As I continue to build this website and pursue this endeavor I find myself getting stuck some days. I find myself frustrated with thoughts and ideas not quite panning out or just the entire complexity of what I've decided to pursue. Now I tend to be a headstrong and driven woman but I also know that most days I'm my own worst enemy. When I started this company I promised myself I would stay true to the name of the company and make sure it stays a positive and hopeful place to shop and share. That being said not every day is filled with hope and pineapples. I thought I would share some of my tips for refocusing, recharging and amping myself up.
1. Therapy: Seriously! It doesn't have to be with an actual therapist but therapy can come in MANY forms. Therapy is defined as, "1. the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process. 2. any act, hobby, task, program, etc. that relieves tension." as taken from dictionary.com. So while I see my therapist weekly and am extremely open about addressing mental health your form of therapy can be yoga or painting or knitting. While some of these are art related sometimes shifting focus onto an activity that you feel more confident about will help you go back to the frustrating task at hand with more confidence. Lately I've been struggling with formalizing the cards for this site and while, as of late, Netflix has been my go-to procrastination method sometimes I'll work on garland or pinning items to our Pinterest page. All in all cut yourself a break by giving yourself a break to recharge and gain confidence.
2. Communicate: Call a bestie, a sibling or even a parent. Depending on how I'm feeling about what is frustrating me decides who I call. I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes I call my mom crying for a pep talk. She always knows how to remind me of how wonderful I am. Sometimes it's my lifelong bestie to give it to me straight or take a look at what I'm working on and pointing me in a new or different direction. In other cases I call my brother or sister and just completely avoid the current frustration and let talking to them clear my head and build my confidence through hearing about their life and the trials of middle school (let's all admit we never want to go back there).
3. Animals: Now I know not everyone is into pets/animals, however, if you are take some time to walk the dog or cuddle with the kitty. Don't have an animal but want the comfort? I highly recommend visiting or volunteering at the local animal shelter. Animals naturally help create happy/calming feelings due to the release of oxytocin (read more here). Visiting the local shelter not only helps you feel better but helps the local community which is always a good thing! P.S. if you have a spare couple bucks pick up a bag of food to take with you when you visit, most local shelters have a list of items they need on their website. Allergies? check out Buzzfeed.com's animal section to get your natural high allergy free (also recommended for those never ending days at the office)
4. Nap: Those who know me know I'm a serial napper. I LOVE naps! Even science says they're good for you! The key to quality napping is learning to nap correctly (sounds ridiculous doesn't it). Not only does a nap help your brain recharge and quickly charge the batteries to focus and enhance alertness. Major companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Google and Zappos, now offer napping facilities on site. Leading the office nap-space industry is MetroNaps who boast a variety of industries as their clients.
5. Cartoons: I distinctly remember one of my teachers in high school telling me to watch cartoons the week of finals. As a freshman, dealing with finals were something new to all of us and this handy tip came into use many times throughout high school and college. Think of it as a sort of active napping. Watching cartoons gives your brain a visual stimulus without having to really process anything. While cartoons tend to be made for kids they're made by adults which usually means that many of the best jokes missed you as a kid. I came home one day to my grandfather babysitting one of my siblings laughing, telling me later, "that damn sponge is funny". Not only are cartoons funny but if you're feeling creatively drained cartoons are a great way to stimulate imagination and creativity.
I hope that my tricks for keeping calm so I can keep on work for you. Have tips or tricks of your own please post them below.
As always hope & pi
1. Therapy: Seriously! It doesn't have to be with an actual therapist but therapy can come in MANY forms. Therapy is defined as, "1. the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process. 2. any act, hobby, task, program, etc. that relieves tension." as taken from dictionary.com. So while I see my therapist weekly and am extremely open about addressing mental health your form of therapy can be yoga or painting or knitting. While some of these are art related sometimes shifting focus onto an activity that you feel more confident about will help you go back to the frustrating task at hand with more confidence. Lately I've been struggling with formalizing the cards for this site and while, as of late, Netflix has been my go-to procrastination method sometimes I'll work on garland or pinning items to our Pinterest page. All in all cut yourself a break by giving yourself a break to recharge and gain confidence.
2. Communicate: Call a bestie, a sibling or even a parent. Depending on how I'm feeling about what is frustrating me decides who I call. I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes I call my mom crying for a pep talk. She always knows how to remind me of how wonderful I am. Sometimes it's my lifelong bestie to give it to me straight or take a look at what I'm working on and pointing me in a new or different direction. In other cases I call my brother or sister and just completely avoid the current frustration and let talking to them clear my head and build my confidence through hearing about their life and the trials of middle school (let's all admit we never want to go back there).
3. Animals: Now I know not everyone is into pets/animals, however, if you are take some time to walk the dog or cuddle with the kitty. Don't have an animal but want the comfort? I highly recommend visiting or volunteering at the local animal shelter. Animals naturally help create happy/calming feelings due to the release of oxytocin (read more here). Visiting the local shelter not only helps you feel better but helps the local community which is always a good thing! P.S. if you have a spare couple bucks pick up a bag of food to take with you when you visit, most local shelters have a list of items they need on their website. Allergies? check out Buzzfeed.com's animal section to get your natural high allergy free (also recommended for those never ending days at the office)
4. Nap: Those who know me know I'm a serial napper. I LOVE naps! Even science says they're good for you! The key to quality napping is learning to nap correctly (sounds ridiculous doesn't it). Not only does a nap help your brain recharge and quickly charge the batteries to focus and enhance alertness. Major companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Google and Zappos, now offer napping facilities on site. Leading the office nap-space industry is MetroNaps who boast a variety of industries as their clients.
5. Cartoons: I distinctly remember one of my teachers in high school telling me to watch cartoons the week of finals. As a freshman, dealing with finals were something new to all of us and this handy tip came into use many times throughout high school and college. Think of it as a sort of active napping. Watching cartoons gives your brain a visual stimulus without having to really process anything. While cartoons tend to be made for kids they're made by adults which usually means that many of the best jokes missed you as a kid. I came home one day to my grandfather babysitting one of my siblings laughing, telling me later, "that damn sponge is funny". Not only are cartoons funny but if you're feeling creatively drained cartoons are a great way to stimulate imagination and creativity.
I hope that my tricks for keeping calm so I can keep on work for you. Have tips or tricks of your own please post them below.
As always hope & pi