Finding What Works

My Calm Morning (Most Days): What’s Actually Working for Me

Jan 25, 2026 11:11 AM Central
AJ Flanagan
Finding What Works, Gentle Wellness Habits, Grief and Healing, Healthy Lifestyle Shifts, Intentional Living, Morning Routines, Nervous System Support
2 Comments

I’m still under the covers. Eyes mostly closed. Brain not fully online yet. And I’ve got the Dwell app playing — daily Scripture and a short lesson.

It’s the easiest win of my whole day.

How Creativity Supports Healing: A New Chapter in Self-Care & Growth

03/23/2025 04:00 AM Central
AJ Flanagan
Creativity & Healing, Finding What Works, History & Storytelling, Life After Loss, Midlife Reinvention, Mindfulness & Presence, personal growth, Personal Growth Through Grief, Self-Care Practices, Wellness & Balance
0 Comments

Since Eric passed away last November, I’ve been navigating grief and personal growth, learning how creative self-care and mindfulness can help with healing. Taking better care of myself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—has become a priority, and I’ve discovered that midlife reinvention often starts with small, intentional changes.

Writing about all of this in my blog has been a big piece of the puzzle for me and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon... so I hope you enjoy! Recently, my friend Jennifer and I decided to dive into another project that feels like a breath of fresh air for both of us: we started a podcast called "Folklore & Facts: Grandmas Getting to the Bottom of It."

✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.

Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.

Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things.

Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.

Hi! I'm AJ Flanagan.

Hey there — I’m AJ.

I’m an empty-nester and a widow who had a wake-up call about the hidden toxins in everyday products most of us grew up using. Our parents didn’t know. We didn’t know either. But once you start paying attention, it’s hard to ignore.

Life shifted in 2018 when my husband, Eric, was diagnosed with leukemia — and again in 2023 when we faced a second cancer diagnosis. Supporting him through treatment changed how we looked at just about everything, including how we cared for our home, our bodies, and our day-to-day routines.

We didn’t aim for perfection or extremes. We focused on simple, meaningful changes — reducing toxic load in our home, choosing better ingredients, prioritizing nourishing food, and building calmer rhythms into daily life. Tools like aromatherapy, music, meditation, and intentional rest became part of how we coped and stayed grounded.

Caring for Eric deepened my commitment to living well — not as a trend, but as a way of showing up with intention and grace, even in the hard seasons.

Now I share our story, the lessons we learned, the small changes that made a big difference, and how I'm moving forward. My hope is to make wellness feel more approachable, less overwhelming, and rooted in real life — especially for anyone who wants healthier options without pressure or perfection.

If you’re here to find what actually works for you, you’re in the right place.

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