All work and no play…

How often do you hear, “There’s just not enough time in the day…” ? I’m slowly coming to the realization that there really isn’t enough time in the day to accomplish everything that we think that we need to do (key word being think). I used to believe that was just an excuse, but the reality is that we have created to-do lists that are unrealistic. It is as if there is some ongoing competition to see who can cross the most items off of their list. Once you cross them all off, you tell everyone that you completed your list, and then you start over again with a new list of tasks to complete. Is it really in our best interest to hit the ground running as soon as we open our eyes and stay moving at that pace until we shut our eyes at night? Ask yourself, why do I feel the need to be constantly on the go? Constantly moving? Just because it can be done, doesn’t mean that it should be done. Everywhere that we look, we see how much other people are accomplishing, so it is only natural for our brains to start to think that we need to do that as well. So, how to we turn that urge to compete, into a drive to be productive in a healthy way?

The most important thing that we need to remember, is that we are all different, and our minds and bodies handle everything differently. It is extremely detrimental to compare yourself to someone else, the way that they do things, how much they get done, etc. With that being said, using other people as motivation and seeking accountability to accomplish your goals, is a great tool when done in a healthy way. There is a huge difference in comparing and admiring someone. Another great tool, is making a realistic list of what you want to accomplish. To-do lists are not bad, when they are made in a manageable way. Many times, a short and simple list allows for more to be accomplished, than a lengthy list. Being able to completely focus on one task at a time, while feeling confident that you are not only be able to complete the task, but complete it well, will create a healthy sense of accomplishment. Sometimes, it is equally important to put your list aside for a day and rest, move slowly and just enjoy some down time. Don’t worry, you can get back to your to-do list once you have given your body and mind a little reset time. Find your balance.

“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play, in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.”

-Brene Brown

September 5, 2018 2

Baby steps.

Around this time of year, everyone is reflecting on the past and planning for the future. That can be a very overwhelming task! We as a society, generally push ourselves too hard, too fast and miss out on our small victories. This year, when I am setting my intentions for 2018, I am trying something new (for me) and practical.

We have all heard the saying, “If you want to change your life, change something that you do daily..” (or something along those lines) Whenever I hear that, or see that somewhere I always think about how brilliant it is, but I have yet to implement it in my day to day life. Instead of setting intentions that intimidate me, I am going to start with setting things that I can do daily, and then build on.

Here are a few examples of how I am going to change my daily routine in 2018:

Eat one plant based meal a day. It doesn’t have to be limited to just one meal, it can be a completely plant based day, but it has to be at least one. (I have been doing meatless Monday’s quite successfully but I want to integrate it into my daily routine)
Nightly stretching. This is HUGE, especially when you sit all day at a desk job. I will stretch for a minimum of 10 minutes each night before bed.
Bring reusable utensils to work for snacks and lunch breaks. There is so reason that I need to be using multiple plastic forks, spoons and knives each day, when I can bring silverware from home to use. No excuses.

Each of the above changes might seem small, but they will make a big impact on my life and that will in turn, impact the lives of others. I love setting intentions and goals, making plans, creating lists and maps for the future, but there is such amazing power in changing our daily routine. That is ultimately how we end up achieving what we want to achieve.

Side note- do not forget to acknowledge the good habits that you have formed and plan to continue those through the new year as well. I am going to make myself a list of all of the good habits that I have created over the past year, for motivation and encouragement and as a reminder of how far I have come in 2017!

Cheers to the end of an amazing year! Make this last month count 🙂

December 2, 2017 0

Expand your knowledge.

Raise your hand if you like(d) school? No? Neither did I. Now, my parents might beg to differ because I excelled but I did not in fact enjoy school, what I did enjoy, was learning new things (I was also a perfectionist that was obsessed with straight A’s and winning student of the month, but that’s an entirely different topic for another time) and there is a HUGE difference between the two.

As an adult, I find myself with a certain yearning to go back to school. Why on earth, would I want to electively do something, that I don’t enjoy, if I don’t have to? Isn’t adult life already filled with enough things that you have to do against your will? I discovered that what I really needed, was to expand my knowledge, and learn something new, but on my terms. When I attended college, it took me years to obtain my AA degree, and once I transferred to get my bachelors, I only lasted for a semester and a half before deciding that maybe college wasn’t for me. So here I am, not wanting to go to school, yet wanting to learn something new and something that I could use in my daily life. I decided that I wasn’t going to force anything, that I would let opportunities to learn, come to me. Once I stopped obsessing over it, I slowly started to realize that there are countless opportunities to learn, they just might not be traditional and you might not earn a degree from them. I had been so jaded in my thinking that the end goal had to be a degree, that would make sense and make you earn additional money, that I had missed the entire point of what learning is really for. Our brain is a muscle, and needs to be challenged and “worked out” to stay in shape. If we do not expose ourselves to anything that stimulates our brain, we will eventually get bored and boredom leads to ruts, depression, etc. I realized that the term ‘studying’ had a negative connation associated with it, but it really shouldn’t. Studying doesn’t have to be linked to taking some test, that sends our anxiety into overdrive, it can simply be reading about a topic that you would like to know more about! Taking a class doesn’t have to end with a stressful exam, you can find a class at your local community college or community center about anything from learning how to meditate to learning how to bake a pie.

I am in no way discounting a traditional college education, I am simply encouraging you to not feel like learning is out reach. I know that going back to school can be intimidating. Its important to remember there are many other avenues to take, in order to exercise your brain and get the fulfillment that you need. For example, I love yoga, and I wanted to gain knowledge and understanding about the practice, so I researched and took notes on different poses, the origin, and how it has impacted peoples lives in a positive way. That was my studying for that day. I am also extremely interested in mental health, so I bought a few books and plan to make time to “study” those on a weekly basis, and journal about what I learn from them.

Our brains are amazing, unique and complex! So, if you are getting that urge to expand your knowledge, learn something new, or brush up on an old hobby or topic you once loved, do it! Register for that class, sign up for that workshop, read that book! Your brain will thank you.

November 19, 2017 0