The Warm Milk Journal
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Light and dedication for your life: a journal writing session in honor of the eighth night of Hannukah
Published December 27, 2011 | Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame
Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart
~Hannah Senesh
It is the eighth night of Hannukah tonight. “Hannukah” or “Channukah” literally means to dedicate. In terms of this Jewish holiday the word refers to the re dedication of the holy Jerusalem temple at the time of the Maccabean revolt during the second century BCE.
Whether you come from the Jewish tradition or not, we can all benefit from focusing on what we are dedicated to. If we truly focus and dedicate ourselves on what really matters and is important to us, then we will be blessed with much light in our lives.
Two questions for your journal writing to ask this December evening, the eighth night of Hannukah:
1. What brings light into your life?
2. What are you willing or wish to dedicate yourself and your life to?
I can not wait to begin my entries..
What brings light into my life?
Let’s see…
1. My family
2. My marriage
3. My job: working with children and helping to instill the love of reading, writing, and learning…
4. The natural beauty of my home state of Florida, the sunshine state!
5. Friends who hang in there with me..
6. Supportive colleagues
7. My yoga class and gym
8. Beautiful music
9. Meals cooked with love
10. My cat
11. My garden
What do I wish to dedicate (or rededicate) my life to?
1. My marriage
2. My children
3. My students
4. My health
5. My spiritual growth
6. The Warm Milk Journal and supporting people from all around the globe to live a well balanced life by day (free of anxiety) and sleeping restfully at night (free of anxiety)
Your turn, Dear Friends!
Here’s to a light-filled, radiant life filled with dedicated purpose.
Much love to you and as always…
In Peace,
Debra
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Three things I want you to have by visiting this site
Published December 12, 2011 | 
Three things I hope you get out of visiting this site:
1. warmth
2. inspiration
3. support
If any of things happen for you while here, then I have done my job.
Thanks for visiting.
In peace,
Debra
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Ten circumstances when I am most prone to anxiety
Published November 27, 2011 | 
A leading cause of insomnia is anxiety. In my experience, anxiety has been caused by many factors, including:
1. When I have slept poorly the night before (this can be a spiraling, circling problem)
2. When I have experienced a lot of change in my life.
3. I am in a new situation.
4. I am hurting myself with negative self talk.
5. I am around negative people.
6. I read the newspaper or watch tv too much.
7. I am working too much.
8. I don’t spend enough time outdoors
9. I question, analyze, judge, worry and over think everything too much.
10. I have too much unstructured time on my hands.
I can think of more causes of my anxiety over the years but this is a pretty good list.
If you are somebody prone to anxiety and it is affecting your life through: loss of sleep, your relationships with others, your job, and general well-being… you may want to look at getting help.
A good first start you can do on your own is write a list like mine in your journal. Being aware of some “anxiety triggers” for you can be quite beneficial. I believe the key to most healing starts with awareness.
Next, I recommend talking to someone you trust and if necessary, your medical doctor.
Anxiety does not have to rule your life and affect your sleep night after night. There are medical and non medical treatments available.
I am not a doctor and this site is not intended to diagnose or offer treatment for you.
I do want you to know that here at The Warm Milk Journal you are not alone. Many of us share these common issues. You have friends here.
Feel free to comment and share anytime here. You may visit our Facebook page too.
In peace,
Debra
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Posted in anxiety, Benefits of Journal Writing, Depression, Getting a good night sleep, Good Health, insomnia, journal writing, lists, Positive living, Self-empowerment, stress, The Warm Milk Journal, Tips to help insomnia, worry | 
anxiety, anxiety causing insomnia, causes of anxiety, insomnia causing anxiety | 
Leave a commentW A R M M I L K: An acrostic poem
Published November 9, 2011 | 
Warm and soothing
Acceptance and unconditional love
Reassurance when you need a boost
Mother’s love in a cup
Mellow and creamy
In good times and sad….
Love always all the time
Kindness and simplicity
ENJOY!
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Posted in creative writing, poetry, The Warm Milk Journal | acrostic poem, poetry, warm milk | Leave a commentPutting stress to rest so that we can get our rest at night.
Published October 27, 2011 | 
Stress is one of the leading causes of losing sleep at night. We aim for a restful night of sleep here at The Warm Milk Journal. It is time to put Stress to rest!
Three main sources of stress:
1. Job
2. Family
3. Health
In your journal this evening (or morning), write down anything that is causing you stress right now. There is a very good chance that it will be one of the three sources listed above: job, family, and health.
Once you pinpoint some areas in your life that are causing you stress, put down your journal and close your eyes and breathe.
Continue to breath, be still, quiet… just be with yourself a while.
Now, open your eyes and your journal and write down anything that comes to mind.
Some questions I ask myself when I do this exercise that are helpful are:
1. Is this something that will really matter tomorrow, next week, next year, or five years from now?
2. What if I were to remind myself of the fact that “this too shall pass”? All things good or bad will pass. This will too in due time.
3. What action steps can I take now to deal with ______ ?
4. When dealing with family issues, what is more important: to be right or to make love be my guiding principle and have peace and harmony in my home?
5. When dealing with something very large, sometimes I just have to ask myself: “Have I done everything I can do?”. If yes, then I truly may just have to focus on my faith and “let go and let God”
Other things that really help with stress?
Take a walk/bike ride/ jog around the block a few times (I have a great music playlist on my Ipod shuffle for this purpose)
Watch a funny movie with loved ones.
Be in the now and appreciate what you have all around you NOW.
In peace,
Debra
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Posted in Breathing exercise, Depression, Family life, Getting a good night sleep, Happiness, insomnia, journal writing, Meditations, Positive living, stress, The Warm Milk Journal, Tips to help insomnia, worry | acceptance, action steps, journal writing to relieve stress, meditation, peace, sources of stress, stress causing insomnia | 2 CommentsTen reasons why I continue to do this blog
Published October 24, 2011 | 
I work full time by day (I’m a school teacher as many of you may know), I have a husband, two teenagers, and two cats. I have a home to tend to and yoga classes to attend.
Why do I continue to write posts and promote The Warm Milk Journal?
Let’s see… this will be my journal entry for the evening and so I will give you a list of reasons (list making is great for journal writing and for blog posts as people can easily read highlights with bullets or numbers rather than endless sentences…
In no particular order, I offer you reasons I continue to do this blog:
1. It is fun!
2. I love to write.
3. The teacher in me enjoys teaching, helping, and inspiring others.
4. It’s a great creative and social outlet.
5. I’ve met a lot of interesting people here and on Facebook and Twitter thanks to this blog.
6. It provides me with a great sense of purpose (we all need a mission after all)!
7. Insomnia and anxiety are issues that are near and dear to me. I truly suffered from them for so many years and it affected every aspect of my life. If I can help just one person overcome some of these challenges then this project will have been completely worth it.
8. It makes for great conversation at a dinner party (true)!
9. My cat, Mew, is getting the recognition that he has worked so hard for all his life from his Mew Way posts. lol
10: I love to connect with fellow, like-minded folks such as: people who also know what it is like to not get a good night sleep, have anxiety, are too nice, are people pleasers, perfectionists, cat lovers, like to write, journal writers, spiritual, positive livers, folks from Hawaii, Florida, Oklahoma, Seattle, and all over the world, people who enjoy good food, good coffee, good wines and beer, good teas, chocolate(!!), travelers, yoga enthusiasts, anyone who values good health, friendship, the outdoors….
Yes this last list can go on and on. I have met so many people through this “little” project of mine. Thank you for all of the comments here and on Facebook and Twitter.
I am glad we can be here for each other.
How can I not continue to do this blog?
In peace,
Debra
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Posted in Benefits of Journal Writing, Blogging, Facebook, journal writing, lists, Positive living, The Warm Milk Journal, Twitter | creative outlet, inspiring others, journal writing, meeting others, Reasons for blogging, teaching and helping, The mission of The Warm Milk Journal, Why I blog, writing | 9 CommentsWhat is keeping you awake at night?
Published October 24, 2011 | 
If you have challenges with insomnia, what is causing it? It is often helpful to get some insight as to what is keeping us awake at night. If you have a journal I encourage you to write in it nightly and see if any patterns are there.
There are many different reasons for not getting a good night of sleep. For the longest time I had serious challenges with anxiety and worry. Nowadays, I sleep pretty well except for the fact that I have a snoring partner.
Here is a list of common reasons for insomnia:
1. anxiety
2. Worrying: about finances, health, children, job related issues
3. parents with babies and young children who have sleep issues
4. being pregnant
5. back pain
6. restless leg syndrome
7. stressful life events: marital troubles, divorce, job loss, unemployment, aging parents, death, a move
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. If you are having trouble sleeping at night I do encourage you as mentioned before to:
1. write in your journal
2. talk to your doctor
3. get some support
Please know that you are not alone. You can get help. For years I did not think I would ever sleep well again and then for many years when I got on an anti-anxiety medication I did not think I would be able to sleep well without the help of that drug.
I have been off the medication for five years now. Most nights I sleep soundly. You can too.
Sometimes it helps to share our experiences. Not getting enough sleep can be so frustrating because you end up feeling irritated and physically and emotionally drained.
You are welcome to write in and comment here at The Warm Milk Journal. You may also write in at our Facebook page
Have a blessed day and restful night,
Debra
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Being in balance: a journal writing exercise
Published August 27, 2011 |
The Mission of the Warm Milk Journal is:
To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
I know I Am out of balance when:
1. I see dark circles under my eyes
2. I’ve lost my zest for living
3. I collapse at the end of a work day
4. I am driving aggressively on the highway
5. I am short with family members
6. I have no time to pursue my hobbies
7. I am sleep deprived
I know I Am in balance when:
1. I look calm and radiant
2. I have energy to do anything I wish to do.
3. I smile frequently
4. I drive the speed limit and enjoy my commute by listening to my music and wishing my fellow highway drivers well
5. I enjoy quality time with family and when they are with me I am present with them
6. I make leisure time, hobbies, and taking care of myself a priority.
7. I sleep wonderfully and feel well rested.
In your journal explore this idea of balance.
When do you find yourself most in balance? Out of balance?
Breathe. Meditate or take a walk after focusing on what living a balanced life means to you.
Have a blessed day,
Debra
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Thank you for visiting the Warm Milk Journal, where you will be supported to live a well balanced life by day and sleep well at night.
Published July 6, 2011 |
Two important reasons to manage our stress loads are: getting a better night sleep and keeping extra weight off.
When we are over stressed, it affects the quality of sleep. Sleep deprivation and the stress itself elevates stress hormones that actually trigger weight gain.
Here at The Warm Milk Journal we are always looking at ways to manage stress to fulfill our mission of: living a well-balanced life by day and sleeping restfully at night.
Whether it is relaxing poetry, ideas for meditation, nourishing recipes, journal writing prompts, something to laugh about or cry together about- you will find it here.
Thank you for visiting The Warm Milk Journal and I hope you come back frequently.
Be sure to also follow me on Twitter
and on our new Warm Milk Journal Facebook page.
On Facebook, we can really get some more interaction going to support each other. Life happens and things do come up. It is important to know that you are never alone.
Have a blessed day,
Debra
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Have dreams, worries, ideas, tasks to do, things to learn? Write them down!
Published June 22, 2011 | 
Writing things down is a very powerful exercise. The very act of putting pen or pencil to paper focuses our thinking and attention. Research has shown that people remember things better if they write things down.
Here at The Warm Milk Journal our mission is to live the life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night. Many of our posts encourage the writing in a journal.
Here are four times in your life when using a journal would be helpful….
1. When you are afraid, write your fears down…get them off your chest. This enables your mind to take a break from thinking about them. You can even write worst case scenarios on paper and realize that things aren’t so bad…(writing can help us get a healthier more realistic perspective).
2. Got creative energy? Ideas swimming around in your head? Write them down!
3. Can’t sleep? Write until you get sleepy. For the purposes of helping insomnia I like to write down things that are not overly stimulating. For instance, you can in great detail describe your living room couch or write a list of every geographical place that you can think of that starts with the letter “b” for instance. You will get sleepy soon, I promise.
4. Have dreams and goals? Write them down! People who write down their aspirations are more likely to have a plan, take action, and make them come true.
Have a blessed day, and keep writing!
Debra
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