Carefreedom Living®

03/30/202012/15/2023

Calming Your Mind In Stressful Times

In the modern world we’re now absolutely bombarded by information — from phone calls to 24 hour news cycles to highway billboards and social media posts.

With the information overload and our busy lives, is it any wonder that our mind constantly plays a soundtrack of anxious and intrusive thoughts?

Kathie Donovan shares insights into calming our minds.

This Wellings blog by Kathie Donovan was exclusively written for Wellings Communities and appeared first on MyWellings.com.

in Carefreedom Living®, Video Blogs Posted by Kathie Donovan

03/23/202012/15/2023

How To Manage Living In Interesting Times

Life is certainly unstable right now; this uncertainty messes with us humans physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It’s no joke.

None of us knows how the coronavirus will impact our communities and our loved ones; all we can do is keep calm and carry on. That was what the British government put on a poster to help boost morale in England as they prepared for World War II; that was no joke either.

So, what can we do to help ourselves and our community? Well first of all, it’s important to be informed but equally important not to allow ourselves to become overwhelmed. Watching news all day is not good medicine for us on any level. While the media has a key role to play in keeping us informed, remember that fear is a kind of currency for the media and it’s up to us to manage the budget. So check in but don’t stay too long, change the channel….but to what?

Here are a few suggestions that I’m practicing to help manage the stress in all of this uncertainty.

I’m minimizing exposure to drama in the media and in conversations with other people. Be a leader and control the dialogue. Yes it is scary but let’s all do our best to stay in the present and not get too far ahead of ourselves.

I don’t mean to disregard reality but it’s important to surround yourself with positive energy and give your thoughts a positive focus. It could be watching a funny movie, cat videos, uplifting interviews, speaking with people you know who are positive; reading articles like this to stay focused on what you can do to help yourself and those around you. It’s important to stay connected with each other; with so many options available, we can stay “in community,” virtually without having to be irresponsible. The elderly are our most vulnerable, if you think of someone who may need some groceries or a meal, call them and make the offer. Just the sound of a happy voice, will settle them down. I’m sure they will appreciate knowing they are not alone in this.

Ask for help if you need it. Believe me; someone is waiting for you to ask.

Thanks to online ordering, electronic banking & all the delivery services out there, we should be able to get what we need, even if we are self isolating.

Watch caffeine intake, it can create anxiety in the body and we want to minimize that. Choose herbal tea or water instead. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet, which means minimal refined carbohydrates, especially sugar, which weakens the immune system.

Practice or learn how to use your breath to calm your body. Practice or learn to meditate to calm your thoughts and your body.

Watch the negative self-talk and potential criticism of others. Fear is a trickster; it can make us feel like we’re doing the right thing when in truth, the right thing is always to be kind toward yourself and everyone else.

Finally, use your thoughts to focus on gratitude for people on the front lines of this unpredictable virus, gratitude for their service and courage. I’m grateful for them and I’m grateful for you. Be well; live well.

This Wellings blog by Kathie Donovan was exclusively written for Wellings Communities and appeared first on MyWellings.com.

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Kathie Donovan

03/09/202012/15/2023

From Little Seeds Great Things Grow

I was a dedicated smoker for a few decades of my life; I’m not proud of the fact but what I am delighted with is that I was able to stop. Smoking is a stubborn habit. It took me about seven attempts before I was able to gradually stop smoking successfully. To help me get through the withdrawal from nicotine, I was encouraged to do more aerobic exercise, eat more protein and leafy greens. I didn’t really understand why these new habits helped but they did. It turns out it was about focusing my thoughts on feeling good through healthier practices and not focusing on the negative feeling of giving something up. It worked! I’ve been free from cigarettes for almost thirty years.

Our brain is a powerful supercomputer; it’s involved in everything we do. The brain has connections that run throughout our body; it determines how we behave and how well we think. I remind myself often that our thoughts are really the only thing we have control over in life. We can’t control events and we can’t control other people. Our thoughts are so powerful that they can be sabotaging, even debilitating when left unchecked; they can also be a powerful positive force when we manage them well.

Negativity is so easy to buy into and that’s mainly what our thinking mind serves up. It takes a focus on something other than our random thoughts to shift us out of negativity, especially when there’s so much fear in the world but it is important to take ownership of our thoughts and direct them toward a good result, just as I did with giving up smoking.

What sounds like a daunting responsibility can be managed by having a healthy foundation; then building on small shifts to produce long-term positive results. It’s important to get good nutrition, good exercise and good sleep; these are the pillars of a healthy mindset. If you want to improve any of these, start investigating how you can develop better sleep habits and ask your doctor to check your blood work to ensure that you’re not deficient in important minerals and vitamins. Exercise is a natural anti-depressant and we need to treat it like medicine. I love yoga and practice it regularly; I find it really helpful when it comes to stress management, feeling calm and having clarity. Start small with any of these healthy practices and be kind to yourself as you learn something new.

Now that we’ve set the foundation, we can start building on.

I wasn’t always a grateful person; in fact I grew up feeling like I never had enough and that I wasn’t enough because that’s what I learned at home. There was more emphasis on what we didn’t have and who we could never be instead of learning to appreciate what we did have. In adulthood, after realizing that this line of thinking was sabotaging my best efforts to be happy, I chose to teach myself to focus my thoughts on what I had to appreciate, starting with small shifts. Try this: look out the nearest window and pause for a few minutes. Notice the colours you observe; notice the sunlight or cloud formation in the sky. What makes you feel good about what you see? Pay attention to that. If you can’t see, listen, even to the quiet and appreciate that you can hear. If you can’t hear, notice your breath and be grateful for that.

It’s all about bringing our attention into the present moment and appreciating life exactly as it is. Even on days when life sucks, there is something to appreciate. In this small practice of focusing our thoughts on the good instead of the random negative thoughts our brain serves up, we create a brighter result. Next step for me was writing down five things I’m grateful for every day until it became a thinking habit; if it was a bad day, I’d write ten things. The truth is, the more grateful we are, the more there is to be grateful for.

Despite what your thoughts tell you, your brain loves a challenge. Learning to talk back to negative thoughts is an important habit to cultivate. Ask yourself if the negative thought is really true and if it’s not true, please correct it. When you do, you take away its power. Instead of allowing your thoughts to run your life, work on learning new things. It’s through learning that we develop new connections in the brain and enhance its capability. There is absolutely no age limit on learning and in fact when we stop learning, our brain slows down. We have to work it like a muscle.

Small, no fail steps are the building blocks of good sustainable habits. It’s important to recognize that we’re all beautiful works in progress; the goal should be to constantly improve and not to win anything or anyone’s approval. Do your best to feel your best you’ll find yourself willing to keep going and growing.

This Wellings blog by Kathie Donovan was exclusively written for Wellings Communities and appeared first on MyWellings.com.

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Kathie Donovan

01/01/202002/11/2022

New Year’s Greetings

First and foremost, allow me to thank you for taking the time to open and read this message, as I know we all have so much on our plates at this time of the year.

I am so grateful for all of the Blessings that 2019 provided to all of us, that I felt it necessary to share some of the highlights, surrounding 2019, now in the rearview mirror, with all of its great memories and take a look forward to 2020, with overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement.

Suffice it to say that from a corporate perspective, the Opening of the Wellings of Stittsville would have to have been the high point of the past year. I guess it goes without saying that our community members proved once again, that they are the true “Wellings Champions” that we all aspire to be 🙂 Their patience and support was not only appreciated but truly cherished, as we endured the delays in construction.

I believe in my heart that the end result is a Wellings community that is a beautiful building fueled by community’s passion-We are so Blessed-Thank you all.

In addition to the Wellings of Stittsville opening, we are all excited with the overwhelming community support we have received in all of the existing Wellings communities, as well as markets we are looking forward to building in. With vibrant Wellings PLUS communities in Picton, Corunna (Sarnia), and most recently, Stittsville, with our most successful opening to date, where almost 150 people moved in in the 1st 60 days-Wow. The most fantastic thing in Stittsville was the community’s birth, long before there was ever a building, fascinating……

The other very exciting news that will forever tie 2019 to 2020 is the innovation that we have experienced in our traditional Wellings offering. On the heels of the tremendous success in the Wellings of Waterford, with all three phases scheduled to be completed in April of 2020, we already have a full house. The popularity of this model of community in Waterford has “inspired” us to ramp up development in our traditional Wellings small market offering. This model is a unique offering that breeds a real sense of community at affordable prices for smaller cities. As a result of this overwhelming support, we have communities in planning or under development in Winchester, Pembroke, and Cornwall to kick off in 2020.

On the Wellings PLUS front, we are equally excited about the completion and environment in our recently opened Wellings of Stittsville and have Wellings PLUS communities beginning construction in 2020 in Whitby and Calgary-So exciting, to provide the ultimate 55+ community experience in these two markets.

I wanted to personally thank all of our stakeholders for their contributions and support in helping the Wellings brand to exceed expectations at every opportunity and continue to innovate in the area of 55+ communities. I look forward to seeing all of you during my visits to YOUR Wellings community during 2020, while I continue to look for your input as to how we can continue to make Wellings all that your dreams make it.

On a closing note, I wanted to personally thank all of our community members for their undying support and trust and wish each and every one of you A joyous holiday season and all of the Blessings that 2020 has to bring to you and your families.

Happy New Year,
Kevin Pidgeon,
President,
Nautical Lands Group

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Kevin pidgeon

04/02/201909/03/2020

Laundry And The Love Of Essential Oils

It’s inevitable, we love life and between our clothes and linens at some point, the washing machine must get turned on.

Has this ever happened to you?

Laundry machines using your In-suite washer and dryer you get busy and forget there is a load in the washing machine.

In searching for your favorite piece of clothing, you come to find you have had the misfortune of leaving a load of wet damp laundry in the washing machine for a couple of days.

Chances are you opened the door and discovered a sour smell in the machine along with your freshly washed clothes.

Tip: Wash the load again this time add some Veeva essential oils, add a few drops to the soap in the dispenser.
Tip: To keep front load dryers smelling “stress-free” leave the door open and add Veeva essential oils, add a few drops of the masterfully blended stress blend on an old washcloth or pillowcase left in the dryer will leave it smelling fresh like patchouli, Ylang Ylang, Sweet Orange and Clove.
Tip: Want to keep your linens smelling “clean and fresh” longer? Add a few drops of Veeva essential oils to a face cloth or pillowcase and tuck it in your linen closet.
Tip: Make your own dryer sheet by adding a few drops of Veeva essential oils to a washcloth or pillowcase and toss it in with your drying load. Everything will come out smelling fresh and clean.

Did you know that Just a few drops of our beloved Veeva essential oils will not only bring a whole new freshness to your laundry but in a diffuser, it can aid in peace and tranquility throughout your entire cosy studio suite. Lavender is a calming scent and science has shown it can aid in falling asleep, it is another good choice for your pillowcases, just remember a little goes a long way!!

The Science of Wellness, Eat.Live.Love ~ Susan Stephen

Susan Stephen

Susan Stephen is the Vice President of Living Science Wellness Centre located in Stittsville. A Mind Body Spirit & Business Coach, UFH Unity Field Healing Practitioner, Relational Clearing Practitioner and a Business Transformation Advisor. To connect with Susan and her team: https://livingscience.ca/

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Susan Stephen

03/04/201909/03/2020

Rise & Shine!

“Living well, starts when you start your day” – here’s a few tips on how to boost your goodness intake and shine from the inside out…

Why is it important to get started with a decent breakfast?

“Breaking the fast” the first meal of the day after you’ve had a good night’s sleep.
Many seniors like quick and easy starts to the day.

Many are on the go with tea and toast.

Is there a better way to eat a tea and toast style breakfast?
Try adding a teaspoon of unflavoured collagen, great for your bones, skin, hair and nail growth.

Choose a hot cup of bone broth over a hot cup of tea. It has nutrients your body needs like collagen and essential vitamins and minerals, electrolytes and is warming first thing in the morning. Chicken bone broth, Beef bone broth or Vegetable bone broth are great choices.

Ginger and Lemon Tea as a warm alternative, it’s great for digestion and ginger warms the body, internal organs, also calming for an upset stomach.
Add a protein and some nutrients to your toast, some spreadable cream cheese, peanut butter, avocado and try some nut butters such as almond, pumpkin, tahini, egg salad, salmon, spreadable proteins to give you energy. If you want to add good fats to your diet, add butter or spread coconut oil.
If you are taking medications and the practitioner suggests they be taken with food, tea & toast won’t be enough. This is often the reason why your stomach feels upset, you may lack concentration, or experience brain fog, a feeling of malaise.

You’ll need to add sea salt to your diet. A pinch in a glass of water first thing in the morning and sipping throughout the day will keep you hydrated and the sea salt contains minerals your body needs. Also, sea salt helps you absorb the water and lessens the need to urinate as often.
Want to turn it up a notch?

Overnight oats are a great way to have breakfast and a good solution for those busy people on the go. As you head out the door to an appointment, to your golf game, to a meetup, or your next adventure.

Grab this Overnight Oats Jar from your fridge & bring a spoon.
Here’s the easy recipe:

Start by using a 500ml mason jar
Add ½ cup of quick oats (we like Only Oats because they are gluten-free)
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of cinnamon
*A scoop of your favourite protein powder (we like IronVegan vanilla sprouted protein because it has 17g of protein, 3 g fibre, 4g carbohydrates, 0g sugar).
Then add your favourite liquid to fill the jar.
We suggest 1 ½ cups of unsweetened Almond Milk and ¼ cup of unsweetened coconut milk or use any combination you choose: Such as milk, almond milk, coconut milk or soya milk.
Leave some room to add berries, a teaspoon of maple syrup a few nuts, pumpkin seeds & chia seeds the next morning. Or if you have a sweet tooth add a few nibs of dark chocolate.

Note*If you don’t have protein powder you can make a substitution and use ½ cup of Yogurt in the morning & stir.

The next morning grab your Overnight Oats and a spoon and head out the door. This delicious nutritious breakfast will keep you feeling full, fueled and energized as you begin your day.

Susan Stephen

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Susan Stephen

02/25/201912/15/2023

An Open Conversation About Change

Has this Happened to You?

You go to the produce department of your grocery store and they’ve moved your favourite vegetable or fruit. Now you have to go searching for its new location and along the way you notice some items you didn’t know were on the shelves.

You might even pick up one or two new things. Discovering date butter recently, while looking for fresh blueberries was a revelation for me.

Retailers understand the need to change their displays to keep things fresh and their customers interested but the idea doesn’t always apply to our day to day life. Really, many of us are what financial planners call risk-averse.

I’m guilty as charged when it comes to managing my finances however the rest of my life is filled with risk because I’ve learned to use my superpower of courage. Believe me, I wasn’t always so eager to change things up.

Embracing change is not a natural thing for us humans and we find ourselves complaining about it because we’re wired for safety. When we think change, often we think discomfort, right?

We’ve been trained through how we’re wired as humans and through social conditioning to resist changing anything. Our beautiful brains have intricate systems to keep us protected. When we feel threatened or pushed to make some kind of change or change is happening around us and we can’t control it, we freak out a little…or a lot depending on the circumstance and all we want is to get back to the safety of life before this perceived disruption.

What we’re really afraid of when it comes to change is being outside, what we describe as, our comfort zone. It’s that feeling of familiarity with surroundings and behaviours, where we can predict what will happen with some confidence.

Stepping outside that zone makes us feel unsettled because we can’t predict what will happen and often we choose not to take action as a result.

Of the 40,000 – 60,000 thoughts that we have rolling around in our brain every day, I’d be willing to bet some of them are about changes you’d like to see happen in your life and others are about why you shouldn’t do anything about it.

So How Can we Learn to Embrace Change?

First of all, we need to understand that our brain can change how it operates; the great news is that we’re not stuck with the wiring we came into the world with.

The science is called Neuroplasticity and it refers to the idea that we can rewire our brains not to fear change so much, in fact, we can learn to embrace change; it’s all in how we choose to think.

Some of the change we experience in life is a result of being alive…anybody else noticing a little drooping of this and that? Other change is within our control and some change is out of our control.

Faced with any of the above, we have a choice: we can either accept or resist and this is where the magic happens. It’s in our choice.

If you’ve met an older person with a youthful spirit, someone who was interested in you and has a lot to offer, then you have witnessed what I’ve just described. Remaining open-minded, being kind and courageous, making ourselves life-long learners all contribute to making us feel ageless.

I like to joke that people 55 plus today are part of generation ageless because that’s how I want us to see ourselves. Sure, change happens but when we’re open-minded, change looks more like an opportunity for growth than a threat to our safety and when we grow, the focus is always on improving our lives.

We, Humans, Crave Continuity, Yet One Thing We Can Be Sure of in Life is Change.

I think the best question we can ask ourselves is what are we really afraid of? In the answer will be the key to acceptance because when we start to get clear about why we’re afraid, it’s usually not as overwhelming as we initially perceived.

Having compassion for ourselves is a big part of learning to embrace change and sharing our fear with others who have compassion for us is important as well.

See change as a natural part of life instead of an interruption because it is natural and learning to embrace it by participating in it instead of fighting against it will bring surprising results.

When We Know Where We Fit In, We’re More Likely to Take a step in a new direction.

We need to feel like participants in every step of our life’s adventure. While it may be tempting to allow someone else to take care of your business, they may not give you the result you really want.

So, navigate change with your friends and family; don’t be afraid to seek a professional’s advice if it’s an unfamiliar subject. Continue to educate yourself and share what you fear, so you can find clarity.

Do the research, ask questions and talk it out with others going through similar experiences. It’s important to know what your priorities are, when it comes to navigating change, so you can prevent others from imposing their ideas on you rather than remaining neutral and giving you the space to make informed choices.

Enjoy your life….go to the movies, set up coffee dates, do yoga, whatever makes you feel good and fills you up, will be great support as you navigate change. Learning to embrace change is work and its work worth doing because your happiness depends on it.

Changes in our lives should be working for us; not the other way around. Live well; be well.

Kathie Donovan

Currently a Wellings Ambassador and Living Well Advisor, Kathie was Canada’s broadcasting sweetheart and co-host of Regional Contact for almost 30 years. Kathie travelled the Country shedding light on attractions, causes and talented artisans tucked away- off the beaten track. Her love of connecting people, caring and sharing is inspiring. Kathie has authored three books, continues to build on her workshop series “ Refresh Your Passion”, and is currently taping a new TV show, yet still has time to love what she’s doing and live well.

This Wellings blog by Kathie Donovan was exclusively written for Wellings Communities and appeared first on MyWellings.com.

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Kathie Donovan

02/18/201903/11/2020

How To Live A Vibrant And Healthy Life

So you recognize, it’s time to change a few things in your diet and fitness level and want to know where to start…

Are you asking yourself some of these questions?

I know my energy level is decreasing, what can I do?

EAT

Eat smaller meals, snacking or grazing more often throughout the day. Add protein, a boiled egg, a bowl of oatmeal, nuts, seeds, and good fats, a slice of avocado, a spoonful of coconut oil in your morning coffee.

LIVE

Get moving, a few jumping jacks will increase your heart rate. Next a few arm circles: extend your arms, shoulder height and do a few arm circles, five forward and five backward. Smaller at first and larger circles. Staying active: Go for a walk around your landscaped grounds enjoy the water feature and stroll along the walking trail through Poole Creek to explore. Listen with your ears. Notice what sounds you hear, birds singing, planes overhead, people laughing, music playing, leaves swaying in the trees. Memory recall think of something or somewhere or someone the last time you heard that particular sound.

LOVE

February is heart health month, learn to love yourself, wrap your arms around yourself and give you a great big heartfelt hug. Trees emit energy so hug a tree & feel energized. Look at yourself in a mirror, make eye contact and tell yourself how much you love you!

I want to live a vibrant and healthy life for as long as possible, what do I do now? Answer: Just start

Is it ever too late to start? The answer is no it’s never too late to begin to live vibrantly. Look around you there are remarkable adults 55+ doing some amazing things and they didn’t start them until after their elite years. Light yoga, a stretch class, walking, exercise do something every day to keep moving or your body will seize up. Keep your mind active too! Try puzzles, sudoku, scrabble, yahtzee. And keep your spirit vibrant too try meditation, affirmations, deep breathing, a new hobby or joyful experience to add vitality.

I don’t want to focus on what I eat all the time, what are some tips I can start using now?

Some supplements we recommend for boosting energy and adding nutrients to your diet include: BioSteel greens as simple as adding a tablespoon to 250ml/1 cup of water can add 6-8 servings of vegetables to your diet. So the answer is yes you can drink your vegetables.

Deep breathing – this is another simple solution to change your mood, boost your energy and increase your vitality.

Sit quietly, feet firmly on the ground, sit up straight and tall, take a deep breath in, and imagine the word Live as you inhale, exhale the word Live, then imagine the word Live going up through your body and out the top of your head.

Your lungs will thank you for the deep breathing break.

Just breathe

The Science of Wellness, Eat. Live. Love ~ Susan Stephen

Susan Stephen

in Carefreedom Living® Posted by Susan Stephen

Calming Your Mind In Stressful Times

How To Manage Living In Interesting Times

From Little Seeds Great Things Grow

New Year’s Greetings

Laundry And The Love Of Essential Oils

Rise & Shine!

An Open Conversation About Change

Has this Happened to You?

So How Can we Learn to Embrace Change?

We, Humans, Crave Continuity, Yet One Thing We Can Be Sure of in Life is Change.

When We Know Where We Fit In, We’re More Likely to Take a step in a new direction.

How To Live A Vibrant And Healthy Life

I know my energy level is decreasing, what can I do?

EAT

LIVE

LOVE

I want to live a vibrant and healthy life for as long as possible, what do I do now? Answer: Just start

Natalie Tommy

FREDDI RODIER