Plan your month with Inner Peace in mind

As every month begins you may feel a sense of peace or dread depending on your level of upcoming commitments.

It can feel confusing if you're excited about an upcoming event and yet there's also a foreboding feeling of how you will manage the day or even just preparing.

I realized awhile ago that I need a lot of time to mentally and emotionally prepare for social events, work conferences, and even doctor appointments. This stems beyond the actual physical prepping for the event. The Inner Work I need to do includes both allowing me to notice and reserve my energy on the days prior to the event and to recharge and rest on the days after an event.

As a highly sensitive person I work to pave a very gentle and kind pathway for my life.

One way that I help myself prepare is to Doodle and Paint a monthly plan.

I usually do it the weekend before a new month is set to begin.

Approaching my art desk as the welcoming friend she is I pull out some of my favorite supplies and look at my upcoming month.

The first things I make space for in my calendar are any Big Events I have scheduled for the month.

After my Doodle Person makes their appearance on the page, I make a list of any social events, commitments, interviews, or appointments that may create a rumble within my nervous system and cause me to feel dysregulated. Then, I like to add a visual reminder on my calendar, usually with a symbol or color that feels aligned with the event... you know, for the fun of it!

On the opposite page I create a visual reminder of soul nourishing acts I can practice on the days before and after my "big things". 

Having a colorful list to refer back to is helpful because when we become overwhelmed or anxious we can enter into a fight or flight response, causing our brain to go off-line in a sense so we are unable to remember any helpful things to do.

To help my Whole Self I like to use a modified version of the Wheel of Wellness in my art journal. The Wheel of Wellness was first developed by Sweeny and Witmer in 1991. They explore 8 key areas of wellbeing that lead to a balanced life. There have been many iterations of the wheel since it originated and I often add or delete categories based on the client I am working with or if for myself, I may introduce new categories if I am trying to grow an area of my well-being.

The categories I used in this month's plan are:

1. Emotional
2. Physical
3. Spiritual
4. Financial
5. Social 
6. Work
7. Environment

As you remember to bring balance to your Whole Self you may begin to feel your nervous system relax and you may start to feel an ease in approaching your month that wasn't there before.

Feel free to add other categories that provide a true sense of your whole balanced self.

Thinking of you as you move gently into March.