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February 1, 2019 By Marisa Moks-Unger

28 Ways to Flow with Self-Care

Month-Long Self-Care Rituals Foster Flow

During the month of February, the Grow Your Flow blog will take a look at the self-care rituals and tools to help you regain flow even during the toughest of times. Today we look at hydration and its importance to creatives.

Staying Hydrated in Many Ways

Drink water to keep in flow. — Water and herbal teas keep your mind and joints supple as you create for long periods of time.

If you are like many folks, you have a cup of coffee in your hand as you scroll through this post. It might keep you awake, but does it help with your flow? Well, the short answer is no. Coffee is a diuretic, which draws fluids out of your system. Water and herbal teas retain fluids in your system. Water spiked with fruit or veggie slices – think lemons and cucumbers – helps to draw out toxins from your system that can cause headaches as you write or paint. You do not need a fancy Yeti water bottle either when a Mason jar will do the trick. Shoot for about 64 ounces a day to stay alert and on task as you work.

Some of you might be concerned that you may be running to the bathroom frequently, which will interrupt your work. This may be true for the first day or two, but then your body adjusts to the water intake and you need to go at regular intervals again. Also, others may think that they are already drinking enough fluids with energy drinks. Or, flavored powder or liquid packets that are added to bottled water. Check out the chemicals added to these products. Most of them do not add to your over-all health. Choose fresh flavorings, such as a slice of orange instead of liquid Crush flavoring. You will feel better in the long run.

Your Turn

Take out your journal. Write all of the different combinations of water or types of herbal teas you might like to try. Make a big batch of water the night before so you are ready to get your hydration game plan into full gear!

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

Scrabble Words for Flow

Create a Word Bank from Scrabble

Word Lists from Scrabble — First play the game, then get writing from your curated word list.

Sunday afternoons find my husband, mother-in-law, and I playing Scrabble. This ritual helps us to pass the time during the pandemic. The games usually run one to two hours. We have taken these games to a new level by anticipating them each week, then carefully crafting our word choices. It helps that all three of us are avid readers and come up with a variety of interesting diction.

Also, the game gets my mother-in-law’s mind off of the local paper’s with its teeming death notices of Covid-19 victims – most from local residential living facilities. And, she is now interested in the fact that I am using these word lists to write from professionally.

Next, free write for a few. Make a list of the words developed during the game. Then use the list as a springboard to write a creative piece using as many of the words as possible. Play with long and short lines. Add some rhymes. Look for alliteration. Give yourself about 10 minutes. See what images appear.

Then, select a genre or two to carry through. As a theme arises from the free write of the word list, follow the lead. Perhaps a poem rises up. Or, a one-act play. Or, both! Choose one genre knowing that you can come back and create more works from any single topic.

Now, it’s your turn! If you have a Scrabble game somewhere hidden in a hall closet, it is time to get it out and try your hand at this writing tactic. It employs procrastination by allowing you to blow off writing at first by playing a game. Then, you are rewarded for the time you invested in the game by writing a piece from the words you and others generated.

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa

TGIFF – Thank God It’s Friday Flow

Cliché Finds Flow on Friday

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Friday. And, at the workweek’s end, there is time to find flow. But, where do you go to find flow? First, realize that flow can happen anywhere at anytime. Need proof? Look at this past post on finding flow in a card and party goods store. Simply click right here: https://wewriteitright.com/visit-flow-in-a-party-goods-shop/

How Gratitude Leads the Way

Use grateful eyes to take in the world around you. Then, instead of planning to hit the bars and clubs when the clock strikes 5:00 PM, other options present themselves during these times of pandemic. Why not take a virtual tour a museum? Or, take a walk or bike ride through a park? Or, spend an hour working on a poem, and essay, or a blog post. When you are grateful for the options you have – even if you are working from home amid shutdowns – then that is enough.

Your Turn

Playtime creates greater flow. — Spirographs, Etch-a-Sketch, and Slinkys are just a few ways to re-enter flow through playtime. What was your favorite activity as a child? When was the last time you tried it as an adult?

Think back to grade school, junior high, or middle school. Think about the electives that you took that helped round out your schedule. Did you take dance or music classes? Weight training? Or, perhaps, like me, you did candle making. Whatever it might be, try to reunite your lost teen with your adult self. Take time to write, dance, sing, paint, or play with your Spirograph! You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s to growing your flow,

Marisa