My Mom Would Want Me to Keep Smiling

As many of you have seen through social media, my mother passed away on Wednesday, May 19th after a long, courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. We all knew my mom was going to pass soon, we were preparing to put her on hospice, so I knew it would happen soon and that she likely wouldn’t make it through the summer. …

Listen to Your Body & Mind—Give Yourself What You Need

This week, I am tired. Emotionally. Physically. Tired. My therapist told me I should journal after visits with my mom, to reflect on what I’m feeling. At this point, we are all tired. It is tiring to watch the strongest woman I know be so physically weak. It is tiring to talk and think about what’s happening to her 24/7. …

It’s Okay to Lose Motivation for a Moment—It Will Come Back

It’s been a long week—one of those weeks that feels like it’ll never end. From working both of my jobs to getting ready to move to having a minor dog emergency, it feels like I’ve been in constant motion, both physically and emotionally. I’ve talked a lot about burnout and how to avoid it in the past, but sometimes it’s …

You Keep Showing Up—That’s Strength

You have good and bad days, but you keep showing up – that’s strength. These last few days with my mom has been an up and down rollercoaster. My mom made the tough, but right decision to stop treatment. Her body is weak. The chemo will likely do more harm than good. She doesn’t want to spend more time in …

The Pain Comes in Waves, But the Wave Will Pass

The pain comes in waves. Hold on and trust that this wave will pass. It has been a really hard week for my family. My mom has been in the hospital all week for various cancer-related issues and my cousin passed away after being on life support for a few days. It’s been hard to watch those around me hurting, …

Take Time to Focus on Your Mental Health Journey

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so to kick it off, I want to talk a little bit about my own mental health journey and how my self-care practice has impacted it. In spring, 2019, I was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, which means I experience periods of mania and depression. For me, that looks like weeks at a time …

You Can Love What You Do, And Still Need a Break from It

You can love what you do, and still need a break from it. I love speaking, I love breaking the stigma around mental health, I love being able to challenge myself and come up with new ideas and get really creative about things I thought I couldn’t do. I love it all. But I also am realizing how much I …

You Can, Even When It Feels Like You Can’t

I remember growing up, one of the books I loved was, “The Little Engine That Could”. The Engine repeats over and over, “I think I can, I think I can” until it could. I hope you remember today that you can. I hope you find even the smallest amount of light within you that empowers you to know that you …