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Published December 13, 2012 | By Debra

The day has passed, and a relaxing evening beckons. I am excited about lighting another candle on our menorah, cooking a delightful dinner, and relaxing with my family and a good movie.

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for visiting The Warm Milk Journal. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to comment on the site itself or just email me at : Debra@TheWarmMilkJournal.com.

I would be most interested in knowing:

1. What you really enjoy when you visit.

2. What is helpful and what’s not.

3. Is there anything you would like to see more of here at The Warm Milk Journal?

If you like something you see here, please share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Stumbleupon, etc. Those of you who are already spreading the word about us, thank you. We are currently getting an average of over 11,000 readers a month now from all over the globe. Since our inception, we have had 162,783 visitors! We have at this moment 15,408 followers on Twitter and close to 1000 likes on Facebook.

I feel so strongly about the importance of our mission here which is:

To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.

I wish this site to be a place where you are supported. I know how stressful life can be. It is such a torment when we are feeling anxious and not sleeping well at night. Perhaps in our own gentle and loving way, we can all help each other.

In Peace (and love, always),

Debra

How Twitter can help you sleep better at night

Published November 24, 2012 | By Debra

Yes, you read that right. Being on Twitter helps me sleep well at night. Before you begin to think I have gone completely off my rocker, let me explain.

First of all, like everything else in life, moderation is key. I am not advocating that we should be on our computers or posting Tweets 24/7. Nor do I believe that any communication or relationships we form online should replace real in-person contact with people,

That said, anyplace where we find ourselves affirmed and supported is a good place to be. I know I sleep better and have less anxiety when I feel supported.

For me, Twitter helps me in many ways such as:

1. Finding a place where supportive people cheer me on daily

2. If I need to find out anything, I just need to ask.

3. Find my voice and my audience

4. Connect with people of similar values and interests

5. finding something that tickles my funny bone for a good laugh

6. Network with people and businesses for The Warm Milk Journal

I am also on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram and those sites are nice too. The difference is while I may have hundreds of people with me on those other sites, I have at this writing 15,130 followers on Twitter.

If you have never tried Twitter, give it a try. It’s easy to open up a free account and get started. If Twitter is not your cup of tea, I do hope that if you have anxiety and insomnia issues, you have a solid network of support in place for yourself.

I remember when I was younger and a stay at home mom in the Seattle area, it was very important that I had those friends, family, and opportunities to get out of the house and be a part of the community. You never need to feel alone.

In Peace,

Debra

Does the use of social media cause us social media anxiety?

Published September 13, 2012 | By Debra

We are “plugged in” now more than ever before. It is not only emails that we have to keep up with. Now we also have our various social media accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more.

Is all this time on social media good for our social lives and well being or is it becoming harmful to our mental health?

In other words:

Are we thriving or do we wish to crawl into our caves as a result of all this social media exposure?

With moderation, I believe it is the former! As many of you know, I do love it here on the internet. It has been great fun developing this site and interacting with all of you. I also enjoy my time on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. I find all of these sites to be fine platforms to connect with other people, promote your business and cause, and just simply to relax and unwind.

I can, understand, however, why spending time on these sites can give one anxiety. If we are not careful, we can get kind of “sucked in” and feel too plugged in. That is not a good feeling.

Here are a few signs that may tip you off that you are spending too much time on social media:

1. You are at the beach, park, or a romantic restaurant with your spouse and you are on your phone posting and tweeting…

2. You are getting a headache from being on the computer, phone, or tablet too much

3. You are bringing your laptop, tablet, or smartphone to bed with you.

4. You can’t just enjoy an experience such as a book, magazine article, concert, movie, or just sitting in your backyard without blogging, tweeting, or posting about it.

5. You are worrying about what you posted or tweeted and this is causing you anxiety and loss of sleep.

6. You are bringing your phone into the bathroom with you.

Photo credit monkeywong.com

Any of these above behaviors do have the potential to make you anxious, an insomniac, give you a headache and just a “blah” feeling.

How do we,then, enjoy social media without succumbing to “social media anxiety” and total burnout?

I have a few suggestions:

1. If you are the owner of a smartphone, don’t bring it everywhere with you. Yes, that means actually letting it stay upstairs in your bedroom charging while you and your family are enjoying dinner and a movie downstairs. You can leave it off during your work day and it can stay in the car when you and hubby go out to dinner….

2. Schedule times of the day that will be your time for social media. I find if I don’t do this, tweeting and posting can take over my day!

3. Don’t fret about not posting and tweeting something every minute of your day. Let your friends and followers miss you a bit (it will get their attention when you do plug back in).

4. Tweet and post things with care. Be careful if drinking or emotionally charged. Always reread for typos, etc. Always ask yourself: would I want my boss, children, mom, customers to see this? Does this communication represent me the way I want it to? Following this advice should prevent a lot of suffering, anxiety, and just plain “oops”! What have I done? (not the best stuff for a good night of sleep).

5. Social media should be fun. If you find yourself getting bored, burned out, or developing a headache.. take a break!(some of my highest traffic numbers have happened when I was out of town unplugged)

I think it might be time for a bath now…

In peace,
Debra

Ten reasons why I continue to do this blog

Published October 24, 2011 | By Debra

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

What is keeping you awake at night?

Published October 24, 2011 | By Debra

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

I’m honored to be tweeting with so many terrific tweeters: my unexpected wonderful experience with Twitter

Published July 30, 2011 | By Debra

As I continue on my Warm Milk Journal blogging journey I continue to learn and be amazed by all the wonderful people there are out there.

Twitter, Facebook, and comments on my own Warm Milk Journal site have been a great place to meet like minded friends.

I feel thankful for this experience. If you put yourself out there on the internet and in social media with integrity (that is to say you are genuinely yourself and honest) I know people will pick up on that.

We all have different reasons, interests, or agendas for sharing on the internet but I am finding some commonalities.

Ten things we all have in common (on Twitter and in life):

1. We have the need to be appreciated.
2. We want to help others.
3. We want to be affirmed.
4. We all have ambitions for ourselves and in life, but in the end we all truly cherish the little things.
5. We all value health, family, friendship.
6. Most of us are curious and want to learn new things.
7. People love a good sense of humor.
8. We love animals.
9. We love good food.
10. We appreciate the differences in each other even as we come to realize we have more in common with each other than not.

I remember being a little girl going through the “It’s A Small World” ride at Disneyland in California. I recall the wonder of it all – the idea of there being so many people, so many different cultures, and yet we all can be friends and love one another. This journey of blogging and putting myself out there on the internet has given me that same sense of wonder.

I am truly humbled and grateful for all of you out there. Thank you for taking the time and interest in reading and sharing with others The Warm Milk Journal. Thank you for all the sharing of yourselves that you do on Twitter, Facebook, and comments on The Warm Milk Journal.

I look forward to continuing on this ride with you (let’s just not get stuck on that “It’s A Small World Song” shall we? lol).

In Peace,

Debra

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