Post election thoughts and how I am moving forward.

Last week, I took the week to re-group my thoughts and feelings and looked at ways to navigate my space in continuing my blog during the Christmas season.

I am going to level with you.

To sell anyone anything on this blog right now (in new content) feels odd and leaves me feeling kind of gross.

I sifted through the news and the facts of what actually was being presented, all while consulting my marketing and communications background.

Marketing Nikita says to pull the planned content and re-strategize — even take time off.

It’s not the right time to bury my head in the sand, the snow, or any sense of cloud of delusion.

Pulling the content that I had planned pre-election seems like the best idea.

I even grappled with the idea of not posting anything until the new year.

Sometimes your ability to live with your actions is more important than trying to cash in on the Christmas season (if you can help it)!

Professional influencers (I am not a professional influencer) who are keeping it moving likely have a lot to lose if they do not keep to their normal strategies.

Everyone is hurting right now.

Following my Gut

I know how people love to say facts over feelings.

Here are the facts.

My own facts.

Anytime I have seen anyone (American-based) market their space as if we didn’t just collectively vote to end democracy and side with a treasonous president-elect — I view your brand with a cerebral and self-righteous ick.

Maybe that is their coping mechanism to not address it.

I just know that I would never want the support of anyone who supports the idea of fascism, racism, or elitism.

For me, it just makes me feel gross.

That is my right.

I have mostly blocked accounts that give off white supremacy vibes, indifference vibes and just have overall sinister vibes.

Grappling with trying to post as usual and my throat and stomach wanting to dislodge the contents that are lodged deep within my bowels has been an experience.

It just makes me sick. Literally.

That much is out of my control.

There is not enough ginger and mint tea to keep my nausea down at this point.

How I View Shopping – Post-Election Thoughts

Preparing myself for the historical accuracy of events means understanding that this is not the best time to spend.

Bezos and Buffet want cash (the biggest hint that things may go south is really all the proof I need).

I am not going to play economist on my blog, but if you voted for Donald Trump, it is very likely that you don’t understand economics at all or, at the very least, do not care.

Like many, I do hope that his supporters get the four years that they deserve (hoping that they also understand that they may have installed a man trying to play dictator).

Good luck to us all!

Really!

Now is Not Really a Great Time to Spend

If you can, save.

Live like you will be fine with less.

Practice makes perfect.

My new motto is “Live, laugh, save.”

Very cutesy.

Purposefully demure.

What You Can Expect to See from the Blog

I still have a style guide that is two months late that needs to be posted for leopard print pants (as mentioned in my ‘Finding Style after 30’ YT video a month ago).

Posting fashion edits of holiday looks will also likely be done. I just may try to link less. Idk. Let me know your thoughts.

That should be up either this week or next.

There may be a few weeks with nothing.

I have to honor the times as I see fit.

In terms of the holiday season, I have posted what I feel covers all the bases.

I may feel differently in a few weeks, even next week…. But right now, it still feels too soon.

There will be many who engage with their audiences with their normal programming.

I can promise you, you won’t miss me.

There will always be someone making new content that hits the mark for you, but right now — it likely won’t be me!

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and that you all take care.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

xx,

Nikita

(these are opinions expressed by myself and are not affiliated with any other organizations or affiliations.)

The post Post-Election Thoughts, No Spend Christmas & More! appeared first on Bella Kate 22.

Workout breaks are normal.

Sometimes forced and sometimes not so forced.

Recently, I had to take a step back.

I have been really honest with myself over the past few years and what I have learned is that slow and steady wins the race.

The race that I am in, is with myself.

No one else is my competition and I find myself a great candidate to compete with.

Working Out

Growing up I was always enrolled in sports.

My dad’s side is very athletic.

I would have rather participated in dance and theatre, which I did, but sports was where I really learned about physical perseverance, which lends itself to other forms of perseverance needed in life.

My dad is now retired military, and when he would train for his next fitness test I would also get to tag along.

Running a few miles on a Saturday morning, lugging behind, complaining, “I can’t.”

Literally, no sympathy came from my father who would make me grab the back of his t-shirt, and we would continue running until we were finished with the course.

Track and Field were no different. He would train me with the false, “one more lap.”

Then as I would complete the lap, he would say, “one more lap.”

It was always “one more.”

Super annoying if you ask me.

I think he enjoyed training me because I was very stubborn, and I wouldn’t always let him boss me around. I was equally sassy, and sometimes I would just walk away and refuse to move altogether.

But it really taught me a lot about stamina, strength and conquering mental blocks.

Dealing with Stress – Workout Breaks

I have always had a heightened nervous system. I cannot explain it.

Very sensitive over here, and so as I got older, I learned to control things by controlling my body.

Thing is, you cannot really control much in life, truly.

So, issues with food and exercise were an issue for most of my life if I am honest.

Exercise remained the one constant in my life that allowed me to exude all the energy and angst and pent-up frustration on my own.

As I entered my later 20s, I turned to drinking more, working out less.

Falling off your routine when you don’t have a healthy relationship with food or exercise can be tricky, but I did it.

If I am honest, I went through a lot of trauma in my late 20s and early 30s that I am just now able to mentally come out of.

What Did I Learn

Healing is messy.

Any issues with food or body or exercise is messy.

I changed my mindset. I did it without professional help, but I did it.

No longer was food good or bad, it was just food.

I take note of how it makes me feel, and I adjust its place in my life accordingly.

No longer was exercise all or nothing, I view it now as a lifelong activity, and I get to take breaks now.

What changed? I think just realizing that I have ADHD and giving myself healing, honesty and investing in myself changed a lot.

I bought a Peloton. I thought it was crazy expensive, but I also knew that I was still afraid to go to the gym due to Covid….so I bought it.

Now I can work out from home. No excuses.

Life, however, can keep you from a workout–sometimes you get sick.

Sometimes you have to take a break.

I try to go 12 weeks on and one week off. This time though, it was three weeks off.

For once, I am not freaking out because I know it’s a lifelong commitment. Exercise will be there. Food will be there. It’s fine.

Why am I sharing this?

Because it is 100 percent normal and okay to take a break from your routine once you’ve realized that you’re committed to it for life.

Even if you aren’t committed fully for life, you still deserve breaks.

If you don’t take breaks your body will make you take a break. Trust me.

This thirty-something version of me is investing in the 80-something version of me.

Take the break. Get back up. Try again tomorrow.

xx

The post Healthy Workout Breaks for Your Body & Mind appeared first on Bella Kate 22.

Let’s Talk ADHD Friendly Breakfast Ideas

Oh, you want to talk about ADHD friendly breakfast ideas?

That’s great.

Recently I found out I have ADHD and basically…….A lot of things make a lot of sense.

Finding out later in life is pretty normal for women, as we do not present the same symptoms as males.

A lot of things have become easier since finding out I have it…

Like, I don’t beat myself up anymore for not falling in-line with how the world expects me to function.

I used to be very type a.

Always planning ahead, as I have always had to have an arsenal of tools at my disposal, but sometimes you have to throw out what you think you know and tune in with how you actually work.

Benefits of Working with Your ADHD

When you find out you have ADHD, you may feel relief, sadness, or grief.

All of it really is okay to feel.

Since learning I have it, I am so much nicer to myself.

Once I learned that I needed to have a lot of snack options, and that I am not always hungry at the optimal times and that no food is bad food….(Just some makes me feel icky).

It was life changing.

Now I know how to pay attention to those body cues.

Understanding my brain more has helped me to learn to eat what sounds good, even if it’s popcorn for dinner.

Learning my needs has helped me to not beat myself up for not eating a perfectly curated meal at every turn.

For years I did not listen to my body, always thinking something was wrong with me and forcing myself to participate in eating at certain times and eating meals because it was “time to eat.”

That way of thinking is now a thing of the past.

I also used to not snack, and boy oh boy, as someone with ADHD…..I need snack options when I forget to eat for long periods of time.

When I tried to live as the fitness magazines presented….It stressed me out, made me feel out of sorts and really had me not understanding what my body needed.

I was queen of meal prep and I burnt myself out over it.

Now that I know that feeding myself does not have to be an event. I can have easy meals and snacks, and I can still enjoy cooking from time to time.

Feeding Myself

Sometimes finding the right foods to feed myself is easy, and sometimes it feels like I am taking care of a very picky toddler who needs a snack to regulate before deciding on anything permanent like my next meal.

If you can relate, this blog post is for you.

Breakfast is no exception, and these are things that I eat regularly for breakfast (except 4, because I don’t respond well to dairy).

These are ADHD friendly breakfast ideas I can take to the office, or I can eat at home.

Honey Bunches of Oats & Cashew Yogurt

I love this meal for breakfast.

It is very satisfying and has a lot of crunch and it is delicious.

After I layer the bottom of the bowl with cereal, I top it with cashew yogurt and honey.

Add in a side cup of coffee and a piece of fruit and I am good to go.

ADHD Friendly Breakfast Ideas | Power Bar, Coffee & Fruit

The power crunch bar…..Seriously delicious.

Delicious in every flavor. I am obsessed.

Seriously, this is the best power bar I have ever tasted.

It tastes like a wafer cookie, dipped in frosting and it is surprisingly filling.

I keep these at home, or I stash some in my office for days when I just cannot be bothered with breakfast prep.

I also keep k-cups and snacks in my office to make sure I have options for lazy meal prep days.

Hard Boiled Eggs & Toast

This is the “I would like Saturday breakfast” vibes…but on the go please.

You can make hardboiled eggs the night before and honestly put this in some Tupperware and take this to work for breakfast and reheat it.

So good.

I make my toast the morning of, and it still tastes great.

A Bagel with Lox

Sometimes a bagel with lox is what you need.

I obviously try to stay away from dairy, but you can grab dairy free cream cheese options for your bagel and cream cheese needs.

But, I stand by eating food that sounds good to me, fills me up and helps me to have a better relationship with food.

So…..on occasion this breakfast does it for me.

It’s quick and easy and I can take it to work.

Let me know in the comments if these ADHD friendly breakfasts make sense to you.

xx

The post ADHD Friendly Breakfast Ideas You’ll Love appeared first on Bella Kate 22.

Period Comfort at its peak is a very complicated thing women to women.

Hello, This is Bella Kate 22 a fashion and lifestyle blog.

This post may have affiliate links from time to time. These links give a small commission to me and keep the blog going. Thank you for stopping by.

Now let’s get to this blog post.

Period Comfort

As I was mentioning earlier, period comfort is not something women really talk about.

More often than not, women tend to just chalk the period comfort game to the game of chance every month.

Period’s are the monthly visitor you want because it keeps your body in a great natural balance….

However, it’s very tricky for a lot of menstruating people, especially with family planning and how that can go from women to women.

This blog post is simply focusing on making one’s period more comfortable.

As a women who literally had the WORST time of it with how sick my periods can make me, I wanted to share what I have found helpful.

Know Your Body

What you’ll notice is that women to women, a period looks different and so you should always seek your doctor out for medical advice and what works best for you and your body.

I remember being in middle school, which is when I started my period journey and my friend offered me a Midol……..

Midol did not work for me at all.

I still threw up, still got massive cramps and felt hot and cold sweats regardless of her Midol offer.

My body did not find it helpful at all, even though I very much appreciated the kind gesture.

When you start to realize that normal over the counter pain meds are not working for your period cramps….

This is absolutely something you should bring up to your doctor to see if they can get you something that will work.

Use A Period Tracker App

For maximum period comfort and a sound mind of where you are likely at in your cycle, invest in a free period tracker app.

There are so many.

The main point of period tracking is that you mentally can prepare your life for your period discomfort, can engage in adult activities (wink wink) with a sound mind……

Period tracking also allows you to track your mental and emotional health in a way that let’s you feel at ease with where the hormones are taking you.

Making notes on the two weeks that lead up to your period and afterwards.

Listing all your symptoms.

This helps if you end up needing to get a little help with your mental health if you period cycle is leading you toward needing a PMDD diagnosis….again with the help of your doctor.

I am not an authority on PMDD as it is not something I suffer with, nor am I a doctor.

And it just overall helps you to plan on any presciption refills you may need like a pain medication, your favorite feel good foods (soup, chocolate, leafy stuff)……

It just makes your period less of a surprise and more of a “let me show you to your room while you’re staying here.” Type of vibe.

Period Underwear

Period underwear used to be your ugliest pair of underpants that you didn’t mind ruining on your cycle.

In today’s world we have actual period “panties” designed to absorb your period (that’s how they are marketed).

This has been a game changer for me, personally.

You know, on the days leading up to your period where you feel like you could start early or whatever and you don’t want a surprise?

You can wear these as protection and a sound mind.

Not to mention they are really comfortable, reusable and safe to just wear solo without added protection.

If actual period panties (*hates the word panties*) are not your forte…..may I introduce you to my other favorite method.

It’s a triple layer method so to speak and it is very unglamorous…..

But it allows me to feel protected and comfy throughout my cycle on heavy days, where I don’t want to wear my Thinx underwear.

Investing in some good old bikini cut Fruit of the Loom underwear is the first step.

Period Comfort Step 1: Comfy and cute underwear that you will be slapping a maxi pad on for protection….

Step 2: adding a tampon for your base layer of actual period protection….

Period Comfort Step 3: changing the tampon and pad as needed.

For me, I just feel more comfortable not feeling the string and any potential leakage.

Game changer.

Also, showering one to two times a day while menstruating is a MUST.

Avoiding Red Meat

Ironically, I would crave red meat in the form of a burger or a steak…..

When I realized the red meat has prostaglandins and those prostaglandins can cause cramps…I said, “no thank you red meat.”

And I avoid it two weeks before and during my cycle and it’s helped me immensely.

Get In Some Leafy Greens

Instead of red meat, I try to eat a lot more kale and lean proteins leading up to my cycle.

Whether that’s my kale salad that I perviously shared on the blog….

Or doing a really good breakfast stir fry with kale…

I just add it in where I can and it helps my iron and magnesium levels throughout my cycle.

Period comfort can be as easy as just adding in some needed nutrients two weeks to a week before and during your cycle.

For reals though.

If leafy greens are not your thing, check out what your doctor recommends for iron supplements.

Magnesium

Not only does magnesium help in getting some much needed sleep, but it also helps in relaxing your muscles.

Period comfort is reached through the relaxation of your ever monthly shedding uterus……

Magnesium and iron are supplements you can get over the counter……

However, you should always check with your doctor who will know how to get you the right dosage for your needs.

Period Comfort Tip #7- Investing In A Hot Water bottle

Raise your hand if you thought hot water bottles were from the early to mid-1900’s and you would never……

*raises hand*

I literally thought there was absolutely no point in owning a hot water bottle, but when I tell you I prefer them to a heating pad……It surprised even me.

Call it a more natural soothing for one’s uterus, but it really does the trick.

Get Some Rest

I don’t know about you, but some months can leave me restless and other months I feel like a delicate flower who needs to sleep.

During my period I can either get the worst sleep or the deepest sleep and I do not even try to over-extend myself anymore.

If I want to workout and feel up to it, I work out, but for the most part I just keep up with walking my dog and I skip the rest knowing that in the next week I will be feeling up to it.

Sleep is the most important.

Prioritizing rest and sleep over forced production (unless I am working)….

On my time off, it’s all about that REST & RELAXATION & SLEEP.

Fizzie Water

Another thing I suffer with is nausea.

Maybe you do too.

If that is the case, I have found that having a carbonated water on hand is the key to handling my upset stomach.

Let me correct myself, it is the flavored carbonated water that I cannot live without during my cycle.

What makes carbonated water a great staple for an upset stomach is that it offers hydration because it is water.

Please note, I am only talking about carbonated water that is naturally flavored and is not adding anything fancy like caffeine.

If you suffer with an upset stomach during your period……..please consider adding it to your period comfort routine and let me know how you like it.

Coffee

This is a very controversial tip, I know.

This is a tip that I feel goes into the “know your body” category again, but let me explain.

For years, I was told that caffeine makes periods worse and for years I believed this to be true without exploring it further.

Coffee admittedly sounded pretty awful when I was on my period, but….when I tell you the exact day one of my childhood best friends was like, “coffee will help.”

I looked at her like she was crazy.

We argued and I explained that it sounded awful and she was adamant that it would cure my cramps and when I tell you I have not looked back since that day we sat in a Starbucks drive-thru…..

LIFE CHANGING.

Obviously this tip won’t work for everyone, but for me, coffee has served me well on my period.

Coffee lessens my cramps, my nausea, my entire PMS game.

When I am on my period I find I can drink coffee later in the day and still sleep like a baby.

If you find that this works for your period too, let me know in the comments.

Feeling Your Emotions

As a women, we hear all too often that we are “too emotional” and that if we have any emotion we MUST be on “that time of the month.”

These tropes can leave women feeling like they have to mask their emotions or hide them completely in order to seem calm, rational and like we have it all together.

That just sounds like lying to ourselves if I may be so bold.

The two weeks leading up to my period and even the week after I expect my emotions to be softer, more malleable, triggered and reclusive.

I don’t try to rationalize my emotions as much as I used to.

Being moved by one’s emotions can feel really scary……

Mostly because emotions do not actually make cognitive sense, yet they are as much a part of our hardwiring and they deserve as much respect as the rational parts of ourselves.

I personally think that these emotional highs and lows, peaks and valley’s are natures way of dealing with that thing you wanted to cry about two weeks ago…..

But maybe couldn’t and now you have the emotional space and can feel the feelings you previously didn’t want to acknowledge.

There have been many times where I have explained to myself that my emotions were “stupid” or “didn’t need to be taken seriously.”

Or that If I cried about something I was weak……..

Mainly because I had been the soft and emotional friend and a lot of people laughed at how certain things made me sad.

Now I see my emotions as strength and something to be dealt with privately until I feel I can share them.

Making sense of one’s emotions is an inside job.

It’s a beautiful task to get to feel, while acknowledging that one’s feelings are not everyone’s feelings and that is okay too.

Conculsion

Thus concludes the eleven tips on how period comfort works for me and perhaps if you need tips, can work for you.

Thank you for stopping by and talking about all things periods.

Talk to you soon.

-Nikita

The post 11 Ways To Make Your Period More Comfortable appeared first on Bella Kate 22.

Relationship non-negotiables and why we need them.

Welcome to Bella Kate 22. This is a fashion and lifestyle blog. Sometimes I post affiliate links. These are commission based sales that I see a portion of. Thank you for stopping by my blog.

Relationship Non-Negotiables

As a chronic people pleaser of olde…..(I don’t do that anymore).

People pleasing was a survival skill I used to help me to navigate my childhood ……as I had to deal with bullies from a fairly young age.

I am talking fresh out of the sandbox before kindergarten.

Really young.

People pleasing was not something I cared to continue into adulthood, but it took a while to untangle myself from the grips of its insanity.

Growing up I did not understand what it meant to have relationship non-negotiables.

Not for my parents’ lack of trying.

I can remember not wanting to go places with certain friends in my adolescence and my mom telling me that if I did not want to go…….. all I had to do was say no.

At that point in my life, I could not fathom saying no.

Being bullied had conditioned me into a chronic state of people pleasing so that others who disagreed with my existence would find it harder to bully me.

I was not always like this.

Before I was bullied I was self-assured, confident, happy and adventurous.

Being bullied kind of took away the pip in my step, but it also meant that my friendships I cultivated afterwards were formed in my state of chronic people pleasing.

Which, if you want to cultivate healthy relationships, I’ve learned you have to show up fully as yourself from the start.

Luckily, you can grow out of being a people pleaser and never look back.

I have.

Thank God.

Core Values

I’ve learned that it’s really important to honor your internalized core values.

I would even argue that even as children we have hard-wired core values.

Honoring the reality that as we get older we form and change our values at a deeper level.

When we enter into relationships we enter into silent and vocalized agreements.

Many of those agreements we enter into can be tolerated behaviors and patterns that we never thought to address in the beginning of the relationship……

Even though certain behaviors made us pause.

We can find ourselves trying to get along to just get along……

Even if internally we are screaming.

Knowing Your Non-Negotiables

To avoid all of this, it is really importing to know yourself enough to know your relationship non-negotiables.

Listing your relationship non-negotiables helps you and anyone else who crosses your path to navigate the interactions you have with one another.

It creates healthy boundaries.

Which, we love.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Stating your core values allows someone to see that these are your core values and they are not going to change.

Having core values aligns you with your tribe and it keeps illusions of you having found your perfect relationship/tribe grounded in reality.

Having your standards known helps you make the best possible choices for you and your life.

It means you aren’t going to settle.

You know your worth and your intrinsic value.

Imagine

Imagine entering into a relationship and you and the other person have ten buckets.

These buckets each represent a core value.

Let’s say that you have ten core values that don’t even intersect, but you can still interact together and get along because you’re both adults and you both have social skills and manners.

Say you enjoy each others company on a surface level, but the more you have gotten to know one another you learn that your values don’t align.

Instead of each of you trying to change the other person, you realize that it’s much more important that they live in their truth and you live in yours.

You each go along and find people who align with your core value buckets and you don’t feel resentment or anger or frustration…..

That’s what having your relationship non-negotiables can do for you.

No more settling or waiting for people to change.

Gone are the conversations of over-explaining your very valid feelings.

Know that they probably are not going to change.

Recognize that you probably are not going to change, while also recognizing that people can and do change and none of that has anything to do with you.

Changing ourselves is a very personal and internal job and no one can do it for us.

People are not projects.

You are not a project.

People come as they are and that is how it has to be.

Changing means that the person who is changing wants to change.

Everyone has value.

Know your value in 2022 and beyond.

-Nikita

The post Relationship Non-Negotiables appeared first on Bella Kate 22.

Covid Burnout-

Almost a year has passed since we have all left the old world and retreated into the homes we now occupy 24-7 (team “home all the time”); that being said, I thought it would be helpful to remind you all (myself included) how incredibly strong and resilient we have been this past year.

Who knew that staying home was heroic? I think we can all agree when I say that no one really saw that last sentence as a truth until 2020; perhaps in the era of the Spanish Flu, but definitely not in the age of tech or in the era of doing more; when what this past and current year has shown us, is that sometimes doing less is doing more.

We entered our homes thinking it would be a two week stint of home fun and it’s been extended indefinitely. Mentally, that can be a lot to take in……. but if we had known back in March of 2020, what we know now, I wonder how much harder it all would have been?

a Mental Check-In – Covid Burnout

With that in mind, my own perspective between lockdown 1.0 to lockdown 3.0 (because of the fluctuating restrictions and lockdown variances) has really shifted and I want to share with you what I have found helpful, so that maybe you can also find a glimmer of hope in this never ending cycle of “today was yesterday and is also today,” rabbit hole way of thinking.

It really is all about your attitude.

Sometimes your attitude may need an adjustment–

And sometimes you’re allowed to be grumpy, moody and not your best self…..but we must always check back in with ourselves and ask ourselves, is this where we mentally want to stay?

Acknowledge your feelings and your surroundings, sit still or don’t sit still….do whatever works for you…… but know how to balance yourself back if you can.

Is it normal that we are in this predicament? Absolutely not.

Are we the first generation to face a pandemic? Again, absolutely not.

Can we feel sad while also acknowledging that others have it much worse? Yes.

Feel Your Feelings

Are we allowed our feelings? Yes.

Normalizing the many feelings we feel each day and taking time out for them can be very helpful in this current world climate.

The other thing worth mentioning is the mental and social burn out of living through this pandemic.

Is this the part of the pandemic we are in? I think it is. A lot of people have admitted that they have run out of things to talk about with others. Maybe you’ve seen the meme going around social media’s varying platforms?

Is there also good news in the fact that we have run out of things to stop talking about? I think, yes.

Maybe the conversations we need to be having right now are conversations with ourselves (and not others) and maybe some of those conversations we need to be having are with God (insert what your higher power is here).

After we’ve dealt with our emotions, our thoughts and our feelings we can begin to focus on what we can do in the now and what we actually do have control over.

Journal

Personally, I like to make a to-do list and journal.

Some weeks I am the golden child of to-do lists and sometimes when I am really burnt out —

I laugh at my to-do list because it isn’t getting done in any certain order; the point is….

If I write it down and see it and focus on it (in my minds eye), even if I have stopped focusing on my to-do list (physically), I mentally know what steps I need to take; the pressure is off and freedom awaits and all I have to do is to get moving.

Next, I take lots of breaks and sometimes I procrastinate, but the point is…….it all is getting done because it has to get done.

Sometimes we can be too organized and sometimes the organization needs a vacation and that is okay too.

After the feelings and the to-do lists I like to offer myself lots of patience. Like, a lot of it. Patience and perspective is everything.

Have Patience With Yourself

Some people have not had a hug in almost a year…….

It’s been a lot and there is not really a rule book for how to handle this time apart from the world —

Other than to sit with our feelings and damn, that can be uncomfortable.

While also being so helpful in letting yourself be fully loved and integrated with where you’ve been and where you are going by yourself, for yourself.

Other parts of taking care of ourselves are finding little pockets of normality in the day to day; carving out rituals that make us feel part of the world, even though many of us are seemingly so far removed from it.

Planning outfits for the day is actually helpful in quarantine (for me anyways), even if that outfit is lounge wear (sometimes I make it fancy)…….

Getting ready for the day, even if the outfit isn’t jeans and a full face of make-up; just getting ready for the day in the way that works best for you, is a game changer and often it lifts my mood instantly.

Take Care of Yourself Like a Parent Would

Second to last, is meal planning like your grandmother and your parents.

I don’t know about you, but planning about 3-4 meals a week means I get to intentionally carve out time to chop veggies and make delicious meals for myself….it also means lot’s of yummy leftovers that I do not need to think about and can have on rotation for the entire week.

Practice Self-Awareness

I was unaware of how stressful creating meals daily was for myself, to the point that I actually was like…. “this is madness and it also isn’t working.”

The brain fog I felt every time I would need to make a grocery list was getting out of control and I even told myself the biggest lie, “that I just didn’t know how to create interesting meals anymore.”

As long as I had my “staples” on my grocery list, I was doing alright, but the truth was I needed variety. Do you find that is true for you as well?

Create A Routine – Covid Burnout

That, and understanding that creating delicious and thoughtful meals, and spending time away from a screen let’s you actually check in with yourself (also, sitting at the table instead of watching TV while eating…..Epic fun, truly).

Grab a cookbook, sit with the Pinterest app and pick three to five meals you want to cook for the week and see how it changes your life.

Finally, what I have found to be helpful is daily walks in nature.

Use your pet as an excuse. Offer to take a friend or neighbor’s dog on a walk.

Do what you have to do.

I have to do this because I have a dog and it’s what she needs, but her needs also feed my soul as well and it teaches me to slow down because I am a very task oriented person who always needs to be doing something.

Dogs literally have to smell every bush, tree and mound while basking in sunshine with their face turning towards the sun,.

Enjoying every small detail, and that is exactly how I have learned to slow down….

Through the eyes of my dog (laugh if you must, but it gives one perspective).

So, I hope this blog post brings you some new ideas on how to engage daily with yourself in this weird time and if you have other tips and tricks on how you’ve been staying sane, feel free to leave a comment below.

Get Into a Winning Mindset!

You’ve got this. I’ve got this. We’ve all got this.

But, if you do not have this and are going through very serious things that only a licensed professional can hep you with —

I am going to leave some important information down below and help is always available.

Seeking Professional Help – Covid Burnout!

This is the suicide hotline’s phone number: 800-273-8255

This is the number for the crisis text line: Text HOME to 741741 for free.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.SAFE (7233)

Rainn National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.HOPE (4673)

International Women’s House: 770-413-5557

Please take care and I will talk to you soon.

Nikita

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