My word of the year is “recalibration,” and I have been doing just that. If you remember the GPSes of yesteryear, you’ll remember that the AI voice always said, “recalculating” if you took another route. I’m currently on that other route. Here are some musings from this month that will carry over into Q3 and Q4:
Read MoreNot too long ago, I decided to break up with achievement addiction. In the second episode of The Wholeheartedly Podcast, I take a deeper dive into achievement addiction. I talk about how toxic positivity and other factors contributed to my plummeting self-worth and other negative factors. I define achievement addiction and discuss ways that help me move past negativity in order to harbor contentment.
Read MoreI will be the first to admit that acceptance is something that doesn’t come naturally to me. My entire life has been a kaleidoscope of dwelling on aspects of life I cannot change, wondering why experiences/people/places/things just can’t be different, and an entire host of other expectations. In short, I believe that most of my anxiety and depression lie in my relationship with acceptance. How can you learn to rewrite your own story and accept yourself more fully?
Read MoreDuring the week of May 24-May 28, Hourglass Media observed its inaugural Mental Health Week. This week’s intention was to take a much-needed hiatus from client work and everyday work life #behindthehourglass. While we love what we do, we wanted to practice what we preach and make our mental health a priority during this week. Both of us wanted to give our takes on the week and what we learned about ourselves -- and our mental health -- during our Mental Health Week.
Read MoreMay is National Mental Health Awareness Month. As anyone who knows even a small glimmer about our work knows, mental health is one of our main passions and causes. In addition to introducing mental-health habits in the workplace, we also want to give you some tools to use both personally and professionally. Here are five ways you can bring your mental health to the forefront this month.
Read MoreA couple of years ago, I discovered Hilary Rushford. Ever the devoted, always-learning entrepreneur, I was instantly drawn to Hilary’s business and style tips. In 2020, I’ve been using the Elegant Excellence Journal to help me streamline my goals and objectives while giving myself the grace to adjust my aspirations if needed.
Read MoreAs a recovering perfectionist, I still have many moments of unhelpful thoughts. In this Mental Health Moments blog post, I will outline three of my most unhelpful thought processes to give you an inside look at my brain. I write these posts to help others struggling with perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues reach at least a small form of clarity. Unhelpful thoughts are old friends who rear their heads at the most inconvenient times. They are part of the confines of my comfort zone, and I have to be diligent in thwarting them before they wreak havoc on my productivity and general way I feel about myself.
Read MoreIn the hustle and bustle of everyday life, managing overwhelm can feel like the most daunting task in the known world. Trust me when I say this: I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed. There are times in which I manage it like a pro, knocking down negative thoughts as they arise while plugging away at my growing to-do list. Other times, I feel as though I want to crawl into the fetal position underneath the covers and sleep away the problems. I can’t eradicate the negative thought processes growing exponentially in my brain. Here are three ways I tackle overwhelm.
Read MoreDuring a recent therapy session, my therapist told me about the “drama triangle” to aid me in my journey for self-actualization and healthy ways to combat challenging dynamics in life. I must admit, since learning about this social model of human interaction, the way I look at the world has changed. I don’t want to freak anyone out, but I can recognize the behavior in anyone I know and meet now. It’s immensely helpful, especially if you’re trying to figure out why you feel like you’re in a rut or want to better understand those around you.
Read MoreAs many of you know, mental health is one of my most coveted personal and professional journeys. It’s a vital part of who I am and who I will continue to be as I grow into more of who I am meant to be as a persona and professional. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and while mental health is important 24/7/365, we pause during this month to take a deeper look into illnesses plaguing one in five adults in the United States. These tips will help you, no matter what you are experiencing in your life currently.
Read MoreI’m on Week 12 of my self-quarantine, and trust me when I say this: I find it difficult to maintain a certain level of motivation during these challenging times. Like many of us, I hyperfocus on press conferences and the latest news about COVID-19/novel coronavirus. (Obviously, due to my line of work, I assess the pros and cons of each press briefing and THEN pay attention to the news at hand.) How can you maintain your sanity -- especially with work initiatives -- when you’re cooped up in your home? Here are three ways that help me.
Read MoreThe coronavirus pandemic is enough to induce panic, especially for those of us who are more inclined to anxious and depressive behaviors anyway. How can you reduce anxiety, depression, and overall stress when you’re worried about the effects of the coronavirus? Here’s what I have been doing, and I hope this will help you, too.
Read MoreFor this week's mental health moment, I wanted to focus on getting through those tough winter months and dealing with seasonal mental health struggles. Not talked about nearly enough, it’s something that affects a lot us. The lack of activity, less exposure to the sun, and getting dark SO early can make it a challenge to get through. I know for myself, I can’t wait until the sun starts shining in March. Spring is on the way, along with that vitamin D! So how do we beat those pesky months and make it to the sunshine days you ask? Well, here are a few tips I’ve picked up over the years!
Read MoreI’ll be honest. For years, I struggled with loving myself. On bad days, I still struggle with this. On good days, I still struggle with this. My stubborn inability to love myself caused so much internal heartache and bad decision-making on several fronts. I didn’t realize until my late 20s how vital it is to actually like yourself, much less love yourself. I couldn’t grasp this concept as an overachieving, self-deprecating perfectionist. It’s the season of love, so it’s the perfect time to learn to love yourself more.
Read MoreI thought it was normal to just be anxious. After all, this is who I have been my entire life. ...Until I found out that anxiety isn’t the be-all end-all solution to living a happy and fulfilled life. Now, I’m becoming better at allowing anxiety to be what it is: a temporary nebula in an otherwise clear and spacious path. Here are three ways I don’t let anxiety get the best of me, even in its darkest moments.
Read MoreWhat is one story you want to tell if fear wasn’t in your way? Oh, my friend. Do you have all afternoon? I have quite the mental list. I’ve been keeping it for years! Own your process and your story. Choose parts of it to tell, if you’re like me and don’t want to tell everything all at once. There is someone somewhere who needs it. Even if just one person relates to me, I will feel 1,000 percent honored.
Read MoreI have a confession to make: I haven’t always lived my most authentic life. My anxious-and-depressive wheel constantly spins behind my PR face. I am in a very public profession (I mean, public is in the name, after all), so I always wanted to put that fact first. The truth is, when you don’t show your actual personality, your efforts won’t resonate with your audience. Here are three ways you can own your story and begin to live the life that falls in line with who you truly are.
Read MoreI’m no stranger to talking about mental health. I opened the door into the private rabbit hole of my mind in an op-ed piece in May 2018, and I haven’t stopped advocating for mental health issues since. Today is World Mental Health Day, so I am feeling a natural sense of reflection for my own mental health journey. I usually save these posts for every other Tuesday’s Mental Health Moments blog entries. Today is a celebration of where all of us have been on our mental health missions and where we will continue to go.
Read MoreI love a good challenge. I don’t mean just of the small business variety, but a daily practice that encourages me to make better choices and lasting changes. That is why Rachel Hollis’ #Last90Days Challenge appealed to me. Each year, I struggle from October to December. While this time of year is my absolute favorite, I usually drink my basic pumpkin spice lattes with added stress. My time management takes a backseat to holiday gatherings, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone, jamming 5,000 new business ventures into the fourth quarter and so much more.
Read MoreI recently began listening to the book, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, on a work business trip. (Yes, I do personal and professional development while I am even in the car.) As someone with an often-cluttered mind, I always want to streamline processes and be productive, even when I don’t feel motivated. At its core, essentialism means “a belief that things have a set of characteristics which make them what they are, and that the task of science and philosophy is their discovery and expression; the doctrine that essence is prior to existence.” Author Greg McKeown begs the question that I posed at the beginning of the blog post -- what if you focused on what you could do less of but better?
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