Category: Self-Care

Posted in Creative Writing, Mental Health, Self-Care, Self-Talk

My Poem Was Published In a Magazine!

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Excited to share my poem that was published in the Spotlight on Recovery magazine “Writer’s Choice” Part 7.

Get a better view of the poem here:

BREAKING UP WITH DARKNESS
By Nina Rondon

I was in love with the darkness.
We’ve been together for a while.
Far away but so close, I could feel it holding my hand,
kissing my cheek as I grin and bear it; putting on a fake smile.

At first our relationship seemed normal, natural I would say.
We were right in all the wrong ways.
Maybe we were soul mates, a concept I often wondered about.
I craved love, so what’s the harm in loving the darkness,
the cold, lonely dark cloud.

It wasn’t long before I noticed the pressure
the darkness was putting on me.
Expectations as deep as the ocean,
a ball and chain locked to my wrists.
Drowning would be the only option in a situation like this.

The more we were together, the more I noticed a shadow growing,
hovering over me like a tree.
It didn’t shade me, it was grief.
I wasn’t comfortable, I wanted out,
but it’s been so long since I spoke up,
I lost my voice, I couldn’t shout.

This would be the first time I stood up for myself,
I feel the stiffness as I swim up from the depths.
It looks like such a long way up, but I have to do this,
I have to take this step.
I can see the light, the more I move close;
like I was being reborn; a seed discovering its growth.

When I finally reached the surface,
I have to admit I felt lost.
This is the first time I’m out on my own without the darkness.
What am I without it?
Maybe, I should go back?
I can hear it call. No! I need this!
I’ve set myself free.
This is how I broke up with the darkness.
How I found… me.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, Self-Talk, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Pencil Case Prompts: Let’s Do Something Different This Week

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Finish this sentence: Instead of ________ I choose to _______ this week.

Oh my goodness! I’ve had so many shifts and changes in my life this year already 😅. Honestly, I can barely keep up with it all. Despite all the changes, though, I still want to set intentional time to prioritize myself, my goals, and my needs.

For this week’s reflection let’s think about things we can do differently that may benefit us. What behaviors, habits, or routines do you want to change or improve?

I’ll go first!
Instead of scrolling on social media for a few hours every day, I choose to read and watch my comfort shows this week.

What about you?

You can also find this prompt in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.

Posted in Events, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Care

NAMI-NYC Virtual Expressive Arts Workshop Event – At Home Within Myself: I Know Who I Am

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

So very excited to announce the NAMI-NYC Expressive Arts workshop event I will be hosting this Saturday! This event will be via Zoom and on the NAMI-NYC website. You can find the link here. On the day of the event, click the Expressive Arts Zoom link for February 24, 2024.

IMPORTANT: This Expressive Arts workshop and the ones following this one are from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to send me an email 💟. The time of the event is in Eastern Standard Time.

*I will share any updates or changes and keep everyone posted.

Title:
At Home Within Myself: I Know Who I Am

Description:
“At Home Within Myself: I Know Who I Am” is a creative, reflective, and fun event where we will draw, write, and reflect about ourselves. Starting with an ice breaker, we will sketch an image and write a list of 3 things you want to focus on, get done, or achieve this weekend. The main activity will then be to pick one of three activities. The first activity will be to draw a house and around that house write your favorite hobbies, things that help you get through the day, habits that you find helpful and would like to continue, and boundaries you want to set for yourself, the second activity will be to write a poem about a challenge you want to overcome or something you want to do differently moving forward, and the third activity will be write a journal entry describing a weakness you want to turn into a strength or a strength you want to build on. Lastly, we will close by sharing our works of art.

Materials:
Paper, writing utensils (pen, pencil, markers, or crayons).

Schedule:
2:00 – 2:20: Introductions and Ice breaker
2:20 – 3:00: Main Activity
3:00 – 3:30: Sharing and Closing

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Confessions, Creative Writing, Love, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, Self-Talk

A Confession: To the Girls That Are Like Me…

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Here’s to the girl that never had a first dance
Who watched everyone at her school prom get asked out but her
Who’s been told she wasn’t pretty growing up
Who was never anyone’s first choice
Who’s been ghosted over and over
Who’s been told she was too much
Who feels like she doesn’t belong anywhere or with anyone
Who’s been used
Who fell in love with someone that didn’t feel the same
Who wished fairy tales were real
Who has cried herself to sleep wondering what went wrong
Who’s hope and desire for love is withering away with each passing day

Me too

But, despite all of this you are STILL beautiful and worthy of all the love this world has to offer. It’s OK to love on yourself, especially on those days when everything feels heavy and the shame of loneliness is eating at your mental health. There’s nothing wrong with you. You absolutely deserve the companionship you wish for. There’s still life left to live, OK?

I love you. We can continue moving forward together.

Posted in Events, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Care

NAMI-NYC Virtual Expressive Arts Workshop Event: Seasonal Reflections UPDATED

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Due to unforeseen circumstances I was not able to have my November 2023 Expressive Arts workshop but, I’m very excited to announce the NAMI-NYC Expressive Arts workshop I will be hosting on Saturday December 30th! This event will be via Zoom and on the NAMI-NYC website. You can find the link here. On the day of the event click the Expressive Arts Zoom link for December 30th, 2023.

IMPORTANT: This Expressive Arts workshop and the ones following this one are from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to send me a DM or email 💟. The time of the event is in Eastern Standard Time.

*I will share any updates or changes and keep everyone posted.

Here are some details for the event:

Title:
Seasonal Reflections

Description:
“Seasonal Reflections” is a creative and reflective event where we will draw and write about the closing of this year, 2023. Starting with an ice breaker, we will sketch an image and complete this sentence: If I could describe this year using one word, the word I would use is _______ . The main activity will then be to pick one of three activities. The first activity will be to draw an image or series of images of things that remind you of this time of year (this can include holiday themes, the change in weather, family or community traditions, special events etc.), the second activity will be to write a poem or journal entry about how this year was for you overall, things you’ve learned, or what you would like to let go of/move on from, and the third activity will be to make a seasonal or holiday card of your choosing. Lastly, we will close by sharing our works of art.

Materials
Paper, writing utensils (pen, pencil, markers, or crayons).

Schedule
2:00 – 2:20: Introductions and Ice breaker
2:20 – 3:00: Main Activity
3:00 – 3:30: Sharing and Closing

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, Self-Talk, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

End of the Year Reflections: Moving on From 2023

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

What’s something you want to practice more moving forward?

As the year winds down, I find myself reflecting on what I want to focus on — especially in terms of the relationship I have with myself. One of the things I want to intentionally practice is having more patience and love for myself. I notice that when I think too deeply or for too long about the expectations I have, I tend to be very self-critical which leaves me feeling stuck. I want to learn how to show myself more grace when I’m faced with uncomfortable or uncontrollable circumstances.

What about you? What’s something you want to practice more that’ll be helpful for you?

You can also find this prompt in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.

Dear 2023…

Activity:

Let’s write farewell letters to 2023 this week. In your letters you can add things you’ve learned, things you want to let go of and move on from, important events that happened, how you want to move forward, or how your health has impacted you. Write whatever feels good!

Reflection:

Here’s my letter:

Dear 2023,

A lot has happened this year. I’ve felt so much grief, sadness, and confusion. I’ve experienced new symptoms and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders — some days it was even too heavy to carry by myself. I’ve had moments where I gave my best and didn’t feel like it was enough, or that I wasn’t worthy of the companionship, friendships, relationships, or the love I was craving. I’ve been really tired.

2023, I’ve extended myself and my love to so many people that I saw were suffering around the world. I still hold them deep in my heart.

I’ve had conversations and listened to stories that’s opened my perspective and learned new things from others.

Moving forward, 2023, I want to be more confident in myself, in my voice, my talents, and my skills. I don’t want to hide when I feel afraid because in the past that made me feel safe. I want to continue to advocate and show others that it’s OK not to be OK and there are people who care about them… like me! I want to be kinder to myself because I deserve kindness, and be gentler with myself because I deserve gentleness. I want to continue to listen to the stories of others and grow in awareness of what they experience. (If you’re reading this, your voice matters!)

I also want to thank the people who have helped me get through this year like my therapist, my mom, sister, NAMI-NYC fam, favorite Mighty boss lady kat, fellow kind soul and community teammate skye, plus all of you reading this right now. Any kind word or positive energy sent was received and greatly appreciated.

Farewell 2023.

It’s been a roller coaster,
Nina aka SparklyWarTanks

You can also find this prompt in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Care, Self-Talk, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Pencil Case Prompts and Reflections: Overcoming Challenges and What’s Keep Us Going

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

What’s a challenge you’re working to overcome?

Let’s talk a bit about some challenges we’re being faced with and the ways we are managing, navigating, and/or overcoming them (whatever that looks like!).

A challenge I’m working to overcome is motivating myself to be more active, go out, and open myself up to new opportunities. A theme I’ve noticed this year overall in terms of my self-care and growth is gaining enough confidence in myself to do things out of my comfort zone. I know that I have some fears of the unknown, so I’m being patient with myself as I explore new and different possibilities.

What about you?

You can also find this prompt here in The Pencil Case on The Mighty!

What’s keeping you going right now?

With all that’s happening in the world and with all the challenges we are faced with (holiday depression, anyone?), I want to say I’m super proud of each and every one of you who may be also experiencing challenges, too (including myself 🙂).

Today, let’s share what’s keeping us going! Hope is healing, right?

I’ll go first!

My family and my passion to continue sharing my story are what’s keeping me going right now.

You can also find this prompt here in The Pencil Case on The Mighty!

Posted in Events, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Care

NAMI-NYC Virtual Expressive Arts Workshop Event: My Treasure Map

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

So very excited to announce the NAMI-NYC Expressive Arts workshop event I will be hosting tomorrow!  This event will be via Zoom and on the NAMI-NYC website. You can find the link here. Click the Expressive Arts Zoom link for October 28th, 2023.

IMPORTANT: This Expressive Arts workshop and the ones following this one are from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to send me an email. The time of the event is in Eastern Standard Time.

*I will share any updates or changes and keep everyone posted.

Here are some details for the event:

Title:
My Treasure Map

Description:
“My Treasure Map” is a relaxing and fun event where we will draw, write, and reflect about what’s most important to us. Starting with an ice breaker, we will sketch an image and write a thank you note to a person, place, thing, or ideas that’s been helpful for us this year. The main activity will then be to pick one of two activities. The first activity will be to draw a treasure map with all the things we find valuable in our lives, and the second activity will be to write a poem or journal entry about something or someone that’s made a profound impact on us. Lastly, we will close by sharing our works of art.

Materials:
Paper, writing utensils (pen, pencil, markers, or crayons).

Schedule
2:00 – 2:20: Introductions and Ice breaker
2:20 – 3:00: Main Activity
3:00 – 3:30: Sharing and Closing

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Events, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Self-Care

NAMI-NYC Virtual Expressive Arts Workshop Event: Abstract!

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

So very excited to announce the NAMI-NYC Expressive Arts workshop event I will be facilitating tomorrow! This event will be via Zoom and on the NAMI-NYC website. You can find the link here. Click the Expressive Arts Zoom link for September 30, 2023.

IMPORTANT: This Expressive Arts workshop and the ones following this one are from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm!

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to send me a DM or email 💟. The time of the event is in Eastern Standard Time.

*I will share any updates or changes and keep everyone posted.

Here are some details for the event:

Title
Abstract!

Description
“Abstract!” is a relaxing and fun event where we will draw, write, and create. Starting with an ice breaker, we will sketch an image and share a self-care goal we have for the month of October. The main activity will then be to pick one of two activities. The first activity will be to create an abstract drawing, and the second activity will be to write a free verse poem about what thoughts, images, and ideas come to mind when hearing the word “art.” Lastly, we will close by sharing our works of art.

Materials
Paper, writing utensils (pen, pencil, markers, or crayons).

Schedule
2:00 – 2:20: Introductions and Ice breaker
2:20 – 3:00: Main Activity
3:00 – 3:30: Sharing and Closing

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Potential and Worth, Power, Self-Care, The Mighty

What’s a non-negotiable standard you have for yourself?

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal standards lately and why setting them straight is essential to my growth and mental health journey. What is a standard you ask? Great question.

A standard is a rule, expectation, or guiding factor to live by, especially when we’re navigating or making decisions. What we hold as a standard creates a blueprint for us to follow, ensuring we stay true to our values and what’s most important to us.

One of my newer, non-negotiable standards I’m following — especially as it applies to my perfectionism and people-pleasing recovery — is to make sure I’m respecting my time and energy by paying attention and setting limits to how much of myself I give to others, and ensuring my relationships are mutual and not one-sided. I deserve to be loved as much as I love others.

What’s yours?

You can also find this reflection prompt in the Cheer Me On group on The Mighty here.