Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you can't form a sentence, want to just cry and scream at the same time, and little tasks become too much to handle? I'm sure you're all nodding with me right now... Yep. Stress is a person's response to an increased amount of stimuli and a feeling of being unbalanced. It can be a real pain in the booty!
Over the past couple of weeks I've had an increased amount of stress in my life. Between work, the blog, managing travel, and family things I found myself overwhelmed on a constant basis. I began to lose sight of myself a bit and had to step back to reevaluate. I've experienced a lot of intense stress in my life (mainly while dealing with my dad being sick) so I try to keep myself in check on a daily basis but since I've had some big life changes lately things have felt a little out of whack. I have to remind myself to try and figure out what exactly is causing all this stress. Is it a deadline at work? Then I need to create a game plan and break it down. Am I feeling pressure to create better blog content? Then I need to cut out those sources that are causing me to compare myself. A lot of times that's the very beginning of a solution and then I have to help myself move forward: SLEEP // I feel like this is the cure for almost anything. A lot of my stress becomes aggravated by a lack of sleep - I make myself go to bed earlier so that I can actually fall asleep at a decent time and try to quiet my brain. When I get more hours in a night my brain feels less foggy. MOVE YOUR BODY // This probably sounds obvious! But when I'm stressed the last thing I want to do is spend time working out "when I could be doing something"... wrong! Going to a workout class or spending an hour walking home is the best therapy you can ask for! It pumps your body full of endorphins and creates a total distraction for your brain. The more consistent I am with working out and getting a good sweat in the less likely I am to be taken over by stress. POSITIVE THINKING // I can be very very hard on myself... to the point where I lose my normal optimistic self. I've started writing 3 things that make me smile in a small notebook every morning. That way I am reminded of the little joys in life! I also set "words of intention" every Monday morning and carry them through the week. I'll write them on my bathroom mirror so I can see it every morning while getting dressed for work. It can be something as simple as "honesty" - a reminder to be true to myself. It sets the tone for a great week and I like looking back through my notebook on the littlest things that made me smile (some days it's really good macaroni haha). SAY NO // Simple. Over planning your schedule doesn't leave time for you and the little things that need to get accomplished like laundry, grocery shopping, or writing a thank you note! TAKE YOURSELF ON A DATE // On that note... say no so that you can take time for yourself. Self love is SO important. A bubble bath with a glass of rose and a face mask is my favorite! Just give yourself some time to do one thing that really makes you happy and isn't a chore! PLAN IT ALL OUT // If your stress is caused by feeling disorganized then grab a notebook and write it all down. I leave one next to my bed so that I can do a brain dump at night (sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea even). Jot down your packing list, to-do list, grocery list, record song lyrics, write a recipe, etc! Getting something down on paper allows you to categorize things and not forget them when you think "what was the thing I thought about buying this morning?" GET SUPPORT // This is the most important one... find someone that you can talk to or vent to. A lot of times I just need someone to listen to me. Once I get my emotions off my chest I feel a lot better and saying it out loud helps me understand why I'm feeling the way I am.
You know those days where you have a million errands to run? When your bag is filled with coupons, a sweater to return, shoes to get repaired, mail to send out, 5 different grocery lists, a book for the train, and 3 pairs of glasses along with a snack? Yep... I mean the typical Saturday. This is when my Barrington Tote saves the day. It's durable, roomy, and the cutest. It's my go to for busy, long days at work and for weekend trips! I'm adding this one to my Christmas list along with this duffle bag (I mean if it's monogrammed it already jumps a couple notches in my book).
Earlier last month I traveled to Charleston for a blog conference and boy was it hot and humid. I've found myself reaching for olive green time and time again this summer and my outfits for Charleston were no exception. I wanted a more casual look for the last day and I instantly fell in love with this white top and shorts combo. Super comfortable, breathable, while still being trendy. I'm excited to wear this top with high waisted jeans and a scarf when it gets a bit cooler out! One thing for certain is that olive green will be coming with me into the Fall season as well. I've got the PERFECT olive maxi coming soon ;)
Thanks for being patient with this little blog during the radio silence... I've attempted to write a "coffee date" post to explain myself but words get carried away and I begin writing a novel and I lose touch with my purpose for even sharing. I hope that I find the strength to accept my new found reality soon but for now I'm finding solace in the comfort of a routine - something that's taken me a couple weeks to figure out. Thank you for sticking around and coming back every day. I have looooots of new looks coming to the blog soon!
When I was in Charleston two weeks ago we spent the first couple of days walking around, exploring, eating, drinking, and just enjoying each others company. The majority of the conference is spent in heels with big clutches and drool-worthy jewelry so I knew I wanted to bring an easy to wear dress. It was scorching hot and humid after all... I appear to be having a bit of an olive moment so when I found this dress at H&M a couple of weeks before Charleston I instantly gravitated towards it. Have you ever purchased something specifically for a trip but not been able to resist? Yeah... this dress y'all. I think I wore it at least twice a week before I packed it in my suitcase to the Holy City. And to top it all off? My girlfriends also loved it so much that they went out and got one for themselves!! When you combine easy cotton, pockets, a great hemline and comfy fit you've got a win-win situation happening! I paired it with my new favorite leather mini purse and some super cute pom-pom sandals (that have great cushiony soles).
I think I pulled together a pretty smart looking tourist outfit here! Do you think anyone knew I was a blogger? ;) Maybe the camera gave it away? Hehe... I'll be recapping my trip and sharing the rest of my outfits soon. Also, stay tuned for a really fun giveaway!!
