Time To Press Reset

I woke up the other morning and my first thought was, “How many times can I press snooze without being late?” After the umpteenth time, & undoubtably driving my roommate completely insane, I thought, “Do I actually need to get out of bed this morning?” My third thought was really more of an illegible tangle of a gazillion different thoughts that basically equated to: “I’m stressed.”

 

The only thing different about this cycle of thoughts from the cycle of the past several months was my fourth thought, “I need to make a change.” I realized I’d been neglecting myself, turning my back on my usual practices of mindfulness and self care, instead becoming entrapped and buried under the day-to-day responsibilities of adulthood.

I made excuse after excuse: I don’t have time, I’ll do it later, I just moved to a new city, *insert task of the day* is more important. After months of justifications, it had finally caught up to me. This fourth thought was probably the most daunting because it woke me up to all the things I’d been “pressing snooze” on.

When was the last time I’d practiced yoga? When did I last sit down to write? Had I given one moment’s consideration to the thoughts I allowed to fill my mind? The music I listened to? The food I used to fuel my body? The problem was clear, but the solution was less so. I’d drifted so far from where I wanted to be that I found myself completely lost.

It was a vicious cycle. The more I had to do, the more stressed I became. The more stressed I felt, the less productive I was. The less productive I was, the more piled up onto my plate, which, of course, only served to generate more stress.

**Stressful just reading that, right?!**

I finally took notice of the fact I couldn’t breathe, but rather than come up for air, I began to panic. After eventually reaching out to loved ones, talking through my circling and zig-zagging and bouncing thoughts, I was able to organize them into their respective filing cabinets, alphabetize and prioritize them until I finally felt back in control of my own mind.

I had a plan and was ready to get started. 

I surrounded myself with positive people, my mind with positive thoughts, my playlist with positive music, and my home with plants. They’ve been proven to relieve stress and anxiety, filter toxins from the air, and improve overall mood. Plus, they look gorgeous in my room and add the brightness of things that are alive.

 

 

Next, I focused on sleep. I had either been getting too much or too little, depending on the day, both of which weren’t good. Under or overcharging a phone will shorten its battery life, and our bodies are the same. So, I went to bed earlier, and woke up earlier. I am trying to be mindful of my morning thoughts, looking forward to the day and convincing myself I’m not tired. As a night owl this part has not been easy, and I’m still driving my angel roommate crazy with my multiple alarms, but I promise I’m working on it.

Then came my food, and wow had I been neglecting nutrition. Our health, mental and physical, starts in our gut–which is a direct reflection of the foods we are choosing to fuel our bodies. Let’s just say the Cookout burgers and Zesto ice cream I’d been indulging in more often than I’d like to admit weren’t exactly doing me any favors.

 

I found this post by Mollie Mason and was ready to take the leap. I haven’t gotten to the point of completely eliminating all sugar, and I’ve admittedly been struggling to get down the apple cider vinegar (I’ve found it’s easier for me to take a tablespoon and flush it down with some kombucha [KeVita pineapple peach is my favorite!] rather than suffering my way through a full glass of it diluted in water). I used to take the majority of the supplements she mentions, and I was so happy to be reminded of how great they make me feel! I have to admit I was incredibly skeptical of her bulletproof superfood coffee recipe, thinking it was going to taste like health…but it’s delicious!

I’ve been having so much fun creating new recipes to incorporate as many superfoods (packed with plenty of nutrition and pre/probiotics) into my diet as possible. I’m posting them on my story each day if you’re interested in following along.

** And if you have any favorite recipes you think I should try,

feel free to post them in the comments! **

Another thing I’d been ignoring? Exercise! “I’m too tired, maybe tomorrow,” became my favorite phrase. But, guess what I was forgetting?! Exercising actually gives you energy. After skipping it for months, I’m not quite ready to get back into my vigorous workout regimens like Beachbody’s 80 Day Obsession, but I’ve been doing daily yoga and walking several miles with my pup (which he’s been ecstatic about!). The yoga and walks are doubly beneficial as they’ve been giving me plenty of time to practice gratitude and mindfulness.

And, last but not least, I’ve been investing in my passions. I’ve started writing again–jotting down daily journal entries and to-do lists, writing poems just for me, working on my novels and, as of right now, blogging! I’m taking improv classes as Dad’s Garage, creating a home studio for my voice over work, and officially becoming a licensed real estate agent!

It may sound crazy that adding so many things back into my daily routine has actually helped me make a sizable dent in my to-do list, but my newfound energy and positive attitude have made me infinitely more productive than I’ve felt for months.

I took a step back and saw the version of myself I currently was, thought of the version of myself I wanted to be, and took strides to bridge the gap. It’s a journey, and I’m definitely nowhere near “there” yet, but I’m excited to take this journey. I hope you decide to take it with me and share with anyone you know who may need the boost to press reset as well!

Sending you all my love today and always, my little chick-a-dees.