Hey all! Have you heard? May was National Mental Awareness Month and we passed recently through National Stress Awareness Month in April! If you’re anything like me…or the many humans that experience stress and mental health barriers, you’ll want to check out today’s post for some apps and tricks on how to navigate some of the daily stressors we all face.

How the Total Eclipse Resonated with My Mental Health

If you didn’t get a chance to check out the total solar eclipse this Spring, please be sure to head over to NASA’s website to view some incredible pictures of what you missed! We were lucky enough to both request off of work in time so that we could drive out to the totality zone and snag ourselves a prime seat for taking in one of the most beautiful things we’ve seen so far! We passed a ton of spots where people had pulled over into parking lots and propped up a lawn chair, not to mention the MASSIVE amount of spectators awaiting its arrival on the many turnpike rest stops! The grass was filled with families, pets and a whole bunch of solar eclipse sunglasses. It was definitely a sight to see! (Ahem, instead of through feeds on our phones!) On the way out, we were thankful for our sunroof since we haven’t really had much use for it up until then. As the time approached for the sun to start sneaking behind the moon, we got to peek through the shades and witness the orange crescent becoming smaller and smaller. Even though this was the least exciting part of the whole eclipse, it grasped my attention for hours at both the beginning and the end. Once we arrived at our final destination, which was this cute little ice cream shop in town, we grabbed a milkshake and listened to the college kids next to us that were filming the transition and counting down. It felt like we were in our own little New Years Eve moment with the countdown and description of what part of the sun was showing. Very cool. What started as a beautiful blue sky day slowly turned into a darker, almost eerie haze. The skies became darker and the street lights turned on, you could see the bright sky all the way around us (instead of just on one side like normal when it gets dark out)! The shadows started to show on the pavement and before we knew it the total eclipse was upon us. We took off our solar eclipse glasses for the totality part, and were able to witness the incredible white glow around the sun. I kept wishing it would last longer as it was so amazing to view. We decided then that we would travel the globe more often and seek out additional places that we would have the opportunity to ingest this beauty for more than just 3 to 4 minutes. This was one of those experiences that really made me appreciate the work I’ve been doing on becoming present in the moment and really soaking in those important times in life. More From Habitual Balance: Moving Ahead And Appreciating The Now

Did you know?? “Solar eclipses are fairly numerous, about 2 to 4 per year, but the area on the ground covered by totality is only about 50 miles wide. In any given location on Earth, a total eclipse happens only once every hundred years or so, though for selected locations they can occur as little as a few years apart.” – nasa.gov

Don’t Let Stress and Mental Health Barriers Eclipse Your Life

So, did you catch that? My friends, if you’re willing to travel a little more, and you’re a total space nerd like myself, you can see a total solar eclipse much more often than just once in a lifetime! Last year we hadn’t traveled much due to work and matters of life hindering us left and right. We’ve all been there. This year however more experiences like the eclipse have shown us just how important it is to take the day off, hang out with your loved ones, jump in and take a road trip, because we have only one life. We may as well enjoy it to the best of our ability, right? Whether those experiences are traveling for you to a solar eclipse, reading more often in the park on a hammock, or maybe just enjoying some more you time in ways like a hot bath, a walk or even just laying down in the grass and staring at the clouds, focusing on mental health and becoming aware of the world around us is something that needs to be addressed more these days. We talk a lot on this blog about stress and how it can cause so many different issues in our lives.

“Four of the top five causes of death are stress-related: heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and stroke.” – psycologytoday.com

That’s scary peeps. The best thing about it though? We can control these outcomes, better than we have been and better than ever before with the help of new apps and new approaches to understanding mental health and becoming aware of creating more time for self-care routines.

• Looking for a friend or therapist online? Check out Better Help to talk through some of your most stressful moments and find new roads to travel around them in the future.
• Need to incorporate some more meditation in your life? My personal faves are Insight Timer and Headspace. I really feel that when I was a beginner meditator, Headspace helped me to get started. Now though, I enjoy Insight Timer much more as there are many different options I feel I can search for that get me to that perfect meditation that I’m searching for.
• If you’re having trouble sleeping and need help obtaining more of that more often, I recommend investing in the Hatch sunrise alarm clock. It’s exceeded my expectations in falling asleep and rising and has been 100% worth the larger price tag.
• The Mantra app has worked wonders for my mental health during the day. It’s great because not only is it affordable, but you can set the amount of times per day that you want it to ping you. I especially love it when I’m wearing my smart watch, which gives me a little pick-me-up occasionally during work, gym time, or when I’m feeling down.
• The last thing I’d like to mention is to get active and adjust your diet. These things play a HUGE role in our well-being and I’ve often found that cycles tend to happen such as one of the following…
  • Stay up late, sleep restlessly, feel groggy getting out of bed, drink an energy drink, leading into an unhealthy quick breakfast because of the lack of energy to make good choices, work out less and work less productively, waste time watching TV shows or doom scrolling, make bad choices with nutrition the rest of the day, snap on your loved ones because you’re feeling guilty and yucky from food choices, leading into a late sleep because you’ll sit there overthinking those choices.
  • ORRR. Go to bed at a reasonable time (for your schedule and body), not toss and turn all night, wake up feeling refreshed and energized, incorporate better night and morning routines because your energy allows such, have a productive and enjoyable day making better choices when it comes to gym time or nutrition, feel good and encourage your loved ones to take a walk together or try out a new activity, eat something nutritious for dinner and read a book instead of scrolling mindlessly.

Related:  Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth

Revitalization with Raw Generation

These cycles are by choice. Every time we choose one of those paths, we make it easier or harder for ourselves to jump back on the wagon. I started this blog precisely because I understand that completely and want to be able to provide you as the reader with products, apps, services, or habits that have helped me to become more energetic, refreshed, and comfortable about my life choices. One of those products was something I tried using in the past, but didn’t follow through with. I was at a different time in my life, therefore I am happy to have found it again recently. What I’m referring to is Raw Generation. This is a cold-pressed juice cleanse (they have other options as well!), that helps you to reset your body and jumpstart a new routine on your journey. I’m currently working my way through their 10-day protein cleanse. I chose the protein as opposed to the skinny option that I had chosen in the past, since my activity level is much higher now and I require some extra calories to get me through my workouts. I’ve tried juicing raw fruits and veggies and other companies as well in the past, but nothing compares to the ease and taste of the juices and smoothies from Raw Generation. (My mom just got on board as well!) They’re not chalky or chunky or filled with a bunch of junk either. They are certified organic and raw, which helps the cleanse do its thing to get you back on the right track. Typically, I’m not able to follow things like this perfectly, as my hunger cravings for chewing something kick in within the first day or two. I want to be a friend and share a reminder that becoming a healthier you does not always require sacrifice and starvation. It does not have to be so difficult to the point where you are having anxiety attacks waiting for it to be over. Choosing better options in life are meant to be long-term, so that we can then implement them into our daily choices. This is why I’ll be snacking as well throughout my cleanse, (and it’s okay for you to as well). I spoke with Amanda via email from Raw Generation, (which by the way was THE FASTEST customer service reply I’ve ever gotten). Here is what she said:

“If 6 bottles a day is not enough for you, try eating raw fruits and/or vegetables. Any are good, but ripe bananas are extra filling. If you are still hungry, try a plain baked white or sweet potato or some plain steamed vegetables. You can incorporate any juice or smoothies left over into you healthy diet after cleansing.”

• Greenland: August 12, 2026
• Iceland: August 2, 2027
• Northern Africa/Gilbraltar/Saudi Peninsula: July 22, 2028

 

Thank You For Reading “Shining Light on Stress and Mental Health Barriers: Lessons Learned From the Solar Eclipse”

Thank you for reading today’s post about being in the moment to counter stress and mental health barriers.  What has your path looked like? What will it look like tomorrow?  Have you tried Raw Generation yet (Link above)?Let me know what resonates with you. If you have a suggestion for our next post, let us know. Don’t forget to check out our sister site Rooted in Reselling.