How to Overcome Insecurities

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.

My Diary: 48 Hour Social Media Detox

After a grueling weekend last week, I made a decision Saturday afternoon to do a 48-hour social media detox. Being a blogger and influencer comes with the price of constantly being on social media through posting content on multiple platforms, engaging with followers, and then responding in direct messages. It’s such an incredible way to create a space in the world but sometimes we all need a break. I desperately did. I started feeling a little out of touch with myself. I felt like I had a million things tugging at me and I was struggling with mindfulness. I put a quick plan together and then alerted my boyfriend and kiddo that I would be offline and intermittently checking my phone for the weekend. Here’s what I did in hopes to inspire you to take that much-needed downtime.

Tips to Combat Depression

The thing is… sometimes we have to have emotional lows to get back to the highs. It’s a contrast. When we have to let go of something really big in life oftentimes we are left with an emptiness. That emptiness takes time to refill. So what can you do?

Anxiety Relief and Utilizing a Coping Checklist

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.

What I Did to Finally Let Myself Be Happy

Last year I chose the word “Abundance” for my word of the year. It was evident in my life I needed to find more joy every day. I wasn’t necessarily miserable or depressed at that time (I fought those battles a few years prior) but I was struggling with feeling happy. I remember that a mentor shared with me the area I needed the most growth in was just doing the things that make me happy. Not the things that made me the most productive. So here I go, trying to shift from doing what I’ve done year over year and now I am supposed to just find joy. About this time last year, I embarked on a 600-mile one-direction road trip. I guess when all was said and done.

Book the Trip, Wear the Dress

How many times have you thought to yourself… I really should have taken that trip? I’m in a phase of life where I am holding nothing back. I have no reason to anymore. In the past, I came up with reasons I couldn’t do something or go somewhere. Maybe it was the cost. Maybe it was asking for time off from my job and I didn’t think they couldn’t manage without me being there. Maybe it was because my ex-husband didn’t show interest or even complained about it. Maybe it was the fact that you have three kids and now you have no idea how to even begin to make that happen. When was the last time you did something that made you feel the most you?

Mental Health And The Holidays

Can you believe Thanksgiving is in just two days? I absolutely cannot. After a whirlwind of a weekend traveling, I just got back to my house and was thinking a lot on my drive home about mental health and the next six weeks. Holidays are a time where schedules seem jam packed, the to do lists are endless and there are so many social events that leave a person drained at the end of the day. Furthermore, many companies are closing out their year with inventory counts, end of year sales and crunching budget numbers. As much as the season brings me joy, I also find so much of it to include a lot of additional stressors. When stressors amount life can get really overwhelming and the season can loose it’s luster. Here are a few ways I’m focusing on my mental health this season.

Finding Joy as You Complete Everyday Tasks

Over this past year, I’ve written a lot about finding joy. The truth is a few years ago I went through a huge struggle with joy. My life felt flat during that time. Very little brought me joy. I’d later come to find that I was going through depression and I had to realign things in my life. I need more sleep and consistent sleep. I need to shed things that were weighing me down. I needed daily exercise and better support. It took time to transform all of these things, but when I formed a healthy foundation I was able to laugh and feel joy again. Looking back it wasn’t overnight that my life became joyless and it wasn’t an instant change to move it back on track. Both situations were a series of daily choices made over time. Now I protect my mindset above all else. If I am feeling like I’m in a funk, I make small choices that day to find joy in little things. Here are a few practical ways I choose to find joy when I complete everyday tasks.

One Year of Being Single

As I approach the one year mark of being single I realize how important this past year has been in regards to my personal growth. I am pretty sure this was the most significant jump in my entire life. After a huge breakup this time last year I decided before I spent any amount of time seeking a new relationship or even dating much for that matter, I would take time to unpeel the layers of my life and figure out why and how I got to where I was. My last relationship was pretty rough especially towards the end. We were going in significantly different directions and shared minimal life values. It was hard to break up but I knew at the time there was no other choice if I wanted to grow in my own life. I shared in a previous blog post - how to handle a major break up and more about my outlook in the post title how to be single over the holidays. Fast forward to this month where it officially ended a year ago. Here are my own reflections about how life improved, what changed in my perspective and some tips for growth in your own life.

Escape to Nature

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.

Strength Doesn't Come From Easy Things

I’ve been sharing so much lately about strength on my social media. The thing I’ve found about strength is that is just doesn’t feel like you are strong when you are building it. In fact, what it actually feels like is that you’re not strong enough. With one foot in front of the other you can make it through. Building strength comes from the toughest things you endure. For each person that looks different because we are made of different life circumstances. We come from different degrees of tough and every person has a different version of struggle. As I continue to move through life I realize that pain is pain no matter what degree and no one moves through their lifetime without enduring something or the other they may almost break them.

Depression Wasn't What I Thought It Would Be

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.

Five Ways to Brighten Your Own Day

I’m pretty sure all of us felt a little jolted this week. Not to mention, all of 2020 was an impact. I noticed although I personally experienced highs and lows throughout the past year, the last few months of 2020 I felt my energy lowered. The days were getting darker earlier. I was struggling with quality sleep. My activity goals dropped on fitness. All in all I was in a little bit of a funk. As I moved through about two months of that I started noting things that were bringing my energy down. As I noted things that made me stressed versus things that made me feel energized I started moving away from the the negative. I realized after going through this dip it was more important than ever to bring my own sunshine. Whether it’s something simple or lavish - do what makes you feel alive and good. Move one step closer to being a happier and mentally healthier person. Here are five ways to brighten your own day.