2018/2019

2018/2019 were some of my hardest but most transformative years in my life.

They were years of transition, of grief, of my relationships being put to the test, and my work-life balance growing very out of whack.

During 2019 I overworked a lot and my stress levels were higher than any other time in my life that I can remember.

Here are 10 things that truly changed my life and if you do just 1-2 of these everyday, I guarantee your life will start to improve.

1. Turning off email notifications on my phone. You don’t need it buzzing every 5 minutes. You’ll be more productive if you intentionally check your email when you’re finished a task. If there’s a fire, they will call you. 

2. Moving my body everyday in whatever way I would feel helpful that day. An intense sweat, a walk, pilates, yoga? 

3. Reading before bed. 

4. The very IDEA of slowing my nervous system down - I felt like I was in fight or flight constantly - while awake, while asleep, while “relaxing”, on the weekends. Simply focusing on slowing my nervous system down helped immensely. 

5. Meditation & breathing - morning, evening and throughout the day. If my stress levels were rising midday, I’d do a 2 minute meditation or deep breaths before a meeting. 

6. Remind myself of what’s my responsibility AND what is not mine to carry/worry about. I have a tendency to take on things that aren’t mine (practically and emotionally). 

7. Putting my thoughts on paper. If you are not doing this I cannot stress it enough. This has changed my life. 

8. Bi-weekly life/career coaching. Everything in my life improved as a result of coaching.

9. Telling myself I’ve done enough. I’ve done my best. It’s time to rest. 

10. Walking outside. A precious moment from a recent rainy AM walk 

I still do all of this and I do it imperfectly because I’m human, not a robot.

But I keep this up because I’ve seen how much it helps my stress levels. 

 If you do 1-2 of these today and then everyday after that, I guarantee it will start to make a difference.

 Don’t wait until Christmas to slow down.  

Start today, even if just for 2 minutes.