Monthly roundup
I’m starting a new series of posts where I will be collecting some of the things that I get up to over the month.
This month I’m sharing some of the things that are helping me stay sane during the quarantine.
Noisli · this wondrous nature sounds app is the highlight of this list as it’s an instant mood enhancer for me these days. In the current noise from every corner in this central part of the city, the moment I put on the sounds everything changes and I’m being transported somewhere in nature. I even sleep with it on all night long listening to crickets and creek sounds. Definitely worth buying the subscription to have no time limit and let it play all night.
Letting GoLetting go · this classic self-psychology book is saving my life lately; when the emotional turmoil is pretty much a part of everyday reality on lockdown, adding some perspective on the mechanism of conscious surrender of negative emotions is proving incredibly relieving. I wrote a bit about this process as I was living it on this post.
Flowers · I’ve made a conscious commitment (and I have convinced Joren too) to never have a day that there are no flowers in the house. Thank god it’s spring and that is tulip season here in Holland; at least two colours of tulips are gracing vases in opposite corners of the house, and lately I’ve discovered that having one right behind my laptop screen when I’m working makes me feel like I’m sitting on a cloud somewhere.
Journaling · pages and pages and pages of written thoughts every day; no plan, no strategy, just free-flow writing is the practice I turn to with the biggest success. When something is present, like a difficult emotion, anger fear, guilt, I pick up my pen and go deep into the feeling; eventually the story emerges behind it and I can surrender it all and move on. Some movement helps here too, perhaps a little dance to stir the energies up before I get down to writing.
Women’s circle · recently I’ve joined a weekly online video circle with some of my women’s network and it’s been extremely supportive to be able to come together and share what is present for us in a conscious place of openness, non-judgment, and support. It is incredible the amount of healing that can occur when we are being given the space to be truly free to express ourselves and be witnessed and mirrored by fellow women. I’m considering starting a virtual women’s circle to meet weekly for a few weeks as a way to offer support in these times of self-isolation and restriction. Sign up here to receive updates for when this will be.
Nature · it hasn’t been the easiest escaping to nature as the roads were literally closed by the authorities to avoid crowds forming, but still, we have found ways to be in the forest, and yesterday made it to the beach for the first time in a while. It’s not exactly summer and the dutch beach is windy and cold..but the sounds of the waves made up for it all. Brain massage at its’ best.
Cooking · with the lockdown starting I got excited about taking up the opportunity to commit to healing my premenstrual syndrome symptoms through committing to my diet. I’ve been down this path for the last two years through reading a lot about nutrition and having a session with a functional medicine specialist, but as life has been so busy with traveling and work I haven’t been able to commit to it. Now being at home and in need of some purpose I have gone deep into the Woman Code protocol which is all about healing female health issues through diet and lifestyle changes, and it feels great. The emphasis is on fresh whole foods and a variety of vegetables with every meal, and so I try to pack my dishes with as many different and colourful veg I can find. One of my favourite things to eat lately is this radicchio and mint salad and this paleo almond bread which is such a blessing as part of the protocol is about completely cutting out gluten and bread.
Self-care · Earlier in the lockdown I shared some of the emergency self-care routines that made life bearable, some of them I keep to this day like the daily massage with the fertility boosting essential oil blend I made myself, journaling of course, and every morning dry brush and cold shower. Read the post for more inspiration on self-caring.
House is a go! · the latest news on our house buying process is…that we are now finalising buying our new home! I haven’t shared about it yet as I’ve been waiting for things to get finalised - it took forever (like a week or two but it felt like forever) to hear back from the notary and have all the documents prepared..but the important thing is that we have secured our new home here in Amsterdam and Joren and I couldn’t be more ecstatic about it. We will need to renovate from the ground up (meaning floors, ceilings, walls..and everything in between) so we won’t be able to move in for the next two-three months, which is tough as our current living situation on lockdown is very very challenging (super tiny and noisy apartment). But we are also very excited about renovating and being able to choose every single thing that goes into our new home. I will be documenting this process in the coming time, so stay tuned for more news on this!
Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have about any of this here.
ABOUT ELENA STAVROS
Welcome to my online portal!
I am a former Googler reborn as conscious & self-aware living advocate.
I’m a speaker, writer and coach passionate about helping people live their best lives by tapping into the Source of their truth, power and true desire.
I offer individual mentoring and online programs, and I lead transformational expeditions in nature.
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