mental health Archives - Healthy and Free Living

Two weeks ago was USANA’s 30th Celebration Convention. (If you don’t already know, I partner with USANA who is the leader in science-based nutritional supplements.) I was unable to attend convention in person, but was able to watch it virtually.

The theme of convention was “Start Something”. The point is to challenge yourself to do something, anything, to get you moving in the right direction and/or make changes to your life. It could be that you want to start inspiring people, so you start a podcast or blog. Or maybe it’s more specific, such as, start eating more vegetables. Whatever it is, I encourage you to think about what you would want to start doing right now.

The past summer I had my own “start something.” For me, I decided to start taking care of my mental health. Now, if you’ve been reading my blog posts and watched me unload and process my thoughts here, you’re probably thinking, “Finally! She needs some help!” 😉😂

In June, in order to help with our stress and anxiety, my 10-year-old daughter and I started knitting! We began with a knitting class at a yarn store, then had my neighbor (who is the GM at the store) come give us private lessons. I never expected to love it as much as I do! And it has been really good for my stress.

Secondly, I finally started seeing a counselor. Past hurts have caused me to create unhealthy walls with people. I hold so much inside me that I was feeling overwhelmed. Too many times, I try to do things on my own instead of utilizing the people around me who love and care for me. I decided I needed a change and God led me to an incredible counselor. So far, it has been a journey of healing and forgiveness…and creating new, better habits.

So, what about you? What’s something you can start doing today? Let me know if the comments!

Sometimes I find ways to slow things down, other times God has to force me to stop.

Last year, when the pandemic started and our world stopped, it forced us all to take a break and re-evaluate. I realized two things: 1. my current job caused me to miss time with my children and 2. our schedules were filled with too many things.

Last summer, God provided me with a new job that allows me to work at my kids’ school and no longer miss their activities and afterschool conversations. My husband and I have also been more intentional about what we sign our kids up for — we want our kids to be active, but to also enjoy just being kids.

Well, it’s a year later and, once again, God has forced me to stop.

A couple of months ago I joined an incredible Women’s Entrepreneurs group that values support, encouragement, and authentic relationships. In my typical fashion, I made the most of things and dove right in, filling my calendar with lunch meetings, Zoom meetings, and networking. A couple of weeks ago, I felt it starting to catch up with me…that I had let my excitement cause my calendar to be filled with back-to-back activities. Every space that wasn’t put aside for my kids and teaching was filled with lunches and meetings. I was afraid I was going to burn out…and that’s when God stepped in.

I’m now on day 8 out of 10 in isolation after testing positive for COVID. I’ve been fortunate to have few symptoms and have felt fine most of the time, but my body is getting much needed rest — mentally and physically. I’m able to use this time to work on my own business without running myself ragged. And I’m going to be more diligent going forward with spreading things out in my calendar so I don’t risk burn out again. (And since my daughter tested positive the same day as me — I’ve gotten some sweet time with her in isolation.)

Thank you, Lord, for knowing me and forcing me to slow down when I struggled to do it for myself. Thank you for this time to refresh, relax, and restore my soul.