4 Gemstones And Crystals For Stress Relief

Disclaimer: The following post contains affiliate links – see disclosure page for details

It is hard to escape stress – our busy lives are filled with times of hustle, responsibility, and multiple goals, that are begging to be followed through upon. Any tool that can aid us in managing the stress – and through that the negative health implications of chronic stress – is a welcome tool in my book.

While I think that mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and affirmations are the essential tools of an overall less hectic lifestyle, gemstones can also aid us in unexpected ways on this journey.

I have compiled 4 of my favorites here for you today:

Moonstones

This beautiful stone balances emotions when kept in close proximity to a person, or centered in a space that tends to experience a lot of energy and “traffic”, especially when multiple people frequent the room. Its calming influence is a good fit for an open office space, a principle’s office, or the kitchen.

Rose Quartz:

A warm, pink stone, that aids in emotional healing. Let’s face it: Stressful situations can bring up responses that can stem from past trauma, leaving our responses more controlled by what happened in our past, rather than what is happening right now. Rose quartz can give you healing in that regard, making it easier for you to respond to the current situation and not a fear from long ago.

Red Garnet:

No matter how much we wish it was not the truth, we all allow our temper to get the best of us, at least on rare occasions. Red Garnet is the stone to carry when you need to calm your anger – this can be particularly helpful when you are entering a hostile business meeting or are dealing with a co-worker or boss who adds to your daily level of stress. Rub it between your fingers whenever you feel the need.

 

Sodalite:

This beautiful dark blue stone is a communicator and allows you to express yourself and your needs with more clarity. Stress can be created by not feeling heard, or not knowing how to make your needs known to others. Carrying this stone, which has a healing effect on our throat chakra, can aid you with this task. It is most effective when carried as a necklace.

 

Check out the following book on the subject:

Crystal Healing Energy by Mary Solomon

available on Amazon on Kindle and as Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

You can find gemstone jewelry here:

 

 

Light And Dark

Tree With Roots by Claudia H. Blanton

Welcome! Would you like some coffee? The following post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share Blog Hop, and contains links to my artwork, and stuff I actually buy (affiliate links). 

If you were here with me, having coffee – or tea – I got some yummy imported Japanese green tea, if you prefer the latter – I would welcome you to Linzer cookies, and new pieces of art. You would probably notice that this week, I have been working in contrasts – either creating very dark pieces, such as “Anger”, and “Masks“,  or light ones, like “Tree With Roots”. No colorful “in-betweens”, no “something in the middle,” but each on the opposite ends of the color spectrum and theme.

Why, you might ask, would I go from a subject matter such as Domestic violence to something really light in such a short period of time?

My answer to that question is  balance. While I enjoy working on both ends of the contrast, I find myself is automatically balancing my creations, often without noticing, and almost never intentional. I do the same with writing, instinctively seeking the balance that the Universe seems to crave.

Tree In The Dark by Claudia H. Blanton

It is  concept present in all of the celebrations of this season, no matter which spiritual connection one chooses to follow. The light, peace and hope of what is bright, and warm, piercing through the darkness of the Winter months, creating once again balance.

Do you embrace the contrast of dark and light? Does it show in your creative process, or do you enjoy one side of the spectrum more, when you are being creative? Is that an intellectual process for you, or are you creating instinctively?

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:

Weekend Coffee Share

Tater Tots And Jello

 

 

Finding Time To Write During Stressful Times – 5 Tips

Writers write. It is as simple as that. But there are times, when the world away from our words becomes increasingly  demanding and emergencies arise. Despite it all, you are longing to steal at least a few minutes away to reunite with your stories.
Here are some tips on how to do that, and keep your sanity.

1. Lower your expectations.
For the time being, adjust your work schedule, your goal word count and/or editing time. Make sure you limit this time to a reasonable stretch, maybe a week or two so that this reduced workload will not become a habit.

2. Announce to everyone when you will get back to a regular schedule.
Just like everyone else, who has a “regular” job, there is only so much time, you can take off from your work. Treat it just like that, and announce that timeframe to those who matter.

3. Make your shorter writing time absolutely sacred.
Get up an half an hour earlier, but do not allow anyone else to take these thirty minutes from you, by demanding additional attention. Working in a home environment takes a clear set of boundaries, that need to be announced, stuck with and defended.

4. Switch to tasks that you can handle in spurts
For some, like me, it is easier to edit and be interrupted than to handle the same when I am in emerged in the middle of the creation of a story line. Use this time to do those tasks that are easier for you to handle in such fashion, rather than trying to force those acts that need your full and longer attention. There is no reason to set yourself up for failure, by setting goals that you know you are not going to be able to keep following through upon.

5. Take care of yourself.
During stressful times, it is even more essential to take properly care of yourself, in order for you to handle the additional workload, and stay positive. Make time for healthy meals and enough sleep to regenerate your energy.

Simply knowing that there is an end to most interruptions makes those demands easier to handle.