January Self-Support Toolkit

This tool kit is designed to be simple and easy to follow for 7 days at a time, then you can repeat as much as you like or pick the exercises that resonate most with you, they're short exercises, making them more achievable.

What is stress and how do you recognise it?

Stress is what creates a stress trigger in the body’s sympathetic nervous system. How you respond to the trigger will show up in different ways; fight, flight, freeze or fawn. It’s helpful to first notice how you respond to stress. Here are some examples;

Fight - Do you get angry, find yourself bulling or controlling, feel entitled or want everything to be perfect?

Flight - Are you constantly on the move and doing activities, prone to anxiety or worry?

Freeze - Do you shut down, avoid confrontation, find it difficult to make decisions?

Fawn - Are you easily manipulated, find it hard to express yourself or tell people your wants and needs?

Once you recognise your response/s to stress you can then start to practice the self care needed to sooth your nervous system.

Each day there will be an activity, a daily affirmation and a journal question, that can support you to take care of yourself. If you have time, write the affirmation down and review it throughout the day. Spend 5 mins thinking about the journal question, and if you have time, write your answer down.

As mentioned above I want this to be as easy as possible and not something to feel overwhelmed by. If you don’t have the time to do the journal question, come back to it when you feel you do. But please do try and do the activities they will make you feel better.

Day 1

This first practice is great for soothing yourself, it lets your body know you are okay, safe and calm.

Give yourself a big loving hug

It’s really simple, you are basically going to give yourself a big hug, place your right hand into your left armpit and clasp your left hand around your body. Squeeze and stay like this for a good 30 seconds, or for as long as you need it.

You can enhance this practice by also telling yourself; “I am safe, I am love, I am protected”. You can use it at anytime you feel you need to, why not try it now?

Daily affirmation: I have a lot to celebrate about myself and my life.

**Please revisit this affirmation throughout the day. Write it down and keep reading it.

Daily Journal Question: What can you do today, that you couldn’t do this time last year?

**Please spend 5 mins thinking about the answer, if you have time, write it down.

Day 2

Today is about trying to slow down. This doesn’t have to be done for hours and hours, just 5 mins a few times during the day would be best. But whatever you feel you can manage is enough.

Slow down and look around you

Pause where you are and really pay attention to your surroundings, if you’re sat a desk, look at your desk, what is it made from? Does it have any markings? What’s on the desk? Trace the shape of the desk with your eyes, how does it feel?

This exercise works really well if you’re outside and happen to walk near a tree, really look at the tree it’s bark, how it moves in the wind, it’s shapes, texture etc... Try and do this 3 times in the day.

Daily affirmation: I forgive everyone, including myself.

**Please revisit this affirmation throughout the day. Write it down and keep reading it.

Daily Journal Question: What characteristics do you most admire in the people you love?

**Again, please spend 5 mins thinking about the answer, if you have time, write it down.

Day 3

Today’s activity is great for when you feel overwhelmed out of control or unhinged. It’s a grounding activity used by many Reiki Practitioners to ensure they’re grounded before giving a Reiki treatment. However, it’s great for everyday life too!

Grow your roots to ground you. As suggested in the picture you’re going to imagine there are roots growing out of the soles of you feet. Find somewhere you can take 5, close your eyes and off you go. Feel your roots taking hold in the floor below you, down through the building you are in, and into the earth. Feel the sensation of being anchored to the ground, supporting you, giving you stability.

Daily affirmation: I am resilient, courageous and strong

Daily Journal Question: If you let go of all of your fear, what would you do, that you don’t do now?

Day 4

Today’s activity is great for reconnecting to the body and calming the mind, it’s really quick and easy, also very effective in calming you down.

Feel the breath in the body. Place one hand on your heart and one on your abdomen, breathe in a deep breath, through the nose and slowly release the breath through the mouth. Repeat this 3 times and if possible try to repeat it a few times throughout the day.

Daily affirmation: My heart is open to love.

Daily Journal Question: A If you stripped away other people’s expectations and focused on doing what YOU want, would you be living any differently?

Day 5

Today’s activity finds its roots in Qigong, it’s great for changing an emotion, releasing stagnant energy and waking up your body. It’s best done first thing in the morning, as you get out of bed.

Shake it up! That’s right! Get out of bed and shake your whole body, you can start with your hands, then spread the shake throughout your whole body, down your arms, legs, shake your hips shoulders and head. Do this for a couple of minutes. It needs to be vigorous enough to wake you up but not enough that you’ll hurt yourself.

Daily affirmation: I will take it one step at a time

Daily Journal Question: What did you, or what will you give your energy to today, that matters to you?

Day 6

This is my most favourite of all the activities! It’s so simple but so effective. It helps relieves tension in your body, connects you to your body and reconnects you to pleasure!

Dance like nobody’s watching....Basically, as suggested you’re going to find a private space where no one is around, you’re going to put on a song, anything you like, close your eyes and your going to do whatever your body wants to to do, whatever movement no matter how daft or strange just go with the flow of the song.

Daily affirmation: I treat myself and others with respect.

Daily Journal Question: What five activities make you happy?

Day 7

Today’s activity is about loving and nurturing yourself, spending time with you’re amazing beautiful body and showing it how much you love and care for it.

Feel the love. This activity is basically, self massage, get some body cream, oil or whatever you use to moisturise your skin and spend a good amount of time, gently massaging all over your body.

While you are doing this, give thanks to your body for supporting you through another day. I know that this can be hard if there is a certain part of your body that you struggle with but show this area even more love, forgive yourself for any feelings that come up and if it really is too hard, just focus carefully, on massaging a part of your body that you do really love or appreciate.

Daily affirmation: I am good enough.

Daily Journal Question: What three things happened today that gave you happiness?

I really hope these practices give you some ways to relax and find calm and peace at the start of this beautiful year!

Blessings, Alexis Frier (Lexi) Nature Angel