Mission of Creative Wellness Services

Creative Wellness Services provides unique, creative and experiential wellness programs for individuals and groups, such as your work place environment. Services are facilitated to include the use of art, creativity and self-reflection to promote enhanced teamwork and individual wellness.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Oh Sweetheart - You are enough as you are - Not too much or too little....

Oh Sweetheart - these two simple beautiful words have the power to so soothe my heart.  This week during a peer networking meeting a colleague shared Jeff Foster's Poem - A Prayer for the Overwhelmed.   I had heard this poem once before at a silent meditation retreat, and the revisiting of this poem was so timely.  My heart burst with gratitude to hear it again.

What a lovely way to greet oneself  - hearts open wide with these two simple loving words.

On days like this, grey gloomy ones, I notice how extra hard it is to move, to motivate my body, my parts of my self, to get outside and do the one step at a time dance....So I am reminded to lean into these feelings, to be with them, greet them with these two simple words...."oh sweetheart"....There is no other way I have to be, there is no need to push through, to be 'strong' or no need to pretend.   Instead I can choose to be just what I am right now....As I notice leaning into the grey of the day, I feel a softening.  This is what it means to be with all the good, bad and the ugly....The part of me that can get melancholy on days like this needs comfort and cozy, an acceptance to be slow and mindful...I don't need permission to do this, I need acceptance of self to do that, to listen deeply to what my blue part is saying and to allow her to just be as she needs to be.  And this shall pass as quickly as it arose...


Here is Jeff Foster's Poem:  A Prayer for the Overwhelmed

Oh, sweetheart.
Life is overwhelming for you at times, l know.
Don't listen to the ones who call you over-sensitive or too weak for this world.
Your sensitivity is exquisitely beautiful!
But you must learn to stay close to yourself.
You must learn to breathe.
To invite curious attention deep into your body.
Allow yourself to feel overwhelmed,
and you won't be overwhelmed, I promise.
It's just a feeling.
A precious part of you longing for love.
It will pass when it's ready.
Let it stay awhile.
Don't pretend to be strong, the one who has it all 'figured out'.
There will be time for answers soon enough.
Now, simply give 'the overwhelmed one' safe passage in your heart.
Drench the feeling of overwhelm with gentle attention; bathe it in overwhelming love.
It's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes, it really is.
Even the strongest feel overwhelmed, for their strength lies in their vulnerability.
Your sensitive nervous system is perfect, and l love you for it. 
And it's all okay, here.
It's really okay, here in the arms
of the present moment.
- Jeff Foster 


Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Eco-Anxiety also known as Solastalgia - Do you have distress caused by climate change?

 Worldwide there is an increase in humans experiencing mental health distress about the corresponding science that reports on the climate crisis and emergency. This mental health condition has been termed as ‘eco-anxiety’ or ‘Solastalgia’ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18027145)

Recently, the Global Climate Strike Week of Action events saw millions of people taking the streets protesting and demanding government action now for change, before we reach the point of no return. These protests were spurred on by Greta Thunberg’s strike almost a year ago. Her solo strike was a way for her to do something about her emotional and mental health distress about the future and feelings of being betrayed by the inaction of governing forces not caring and corporate greed. See https://www.fridaysforfuture.org for more information on the movement she created. For the Global Climate Strike Action week, 1,000,000 people were Canadian; thus 1 out of every 6 strikers globally was Canadian, as well as we were 3rd globally for total # of strikes.
Getting involved in some way with your community helps with the mental health distress.
Other ways to help alleviate feelings of anxiety, depression regarding the demise of our home, the planet earth are:
· Talk about how you are feeling with others, friends, family, other activist groups, a therapist who understands this issue – this would help with the isolation, release some tension and stress
· Take action - join community groups, write letters to your local politicians, take part in local peaceful direct action, participate in art activism – this helps with feeling less stuck
· Switch Off Social Media – taking a break from all the alarming news, the data, statistics and science being shared about the climate change/emergency
· Look After Yourself – participate in self-care, meditation, create art, get back to nature, listen to music
· Participate in individual lifestyle changes – reduce or eliminate use of single use plastic, eat plant-based meals, reduce fossil usage, walk, bicycle, buy locally, practice minimalism, shop at second hand stores, reuse
Above all else know you aren’t alone with this feeling of eco-anxiety/Solastalgia.