Reducing overthinking, rumination, and worry can be a beast to tackle, but consistently reorienting our minds and bodies through some creative practices can help increase awareness as we work to replace these thoughts with more inspired ones. I’m using a Khalil Gibran quote as a jumping-off point for a discussion on how to stop “choosing sorrows” through overthinking.

I’m also introducing eight strategies across four modalities that will help reduce overthinking, worry, and rumination. Those four modalities are getting in touch with your body, getting involved in creative endeavors, connecting with nature, and writing to process emotions. 

I’ve also created a free guide called the Art-lovers Creative Practice Guide to Stop Overthinking, Worry, and Rumination. Get your free copy here.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Khalil Gibran quote: "We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them."

Songs in this episode: Cobblestone Stroll by Ghost Beatz; Slide by GEMM; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

Reduce Overthinking with Stream-of-Consciousness Journal Writing (#36)

Overcoming Overthinking with Journaling and Meditation(#23)

Affirmation Meditation: Overcome Overthinking & Worry (#24)

The Nature Connection: Finding Peace and Perspective (#28)

Journal Prompts:

1. Write about a peaceful setting that stimulates your senses; write in detail about the sights, smells, and touch sensations in this place.
2. Write about your feelings of gratitude toward your body as it helps you sustain life and do the things you enjoy.
3. When you catch yourself overthinking, write out the worst-case scenario you are considering and then 1 or 2 strategies/actions you can take if that worst-case scenario were to come true.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

This guided meditation (with visualization) accompanies episode #43 on cultivating a sense of belonging (to others and yourself). To explore the ways in which you belong to others and then to yourself, I guide you through a visualization exercise where you imagine yourself talking to a partner about an object of significance to you. You’ll explore how these objects help define deeply-held beliefs, creative passions or values that you have and then find a way to claim those values and beliefs as uniquely meaningful to yourself. It’s in that meaning that you find your special way of seeing the world, belonging to your loved ones and finally growing your self-acceptance to belong to yourself.

Join the Let the Verse Flow community over at https://www.lettheverseflow.com/ to find a ton of resources (podcast episodes, blog articles, and creative self-care tips and tools). Subscribe to the free companion newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape, which offers 3 essential, hand-curated creative self-care resources designed to put you back on your to-do list.

Music:  Changing by Outside The Sky; sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Related Episode: The Art of Belonging: Creating Space for Yourself (#43)

Note: Please listen to this guided meditation in a safe and comfortable environment, free from potential distractions. Find a quiet and secure space to fully engage with the meditation without interruption. This meditation strives to promote a positive mindset and encourage well-being. However, it is not a substitute for professional mental health advice and treatment. If you are facing mental health challenges, please seek the guidance of a qualified mental health professional for personalized support and care.

Self-acceptance is a prelude to belonging. It may not feel like a logical connection, but accepting yourself, flaws and all is the only way to stop the comparison and critical self-judgment that stands between you and your sense of belonging. 

This week's podcast episode is about how feeling left out and like I didn't belong in certain situations pushed me to evaluate my sense of belonging. I explore two types of belonging – belonging to a group and belonging to yourself. The latter is fundamental to making peace with who you are and reaping the rewards of valuing your inner strength and capabilities. 

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: I Belong to Myself

Songs in this episode: Magic Garden by Daniele Musto; Slide by GEMM; Darker Hue by Hale; My Time Lil Red Sky; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:

Affirmation Meditation for a Positive Morning Routine (#37)

Affirmation Meditation: Keep Your Dreams Alive ( #20)

Resources:
Jill’s Insight Timer Guided Meditations

Journal Prompts:

1. How does what others think of you affect your sense of self-worth? 
2. What are two qualities that you like most about yourself? 
3. How does recognizing these qualities help you feel a sense of self-belonging?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

We can get so caught up in our personal growth goals, and our plans for the future, that we lose sight of the here and now. But the journey toward our future self is made in the present moment, and change takes time. As that time unfolds, our desires may evolve, morphing current goals into new ones. I'm taking you on my journey to be open to those changes and my attempts to stay present and mindful of life as it is right now. 

In this episode, I offer four strategies for staying present in the moment. These strategies have helped me relieve the pressure of striving to achieve my personal goals and find ways to enjoy the journey toward them. I hope you will find them helpful, too.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: A Wish to Be Certain

Songs in this episode: Millions by PALA; Slide by GEMM; Industry Perspective by Tony Sopiano; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:
Episode 14: Build a Personal Growth Practice (with Creative Self-Care) Resources:

Episode 34: The Power of Habits: A Poetic Exploration on Building Healthy Routines

Resources:
Jill’s Insight Timer Guided Meditations

Jill’s Insight Timer 3-Day Caregiver Stress Relief Course: Caregiver Refresh: Creative Breaks For Self-Care And Stress Relief

Loving-Kindness Meditation with Sharon Salzberg

Meditation: A Practice of RAIN

Journal Prompts:

1. How will you maintain a positive outlook when the journey toward your personal growth goals seems long and uncertain? Write about at least two practical tools like meditation or feeling gratitude.
2. What can you do, or who can you reach out to, when you need to regroup and start fresh after struggling with new goals or habits?
3. Write about one way you intend to bring more mindfulness into your daily self-care routines. Will you use meditation, yoga, walking in nature, journaling, art making, gardening?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

My mom's hospitalization (and the arrival of a beautiful bouquet of flowers) call attention to the way yin and yang play out in daily life. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the forces of sadness and joy, anger and compassion, and grief and gratitude. I'll explore how the Taoist principles of Yin and Yang offer a way of seeing how complementary forces can teach us that nothing is all bad or all good, but interconnected and everchanging. Lately, there's some comfort in that for me.  

This episode is about what to do when thrust into a “thick stew of emotions” and how to see the counterbalancing forces to the struggle in our lives. It's rich with metaphor and nuance, just like life. Because nothing is all good or all bad, but touches the other around the ever-changing edges.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: I Don't Know How to Cry

Songs in this episode: Hard Legions by Tony Sopiano; Slide by GEMM; MainFrame by Wicked Cinema; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:

#40 Life Among the Tulips: Exploring New Worlds Without My Mom

 #15 Grief & Gratitude (It’s Bittersweet)

#4: Sitting with Shitty Feelings 

#2: Losing My Mother: A Catalyst for Personal Growth

Journal Prompts:

1. When have yin and yang forces played out in my life? What did that look like?
2. What sensory pleasures (flowers, candles, or art) would help enliven my home and allow me to experience pleasant moments on a daily basis?
3. What have you learned about yourself through the struggle of a terrible experience? What strengths do you carry as a result of going through it?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

As my mom’s Alzheimer’s progresses, and I’m faced with the loneliness of our visits, I’m reflecting on lessons she’s taught me about acceptance, and trying to stay present with her in these transformative moments in our lives. My mom’s love and nonjudgmental acceptance have prepared me to handle this long goodbye, and while it hurts, somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I will be alright. I am my mother’s daughter; she taught me through her gentle lessons to know my resilient self.

I hope this episode offers you a new perspective on handling loss and grief, sadness, and unwelcome change. I’m exploring new worlds without my mom (as I once knew her), ones with strange, rigid tulips, desolate Sunday mornings, and premonitions that foreshadow what’s to come. In this lonely place, the sounds that I most want to hear are poetry and music. I offer them to you too, as a way of sharing my views on the “hopeful acceptance of hard times.”

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: Lost Along the Way

Songs in this episode: Thoughts Of You by Renderings; Slide by GEMM; Tai Chi Evenings by Sam Barsh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:
#2: Losing My Mother: A Catalyst for Personal Growth

#4: Sitting with Shitty Feelings 

#15 Grief & Gratitude (It’s Bittersweet)

Journal Prompts:

1. What would a loved one or elder tell me to do with the struggle and hard times I am feeling right now?
2. Can I put what’s not working in my life in perspective by comparing it to what is working? What am I grateful for in this difficult moment?
3. How am I showing up for myself (and perhaps those I love) during this difficult time? How can I recognize and celebrate my resilience?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Have you lost your fight, left your creative passions behind, and tried to journey forward without them? We can let the outside noise and the stress of our daily lives interfere with our creativity. This stress can push aside our creative impulses, reducing them to another item on our to-do list. But expressing our creative selves, through a multitude of pursuits, feeds our energy and gives us the fortitude to face life. 

In this reflective episode, we’ll awaken your creative self, breathe new life into your passions and interests, and use that energy to build more purpose and meaning. Along the way, I’ll call on the fighting spirit of Muhammad Ali to guide us. Let us not forget that we can sting like a bee too, and our art and creative voice need to be heard. Let’s not silence ourselves out of fear or exhaustion, for creative projects have the power to renew us.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: Forward Facing

Songs in this episode: Gold by Ghost Beatz; Slide by GEMM; Weary Traveler by Falls; Drop Of The Hammer by Tony Sopiano; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

LTVF Season Two  Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Related Episodes:
 #29:  Keep Your Creative Spirit Alive: Focus on the Journey

#25: Creativity Connects Us to Hope

#21: Creative Flow: Self-Care That Matters

Journal Prompts:

1. What did I enjoy doing as a child or young adult, and can I bring one of those creative activities back into my life?
2. What’s the connection between my favorite creative activities and my “why”? How does this creativity add meaning and purpose to my life?
3. If I knew I could impact the world through my creativity, how would I go about making time and space for it?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

This is my poetic ode to Utrecht and the Netherlands, a travelogue of sorts that offers musings, observations, and experiences from my two-week vacation. Yes, we saw the sights – the Kasteel de Haar in Utrecht, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Dom Tower, and the canals. But we also made connections with kind souls, curious passersby, and clergymen. We felt touched by this trip, and seen and heard. How many times can you say that?

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Poem: Precious

Songs in this episode: Solar Wav by GEMM; Slide by GEMM; Boardwalk Chill by Matt Wigton; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:
Kasteel de Haar

The Dom Toren

The Oude Hortus

Meet Vincent: the Painter of Sunflowers

5 Things You Need to Know About Van Gogh’s Sunflowers 

Related Episodes:
 #19: Lessons from My Trip to Morocco: We Travel the World Through Our Eyes

Journal Prompts:
1) Write about a summer experience that made you rethink an old belief or thought. What made you think “I hadn’t thought about things that way before.”
2) Make a list of 10 of your favorite summer things, people, or places. As you make the list feel gratitude for each one.
3) Look at a photo taken over the summer and write about it. How did you feel? Who were you with, and what’s most memorable about that experience?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Start the day with this affirmation meditation and establish a positive morning routine. We start by honoring the body and feeling present with the breath. From there, we express gratitude for the people, experiences, and things in our lives. Then, we set an intention to move on with our day by affirming positive statements that help us carry this morning's stillness and balance into our day. 

We’ll end with a visualization connecting positive affirmations to the experiences and challenges we may face during the day. Affirm these thoughts:

• I will start the day with a positive outlook as I feel grateful for this new opportunity to move through the world with gratitude, presence, and acceptance.
• I will be mindful of how this day unfolds by being deeply present during these first morning minutes in my day.
• It is my intention to have a positive outlook about the potential of this day, knowing that this day has the possibility to bring me joy, insight, or pleasure.
• My morning practice grounds me in this intention to look for the positive signs of the day, and I know that they are there if I look for them. 
• I will be mindful and accepting of how the day unfolds, remembering that a positive spirit helps me meet each moment with more energy and agency.

Join the Let the Verse Flow community over at https://www.lettheverseflow.com/ to find a ton of resources (podcast episodes, blog articles, and creative self-care tips and tools). Subscribe to the free companion newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape, which offers 3 essential, hand-curated creative self-care resources designed to put you back on your to-do list.

Music:  Day Birds 01 by Soundstripe; Vision by DeHartmann; sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Related Episodes:
Affirmation Meditation: Keep Your Dreams Alive ( #20)

Note: Please listen to this affirmation meditation in a safe and comfortable environment, free from potential distractions. Find a quiet and secure space to fully engage with the meditation without interruption. This affirmation meditation strives to promote a positive mindset and encourage well-being. However, it is not a substitute for professional mental health advice and treatment. If you are facing mental health challenges, please seek the guidance of a qualified mental health professional for personalized support and care.

I’ve got a wonderful way to temp down overthinking, worry, and rumination. I use stream-of-consciousness journal writing to allow my mind to feel free to express itself; just 15 minutes of this writing, a type of creative flow, can unlock new insights and reduce anxious feelings. You leave the stress of planning and plotting and give your subconscious a chance to express itself. You find insights, open a path to new ways of seeing, and release anger, fear, or angst. 

In this episode, I guide you through a structured 15-minute journal session that you can use whenever life gets overwhelming and you want to turn off your worrisome thoughts. 

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Weary Traveler by Falls; Slide by GEMM; Soft Images by Outside The Sky

Related Episodes: 

Overcoming Overthinking and Worry with Journal Writing & Meditation (episode 23)

Affirmation Meditation: Overcome Overthinking and Worry (episode 24) 

Resources: 

Guided Meditation: Journey of Three Breaths (Gil Fronsdal)

Journaling 101: An Inspirational Guide to Start (or Revive) a Practice

The Benefits of Journaling for Mental Health & Wellness

30-Day Journal Challenge (Writing Prompts to Get Started)

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com