Mental Health Moments: Four Ways to Reach Your Own Level of Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be a complicated word. At its root, it means a “release” -- the release of negative emotions and resentment. Thus, a feeling of neutrality or positivity takes its place. When you forgive someone, that doesn’t always mean that you will reconcile with them. Things may not go back to how they were, and in some cases, you will choose to forgive and walk away. That has happened to me countless times in my personal and professional life, and I’ve learned so much about forgiveness throughout my life. Experiences are the best teachers, after all.

Mental Health Moments: Accepting Yourself - Flaws and All

As I enter my 31st year, I am committed to self-love more than ever. I spent too many years backing myself into a corner or shutting my emotions off to even myself. Here’s to another year of adventures with authenticity and showing the world the true Kaylin. No matter where you are on your self-love journey, I wanted to share with you some tactics I use to express self love. These may or may not work for you, but if they resonate with only one person, that will make my heart happy!

Mental Health Moments: An Open Letter To The Little Girl Version Of Me

A couple of weeks ago, I listened to the 15th episode of the “You’re Welcome With Hilary Rushford” podcast. While I usually listen to this podcast to give me that extra pep in my CEO step, she discussed one of the core areas of my being: perfectionism. The anxious me has a name, and it’s Kaylin. It’s no one but the little girl version of me. And all she needs is a little self-love. So, here is my open letter to the anxious little girl who didn’t know how amazing she was and would grow up to be.

Mental Health Moments: Managing Social Anxiety As A Communicator

Having social anxiety means that you fear social situations. This manifests itself in multiple ways for different people. You may feel awkward at a party in which you don’t really know anyone, afraid to start a conversation because you may feel “stupid” or out of place. Networking events could be like torture chambers to you because you have to speak to strangers, eat in public or start an actual decent conversation while you feel like you’re going to hyperventilate yourself right out of that room. Here are three practical tips to help you through even your most socially awkward and anxious moments.

Mental Health Moments: Being OK With Your Limits

It is vital to push yourself to achieve your goals and objectives; however, when it compromises your mental, emotional and physical health, it’s time to take a step back and analyze the pros and cons of your behavior. As I get older, I’m learning to accept my limits. I will be honest, though. I have not mastered this skill, and I may never reach the pinnacle of being OK with my limits. What I can offer in this blog post is how I cope with my thoughts and processes during flare-ups. Here are three ways I have found inner peace while attempting to accept my limitations.

Mental Health Moments: How To Deal With Criticism When You Work From Home

I allow my work to speak for itself, so I do not report to anyone but my clients and colleagues on projects and services. Still, however, others’ notions that I’m just sitting at home watching Netflix all day puts a strain on my self-esteem, especially when it comes from left field from people. So, yes. I run a successful company out of my home, as crazy at it is sometimes (especially when you have to balance home and work lives simultaneously). How do I eliminate anxiety and boost my self-esteem when I work from home? Here are three sure ways to denounce criticism without blinking an eye and letting your work speak for itself when you work from home.

Mental Health Moments: Conquering Your Fears

Anxiety makes fear a prevalent occurrence in my life. My mind plays tricks on me and allows fears to pervade my thought processes — even when I know fully well that my thoughts are more on the illogical side. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I allowed fear to shape my destiny. How do I combat fear in my life? I do not claim to have all of the answers, and I still deal with fears on a daily basis; however, here are four consistent ways to keep fear at bay.

Mental Health Moments: Three Natural Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety

Articles across the Internet claim to have the best nature remedies or cures for anxiety. If you just do A, then B will happen. If that doesn’t work, try C to achieve D. The cycle spins on its head without a remedy if you’re not careful. While I do not have all of the answers, I will say this: I have had anxiety since my childhood, so I know what works for me and what doesn’t. Here are three natural ways to help me ease anxiety before, during and after it strikes.

Mental Health Moments: Five Wabi Sabi Mantras To Help Alleviate Perfectionism

Wabi sabi is the Japanese art of embracing imperfection, whether it’s at home, work or inside your own head. The term comes from “the Japanese words wabi (to be alone, not to be bothered by other things, to simplify) and sabi (the beauty of passing time).” Here are five mantras to help me ease the weight of perfectionism.

Mental Health Moments: Alleviating FOMO

All of us have days in which our FOMO is seemingly out of control. We scroll through our Instagram feeds, only to find the perfectly curated highlight reels of celebrities, influencers and even our friends. We long to be on that same beach with the beautiful views of the sunset and a cold drink in our hands. FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, isn’t a new concept, but its presence has been heightened as social media continues to engross our daily lives. It’s the anxiety you feel when you’re missing out on something, whether it’s a party you willingly chose to not attend or the envy you feel when someone goes on that exotic vacation you’ve daydreamed about for years. Here’s how I manage FOMO in my personal and professional life:

Mental Health Moments: How to Remedy Achievement Addiction

In America, we are praised for our achievements. If we aren’t achieving, then latency will envelop everything we have accomplished. Somehow, we think each achievement will wash away into the past, with nothing to show for it in the present and future. It doesn’t matter if we achieved something five minutes ago. Instead of relishing the moment, we look toward what we hope will occur. In essence, achievement addicts are never satisfied with a state of being. Here are three remedies that can ease the anxiety caused by achievement addiction.

Mental Health Matters: Ways to Love Yourself

One of my primary goals in 2019 is to love myself. In today’s highlight reels on social media and my tendency to put on a brave face, I sometimes forget to really give myself actual love. I love for miles and miles when it comes to other people, causes, projects — essentially, anything that is not me.

I think this derives from my brand of anxiety. The second guessing, the negative inner dialogue, the perfectionism that wades through my life like a flash flood. All of this prevents me from seeing myself in the truest light. As individuals, all of us are worthy of self-love. Here are some ways you can love yourself more.

Creating An Inspiration Board to Remember Who You Are

For the past two years, I have created my own inspiration/vision board. In the past, I would put all of the magazine clippings, brand tags, photographs, master list of goals and all other keepsakes in a folder or spread throughout my office. Last year, I craved clarity, so I placed my goals in categories and used items to create flaps that would reveal my set of goals per category. I know, I know. How perfectionistic of me. If you’re interested in creating your own inspiration board, here are some tips to help you get started.

Maintaining Productivity When You Work From Home

A growing number of Americans work from home. GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com estimates that more than 3 percent of workers in the United States opt for at-home positions and self-employment, with that number only to increase within the next decade. The allure of flexible part-time, full-time and freelance work is all the rage, but what is it really like to work from home? Here are six ways to ensure that you maintain your highest levels of productivity while working from home.

Mental Health Moments: Step One: How to KonMari When You’re A Sentimental Packrat

Marie Kondo is taking Netflix and the world by storm. I must admit, I am also not immune to her “Tidying Up” charms and the innate desire to only keep items that spark joy in my home and office. I work from home, so this is especially important. Too much clutter translates into subconscious (and conscious) anxiety, so here are some of my KonMari adventures from #behindthehourglass.

Five Ways to Incorporate a Digital Detox Into Your Daily Routine

With the 24/7/365 news cycle and supplemental phone/social media/Netflix addictions, it could be hard to step away from the life you’ve created online. Most of us check our phones at least 200 times per day, no matter our occupation. Here are five ways you can take a break from all things digital, whether it’s for a nice, relaxing evening, weekend or an even longer stint.

Establishing Hygge Atmospheres At Home and Work

Everyone wants to find the Holy Grail of Happiness. It comes in the form of hygge, pronounced (hoo-ga), a Danish custom of relaxation. It focuses on sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. You want to focus on experiences at the present moment, rather than fixate on things in the past and future (unless you’re drumming up some nostalgia, which is incredibly hygge-like).

Mental Health Moments: Four Affirmations to Help You Get Over Your Sickness

If you’re a workaholic who lives for being motivated (like me) and finds yourself spiraling in and out of negativity when you’re under the weather, here are some mantras you can repeat over and over. And when I say over and over, I really mean hundreds of times until you actually start to believe them.

Mental Health Moments: Curbing Depression Spending

The holidays can be increasingly tough because you could use your depression spending tactics to find the perfect gift -- or 87 -- for others. You could be down because you miss a dearly departed loved one or anxious about all of the holiday parties you have to attend. No matter the reason, here are three ways to curb your depression spending during the holidays.

Mental Health Moments: Managing Holiday Anxiety

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but what if you’re anxious? The holiday season is merry and bright for many people, but when you have holiday anxiety (or anxiety in general), the last part of any year could riddle you with symptoms of your mental illness. Here are four ways to help alleviate your holiday anxiety so you can go back to enjoying this time of year.