Why Staying True To Natural Intentions Can Allow Room For Personal Growth
Hey guys. I’ve been wanting to say thank you for some time now, but today just felt like the right day, so, here we are. If you’re wondering why I’m saying thank you, it’s because I genuinely appreciate each and every single human being that travels digitally to follow along this journey with me while learning how to balance our habits. Every day seems to get a little more interesting and a little less of a struggle with the adulting world of self-exploration, so I wanted to show my gratitude today by embracing the community that we are all a true part of. <3 Passions and Personal Growth Sometimes life feels weird and gets you in uncomfy situations. It catapults you up and down like a rollercoaster and makes you continuously question why you’ve made the steps you have to get into the next phase of this life. But only when you begin to absorb those daily lessons and apply them with gratitude, do you begin to view things in a different light. What is your current uncomfy situation? Let’s talk about that in the comments if you’re open to sharing. Recently on HB’s facebook page I asked what topics you’re most interested in learning about. It was amazing to see just how many people would like to hear more about topics related to travel. I am 110% game for that being that travel is one of my most favorite things to do. However. I also want to stay true to HB’s true intentions on this blog, which is self-development, personal growth, and finding our true passions along this journey of life. And because of that, those will be sprinkled in along the way as well. Because without growth, without passion and development, we cannot truly embrace and experience all of that which travel can really bring us. Here are my top 5 current passions if you’re wondering: Travel (Enjoying all of earth’s natural beauty and putting this on my to-do list as often as possible) Competing in BJJ (Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and reigniting my competitive spirit) (new post on this to come if there’s any ladies out there looking for some inspo!) Hiking (Staying active in nature and soaking up natural vitamin D more often) Mental Health (Maintaining the foundation and allowing more room for growth) Physical Growth (Pushing my boundaries physically) What are your top 5 passions? (These cannot include family/friends/pets/etc). Related: Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth Attitude of Gratitude Without creating situations in our lives that create discomfort, we are forced to stay stagnant and uncomfortable in a whole different sense. Discomfort that eventually will bring disease and doubt in ourselves to stay the course once we’ve dug ourselves too deep in a hole that we need help getting out of. Habitual Balance isn’t just about feeling good on the outside while we travel the world or hike in nature, it’s also about feeling good inside, and knowing when to put yourself first instead of grinding and grinding until you come in dead last. It’s okay to be selfish when it comes to your mental and physical health. It’s okay to be kind to your mind and enjoy a restorative day instead of venturing out in the world of people. So I want you to focus more often on realizing your deepest intentions and finding what fears you’re facing so that you can confront them and move into the next chapter of your life. Being human is incredible, we have a million and one things to be thankful for every moment we breathe. Here is what I’m thankful for from you: Being supportive of this personal growth Feeling supported along your own path Engaging with the HB community and connecting with others who share the same mindset Being in the drivers seat of your own awareness and understanding of what needs accomplished Recognizing how to keep an open mind while you browse through another’s journey online I started this blog because I not only feel the desire to help another like-minded soul embrace their own journey, but to also keep myself accountable and updated on how I’ve been or how I am currently feeling on my own path. I want to share my story so that others like you know they are not alone on what they’re going through. Habitual Balance is About Community Growth Too There are so many false positives in the world today with social media knocking at our screens 159 times per day (yes, that’s an actual statistic), that we have to wonder what is truly real anymore. Who is actually happy on the other end of that screen and how many individuals are actually going through something traumatic but are too fearful to share it with their “peers” on their following? I want to be real with you guys. To be empathetic to your own stories and want you to be able to fully embrace mine. I want you to feel seen and for myself to feel seen through the eyes of others going through so many of the same things. So often we judge someone on their external appearance (through real life or through a filtered screen), that we mistakenly never notice when they are actually reaching out for help. Habitual Balance is not only about reaching balance in your habits, but also about how to sense when your community is in need and what you can do to lend a helping hand. Self-growth is both inward and outward personal growth. They are one in the same. Meaning that it’s okay to be selfish and focus on your own growth, but try to not leave others in the dust at the same time. Remember who they are to you and how they’ve helped you get to be the you that you are today. We are nothing without our community. Did you catch that? It is okay to
Here’s A Few Ideas On Where You Should Start Your Backpacking Adventures
So, you’re fed up with mediocre adventures and are ready to step it up in the hiking world. I see you. No matter if you’re ready to conquer small or big backpacking trips, I wanted to drop in today to talk about my favorite ways to prepare for them, as well as list off a handful of my favorite trails to do so! I swear I could add dreads to my hair tomorrow and go for days out into the wilderness. Give me a water filter and a JetBoil and I’ll be good to go. Being fully immersed into nature’s beauty is more than ever at the top of my priority list. I’m all in for making my days easier, more colorful and fuller with any adventure outdoors that I can get my toes in. Where do you stand? Childhood Hikes to Adult Backpacking Exploration I never grew up backpacking or having backpacking adventures. I didn’t even have a single clue about what it was until maybe 5-7 years ago. (I can’t remember the exact date we shopped for backpacks, but I do recall the exciting experience of fitting and finding the perfect pack. More about how to fit a pack later in the post!) When I would go hiking with my parents as a toddler and adolescent, and as a young adult with my friends, I absolutely loved every minute of it. Looking back, I actually don’t think I realized just how much it was a genuinely loved part of my life. I remember distinctly this one memory as a 15/16 year old. I had this tiny child sized colorful backpack that I stuffed full of peanut butter sandwiches (hold the jelly, please), and smarties. (Two of my favorite snacks to this day). My best friend and I actually stayed up all night so that we didn’t miss the sunrise. This has to be one of the first sunrises I actually remembering being present with and enjoying. It’s an amazing thing, our human memory, isn’t it? My Tiny House We started out of my playhouse (a cool little mini house that was more like a shed that my dad built for me near our home), early when the sun was rising. I can still feel that memory so strongly that I could paint you a picture of looking into my tiny home to make sure I remembered everything, pulling the door knob closed after I shut off the fan, and looking out to the east where the most beautiful colors began coming up on the horizon between the woods. I remember smiling to myself as we stepped off the porch into the shale, and started up the logging road to the beautiful nature behind my childhood home. Only now can I recognize what an important part of this life that memory would be. If I had to choose a specific time and place where I truly felt in tune with my hiking aura, it would have to be this morning. Although I have a ton of memories hiking with my parents beforehand, for some reason, going out on my own (with my friend of course), felt truly like it was the first of many to come as an individual. I love that memory. Do you have something similar? At the time I didn’t realize I’d actually been halfass “backpacking.” I had even remembered to bring a safety and first aid kit, besides the snacks and water that I carried in my pack for my friend and I. We trekked out a ways until it felt like far enough, gathered some sticks and started a teeny tiny fire. I enjoyed my sandwiches around the smell of the fire (my all-time favorite smell to this day, ESPECIALLY in the morning), and made sure it was out before heading back down the trail. We were gone for hours. That was the longest of my hikes at that time, something I wish I would have made an effort to do more often as I grew into adulthood. Where To Start and the Lessons I Learned So aside from the sappy teeny me story, it’s that time in the post to share some tidbits about where and how you may consider starting your own backpacking journey. Let’s get into that. I mentioned that about 5-7 years ago is really where it began to transform my adult life. It was at this time that my husband and I decided to start to travel more (for adventure, not for relaxation). We were out in Arizona with our day packs (actually, I believe we had just camelbacks at the time, pssh, newbs…) and trekked down into the Grand Canyon a bit past Skeleton Point on the South Kaibab trail. I knew we could keep going, but knowing the dangers of the Canyon that a lot of people ignore, we made the choice to turn around and try again the next year with better preparation and training. We also booked Angels Landing in Zion National Park (for a daytrip) in Utah the year after. We had Havasupai Falls scheduled as well, but with the flash flood that came through, caused us to reschedule (for two weeks from now, actually, yay!). (Check out the videos below to get a glimpse of the before and after). And we just finished backpacking the Napali Coast in Kauai this past December. Since then, we’ve learned that getting permits is hella hard, backpacking can be intimidating if you don’t plan properly, and preparing your body for carrying 30-40 pounds up a crap ton of elevation is MUCH harder than it looks on paper. Check Out AllTrails for Your Adventure Therefore, I recommend starting out small. Get the AllTrails app and find some fun trails near you that you can practice on. Check out your nearest outdoor store to get fitted for a pack, (something else I never realized you had to do!). Our favorite store is REI, but if there are none near your city,
Tips For Maintaining Healthy Eating While Traveling
Years ago, I would have never even begun to think about trying to eat healthy on vacations. They’re vacations! Why on earth did I want to limit myself to a strict meal plan (or the dreaded word, “diet”), while enjoying my time away with my loved ones? Over time though, I began to learn more about how healthy eating truly affects the entirety of those trips, and how I have made significant changes up until now and ongoing so that I can feel my best if I’m just laying on the beach or conquering the next best mountain on foot. How do you eat while you travel? Do you realize that it adjusts how you feel overall? Let’s discuss the best options to choose for healthy eating while traveling when your options are limited. Staying Nourished While on the Go I used to hate healthy eating. Like literally, loathe it. I ate fried chicken tenders before softball games and indulged in Dairy Queen to refuel after. Sure, most teenagers will do this. It’s fun, it tastes awesome, and we’re able to bond over delicious cheese-covered food with our family and friends. But some days while I soak in my homemade smoothies, I think back and wonder how much better I could have performed if I’d only known how to fuel my body properly? Although this is just something that most of us learn over time, I’d like to point out that Gen Z is doing a much better job at this than us Millennials. It seems that everyday I notice more and more teens opting for healthy snacks or smoothies and green juice over milkshakes and burgers. Of course, there is more available knowledge out there with the internet at their fingertips, so I am pleased to say that those such as my 17 year old sister are one of them who are learning what’s best to put on their plates early in the game of life. She even makes “nice cream!” Check out the recipe below if you’re wanting a frozen, healthy treat after a long morning run. (She runs 7 miles EVERY MORNING….gulp.) Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream Unfortunately for us ladies in our 30s and 40s, we are now just learning about all the benefits of eating healthy and maintaining a well-balanced diet. Of course we learned some things along the way through health class and other methods, but I’ve found much more valuable information on my own, not to mention that finding the right meal plan that works for you is the absolute hardest part! These days, I don’t try to force myself into making things I’m just kind of “meh” about. My husband has a different meal plan than me now, and it took me a long time to be okay with that. For years I would fight it and feel inadequate about not cooking for us both, but today, I embrace that we have different diets, because we are in fact different people. And that is okayyyy my friend. Something I also noticed yesterday even is that I really love eating big breakfasts and lunches, then snack or just have a small dinner in the late afternoon or early evening. He’s the total opposite. He likes to have big dinners and if I didn’t heat something up for him for breakfast, he probably wouldn’t have it at all! Fortunately though, we’ve managed to find some meals that work best for us both on the weekends, but when we’re traveling, those diets that we’re used to can be hard to balance. Finding Healthy Food Options While Traveling It all depends what the trip we’re going on entails. Will there be an REI for dehydrated options? Or will we have to suffer and choose from the limited options that are at the nearest Wal-Mart? (That’s what we had to do during our Kauai trip, before finding Pitch-A-Tent on Google!) Sometimes we look for Whole Foods, or out west there’s a similar store named Natural Grocers (found this gem in Saint George, Utah before hitting up Angels Landing in Zion!) I just read that Sprouts Farmers Markets have also opened up in some areas. Speaking of which, farmers markets are a great place to stop for fresh fruits and veggies during your trips, with an added bonus of them typically being a TON less expensive than your regular grocery store! Three cheers for supporting small businesses! <3 (Psst, like this one!) When we’re on the trails, I pack completely different. I have however adopted a few dehydrated meals to keep in the pantry at home when I’m feeling hungry but not up to cooking a whole meal. My favorite healthy eating while traveling go-to’s are: Strawberries & Granola by Peak Refuel Chicken & Rice by Mountain House Chicken Alfredo Pasta by Peak Refuel I now purchase two 6-packs every other week of the granola to take with me to work. That and my Quantum Energy Squares fill me up for a few hours until I need to recharge with some sourdough toast or a Nuun electrolytes/caffeine tablet. It’s also pretty great that Mountain House offers canned options, which means that you can buy those meals in bulk instead of individual bags! Yay for savings! So I always keep a serving of the chicken and rice on me when I’m at work or running errands since all I need is hot water to make it ready to eat! Healthy Eating at Airports But what about airports?? Ah yes, the dreaded airport cafeteria food… No lie, that’s what most of it used to remind me of. Blah looking options, meh tasting meals, and just okay “healthy” juices. BUT NOW?! Guyzzzzzz. They have SO many options to choose from! At least in most of your larger airports. My two favorite to travel through is Pittsburgh and Phoenix. I love both of these locations and their airports have provided the best experiences for setup, and
Why Even Just 15 Minutes Of Restorative Time Is Worth YOUR Time
Hey ladies of the internet. (And fellas). Time is something that a lot of us are never easy to come by these days. In a fast-paced world, with a plethora of fast-tracked plans, we move too quickly 24/7 to even realize that our “relaxing” time isn’t really giving us relaxation at all. Recently, the hubs and I have been conversing about what we really need out of each other regarding our own space and what decompressing looks like for each of us. It’s different for everyone, and that’s precisely what I’d like to talk about today. Stress relief. How Our ‘Chill Time’ Has Become Just Another Way to Scroll So usually, relaxation looks pretty similar to most of the world (see my last post for more context on this topic!). We get up, we scroll. We work, we scroll, even ON THE WAY to work, we scroll. (PSA: Please don’t scroll and drive!) And then my friends, we get home to order takeout on our handy-dandy scroll machine only to continue to scroll some more while waiting and/or eating for said takeout. It’s hard not to anymore. Everything is on our phones, or laptops, or tablets, or tvs, or watches, or rings… Although I am so here for learning all about my physical health via my watch and ring, I’d really like to quit the rest of the screens for a significant period of time, more often…and psst…it’ll benefit you too! I came home yesterday to my husband that had just gotten there moments before me. We both had super long, draining days and wanted to just “chill.” That looks different for us. Not being able to be on his phone most of the day, he looks forward to vegging on the couch with a snack for a bit, binging some videos or his favorite show. Me? I’m more of a face down starfish laying blob in the complete darkness away from the ping of his video noises or tv show. I want to snuggle with my dog, put on a comfy jumper and bury my face into the pillow (my dog does the same, don’t judge us). I never really embraced this fully until now. Because, thanks to that tech-device on my ring finger, I noticed something change. It’s all about balance, peeps. Yesss even when it comes to those tiny tech things. Although I always want to go full-starfish mode, I never actually do it. But, as I was just vegging waiting on him to finish his decompressing so we could take our pups for a walk, I actually did go plop my potato-feeling self on the bed with my dogs. It was glorious. My eyes felt better, less burn-y. My headache went away. My body felt less tense. All because of laying in the dark with my eyes closed for fifteen minutes. Sure, 15 minutes is a blip in time most days, but these ones were rejuvenating. And guess what? When I checked my Oura ring to see how much stress relief I had over the day (a lot, since I tried to help track down a puppy on the loose!), I noticed that the only time my stress was in the “green restorative” mode, was those recent 15 minutes! I was flabberghasted! Related: Shining Light on Stress and Mental Health Barriers Surely, I had more rest time over the day. Surely I had sat still at least once over the previous 12 or so hours to refresh my physical and mental state. But according to this tracker, I had done none of that. None at all. Not even after those 15 minutes. It was an astounding awakening. Not only do I now know that I need just a few 15 minute breaks during my days to feel refreshed and ready to get after it, but I also know that his decompressing cycle does not work the same as mine. (I’ve tried the watching Netflix after work thing, although it brings down my stress slightly, it’s still never been in the “restorative” mode. Embrace Your Own Comfort: Creating a Stress Relief Routine Here’s what I’m suggesting. Try a few different routines that you find enjoyable. Rotate through them over a few weeks and track what you’re feeling if you’re able to. If you have a tech device that does so for you, even better. If you need to write it in a journal, congratulations! You’ve tackled both journaling and tracking your progress in the same go. Double win! Maybe you’re an early bird that doesn’t care much for staying up to watch games or shows. No problem, hit the hay early and see how it affects your next day ahead. Maybe you’re not into naps and would prefer the scrolling method. If Netflix and Chill is your wind-down routine at the end of a long day, don’t fight it. Instead, lean into it and absorb the good vibes you get from vegetating for awhile. I think too often we don’t embrace what really gives us pure comfort. Whether it be a certain food or snack, a long walk or sitting still to meditate, we should be instead focusing on those things that make us feel most at home with ourselves. Once we are able to truly be in our on element and let our guard down about silly excuses why we can’t “just sit still” or “get too antsy not being productive,” we will be able to truly relax. (I’m talking to you mom). <3 We are most often labeled as people pleasers, who try to incorporate any free time we may have with giving it away to others for free or for something that doesn’t benefit us back. It’s time we started adulting properly and gave ourselves the proper amount of recharging time to allow in the peace and comfort so that we can learn how to be our best selves. Set your alarm
When You Quit Trying to Control, You Can Begin Living
Will it ever be easy? Letting something go? Whether it be a person, place or thing, even a pet, it’s hard to let things go when they constantly weigh on you. So instead, we grab onto the control button because it’s the next best thing to determine our fate. Or is it? Even though we’ll feel in control for a little while, it’s bound to break after so long. Then the spiraling will begin again and we’ll wonder how it slipped so easily through our fingers. Control is a beast, but we can manage to escape it just like everything is. All we have to do is learn how to let go. I Had It All Figured Out 10 years ago I had this Suzie homemaker dream kit in my mind of how I wanted to live my life. I had everything planned out, perfectly spaced in my head so that I could make it all “work.” That plan was flawed though, because I forgot to include something in the plan. Life. No matter how much we try to control it, it always ends up controlling us in the end. So, maybe we should just start letting that happen from the beginning instead? When I had made those initial plans, freshly married and in our cute little second apartment, I had no idea that it would turn out any differently than how I wanted it. You see, life has a funny way of circling back around, which I imagine is what is happening now as I think back to those moments and wonder why certain plans don’t end up the way you foresee them to. I was going to make everything from scratch. I was going to grow a huge garden. I was going to live as off-grid as I could because I knew better. But, as my dad continues to remind me throughout the years, only aging can prove to you that you did not, in fact, know better. (Thanks for being right dad). Discovering How To Have Gratitude For Any And All Of Life’s Bounties Life Finds a Way The difference now is, that I don’t feel as though I missed out or lost time. I only feel that it went to fast and that maybe I could have approached certain situations a little differently. I would have liked to grown my knowledge more about some topics such as gardening and homesteading in my 20s, but here I am in my 30s doing so anyway. Sometimes it just takes life figuring itself out for us to realize that all the stops along the way did actually need to happen for us to circle back around with a better mindset to living our lives. Although the same goals are in my future, I have a much different game plan for them and understanding of how I want to enact them. I see time differently as well, knowing that I should make the most of it but also being balanced and mature enough to realize time for rest when my mind or body needs it. Controlling My Goals If I had controlled all of those goals perfectly from the beginning, I’d have never gotten to experience beautiful things such as bringing life-changing pets into my life, understanding what it’s like to own a home, recognizing that I actually loathe the corporate world as a bee-bopping entrepreneur, and realizing that only I can make my dreams come true by working on myself and increasing my emotional maturity along the way. What are your goals and dreams? Have you already set the path forward for them? Quit Trying to Control Everything I have encountered so many people over the years that try to micromanage every aspect of their lives. Themselves, their families, their careers, their homes…maybe we could invite a little more play into the mix and stop becoming so stressed about every minute detail on the calendar. Maybe we could give others a little more empathy in understanding that they’re probably more like us than we’d care to admit. And maybe, we could start working on ourselves a little more each day so that we can actually achieve said goals and dreams instead of just waiting around wishing for them to come true. 5 Steps To Achieving Your Goals and How I’m Planning Mine So many of us get into the extremes of life as soon as the alarm goes off. We start our day with agony and depression and stress before we even plant our feet on the floor. We let small disruptions that don’t really matter completely wreck and ruin our entire day or even week sometimes, only to momentarily hit reset on Sunday evening just hoping this one will be better than the rest. Real Living Starts When You Quit Trying to Control I’ve watched friends sink into circles of doubt in themselves because they wonder why they feel stuck. They become a part of the problem instead of trying to resolve it. They choose to continue stressing about situations that no longer require their attention. They decide to drag themselves into conflicts that happened years or even decades ago without even realizing that those memories are simply that, memories. I want to encourage anyone reading this to experience life in its beauty. To embrace the little blunders in life instead of working against them. Please begin showing yourself love and care and empathy and understanding, because the only one that can get you out of those situations is yourself. You have to be stronger than you think. But I know you can do it. Once we let go of the discomforts, once we let go of trying to control, once we let go of feeling bad for ourselves will we truly have the opportunity to grow and connect with our best self. Until then, we need to just continue taking one step at a time and becoming a little bit better every day. We can
Sleep Deprivation: The Enemy of Productivity
You do it, I do it, we allll do it. Way too often. Sleep is something we’re quite literally well, sleeping on as a society in the modern world, and it’s causing us all an array of preventative health issues. Boo to that. Isn’t it time we started prioritizing our health in the most simplest way possible? What do your sleep patterns look like on average, and why the heck are you all staying up so late?!?! Today, I want to explore how sleep deprivation affects health and productivity. The Importance of Sleep to Our Health Hey! My name is Shelby and I’m a sleepaholic. I’ve never truly embraced this side of me until becoming a full grown adult woman, but I’m living in that reality right meow and freaking loving it. As far back as I remember though, I was always addicted to sleep, so much so that I was late to school and work countless times throughout the years because bed was just so much better than dealing with my social anxiety. I used to think it was a problem, in that I would feel bad anytime I wanted to sleep more instead of going out, or staying in with friends, or being a social butterfly in the classroom or workforce. I actually never realized that the lack of it had such a detrimental effect on my overall health and I sure didn’t know that it was so important to put first. Today though, I am a much more health-focused individual that wants only to think about the long game. Longevity is all I have in sight for my family and I, and anything I can do to extend this beautiful life is pushed far up on that list. Superfoods, supplements, and sleep are where its at, my friends. …Hmm. I’m feeling an upcoming superfoods and supplements post for sure! <3 But for now, let’s get back to the main topic. Actually how important is sleep to our health and why is it that we should be spending more of our lives looking at the inside of our eyelids? Related: Developing Routines & What is Sleep Hygiene Did you know?? Sleep deprivation isn’t only caused by the lack of enough sleep, but ALSO by stress, poor eating habits, and depression. And you know what else? Sleep needs to be at the times its most needed. Your body will let you know! So, stop avoiding those feelings and embrace them, your overall self will be happy you did! Here are *just a few* of the symptoms you may have experienced with sleep deprivation. Drowsiness Inability to concentrate Impaired memory Reduced physical strength Diminished ability to fight off infections Which can lead into more issues down the road such as stroke or severe mood swings, EVEN hallucinations…and ain’t nobody got time for that. (Check out this article by Hopkins Medicine to learn a little more about the causes and effects if you’re interested!) It’s truly amazing to me how many of us go about our daily lives not even knowing that this is an actual problem and how sleep deprivation affects health. Experiencing “microsleeps” or just being angry at the world because we got up on the wrong side of the bed. Having enough shuteye each evening can seriously boost not only your mental and physical well-being, but also ensure that your productivity stays at level GO all day, err day. (Especially needed for us entrepreneurs out here). Now I understand why it was (and IS) so freaking hard to roll my blah feeling body out of the bed each morning when the alarm hits at 4:30am. Everyone has different chronotypes and although my Oura Ring is tracking me as an early morning bird, TRUST that I am, in fact, NOT. Lately, I’ve been listening to others talk about how they get 4-5, *maybe* 6 hours of sleep and they’re “good to go.” PEOPLE. That is NOT okay. (Sure, this is just the opinion of one lone crazy woman on the internet telling you so, but hey, she speaks the truth…backed by other information on the interweb, of course). Why instead of building our sleep cycles around our jobs and daily activities, can we not build our daily activities and jobs around our sleep cycles? Is it really that hard?? Sleep Deprivation Affects Brought to By Your Favorite Streaming Service Most people will say yes, 100% yes. It’s the modern world, my friends, which means that going hard or going home fully applies to many situations, including on the job site or in the corporate world. Although it’s slowed down some over the last few decades and Covid has given us a solid chance to prove ourselves from home, we’ve still got a long way to go in providing the ample sleeping hours that our bodies and minds truly demand. When you think about it, it’s not really fair that we’re working at say 50-70% almost every day, simply because of our lack of desired sleeping hours. And hell, even when those hours are handy and available, we’d rather reach for the remote and sink ourselves into the latest season of the Bachelor or Yellowstone. Then, of course, the following day consists of becoming annoyed easily, feeling groggy, or reaching for an energy drink of your choice. And for some reason, we can’t trace it back to just staying up later than we should have for something that doesn’t actually bring us that much joy. I think it’s time we started prioritizing sleep more frequently and stopped staring at screens before bed. Challenge yourself and your loved ones to do the same if you want! Drop a comment letting your friends of HB know how the challenge is going after a day, a week, or even a month if you’re game. I suggest at least an hour before bedtime, shutting the screens down and turning on some dim lights to get yourself into the
Discovering How To Have Gratitude For Any And All Of Life’s Bounties
Hello my friends! As I was in the Lowes parking lot today, I had no intention of coming out with anything but a few cases of water. You see, I missed our last water delivery, so I’ve been needing to pick more before the next drop off. (I know I know, #firstworldproblems). However, I ended up leaving with an entire flat cart full of natures bounties. Although Lowes isn’t my go-to stop for indulging in new nature-inspired decor or plant-life, it just happened to be the best place I could have ended up today, because it taught me something. Let me tell you what that something is. Discovering how to have gratitude. What Does Gratitude Mean to You? Many moons ago, I relished in materialistic things as I made more and more financially. I didn’t grow up this way, and I don’t really need much to get by. But I did go through a short phase (which I’m sure a lot of us do), where I continued to raise my income and along with it, continued to raise my expenses on useless things. Sure, some of those items are still around, but as my husband and I chatted about this last night, (ironically enough), we both agreed that most of those things we purchased back then are basically nonexistent in our current lives. We’ve learned a lot over the years, not just about one another, but about ourselves as well. And, when we come together in a thought process like that, it’s really cool to be able to embrace the same feelings together to know that I’m not alone in thinking something. I’m not really sure what is so enticing about spending your hard-earned moolah, but hindsight is 20/20, and lemmmeee tell ya. There’s not a whole lot from my past self’s purchases that I would consider purchasing as my 33 year old self. Although I try to practice the whole, “it brought you joy at the time,” phrase…it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t change things if I could go back. This way of living taught me more about who I am today, so it was beneficial, don’t get me wrong. BUT, I would have definitely indulged way less if I’d have known that the joy those things brought me would soon fade away. What are some instances that you have done the same? Do you have any regrets from past purchases or things you wish you would have done differently? Where I Found My Gratitude These days, I’ve noticed that I enjoy experiences MUCH more than anything else in the world. When I say “experiences,” you may be thinking things like concerts, events, dinners, double dates…but no. My perfect version of a great experience is simply one that I can travel somewhere adventurous with my partner. And, if I can’t go anywhere at the moment due to work obligations, family to-dos, or even just because we want to stay home for a bit, my next favorite experience is to stay home and enjoy my (now 6) furballs. I’ve worked a little bit every day at making it more inviting, more relaxing, and a more comforting space so that when I come home from wherever I was that day, I can simply sink into my comfy clothes and cuddle with my spouse and my pets. Lately, I’ve realized that there’s not enough nature and “life” living inside, (which is probably because we’re so immersed in it when we’re out hiking incredible trails). Because of those adventures, I feel an addiction to get more, but when I can’t go somewhere, I decide to add a little touch of it into my home instead. Adding things like new plant life, a cool fish, a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon (hopefully both of which to come), or even just as simple as grabbing some bags of dirt to breathe in the outside while I’m indoors, or planting tiny seeds into new trays for the spring time. Every year I grow tired of gardening by November, only to then crave doing more of it come February. This is the time that seeds begin to become available again, and my wants to create a beautiful garden once again arise. Today was that day. But not only did I realize that I was excited for planting soon, but just to smell the dirt and feel it with my hands was something that called to me. And, as I was driving home multiple plants in tow, I realized something else…I am so much different than I used to be. Find Gratitude In Yourself Finding yourself is basically the hardest thing you’ll ever do. I speak of this from my own experiences, as I’ve gone through quite a few of those “aha” moments. It’s accepting that change is okay, and that being your complete authentic self is freaking awesome, and when you do so, a whole new world awakens. I found gratitude on that drive home for recognizing the growth in my life. Not only in the difference of purchases, but in the difference of how I perceive things. No more am I led by decisions of others or worry, but finally by decisions of sureness and acceptance. I want you to start feeling the same. Start understanding when it’s okay to pivot and make a change that feels right. Recognize that gratitude can hold many forms and that becoming your best self doesn’t have to look like what you think it does or what the world is telling you it should. Once that feeling flowed through me today, I realized that I am truly happy in my home, with life all around me, and with nature in every corner that I can fit it in. I don’t think that this is embraced enough in the fast-paced, screen-filled world. Even though we’ve made huge strides in the last few decades, I think that millennials especially need to realize that self-love and slowing down is enough. This life
Calling All Overthinkers: What Is Your Status Quo?
I learned something today. About myself and about other people as well. I decided to choose self growth over making money, and that was a huge milestone in my step forward. I didn’t realize it until I was standing here, eating an apple, filling my water bottle, and not rushing around because at that moment I recognized I had chose creating a lifestyle. I just wanted to be over burning myself out and escaping into a world. I don’t want to merely exist. Someone asked me how I felt about therapy and talked about how they like to stay busy so that they can zone out and not have to worry about thinking. When I questioned them on why they don’t want to be able to have time to think, they said it was because if they start to think too much, then they will start to realize that they’re not on the trajectory that they want to be in this life…have you ever felt this way? Let’s all stop overthinking every instance of our lives. Stop Being an Overthinking Overthinker They were overthinking all the things that they’ve done wrong up until this point because they’re not at the level they’d like to be at yet. I say yet because it’s just a process. Everyone always tells you to “trust the process,” but how many of us actually implement it? We go on and on about how we wanna use self growth and change our mindsets. So, we listen to audiobooks and podcasts and watch some shorts on YouTube and read blogs like this one too pretend we’re on the right path, but are we actually doing the things that need to be done to get us to that point? I’ve had a lot of conversations recently with my spouse about lifestyle change. Not meaning that I don’t like my lifestyle at this point, but that I want to make changes to improve it and continue improving it as I get older. We talked about how not every personality is the same and how we as humans differ in mindset, challenges and goals. Just because you have someone as a life partner doesn’t mean that you can’t still accept responsibility to step up and tackle your own goals and dreams. You have the time, you have the energy, and you have the space…you just need to start making it a priority in your life instead of overthinking and putting it on the back burner. Even if you just work on it five minutes a day, 10 minutes a day, or if you’re really ambitious, an hour a day, you can continue to make progress in those changes. Therefore, you will continue to see growth happen month after month, and then year after year. Related: Personal Growth: The Ultimate Long Game Breaking Free from Overthinking and Embracing Your Next Step So as I write to you today, I think about my new status quo. Is it different from my old status quo? Or is it the same, and I’m just a little bit different at understanding it? I consider how each and every one of us realizes at different points in life that we are on our own trajectory. Some days, we fill flooded by overwhelm and too filled to the brim with tasks and chores and to-do lists. We have so much on our plate that we wonder if we’ll ever be able to just “catch-up.” If you’ve talked to enough people by now, you’ll probably agree that everyone else believes “you never really catch up.” Well I said fooey to that, my friend. Isn’t it time that we started accepting the responsibility of adulting and recognizing that we can really do anything we put our minds to? Isn’t it time that we stopped listening to the noise around us that keeps trying to pull us down into their bubble? As we grow, we should continue to try to keep learning. Pushing ourselves to new levels and trying new things to level up our mental and physical growth. Is it fair to say that we need to overcome being boring so that new opportunities can open up to us? No one wants to be stuck, but yet everyone always feels the need to stay in their comfort zone. Why?? The more we push outside of that bubble, the more we can float on up to the next level of consciousness that propels us into a new realm of thinking. It’s mind-blowing, beautiful and an amazing process. So, are you tired of people telling you that you can’t have it all or be on the level you choose to be on? Are you tired of others assuming your status quo will never be attainable? Or are you ready to jump ship and choose your own path to be challenged and prepared for anything coming your way? I vote the latter. In my own life, I’ve decided to starting embracing the need to accept myself more often for who I actually am. I’ve stopped caring (and overthinking) so much about other people’s negative energy and have tried to adapt by going with the flow more frequently. I don’t mind if others stress that “I’ll never really be ready for parenthood,” and that “I just need to accept that I’ll never be able to catch up.” The coolest thing is knowing that I AM ready for certain things. Knowing deep down that I DO have the power to choose when the next chapters of my life take place. Life is just a series of choices, and knowing that I’m solely in charge of those choices gives me the freedom I need most to feel comfort in taking the next step. What does your next step look like? Enjoy this post? Check out Embracing Vulnerability : The Art of Slowing Down and Seizing New Experiences — Thank You For Reading “Calling All Overthinkers: What Is Your Status Quo?”
You Say Fatty Liver, I Say Eff That.
So guys. We’ve talked about getting older. We’ve raved about the benefits and boo-hooed about the bummers along the way. We have also discussed how we get tripped up in so many ways when it comes to preventing bad health because every doctor we go to just wants to treat it with Advil or Pepto Bismol or Tylenol instead. (Well not mine, because she’s awesome…get yourself a direct care physician, they cut out the middleman and provide one-on-one care by taking time to understand your full needs instead of shooing you in and out of an office). If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, check them out!) But anyway, I’m seriously tired of waiting around for an answer to my issues. I want to be able to do every single thing I can to start PREVENTING further complications when I’m 40, 50, or 60. So, who’s with me in learning all about our beings and making sure we can kick butt when we’re wrinkly. Leggoooo. Why Looking Healthy on the Outside Doesn’t Always Mean You Feel Good Inside Listen, I’m no expert in the medical field so please don’t go all cray cray on me in the comments. I’m just a regular (kind of) oldish lady feeling the waters of the aging process. It’s annoying to say the least. But we’re not here to say the least, are we? I’ve been in and out of doctor appointments for going on 2 years now regarding a pain in my side that has not gone away. At first I thought it was a pulled muscle, turns out it may actually be that (just a really, really deep one!), but alas, the nagging pain is still present, especially when I participate in the sports I love most. (Strength training, running, and BJJ). Anytime I hit the mats on that side, it feels like I land on a whole ass stress ball. It’s not super severe, but I obviously avoid it as much as possible, (therefore hindering my game, which is UNCOOL). It’s something I thought would have gone away by now, but it persists nonetheless. So I’ve gone through a handful of tests including blood draws, MRIs and ultrasounds. All of which to tell me that I’m *basically* completely normal and that I need not worry about my health since, on the surface, I’m a healthy, active, young woman. AHEM. Let me just bring back the old saying we all know and love. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Meaning simply, just because on the outside we look healthy and completely normal, does NOT mean internally we are doing “just fine.” And guess what? This goes for not only your internal organs and such, but also for anxiety, stress, depression, you name it. What you see is not always what you get. Some people just come out of the womb 100% present and confident in themselves and fully authentic from the start. And others, like myself, and maybe you too, come out scrambling trying to realize their own story and put piece by piece together of what brings them the most joy. I’m not saying it’s harder for us to find what makes us happy in life, but a lot of times, it really is that simple. So, don’t overthink it. But when it comes to my health, my internals that make me alive and beating, I want to ensure I’m doing EVERYTHING I can to make full use of all my years and not be bummed out at 50 because I can’t move as well as I used to. I need to feel better than that. I need to keep running, keep playing, keep competing every single day to feel alive and healthy in my current skin. A Safe and Confident Woman? We talked before about fatty livers, and how much more common they are than not. We talked about cysts forming from birth control and how it’s deemed “normal” among women in their 20s/30s in their “child-bearing years.” Like, wtf? No, sir or ma’am, that is not NORMAL. That is not cool, and not okay with me, and I’m sure to my fellow lady friends out there, probably not with you, either. I don’t believe that ingesting a pill for years on end that creates permanent damage to another organ is okay. I thought by taking that, I was being a “safe and confident woman.” And here, all along, I was just adding another problem in my life in the form of never-ending cysts that continue to grow. Whether or not that is the sole reason is unbeknownst to me at this time. However, I do know that it is chalked up to one of the “maybes” of why they are present right now on my liver. And it does not make me super pumped. Not only that, but whatever the issue persisting is, it’s growing. My instructions when I asked what I could do to help reverse the fatty liver or decrease the size of the cyst were simply, “continue doing what you’re doing,” or “there’s nothing you can do for it, we’ll check back in a year.” …To say I had fumes coming out of my ears was an understatement. I Won’t Stand Idly By I know there are likely medical professionals out there that know better, and by all means, I’d be more than happy to have one weigh in to drop some doc knowledge in the comments. But until then, I shall simply provide my two cents about why these statements cause me so much unrest. Why can’t I “do anything?” Why do I have no other options than to “continue doing what I’m doing,” and why the hell do I need to wait a full year to make sure it hasn’t grown more in size?! Like, no thanks, I’d rather stop it where it’s at now, mmkay. I try to stay a realist and understand that the medical field
Focusing On Letting Go Of My Past Self And Trusting The Process Of The Present (Including The Launch Of My First Book)
Years ago I thought I was ready for children. I was going to have 4, maybe 5 and it was going to be freaking GREAT. I “knew” I’d be an awesome mom because well, everyone around me was so sure of it, of course! Funny that most of those people are no longer in my life…it’s as if they really didn’t know me that well after all. Have you experienced this sense of imposter syndrome? Were you ever afraid of what becoming a parent took or knowing that you were “ready?” I’d like to talk about this topic more in depth today and show you that feeling weird about preparing for parenthood is scary shit, and that shouldn’t be frowned upon. Where I am on the Journey to Parenthood I mean, listen. Becoming a mother is something I’m over the moon about. I know it’s going to be awesome and epic and I’m going to enjoy more of it than I think I will. It’s not all about wiping butts after all, there’s a lot of other amazing things along the way that I’ll have the opportunity to experience. But parental anxiety is a REAL thing. And it’s more common than we’d like to believe. Unfortunately the impact it creates for our decision making, the new financial burden hanging over our heads, and the stress that comes with worrying about whether the pregnancy will be alright, let alone the REST OF ITS LIFE. I get where these fears come from, they’re real, and things go unplanned every single day. Shit happens, but shit, that’s why it’s scary to become a parent! It’s hard enough to try and get through the speed bumps of your own life, let alone raise a tiny human. Creating a life is hard enough and keeping that little nugget in check is going to be even harder. However, I’m learning day by day to let go of my past self and embrace my future being. I’m finding new ways to focus on what matters most in my life and let go of the things that cause my stress and unease. It’s time we start looking for ways to enjoy the beauty of life instead of just getting through each hour by staring at the clock. Related: Reigniting The Feeling: Visiting Your Previous Self & Understanding What’s Changed I challenge you. I challenge you to pull into your driveway after work, (or walk to your front door if you take a bus or walk to work!), and just stand there. Holding your lunchbox, your purse, briefcase or backpack. Simply stand there and listen. Listen to the birds chirping, the wind blowing, listen to nature. Forget about the cars speeding by, or the people talking loudly, let it all fade away into the sounds of the surroundings that exist when you’re not there. Then, close your eyes and focus on your own breathing. (Stop thinking about what people passing are going to think of you, they’d be jealous if they knew how relaxed you’ll be once you’re done with this weird assignment). Enjoy just being present in that moment. No more work for the day to be done, no more people to answer to on the interweb. Just you, the birds, and the nature around you. Hear the silence among the bustle. Breathe it in peeps, because this is what really matters to provide peace in your life. If you’re anything like me at this stage in life, you’ll know that I’m doing my best to make efforts to grow in both mindset and spirituality. I’m constantly working on what I can do to have less decision fatigue, drive better moods each day, and be more present in my relationship with my spouse. We focus on traveling more, experiencing more, and doing less things that cause stress. Things like saying yes to things we would really rather say no to, things like avoiding additional triggers such as alcohol, too much caffeine or regularly eating unhealthy foods. And do you know what? By implementing these things into our daily lives together, we’ve been able to cross new boundaries that I truly don’t believe would have been possible before. Because with each new challenge accepted, and each new problem to solve, we continue to work better together to solve or overcome it. That’s why it’s clear to me now that my overthinking has done nothing but simply cloud my thoughts about signing up for parenthood. Preparing for What Comes Next Which leads me to speaking directly on the subject of what comes next. What steps are you taking in your life to stay on course? Or hell, maybe you want to go off course instead! There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the journey you’re on. I’ve mentioned on the blog how I’m so freaking excited to hike to Havasupai Falls this April. (Don’t forget to come back shortly after to hear all about some juicy tips and tricks to backpacking there!) But when we return, we’ll be using my fancy-dancy Oura Ring to take advantage of those ovulation days, instead of avoiding the red days. No longer will I be tracking my cycle to look for green days, but actively trying to conceive instead. That’s correct, we are venturing ourselves into the long road of preparing for parenthood, and I’ve been trying like hell to not worry about every single little thing that comes with it. I’ve had many sleepless nights since deciding this, but I’ve also had a plethora of epiphanies as well. You see, parenthood and/or motherhood doesn’t have to be as scary as we make it out to be. It can be simple, relaxed, and adventurous. It can be beautiful, amazing, and perfect in its own way. It’s up to us to decide how we want to raise our children and how to maintain practicing self-care along the way. But don’t worry, cause I still got you boo. Breaking