Before I talk about what you should do, let’s go over why.

The idea of creating “work-life balance” has taken on an entirely different meaning ever since the pandemic hurled us into quarantine life. It was hard enough to carve out time for self-care before the pandemic, but now it can feel almost impossible. We are working long hours from home while simultaneously running our households, taking care of the family and homeschooling kids. It’s impossible for anyone to manage all of this, but we are all doing our best. One of the most important parts in managing the stress of our current situation is ensuring we take time for self-care. You cannot be your best for everyone else if you aren’t your best self. It’s just like when the airlines tell you to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. You’re no help to anyone else if you’re not ok!

Stress and anxiety are normal experiences for a great many people. In fact, 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety day by day.

As a recovering addict, it is super important to learn how to care for ourselves properly. After years of neglect, abuse and self-destructive behaviours, it is time that we show our bodies, minds and spirits some LOVE! It is important to be compassionate as we are recovering from addiction and to remember that no one is perfect and your self-care routine will not be. To be compassionate to ourselves, as we are healing, is one of the biggest forms of self-love we can have. Hope this finds you well.

In today’s busy, over-stimulated world, taking the time to slow down can often feel overly indulgent and unproductive, but it’s actually the opposite. Allowing yourself the time and space to rest and revive is one of the best ways to stimulate clarity and increase an overall sense of happiness.

Something I never understood was how individuals have the need to be out and socialize with others, because I was always one who enjoyed being alone. However, after some time of growing and coming across a diverse group of people throughout my lifetime, I finally realized that there is importance to both socializing and alone time.

The smallest choices we make daily can determine our overall state of being, that adds up overtime. Instead of measuring our choices as either good or bad (cause our ego loves to do this), let’s just call them options; they are neither good nor bad. However, they all have consequences, once again, not really good or bad; but it gives an energetic output or frequency that will either empower us or dis-empower us. And it is with these choices we feel the energetic consequences of these choices.

I forget to breathe. It happens when I'm stressed out. That being said.. I forget to breathe all the time. My days have become so hectic and full of spontenaity that, out of habit, I tune into the world around me and neglect my own needs. Needs as simple as a single breath that will keep me living.

With so much going on in the world right now—as well as in your own life—it’s entirely natural to feel stressed out. After all, life as we know it has been flipped on its head, so it makes sense that many of us are finding it challenging to adjust.

Beauty isn’t the only thing that matters to glow from within. It’s about what you do in your daily life that makes you feel confident and happy with yourself. I keep my skincare in check and I use wonderful products that keep my face looking plump and healthy. However, I still didn’t glow. I was missing many things. I noticed this as soon as summer quarantine started and school stopped. I always thought I looked fine and decent but I didn’t. I looked tired and worn out. That’s because I was getting about 5 hours of sleep every night and not eating healthy. Ever since summer quarantine started, I began to focus more on myself rather than everything else around me. I did things that made me happy and confident in myself. I got more sleep, yes, that helped but it wasn’t the only thing that changed me from being a worn out rag doll to a glowing angel. Every morning before I do anything I turn on music, specifically Kpop (Nct’s music is lit) to get myself in a good mood, then I dance. Yes, the first thing I do in the morning is dance. Dancing every morning not only made me happy but I was able to lose stomach fat that had accumulated during my school year. Then I started to get into exercising with all the free time I had. I did Chloe Ting’s ab workout every other day from 5:00pm-6:00pm. Why? Because my stomach was the part of my body that I was always insecure with. It was the first workout that actually worked and I started to gain more muscle and less fat in my abdominal area. While exercising I also listened to Kpop to get myself pumped but also to have fun while exercising- I even danced while doing the exercises sometimes. Of course, I also started eating healthier because I was at home and I didn’t have to rely on a bowl of ramen to get me through my day. I ate a full bowl of rice and meat and veggies- perfectly healthy and yummy. At night I would watch a drama on Netflix or some funny videos on my favorites Kpop groups. Everything that I am able to do now we’re things I wasn’t able to do when I had school. I kept the same skincare routine but I looked exhausted when I didn’t do all these activities in my daily life, while now not only do I look like I’m glowing from within but I feel like it. My point is, just your awesome skincare routine isn’t going to cut it, it’s also what you do in your life that makes you happy and confident in who you are.

There was first a time, a very long stretch of time, when I felt that I was living life as I should. Each and every day I would wake up, do my daily errands, finish my work and go to bed. It’s true that I felt a lot of stress and strain. But I felt that it was healthy for me, as I believed that work was what life was all about. As for pleasure, it was my genuine belief that fun only came from achieving weekly allowances, credentials and other positivities from working; and by that I mean working very hard.