5 Ways to wash the bad day and stress away!

It wasn't the best of days...or the worst of days (even though i thought it was at one point, or two)...It was one of those out-of-my-routine-therefore-i'm-cranky-and-you-should-know-why days. Everyone has their own variation of this, basically, it was just that gross feeling of being out of my routine when i woke up that threw my emotions and therefore the rest of my day. It was an emotional roller coaster that could have been avoided had i just. let.it.go.

I wish i had thought of this before my day was over. Basically This post is going to be about letting things go, forgiving yourself and anyone who "ruined" your day, and moving on to have a better day. 

OK! Now, let it go starting with...

#1. It's not the end of the world: Ok, so you woke up late...You rushed around and you made it on time...or you didn't...Now your whole day is ruined? Let it go. Someone honked at you on the road, you spilled your coffee (or green smoothie) and you were livid by the time you got to your first destination...if you're reading this, you obviously made it out ok. Let it go. I mean, was not having my smoothie this morning and taking a shower at 2 instead of 10 such a huge deal? NO! But in that moment i was about ready to squeal like a baby and demand my usual routine. I spent time regretting my decision to be out of my routine, when i should have been enjoying the special time i had with the person i was with. So, basically the first thing to think of when you're having a bad day is was it really that big of a deal? You will probably say no. This one is kind of a two-parter, Try to think about the good things in your day. Ask yourself, "What is new and good in my life right now?" Think positively, it might help to crowd out the gloom.

#2 Talk it out: One of the best ways to relieve stress and anxiety is to just talk about it with someone. Find someone who you trust and who is a good listener and just let them have it. Tell them how mean the world was to you today. The listener doesn't have to say a word. Just having someone give you that bit of attention and verbally letting your emotions flood out in a jumbled rambling mess you will be amazed how much better you feel. And if you don't have anyone to talk to in the moment, write about it. Just vent it all out, after you're finished you can tear it up, burn it, bury it, save it forever...whatever you want-Just get those bad feelings out!

#3 Is it worth ruining someone else's day? Probably not. Most people feel kind of crappy...or in this case even worse when they realize that they ruined someones day. Remember that all the people who you are going to be interacting with weren't the cause of your bad day. If it's already too late, let them know you're sorry if you can, a simple, "hey, sorry about the way i snapped at you today, it was a rough morning" will usually shed some explanation on the situation.

#4 Have some ME time.: Sometimes just taking a break from the world (including social media) can be a great way to relax and take a deep breath when the day has been especially overwhelming. Put on a little bit of happy music, ( reggae, something without words, or just your favorite feel-good song) and take a few deep breaths. If you've got the time maybe take a cat nap...whatever works for you to relax. And if you are in a busy setting, say the middle of the work day, take a step back, go to the bathroom, take a walk around the building, have a snack...just take a little break. 5 minutes is better than nothing and in a high-stress situation 5 minutes of focusing on yourself can do you SO much good. 

#5 Cancel your plans-Or make some!: Canceling your plans might not always be possible, but when you are already overwhelmed and having a rough day it might help to clear your afternoon or evening up a little bit. Give yourself some room to breathe! If you can reschedule, do it. You have to remember that sometimes YOU need tom come first.

Making plans can also be a quick pick-me-up to cure those bad day blues, having something simple like casual dinner or a movie with a close friend will give you something to look forward to for the rest of your day. Chances are your day won't go so by so slow and you will be excited and motivated to get to the time of your fun appointment....keep it simple and try to stay positive so that when your fun plans do come you can make the best out of it!

So there you have it, 5 quick and easy ways to reverse your bad day and lessen your stress. It could always be worse, look at THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY! And really try to make the bast of it. In the comments below i would love to hear what your favorite tip was!

and as always, much love and happy wishes,

Rachael <3

Finding Yourself

Someone once told me, "Maybe I can't figure out who you are, because you don't know who you are yet..." And it was true, I really didn't know who I was or where I was going or even what I thought I maybe thought i wanted to do....but looking back on it, I can see that it's ok that I didn't know. Because that's part of life- Finding yourself. 

Over the past few years, basically all of high school, I realized that I didn't really know who I was. I was changing, the world..my world was changing. It was changing every second I looked and I felt like I was being left breathless trying to keep up with my crazy little world. Because of this realization I made it clear to myself that I needed to figure out who I was and to find the place where my world fit in with everyone else's. 

I struggled with decision making...and over the stupidest things...and now I see the relation to me struggling to find who I was and making a decision to say....go to the theatre cast party, or if it would be more fun or better for my future if I went home and thought about how I wish I had more friends or how I wish I enjoyed social gatherings...How does that make any sense?... I guess I thought it did.

I could continue on for hours about how much of my time, energy, tears, and potentially fun activities I wasted by worrying about whether I was making the right decision and shying away from a world of opportunities...but that isn't the point. My point is that if I could go back and do it all again....I'm not sure I would.

That's probably not where you thought that was going, and to be honest, I didn't see it coming either...but thinking about "would I change my past?" No way! I strongly believe that if I were to go back and tell my younger self to suck it up and go to the party or make an impulsive decision, I don't think I would do it.

Today I had a really great conversation with a friend and we sort of reflected on our past struggles, specifically relationships, and how we wouldn't change a thing. I think that reflecting on your past and seeing who you are and how you got that way is in some ways very challenging but also really really important. Thinking back on my past, as I said, I don't think I would change a thing...at least nothing big...especially the things that were really tough...because I know that those hard times, those tears...they made me who I am today, and I am proud to finally say that I am on the right track to finding myself.

You might have thought this would have a happy ending where I announce that I have found myself and been able to summarize my self by saying my favorite food is sauteed vegetables, my davorite color is green, and I want to live in California in 3.7 years...but I still don't know...I like those things today but maybe next month I will have a whole set of favorites. And I am finally realizing that IT'S OK!

I feel like be being able to say that I am on the right track and that I am content with my goals and very happy with who I am today and where I see my future heading is a huge accomplishment. I feel good knowing that I don't have to have my tomorrow, my next week, my next 10 years planned out on a color coded chart...because I used to think that...Now I am comfortable seeing myself being productive, trekking forward (through good days and rough days) and doing things that I love to do.

Basically, to anyone else who might be struggling with figuring out who you are, just know this...You are who you are for a reason, and you WILL find your way. You might feel so lost, but you will find yourself on the right path someday. It might feel like an eternity, but you will find yourself and when you do you will love who you are and every moment that made you the strong human being you have become. But for now, please, just love yourself and see that it will all fall into place. Try to think of one thing you do or one thing you love about yourself, and embrace it. Really, it's not conceded to love yourself, you are doing yourself a favor, and everyone needs a little "me time". 

<3 Rach

P.S. I would love feedback on this post, so please feel free to comment and follow me! :)

What Fills You?

What fills you? Veggies, fruits, chicken, pasta, cookies, pizza? Money, movies, restaurants? Family, social interaction, travel, love, learning? Yoga, meditation, religion, nature, volunteering?

Food fills your stomach, bellies, gut. Depending on what food you eat and where it comes from it fills your belly, satisfies your hunger, gives you energy, helps you focus. 

Everyone needs food to survive, but can we live and be happy on food and water alone?

In modern times most families lives revolve around quick meals, insufficient sleep, work, school, travel time, etc.

But does any of that really matter when it comes to your happiness? Most would probably say no.

I want to leave readers thinking. I want to make a difference in the world and I want to make people happy and healthy inside and out. Physically and emotionally. I want to be that support that so many people need. I really want to make an impact on the world and see my change. I want people to love others and love themselves. I want those who read my blog to leave with a light heart and desire to change things.

I ask you today, what fills you? What do you need to do to reach your goals, your dreams, your wildest ideas? Where do you get your happiness from? What. Moves. You?

What moves you? What or who moves you to be a better person? Who inspires you and why? What do you do for yourself?

It is an unfortunate fact that we live in a people pleasing world. After weeks, months, years of stress and being overwhelmed, I had one of my best friends tell me that i don't do anything for myself. And I thought about it and said "but" and "what about...?" and i thought about it and they was right. I realized that it IS ok to say no! Sometimes.

There is a fine line between keeping busy and taking opportunities and overloading yourself to the point where...it's just not fun anymore.

My advice to the other people pleasers of the world would be this: Don't be afraid to take any opportunity that comes your way. When faced with a decision ask yourself "Why NOT?" If you can't think of a reason then do it!

However...We can't all be superman and do everything at once. This world gives us so many opportunities it can be hard not to do it all at once. But the truth of the matter is that if we pack our schedules too tight we get overwhelmed and nothing is fun anymore.

Save time for yourself. Find what feeds your soul, your spirit, your emotions. Find your happy place and schedule some time for it. Weather it be yoga, meditation, a walk in the park, watching a movie alone. Just find what you love and MAKE TIME FOR YOU!

It will be surprising to you to see that when you make time for you you will find more balance in other areas of your life too.

So what fills you? Where do you get your primary food? If you don't know, try something new! Don't be afraid and discover who you are.


Much love and happy wishes,

Rachael <3