Create a Sleep Routine and Improve Anxiety
In college and in my twenties I was hands down the worst about getting enough sleep. I am one of those people who have a ton of energy (I’ve been accused of that on more than one occasion) and I would rise before 5am and rest after midnight. Years of trying to meet deadlines, quotas and being hard on myself required me to work diligently into the wee hours of the night. It was exhausting but every day I would push through. Well, fast forward to my 30’s. All of that stress added up and took a toll on my body. Lack of quality sleep became a big factor in developing paralyzing anxiety.
Anxiety is one of those disorders many people suffer from. You can have varying degrees of it but I got to a point where it was taking over my life. I started fearing EVERYTHING to include passing out in the car (which I’ve never done) to forgetting if I locked my door and obsessing all day about it. When I finally sat down with a psychiatrist last September we discussed what was going on and he talked to me about the importance of sleep. Sleep directly impacts anxiety.
I explained during the visit that I have trouble sleeping. When I lie down at night I suddenly have thousands of thoughts fly through my brain. It’s exhausting mentally, but my brain is so stimulated I can’t find a way to relax and rest. Humans can’t be on the throttle full time every moment. My psychiatrist and I worked on a plan to create a better lifestyle and improve my mental health. It’s now been four months later and although I still have nights where I’m just awake, I have a strategy for getting better consistent rest. Here are a few ways to create a sleep routine if you also struggle in this area:
Create a Nightly Routine
Even though I have bursts of energy and creativity that make spontaneity a huge part of my life having a routine morning and night helps keep me grounded. I have both a morning routine and nightly routine to make sure no matter where I am I feel some sort of stability. French people do routines really well. They love to focus on the balance of life and ensure their bodies are getting the nutrition, exercise and rest needed to fuel them. I did some research and found that routines create a rhythm for all of us. Here’s what a typical night looks like whether I’m on the road or at home:
Take a bath - I start almost every evening by soaking my muscles in warm water. A nightly bath does two things for me. The first is to ease the pain of soreness and relax my muscles. After working out or having a long day, it’s the first step in my nightly routine. It’s almost like hanging your hat when you get home from work. The second is that it is alone time (away from kids, phone calls, etc) and helps my brain move into a relaxing mode. I also start with a bath so it gives my body a few hours to cool down before trying to sleep. Afterwards, I always slip into cozy pajamas and this nightgown and robe is perfect for winding down for the rest of night.
Review tomorrow’s plan - Before I start to get too tired I give my calendar a quick glance to make sure I am aware of anything due tomorrow. Sometimes it’s work related while other times it’s just to see if my child has an event the next day. Knowing where I’m headed tomorrow gives me the chance to jot down a few tasks to do and clear my mind. I also set reminders on my phone (alarms actually) for anything I need to be prepared for or complete.
Journal - Even if you are not a big writer, taking a few minutes to reflect on my emotions or the prior day. I’m REALLY hard on myself and somewhat analytical. If I receive criticism or had an emotional day I oftentimes will keep obsessing over it trying to solve the issue at hand. Being able to release those thoughts on paper also helps give my mind ease and I know if I need to refer back to something in the future I have it written down. Journaling also allows you too spot patterns if you are going through something tough in life.
Play a mind game - This may be different for you, but sometimes giving my brain something to do tires it. Some evenings I play a few rounds of Wordscapes. Lately I’ve been working through logic questions to sharpen my mind using the LSAT Prep app. I really prefer that since I have to work things out on paper and spend less time looking at a screen. You can also buy a word scramble workbook or even just read instead of TV. The idea is to tire your brain a little so it can go to sleep.
Meditate - The last thing I do is turn on Headspace and meditate. I love the new sleep podcasts they’ve created for people with busy minds. Meditation is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I started it back it 2015 when I was going through one of the lowest points of my life. Meditation helps you train your mind to focus on breathing. The deeper your breaths are the more oxygen is sent throughout your body and you can relax. If you don’t want to pay for an app, set a timer on your phone or use your breathe app (one of my favorite features of the apple watch) to focus on deep breathing.
Create a restful environment - One of the ways I’ve achieved this is to have a somewhat tidy bedroom and no TV. Yep, I do not watch TV in bed. In fact, I don’t even get in bed if I’m not trying to go to sleep. I complete my journaling, mind games and daily planning from my couch or desk instead of taking those tasks into my sleep space. If you live in a studio or smaller space then try not to use your bed for anything but sleep. Once I do crawl in bed I turn on headspace and my body knows it’s time to let go for the day. Having nice sheets, comfy pj’s (you can check out my Cozy Winter Pajamas post from December here), the fan on and low lighting also helps!
Now the above routine didn’t happen all at once. I started with creating a good environment and a bath then slowly added what worked best for me. Sometimes, I’ll have a cup of herbal tea or put lavender oil in my diffuser. Whatever routine you decide to start, begin as early as you can and be as consistent as possible. See what works best for your body and make notes. Last but not least, if I am wide awake I will get out of bed go do a few tasks or read and attempt an hour or two later.
What are ways you try to get better sleep? Any suggestions?
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Since I’m almost 40 I’ve been paying so much more attention over the past few years to keep my skin looking healthy and vibrant. We recently purchased the Anespa Home Spa System and it removes all chlorine and harsh chemicals out of our water leaving our skin and hair soft and healthy. It also has a Japanese mineral hot stone that does wonders for adding nutrients to your water for clear skin. On top of that, I drink alkaline hydrogen water and slather on several serums throughout the week to help age backward! Here is a breakdown of what I’m currently using. All of them are affordable options with clean ingredients. I tend to have dry, sensitive skin and these add moisture without irritating my pores.
Happy New Year! I know we are already over a week into 2024, but I took some time over the first week to set intentions for the year. I hope each of you had an amazing time over the holidays and found ways to celebrate with your loved ones. Before fully moving into the new year I wanted to take a few minutes and highlight last year and share a little about my journey during 2023.
Insecurities are something we all have. Many of them were formed in childhood and then reinforced throughout our teenage and adult lives. For some of us the insecurity lies in our physical looks (here is a great post for how to have a better body image) but for others, our insecurities lie in feeling loved in our relationships. I’ve been going through intense therapy this year and we’ve been digging deep into my childhood, doing shadow work, and healing my inner child. I’ll share a few ways that therapy has helped me over this past year and what I’m currently working on.
Nothing in my life has been a product of chance. God gives us free will to walk the Earth and if we make a decision it has consequences one way or another. On March 22, 2019 I kissed alcohol goodbye for forever. I was at a place in my life where I was lost, miserable and completely heartbroken. It was at least a year of turmoil or more and I was in deep depression. Some of my friends will tell you I was a wreck. Others will tell you that they just couldn’t figure out what was going on. All I knew is that no matter what, the alcohol had to go. At that exact same time, I was in a relationship with someone who regularly drank and partied. I knew that I was on a path to sobriety but I had no idea the things I would be giving up when I made that rock bottom choice. Including that relationship and many more as the years would pass by.
Last weekend we met in Salado, Texas at Greenfield Coffee to catch up and shoot these incredible dresses from friends at Wneedu on Amazon. They sent us each a dress to share with you! We both picked out our colors to fit our own personalities. I chose a bold leopard colorway and Tiffany went with a beautiful shade of deep mauve. Great style is available for everyone. No matter what your age or body type you have when you walk with confidence in your own skin a new sense of style seems to follow. That’s one of the things I love about our conversations!
Today I wanted to share the new cropped sweatshirt! It comes in mauve, dusty blue, and black. It’s designed to be lightweight enough for Spring and Summer months but also is the perfect amount of soft and cozy to slip on after a workout or when you are feeling like you need a little lift for your mood. I love the perfect shade of this one and how the cut shows off your hips and waist.
Yes, you heard me. This boss babe right here is intentionally going slower in life. For the first time, ever. I’ve put extra time in between tasks. I’ve taken things off my to-do list. I’ve spent the last few months asking myself what is really important. I’ve gone inward to figure out my priorities. I’ve taken tons of time to journal, reflect and pray. The thing I’ve learned is that we can become addicted to anything including activity. Next time you are wondering what you should be doing with an extra five minutes? Breathe. Yep. Sit down and take 5 minutes to just breathe. I promise your entire life will change from implementing this one tactic. Your heart rate will be calmer. Your thoughts will be clearer. You will feel less rushed. You will be recharged.
It may be February and I’m a minute late to the game but better late than never. As I realize the Earth’s energy is going to keep speeding up I’ve given myself so much more grace for emotions to roll in and out. For the first time in most of my life I am allowing every emotion to surface, be categorized and processed and then released. It hasn’t been an easy process but it is leading me to more vitality.
The mind can be a battlefield. If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack you know firsthand what mental hell is like. In my late twenties and early thirties, I had panic attacks all the time. I mean on the daily and oftentimes multiple times a day. I would freeze and feel like I couldn’t drive my car. I didn’t want to go very many places for fear of getting overstimulated. Being extroverted this felt really difficult. I was torn between what my soul and body wanted to do every day. I needed to bring my body out of fight or flight but being stuck at home to do so in a calm environment was torture in itself because then I was alone with my thoughts. Over time I would get therapy and begin working on training my brain to focus on new things. I would learn different coping techniques that were not full proof but would oftentimes get the job done. It took work. Each day I’d start going down the same worry wormholes and I’d spend time and energy pulling myself out. I figured some of you might be dealing with this, too. Here are three coping tools you can use when you go down a negative mental path:
Wow! I cannot believe it’s been almost two weeks since I wrote the last post on here. It’s been kind of a blur. Something really life-changing took place last week and created a positive shift in my life. I’ll be sharing more about the experience in the coming weeks, but one thing I’ve learned is to take some time to the first process. That’s exactly what I did yesterday. I took a few hours and went a few miles to clear my head and combat the stress I was feeling. Stress is stress even if it’s positive. When big things in life hit, give yourself a little breathing room. It’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers. You’ll be able to work things out, but for now just process. I loaded up my backpack with water and snacks, grabbed my boots, and set off with my Mojo coffee in hand for an afternoon of getting lost in nature. It was so healing! Every time I do this, I come back as a better human being.
Over the past six months, I’ve been taking collagen daily. Although I’ve personally seen results throughout the past few months it wasn’t until last week that I realized just how big of an impact it’s had on my overall physical health. From my hairdresser commenting on how thick the back of my hair has gotten to diminishing cellulite - I’m here as proof that this magic stuff really works. A few months ago I wrote a blog post on the benefits of collagen. You can check it out here for an introduction to what it is and a few benefits. Today I’d like to focus on how it’s specifically impacted me and my own results. Here are three ways my body has transformed since I started taking collagen.
A few years ago whenever I looked in the mirror I saw someone who was a failure. I talked to her that way, too. I’d say things like, “You are not getting things right today.” Or “This isn’t your day.”
I began avoiding mirrors. I saw every single flaw in myself every single day. Then, one day a mentor of mine told me to say one positive thing for every negative thing I said.
Looking back, what I was going through was depression. I was so tired every day. I was angry at how life turned out and I felt like everything was my fault. Depression is a lot of work to manage. It’s a level of fatigue that makes taking a shower feel like an Olympic sport. But I kept going. Each time I said something crappy to myself, I stop and say something positive.
Mental health. I’m so glad this topic has been on the rise especially since the pandemic hit. Now more than ever more and more people need resources. My anxiety journey began about 10 years ago. Through a series of trials, errors, and lots of therapy I am now able to manage panic attacks and anxiety without medication. This post is in no way meant to replace medical advice. If you are struggling I absolutely recommend seeking professional help. Today I’d like to share a resource I use in my own mental health toolkit called a “Coping Checklist.” I’m going to share with you guys a few benefits of having one and the science behind it, how to create one, and when to use it. The biggest key in your coping checklist is to use it as soon as you feel anxiety come on. The more you go through the sequence the easier the panic becomes to manage.
If you are new around here you probably should note that I still go on hikes often because I love the outdoors so dang much! After spending a few days in West Texas hiking and driving through both Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro Canyon I decided to head more north to celebrate New Year’s in Colorado Springs, CO. I’ve made several trips to Colorado over the years with friends but this was the first time alone. I decided that if I only did one epic activity it was to get to Pikes Peak Summit. I quickly researched the ways to get to the top - you can hike about 14 miles… um… no thank you. That’s pretty aggressive to get to one of the tallest peaks in the US. You can drive it but winds a lot and steep grades. It is Winter… and again… no thank you. Then, I stumbled across the train! You can take a three-hour round trip up 9 miles on a train to reach Pikes Peak Summit. That I could manage!
Up until about six months ago I really didn’t think much about the word collagen. The only time I knew about it was when an MLM gal reached out to me on Facebook or I saw someone with overdone lips. About six months ago a friend of mine reach out and shared with me some of the benefits of collagen. We have similar lifestyles - active, healthy, adventurous, and fitness-oriented. I knew that it was worth a shot to try. Instead of injecting, I opted to grab it in supplement form. Fast forward to last month when Younique announced they are launching a collagen shot! I am so excited! Mine arrived today and you can grab during early release!!
Over the past few months I’ve gone hiking almost every single weekend. I love the feeling of getting outdoors and pushing my body! Although I live in a somewhat flat terrain in College Station, TX I’ve found with traveling a few hours away I can get a completely different geographical setting. This post includes a mix of day hikes, aggressive backpacking and camping ideas for Fall travels. If you are looking for something laid back and shaded I would try Davy Crockett National Forest or Mission Tejas State Park where the El Camino Real begins and dates back to the late 1600’s when the Spanish settled in Texas. For more aggressive hikes try Lost Maples State Natural Area or Goodwater Loop and Trail which both offer stepper terrain! For a waterfall sighting Crockett Gardens in Goodwater Loop and Trail along with Riverplace Nature Trail in Austin both offer a pretty sighting. Below you will find a list and photographs of actual travels over the past few months designed to restore your love for nature in Texas!
Over the past few months I’ve gone hiking almost every single weekend. I love the feeling of getting outdoors and pushing my body! Although I live in a somewhat flat terrain in College Station, TX I’ve found with traveling a few hours away I can get a completely different geographical setting. This post includes a mix of day hikes, aggressive backpacking and camping ideas for Fall travels. If you are looking for something laid back and shaded I would try Davy Crockett National Forest or Mission Tejas State Park where the El Camino Real begins and dates back to the late 1600’s when the Spanish settled in Texas. For more aggressive hikes try Lost Maples State Natural Area or Goodwater Loop and Trail which both offer stepper terrain! For a waterfall sighting Crockett Gardens in Goodwater Loop and Trail along with Riverplace Nature Trail in Austin both offer a pretty sighting. Below you will find a list and photographs of actual travels over the past few months designed to restore your love for nature in Texas!
Whether you work from home or have returned to the office, mental health concerns are still on the rise. Things are just different than they were pre COVID. There’s no denying we live in a different world than two years ago. However, no matter what shape things are in, we can still find ways to connect with our coworkers, create a space and environment we love working in, and enjoy our time doing the things that pay the bills. Although I am a work-from-home employee, in recent months my company has been pushing more face-to-face meetings and company events. Our home office employees have returned as have many of my friends. In a very uncertain time, I find it’s best to stay positive and realistic. Understanding that things are going to remain dynamic as we continue to navigate a pandemic and just take it one day at a time because nothing is set in stone. Here are a few ways I’m managing my sanity as I go back to see people face to face.
Back in June, I realized I was getting bored with my workout routine. Every few months I try to switch things up or I find that I don’t push myself to workout daily. My go-to is to walk or run but I felt like in the heat of Texas summer that was even a stretch to do. Just about that time my friend Courtney reached out and offered for me to try her workout program. I told her immediately I was down! At this point, I could benefit from accountability and a new routine. I’ve been going through the workouts the past five weeks and not only have I seen muscle tone, I’ve also noticed my strength improved! She’s offering 50% off to all of my friends who register through noon tomorrow using this link so I had to pop on and give you all of the details to the program.
At the beginning of summer, I felt so worn out. I had just come off of a four-month push in my business and at work, my daughter broke her elbow and had surgery, and stress was at an all-time high. I felt exhausted and uninspired. Have you recently been there, too? I’ve learned as the years pass that life comes in waves. Sometimes you are riding a high and then the valleys in life happen. As I approach being 36 in two weeks I’ve been reflecting more and more about these seasons in my life. How do I manage the lows better? How do I encourage the high points to stay high longer? How do I stay inspired when I don’t feel like I have much energy? As I’ve reflected I found a few things that help me get through the waves of life.
Over the past week, I took myself on a little journey across the South. I decided to start in Mississippi and travel down to the Florida coast and then back through New Orleans making a loop home. When I arrived at the coast I immediately encountered a series of thunderstorms. It definitely was a challenge for me to photograph and spend time at the beach due to intermittent raining and required an immense amount of flexibility in my day. I am a planner but you can’t always plan everything. Life is dynamic. In fact, some would say that life is constantly changing and nothing remains the same. I’ve found the thunderstorms bring the prettiest sunsets and rainbows. I think that’s true for life, too. There’s no such thing as only experiencing “good.” You have to have the lows for growth and to appreciate the highs. Without rain there is no rainbow.
I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase before but MINDSET IS EVERYTHING. Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right. I wish I could tell my younger self this. The mind is so powerful and when you are on a fitness journey it will take a mental push to hit your goals. A few months ago I began running. For the first time in my life at age 35 I decided to start and just work my way up to 30 minutes. Each day I showed up and just did it. I pushed myself a little harder and a little harder by adding a minute or two on. Before I knew it I was at two and three miles. A month later I decided to begin training for a 10k.
Confession: I’m a total outdoors gal. You might not expect me to say that being how much I love getting dolled up, but when I’m in nature I’m at home. From sunny days to trips to the beach to aggressive hikes in the mountains… I love it all. When given the option to work out at the gym or outdoors, you’ll find me jogging outside any day. Being that I love time outdoors means a lot of exposure to the sun. With the sun comes wrinkles if I leave my skin unprotected. These days more than ever I find myself being diligent about taking care of my skin and wearing a product with SPF daily is now built into my morning routine.
Mother’s Day is about a month away and I’ve already begun bookmarking a few items for my own momma. Online shopping has completely shifted my time lines for purchasing items. I start looking much earlier than I used to so I can have things ordered in time of the next holiday. Spring is a the perfect time to stock up on beauty favorites for myself and for mom with the heat coming in a few weeks. As the weather warms up I constantly reach for things like moisturizing and brightening products to give my skin a beautiful glow. Giving the gift of beauty products to pamper her makes any woman feel like a million bucks. Here are my top picks for Mother’s Day!
This week marks another milestone in my life. Two years ago I gave up alcohol. After a series of panic attacks, feeling a lack of purpose, and ultimately needing peace in my life I made the decision to give up alcohol completely. Today I’m sharing the why, what I had to do to fulfill this decision and how it improved every other area of my life. It was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Harder than birth, harder that failure, harder than any job I’ve taken. Yet day by day I made it. Two years is 730 days, 1 million minutes and over 67 million seconds. Essentially I made the same decision over an over each day that went by to get to where I am today. Life still throws me curve balls, but it’s manageable now. Before it was not manageable. It was not enjoyable or peaceful - I was miserable. I want to preface sharing my story that I am not suggesting whether someone should drink or shouldn’t - that is a decision that has to be made on your own. I am suggesting though if you are struggling to find joy and purpose to take a long hard look at what you are doing daily and decide if you want to keep doing it.
If you are currently feeling constant pressure, it’s time to put a boundary in your life for you. You have to refill your cup before you can fill others. You have to slow down, get rest, read books for fun, put your thoughts on paper, practice good skincare and treat yourself to a day for you. You may be sitting here reading this and think, I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself if I had a day. Start small, carve out time for you to take a bath each night after kids go to bed. Get up a little bit earlier so you can read a book that puts you in a good mental place. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… so give yourself a little play time. You’ll be able to take care of your responsibilities with a renewed sense of energy and focus. You’ll be able to love on your family better and you’ll be able to recognize when something isn’t a healthy choice in your life. Go ahead and treat yo’self!
The past six weeks of my life have been filled with mostly work and taking care of my daughter. Sometimes it’s necessary to grind when you have a big goal you are going after. I’m currently working on saving enough money to purchase a home in cash and that requires a daily focus unlike anything I’ve ever done before. This week my energy was all around low. I was going to bed tired, awaking tired, and feeling tired most days. I knew right then it was time to break away from work and business building and escape to nature for a little renewal of the soul. I grabbed my dog, a few snacks, a thermos of iced coffee and set out to hit up one of our national parks. When I arrived, I was greeted with underbrush fires and immediately decided to turn around and find something else I could visit that was a safer situation. Washington-on-the-Brazos was the perfect location. It’s a beautiful 3.5 mile trek on our state’s birthplace. The perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
A few years ago I had life changes take place that sent me into somewhat of a downward spiral. Started with a breakup, then a hurricane displaced me and then I got pneumonia. The three events combined that year were a catalyst for depression. Everyone functions differently. Depression can look different for different personalities. My personality is a high achievement. I operate at a fast pace with lots of energy. I prefer environments with order and structure and thrive when faced with challenges. For me, depression wasn’t siting on a couch barely able to get going everyday. In fact, it looked much different than that. Today’s post is to share insight on how sadness affects the brain, signs someone is struggling with depression and how to help.
I’ve shared so much lately about bringing joy into my own life. One of the things that was the toughest to go through when I was experience panic attacks a few years back was being happy. In fact, I felt the opposite of happy most of the time during that era of my life. Each day I try to do at least one activity that raises my joy level. Sometimes it’s painting with acrylics while watching The Crown. Other times you’ll find my daughter and I dancing around the house after she gets a high grade on her school work. Being happy is a choice and I can’t think of a better way to move towards joy than incorporating a little play time.
This picture was captured by my incredible husband this past week and I truly felt like it captured my essence. I am finally feeling like I have energy again and wanted to share insights to why I’ve been quiet on the blog this year. The past five and a half months brought a whirlwind of things I did not expect. Many of you guys have followed my journey over the years, but for some of the new faces I had a baby five months ago.