Lets Get Physical....With Self Care

Good evening readers, I am a bit behind in my Self Care blogs, but that is a really good excuse! My family welcomed in our newest member on the 20th and he is just so precious! I am so in love and over the moon. However the challenges of adding another little one to our family has brought about Self Care.

Tonight I chose Physical Self Care to write about because I am finding myself struggling with this one lately.  This weighs in on Mental self care because even something as simple as drinking enough water can change how your body and hormones react.

Physical Self care involves the routine of maintaining physical self care such as diet and exercise and how it will help to maintain a better mental state!

First lets start with basics. As always I am not a doctor, I am not a psychologist and I recommend while taking these routines into play that you need to seek professional help if you are struggling with any mental issue! Remember there is NO SHAME in asking for help!

• Drink More water.
• we have always heard we should drink 8- 8 oz glasses of water daily. However more lately I have heard and from what my doctor has told me is that you need to drink water according to your body weight. I am including a helpful chart so that you may be able to start getting closer to your target water intake!
• Eat and Maintain a well Balanced Diet. 
• This means less crud like bread and pasta ( I know they are so good). More of the greens, veggies and fruits. Proteins too! Find a diet that is best for you and stick with it! 
• cut the sweets out. dont eliminate all together if you do choose to indulge BUT do so wisely. Do not over do it! 
• Diet is a huge thing I really struggle with so start small if this is the issue. start by one healthy meal and one healthy snack and then over time add more!  
• Get more Sunshine and Exercise!
• you will be honestly be surprised and how much this alone will boost your overall mood and attitude. 
• Go for a hike or a walk in nature! Mountains and trees or down by the sea. Nature is very relaxing and often times peaceful enough so that you can unwind. 
• yoga, and meditation 
• Exhaust yourself physically and catch a solid night of sleep. 
• If you have to run a mile run a mile
• do yard work or something that will require a lot of physical energy. 
• do not take a nap keep yourself going. if you do this you will sleep better at bed time.
• Set a solid sleep routine. this means go to bed every night at the same time and wake up at the same time. 
• If you are like me and work in an office type setting where you do not find yourself getting much exercise stand up and walk in place for  minutes throughout your day.
• you can also do things like get yourself a hair cut, do your makeup, or even just dress up. 
• No you do not have to have a reason to dress up! dress up for you! 

Just doing these things is enough to help maintain the physical aspect of self care. change it up and you will be surprised at how your mood changes! 

Tell me what you do to maintain your physical self care?? Tell me below in the comments!! 

Phoenix is going back in time...

My home town is about to get the journey of a lifetime! Okay not the entire city but the Phoenix Convention Center is going back in time.. Pre Historic times to be exact!  Jurassic Quest is one of the best adventures you can take! Walking among the creatures that roamed the earth over 65 million years ago. There is so much to see when taking this journey.

From seeing and interacting with both large and small Dinosaurs, you can even ride them! There is something to do for everyone of every age there! I had the chance to check out Jurassic Quest in Spokane a few years ago and my family and I loved it! This time around the show is even bigger and better! With having added Ancient Oceans you will find your self face to face with 50 foot long Megalodon!!

You can find all of the Details by clicking the link below!! https://www.jurassicquest.com/events/phoenix-az


If you are feeling Lucky you can also check out my giveaway below! Jurassic Quest has offered up a family 4 pack ( 2 Adults and 2 Kids VIP  tickets) for giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
So what are you waiting for?? you know that you can not resist digging for real fossils!

Tell me about your favorite Dinosaur or Pre Historic animal in the comments below!

Emotional Self Care

Evening readers,

lets go further down this rabbit hole of self care and the different types of self care. Tonight I am going to cover Emotional Self Care. Everything that will be covered tonight is going to be absolutely free so yes no cost to learn something new!!! 

Emotional Self Care is being able to care for yourself Emotionally. This means having the capability to identify what you need emotionally, teaching yourself how to identify these needs and how to express emotions in a healthy way. 

Allow yourself to feel your emotions. DO NOT BOTTLE THEM UP! If you are upset or sad,cry. if you are mad, think it through and then leave the room and scream.If you are happy, dance it out ! Allow your emotions to flow.

As someone who really struggles with Anxiety, keeping my emotions in check often times seems next to impossible!! Especially my anger. I often find myself lashing out over the smallest things. But I am working on it. I am working on doing things like trying to think before I speak, but more importantly trying to determine what battles are worth fighting and which are not! 

Growing up my dad always told me to KIS. Keep It Simple ( some of you know it as Keep It Simple Stupid, but for the sake of being positive, KIS). Asking for help. I know when my day gets rough or I am really struggling with my emotions I have a rough time asking for help. But this is something we really need to do. I am a talker, however some things I really struggle with expressing. So when I first started talking to someone about my anxiety and troubles, I went home, I sat down with my husband and I said to him " I am really going to need your help." I think this is the first time I have genuinely opened up and asked for help from my husband with my emotions. I told him if I am getting crazy, bitchy, sad what ever it be that I needed his help in identifying it. I asked him to stop me and make me step away and take some breaths. This way I can learn to identify it myself. So even if you just need a Hug, or you are ready to ask for help like I did, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR IT! 

Unlike the previous post where I discouraged social media use, today I am going to talk about when we do use it, how we can use it to better our emotional state. Start by unfriending TOXIC PEOPLE and PAGES. I do not recommend deleting people based on political views, but if you truly feel that person is toxic to you directly by all means do so. The same with family if you feel someone you are related to is toxic and you do not want them in your life delete them.... However I do not recommend deleting them from social media if you are not going to delete them from your actual life. So think about this before hitting delete or unfollow. If you find you are following a page on social media that is consistently posting a lot of negative posts, unlike and unfollow!! do not think twice! 

Also when it comes to social media, remember you too can be toxic. If you for one minute think you have never posted something toxic ( rather you did it knowingly or not) you are mistaken. ever made a passive aggressive post ?? that can be considered toxic. What about that time you aired someones dirty laundry on FB.... yep that too is toxic. We have all done it at one point or another . Social Media has allowed us all to become so desensitized to the fact that we are still humans and we still have feelings. So do others. We need to remember to be sympathetic and empathetic to one another. 

So start by being non toxic for 1 whole week. Post only POSITIVE Things..this may mean for those of us who like to share our political views that you need to stop that. For one week uplift and encourage other people! Set aside your differences and be kind!

While you are on social Media go into your memories and delete are the crappy toxic posts you have made in the past and reminisce on happier days! The beginning of the year is always rough for not only myself but my family. January brings about the loss of not only my step dad but someone I think of as my aunt. January also brings about the birthday of my step dad. However I really like to take the time and think back to the time we had with them. How my step dads terrible singing is greatly missed. I laugh I cry but it is always a healthy emotional outlets. But when scrolling through each days memories I will find videos of when the small human was a little bitty thing and I laugh even more! 

The last thing I want to cover before heading out for the night is to learn a breathing technique. 

I have taught myself to use the 4-7-8 Method. 

Breath in through your nose for 4 Seconds

Hold your breath for 7 Seconds

and exhale forcefully through your mouth for 8 Seconds. 

This helps to calm yourself, relieve tension and it really makes you think before you act. 

I suggest doing this at least five times before doing anything else! Once you implement this into doing it when frustrated start working it into daily habits such as when you wake up, sit there in your bed for a moment and do it! Do it before bed time as well. You will be surprised at how much breathing can change your thoughts and help to reign in your emotions!! 

okay everyone, I am off for the night. Keep posted for the remaining six types of self care over the next few weeks! Remember to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as well! 

Mental Self Care

Hello Again Readers!

So this blog will go into detail of mental self care and I will cover several activities and way you can help change your mental self care routines! A lot of these activities can be done at little to no cost as well! Now if you read my previous post on Self Care you may already be doing some of these if you decided to take the 30 day self care challenge. If you have not read it, start here! some of these activities will overlap with each post and that is okay! If you are already doing these overlapping activities you are working in several catagories so go you!

So what is Mental Self ? By definition it is the process of involving activities to declutter your mind. Reduce your stress levels and Help to improve your mental health!

First things first you need to absolutely find some time, even if it is just once or twice a week. For Example Monday and Tuesday I have an early day at work This makes for two days of the week that I can plan for me.
                     Doing this includes taking time from

• Work
• your home life
• Responsibilities
• This does not mean you should lose all lack of control and say go blow your entire life savings at a casino! If you have addictions like this do not give into them!!

Even if you cant find this time ( even though I encourage you to alter your schedule so that you can) There are still plenty of things you can to do take care of you!


Lets start at the free activities 

• Unplug from Electronics and Social Media!! Yes this means shut your phone off, leave it at home whatever you have to do to avoid your phone!!!
• Go to the Park and sit with a lunch you packed and people watch. 
• Go for a walk or run 
• Ride a bike 
• Get some sun! Vitamin D is so important to your overall health. both physically and Mentally! 
• Take a nap with no alarm! 
• Change up your route to work. escape the mundane. This is also a way you can make some time for you if you leave a tiny bit earlier from home. Just by adding a bit of spontaneity to your life can make such a change!
• Challenge your brain. 
• write a poem, limerick or haiku, even journal. 
• do a crossword, soduku or puzzle ( avoid using apps on your phone if you have access to a printer, print one or two out before you go out on your adventure! )
• challenge yourself with some riddles!!
• Read a book!! even re read your favorite book! 
• Compliment yourself! You would be surprised at how much you can boost self esteem by feeding your own ego!
• If you find yourself going through a tough time, such as you got a bad diagnosis from a doctor, you lost a loved one, or you know someone going through a rough patch educate yourself on the situation. You will find when you expand your knowledge that you are opening so many doors on mental clarity! Plus it always helps to know you are not alone in Situations! 

Now lets get into the Low Cost activities

• Start to teach yourself boundaries
• I highly recommend the book Boundaries! you can find it here on Amazon in all forms Rather it be from audible or in paper back!! This book was actually recommend to be by my counselor and has helped immensely! I will forewarn those of my readers, it does have scriptures and religion involved in it but please do not let that keep you from reading it!  
• Take a mental Health day! The reason I put this on the may cost you list is for those of you with kids, especially kids who are school age or in day care!! Send them to daycare or school and schedule a day off from work and you do you!
• Find a new hobby! I love to crochet and sew ( even though they are not my strongest suits I still enjoy it! I recently made two blankets for our newest edition! 
• Go get yourself a coffee or tea ( which ever you prefer) I recommend a quite cafe if possible ( avoid Starbucks, Dutch bros and other big name shops) where you can settle down and read a book, listen to some music( if you have an ipod use it instead of your phone that way you are not tempted by social media!! I have an older Ipod that I use in this case that does not have internet access)  and just take some time for you! 

regardless of how you do it, and what you do during this time make some you time this is so important to your mental health and clarity!! 

Self Care and mental health

Hello Readers!

So today I want to address something that has been weighing heavily on my mind. Mental health and self care. As some of you know me and D2 are expecting. I am down to the last two three weeks of pregnancy and I have really been struggling the last nine months with mental health. Anxiety is always been one of my weaknesses but with being pregnant more than ever.

So I have been thinking on this post and really sitting on ways to help boost mental health care and how it ties in heavily with self care. There are several types of self care it is not just a spa day. In this post I wanted to cover the basics on each category of self care and then in following posts I want to cover different activities and things you can do to take care of yourself and hopefully get into a better mental state.

Now I am not a doctor and I am not a psychologist and I do encourage you to seek the proper mental health care. Rather it be your primary care or a therapist there is no shame in it. I see a counselor. I actively and openly talk about my mental state because over the years I have learned if I don't the results can be detrimental. So always seek a professionals help! This post is solely for the purposes to help you find some mental clarity!

There are eight self care categories.

1. Mental

2. Emotional

3.  Physical

4. Sensory

5. Social 

6. Spiritual

7. Practical

8. Pampering Yourself - This one is kind of spread out in all Categories. There are several ways to pamper yourself.

This year brings us a new decade, so with that we really need to learn to start caring for ourselves....We spend so much time worrying about and stressing about everyone else that we really need to just stop and say

HEY I NEED TO FOCUS ON ME!!!

and it is really okay to do it!!

Start your Mental self care by using this helpful 30 day challenge