Let’s Be Clear

by with No Comment fitnessmental healthmommy diariespersonalrantswellness

I used to resent being referred to as an “influencer”. Bleh- you want to group me in with people who create these unrealistic lifestyles and never show the real life that takes place behind all of their picture perfect social media squares? No thanks! But then I thought about it, leaders influence people and we’re all leaders in our way right? P.S. don’t come for my throat, I’m not saying all influencers do this, I’m referring to the people out there who are real ‘influencer buttholes’, you know the ones.

Because I realized that we can choose what we influence and how, and we can choose to not influence at all, even. But to have the “capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone”… wow, well that seems like a big responsibility to me. And honestly, some days I choose not to go too deep and just post about my burrito and some days I choose to go there. Like today. If what we’ve been through in life and how we’ve coped can help even ONE person, wouldn’t we want to influence in that way?

you’re not f*cking it all up and whatever you’re doing, you’re doing just great

I would’ve really loved to have that when Corrine was little. For someone tell me that I’m not f*ucking it all up, that we’d make it out a-okay, that my best was in fact enough, and that I birthed a baby and stretch marks ARE sexy! Holy hell can you imagine what that would’ve done for my confidence as a single mother and my self esteem as a person?

This was wayyy before Instagram , Facebook, and all the other social media platforms that exist today ever existed. So if I had a hard time adulting before all this (still do sometimes tbh) then I know that what our kids and these impressionable young minds (adult minds too c’mon now) are feeling and how it can weigh heavily on their mental health. I have an almost 22 year old daughter and to teach her to think outside of social media is a pain in the ass, and also a lesson I had to learn. PS I still have to remind myself of that, I have my days, trust.

Comparison is the thief of joy- Theodore Roosevelt

Every image… every.single.image. *claps hands, you know she means business* that is published in magazines, on billboards, etc. is retouched. I already knew that but a few of my friends have highlighted a page on Instagram called @beauty.false and others, where Real Life vs Instagram is showcased side by side. You guysssss, it’s pretty crazy what we see on social media versus real life… and hey I get it, I love a good filter! But I use VSCO to enhance the brightness not the booty. Let’s be clear, I love bright whites and shadows and light flares and bumping up saturation…but I’m not going to bump up my booty just to fit into these ‘new norms’ I’ve been seeing. Have you seen this? Where tiny women make their waists even tinier and where they make their asses look like a science experiment? To each their own, this is not a dig, but if you’re out there with an audience and you have a voice on any platform, and you’re not sharing your truths (should you choose to be an ‘influencer’, don’t @ me), then what the fuck are you doing?

it took me 0.5 seconds to cinch my waist and fill out my hip dips

I mean, I’m a fitness coach who loves food, drinks tequila, hulks out at the gym, and has hip dips, stretch marks, and cellulite. GASP! Now, will I post what I feel is a ‘bad’ photo of myself to Instagram? Probs not, but I will be honest about how bomb lighting, a flex, or a filter will make me feel like a GD supermodel. Oh man, I’ll go into the pressures of the industry on another day, but this topic really fires me up. I personally unfollow, delete, mute, block, whatever I gotta do to not have the BS of IG creepin’ on my inner dialogue. If I’m not interested in someone’s actual life or don’t talk to them IRL than I don’t feel bad doing that and you shouldn’t either. They’re the images and messages that will fill our personal space on the daily. I need to follow more cute animal accounts! Don’t we all <3

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this, I kind of went on a tangent (no surprise) so please tell me how you feel about social media. How do you feel about influencers, are you one? Do you feel the pressure to be authentic or inauthentic? Do you think about the content you see in your feed or do you mindlessly scroll for entertainment? I’m guilty of consuming IG in both ways…hello slime vids at 3am <3

this photo got so much praise which I’m grateful for because I do LOVE my body, but also: lighting, filter, flex baby <3

 

 

 

 

 

 

For My Misfits – Welcome to One Month Mission!

by with No Comment adventurecommunityfitnesshealthlifestylemental healthmotivationpersonalsportswellness

This past Saturday wrapped up my first ever Reset Camp. I had the honor of being head coach alongside my friend and fitness Jesus Lacey Stone. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen me post a bunch about Lacey, The Wall, these Comeback Camps, and my excitement over coaching. So I wanted to take a moment to tell you why you’ve seen this flux in fitness posts and what it means to me to be a coach. 

this is not dejavu, this is a separate post on why I love coaching you

Lacey’s camps are so special because it’s more than just a bootcamp, these camps are about so much more than just the workouts. I really do believe that you can get a good workout anywhere, it’s all about how much effort you put into it or if you’re just phoning that session in. I’ve gotten the same results from hot yoga as I have from a bootcamp style workout because I hulk out no matter what I do … granted, I need to learn to chill TF out, but it really comes down to how present you are in that room right?

… we’re resetting our energy, not just refocusing on our goals

During my Reset camp I really tried to convey the message that we were resetting our energy, not just refocusing on our goals. Though it may be easier to remember why you started, I’ve realized that it’s more difficult for us to reset our energy because we’re so used to giving it away to everyone else. Our time together is more about: refill our energy, and then refocus and reset. That’s what we do in these camps. As time goes on and we evolve as people we change, so it’s completely normal that our goals do too. Here are some excerpts from my emails that I sent out to our squad last week and I want you to read them so that if you need to hear it, it’s here. Or maybe you know someone else who needs to hear it. Where ever you’re at and what ever your goal, it’s our mission as a team to help you get there. Here’s a little love letter from me to you about my Reset camp, what we did, and what you can expect during One Month Mission (1MM).

These camps aren’t for the faint of heart, they’re not easy, and there’s nothing soft or gentle about them

As a coach, I’ve observed your courage and how you move with intensity. These camps aren’t for the faint of heart, they’re not easy, and there’s nothing soft or gentle about them. I mean, these workouts have roughed us up and here we are still standing! That’s how we do. 

Lacey asked me what my favorite part of camp was and there were SO many memorable moments. And I’ll tell you, RESET was intense. Yesterday alone, you switched sides four times, you went TEN timed rounds, and you pushed more weight on the benches than in the entire camp combined. I left little room for you to catch your breath and onto the next move we went, performing combinations I’d never thrown at you before. Throughout all the madness, you showed no weakness or hesitation in your bodies…even after the 799 sprints. I want you to remember that the next time in life you want to tap TF out—you did all that! Memorable. 

These workouts are absolutely designed to make you stronger physically, challenge your stamina, and push you past your limits. But it is more about pushing so hard that you’re forced to tap into the place you pull from when you physically have nothing left to give, that place deep within our bellies where we’re confronted with our inner dialogue. That is when one of two things happens: You either doubt your abilities and let your minds wander, or you do what you did this week and step into your power. That’s true grit.

To paraphrase something from the film Game Changers, “It’s not about how strong you are or how much power you have, it’s what you do with that strength and power.” You sharpened your edges this Reset, you made one another better, and you spread that energy around like peanut buttah. Lacey and I were literally speechless after class and that says a lot about two people who always have something to say.

Something I’ve asked of you is to be willing to give your all, to be coachable, and to trust the process … we’re going to enter that room with purpose and we’ll leave it all on the floor. Get good sleep tonight, because…“There’s just one thing: we never, ever do nothing nice and easy, we always do it nice and rough.” – Tina Turner, Proud Mary. I am so proud of YOU.

that you’ll only find here at #TeamLSF

Those were just some pieces from our team emails that I wrote to our campers that I wanted to share with you because I do believe there is something we do in that room together that you can’t just recreate. Like I said, you can get a good workout anywhere. There are some FAN-FUGGEN-TASTIC trainers/coaches/teachers out there. But to have a team of badass, strong, warrior-women by your side doing it with you and 3 coaches to guide you, support you, and protect you along the way … that you’ll only find here at #TeamLSF. I do hope I get the chance to help coach you this month during 1MM, click here to claim your spot if you’re local to Los Angeles and if you’d like to join us virtually, you can do that HERE! You can’t escape me, I’m all over the VP and so is Kristin so go rep the virtual squad baby! Hop on the forums and say hello! <333

That was a lot of gushing on how special I believe our team to be, but honestly I think anyone would say that about a group of people they have infinite love for. I felt so sad driving away from the studio on our last day, like I truly wanted to write one last email and then spend every day with everyone haha But I hold that squad near to my heart and now on to 1MM we go! So LET’S GO!

Where will I see you? In person for camp and workouts? On the virtual platform??? Let’s just spend every day together! 

 

“Let’s push through the rough stuff and eat the good stuff”- Coach Jess

Put Yourself On A TIME OUT

by with No Comment beautyhealthinspirationlifestylemental healthpersonalwellness

This past week I’ve fully immersed myself into my work and a secret passion project of mine that I can’t wait to share with you. Side note: it’s weird when other people say ‘secret project’ and it’s still weird when I say it, but I promise it’s a fun one! And since I don’t see this slowing down for another week or two three, I thought I’d share with you what is keeping me sane throughout the process of sitting alone for hours, in a dimly lit room, with resources and research. Also, this is a plea for snacks.

Here’s the deal, I go go go and admittedly I am a WORKAHOLIC. Okay, fine, I said it. I love my work though, so it’s nice to be in the zone, like really in it. It’s also nice to come up for air from time to time and though I don’t break enough throughout the day, there’s one thing I’m like, really good at. Self care and putting myself on a time out.

I’ve even been really quiet on social media if you’ve noticed … if you haven’t noticed than maybe you’ve been really quiet too. Feels good right?! We can go a lil lot crazy when you work from home, secluded, with little interactions from other humans.

It’s completely normal to fully lose your shit

No matter where we are in life or in our careers, we’re go go go , we grind grind grind, we hustle hustle hustle. How could we not lose our shit right? *I’m feeling a bit preachy right now but as I currently write to you I’m in a top knot, on my couch, in my pj’s, at 4:28pm, having had only a pb&jelly sammich all day, and going going going… hence I’m feeling a bit preachy

So here’s a few things I love to do to put myself on a time out. It’s hard to do sometimes because you get so focused, but do it anyway. Even if it’s just ten minutes, or at the end of your day, hit pause and TIME OUT

 

get it out- write it out, scream it out, whatever you’ve gotta do to let the thoughts out, let em out. As human we like to play things on a loop until we can’t make sense of them as they are so then, oh wow, plot twist, our brain has formulated it’s own new ending to that story/conversation/moment/interaction

dance it out- ugh I love doing this so much. Do you watch my stories? Have you seen me break out into a mid day dance party? This is why! Our thoughts, moods, feelings all turn into energy and that energy can either be stagnant or it can be BIG and we can use it to shift our day.

SHIFT THAT SHIT

treat yo self- time out for real for some self care pampering time!- I’m all about that ‘me time’ pampering time! I love doing skin care masks, ya know, the ones that make you look crazy *insert The Office epi where Dwight is trying to perform CPR on the dummy* I love taking baths, having a few glasses of wine (who ever in life, do you know, STOPS after A glass of wine? no one that’s who), adding in some bubbles, turning on some tunes, and throwing in some relaxing bath bombs.

be still- gross I hate this one but it’s the most EFFECTIVE one! Being still, taking it slowly, doing some yoga, meditating, reading a damn book, going for a quite hike, all the things that settle your mind and calm your spirit. Do it. I promise you’ll get after it so much more focused afterwards.

and if you still lose your shit, that’s cool too. We’re human, it’s normal

What are some things you do to put yourself on a time out? I need to do more of this, more frequently, send your recs. Oh and the snacks too, this is still a public plea for those 😉

 

 

 

My Favorite Way To Eat ‘Salad’ – The Veggie Bowl

by with No Comment foodhealthlifestylerecipeswellness

I’m admittedly not a person who usually orders salad, makes salad, or particularly even enjoys the word salad. I’m such a brat I know, maybe it’s because I was forced to eat LIVER + veggies as a child, or because I just get angrier with every bite I take of dry-crunchy ass-weirdly textured leaves. Whatever it is, this is the only way I’ll eat ‘salad’.

Emphasis on the quotation marks because a lot of people will argue that this is not a salad…nay I say, it is. Google the definition, promise this is a salad and PS I do love veggies, just not in a boring way. Raw is best I know I know, but I’m just happy to be eating veggies at all mkay. I actually prefer them all cooked up in a nice tomato sauce to throw over any dish or blended together with fruit for a refreshing dessert shake. AND like this, a veggie bowl:

This recipe is so easy I didn’t even create a recipe card because this is what it comes down to: use everything you have in your fridge! This is perfect for using all of the veggies and leftovers you already have, like a goulash… minus the pasta part and the sauce part. So okay not like a goulash, buuut it’s just as delicious 😉

All I did was stir fry all of the veggies together in some coconut oil, roasted the broccoli and chick peas (topped with turmeric & fresh garlic), made a coconut curried quinoa (cooked quinoa in coconut milk + cumin + turmeric spices), and then topped it with avocado and tzatziki! You can add whatever other protein you like but this particular recipe is a gluten free, vegan (coconut based tzatziki), protein packed bowl of goodness (and SALAD) and I LOVE it! See…I DO eat salad!

Mix it all together and enjoy <3

Please share with me your favorite salad recipes, how you most enjoy the leafy stuff, and what I can add to mine to make them less salad-y 😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self Care Sunday- My favorite skincare masks

by with No Comment beautyreviewsself care sundayskin carewellness

Happy Sunday Funday! I love a lil Self Care Sunday so I want to share with you my favorite skincare masks <3 You can give yourself some lovin’ today or any day and these masks are luxurious and will give you a dose of that skincare self care xx

 

Glam Glow Supermud Clearing treatment – clarifying, clears pores, brightens skin. I use it once a week

Pixi glow mud mask – brightening and plumping, comparable to the Glam Glow but for half the price

Peter Thomas Roth cucumber gel masque – soothes sensitive, irritated skin. perfect for after a beach day

Osea white algae mask – hydration. Ultra moisturizing, super luxurious, I use this at least 3 times a week! (my favorite)

Ren glycol lactic radiance renewal mask – helps improve skin tone, texture, firmness and reduces the appearance of pores and pigmentation. Doesn’t irritate my skin and I swap this out once a week with the Glam Glow

O Cosmétiques purifying creme – gently exfoliates with 10% glycolic to rejuvenate your skin for a softer, more youthful look. I love using this twice a week as a moisturizer since it’s a multi-tasking super product! With all glycolic products, you want to ease into regular use and patch test. This one is ultra gentle and doesn’t irritate my skin

Patchology eye gels – plumps and soothes delicate eye area. I keep these babies in the fridge and use them at least 4 times a week ha!

Origins Hello, Calm Cannabis mask– hydrating, soothing, calming. When my skin is being a real asshole, I use this mask to calm it all down. Great for my hormonal breakouts and when I’ve exfoliated toooo much 😀

 

Have you been doing these Self Care Sundays with me? Self care every day baby but especially when you can take some time to mask…these are my favorite <3

 

 

 

My desire to help others is bigger than my fear of failing…

by with No Comment communityfitnesshealthlifestylemotivationwellness

I realize this is actually the longest title ever in life, but I couldn’t think of anything more accurate than the statement itself. I said this in a recent video of mine and I meant it.

If you’ve been following along my journey to become a fitness instructor, you know it all began with my fitness journey for myself- but then it morphed into something way outside of myself. Bigger. Corrine had graduated High School, she was going to college and working full time… so umm what other hats did I wear when I took off my mom hat? I put that hat on when I was 15 to be exact.

And I’ve always been active, going through seasons of working out and seasons of not stepping foot inside a gym or studio for months/years. Then I reconnected with a friend of mine, Tiffany Morgan who was working with this fitness goddess, Lacey Stone. In summation- 2 years ago I joined her ‘come back camps’ (bootcamp style workouts + team building), I became obsessed with strength and empowering my teammates, and I realized it was a passion of mine to literally ‘work it out’ alongside others.

Lets eat the good stuff and push through the rough stuff

That’s what my entire brand has been about. Using pain for power, empowering others and giving my energy to the people I care about. Except I didn’t know there was something I could actually do with that, and where would I even start? How intimidating it all sounded, how intimidating the fitness industry was is. So many things could’ve stopped me from pursuing this new career (and almost did). But something was WAY bigger than my fear of failing, way more important to me than my fear of starting something new, of rejection and intimidation.. of training a room full of people ahhh! My desire to help others trumped my fear of failing, my fear of anything really. Oh the fear was still there,

but if you can make your purpose bigger, then you’re unstoppable

So here I am, still shaking (still human) but pushing forward and moving through that uncomfortable feeling. I wanted to share this with you because I learned that if you have something that tugs at you and that you always come back around to, do that thing. I promise you’ll never regret following your passion. Especially when you give of yourself because

that is your legacy

I really like adding in quotations can you tell? lol And I don’t even care how cheesy this is going to sound because I believe it with everything I am- I do believe that as fitness instructors and trainers we work in the service industry. I learned so much going through training and I value the statement that- we hold the space for people to move through whatever they’re going through. We guide and encourage our clients to step into their power, and it’s not about us. And that’s the ONE thing that got me through teaching my very first class this morning. To be a light in someone’s day because

sometimes people are silently struggling

We’ve all been there right? Who doesn’t struggle? But if I can leave my shit at the door, show up for someone else, help them push through the rough stuff, and show them how fuggen strong they really are- honestly that’s why I decided to pivot my career.

I just needed to get that out. And even though you may not be thinking of becoming a leader in fitness, whatever it is that you’re going after, keep going. You’re a leader just by being relentless and getting after it even when it seems too hard- especially when it seems too hard. So I’ll end this public diary entry with some real life images and video from today. A very special day that I’ll never forget. It’s not professional or polished but here it is and I’m so proud of everyone who showed up. Thank you for your energy, your smiles, and your encouragement. Lacey Stone, you already know! Ride or die baby! Mucho respeto <3

So tell me something scary af yet special that you’ve done that you thought was for you but you realized had nothing to do with you and it totes fulfilled you because it was bigger than you

xoxo- Jess

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Instagram – Hiding Likes, Algorithm Changes, and Cyberbullying

by with 3 Comments lifestylemental healthmotivationrantsTechtechnologywellness

Wowza, now that’s a mouth full but here goes! Prepare yourselves for my word vomit. I’m not holding back.

So as you know, every day it seems like Instagram and other social platforms are changing their algorithms and policies. Or maybe you don’t know and therefore don’t care because it doesn’t affect you? *high five to you* But since there’s a lot of anxiety and frustration surrounding all the changes within the community, today I want to talk about:

  1. if and how it could affect creators (all users really, but specifically to those brand deal negotiators)
  2. what you can really do to keep up with the fackking algorithms and changes (other than chuck your laptop out the window)
  3. cyber bullying/ competition/ mob mentality/ ego- how I really feel. Here’s a preview: Instagram can suck it.

Fine, I’ll admit that came out harsh. Not wrong, because that’s how I actually feel but let me tell you why something as little as an app on a phone can really rile me up. I’ll start here.

1) does it affect its users? Okay, so if your money maker is a platform like Instagram where you team up with brands on the reg and they pay you to create content for a campaign (i.e. my Palmers hair care campaign) sure, maybe. But that depends on you and what you’re willing to do. Or not do rather. The algorithm is ever changing because their motives are to keep users on the app longer. Like all damn day. Like, don’t have a life and if you do, live it ON Instagram. They no longer feature the chronological feeds because they want to give you the content that you’ve proven to interact with the most.

It’s not you, it’s them. But it’s because of you that it’s them.

Hence, everyone and their mother made those “turn on my notifications” posts. See, the more you interact with someone’s content (watch stories, like, comment, blah blah) the more IG will prioritize that content for you. Not bad if you really think about it, they’re simply trying to curate content for you in the same way YouTube killed their Home page. But kinda sucks ass for creators because we’re constantly keeping up with ‘trends’, reaching for ‘low hanging fruit’… and all the other bad jargon that comes from it. It’s like this: there are people who base-line interact with your content and people who don’t interact at all because they’re just lurking or scrolling mindlessly through their feeds (I actually scroll mindlessly quite often. It’s not an app I want to open up and think about ya know). Well those interactions aren’t technically ‘interactions’ and now they don’t count towards your algorithm see? Because it’s not a human being making the decisions it’s all code baby.

ABANDON YOUR INSTAGRAM PODS

This is a whole other article I need to write. There’s a lot you may be doing to actually hurt you on IG, but we’ll talk about that later. My point in saying that is, there are things you can do to help move with the changes.

2) What can I do to keep up with all the changes? What I really meant to say was, “there are things you can do to try and beat the system”, but the system is a machine and you are not Johnny Five. Looping back around to the ‘things you may or may not be willing to do’ bit. If you’ve noticed a dip in all around interactions, views, Likes yada yada- here are the things you can do to basically be in everyone’s faces all of the time, which makes the machine go, “oh yea, we like this person, they’re really using every feature. Lets push out their content more”.

  • really use every feature. a) IG Live- at least once a week, even for a few minutes. Some people go Live every day. I am not those people. But I applaud their dedication b) story story story- on the daily. Oh you’ve been seeing people story more? Like a dozen times? Ya, they either love talking to the camera or they are trying to use every feature more c) In-feed post at least once a day. Post videos in feed at least once a week. Use the carousel feature in-feed as much as you can without going bonkers d) IGTV- at least once a week z) yes I said z because damn, anything else they want us to do? So z- use the GIFs, the Swipe Up feature, link all the things, use stickers…just go NUTS in your stories making them so fucking interactive that no one even knows what the hell you’re talking about anymore

Oh she mad.

Nah, she’s just done trying to dance when they tell me to dance. I’m venting here but I’d by lying if I said I didn’t do any of these things. I actually do ALL of them. It’s my job (I chose this, no regrets but sheesh can ya give the girl a breather) to overshare. I actually choose what I want to share very carefully because it’s a very vulnerable thing to do and also, that’s a lot of pressure for anyone I think. At the end of the day, my ‘job’ heavily relies on engagement and on how frequently I post to my blog, YouTube, and social media platforms. Sleep? I hardly know her.

If you have an audience on any platform, it’s my personal belief that you have a public responsibility to not fuck people up in the head

I told you, I’m not holding back. I say: HIDE THE LIKES. BUHBYEEE!!! Cool, let me focus on quality over quantity, let me breathe and not worry about if a brand will pass on my pitch just because it’s not getting enough ‘engagement’. I just think there’s a lot of ‘influencers’ who use their influence for BS and share a life that is unattainable to 99% of the real world. People talk about things without realizing that it actually influences young minds. I’ve been guilty of it myself, trust. The highlight reel is anything but REAL. I found myself pivoting my own conversations with my audience to try and do as much as I can- well as much as you can do really, on an application, without sounding cheesy or preachy. <— that is v hard to draw the line on. I actually like the idea of hiding likes because it

  • relieves people of the pressure-  “how many likes did I get”. That fake scale of self worth should be burned with fire.
  • no competition & comparison- or the reduction of, at least. Sadly a lot of this will exist whether or not the app actually exists and that’s a sad reality. The mob mentality on any public forum is REAL. And the egos and insecurities that drive people to bully others and to personally seek them out to attack them is disgusting. I’ve experienced so much of this myself and it’s got to stop. I don’t know who or how or when but can it stop already? Kids are dying, kids are killing themselves and others, and it’s sickening. Does this not haunt you? PS I’m talking specifically about our youth here. Yes adults too, but young impressionable minds are young and impressionable.
  • brands will measure worth more accurately and fairly- it will not be quantitive. But quality will actually matter when considering who hires who and P.S. brands will still have access to metrics and we’ll all still be obligated to disclose partnerships in accordance with FTC regulations. So this should not affect backend number stuff
  • less invasive and more truthful- people will Like the things they truly like and interact with things they truly want to interact with. And honestly, they’re probably already doing that. So often, the Likes equate to validation and clout. I understand that IG’s choice to hide Likes is probably less about wanting to do good in the world, and more about marketing tactics and making more money BUT I’d like to think that this change would be a good thing.

At the end of the day we can’t let this stuff affect us. We either go with the flow or riot right? LOL There’s a lot of things to give your energy to in your life. That’s the real stuff that affects us. All we can really do with the internet part of it, is to keep creating the things we want to share with the world + be our most authentic selves as much we can + stay sane through this crazy time in life. I mean, most of us only had to worry about someone at school passing us a note by accident, not posting about us to THE WORLD.

I know that was a lot. I just really wanted to talk about this since it’s been all over my emails, my work life, and the community. I’d really like to know what you think. And HEY, if you just wanna post about your life and not make it a drama with ‘morals of the story’ and ‘lessons we learned today’, that’s absolutely okay! But if that’s something you’re doing… does any of this make you go hmmmmm?

Are you affected? Do you care or nah? Have you seen the changes and what do you think of all this social media madness? P.S. thank you for always supporting me. Reading my posts, interacting with me on the Gram, all the things- it all shows your love and support so thank you so much, I see you <3

National Mental Health Awareness Month

by with No Comment wellness

I was happily reminded this morning that May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and I wanted to take some time today- and throughout this month- to help raise awareness, offer my support, share my coping techniques, and a few of my own stories.

If you’ve noticed that I’ve become especially passionate about health and wellness this past year, thank you <3 I started my own fitness journey to not only get stronger physically but to also get stronger mentally, which is most important to me. I think most of us have had some sort of trauma in our lives that we haven’t properly dealt with (oh hai, it me), and that we then carry on through adulthood like heavy ass luggage that we aren’t able to check.

Whether it’s a mental illness, a physical illness, a trauma… anything that could physically and/or mentally weigh in on your mental state, we can’t stay silent about it. At least I hope we don’t. We have to seek help, we have to reach out to one another, we have to practice compassion for ourselves and for others. It’s something I think people don’t talk about enough, the inside of ourselves that we have to nurture as well as the outside. Our thoughts, our feelings, our hardships, and our concerns … what makes us tick and what helps calm the storm.

A bit of my own story you already know. I was a teen mom, a single mom. I struggled a lot then and I struggle today to let go of that young girl who had to raise a baby and realize that’s not my life any more.  A lot of things keep me up at night. From trauma and healing, to moving forward and crushing goals. But there’s a lot of issues that I’ve let go unresolved. That I’ve pushed so far down into my big toe thinking they couldn’t hurt me anymore that I also pushed down my emotions, compassion for myself, and forgiveness. Ah therapy, I’m coming for you.

I just want you to know that if you’re struggling you’re not alone and I don’t have all the answers but there are some things I do for myself to keep my mental health balanced. Balance is BIG. Practicing balance with work and leisure, with family and friends, and with connecting to others and connecting to myself.

Meditating– whatever that looks like for you. I’m not good at being still but I’m working on it and meditation sounds and candles help so much. To ground yourself, to still your mind, to calm yourself down no matter where you are

Routine– a morning routine and a nighttime-unwinding routine. I’ll read 10 pages of a book or take time to think about the things I know will keep me up at night so that I can address them and sleep soundly. Routine helps keep anxiety at bay, it’s the one thing I can control. I think

Schedule– with what I do putting myself on a schedule helps me to feel less overwhelmed, more creative, and relieves my anxious thoughts from attacking me mid all day. Just having those goals helps me so much and also realizing that I can only do as much as I can and that’s enough

Talking it out– a therapist, a family member, a loved one, a close friend, a professional…someone. It helps so much to release the things inside your head that may be paralyzing you and making it hard to breathe. Or to at least acknowledge them, take away its power, and heal a bit more than you did before. Words are powerful, that’s why therapy is so incredible. And communication

Luna & Ace! – animal companionship is so real you guys. Pets and support animals change the energy in your space, they’re calming, and they’re great listeners 😉

There’s so many ways to navigate and cope and there’s so much support out there. I really hope if you’re reading this and you need this, that you trust that you’re not alone and that you reach out to someone. I want to list some resources here for you and for anyone who may need them <3

The importance of our mental health is more important than anything. If I can’t function than how will I work, be a mom, be a wife, be a human, be myself? So lets talk about it like it’s normal because it is and lets reach out to one another more because it matters. 

 

Resources: 

1-800-662-HELP

Open 24-7/365

National Association of Mental Illness

https://www.nami.org/

Mayo Clinic

https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments

Veterans Affairs

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/

The Jed Foundation

https://www.jedfoundation.org/

The Trevor Project

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/#sm.0000apfmfbg74dkqzv21np8ww3evs

National Council On Aging

https://www.ncoa.org/center-for-healthy-aging/behavioral-health/

Sending you all love and hugs, 

 

Self Care Every Day

Self Care Every Day

by with No Comment makeupmommy diarieswellness

Self care Sunday is a thing so says Instagram but also so says my soul. Except I think we should practice a lil self care every day don’t you?

It’s such a necessary practice to partake in to keep your skin glowy and your soul shiny. But the reality is that something I’ve experienced, is that mom guilt is real. Human guilt is real. That feeling like we don’t have time or that we don’t deserve a moment to reset and slow down and breath. And it’s complete BS.

Since when aren’t we allowed to take time out for ourselves to be still, can we change that? I want us to do something together, a lil Self Care Sunday or Monday or Tuesday or any or ALL days of the week. And lets share what we’re doing,  and it can be any time where you sit alone, or stretch to candle light, or bathe with a glass of wine, or eat a treat in your closet alone while the rest of the world outside loses their shit. Anything that settles your mind and relaxes your body.

I’ll start here with my self care Sunday routine that I did this morning over on my Instagram.

Madewell heart bandana – holds back all the hairs

Glossier Moon Mask – ultra hydrating, goes on like buttah, skin feels like silk after

Hempz exfoliating lip gloss – your lips have never known this kind of love

Sustainable cotton rounds – do good by your skin and by the Earth

Laneige lip mask – the mostest luscious evaaar

Osea Sea Vitamin Boost – so refreshing, a hydrating vitamin boost

 

So tell me bb, do you practice self lovin? Which day? Every day I hope but starting with one thing, one day a week, is a wonderful start <333