Author: Kristen Hall

The Truth About Being an Empath

by Kristen Hall

“When empaths absorb the impact of stressful emotions, it can trigger panic attacks, depression, food, sex and drug binges, and a plethora of physical symptoms that defy traditional medical diagnosis from fatigue to agorophobia.”

Judith Orloff, M.D.

Growing up, I was always told I was “emotional” or “overly sensitive”. While I knew wholeheartedly this was true, the comments would make me feel like something was wrong with me. I hated crying at the drop of a hat and feeling overwhelmed so easily. But, at the same time, I knew I had a gift of helping people. Being emotional allowed me to connect with people; I could empathize easily and be there for others who needed a shoulder to cry on.

I spent years not really understanding this gift/curse; that was until I came across the definition of an empath. According to Dr. Orloff, a psychiatrist and empath herself, an empathic person is someone who “feel(s) everything, sometimes to an extreme, and are less apt to intellectualize feelings.” She states that, “intuition is the filter through which they experience the world. Empaths are naturally giving, spiritually attuned, and good listeners.” I remember thinking, “wow, okay… I guess I’m not weird after all.” I honestly had thought there was something wrong that I could feel ten times more than the normal person. This definition is basically me in a nutshell.

Now, while being an empath has allowed me to help others (like all of you reading my blog!), the downside has been the following:

  1. Overwhelmed by large crowds. Too many emotions at once.
  2. I have to have my down time in the day to decompress.
  3. I am a homebody. It is my safe zone.
  4. If someone is distraught, I start feeling distraught. My heart breaks as if it is me.
  5. Yelling terrifies me.

Stating these things make me feel vulnerable right now, but I feel like it is important to convey. For empathic people, negative behavior is often a result of “the impact of stressful emotions” if boundaries are not set in place. It can “trigger panic attacks, depression, food, sex and drug binges, and a plethora of physical symptoms that defy traditional medical diagnosis from fatigue to agorophobia.”

It is a fantastic feeling to have endless amount of love and compassion. But it can easily become draining if I do not take care of myself. That is why I put so much emphasis on self-care now. Most people I find have a hard time understanding why I am the way I am and WHY I need to put up boundaries. I mean, I don’t blame them – I find myself questioning it myself sometimes.

If you are an empath like me, it is important to find your inner peace – whether that is yoga, meditation, writing, or something else. You will drain yourself taking care of others if you do not recharge. Also know, you are not alone. There are many of us empaths out there going through the same struggle! Honor your gift, but also know when it’s time to take a step back. It does not in any way mean you are a bad person. It means you are human.

#empath #lightworker #love #spirituality #meditation #healing #selflove #spiritual #narcissisticabuse #awakening #intuitive #spiritualawakening #introvert #narcissist #tarot #infj #empathproblems #selfcare #hsp #lawofattraction #life #intuition #energy #thirdeye #quotes #mentalhealth #empaths #gaslighting #consciousness #bhfyp

You are Not a Tree

by Kristen Hall

“If you are not happy with your life, you need to do something to change it. Do not stay stuck. You are not a tree.”

If you read the name of the article and the quote, you might think – “Wow that’s harsh, what does this girl know?”

Let me tell you what I know. If you backtrack my life to about two years ago, I literally lost everything – some by choice and some by a domino effect. It broke me in ways I cannot explain. I literally just laid on the bathroom floor one day and said “God just take me because I cannot do this anymore.”

Now fast forward two years. I am beyond happy. I look forward to each day and am excited for my future. But this feeling did not come overnight. It took time. But first, I needed to change what was not working for me and accept that things were going to be dicey for a while in order to have the future I wanted.

In a year’s time, I had a miscarriage, filed for divorce, filed for bankruptcy which included losing my house and good credit score, lost my job, moved back in with my mom, and said goodbye to my three cats who stayed with my ex. My life was hell. I also lost friends along the way who claimed my shit was “too much” for them to handle.

So, as you can see, it was as if a wrecking ball had come flying into my life taking everything with it. It started with the miscarriage, which really had me reevaluate my life and what I wanted. I had been unhappy in my marriage for a while, but was too scared and too sad to do anything. My miscarriage forced me to focus on myself.

After spending many nights crying my eyes out, I decided I needed to make a change no matter how terrifying it was. Once I signed my name on the petition for divorce, I knew there was no turning back. On top of it just being plain scary to end a ten year relationship with someone, I knew that going through with the divorce meant I had to be willing to file for bankruptcy (due to the house loans we had taken out). It was as though one thing just lead to another.

Frankly, looking back, I still don’t know how I did it all – except for just putting one foot in front of another and never looking back.

The point of my story is this – if you are unhappy, it is up to you to change it. Do not stand still and hope for the best. Don’t wait for the circumstances to be perfect or the right amount of money to come along. It is never going to happen. If you want to be unstuck, YOU need to get yourself moving.

It starts with a decision – one powerful decision to change your life. Then comes an action. And after that, it’s one small thing after another. The key is never looking back. Look toward your future and make your dreams come true.

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #recovery #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #eatingdisorder #mentalhealth #edfighter #edwarrior #anarecovery #bulimiarecovery #anorexianervosarecovery #recoveryispossible #ed #intuitiveeating #bulimia #recoveryisworthit #recoverywin #food #selflove #anorexianervosa #mentalhealthawareness #haes #edfam #recoverywarrior #anorexiafighter #fearfood #bodypositive #foodfreedom #bhfyp #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #depression #selfcare #love #selflove #health #mentalillness #therapy #recovery #motivation #wellness #mindfulness #healing #ptsd #mentalhealthmatters #fitness #wellbeing #loveyourself #psychology #life #meditation #happiness #worldmentalhealthday #suicideprevention #endthestigma #inspiration #positivity #change #divorce

Physical vs. Emotional Hunger

by Kristen Hall

“I was not eating to nourish my body but rather eating to fill an emotional hole”

After my battle with anorexia, I still struggled with food for many years. Essentially, I went from not eating anything to over indulging in things because I went too long not enjoying food. Then the occasional overindulging lead to emotional eating when I was sad or anxious.

As stated in a previous post, I was not eating to nourish my body but rather eating to fill an emotional hole. This took some time to overcome, and there are still times I struggle with it today. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) taught me “mindfulness” – as silly as it might sounds, many of us cannot master this concept. We, as a society, are always thinking about the past or the future – not too much about the present. Staying in the moment, and allowing yourself to recognize how you feel, can allow you to overcome more than you would think. Being aware is the first step to letting go.

If you struggle with emotional eating, I urge you to begin to be more mindful of your physical and mental state at the time you crave food.

Ask yourself where you feel the hunger, be aware of the timing, and how fast you are consuming your food.

Here are some classic signs to look for according to Natalie Wingfield (of the VA Beach Counseling Center) and how you tell the difference between physical and emotional eating:

Physical
Where do you feel the hunger: stomach
Timing: every 4-6hrs
Rate: slow, mindful
Other: eating with others, diversity with food

Emotional:
Where do you feel the hunger: mouth watering, need to chew
Timing: urgent
Rate: faster paced
Other: often alone, craving something specific

It took me a while to realize that my body is a temple. It is merely what transports my soul from one place to another. So, be mindful. Real happiness does not come from food or from having an ideal body. However, if you nourish your body with the correct amount of vitamins and minerals, you will be amazed at how much better physically and mentally you will feel. Your gut carries 80-90% of the serotonin in your body. So when your belly is properly nourished, you will see a difference in your mood.

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #recovery #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #eatingdisorder #mentalhealth #edfighter #edwarrior #anarecovery #bulimiarecovery #anorexianervosarecovery #recoveryispossible #ed #intuitiveeating #bulimia #recoveryisworthit #recoverywin #food #selflove #anorexianervosa #mentalhealthawareness #haes #edfam #recoverywarrior #anorexiafighter #fearfood #bodypositive #foodfreedom #bhfyp

The Pillow Method

by Kristen Hall

“The idea is to write your affirmation on a piece of paper and place it underneath your pillow before you fall asleep.”

Okay, so I cannot claim”The Pillow Method” as my idea – I want to put that out there first and foremost. However, I think the whole concept is an amazing idea and I wanted to share!

As stated in the quote above, “the idea is to write your affirmation on a piece of paper and place it underneath your pillow before you fall asleep.” The reason for this? The moment you fall asleep and the moment you wake up are two crucial times in the day that impact our thinking. It is important to set the right intention to avoid unwanted and negative thought patterns, and to start retraining your brain to think positively.

Why specifically is this effective?

  1. You are allowing your last thoughts of the day to be positive. This can have a positive effect on your dream cycle and also allow you to carry that attitude to the next day. I mean think about it this way – how often do nightmares come from thoughts or events occurring prior to sleeping?
  2. Setting your intention before bed also helps you “rewire subconscious thought patterns” as you sleep. All those underlying thoughts that may be negative, this will help you retrain your brain overtime as you set a new intention for your life.
  3. As you are falling asleep, it is almost like you are “letting go” of any resistance to your desire/affirmation. Let those negative thoughts just float away as you drift asleep and just allow yourself to focus on your goal. Like I stated in a previous blog, there is such thing as the law of attraction. Your positive thoughts can have a huge impact on your outlook and what you achieve.

**The Pillow Method was an idea posted on moderndaymanifestations.com. **

#affirmation #affirmations #lawofattraction #motivation #love #meditation #inspiration #selflove #positiveaffirmations #affirmationsoftheday #manifest #affirmationoftheday #happiness #healing #positivevibes #selfcare #affirmationsdaily #dailyaffirmations #mantra #manifestation #health #success #positivethinking #spiritual #manifestingmagic #quotes #spiritualit #highervibration #mindset #bhfyp #sleeping #sleep #positive #graditude #love #skincare #mentalhealth #wellness #beauty #loveyourself #health #mindfulness #motivation #healing #meditation #mentalhealthawareness #yoga #fitness #inspiration #anxiety #positivevibes #healthylifestyle #selfcarethreads #life #relax #happiness #skincareroutine #wellbeing #instagood #threads #massage #bhfyp

Loneliness

by Kristen Hall

“Loneliness is designed to help you discover who you are and stop looking outside yourself for worth.”

Do you ever have one of those days were you just feel misunderstood? Like no matter what you do, you cannot get your point across?

Well, what happens when this feeling occurs on a daily basis, leaving you feeling alone and discouraged?

Feeling alone can take up a lot of energy, especially as we tell ourselves how alone we are. But there is a difference between feeling alone and being alone.

Loneliness often does not come from actually being alone, but rather from feeling misunderstood or like you do not belong. So, the first step is to acknowledge that. Are you really alone or do you feel alone? If you are feeling alone, try to pinpoint why. Are you having trouble getting your point across? Do you feel like no one understands you? Once you have a clearer idea of what you are struggling with, you can begin to put together an action plan to heal.

First off, it’s important to note, that feeling lonely is much more common then you would think. Tons of people are trying to find their way whether they state it or not. And there are definitely times when many of us feel like something is wrong with us and that we do not fit into the world around us.

Once you figure out what is causing you to feel alone, I challenge you to see the power that you hold: “Loneliness is designed to help you discover who you are and stop looking outside yourself for worth.” Reread that one more time. “Loneliness is designed to help you discover who you are and stop looking outside yourself for worth.” If you can wrap your brain around this concept, that means our dreadful feeling of loneliness is actually quite powerful. So –

Step #1. Stop looking for another person’s approval – whether it be a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend, etc.

Step #2. Start appreciating yourself for everything you are. You would never tell a friend how terrible he/she is, so don’t tell yourself that either.

Step #3. Start filling your day with things that you love to do. What brings you the most joy? What brings out your inner light?

And lastly,

Step #4. Give yourself a break. We can often be our worst enemies. It is now time to be your best friend. You have so much to offer this world. Keep fighting through the negative thoughts; you are meant to shine.

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #recovery #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #eatingdisorder #mentalhealth #edfighter #edwarrior #anarecovery #bulimiarecovery #anorexianervosarecovery #recoveryispossible #ed #intuitiveeating #bulimia #recoveryisworthit #recoverywin #food #selflove #anorexianervosa #mentalhealthawareness #haes #edfam #recoverywarrior #anorexiafighter #fearfood #bodypositive #foodfreedom #bhfyp #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #depression #selfcare #love #selflove #health #mentalillness #therapy #recovery #motivation #wellness #mindfulness #healing #ptsd #mentalhealthmatters #fitness #wellbeing #loveyourself #psychology #life #meditation #happiness #worldmentalhealthday #suicideprevention #endthestigma #inspiration #positivity #loneliness #alone

Law of Attraction

by Kristen Hall

” In the New Thought philosophy, the Law of Attraction is the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. “

Have you ever heard someone tell you how important it is to think positively?

If you haven’t, even more of a reason to read this article! If you have followed my blog, you have heard me say how important affirmations are and to be aware of your self-talk.

There is a reason behind all of this. There is a theory called “The Law of Attraction”, which claims that the vibe you send into the world is the vibe you get back. It is believed that, regardless of age, nationality, or religious belief, “we are all susceptible to the laws which govern the Universe, including the Law of Attraction. It is the Law of Attraction which uses the power of the mind to translate whatever is in our thoughts and materialize them into reality. In basic terms, all thoughts turn into things eventually. If you focus on negative doom and gloom you will remain under that cloud. If you focus on positive thoughts and have goals that you aim to achieve you will find a way to achieve them with massive action.” ***

I’m sure after reading that last paragraph, your mind is blown and you are still trying to fully grasp all of what I just stated. No worries, I was too at first.

My first reaction was to question – “So you’re telling me that I can basically think good things into my life?”

Yes, that’s exactly it. Now, this does not mean bad things will not happen. That is a part of life. But what it does mean is that, by thinking positively, you are more likely to achieve higher because you are aiming directly at your target (your end goals and thus YOUR PURPOSE).

The practices and beliefs in this law have been practiced for years, dating all the way back to the ancient Buddha. He believed “what you have become is what you thought.”

So, how can you use the Law of Attraction in your own life?

If you don’t like your life, CHANGE IT. Stop waiting for the perfect time or perfect situation because it isn’t coming. The Law of Attraction really is that simple. Be proactive, see your goals, and go after them – “No matter what you are looking to have or achieve or be in life, if you can hold onto an idea and see it for yourself in the mind’s eye, you can make it yours to have… with some effort on your part.”**

It really is about changing your mindset. It can be hard, but don’t give up. In a society where there is so much negative, most people have to practice affirmations everyday in order to retrain their brain into thinking positively.

My suggestion? Start a vision board or post quotes in places you will see everyday that remind you what you are fighting for. Set your intention.

Here are twelve affirmations I found that might be helpful. Begin each affirmation with “I am”:

1. Receiving abundance now in expected and unexpected ways.

2. Increasingly confident in my ability to create the life I desire.

3. Acting on inspiration and insights and I trust my inner guidance.

4. Giving and receiving all that is good and all that I desire.

5. Receiving infinite, inexhaustible and immediate abundance.

6. Creating my life according to my dominant beliefs; and I AM improving the quality of those beliefs.

7. Constantly striving to raise my vibration through good thoughts, words and actions.

8. Making a meaningful contribution to the world and I AM wonderfully compensated for my contribution.

9. Willing to believe that I AM the creator of my life experience.

10.Willing to believe that by raising my vibration, I will attract more of what I desire.

11. Worthy of love, abundance, success, happiness and fulfillment.

12. Willing to believe that by focusing on feeling good, I make better choices that lead to desired results.

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #recovery #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #eatingdisorder #mentalhealth #edfighter #edwarrior #anarecovery #bulimiarecovery #anorexianervosarecovery #recoveryispossible #ed #intuitiveeating #bulimia #recoveryisworthit #recoverywin #food #selflove #anorexianervosa #mentalhealthawareness #haes #edfam #recoverywarrior #anorexiafighter #fearfood #bodypositive #foodfreedom #bhfyp #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #depression #selfcare #love #selflove #health #mentalillness #therapy #recovery #motivation #wellness #mindfulness #healing #ptsd #mentalhealthmatters #fitness #wellbeing #loveyourself #psychology #life #meditation #happiness #worldmentalhealthday #suicideprevention #endthestigma #inspiration #positivity

**These quotes were found from the following site: http://www.thelawofattraction.com/what-is-the-law-of-attraction/

Affirmation statements found here: https://blog.mindvalley.com/law-of-attraction-affirmations/

The Untold Story: My Battle With Depression, Body Image, and Food

by Kristen Hall

“Real hope combined with real action has always pulled me through difficult times. Real hope combined with doing nothing has never pulled me through.”

― Jenni Schaefer, Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life

This is a story that almost came to an end many times over the last two decades. The person that you are looking at to your left has battled disordered eating since she was thirteen years old. What started out as trying to lose a few pounds turned into a full blown eating disorder by the time she was sixteen. There were many tears, doctor visits, breakdowns, and therapy sessions — BUT this is no longer a tragic story anymore and it is time to share it. While it is a long story, I hope you bare with me and follow along. It is important to know the different phases of my life to understand where it lead.

I had an amazing childhood, one that others dream of. I grew up with a brother (who was close in age) and had two amazing parents who would have given their lives to make sure ours were perfect.

Everything was pretty normal up until the time I was ten years old. The month after I turned the “double digits”, I got my first menstrual cycle. It wasn’t a big deal at first. I was now officially part of womanhood! Or at least that’s what my mom told me. It wasn’t until my body started changing faster than those around me that it really started to affect me. I was a fourth grader, who was 5’3 with growing boobs and hips – while the other girls in my grade were flat chested and didn’t have to worry about wearing a bra. To give you a gist of how embarrassing it was, other girls would snap my bra straps to make notice of my growing change.

I also noticed that, not only was I physically more mature, I was maturing mentally faster as well. It began to feel like there was no where I fit in.

Then fifth grade came – the year that changed everything. I had my first heartbreak. And while that seems absolutely silly now, it really tore me up mentally at the time because it was just another thing I found “wrong” with me.

I began to separate from all my friends. As seventh grade came, I would hide in the bathrooms in the mornings and cry because I felt so alone. No one seemed to even notice.

I finally broke down to my dad that I needed help. I was so sad, and I felt so bad about it because at the time I could not put the pieces together. He and my mom made a psychiatrist appointment and I was put on my first antidepressant. Except, the psychiatrist was not a very good one – he started me out on a high dose of Effexor, which as a 13-year-old was way too much for my body.

It was a January day in 2003, I told my dad I needed a mental day from school. I ended up grabbing a hand full of Aleve and shoving it down my throat. I didn’t want to live anymore; I felt so alone. Long story short, I spent some time in the hospital, got taken off Effexor, and was put on about twenty different meds in the course of the next three years to try to help my depression.

In those three years, the meds caused me to gain a lot of weight. I began feeling even worse about myself. To try to lose some of the weight I gained, I began doing pilates everyday; nothing obsessive just enough to combat the weight gain.

The pilates worked and I had lost most of the weight I gained. As a result, I was starting to get comments about how good I looked. That was the most damaging thing anyone could have said to me. Why? Because it told me that I was noticed when I was thinner.

This is when I began to restrict what I ate. By the time I was a junior, I would go to the library everyday during lunch so I wouldn’t have to be around food. I wouldn’t eat in the morning and would play around with my food at night so my parents wouldn’t notice something was wrong. That routine only worked for so long. Once I hit a certain weight, they knew something was wrong.

There were many fights at the dinner table. Many tears, and quite a bit of yelling. “Why can’t you just eat?” I don’t know, why couldn’t I just eat? The truth? it wasn’t about food anymore – it was about control.

When everything felt out of control, I knew the one thing I could control was what I put in my mouth. And I wasn’t giving in.

I ended up inpatient at Renfew in Philadelphia and then continued outpatient treatment for months after.

It was now my senior year of High School. As it was coming to a close, I chose a college close to me so that I could continue the treatment I needed for my eating disorder. However come August of that year (a month before school was supposed to start), I was at my lowest weight ever and the doctor now wanted me to go back inpatient. I made the choice to go to school. I wasn’t going to lose that too.

Once in college, I began to gain a little of the weight back. I found an amazing college counselor and attended eating disorder groups fairly frequently. I thought I finally had it under control.

Then 1.5 years later, my dad passed away. I did the only thing I knew how – restrict. A couple months later, I was back in the hospital. I had contracted MRSA and the bacteria quickly moved into my bloodstream. While in the hospital, they did a bunch of bloodwork finding my iron and potassium levels extremely low. The doctor turned to me and said “If you don’t start changing your life, you are going to die.”

Over the next ten years, I have fought to have a better relationship with food. Just like a recovering alcoholic, you can consider yourself recovered and still have thoughts that you know aren’t healthy or beneficial.

More about my nutritional journey will be in another post – but for now, I want to share my biggest take away. Food is not the enemy. Negative thoughts were and continue to be the enemy. When I didn’t eat, I allowed the negative thoughts to tell me I was empowered. And when I did choose to eat, I wasn’t eating to feed my body and to nourish myself. I was eating to fill a hole inside of me created by those negative thoughts. That hole can only be filled with self-love and affirmations.

If you struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating, I encourage you to fight those negative thoughts and challenge yourself to see what is really going on behind the self-destructive behavior. I needed to love myself and know I am exactly who God made me to be. I needed to find my inner strength and purpose.

The secret to beating an eating disorder, or any addiction for that matter, is the desire – the desire to find something BIGGER and more IMPORTANT than your self-destructive behaviors. Because, yes…while these behaviors become our outlet and our “friend”, it takes more than it gives and ultimately it can take your life.

You are so much more than what your mind is telling you. Recovery is possible and life is waiting for you. xoxo

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #recovery #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #eatingdisorder #mentalhealth #edfighter #edwarrior #anarecovery #bulimiarecovery #anorexianervosarecovery #recoveryispossible #ed #intuitiveeating #bulimia #recoveryisworthit #recoverywin #food #selflove #anorexianervosa #mentalhealthawareness #haes #edfam #recoverywarrior #anorexiafighter #fearfood #bodypositive #foodfreedom #bhfyp #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #depression #selfcare #love #selflove #health #mentalillness #therapy #recovery #motivation #wellness #mindfulness #healing #ptsd #mentalhealthmatters #fitness #wellbeing #loveyourself #psychology #life #meditation #happiness #worldmentalhealthday #suicideprevention #endthestigma #inspiration #positivity

Are You an Overthinker? Try this.

by Kristen Hall

“Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.”

Buddha
Ever feel like your mind is going in circles?

Overthinking – I could write a book on that topic. If you were to look up “overthinking” in the dictionary, my picture would be next to it. I am the Queen of second-guessing and going back over situations a million times.

It is easy to feel paralyzed and then become stuck in the destructive habit of overthinking. You can overthink a small problem so much that it begins to snowball into a massive, undefeatable monster.

Here are 10 signs of overthinking you should be aware of:

  1. Second guessing everything.
  2. Feeling overwhelmed by the littlest decisions.
  3. You regret often.
  4. You are a perfectionist.
  5. Body tenses up. You may feel ill or have a headache.
  6. Insomnia.
  7. Your mind just keeps going in circles. Almost like you can’t shut it off.
  8. You take things personally when they aren’t meant to be personal.
  9. Criticize yourself often.
  10. You always feel on edge.

So now that you know what the signs are, what can you do about it? When you are an overthinker, it is almost like you have to retrain your brain to not think that way. Because of this, it does take time to master these skills.

Here are some things I have tried that may be helpful:

  • Be mindful. Stay present-focused. There could be a million “what if” scenarios. You are not a fortune teller. Acknowledge how you feel and then release those “what ifs” into the atmosphere.
  • Let go of perfection. Perfection is an unrealistic goal.
  • Embrace mistakes. It is okay to mess up. That is how we grow.
  • Write down your worries. Get them out of your head and onto paper. Then place them in a drawer; you can revisit later.
  • Acknowledge your fears.
  • Meditation/Yoga. This can be extremely hard at first for an overthinker, but with practice it gets better.
  • Positive affirmations. It is important to tell yourself you are doing the best you can.

#selfhelp #affirmations #overthinking #mindful #loveyourself #anxiety #depression #quotes #mentalhealth #sad #love #socialanxiety #thoughts #mind #life #overthinker #mindset #feelings #mood #depressed #introvertproblems #recovery #introvert #ocd #stress #alone #philosophy #sadness #inspiration #health #funny #blogs #blog #yoga

Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

by Kristen Hall

It takes 21 days to create a habit, and 90 days to create a lifestyle.

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You know you are unhappy. Now what?

First off, you are not alone. I have been there. There is nothing wrong with feeling hopeless. It is a human emotion that is much more common than others let on. The key is not to stay there. It can be crippling to continue to think nothing will change and that you are “stuck”. The longer you are there, the longer it will take you to get out of it.

My suggestion? Start with little changes and stick with them no matter how impossible it might feel some days. You may not think these habits are not making a difference but keep this fact in your head – it takes 21 days to create a habit, and 90 days to create a lifestyle. It takes time. You have to retrain your brain to see the positive.

I have listed 20 healthy habits below that seem subtle and perhaps pointless, but can make a huge difference over time. I challenge you to begin mastering a few of these habits and see how your life transforms.

  1. Practice gratitude. Perhaps start a gratitude journal and add to it before you go to bed?
  2. Value your alone time. Use this time to recharge. Meditate.
  3. Make time for your loved ones. Let them be your support in times of need.
  4. Prioritize self-care.
  5. Learn from your failures and do not be afraid of failing.
  6. Write out your goals, post it somewhere visible to you, and make little steps toward them daily.
  7. Read self-help books or daily devotions.
  8. Drink more water. Ideally you should be drinking half your body weight.
  9. Be active for at least 30 minutes a day.
  10. Communicate. You need something? Ask!
  11. Declutter the space around you. Believe it or not, an organized room can actually do a lot for one’s psyche because it is something you can control in a healthy way.
  12. Get enough sleep (7-9 hours ideally). You will be amazed how much better you feel when your body is rested. Remember, this is your body’s healing time.
  13. Journal – get those feelings out.
  14. Eat real food. When you get the right food in your body, you will be amazed how much better you feel.
  15. Make it a routine to take a break from social media. The “perfect” life portrayed on social media is so far from the truth. It can be damaging to think you have to achieve such an unrealistic goal.
  16. Learn to forgive.
  17. Practice daily affirmations.
  18. Belly laugh often! It is shown to enhance a person’s mood.
  19. Be in direct sunlight as often as possible. Lack of Vitamin D alone can make you depressed. Enjoy time outdoors when the weather permits.
  20. Practice non-judgement listening

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Why Reading is Important for Personal Growth and Achievement

by Kristen Hall

Do not underestimate the magic of what 15 minutes of reading can do for your self-growth.

Kristen S.

Reading is a popular habit among super successful (and happy!) people. But not just any kind of reading – it’s the kind of reading which helps to spark the soul, building self-confidence and spirit.

Some people choose to read a devotional in the morning to help with setting their frame of mind for the day. Others may pick up a book or read a blog post in the evening. And then there are the other individuals (like I was) who do nothing because there is NO TIME.

Here is the cold, hard truth. You do have time. You just choose not to use it. Let me explain — a lot of us waste minutes throughout the day without really realizing it. Fifteen minutes can come and go as you scroll through Facebook. Fifteen minutes can easily fly by as you flip through the channels on your TV. You might spend fifteen minutes or more shopping or driving in the car. Those fifteen minutes you spent complaining about how unfair life is? Yep, those just flew by too. Get my point? You need to purposely fit it in your schedule. If you say you can’t fit it in, then clearly your mind has already rejected the idea. Here are some tips:

1. Get an audiobook for the car
2. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier
3. Set aside fifteen minutes before you go to bed
4. Subscribe to an uplifting blog that will send you notifications every time a new article is posted
5. Purchase a daily devotional book (not all of these are religious; some just have positive quotes)

Whichever is more convenient for you (or more inspiring), choose that. Do not make excuses.

If you need suggestions, here is some of my favorites:

1. “You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero
2. “Girl, Wash Your Face” and “Girl, Stop Apologizing” by Rachel Hollis
3. “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” by Mark Manson
4. “The Power (The Secret)” by Rhonda Byrne
5. “Get Out of Your Own Way” by Mark Goulston

Remember, do not underestimate the magic of what fifteen minutes of positive reading can do for your self-growth. Make the time, and see how that changes your attitude over the next couple of months.

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