Tag: Reflection

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 Mental Health, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Pencil Case Prompts: 2023 and The Week Ahead

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

What words describe how this year is going for you?

Boy, oh boy 😵‍💫. I’m tired. This year has been a doozy.

Here are some words that describe what’s it been like for me:

😓 Exhausting
🥀 Challenging
💡Enlightening
😢 Grief from loss
❓Confused
🌀Cycle endings
🌱Growth
📚Learning
🤗 Family
👀 Seeing

What words describe your year so far?

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

What are you using from your pencil case this week?

Comment below with the item(s) that symbolize what you’ll be embracing over the coming days.

🖊️ Pencil/Pen: Vulnerability, reflection, introspection, journaling

🖍️ Crayon: Creativity, openness, exploration, travel

✏️ Eraser: Alone time, rest, relaxation

🖼️ Glue: Community, family, friendships, connection

✂️ Scissors: Boundaries, speaking up, communication

Can’t find any that match your week? That’s OK! Share what you’ll be embracing instead in the comments below 🌻.

I’ll be taking out my pencil/pen and glue this week!

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

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.

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

Pencil Case Reflection Prompts: Exploring What “Healthy” Means and Things To Look Forward To

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity

What does “healthy” look like for you?

We all experience health, from how we take care of our bodies or manage our health symptoms/conditions, to the decisions we make in our life and how we maintain a state of well-being — physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. This, of course, looks different for all of us since we’re all unique and have different experiences.

My Reflection

To me, “healthy” means and looks like knowing where my limits are and feeling good in my body. Health for me also looks like understanding myself and allowing myself to feel my feelings, always being mindful of how much sleep I’m getting, and knowing how and when to ask for help.

What about you? What does “healthy” look like for you?

Find this prompt here in The Pencil Case on The Mighty!

Activity

Finish this sentence: I’m looking forward to _________.

My Reflection

Guess what?!

I don’t really get the opportunity to go out to big events much, but I’m going to an NF concert (who I absolutely love) and I’m super excited! I’ve been looking forward to this for months and it’s finally here 😁🙌. Yay me!

What’s something you’re looking forward to? 👀

Let’s cheer each other on in the comments below! 🥳💃

Find this prompt here in The Pencil Case on The Mighty!

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

Journaling Prompts: Meditation, Passions, Imagery, and Poetry

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity

What are your thoughts on meditation?

When it comes to positive coping strategies and helpful self-care techniques, I like to hear what others do to self-soothe — even if it’s only to feel better for a momentary basis. One coping strategy that I find helpful, but often hear mixed reviews and ideas about, is meditation.

My Reflection

For me, meditation has helped me learn to connect with myself and my thoughts better; but I do feel like I have to be in a calm place mentally to meditate effectively, which leaves me procrastinating more times than not.

What are your thoughts? Do you think meditation is helpful for you or a bust?

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

Activity

What are you passionate about?

When it comes to our passions, we can think about things that spark a light in us or make us feel good. A passion can be anything from a hobby, a truth, value or philosophy, or a cause that helps out others as well as ourselves.

My Reflection

My passion is in mental health advocacy, community building, and creativity.

Feel free to share your passions in the comments below 💌

You can also find this prompt here in the Chat Space group on The Mighty!

Activity

Write an imagery poem about how you’re feeling today.

Let’s practice our imagery writing skills!

⭐ Imagery is a literary device where you use vivid descriptions that appeal to a reader’s senses and imagination to create an image or idea in their head.

Here is my poem:

My ears are buzzing and ringing.
Bees and telephones.
Bees and telephones.
I’m wide awake.
Eyes like owls in the prime of night.
So much to do.
Time feels crammed into a soda can. There’s not enough of it, I’m craving more. I wish for more. Oh no! I missed the shooting star that just flew by.

I’m ready. Ready for what? Ready to rush?

I can’t. I need to take my time like a sloth. Going too fast makes me lose my breath. I’m hunched over because I can’t breathe.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

I can do it.
Run this race?
But, it’s not a race, remember?
I can slow down.

My heart is slowing down. Each beat like a soft drum.

I’m safe. I can slow down.
I’m doing good.

Feel free to share your own poem in the comments below! 💌

You can also find this prompt here in the Mighty Poets group on The Mighty!

Posted in Reflection, Self-Care, Self-Talk, The Mighty

Journaling, Reflections, and Realizations: Pressing Forward

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity

Name 3 things you want to do during the month of June.

It’s already June and I can barely believe it 😩. How is half the year almost over? Time is flying, literally.

Let’s share some things we want to accomplish, prioritize, or experience this month.

My Reflection

Here is my list!

⏰ Continue to go to bed before 2:00 a.m.
📋 Make sure to prioritize myself and my needs every day along with my daily responsibilities.
☀️ Get outside for fresh air regularly during the week.

You can also find this prompt here in the Chat Space group on The Mighty!

Activity

What’s something you’ve been practicing recently?

My Reflection

I’ll go first!

I’m trying to get better at identifying my emotions and knowing what to do and who to ask for help when I feel overwhelmed.

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

Activity and Reflection

What’s a truth you stand by?

The more I prioritize myself and my needs, the more I’m able to identify what truths I stand by in order to create the life I want for myself in recovery. My main truth is to always believe and pay attention to what my body and intuition is telling me, especially when I’m uncomfortable or I’m reaching a limit.

What about you?

You can also find this prompt here in the Let’s Talk Depression group on The Mighty!

Posted in Mental Health, Self-Care, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Pencil Case Prompts: Mental Health Check-In

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity

How would you describe your week so far?

How has everyone’s week been?

My Reflection

For me, I would describe my week as busy. I also haven’t been feeling too well with all that’s going on. I’m doing my absolute best, though! 💪😌

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

Activity

Finish this sentence: Today, my best looks like _______________.

We did it! We made it through half the week like the champions we are 🙌.

Let’s reflect on what our best looks like today, whether that be checking things off our to-do lists, working, studying, or simply existing.

My Reflection

I’ll share first!

Today, my best looks like finishing up my work in the morning and taking time out to simply be for the remainder of the day, relieving myself of any expectations and worries.

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

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

Pencil Case Journaling Prompts: Self-Talk

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity Prompt

What words would you like to use more of when talking about (or to) yourself?

My Reflection

In the early days of my recovery journey, the first thing a counselor said to me was, “Do you realize how you speak to yourself? Would you speak to someone you love the same way you speak to yourself?” Let’s just say my answer was an automatic “no.” This sparked a change in my perspective and from that point on, I became more aware of my inner dialogue and the words I use to communicate with myself.

Since then, the words I make sure I use in my “self-care and self-love dialogue” are “I deserve…” “I’m allowed to…” and “help.” I’m learning to be more kind to myself.

What about you? What words would you like to use more of?

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-Talk

NAMI-NYC Virtual Expressive Arts Workshop Event: That’s My Favorite

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

So very excited to announce the NAMI-NYC Expressive Arts workshop event I will be facilitating at the end of the month! 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 May 27th, 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:
That’s My Favorite!

Description:
“That’s My Favorite!” is a creative and fun event where we will reflect, get to know one another, and share what our favorite things are. Starting with an ice breaker, we will sketch an image of something that’s our favorite color. The main activity will then be to pick one of two activities. The first activity will be to draw a favorites list of your favorite food, season, animal, movie, and song or genre of music; and the second activity will be to write a poem or a song about something you enjoy doing, a favorite memory, or what makes you happy. 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, Self-Care, Self-Talk, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Reflection Prompts and Affirmations: Looking Ahead

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Activity

Which animal affirmation will you embody this week?

Choose an animal from the graphic above and scroll down to read what your “I am” affirmation is for the week ahead!

Fox 🦊: I am able to do what’s best for me. I take care of myself.

Panda 🐼: I am resilient. I allow myself to take one step at a time.

Horse 🐴: I am fierce. I can achieve what I set my mind to.

Koala 🐨: I am kind to myself. I allow myself moments of peace and rest.

Lion 🦁: I am strong. I can overcome whatever comes my way.

Turtle 🐢: I am patient with my progress. I’ve achieved so much so far. I am proud of myself.

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

Activity

What’s something you want to get better at by the end of the year?

Check-in, time! Let’s share the things we want to improve by the end of December. Whether it has to do with your health, habits, finances, spirituality, work, hobbies, or goals, what do you want to improve, learn, get better at, or change by the end of 2023?

My Reflection

I’ll go first!

Something I really want to improve is prioritizing self-care when I’m taking a break. I often find myself thinking of work or everything I want to accomplish when I’m trying to rest, leaving me exhausted most of the time. I want to learn how to relax my thoughts and nervous system so I’m actually resting when I need to.

You can also find this prompt here in the Check In With Me group on The Mighty!