Week One

Week 1: Awareness

Theme: What is actually going on inside me?

Before we can change anything, we have to see it clearly.

This week is about observing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors—without judgment.

Morning Prompts

• What do I need more of today: energy, calm, connection, or clarity?

• What emotion is already present this morning?

Midday Check-In

• What am I feeling right now?

• Am I rushing, avoiding, or present?

Evening Reflection

• When did I feel most like myself today?

• What drained me? What filled me?

• What did I avoid?

Daily Actions (choose one)

• Take a 10-minute walk without your phone

• Drink water before your morning coffee

• Sit in silence for 3 minutes

• Step outside and take a few slow breaths

End of Week Reflection

• What patterns keep showing up?

• Where am I overextending myself?

• What emotions am I not allowing?

Day One

Morning: What do I need more of today? Calm, I’m feeling a wee bit frazzled. I’ve felt this way all week, and while I woke up feeling calmer, it hasn’t brought me back to feeling drained. I’ve had things I want to do for myself, but tasks for B are pushing my own to the back burner. I’m hoping today is the end for this wek.

Midday: Following lunch with b. I’m feeling relaxed and ready to spend some quality time reading.

Evening: I felt myself there most when I went to lunch with B. We had a nice light conversation about nothing in particular. My phone call from Donna was draining; I’d avoided it all week, as the conversations are always the same. My conversation with Debbie filled me. Whether it’s about our common caregiver struggles, min in the past, her in the current time. Dogs, or kids - they are always uplifting. Ugh, at the very end of the evening, a phone call from Billy, I missed an opportunity to say “no” by not answering the phone. I’m not good at that.

Day Two

Morning: What do I need more of today? This entire week, my goal for Saturday was to have a calm, stress-free day. I’ve arrived at my day; I hope the rest of the world plays along. It didn’t begin well with Winston having a mess in his crate; it can only go up from here.

Midday: I made cooked apples, a tadk I’d been avoiding for two weeks, maybe longer. I then moved on to salad jars. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishing a goal. I enjoy having meals prepped, and I also enjoy breaks for variety in between. I appreciate the feeling of accomplishment most of all.

Evening: I felt most relaxed and enjoyed my time while cooking and doing a little meal prep. My visits with b, whether long or brief, are usually a fun part of my day. My goal for today was to have a low-stress, no-commitment day, and I accomplished it.

Day Three

Morning: What do I need more of today? Yesterday, I fulfilled my need for no stress, today I’m ready to go with the flow. This morning, I felt content.

Midday: Still plugging along with nothing in the “have to do” category. At some point, I may create a list of goals for the week.

Evening: I decided late in the day that clipping a dog would help me feel productive. I did accomplish the task, and I’m glad I did, but I've learned some tough lessons about how procrastination makes the task worse.

Day Four

Morning/Noon/Night: What do I need more of today? Sleep. Today can’t be broken into segments - it was a run-on. Winston woke me up with his barking at 3 a.m.. I gave up, came downstairs to let the dogs out, and hopefully sleep a little before feeding time. When we went out at 7:30, we found Tootsie with one puppy. The rest of the day, until 3:30, was spent on midwife watch. While I was in the kennel, I cleaned counters, swept, and put things away. Nine puppies and a shower later, I’m 7”15, and I’m ready for bed. Yes, I’m tired. It was a fulfilling day in that Tootsie and her puppies are doing well, and the cleaning I’ve been wanting to do is finished. A busy and good day.

Day Five

Morning: What do I need more of today? I’m not sure, the puppies are doing well, it’s early, and it’s a large litter, but so far all is good. On the opposite end of the spectrum, this is Winston’s last day. I’m at peace with the decision to let him go, but it’s sad that our time will be over. I wish it would happen naturally, but I know I’m doing the best for him as his suffering has escalated recently.

Midday: Rather than counting the minutes until my appointment at the vet, I’m going to clip the last “way behind” dog. I’d like to go into the afternoon with a sense of accomplishment, hopefully offsetting some of the dread.

Evening, I appreciated b taking Winston to his final vet appointment. I shouldn’t have put that on him, but in the moment, I just couldn’t do it. It’s a solemn day

Day Six

Morning: What do I need more of today? I’m not certain that I need more of anything, so I’ll share how I’m feeling. Immediately following his passing, I felt lost without the strict routine I’d been following as his caregiver. Today, the morning after Winston’s passing, I’m having a similar feeling of being adrift. I’ve been so used to waking up to barking and feeling tense in anticipation of the mess I’d be facing. I wasn’t relaxed when I woke up after a full night pf sleep, no barking, and no messes to clean I know I’ll adapt quickly, but today feels off.

Midday: I keep forgetting the dogs are outside because they aren’t barking to be let in, oops. I’m in limbo waiting for Billy’s arrival so I can get on with my day.

Evening: I really appreciate all that Billy does. However, it’s always a frustratingly wasted day for me because every time I’m beginning a task, even getting dressed< I can count on being summoned to approve or view a tiny amount of progress. So there was that. The recognition that my recent restraints from an anxious barking dog began to trickle into my thought process. Let’s see how long it takes me to follow through with the notion that I can take the time to straighten my closet floor.

Day Seven:

Morning,I have a free day, no commitments, no restrictions. Whatever shall I do with myself? What I’d love to do is get a pedicure. I need to prep a newsletter for release on Friday or Saturday. Since I’ve found that I feel better on days when I accomplish a task, perhaps I’ll be a big girl and do both.

Midday: Motivation has flatlined due to the book I’m reading. I’m making myself shower and go to the bank before indulging in another page.

Evening: I felt relaxed and stress-free all day. I set two small goals for myself and accomplished both, so I feel good about that. I find the feeling of accomplishment is my key to having a good day.

In summation, keeping on track to complete even minor goals gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.