas as part of your self-care practice!

It's a lovely creative practice ~ escape ~ inner peace time. It's a way to quiet the mind and be present. It's transformative.

And maybe your mind and your Monday could use that :)

Photos:

Top: Wanda mandala aka Wandala! Click on the image, save and color. Or ask and I'll email it to you.