Mindful Resources For Creatives At Home
As someone who (happily) spends the majority of time at home, there’s a slew of resources I’ve utilized over the years that help me take care of myself and feel less alone. I don’t normally use this space to share recommendations, but this week, I couldn’t help it.
These are all absolute game changers in my own life. And although I’ve labeled them as mindful resources for “creatives at home,” you can certainly implement them into your own routine, whether you work at home or not. ;)
Please note: This post was originally published in the Rowan Made newsletter on March 9th, 2017, but has since been expanded. If you like what you see, you can join us every week right here. There are no opt-in promises or fancy worksheets on the other side. Just me, being honest with you.
FITNESS
01. YOGA WITH ADRIENE: Back when burnout first hit me, yoga was one of the first things I tried in order to help ease the pain. Now, I had always considered myself an impatient person and did NOT think that I would fair well holding poses or focusing on breath.
Then, a friend of a friend recommended Yoga With Adriene to me and the rest is history. Led by Adriene Mishler, the YWA YouTube channel is a fresh and friendly introduction into the world of yoga. And for somebody who had ZERO knowledge about what it’d be like, the experience was easy to digest.
Adriene doesn’t use complex terminology and she certainly doesn’t force you into poses that you aren’t ready for. She’s a literal breath of fresh air and I have yet to find an instructor that makes me feel as comfortable on the mat.
If you’re new to yoga, I’d highly suggest starting off with this practice. And if you’re experiencing any sort of upper back pain, this practice is my go to, even today. Both videos are around 20 minutes long, so it’s not a huge commitment if you find yourself short on time.
02. CODY APP: This is another yoga/workout resource. I discovered their website after a client of mine gifted me the desk therapy plan (which is amazing by the way). If you create your own account, you’ll have access to a ton of freebies …
For one, they stream two LIVE workout sessions every single day. All you have to do is login and show up. Or, if you’d rather poke around at some of the packages they offer, you’ll quickly notice that all of them have “preview” videos. So! For free, you can get a good 20-30 minute workout in without hitting buy. I love this feature as it allows me to test the waters (and see if I jive with the instructor) before making a purchase. If you do end up making a purchase, some of my favorite plans are:
— Flexibility Intelligence
— Journey To Handstand
— Happy Heart Vinyasa
— Desk Therapy
WELLNESS
03. STAND UP: I installed this app on my phone a good 6-8 months ago. All you have to do is enter a few variables and you’ll get a reminder (beep) to stand up every X minutes. This is a blessing for those of us who spend countless hours at our desk day in and day out. ;)
04. THE FIVE MINUTE JOURNAL: I don’t personally own this journal, but I take a similar approach in my trusty moleskine. Every day, I write down a list of things I’m grateful for. Or what I appreciate. I’ve found that some days, gratitude flows freely, while other days, I have to tap into the basics and keep it simple by writing things like “I appreciate breath” or “I’m grateful for the ability to love.” Either way, it’s a wonderful five minute exercise to kick off your day in a more positive mindset.
PODCASTS
05. THE LIVELY SHOW: I’ve been listening to The Lively Show podcast on and off for years, but recently, I’ve spent a lot of time catching up through her archives. Jess is currently (and rather unexpectedly) traveling indefinitely, and is sharing her journey through mindfulness along the way.
It wasn’t until I stumbled upon her Things I’m Afraid to Tell You episode in January that I realized the depths of what she was talking about. Jess practices the idea of “alignment before action,” something that fit perfectly with my word of 2017: flow.
If you’re interested in trying a new approach to work and life that’s less about stress + burnout and more about flow + effectiveness, give this episode a listen. And then go check out her archives because there’s WAY more where that came from. To help get you started, here are some of my favorites:
— Follow The River
— Creating Your Own Reality
— Why We Don't Have To Work As Hard As We Think We Do
— Write To Your Intuition
06. THE ROBCAST: Rob Bell is a religious guru of sorts. And while I would call myself more spiritual than religious, I've found a lot of what he shares quite helpful on the business front. So hang with me here. ;) I've only been listening to Rob for about a month, so there's still a lot of content I have yet to explore. To help get you started, I wanted to share two of my favorite episodes, both of which gave me SO MANY lightbulb moments:
— A Good Morning With Elizabeth Gilbert
— Susan David On Emotional Agility
MUSIC
07. DEEP FOCUS PLAYLIST: If you’re anything like me, music is essential to your work day. But! Music with vocals is a huge NO in my book whenever I’m trying to write or focus. Luckily, Spotify has a wonderful playlist for this called Deep Focus.
Everything is instrumental and beautiful and I’m actually listening to it right now as I write this letter to you. The playlist has over 9 hours of music, so it always feels fresh, which is a major plus.
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Phew! This turned out to be longer than expected, so mad props to you if you’ve made it this far. My goal with this is to potentially introduce you to something new that will have a positive influence in your own life. If you have any mindful resources that you use and love, feel free to share them in the comments section below, as I'm always on the hunt for more goodies.