Although I am a huge fan of yoga and encourage you to physically stretch yourself each day for better health, that is not the kind of stretching I am talking about here. For those of you who may be a little shy, lacking in confidence, or have outright panic attacks at the thought of being out with people… I think the first step is stretching…

Stretching takes us out of our comfort zones. We do things we initially didn’t think we could do. Once we do this we gain confidence and feel encouraged to do a little more each time.

These stretches don’t have to be huge or unduly stressful on you. Just little baby steps are all that’s needed to get started.

Here are a few ideas for stretching yourself:

1. smile at one stranger today

2. when checking out at a store or library, say hello and ask how the person is doing today.

3. Say hello to the mailman

4. Look at yourself in the mirror and smile

5. Take a new class (doing a shared activity with others is a great way to connect)

That’s plenty for now. I will offer more stretches in a future post.

Have a blessed day!

Debra

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