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 …

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 …

Ways to Incorporate Gratitude into Your Self-Care Practice

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Gratitude is such an important part of self-care, and it’s probably the biggest part of my self-care journey. Practicing gratitude has given me a whole new outlook on life, and it’s helped me to become a more positive person both towards myself and toward others. Starting a gratitude practice can seem …

Prioritize Yourself

Sometimes in life, we’re faced with difficult decisions where we have to choose between what’s best for ourselves and what’s best for others. When it comes to making these kinds of decisions, I have a really hard time choosing myself over others. In some cases, that’s not a bad thing. In others, though, we need to be able to prioritize …

There is Always Light in the Darkness

This week has been a tough week for me and my family. My mom’s cancer has progressed to stage 4 and the news has been heartbreaking. The doctors are giving her 9 to 12 months to live. Writing that and reading that statement is unbearable. My mom has been struggling lately with this news, I mean who wouldn’t? To know …