note: i had this post prepped in early may, so it doesn’t go into as much detail about what i’m doing to work on my own biases and understanding systemic racism as one might think. i’m doing the work behind the scenes, in the hopes that it will come through in my actions and parenting. know that even though i’m not sharing as much about it, the work is happening. i’ll continue to share resources as i come across helpful ones, but i’m taking the responsibility of educating myself incredibly seriously.
it’s amazing how fast life gets going and all of a sudden you’re getting a notification from facebook/instagram/google about what happened a year+ ago. for some reason, i’m always caught off-guard and find myself thinking “HOLY! that was already a year ago?!” that happened again this weekend, but this time i got the two-year ago notification. i couldn’t believe it. i started thinking back on the way my life has improved and changed in the last two years, and what i had been doing to do that. it got me thinking … i haven’t really been focusing on my personal growth a ton lately, because you know #quarantine, and while i’m all for taking it slow and being gentle with myself, i do better when i have goals to work towards. here are some of the ways i’m working on tweaking my life for the better; how i’m working on self-improvement right now:
read more
like, real books even! not just instagram posts. i have been drawn to the cover of this book every time i see it, but i flipped open a page while at target this past weekend and what was on the page spoke to me. i sat there for a minute, put the book back, and then snapped it right up and put it in my cart. something was calling me to read it, and i’m going to prioritize that. i’ve also been reading this book and enjoy that as well. these past few weeks have also made me realize i need to diversify what i’m reading, so i’ve ordered this book to start with.
change how i think about food
i have heard the messaging about ‘food is fuel’ over and over and over and over. i get it. but i also use food as a coping mechanism, to soothe myself, and as a de-stressor. while i do a good job of following a pretty healthy regimen and putting good food in my body, if i’m being honest, my 80/20 has become more like an 80/35 – and that 115% is not so great for my body or my mind. i am choosing to pause and be more mindful of what i’m eating, asking myself if it is something my body needs or wants. and i’ll be the first to tell you i’m not giving up dairy queen blizzards, but maybe i don’t need that handful [or six] of chocolate chips after dinner just because i want something sweet. i also think it is so funny how we think that these supplements, pills, medications are so impactful, yet they are so tiny, but we can’t possibly fathom that having a bowl of spinach or eggs might have dramatic effects on our health. trust me, i’m guilty of that one.
listening to healing sounds
i randomly found out about the solfeggio frequencies when i was scrolling pinterest one morning during my workout. the whole concept of these frequencies is that they promote health and healing in the dna. i know, it sounds kinda hokey, but you can read more about it here. and honestly? i’m not sure what exactly they do for my dna, but i can tell you they are super relaxing. i listen to them when i’m getting ready in the morning and as soon as i stop watching tv before i go to bed [i know, i know], i want to fall asleep to them. can’t hurt, right?
continue investing my hobbies
i love to style, i love to create, and i love to build. that manifests itself in this blog, the build of the shopgolden30.com site, and all of the products on the site. i love to make jewelry, to make custom, curated, and cheeky clothing and accessories, and make things both digitally and with my hands. i’ve found such joy in creating the custom pieces that are on shopgolden30.com and am so thankful for the support. <3
getting outside
i realize how many days i can go without really setting foot outside, and it’s crazy. getting out for a family walk after dinner or working from the back patio for an hour or so really helps put things in perspective and helps get me out of my own head. it also reminds me to think bigger than myself and to also help ground me. one thing i want to do is get outside even more, now that it’s going to warm up. there are studies that show how beneficial being outside in natural light, especially right away in the morning, and i can tell a difference in my overall mood.
there are so many ways to prioritize self-improvement, and it doesn’t have to be hard. i’m a firm believer that little tweaks make a big difference in our lives. it doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul; the little things are the ones that add up.