Please note: I am an affiliate for LSW Mind Cards and although I have not been compensated for this post, if you purchase anything in the future from one of my links I will earn a little bit of commission. Thank you so much for supporting my blog.
CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT
LSW Mind Cards are a pack of 45 individually designed cards each with a tool or task to help you increase your wellbeing, boost your mood and help you move towards a more fulfilled life.
By introducing positive habits into your everyday, Mind Cards will give you the power to create the healthiest and happiest life for you.
A Free Gift
For the next few days you can get this Relaxation Download worth £2.99 using the code – freelaxation. The recording helps you to relax and drift off for some much-needed ‘me time’. Why not take advantage this weekend and treat yourself.
I’ve been reading through the e-book, Getting to Know You, by Lili Sinclair Williams, the creator of LSW Mind Cards. I can thouroughly recommend the opportunity for a little self discovery. In this busy world it’s easy to forget who we really are and what we want from life.
The book and the cards both help you to become more mindful, but it’s broken down into manageable chunks. It’s a sad life if you can’t afford to spend just 10 minutes on yourself.
LSW Mind Cards
Each day I take a card from my pack of LSW Mind Cards and read what it says, it could be any one of the five catagories, kindness, ritual, gratitude, gratitude, journal or reflection. Then I do what is written on the card. I have started keeping a journal for writing down things that need to be written, but not all the cards require this. Even the Journal cards can just be spent thinking rather than writing down if you don’t wish to.
What do you think? Is this something you could incorporate into your life? Can you take just a few minutes each day to focus on yourself?
Please take advantage of the free download while you can and see what you think.
This is my chronically ill gift list that I’ve put together to give people ideas of the type of gifts that people who are ill may appreciate.
I suffer from chronic pain in my back and legs, I hurt when cold, I am a wheelchair user and I don’t get out of my home a lot because of my condition. So here are the things I would love the most.
Something to Wear
Clothing is always a good gift, if you don’t want to worry to much about sizing then I’m pretty sure that scarves, gloves and socks are a good idea. If you have some idea of size then a nice pair of pyjamas or a dressing gown. Slippers are also a good buy if you have some idea of the shoe size. Although with slippers you can generally get away with Small, Medium or Large. I get through about five pairs of slippers a year, so they would be very welcome.
I have very cold feet so I’m always happy with socks or slipper socks, the brighter the better. I love these slipper socks from The Sock Shop
Hobbies
If you know a person’s hobby then buying them anything they can use will be a big bonus and I’m sure they will love it. This can be anything from paint, pens, pads, craft supplies, or if you are buying for me then wool. I can’t get enough of the stuff, ask my family! Better still, buy wool with a pattern to crochet or knit, like this lovely blanket from Deramores.
Pill Organiser
Someone who needs a lot of medication will need to keep it organized. I would love something like these pill organisers from Etsy to keep my medication safe and ready to take.
Books and Magazines
Reading is a great way of chilling out, whether you are just getting ingrossed in a novel or learning something new. There are so many books to please just about everyone. Try the gift finder at Waterstones.
If you can’t think of a book they would like then how about a magazine subscription. They make a great gift and you can buy a six or twelve month subscription. I love my crochet magazine subscription but I’ve also enjoyed cookery magazines, and I know plenty that would love the new Seven Worlds One Planet magazines.
Candles
There is nothing I like more than having a candle burning while at home. It makes the room smell nice and helps to make me feel relaxed. At Candles Direct they have a huge assortment of lovely candles, including Yankee candles. They also have some lovely gifts including bath and body products and vegan friendly gifts.
Mindfulness Gifts
A lot of chronically ill people turn to mindfulness to help them. It may be that they enjoy mediation or yoga, or colouring books. LSW Mind Cards are a new product which are designed to make you become more mindful. Each day select a card at random and take the action stated on the card. Building the habit of making positive choices each day will help you lead a more fulfilling and happier life. The box is attractive and would make a lovely gift.
I hope you have enjoyed my little gift guide and that it has given you some ideas for gifts for that person you may know that is suffering from a chronic illness, or even a temporary illness. We all need a little pampering sometimes.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which will cost you nothing to click but may earn me some money if you click through and purchase something. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
1.
the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
“their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition”
2.
a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
When practising Mindfulness you are in the here and now, you are not lost in thought, or being distracted or being overwhelmed by difficult emotions. It is a form of meditation where you are aware of your surroundings.
We spend a lot of our time being lost in thought, and a lot of those thoughts can be negative making us unhappy. Why do we spend so much time doing something that is potentially harmful to our mental well-being? It can take as little as 10 minutes per day to make an impact on our lives. Just 10 minutes of mindfulness to give our minds a rest and help it become more clear, to keep us in the present moment and to learn how to deal with the negativity and unhappiness in our lives.
When you are not acting in a mindfulness way your mind is trapped on categories drawn in the past and characterized by reliance on distinctions. You see things in a single perspective and are insensitive to context.
Do you frequently make silly mistakes, even at the most basic level, perhaps you forget to put your teabag in your cup when making a cup of tea? This is a state of mindlessness where you are letting your thoughts override your actions, when you are not in the present moment and thinking about what you are doing but relying on past routine.
People who are not mindful get trapped by their past thoughts and emotions and find it difficult to move on. They are either thinking about the past or the future so much that they forget about the present. You need to be in the present more for a healthier way of dealing with past and future emotions.
When you are mindful you are situated in the present and are sensitive to context and perspective. You are guided by rules and routine but not governed by them. You will experience engagement. It is a fact that most of our suffering, both psychological and physical is a direct or indirect effect of mindlessness.
By challenging mindlessness we can become more aware of the present and change the way we react to social and cultural cues.We can change ingrained behaviours that sap health, creativity, optimism and vitality from our lives.
So, how do we become more mindful?
You need to start with yourself. Ask yourself how people see you and then how you see yourself. Then challenge the differences. Work out exactly what is most important to you in your life right now, write a list, then whittle it down. Once you are more aware of who you are and what you want you can begin to become more mindful.
To practice mindfulness you need to spend more time in the present, in the here and now. Stop letting thoughts and worries control the way you behave. The more you think about something the more worrying it becomes. It’s like a toothache, your tooth hurts and you become aware of it, so you think about it more, then you rub your poorly tooth with your tongue and there it is again, the pain. It hurts, so you think about it more and the more you think about it the more it hurts. It’s definitely not easy to stop thinking about it, or prodding it with your tongue, but if you become distracted by something else isn’t it a fact that it hurts less, or you forget that it hurts?
Mindfulness is like that, you know you have problems and worries but you have to spend a little time not letting them dominate your thoughts so you can forget about the pain they cause you for a while. You need only subtle shift in your thinking, your language and your expectations to begin to change ingrained behaviours.
How to practice Mindfulness.
In just 10 minutes a day you can begin to transform your life and learn to spend more time in the present. This is done by meditation, but don’t worry, you don’t have to get your carpet out and burn the incense. You don’t need to clear your mind and think of nothing. You don’t need to fill your mind with chanting . There is nothing wrong with these methods of meditation but most people find it really difficult, I know I do.
Mindfulness meditation means putting yourself in the present. You need to spend 10 minutes a day just being in the here and now. Do nothing for 10 minutes.Switch off your phone and any other distractions. Maybe go out and sit on a bench somewhere, or stand in the park. Then simply listen and observe and be in the present. Don’t think, don’t talk, don’t plan, don’t judge. Take in your surroundings. If you feel a thought coming up then accept then let it go. Witness your thoughts and emotions coming and going without judgement but with a relaxed calm mind. It’s not an easy thing to do, but just try it regularly and with time it should get easier.
The Benefits of Becoming More Mindful.
Being more mindful means you can stop doing things governed by rules and routine and make less mistakes by being more aware of where you are and what you are doing.
You will be able to change ingrained behaviours and learn how to deal with things differently.
You will be able to challenge the limits that you assume are real and transform your life.
You will have a greater sense of focus, calm and clarity in your life.
All you have to do is spend some time in the present and understand that your thoughts do not control you because you can control them.
If you are interested in finding out more about Mindfulness there are lots of books to choose from.
