Should I keep going?
So many of us struggle with going to sleep and then staying asleep. Not only is there a ton of research as to why that is, there is just as much research as to how this affects our health.
While I could enlighten you about both of those issues, I'll just focus today's Health Like Me post on some options to help you reach the land of dreams and keep you there! 1. Night Cap
At the risk of me sounding repetitive...drink tea!
More specifically, chamomile tea. My preference is any version that includes lavender, cinnamon and honey. Sometimes, I even make my chamomile tea a little Irish with some Bailey's in it! Night night! 2. Smooth Dreams
3. Raindrops on Playlists and REM Cycles
I know I'm not alone when I say I exploit rainy days to partake in some ultimate sleeping. And with no purchase necessary!
I wish I can say that about Spotify. But if you're lucky enough to have it. Go ahead and do yourself a favor and follow some Sleep Playlists. They range from rainforest sounds to waves crashing on the shore to....Rain! Not only do these playlists help you fall right to sleep when added to the previous two things, it keeps you in the land of dreams!
See the button below to read more about the benefits of obtaining that precious REM stage in your sleep. Because that should be one of my our favorite things.
0 Comments
According to a study titled, The Role of Emotion Inhibition in Psychological Distress, by Thomas R. Lynch, PhD, Duke University, experts believe that invalidation is a major contributor to emotional disorders. Invalidation lacks compassion. Invalidation shames. And invalidation is a subtlety loud and damaging form of emotional emotional. How Invalidation Makes You Feel Like You Are:
Ways you Can Stop Yourself From Succumbing to InvalidationAffirmations and mantras are great. But, if you are one to truly suffer from self-invalidation or find yourself around individuals who regularly solicit external/emotional/manipulative invalidation, the fight to reclaim your self-love might need a little more elbow grease. An article by Meghan Breen, LCSW, and NYC Therapist titled Self Invalidation: a Subtle, Pervasive Form of Self Abuse. Fight Back! suggests five ways to stop this emotional abuse. Two of my favorites were "Observe your self talk" and "Be gentle". We have to stop placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves! Another way to combat this rising self-destructive tendency is to stop trying to diminish our experiences. We only disregard our pain when this happens. "You can't heal an emotional wound with logic." My folly is comparing where I am in my life to others success. And thankfully, I have a mother who is very quick to stop me every time this train of thought begins to manifest itself! My self-invalidation has been prevalent since college. More recently, financial setbacks have fallen in my lap making Invalidation's damaging presence known. Then, the constant questions such as, "When is it my turn?" or "What did I do to deserve this?"; or statements like, "I should realize how blessed I am instead of feeling sorry for myself." filter through my brain and occasionally pass through my lips. Here, Ms. Breen's tip of being gentle to my situation needs to be my number one defense!
External invalidation was repeatedly happening to me for the past few years without me realizing it until I did the research for this post. In order to preserve my boundaries and begin the process of self-love, these individuals have been either completely removed or are now a reduced presence in my life.
You will never see me eat ice cream unless it's mint chocolate chip. And even that's rare! So Mercury must have been in retrograde - or whatever planet makes sense here - when I was walking with some coworkers at Klyde Warren Park and had a crazy urge to stop by one of the trucks that happened to be serving *gasp* ice cream! Worthy of Your Cheat Day
|
The wax applied to your skin in this technique is thicker. Once applied, it is allowed to harden, then removed fast without the use of a muslin strip. Hard wax is better for areas of the body where this skin might be thinner and more sensitive. This is because when you use hard wax technique, the wax attaches itself to the hair you're needing to be removed rather than the skin along with the hair. Some Pros of Hard Waxing
|
Places to Go for Hard Waxing
Personally, I go to my local Depil Brazil for my Brazilian wax and I have yet to complain. Keep in mind waxing of any kind isn't cheap. So if you go once a month, be prepared to shelve out $50+ each time depending on your location and also depending on what body parts you get waxed.
Some great things about Depil Brazil are their lovely estheticians and the products they sell. Products that are geared towards individuals who have coarse hair down south and when used regularly, makes each session you attend less and less painful. They also have a fantastic serum that helps reduce the appearance of dark marks due to ingrown hair called Ipanema Ingrown Hair Serum.
All it takes is some research to find out if a nearby salon uses this technique. There are PLENTY in the DFW metroplex. Be sure to find the one that best suits your Millenial budgets as well.
Some great things about Depil Brazil are their lovely estheticians and the products they sell. Products that are geared towards individuals who have coarse hair down south and when used regularly, makes each session you attend less and less painful. They also have a fantastic serum that helps reduce the appearance of dark marks due to ingrown hair called Ipanema Ingrown Hair Serum.
All it takes is some research to find out if a nearby salon uses this technique. There are PLENTY in the DFW metroplex. Be sure to find the one that best suits your Millenial budgets as well.
When Hard Waxing Just Isn't For youHere's where I'll say that shaving shouldn't be tossed away. Your legs and armpits can still benefit from your razor. And so will your wallets. For that super close shave that will be the next best thing to a wax, use a brand of men's razors! They are also cheaper than our female razors. (Stupid Pink Tax!) Based on some questions or simple observation, whoever is doing your wax should know what's better for your situation! You might go in looking for a Brazilian hard wax and they will tell you it might be better to do a soft wax. It is going to ultimately come down to how coarse your hair is in your bikini area or what part of the body you are getting waxed. Remember, they're the professionals! You are also the only one who is aware of your pain tolerance. To me, hard wax tends to hurt more than it's paper alternative. Some would differ. Hard waxing also lasts longer than getting a soft wax. Instead of going in about every 2 weeks, expect to only have to visit your waxing studio every 4-5 weeks! |
While the painful decision is yours on which way to rid your body of hair this summer, take care and listen to your esthetician about post-waxing care! Ingrown hairs and irritation suck!
Now you can show off your naked mole rat body! In a lovely bathing suit. Let's not get crazy people.
Now you can show off your naked mole rat body! In a lovely bathing suit. Let's not get crazy people.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Scottsdale, Arizona. Making the impulsive decision to take a mini-vacay was easily the funnest thing I have done so far this year. Traveling west to a place I've always heard such wonderful things about seemed the natural route to go to just be. Soak it all in. Go and enjoy before a time comes in my life when I can't for a while. Refresh myself. Celebrate a healthy lifestyle like only I can! Little did I know that life was about to throw me a curve ball where I was literally begging to leave Dallas now. This quaint desert city called my name even louder after adult life happened. Thankfully, I was still able to hop on a place to Scottsdale and get to my Air BnB paradise in this beautiful place. |
First things first: i needed this trip! Why?
As much as 2019 has been a blessing to me., the semi-unexpected happened. I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later to my 15-year-old car. I just hoped it would be later. Student loans were getting out of control and so was my anxiety. Maybe it was divine intervention that I had booked everything before the struggles cropped up. He knew I was going to need this! This trip was going to force me to breathe, count my blessings and live! So I made myself a promise that I was going to do exactly that.
Where I stayed and What I did
I did an Air BnB and it did not disappoint. My host was Kim and she let me know from the get-go I was welcome in her home. This was my first time doing an Air BnB and I quickly learned that I needed to treat my secluded cove as if it was my own home. I couldn't wait to start exploring this city surrounded by mountains! But, the heat kept me indoors for my first few hours of arriving. I asked for a suggestion on where I could go and enjoy good food and drink and I was rewarded with Elements restaurant and Jade Bar. So, I got dressed up and wined and dined myself as the Arizona dessert began to cool down for the night. I woke up bright and early Saturday to eat breakfast and do some meditation on my private patio. My goal for Saturday? Spend all day in Old Town Scottsdale. I shopped, ate, people watched and did a wine tasting. The walking was rough, but I was glad to just take it all in. My recommendation for some amazing, authentic Mexican city food is definitely Barrio Queen. I learned that it's going to be hard eating my favorite go-to Tex-Mex places now that I've had some delicious Mexican cuisine in Arizona and New Mexico (more on that surprise trip soon). Check out some of the wines I got to taste test along with the food in the pictures above! Y-U-M! Coming back from a walk heavy, sun-drenched day, I couldn't wait to get clean and wash away sunscreen and sweat! I also couldn't wait to enjoy a night in with one of the bottles of wine I bought earlier and some good pizza! Yeah, I knew right away when I got back to the house I was staying in that I had walked off all the calories from my lunch. There's a lot to be said about wasting a night away on vacation on staying in bed with wine, pizza and The Office. It said that I had no regrets about spending my last night in Scottsdale doing what I love to relax! |
Sunday dawned bright and early. I got a chance to sleep in before I packed up before my 11 a.m. checkout. Funny thing was me being in airports from 10:30 a.m. Sunday until 9:15 p.m. Monday night.
So, I unexpectedly had to spend a little over a day in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other than sleeping in an airport for a few hours, getting to take in the views there did not disappoint.
Next time, I am going hiking — in better weather — for sure!
So, I unexpectedly had to spend a little over a day in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Other than sleeping in an airport for a few hours, getting to take in the views there did not disappoint.
Next time, I am going hiking — in better weather — for sure!
what Was The Lesson?
Be aware and stay aware. Even though my main goal was to take my time, wander and soak everything in, I was a female travelling alone. I could not afford to be anything other than alert all the time.
But here is something that I unexpectedly took from my trip: patience.
I honestly thought it would be to surround myself with peace and realize my blessings. The blessings part is true, but not in the way I would expect it to come.
My patience was sorely tested with flight delays and cancellations not knowing when I would get home. I lost another day of 8-hour pay which completely rubbed me the wrong way. I was tired and frustrated and in a new city where I didn't know anyone! So, yeah, that patience thing? Dealt to me in spades for two days straight.
But, the blessings came in a form I didn't think would. I have a mother who shelved out the money so that I could have some peace of mind even for a little bit. Blessings that I was even able to pick up and go on such a wonderful trip. Blessings where if I wasn't meant to be on a certain aircraft, there was a reason for it. I made it safe and sound in Dallas right when I was supposed to.
Overall, I took a well-deserved break with no regrets. I would do it again in a heartbeat, too! Maybe just do an even longer vacation to do more sight seeing and not fly a certain airline.
We all need to break. Recharge. Breathe. Slow down and enjoy the life we're blessed to have. Really take in some simple, natural pleasures. And just like it took patience for the beautiful mountains in Arizona and New Mexico to become what they are, the patience I learned can also start a growth in me with an outcome I can't wait to see!
But here is something that I unexpectedly took from my trip: patience.
I honestly thought it would be to surround myself with peace and realize my blessings. The blessings part is true, but not in the way I would expect it to come.
My patience was sorely tested with flight delays and cancellations not knowing when I would get home. I lost another day of 8-hour pay which completely rubbed me the wrong way. I was tired and frustrated and in a new city where I didn't know anyone! So, yeah, that patience thing? Dealt to me in spades for two days straight.
But, the blessings came in a form I didn't think would. I have a mother who shelved out the money so that I could have some peace of mind even for a little bit. Blessings that I was even able to pick up and go on such a wonderful trip. Blessings where if I wasn't meant to be on a certain aircraft, there was a reason for it. I made it safe and sound in Dallas right when I was supposed to.
Overall, I took a well-deserved break with no regrets. I would do it again in a heartbeat, too! Maybe just do an even longer vacation to do more sight seeing and not fly a certain airline.
We all need to break. Recharge. Breathe. Slow down and enjoy the life we're blessed to have. Really take in some simple, natural pleasures. And just like it took patience for the beautiful mountains in Arizona and New Mexico to become what they are, the patience I learned can also start a growth in me with an outcome I can't wait to see!
Okay, maybe not. But, I am certain you've been living under a rock. Those of us who do swear by this miracle elixir are increasingly reaping its benefits!
There are the obvious benefits such as weight loss...
Seriously, mix ACV into this water detox drink on the regular and watch some magic happen!
Throw in the amazing effects it has on your blood sugar while also being a great disinfectant (that's the vinegar talking), and wham! Bam! Like I said: Magic.
There are the obvious benefits such as weight loss...
Seriously, mix ACV into this water detox drink on the regular and watch some magic happen!
Throw in the amazing effects it has on your blood sugar while also being a great disinfectant (that's the vinegar talking), and wham! Bam! Like I said: Magic.
But Health Like Me is here to inform you about the other ingenious benefit of bathing in Apple Cider Vinegar that has to do with your skin! Soooo
Why?
1. Balancing Your Skin's pH Level - it's important that your skin has a slightly acidic pH level so that it is able to ward off harmful bacteria and fungi. 2. Absorbing C and B Vitamins - So basically if I want to save some money on moisturizers, I should bathe in ACV? Okay, done. 3. Relieving Skin Issues - Having dry skin seems like it would be annoying. Itchy, irritant, inflamed. Soaking in some ACV will help soothe these worries away. That being said, oily skin isn't a walk in the park either. Luckily, Apple Cider Vinegar contains properties that allow it to dry out the unnecessary oil on our skin that leads to acne. 4. Promoting Skin Cell Recovery - Keep your skin looking young and wrinkle free without Botox! And so much cheaper! |
Word of caution though. I wouldn't soak in these awesome baths right before you head out for the night. You don't want heads to turn as you walk for the wrong reasons. Like reeking of vinegar. There are a few Apple Cider Vinegar variations and brands on the market, but the one you need in your bathroom and kitchen is Bragg Organic Raw-Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar With The 'Mother'. One more tidbit for you about ACV! While don't have to bathe in it for this skin benefit, it is summer and thus bring on the bug bites. Apple Cider Vinegar has anti-inflammatory properties that will help reduce the swelling and irritation! |
So what are you waiting for?! Go up to Target and grab you a big bottle, run a warm bath, pour a glass of wine and watch your skin begin to get it's beautiful shine back!