Flip, Stir and Whisk

For a long time I had wanted the “Flip, Stir, Whip” mason jars on my kitchen counter. I was hoping to DIY, fascinated by some beautiful examples online. I even have a Pinterest board on my account. With COVID and my recovery I had lot of time to make this happen. However, I did not want three separate jars due to not having enough counter space. I decided to use a simple clay vase that I had kept in my cupboard for a long time. And used a porcelain pen to do calligraphic lettering. It was another of the weekend activity with the girls while they did their origami art, I continued on my calligraphy. As I mentioned in my last blog, I am trying to learn a new habit of being present in the moment. This art project was another instance of my practising the habit. To be in the moment with the girls enjoying and creating things that we love.

In the 10 Days of Happiness, another idea in the mindfulness exercise is learning to reset emotional balance. Research says that in today’s fast paced environment, when we are running after different goals, our emotions can’t keep up with it. As a result, these emotions are left unresolved or unattended and get piled at the back of mind.

Often, after a busy hectic day, I feel overwhelmed by emotions. There are days when I am feeling frustrated or like, running high on all sorts of negative emotions when still working out ‘What’s next’. Running on these negative emotions results on some days in my overreacting, making bad decisions and lot of energy drain. Research shows that negative emotions result in destructive behavioural responses like an outburst on near and dear ones.

As Alan from ADDCrusher explains rightly about three ways to respond to an emotion. I found the most important one is the acceptance of the emotion and adapting it to help cope and respond to the difficult situation at hand.

Kitchen is my space, where I feel the most at peace. It’s not only a place to prepare nourishment for the family but also a place that provides a moment of calm to me after a busy day. While making my ‘Flip, Stir, Whisk’ vase, I played with this idea of ‘recognising the emotions and dealing with it’, using the words as ques to practice mindfulness.

Flip is to recognise the negative emotion, and ‘flip out’ of that negative emotion. Asking question to myself ‘Is this thought helpful?’ or ‘Is it going to be useful to take effective action?’. This helps me question that emotion, untangle it and evaluate it out of its context.

Stir helps me to ‘Stir away’ from my negative state and come to my senses. Simply to redirect my focus on the present moment. Thinking of what’s going well in life, people who love me and things that make me happy. Sometimes they are even simple as watching the sunlight coming through the window or smell of spices in the kitchen. This is like building a real connection with that moment.

And lastly, ‘whisk it’ teaches to explore further, analyse the problem (if there is any) and patterns of emotions. Constructively thinking allows to put the problem in perspective and deal with it practically when I have a clear head. It is dealing with the emotion taking ‘me’ out of it, looking at it from outside.

The ‘Flip, Stir, Whisk’ vase has become the centre piece of my mindfulness. It now sits proudly on my kitchen counter, where I can see it first thing in the morning. It has become my prompt to start and end my day in the right mindset. It is symbolic of my self-expression of joyfulness, being self-compassionate, and also therapeutic.

I hope you find your ‘Flip, Stir, Whisk’ to reconnect with yourself, as I have found my in this new way of life.

Free Printable for your Kitchen

#dailyinspiration #lifelesson #mindfullness #kitchendiaries #FlipStirWhisk