Hey! How are you? Have you ever been asked that before and wondered if the person really wanted to know the answer? Well, that’s not me. If I’m asking, I wanna know! 

Are you okay? 

Have you been struggling?

Maybe you’re thriving?

Somewhere in between?

Either way, I’m here for you. So I want to know how are you really?

We are so busy these days that we often don’t quiet ourselves. If you have a demanding job, a partner or spouse, kids, I mean forget it, right?? But the thing is, if we don’t make time for it, then it just won’t happen. 

Between working, doing household chores, and attempting to take care of ourselves, it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. If you ever felt like that, then know that I am with YOU. I want you to know that you aren’t alone, and I’ve felt how you feel. I think women struggle a lot with this. 

Lately, I have been thinking and rethinking about what productivity looks like for me and how it’s shown up for me in different seasons of my life. I used to believe that I had to be productive first for me to deserve a break. This type of thinking is very unhealthy. These days I am much more confident in my ability to slow down. 

Have you ever worked all day and taken care of your other responsibilities only to wonder what you accomplished that day? It’s almost like once we go through a mental checklist of what we did or did not do and what will carry over from our never-ending to-do list. This sets us up for failure. We go to bed feeling defeated, which is terrible! No wonder we can wake up and feel not ready to take on the day. Let’s break this nasty habit.  

 It’s no secret that depression rates are very high in the United States. Add the pandemic, and the rates have tripled. Since I can remember, I have struggled with depression and anxiety. I’ve talked about this before. I have seen therapists, and some were for me, and others weren’t. 

Pre-motherhood I had what I thought was balance in my life. For the most part, I managed stress by exercising and talk therapy. Post-motherhood, I manage my stress by a variety of strategies. 

Now, I do all kinds of things to feel at peace, free and vibrant and like myself. Medication, exercise, utilizing informal/formal support, and rest have been game-changers for me. Being mindful of my habits has made a HUGE impact as well. I know now that rest is so important for me. When I become stressed, I go 150% and overextend myself. Have you ever done that? I want you to think of different times in your life when you felt stressed. Ask yourself, how did you manage that stress?  

I want to preface this with that I am not a medical professional. I am simply a woman who has struggled with mental health. If you feel you may need help, seeking a medical professional would probably be in your best interest. Now onto the good stuff. 🙂

Mental health can look different from person to person, so anything I suggest I want you always to consider that it may work for you, it may not. Some are a general rule of thumb, such as hydration. I hope you find these helpful. If you have any questions or comments, I’m all ears. These are in no particular order. 

•  Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning (yes, even before coffee) 

-Staying hydrated is one of the BEST things you can do for your brain. Being dehydration even 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, immediate memory skills (uh, hello brain fog), and physical performance. 

• Meditate 

-Having an opportunity to be still is so important. Meditation can reduce stress, improve blood pressure, decrease pain, and more. 

 ** Don’t knock it before you try it** There are tons and tons of free resources online if you want to dip your toe in the meditation world. 

• Read

-Reading is critical for gaining new perspectives and ideas. Reading can help with sleep, reduce stress, and help you as you age. Score! If you don’t enjoy reading a physical book, I encourage you to try audiobooks. Instead of watching that show right before you sleep, read a book instead. 

• Daily big 3 and gratitude practice 

-I write my big 3 tasks for the day, and these are the tasks that I know need to get done that day no matter what! 

-My gratitude practice is simple, and I use The Start Today Journal by Rachel Hollis. 

• Coffee

-I drink coffee, and I recently switched to a french press style and have begun to add collagen to my coffee. I will update you later on my thoughts about that! 

• Eat

-Breakfast (something healthy) 

• Medication 

-I take medication for my depression. I also take other vitamins and supplements per the recommendation of my physician. My physician is holistic, so we consider all strategies to help with my depression, anxiety, and ADHD. I have nothing against medication; however, I also like to try other alternatives before going that route. 

That’s it for now! 

Remember, my personal and professional life is different than yours, and that’s okay, so if anything I ever say helps you, I’m so glad, but if it doesn’t, don’t be discouraged. We haven’t even gone into so many other factors—Environmental, genetics, diet, etc.  

It’s okay not to be okay. 

Remember, I’m sending sunshine your way. 

-Sharlis