Nineteenth Entry (November 11th, 2021)

     My day today was better than the two days prior because I was able to work through the shock I experienced after my great aunt's death, and although I was still grieving, I was able to get out a lot throughout the day, be present in class, and talk to my boyfriend, friends, and family about how I was feeling, which really helped me relieve some of my sadness. When I engaged in the deep breathing exercise, the breathing was once again easier to complete because I used the breathing technique from the workshop I attended previously, and was able to sit with my thoughts and not let them take over my mind or mood by focusing on my chest rising and falling, and I was more relaxed with each breath I took. After the exercise I was much more relaxed and it felt nice to do something for myself after a busy day, which is much different from earlier in the project when the deep breathing felt more like a task to complete and check off to-do list rather than something I do for enjoyment and relaxation.

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