Tina’s Day 9- Finding my ZEN

I thought today would be easy.
Make a list of 5 Ways I relax, 5 People who comfort me, 5 Activities that soothe me, 5 Places that are comforting and find my ZEN on my day off. No problem:). Then I realized I had to shop for a birthday gift that would be hard to find. Four stores and three hours later mixed with early holiday shoppers, I had ZERO ZEN. Finding my zen or being able to self soothe is CRITICAL for me!! My emotions can definitely spin me in a circle and lead to poor food decisions.

After arriving home and cooking a huge Family Pasta Bar dinner (cooking ahead for the rest of the week), I mindfully ate a moderate plate of Pumpkin Gnocchi with Butternut Squash Sauce and slid into a candle light bubble bath. Afterwards, I brushed my hair 100 strokes, took 5 deep breaths, sipped hot tea and there it was ….. my zen.

The good news is that I CAN self soothe, but then again, today was a good day. Can I self sooth without food after a bad day at work or when I make an embarrassing mistake? In the meantime, practicing finding my zen is …. well…. AHHH