Ingredients:

• 1/2 spoon chocolate protein, I use this one from Vega
• 1/2 a pitted date
• 1 tbs almond butter
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 banana

Preparation:

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender
2. Enjoy!

Keeps for 4-5 days, refrigerated

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
• 1-2 tbs of nutritional yeast
• Juice of half a lemon
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Rosemary (you can really add whatever herbs and spices that you want!)
• 2 cloves garlic
• Oat milk
• Salt & pepper

Preparation:

1. Put all the ingredients into a blender
2. Blend until smooth!

Anxiety comes in many forms, but it’s most commonly described as feeling worried or nervous about certain situations. When this feeling builds and escalates, it can be debilitating and carry over to affect our physical health as well.

I suffer from anxiety issues when I am faced with too much stress whether at work or in my personal life. Often, the pressure that I put on myself to be productive and always working can push me over the edge as well.  Although this is definitely still a work in progress in my life, I wanted to share a couple of tips and tricks that work for me when combating anxiety.

5 Tips on Combating Anxiety

1. Go on a long walk and enjoy the fresh air

There is a strong connection between spending time outdoors and reducing negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Research shows that proximity to green space can restore the capacity for concentration and attention. It’s also known to improve sleep quality and nurture creativity.

Some people prefer sitting at the beach or the park but being someone who is innately restless I prefer to go outside and take a long walk when my anxiety is is high. Sometimes it’s with music, sometimes it’s without. Either way, I find that it’s a super-effective way to sort out my jumbled-up thoughts and calm my nerves with tons of fresh air and deep breathing.

2. Taking a Nap

For some, this tip is much easier said than done but I’ve always been someone who can fall asleep relatively easily.

Sleep can help recharge your brain and improve your focus, concentration, and mood. Allowing your mind to enter a restful state can often help calm any anxiety you may be feeling. If I feel that my anxiety is high during the day, I try to take a lunchtime or early afternoon nap—just 10-15 minutes. This is often a great way for me to turn my busy mind off and allow myself a quick recharge in the middle of my day.

If you don’t have the freedom to do so midday, sleeping early and getting a full night’s sleep can often help you reset your emotions and mind for the next day.

Sleep has always been a surefire way for my brain to reset and look at my problems and stressors in a different light.

3. Disconnect from social media (and sometimes people)

Recently, I tried taking a 24-hour break from technology. This for me meant no TV, no computer, no phone, no tablets, and very critically, no social media. As someone who depends on social media as a form of income, I initially thought that missing out a day’s worth of social media as a scary and stressful thing.

However, during my actual experiment, I found that social media was the easiest thing for me to forget about. I found myself missing Netflix and my Nintendo Switch more than my phone (especially since we’re all in quarantine). This made me realize that life really does go on even when I back away from social media for a while.

The endless content I was consuming daily, clearly wasn’t even bringing me that much additional joy, as it wasn’t something I missed when I was bored.

I also find that at times when my anxiety is especially bad, disconnecting from people, in general, can often help my mind reset. Turning off your notifications or even just turning off your phone gives you less to worry about and more time to look inward and identify what’s really bothering you and how you can work towards fixing it.

4. Journaling

I am a huge supporter of journaling because it’s been a way of release for me ever since I was little. Often, the cause of my anxiety is just me allowing too many thoughts and worries doggy pile on top of each other, and letting those emotions get the best of me. Journaling has always been my way of brain-dumping all of my negative energy and emotions in a safe and effective method.

Although I personally rarely look back and read my old journals, for some it’s a great way to understand your feeling and thoughts more clearly. The practice done consistently can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health. This is because feelings of anxiety can often snowball when left unattended and ignored. The roots of your anxiety can improve through careful examination and identification but you’ll have to break them down first.

5. Crying

Although this tip may seem counterintuitive, crying is actually my secret weapon when combating anxiety and depression. Crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is known to help people relax. This will cause a direct self-soothing effect on most.

It also helps to release oxytocin and endorphins which are known as the “feel-good” chemicals. The release of these chemicals can relieve both physical and mental pain as well as improve the mood. Often, when you have an anxiety attack, it is due to being stuck in a state of negative emotions.

Lastly, crying always helps me sleep, which is an added bonus. As I mentioned above, sleep is another great way to help reset your mind and body, and often after I cry and release all of the feel-good chemicals as well as the negative feelings, I feel tired and prepared for a long deep sleep.

It’s been over a year now since I’ve started using the Dermadry machine. Does it still work for me? Do I still use it consistently? Would I still recommend it? These are all questions that I’ve been getting consistently over the last year.

In this video, I share answers to all of those questions and more, and give you my honest opinion on how Dermadry has been working for me and whether or not I think it’s worth making the investment.

I started off the COVID quarantine with a pretty positive mindset. “I already work remotely 90% of the time, this really isn’t affecting me much at all!” I’m super grateful that nobody I know has gotten COVID or has suffered too much from the pandemic. Then May hit, and maybe it also tied into turning 25 in a pandemic, but my mental state just started to go downhill.

I was a lot less productive throughout the week, I was always tired, easily aggravated, and felt 0 motivation to do everything I used to love doing. My fitness fell, my content fell—it just felt like I had lost all inspiration to do anything. And that’s when I read this quote:

“You’re not working from home. You’re at home, during a crisis, trying to work.”

It’s easy to forget this distinction when you’re already so used to being at home and being a homebody. But as I’ve been explaining to some of my friends lately—when I felt that I had the freedom of being ABLE to go out to a coffee shop, or into the office, to work taken away from me…I felt trapped, anxious, and crazy.

I’ve mentioned a couple of times in my vlogs that I want to make a video talking about how I’ve been dealing with this lack of motivation and an increase in anxiety. But the truth is, it’s still something I’ve been battling to this day.

So instead of bringing myself more COVID anxiety and stress trying to sit down and articulate vocally in a video (which although I love talking is still much more difficult than sitting and writing an article), I’m going to try my best to explain to you in this blogpost how I’ve been feeling, and what’s been pulling me through of my COVID mental fog.

How I’ve been feeling

I don’t know when or how it started, but one day my COVID mental fog just hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt demotivated, always tired, and just sick of what I was doing. As someone who thrives on hard work, consistency, and loving what she does, this feeling was extremely scary for me. Suddenly not enjoying and not feeling inspired by what was I working on, it made it even harder to get out of bed in the morning.

I’m usually someone who works on a pretty consistent sleep schedule. I sleep at 12 and wake up around 7 am. Sometimes even by 6:30 am. But since the pandemic, I’ve found it harder and harder to wake up and get up in the morning, while also harder to fall asleep on certain nights.

I feel incredibly sorry for those who had to deal with the uncertainty of losing their job and not knowing how they were going to afford rent. Luckily, all of my friends who had lost their jobs in these last months have been ones who have families here who are able to support them through this tough time. I guess on the more positive flip side of this is that I’ve been feeling a lot more gratitude for all that I have—my health, my home, and my job.

How I’ve been dealing with it

I definitely wasn’t able to just “jump right in” to getting out of this funk like I usually am. Hell, it’s nearing the end of October now (I started this blogpost in July) and I’m still just trying to figure out. But here are a few things that I’ve been doing that I think has helped:

1. Journaling

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again—IT WORKS! Journaling has been such a big part of my life for so long and I’m incredibly happy that it’s been a tool that I can use to get out of emotional funks throughout COVID.

2. Working out

Seriously I have yet to find something as effective as a good post-gym dopamine rush. I feel better about life, about my body, and about myself after the gym. This was super hard to get back into and I definitely found myself slacking (for several months), using the excuse “working out at home just isn’t the same”. I’m so glad I’ve finally gotten back into it (but even more thankful that my apartment gym reopened with COVID-friendly procedures in place).

3. See a therapist

Yeup, you read that right. Ya girl has finally sought out a therapist! Although I’ve only seen her 1.5 times (the half time is my initial consultation), there’s something about unloading your burdens to a totally objective stranger who just so happens to be a professional in the matter that is SO RELIEVING. I don’t know what it is, but I felt almost immediately better after just chatting with my therapist. Maybe it’s just having someone to listen and validate what you’re feeling.

4. Taking rest days

Seems easy enough but I am definitely one to load on the work when I am in a funk in an effort to try to take my mind off of being in a funk. Not the smartest method I know but I can’t help it. So it’s been so nice to schedule out days where I just… do nothing. Or anything.

5. Finding something exciting to work on

As someone who clearly thrives off work, it was important for me to get motivated and inspired again to… well, work. For me, this inspiration came from my “do-nothing” days where I actually chose to binge-watch other YouTubers. Something about watching talented YouTubers create beautiful content about their lives really inspired me to continue to work on my content. And boy am I glad I did.

I’ve been re-inspired to create fun, educational, entertaining content on all of my platforms. If you guys want to see my day-to-day or hear some of my musings be brought to life in video form, check out my YouTube channel!

I’ve been on a serious workout kick lately, and I’m super proud of myself for it. And you’ve probably heard me say it before but wearing the right work out clothes gives me the extra motivation I need to get my bum to the gym. I’ve been trying to experiment with lighter colours since it’s summer, and have been straying away from the dark navy and black sets I usually go for.

So here are my current favourite summer workout clothes!

The Flow Y Bra Nulu in Serene Blue has honestly been one of my go-tos as of late. I think it’s SUCH a cute colour. It’s this light blue-lavender, and it pairs great with any light-coloured bottoms. And it’s ON SALE right now.

I wear the Serene Blue bra above with these Wunder Under High Rise Tight in the Full-On Luxtreme fabric in Flower Pop White Silver Lilac. Wow, that was a mouthful. These are SO CUTE. I love the pattern and the fit, and the fabric is curve-hugging, comfortable, and totally squat proof. I usually don’t like going for such light bottoms, but these look great on me and I love them.

I own one outfit from Outdoor Voices but am wanting to buy SO MANY MORE. Too bad they currently only ship within the US, otherwise I would drain my bank account for them.

Obsessed with this tri-tone 7/8 Springs legging in their seasonal colour. UGH, it’s so cute. Having both the blue and the pink in one pair of leggings gives you more freedom on what colour top you want to pair it with.

The bra that I own from them is the Steeple Chase bra. I love the cut out in the middle of the bra, it works great for me because I am quite small-chested which means even though this is a low-cut bra with a cut-out, it doesn’t look “slutty” or do I feel over-exposed in it. I own it in the classic Dove colour, but to match the leggings above, I’d get it in Rose Quartz.

I know I already mentioned Lululemon above, but they make some of my favourite legging fabrics EVER. Specifically the Align Pants. These are the definition of SOFT, and I own a couple of pairs of these. Although they don’t recommend these for the gym, I think they’re GREAT for the gym. Super lightweight, breathable, soft, comfortable, squat proof…I’ve never had an issue with these at the gym. Plus it feels like you’re wearing next to nothing so for those extra sweaty hot gym days, you’re not feeling restricted at all. Love the Palm Court colour. These are also ON SALE RIGHT NOW. So for reals, go and get them.

Again, as a girl who’s a part of the itty bitty titty committee, I’m not too worried about wearing low impact sports bras even when I am doing heavy lifting at the gym or even cycling.

The Lululemon Free To Be Wild bra is another one of my favourites from them. Although it looks unsuspecting in the front, it’s got crossed straps in the back for a fun, interesting look.

And that’s all! Seriously straying from my typical gym looks with these colourful summer pieces, but I’m loving it. What’s your favourite workout wear brand?

Lately, I’ve been feeling really awful about my body.

I go through phases of loving and hating my body when in reality, no one sees the changes but me. I won’t lie, I was definitely blessed growing up. Seemed like when I was a teenager, I could eat just about anything (and any amount) and wouldn’t see any of it show up on my body. But as I’m hitting the ripe old age of 24 (it’s a joke, please laugh), I’m finding that my metabolism is slowing down and things I eat are starting to affect my body more.

Since around November of last year, I let my fitness routine fall to shit. I definitely get a mild case of seasonal affective disorder when it starts to get cold outside, and it seems like along with my mood going down the drain, so did my motivation to go to the gym. I also just started to order stupid amounts of food delivery, instead of making the conscious effort to eat healthily. Who wants to trek out in the snow just to buy healthy groceries? Not me.

Shortly after, I took my 3 week trip to Asia. Although I did do a lot of walking on my trip, I ate just as much, and that definitely did not help my case.

It seemed like I kept finding more and more reason to be like “Oh I’ll go tomorrow” or “eh, it’s cold, I’m tired, I just want noodles”. And now, it’s May, my fitness motivation is slowly coming back, but I already have this immense anger at myself for letting myself go for so long. I definitely don’t want anyone to hate on me because they think I’m sitting here trying to complain that I’m fat—I know I’m far from being overweight… but how I see and feel about my body, definitely does not reflect what it probably looks like.

On my YouTube channel, I talk a lot about acceptance and self-love. But I sometimes feel like a fraud for preaching these topics, when I can’t even look in the mirror and not think “ew, where did THAT come from” and “okay…you’re DEFINITELY not allowed to eat anymore”.

So how do you rebound from 6 months of gluttony and hating your body? How can I REALLY train myself to just have a better relationship with food and the gym? I wanted to blame my weight gain on so many things—my new relationship, the cold, winter, SAD…but maybe it’s really just time to take responsibility for the shit that’s happening in my life.

I’m currently in Montreal still and trying to think of ways to get motivated to start hitting the gym again when I’m back in Vancouver. Before I left, I was starting to go to the gym 3 times a week. Once on my own, every Thursday with my friends, and then climbing at least once with Joel. I worked out once while I was here in Montreal. I know it’s not really just all about forcing myself to go to the gym, but rather, what I need to change in my life so that I can build back that habit of going automatically.

Building Habit

Using your blog as your accountability buddy has long been a thing that bloggers do. So how can I use my blog to help me create some new habits.

While I’ve been in Montreal, I’ve been making an effort to at least wake up early. That’s one habit I also let go down the drain, as lying in bed an extra hour in the morning has become quality time I can spend with Joel. But with my sleep becoming less regulated, I also seemed to have let other habits die as well.

During this last week, I’ve been waking up either at 6 or 7 am (depending on how early I slept the night before) to get a couple of hours of work done before I woke up my sisters. We usually aim to leave the house at around 10 – 11 am so I work until 9 or 9:30 and then wake them up to get ready.

The goal is to continue waking up at 6 or 7 am while I’m in Vancouver, so I can have that extra hour or two in my day before I have to start work. Whether I use that time to clean the apartment, write, read, or blog…it’ll be good to work some structure back into my life and honour my body’s internal clock.

Little Things That Push Me To Go To The Gym

Beyond habit building, I also find that certain things help motivate me to actually get my ass to the gym. Yes, most of these things and more on the superficial side (how many pairs of gym tights does one girl REALLY need) but I do find that sometimes little things like buying a new workout outfit or a new BCAA flavour, really is all I need to get excited about working out again.

Buying A New Workout Outfit

Seriously, just try it. You’ll see why this is on every blogger’s list of things to do. There’s just something about knowing you have a new cute outfit to wear to the gym, that gets you excited to actually GET THERE. And that’s honestly the hardest part—peeling your ass from the couch and forcing your legs to walk you to your gym. I find that the excitement that generally comes with wanting to show off a cute new outfit is literally just enough to get me there.

I recently purchased their Flow Y Bra Nulu in Serene Blue (which definitely comes off as more of a lilac colour IRL) and Wunder Under High Rise Tights in Flower Pop White Silver Lilac, which has become my new favourite Spring workout outfit. My rule when it comes to workout clothes is letting myself to buy one outfit PER season. This way, I’m not going overboard with my leggings spending (which we ALL know is super easy to do at Lululemon).

If you’re just getting into going to the gym, and really not looking to spend so much money on workout clothes (I get it, that shit’s expensive), I recommend checking out H&M and Forever 21. They actually have some really cute workout clothes for cheap, and they actually don’t sacrifice the quality. I still have a pair of H&M leggings that I wear to the gym, that I purchased 5 years ago. I put a few styles that I recommend below.

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Watching Workout Videos On Instagram

I follow several fitness girls on Instagram, and watching their videos gets me so motivated and pumped up for the gym. Yes, there are some times where I’m eating lunch, and I come across one of their photos, and it makes me feel guilty. But most of the time it’s more motivating than anything.

Some of my favourite accounts to follow are KatieCrewe, WhitJYoung, Whitneyysimmons, Chandlernicoll, and Linnlowes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Katie Crewe (@katiecrewe) on May 6, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT

Planning My Workout On Fitlist

If you haven’t heard of Fitlist before, it’s a super intuitive workout log app that works great if you have the iPhone + Apple Watch combo. If you’re just using the iPhone, that actually works as well. But I personally love how well this app works on your Apple Watch.

Fitlist was designed to be used while you’re exercising.  They make it super easy to add, track, and complete exercises during or before your workout. I like to plan out my entire workout before I head to the gym (I usually watch IG videos to find some new exercises), and it’s become something that gets me excited to workout. Once I’ve planned the routine/workout I’m going to do for the day, it keeps me way way way more on track and focused, and makes sure that I don’t slack off while I’m there.

I’m excited to head back to Vancouver today. As much as I love going on vacation, one of my favourite feelings in the world is heading back home after one, feeling refreshed and ready to jumpstart my life again. My fitness journey is definitely an area of my life that I want to focus on, and I can’t wait to share the progress and my thoughts throughout with you!

Let’s do this together.

Many entrepreneurs work punishing hours which eclipse those of most salaried workers. What’s more, because their careers, reputation, and livelihood are inextricably linked to the performance and wellbeing of their business it’s safe to say that they endure greater stress than most of us too. Is it any wonder that so many bright stars in the business world find themselves burning out and collapsing (metaphorically if not literally)..

Nobody’s saying that you can’t have it all, but if you don’t pay as much care and attention to yourself as you do to your business, you might as well be trying to build a fortified castle on a foundation of sand.

If you hope to take better care of your mind and body you need to ask yourself some very important questions…

How are you sleeping?

With so much on your mind each and every day, it’s understandable that you may not be getting as much sleep as you should. Your body may well be exhausted but your mind refuses to get the memo and works overtime mapping out the coming day and running through your to-do list.

Still, there’s nothing more important for your physical and mental wellbeing than ensuring that you get at least 6-7 hours of sleep every day. It’s essential for everyone, but especially for entrepreneurs. Sleep is integral in maintaining a good memory and ensuring cognitive performance throughout the day. Moreover, it helps you to maintain a balanced and stable mood and keep your stressors from getting the better of you. It even helps your immune system to operate at peak efficiency.

Thus, when you fail to get enough sleep you’re likely to experience brain fog and lapses in memory as well as being short tempered thereby endangering your harmonious working relationships with employees, outsourced help, and even clients. You’re more likely to fall ill and need to take time away from your business to recuperate. If your business is keeping you awake at night every night, you may need to consider sharing the load which brings us to…

Are you reaching out for help when you need it?

Entrepreneurs are among the most self-motivated people on the planet. They are used to solving problems and, being true autodidacts by nature, teaching themselves the skills they need to solve them when necessary. However, even solopreneurs benefit from help every once in a while. Whether you’re relying on an accountant or bookkeeper to keep your financial affairs in order, manage your tax liability and ensure that you don’t miss out on deductions or handing over more responsibilities to your outsourced help, nobody says you have to shoulder the burden of running a business alone. If you don’t feel that you can safely leave the business in the hands of your employees, maybe you need to give them more training and coaching until you can.

Does your healthcare match your needs?

No matter how well you look after your body and mind, it’s still important to have the right healthcare to suit your needs. Even those who live in countries in which healthcare is ostensibly free can benefit from additional insurance. Check out these Flexcare benefits for just one example. A big part of entrepreneurship is hoping for the best and planning for the worst… That dictum should be applied to yourself care as much as it is to your enterprise.

Do you get out of your chair at least once every 30 minutes?

Most entrepreneurs are like hummingbirds, dashing from point to point throughout their enterprises and ensuring that the machinery of their enterprise is operating as it should. However, in an era where many entrepreneurs’ businesses occupy cyberspace rather than physical space, they can check on their businesses from the comfort of their desk. Nonetheless, for the good of your health it’s recommended that you spend some time out of your chair and away from your desk at least once every 30 minutes.

In an era where so many of us spend our work, commute, and leisure time seated, our attention is drawn to the wide array of ill effects sitting for too long can have on our health. It can impede digestion, damage posture, slow metabolism, increase risk of heart disease and diabetes, and even make us more vulnerable to some forms of cancer. Take some time away from your desk to grab a glass of water or a snack or simply go for a little walk. Speaking of snacks…

Does 80% of your diet come from a vending machine?

Our bodies and brains aren’t powered by calories alone. They need macronutrients like proteins carbohydrates and fat as well as vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep our bodies and minds operating at peak efficiency. If your diet mostly comes in stolen bites from food sourced in a vending machine you certainly aren’t doing your body or your productivity any favors.

Take the time to make, prepare, and pack nutritious home cooked meals that will improve your cognitive performance throughout the day and boost your productivity such as;

• Berries for long term memory and attention span
• Spinach for learning capacity and dexterity / motor skills
• Kale for concentration and focus
• Avocado for healthy blood flow to the brain
• Tomatoes—one of nature’s most potent anti-inflammatories for general wellbeing
• Almonds to improve concentration by stabilizing blood sugar and preventing cravings

Looking after your mind and body doesn’t require grand, sweeping lifestyle changes… Just regular routine care and maintenance. And you can’t possibly take proper care of your business without first taking care of yourself.