Even though our local cinema (Vue) has become much cheaper in recent years, going to the cinema can be a very expensive outing. Add on top of this the need to have a carer or companion to help us get to the cinema/our seats and out again (amongst other needs) and the price can be inaccessible. Enter the CEA card.
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Today is the first in our new series of Mindfulness Monday. Each week I will be showcasing a different mindfulness technique and explaining how this has been helpful to me and how it may well benefit you.
Mindfulness is such a large area that is being continually developed that I believe there is something for everyone, whether you are chronically ill or not.
It may seem strange to be thinking about learning how to breathe as it’s something we do all the time.
Mindful breathing is about utilising our breath to allow our bodies and minds to relax. When we take the time to slow down our breath we allow ourselves the opportunity to take some control over our sympathetic nervous system (responsible for ‘fight or flight’) and allow us to calm ourselves.
Like so many things that are branded as the ‘next big thing’ breathing techniques have been taught for centuries. One classic example is in the Hindu practice of Yoga where breathing deeply and correctly is just as important as the physical movements you make.
I will go in to more detail on exactly how breathing calms our sympathetic systems in future posts.
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Last Christmas I gave Alexa my heart…
No this isn’t about the absolute classic of a tune by Wham but about my ongoing love affair with the wonderful and ever so slighting irksome artificial intelligence known as Alexa (the voice ‘assistant’ of Amazon Echo).
We were gifted an Amazon Echo Dot for Christmas and it’s safe to say that it’s been a complete and utter game changer and something I’d recommend for anyone and in particular for those of us with chronic illnesses/disabilites.
There are literally thousands of different ‘skills’ (that’s what the games/music etc. are called) that you can access and I’m finding new ones daily. Some of them are very strange like the Meow which just meows at you!
I use it for just about everything you can think of and am continually learning new and exciting skills to use.
Hello and welcome to my new blog everydayjoyandme.
I am so happy to see you! Please introduce yourselves in the comments below, I’m hoping that this blog will grow and expand in to a wonderful community.
The aim of this blog is to showcase the things that bring me joy in a life with a chronic illness. I have ME or Chronic Fatigue as it’s sometimes known and seeking the joy in the everyday is something that I strive to do and want to share with you.
Here you’ll find my recommendations for music, TV, food, fashion and a myriad of other things that I enjoy. I’ll also be talking about what I’ve found helpful in terms of being chronically ill.
Hopefully there will be something for you all to enjoy and I’m so excited to get started on blogging again!
Lucy x