The Benefits of Taking a Rest Day

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a beautiful day, wherever you may be! For today’s blog post, I really wanted to chat about a topic that is very important to me personally. From a young age, I recognized the importance of loving myself and taking care of myself, however I really started to take it seriously a few years ago, and I haven’t looked back. It takes a lot of time and effort to get to a place of self-love, and a major part of that is taking care of your overall well-being. So, today I am going to share the benefits of taking a rest day.

I am very outspoken when it comes to self-care, and this is because I have directly seen the benefits in my own life. This does not just mean only taking care of your appearance, but also taking care of your heart, mind, body, and soul. It doesn’t really matter how much effort you put into making your outsides look great if you aren’t feeling great on the inside. Even though it may be difficult at times, you should really try to find some time to rest each and every day.

Everyone is different, and we all have different responsibilities and daily tasks to handle, whether they relate to work, family, or school. While of course these things need to be prioritized, we can’t forget about ourselves. These things can take up a lot of our time and energy, but even if you take 20 minutes or an hour out of each day, this can be extremely beneficial!

I find that balance in everything is super important in life. As we all know, too much of anything isn’t a good thing. Too much rest can quickly turn into laziness, and too much work can turn into burnout. There is a way to balance each of these things, and in turn, you will feel much happier overall

My boyfriend has collaborated with me on this blog post, and I really wanted to include some of his own writing! I always find his words to be so encouraging and uplifting, and I think that you will too. Here is what he had to say on the topic:

To recognise the importance of self-care throughout life, it’s necessary to look at the difference between maintaining outward appearance and continuing nourishment on the inside.

It is wonderful and true that we are all beautiful both on the outside and on the inside. From day one, our looks have been mastered and completed. However, inwardly we are renewed each and every day. How exciting is that!? For every one of us to have the capacity and opportunity to be our best selves, to be more of who we are intended to be! It’s beneficial to understand that inner self-care is as much about relaxation and preparation as it is about staying occupied and task completion. Balancing and prioritising is absolutely key. Remember that whatever you concentrate on most becomes an idol. Please don’t drive yourself towards constant action, letting exhaustion creep in (mental or physical). Inner self-care is about consciously choosing to prevent the build-up of stress, worry and tiredness. Happiness, peace and long-lasting energy are conquering antidotes.

Resting may be a departure from existing routine but it will become an adventure all of itself when practiced out of love rather than duty. Rest is gentle and kind but also receptive and restorative, facilitating the space to be present, for today and tomorrow.

– Tom Patch

As I mentioned previously, I have seen the ways that taking some time for myself has benefitted me and my health, so I wanted to share some of those benefits with you today!

First of all, when you prioritize and take care of yourself, you become the best version of yourself. Not only will you eventually recognize this, but those around you will too! When you make that time for you, all of your relationships can flourish, especially the one with yourself! We all want to be at our best, and it’s ok to have bad moments or even bad days, but you have to make self-care and self-love daily habits.

When taking a rest day, you have the time to do the things that you want to do. You can delve into your hobbies, spend time with family and friends, or just sit back and watch your favorite movie or TV show! There are no rules to your rest day, and you should do what makes you feel happy and at peace.

If you would like, you can use your rest day to think about what’s upcoming. It may not be very fun to think about the working days ahead, or how you’re going to complete everything you have to do, but planning can be really helpful. I strongly recommend owning a planner because this has allowed me to stay on track and get things done efficiently. Also, make sure to include time to rest. Ideally you should try to find time for this every single day, but if this is near to impossible for you, then plan for a rest day or two on the weekend!

Rest can shift your mood and remind you of what’s most important in life. When we are busy and constantly thinking about each and every little thing we have to do before the day is done, it can get really overwhelming. Try to take a breather, and remember that your well-being should come first. You deserve to feel happy and have peace of mind often too. There is something so nice about taking a day to simply focus on you. Remember that self-care is not selfish. As long as you are taking care of your responsibilities, you deserve some time for yourself. I think that one day, we may look back and realize that self-care really is one of the most important things in life.

You can use rest days as a time to check in with your mental, emotional, and physical health. Are you moving your body every day? Are you thinking positive thoughts? Are you allowing yourself to really feel your emotions rather than suppressing them? You should be asking yourself similar questions daily. It’s always good to check in. I happen to be someone who is very self-aware and this helps me to recognize when and why I may be feeling a certain way. If you take a moment to think about it, you may be able to understand yourself more. Writing can actually help with this a lot. A close friend of mine was upset recently, and she had trouble explaining why. She decided to write down why she thought she was feeling that way, and it allowed her to recognize why she got upset in the first place.

This time is essential in all of our lives, and you can use it to form new habits. No matter how busy we may be, we can all spare at least a few minutes out of each day.

I wanted to conclude this blog post with a few tips as well:

• Don’t be afraid to say no

When it comes to work, it is important to take on your own responsibilities. Keep in mind that it’s ok to (respectfully) say no when you’re asked to do things beyond your requirements. Also, outside of work, you should be able to freely say no to things that you simply don’t want to do. For example, if a friend asks you to go out with them one night, it’s ok to say that you’re not feeling it. If you feel like you can use that time to take care of yourself and relax, then do that. You know what’s best for you, so trust that.

• List out your priorities

Writing down your priorities can help you see what’s most important to you. It could be priorities for the day ahead, or daily priorities that you have. Whatever they may be, it will allow you to focus on your goals. I wrote an entire blog post on “How to Recognize and Balance Your Priorities” so you can check that out as well!

• Make realistic goals for yourself

Sometimes we get so into productivity that once the time comes to do every single task that we planned out, it can just become too much. Take a step back and think realistically. It’s good to space things out over the course of a week or month. You don’t have to do it all in one day. Take it one step at a time.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself

Another daily practice! I am still learning to be kind to myself, especially on the difficult days. If you skipped a workout or didn’t make that phone call, it’s ok! We are all human, and we will not have it together all the time. Motivation comes and goes, and we all experiences challenging times. The important part is that you power through and always take care of yourself; nurturing your heart and reminding yourself that you matter, and you always will.

Thank you so much for reading this blog post! I hope that you found it helpful, and that you will share it with those you love! Until next time!

Thank you to my love, and happy six-month anniversary!

Winter Blues Getting You Down? Here’s How to Cope

_{Photo by my talented love: @notapatchontom on Instagram!}

Hey everyone! Today wanted to chat about a topic that I think many people can relate to right now. I am sure that I am not alone in saying this, but sometimes the weather really does have an effect on my mood. I feel like I thrive when it’s sunny and warm, but when it’s dark, cold, rainy, or all three, I tend to struggle just a bit more. There are certain things that I enjoy during each season, and I find them all beautiful, however winter would probably be my least favorite. Luckily for me, where I live it doesn’t get too cold. Still, I have noticed that the cold weather can sometimes bring me down, so I wanted to share this post in the hopes of tackling the winter blues together!

This topic is actually something that has been studied over time, and there is actually a disorder attached to it called “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (or SAD). Now, I do want to say that just because you may not feel as happy or as motivated during a certain season or time of year, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have this disorder. I just wanted to mention it because it is actually something that people can have. I recommend looking into it further or speaking to a healthcare professional if you truly believe that you have this. Read more about SAD here and here.

Part of what has been helping me is the fact that it is a new year! I’ve slowly been getting my motivation back, and I’ve been completing daily tasks, which feels great! While my mood has been pretty good overall, and I have been feeling more motivated, this is not the case every single day. The changing of seasons can affect us all differently, and it is very common for people to oversleep, have low energy, a lack of motivation, and feelings of depression or loneliness once fall and winter come around. It can be hard to get out of bed or feel productive on these days, but there are ways to combat these feelings!

First things first: it is completely ok to have a day (or a few days) when you simply allow yourself to relax and take a breather. Remember that rest is productive, and you deserve to take some time for yourself, whether that means taking an hour at the end of every day to unwind, or even taking a full day to do whatever you want. Balance is important though, so just make sure that you don’t spend day after day sitting around because this can very quickly turn into a habit, making work, school, or other important tasks much more difficult.

I wanted to share a few tips with you all on how to stop the winter blues in its tracks!

• Wake up with the sun

Since it gets dark early these days, it can make the days feel shorter, and you may feel like you don’t have a lot of time to get things done. While we can’t control this, we can control our mindsets and our actions. It is important to have a sleeping schedule that allows you to feel refreshed and alive in the mornings! It is not at all fun to wake up and feel like a zombie for half of the day. I know it can be challenging, but if possible, you should try to get about 8 hours of sleep. I’ve noticed that when I sleep too little or I sleep too much, I never feel very great. It is an amazing feeling to wake up and feel ready to take on the day, so if you can, create a schedule for yourself and stick to it. It may take time, as it does to form any habit, but this is so beneficial for so many reasons! This is something I am still working on myself!

• Get outside

I know what some of you may be thinking: why on earth would I go outside when it’s freezing?! Trust me, I understand!  I don’t always love to be outside when it’s dark or rainy, and especially not if it’s super cold! However, I think it is still very important. We need our vitamin D and it’s always good to get some exercise too! If it’s not extremely cold where you are, I think it would be great to bundle up and get outdoors. Whether you go for a walk or run, or play some kind of sport, this can be a really great way to get over the winter blues!

• Exercise

I know I just mentioned this, but exercise can make such a difference in your mood! Even if you aren’t a fan of working out, you can’t deny the amazing feeling after a great sweat sesh! If it’s just too cold, or you can’t really do your workout outdoors, you can roll out a yoga mat or grab some dumbbells and get your fitness on inside! This will not only wake up the body and keep you strong and healthy, but it will also warm you up on a cold winter day! It doesn’t matter if you do a 10 minute yoga session, a 30 minute cardio burn, or an hour long weight training session! As long as you get up and get moving, you’ll be sure to feel the benefits!

• Keep a planner

This is something that I absolutely love to do! This year, I made it a resolution to write down everything I would like to do in a day or week, no matter how small. It could be working out, it could be cleaning, or it could be school/work related! I’ve been doing this a little over a week now, and I have already recognized how helpful it is! I used to only write down school related tasks in my planners, but writing down everything really helps me to manage my time better, and I feel accomplished at the end of the day when I am able to cross off each item! So, even on days when the weather isn’t ideal, I can still feel good when my head hits the pillow at night!

• Cook some comfort food

It is so nice to sit back and enjoy your favorite warm comfort foods! It can be a hot bowl of your favorite winter soup, a traditional family recipe, or even some cake! Of course, I always recommend eating healthy foods, but it’s also important to listen to your body, and on a day when you may not be feeling your absolute best, it is ok to indulge a little bit! For me personally, a healthy diet is a balanced diet. I am doing my best to incorporate healthier foods into my meals, while also enjoying something small and sweet (pretty much daily). Don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember that you are allowed to enjoy your favorite meals. I mentioned this previously, but as long as you do not start any negative eating habits, then you’ll be alright! Try not to make any drastic changes to your diet overnight, and remember that food should be enjoyed!

• Express gratitude daily

This is such a simple thing to do, yet so many people forget to do it. I know that right now, the days may seem so similar, and maybe the winter blues are really getting you down. I understand completely!  But even if you don’t do any of the things I listed here today, please do this. Every morning when you wake up, or every night before you go to bed (or both), try to think about or speak about the things that you are grateful for. This truly is such an amazing habit to form because once you start, you’ll notice that you will soon express your gratitude without even thinking about it! I’ve been doing this a lot more often lately, and I have to say, I have directly seen how it can change your life! I strongly believe that what you put out into the world will somehow make its way back to you. So, when you have a positive mindset and you speak, write, or think about your gratefulness, you will attract even more to be grateful for!

I really hope that you found this post helpful, and if you know someone who can benefit from reading this, please share this with them too! It is so important to take care of our mental, physical, and emotional health, and to encourage others to do the same! Know that your mind is a very powerful thing, and you do have the ability to control your thoughts and your actions. While it is easier said than done, you have to do your absolute best to get out of bed in the morning, think positive thoughts about the day ahead, and try to find that healthy balance of productivity and relaxation. It can take time, but you don’t have to let the weather affect you negatively. Try to find the beauty in it, because even if you don’t see it right away, it’s always there.

Thank you so much for reading! Until next time!

The Problem with Overthinking

I always want my blog to be a safe space where I can openly share what is going on in my life. While I love sharing all of the positive moments I experience, I am human and I struggle a lot as well. I always talk about the importance and beauty of vulnerability, and today I am going to be opening up a bit more about my personal life and some struggles that I frequently face.

I have always been an overthinker; to the point where it has stopped me from doing certain things that I have really wanted to do. I wasn’t always so aware of the fact that I was an overthinker, but I would say that in the past few years, it is something I have become more aware of. It can be really difficult to control your thoughts, but eventually you may get to a point when you’ve had enough.

Most of the time, I am a very happy and positive person, however, I feel my emotions very deeply. This means that when I am happy, I am really happy. And when I’m upset, I am really upset. Many would describe me as “emotional”, but I’ve come to accept this as a strength rather than a weakness. As long as you have control over your thoughts and emotions, there is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to feel whatever it is that you’re feeling. When something is bothering me, I let myself get sad, angry, or frustrated. But I try to move on from these negative feelings sooner rather than later, because I don’t want to stay stuck in that mindset.

When it comes to overthinking, I’ve realized I do have a problem. Even when I am happy, I will sometimes start to overthink. This is when it can be most detrimental. If you are overthinking or worrying when you should be enjoying life’s highs, you could be (consciously or subconsciously) sabotaging some of the greatest things you will experience in life.

It is really challenging to turn off those negative thoughts sometimes, but I am doing much better than I used to. I think that recognizing the fact that there is a problem is a really great first step. Every time I begin overthinking or worrying about something a little too much, I try my best to shut down those thoughts. I don’t necessarily feel that overthinking is always a bad thing though. I would say that it’s better to overthink things a little bit than to not think at all. Overall, you should never let negative thoughts take over your life. You will never allow yourself to be happy if you do. Whether it is a relationship, a job, or a once in a lifetime opportunity, I never want to be the person who ruins something good by worrying about it.

Sadly, there is no off switch to overthinking, but there are things you can do to stop these thoughts in their tracks. I think that many people can relate to this, but when I have a little too much time on my hands, that’s when my mind starts racing. I like to keep myself busy when these thoughts come up. For myself, I enjoy writing, dancing, working out, listening to music, spending time with loved ones, and going on walks or hikes. These are activities that I participate in pretty much daily. Not only are these things good for me, but they really do help me get my mind off of anything negative, even if it is just for a little while. School is another thing that keeps me busy. I am in my final year of college and school work does take up quite a bit of my time. You should look for the things that make you happy. Focus on your passions, your goals, and what brings you the most joy, and follow that.

Any time I struggle with these thoughts and feelings, I try to remind myself that I am still growing, and I am human. I am doing my best, and that is all that matters. I don’t believe in suppressing my emotions. Whether they are good or bad, I allow myself to feel, and I think that this is something to be proud of. If you are anything like me and you overthink and worry about even the smallest things, know that you are not alone in what you are going through, and these things do not and never will define you. Just remember that you have control over your thoughts. If you notice that your thoughts are not helping you progress, you need to learn to recognize when you need to back away and focus on the positives. It isn’t always easy, and I have my great days and my not so great days. What matters is how you bounce back and that you are actively working to become your best self. Growth in every form is so important to me, and I want to continue to flourish and become the woman I know I am capable of being. The woman I am becoming does not let negativity cloud her mind, and she does not allow anxiety to rule her life. While these things may still affect me in the future, they will never affect me to this degree ever again, and that is because I am growing and evolving every single day. And I refuse to let stress, worry, or anxiety win.

This has been on my heart for a little while now, and I am really grateful that I have this space to share my thoughts and feelings. I hope that you found this post helpful, and I hope that you will pass along this message to someone who you believe needs to hear it. Thank you so much for reading today’s blog post!

The Power of Your Mind

What you tell yourself, you will start to believe. This is something that I have come to realize in recent years. When you start pointing out your flaws and bringing up every little mistake that you make, you’re constantly bringing yourself down. As I have gotten older, I have realized the importance of self-love and self-care. I may not know everything, but one thing I know for sure is that speaking negatively about yourself is absolutely going to lower your self confidence. I know this because I have done it to myself too many times to count, and if I am being honest, I still do it from time to time. While I do think that it is important to recognize our faults (because NO ONE is perfect), we have to work on telling ourselves why we are great, too. It is so much easier to point out our flaws than to recognize the things we love about ourselves, but we have to try.

Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. We see many people talking about fitness and how they take care of their bodies, which is important, but what we don’t often see is people talking about how they take care of their minds. I recently told a friend of mine that I believe we have two voices in our heads. We have a friend, and we have an enemy. The enemy is loud, rude, and self deprecating. The friend is kind, loving, and caring. You are both of these people, and you get to decide who to listen to every day. It’s sort of like when you’re watching a cartoon, and there’s an angel and a devil on the characters shoulders. I promise you, if you listen close enough, the friend is whispering to you. Block out the negative, and focus on the positive.

I wanted to share some of the ways that I have been keeping my mind a comforting and kind place to be, and working toward confidence and self-love. (I don’t do these things EVERY DAY, but I definitely should, and so should you! Some of them you could even do throughout the day.) I like to start my days off with positivity. I am a morning person, and I am often in a pretty good mood when I wake up, so I keep the positivity going by telling myself that it is going to be a great day, and that “I’ve got this!” I also like to compliment myself on whatever I am feeling good about on that particular day. It may feel a bit silly to look in the mirror and compliment yourself, but it is worth it! On days when I planned to get to the gym but I am just not feeling it, I tell myself, “you’re going to kill this workout,” and when I walk out of the gym I realize how powerful our thoughts really are. This is not always an easy thing to do though, because I am not ALWAYS in a great mood or feeling my best. Sometimes you’re running late, or you forgot your wallet at home, or you’re going through some kind of internal dilemma. Whatever it is, this can negatively affect your mood and your entire day. It is 100% OK to have bad days. Let yourself feel whatever it is that you’re feeling, but once that day is over, work on doing better tomorrow.

Recently I started school again, and I have to say that I am feeling a bit stressed and tired, and this negatively affects my mood. Obviously getting enough sleep is something that you should prioritize, but it is something I am still working on. One way I like to stay positive and happy during the stressful school year is something I decided to do recently. Every morning, my best friend and I started to tell each other the positives about our days. For example, one day my positive may be that I am wearing a new outfit that I feel great in, or it’s a sunny and gorgeous day out, or my class was canceled (no one knows the joy of getting that email like college students do). By doing this, you are stating the things are already great about your day before it really even begins. Another small thing that I wanted to mention is that sometimes in the mornings I will get out of bed and as I get ready for the day, I will play some of my current favorite songs to boost my mood. (On days when I have to wake up a little too early or I am running late, I will most likely not do this, but I have noticed that I feel much happier and more awake when I do!)

Something that I have been trying to do every morning is stretching. Stretching in the morning will wake up and calm your body and your mind. If you just take a few minutes to do this every day, it can benefit you in more ways than you think! I also love to eat right when I wake up, so making a delicious and healthy breakfast is important to me. If you are not a breakfast person, try to eat something small but still healthy and filling.

You have the power to choose how your day goes. You get to decide what you say and sometimes how you feel. You don’t always have control over the things that happen to you, but choosing how you react to it is important. If you choose to be bitter and angry at the world every day, you may not get to experience the joy that you could feel if you simply decided to be happy or positive. I want to challenge those of you reading this to start your days with kindness to yourself. There is always something good in every single day, so look for the positive and give yourself one compliment. Putting yourself in this mindset can really make your day so much better. I know the power of my mind, and I know what to do to let myself have a good day. The hard part is sticking to it, but once you do, you’ll want to do it every day.  One small, positive thought can completely turn your day around and there are so many simple ways to take care of yourself that don’t cost a thing. I have been working on doing these things daily, and I have noticed great changes in my mood and my overall mindset.

I just wanted to share this quick message to remind you to love yourself and to always be kind to yourself. Just do the best that you can! Thank you for reading, and I would appreciate it if you shared this post with your friends and remind those that you love to take care of themselves as well! Until next time!

I am not sure who originally said this quote, but it is something that I think about often, and I wanted to share it with you:

“You live most of your life inside of your head. Make sure it’s a nice place to be.”