Tag: deep breathing

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Fabulous living

Things That Make Me Feel Like Me

Hi everyone! A VERY happy March to you! The countdown to spring is on, as we are only weeks away from the start of the new season, even if it doesnā€™t quite feel like it quite yet. We had a stretch of temperatures in the 40’s which was an instant mood booster, but then snow returned. There is hope and promise in the air. Is it bad that Iā€™m eager for the rain that Spring brings just because that means a break in snow? I hope not!Ā I have been soaking up time with friends over the past few weeks which has been so fun and much needed for the soul too.

Pastries and coffee with friends is always a good mood booster in the middle of the week.

The new season means a fresh start and todayā€™s post goes nicely with that as Iā€™m sharing the things I do every day that make me feel like me.Ā I am currently on the road for a work trip and even though it is exciting to be traveling, it can also come with stress. Whenever, I am gone, whether it’s for work or pleasure, there’s a few things I try to incorporate every day in my life that makes me feel like me.

If I go without one of these for a day, will the world keep turning? Absolutely! But these are little rituals I like to incorporate every day to make me feel like the best version of myself.

  • Quiet Time– I like to begin every day with some quiet time and that includes journaling, prayer time, working on a word search to keep my brain sharp, reading a few pages of a book, and Wordle to keep my streak alive. I like to take my time and ease into my day with this quiet time, sometimes, I take ten minutes for my quiet time, other days, I take forty-five minutes. It all depends on how much time I have. I love starting my day with some me-time.
No matter where I am, I always try to get my quiet time in
  • Movement- Whether itā€™s a lift at the gym, some yoga after work, a good run, or even just a walk. Getting some sort of movement is critical for me. Bonus points if I can get outdoors for one of these activities. I love being able to move my body and I donā€™t take it for granted. I feel energized after I get some sort of activity whether it be easy or hard. Itā€™s a mood booster and stress reliever for me. 
Fresh air and some sort of movement brings me so much JOY!
  • Balanced Diet and Lots of Water– If I could only drink water for the rest of my life, I would be okay with that. I go through lots of tumblers every day with water. I drink it at the gym, I drink it hot with lemon in the morning and at night and all through the day at work. I love how refreshed and full water makes me feel. I also try really hard to eat a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables and proteins, plus something sweet too. Iā€™ve never been much of a breakfast person, so lunch and dinner are my meals of the day. I love to see a colorful plate filled with fruits and veggies. I feel better physically and mentally after eating a filling meal, but donā€™t get me wrong, I do love to enjoy my sweet snacks throughout the day. 
We love a colorful plate!
  • Deep Breathing and Meditation– Life can get hectic which is why taking a few moments for mediation at the start and end of my day helps me stay focused and balanced. I have been using the app Insight Timer at the end of the day to help me unwind which has been a huge help too!
Insight Timer keeps me focused to mediate every day
  • Socializing– Iā€™m your typical Introverted/Extrovert. As much as I love my quiet time in the morning and at night. I also love to spend time with my people. I call and text with my boyfriend every day and get to see my family every day, which is such a blessing. I love gathering around the table at the end of the day to talk about our days. Family is so important to me and I cherish my time with them. Plus, I would be remiss if I didnā€™t mention my incredible friends. Although I may not see or talk to them every day, catching up with friends nourishes my soul. I have recently been reconnecting with old friends and itā€™s so nice to catch up on what everyone is up to in life. 
Happiest with my people!

These five things make me feel like me in the best possible way. I can obviously go without these for a day or two, but I feel like the best version of myself if I incorporate these into my daily life.

Ā As we look towards a new season, what are some non-negotiables for you? I would love to hear from you. Although, I’m on the road, I will be back for another Friday Favorites in just two days! See you then!

Thanks as always for stopping by and Happy March!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #119

Hello All! HAPPY FRIDAY! We made it through the week! This has been a hectic week at both home and work, but we made it to Friday and Iā€™m very grateful for that. Iā€™m hoping things slow down just a bit, but we shall see.

The last of the fall leaves

I hope you have had a great week and are ready for the weekend and maybe have something fun planned. As we move away from all the Halloween fun, I am back into fall mode, before Christmas in just a few weeks. I really like to take this time for my prep or calm before the storm. I LOVE the holidays, but Iā€™m hoping for a few quiet weeks before the hustle and bustle. 

Hereā€™s a few things on my radar that Iā€™m loving this week as I link up with Erika and Andrea.

Insight Timer– I recently started to try mediating, mindfulness, and deep breathing exercises. I have always taken time at the start and end of my day for prayer, but have also incorporated some guided breathing exercises too. I have found it to be very beneficial, especially when I am overwhelmed and stressed out. I typically take time at the start and end of my day for breathing, but have found myself doing exercises through the day too. I have been using the app, Insight Timer daily and itā€™s been doing a great job at holding me accountable and providing resources for guided meditations and breathing exercises. I am just using the free trial, but have been really loving it.

Atoms– Speaking of apps, I also have been using the app called Atoms to hold me accountable. The app was created by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, a book I read this past year. I have really been loving his app which helps you track new habits or break bad habits. It sends you daily reminders about completing your tasks and gives you positive affirmations through the day as well. I have used the app to help with putting my phone down and now with meditation and both have been very helpful. Iā€™m using the free version through this as well.

The Diplomat– Season two of The Diplomat starring Keri Russell came out last week and I have slowly been making my way through the season. It picks up right where it left off from season one. This show has me hooked with new characters, storylines and of course some crazy plot twists. The finale had me shocked and I can’t stop thinking about it. I binged a lot last weekend. You can watch the trailer here and stream season two on Netflix.

Outer Banks Part Two Out– Another season of a favorite show of mine is out. I mentioned this a few weeks ago, when the first part of Outer Banks season four was released, but now the second half was released and I canā€™t wait to watch. I may or may not have started depending on when you are reading this, but I canā€™t wait to see how season four wraps up. The premiere was really good and I’m looking forward to the rest of the episodes. The first half started out a bit slow, so Iā€™m anxious to see what storylines get solved and what cliffhangers remain. Here’s a look at what you can expect.

Atmosphere– Taylor Jenkins Reid announced her new book coming out next summer last week. Itā€™s called Atmosphere and I canā€™t wait to read it. Hereā€™s a look at the synopsis and the cover art. I personally love the UK version more, but I canā€™t wait to get my hands on it. I doesnā€™t seem like it will be in the same universe as some of her other books, regardless, I canā€™t wait to read it.

Thatā€™s a look into life lately and what Iā€™m loving. 

Tell me what are some highlights from your week? I would love to hear them! Have a fantastic weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

Mindfulness

Hello all! 

Happy Wednesday! Itā€™s still warm, the sun is shining and technically summer, but itā€™s September, which means fall is coming. Labor Day is over which means we are making our way into autumn. Iā€™m excited for the new season, but Iā€™m still not ready to say goodbye to summer quite yet.

I mentioned a few weeks ago, that Iā€™ve started to incorporate mindfulness in my daily routine. According to Merriam Webster, mindfulness is ā€œthe practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of the heightened or complete awareness of oneā€™s thoughts emotions, or experiences on a moment to  moment basis.ā€ I first heard about mindfulness in college and then learned more about it through work and stories Iā€™ve done. I always found it interesting and these past few weeks I wanted to give it a try myself. 

If you have been following me for a while, you know I love my Fit Bit! One of the features the app has is to track your mindfulness. Thereā€™s a number of guided breathing exercises to calm your heart rate and soften your breathing. It took a while to get into a routine of doing it and just about finding time that works in my schedule to do it. What I like about the Fit Bit app is that there are a number of different guided breathing practices, they range from two minutes to 30 minutes. YouTube also has a number of guided practices too. Most of the time, I do my breathing exercises after I journal in the morning or when I am driving to work. I really like to take the time before the day gets underway to just reset and calm the mind before the day gets busy.

On the app, you can monitor your monthly mindfulness and your daily mindfulness

At this point I do my breathing exercises 7 days a week. It only takes a few minutes, and it gets my mind and heart in a good spot before the day gets busy.

Here’s some of the different exercises.

I am a routine person through and through. When I can start my day with journaling, breathing and a workout and reading, I know my day is off to a great start. 

Being more mindful and taking time to reset before the day gets started has been a huge help to lower my stress level especially on busy work days.

What ways do you unwind and relax before or at the end of your day?