Nutritional Health Archives - Page 2 of 5

Looking Back at 2020

On January 8, 2021

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Getting Organized, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

Well, it sure has been an interesting year, to say the least. 2020 was by far the most bizarre year. However, there were still some good things that happened and that’s what I want to focus on. Writing has always been very therapeutic for me. I wasn’t even sure I was going to share this post but thought why not. Maybe it will help someone else who feels discouraged by the events that happened.

Either way, I wanted to write a post to get all of this out of my brain and take a moment to look back on all that happened. I feel proud of the positive stuff and all that I accomplished. We need to remember that good always comes with the bad and if we are grateful we can continue to see the positive in everything!

2020 Rewind on Family Life

It was not an easy year for most of us. Between the kids doing remote learning, the pandemic, and other stressful events, 2020 was a challenging year. This may sound mean but having the kids home was not always easy. I just don’t think it’s normal for them not to be in school. At some point, we all need a break from each other and the kids need to be around friends their own age. I noticed a decline in their mental health. Going forward, we do our best to support them in this unprecedented time and make things as normal as possible.

Family Loss

On top of all that, the kids lost their grandmother due to longtime health issues. She was in Florida so we didn’t even get to see her at the end of her life. She was brought back up to New Jersey to be buried and we couldn’t even have a funeral for her. It was so sad and very frustrating not to be able to celebrate her life.

In addition, I lost my grandfather who was 101 years old. He was a World War II veteran and was married to my grandmother for 80 years! As of this post, she is still alive at 102. Good Italian genes! I am blessed to still have my other grandmother as well who is 93. She had a stroke and is now in a rehab facility. I was finally able to visit her last October and spend some quality time but I have not been able to see her since.

I have not been able to see my family in NJ and NY as much as we normally do. However, we were able to get a couple of visits in. It is so hard not to be able to hug your loved ones! I hope soon this will get better as well. Connecting on the phone and Facetime is just not the same but it will have to do for now. I am grateful everyone is healthy and surviving this crazy time in life.

SOME GOOD NEWS!

I got engaged! We are blessed to have a family house in the Poconos on my fiance’s side. We were able to get away there 3 times in 2020. On Memorial Day, my boyfriend and kids proposed to me by the lake that we visit down the road from the house. It was a complete surprise and I was shocked and extremely touched. That was the best news that came out of 2020 as most of my family and friends tell me! It was a bright moment in a dark and stressful year.

2020 Personal Rewind

While at home during the shutdown, I picked up the hobby of gardening. Sort of. I found a great plant nursery that I visited to get out of the house and find some peace. We had a new patio built so I bought lots of plants and flowers which made it my favorite spot of the spring to hang out! I also tried my hand at renovating a couple of things around the house. In addition, I learned how to sand and restore an old table as well as an old Adirondack chair set.

I took the time off to organize some of the rooms inside as well. A complete overhaul of the kitchen was attempted and I did get rid of stuff we never use. I also cleaned out all of the closets and donated clothes and other items. Cleaning and organizing never seem to be done but I was happy with my progress!

We are blessed to have a pool and that was my favorite spot in the summer. I probably got a little too much sun but I was in my glory. I felt grateful to have a little escape at home.

At the beginning of 2020, I decided it was time to get some weight off that I have gained over the years. I tried 3 different programs that somewhat worked. I only lost 12 pounds. But I will take it considering how much stress there was throughout the year!

Being a spiritual person, I missed going to church but I did find the time to watch mass on TV and also on Facebook Live. I definitely felt a little void in that part of my life although I do keep up on my devotional reading and listen to uplifting preachers.

2020 Rewind on My Business

My Massage Therapy business was closed due to the pandemic starting the second week of March. I thought it would only be a couple of weeks. I was out of work for 5 months. No massage sessions and no chair massage events. It was sad and boring not to go to my office and I missed working on my clients. However, there was lots of time to work on my blog which was fun for me.

When I returned to my office in August, I came back to a very slow schedule. People were just not ready to come back yet. I had my reservations as well but was extremely prepared with all the proper protective equipment and cleaning protocols in place. To be honest, it took some of the joy out of giving a massage. Wearing a mask may not be a big deal to some people. I hate it and feel like I can’t breathe. I guess I got used to it after a while but it definitely is not enjoyable. As I am sure it’s not enjoyable for my clients to wear a mask during their sessions either.

This is the case for now. I have to go with the flow and hope that my business will recover. My hope is that one day it will go back to normal. I don’t know how I will recover those lost months of business. I don’t know if it will ever be the same. Although I have been doing massage therapy for 15 years, I do still love it but it may be time to move on to something more sustainable. Time will tell.

2020 Rewind on My Blog

There was plenty of time to work on my blog in 2020. First, I started with taking a free course on how to set up a blog which was so helpful called Start a Blogging Business- 5 Day Crash Course. Then, I was able to make some great connections through an awesome blogging course I took called Blogging Blastoff 2.0. Therefore, these resources helped me grow my blog and introduced me to a lovely community of bloggers to network with.

Through these connections, I was able to meet people to add to my community as well as collaborate on some really cool projects! I look forward to doing more interviews and writing reviews on wellness-related products and services. Please share anything that you would be interested in reading about!

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2020 Highlights

I joined the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network and was featured in a roundup called 34 Best Chronic Illness Blogs To Read In 2020.

I was asked to be a feature writer for a new section on the Leslie W. Blog called The Wellness Chat.

I took a class on expanding my Pinterest account and started growing my following on other social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Finally, the most exciting venture was creating my private Facebook group – Simple Self-Care and Stress Solutions.

My Favorite Posts of 2020

Insights on The Road to Healing Book by Brianna Fitzgerald

The Self-Care Essentials Gift Guide

Master Your Self-Care Routine in 8 Simple Steps

25 Ways to Survive Stressful Times

15 Ways to Promote a Refreshing Night of Sleep

10 Gentle Ways to Stay Active with Chronic Illness

New Affiliate Partnerships

As a Blogger, one way to make money with your blog is to become an affiliate. In other words, you promote other company’s products and services and then receive a small commission from any sales from your affiliate links. First, I signed up with some companies that have made a good impression on me and that I believe fit in my wellness blog.

I hope to be able to grow that part of my blog and offers lots of great deals to my community that will help them in their wellness journey. I would love to hear what you think!

Here is the list of companies I work with as of this post. Thanks to ShareaSale for offering this amazing opportunity!

Cratejoy – an awesome subscription box company

Homedics- consumer health and wellness and home products

Etsy- custom and handmade items from small business sellers

MasterClass- an online education platform with hundreds of interesting classes

Bookshop- online book store that supports local book shops

WellBefore- cleaning and disinfecting supplies and personal protective equipment

Moving Forward into 2021

Above all, I am happy to report that we remained healthy and survived the tough times together. Looking back, I am grateful for the accomplishments and I look forward to another year of growth and continued happiness. My wish is that 2021 will be a year of healing and happiness for all.

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

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The Self-Care Essentials Gift Guide

By Jill Ciampi

On November 30, 2020

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Getting Organized, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Find That Perfect Self-Care Gift

Buckle up and hold on ladies! It’s that time of year when we start to become busier than usual. Self-care tends to be forgotten during this time especially. Because of social distancing, we need to think of ways to entertain ourselves and our families which can be stressful.

Remember to take care of yourself and practice some self-love during this season. I have found some comforts of the season that I rely on to keep me going. Of course, I do my best to stay on track with healthy eating, exercising, and spiritual practices. However, this is the season to allow yourself to indulge in some extra treats. Everything in moderation!

Here is a sneak peek into some of my favorite winter essentials.

A Thoughtful & Unique Self-Care Gift – Subscription Boxes!

CrateJoy Subscription Box– The perfect self-care gift to yourself or a loved one! Receiving a subscription box once per month is a special treat and makes you feel fabulous. Who wouldn’t want some extra self-care treats every month. A Self-Care Gift for all ages is available!

Sleep Essentials

Comfortable Pillows – My Pillow has been my favorite for a while.

Heated Blanket – Sunbeam & Biddeford are 2 good brands we like from Amazon and Kohls. Feels great to climb into a warm bed!

High-Quality Sheets – My picks are Simply Vera Wang & Sonoma Goods For Life from Kohls.

Comfy Pajamas – I like Croft & Barrow and Cuddl Duds® from Kohls.

Relaxing Routine

Massage Therapy – I go every 3 to 4 weeks for wellness visits.

Nothing like a hot soak to relax your muscles.

A special treat for your feet that feels amazing!

A few minutes is all you need to unwind and your feet will be fabulous!

Not sure if this works but I enjoy getting the extra light like I am in the sun again!

Read your favorite book – I am reading Elin Hilderbrand’s books right now and love her stories. I even signed up for a library card! Find your favorite titles at Bookshop!

Skin Savers

Dry Brushing – Great for detoxing and it feels great both wet and dry.

Daily Moisturizer – Find the perfect brand for you and use it daily to quench that dry winter skin.

Serum – I like L’oreal, Neutrogena, and Oil of Olay products.

Facial Roller – It feels really soothing on your face and neck and massages the moisturizer into your skin.

Vital Vitamins

I like the Pure Encapsulations brand. Make sure to check the ingredients because all supplements are not created equally and can contain unnecessary ingredients. I recommend buying directly from the manufacturer.

Add these immune boosters and relaxing supplements to your winter routine. Ask your doctor first because sometimes even natural vitamins may interfere with medications.

Zinc

Vitamin D

Vitamin C

Magnesium

Ashwagandha

Make Time for Entertainment

Set aside time to see your friends – Needed to vent and for laughs!

Decorate your home for the Holidays – Get in the spirit!

Shop online – Save yourself the stress and avoid the crowds.

Learn a new hobby – My newest passion is photography.

Try new recipes – Check out my Pinterest page for hundreds of recipes.

Watch a new Netflix series – Loving Schitt’s Creek right now. Very funny!

Watch your favorite Christmas shows – Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph make me feel like a kid again!

Drive through neighborhood light displays – Enjoyable activity with the kids.

Indulge in Your Favorite Treats

Bake your favorite treats – Dark chocolate PB cups always do the trick.

Alter Eco Chocolate – I am obsessed with the Coconut Toffee flavor!

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels – Another obsession of mine!

Pignoli Cookies – My favorite Italian cookie that never disappoints.

Self-Care Gift Toolkit

Having a plan to beat the winter blues is necessary. Take some time and write out a list of your self-care essentials. Cherish this time with your families. Take care of yourself and enjoy the winter season and holidays with your loved ones.

Shop for a self-care gift you know your loved ones will actually use and enjoy!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

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Master Your Self-Care Routine in 8 Simple Steps

By Jill Ciampi

On November 16, 2020

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Getting Organized, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

How To Master a Self-Care Routine

Sticking to a self-care routine is not so easy but it is possible with some help! Having some balance takes practice and will not happen overnight. In addition, different stages of life bring circumstances that may need to change how you practice self-care. No one is judging and if they are don’t listen to the haters. Do your best and create a life that you can become the best version of yourself.

There are many different approaches on how to practice self-care. I like to make things simple. None of us have the time to waste. Simplifying life is part of any stress management plan. I hope you can figure out what works for you and add some self-care into your daily routine!

I earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Self-Care Routine Basics

Below are 8 simple steps that all self-care routines should attempt to accomplish. I will briefly describe what each of them means to me from my experience and training as a certified Wellness Coach.

In all of my posts and coaching programs, there is the main theme of the overall picture of health. These include the Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental, and Spiritual components of health. Having an understanding of each piece will help you manage stress and create an awesome self-care routine that is sustainable.

Stress Management

Being able to cope with the stress that comes up in life is a major factor in maintaining your health. It is essential to commit to some kind of stress management plan and include stress relief techniques in your self-care routine. Without a plan, you will be sure to feel anxious and overwhelmed and not be able to bounce back from daily struggles. Don’t let things snowball out of control. Hot tip- take a break from electronics to lower stress dramatically.

Self-Care To Do’s: Write down some ideas to manage the stress that works for you. Hire a friendly and experienced Wellness Coach. 🙂

Express Your Emotions

The emotional aspect of wellness is just as crucial as the others. For every thought or emotion you have, there is a physiological response in your body. The mind/body is connection is powerful so you want to make this one a priority. Be kind to yourself in your thoughts and actions. A positive mindset is an influential skill to achieve.

Self-Care To Do’s: Daily affirmations, Journal, Seek out a therapist, check out the Positive Mindset Workbook.

Love Yourself & Others

Love is a very powerful healing tool! Self-love is important and it is not selfish to think of your own needs. In addition, being in service to others and your community is a great way to forget about your troubles. God has called me to be in service to others and it has been one of the greatest joys of my life!

Self-Care To Do’s: Schedule alone time, create a pampering checklist, volunteer, or get involved in community service, forgive someone.

Feed Your Spirit

I can’t say enough how my faith has helped me overcome anxiety and depression many times in my life. Whatever you believe in that is positive and helps you manage stress… do more of it! I miss going to church every week but I do set time aside to watch it on TV or online. It is the highlight of my week and boosts my mood and fuels my soul. Peace be with you all!

Self-Care To Do’s: Guided meditation or prayer daily, positive devotional reading, listen to a spiritual or motivational speaker.

Cleanse

This step has a lot of meanings. Cleansing your mind and body is always part of a good plan. Having some control over your environment is helpful as well. For instance, straightening up, cleaning, and organizing your work and home spaces goes a long way in maintaining self-care. My anxiety levels always rise when my home is not clean, cluttered, or disorganized. Therefore, I always feel so much better with an organized and clean house!

Self-Care To Do’s: Use non-toxic cleaning products, storage solutions, professional organizer, frequent donations to clear out your house of unnecessary clutter.

Appreciate

The number one key to happiness is being thankful. Being appreciative and grateful for what is in your life already is an extraordinary self-care practice.

Self-Care To Do’s: Keep a gratitude journal, gratitude app, thank your loved ones consistently for their support.

Restore Your Energy

Making sure you have enough rest is a necessary part of life. Sleep helps you to recover and heal. It is not natural to only have a few hours of sleep per night. It will eventually be detrimental to your body. Not enough rest will make you cranky and negative also. Who wants to be around that! Whatever it takes try to create a sleep routine to follow.

Self-Care To Do’s: Try essential oils to unwind, see a doctor if you have problems with sleep, enjoy a quick nap when possible, take a break from electronics before bed, use sleep apps.

Eat Healthy & Exercise

By now most people realize that eating a healthier diet is beneficial. Enjoy your favorite treats in moderation. Too much-processed food will bring your energy levels down and increase stress. Also, scheduling time for physical activity is an essential part of any self-care routine.

Self-Care To Do’s: 30 minutes of movement daily, stretching routine, meal planning service, nutritionist, use a food tracking app.

Create a Self-Care Routine Today

Now that you have some info on creating a realistic self-care routine – get to it! Let me know if you need any help. Take one step at a time. Life is too short to not be living your best life!

You may enjoy some of my other posts about self-care…

10 Favorite Self-Care Practices

30 Helpful Apps to Add to Your Self Care Plan

Achievable Health: 5 Simple Ways to Maintain Your Health

15 Ways to Promote a Refreshing Night of Sleep

Plus Many More resources can be found in the Blog Post Library!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach. She has a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

Subscribe to my Lifestyle Blog!

My To-Do Lists to Stay Motivated

By Jill Ciampi

On March 30, 2020

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Getting Organized, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

Do You Write To-Do Lists?

What is so great about writing out to-do lists? In times like these, it is so important to have some kind of plan to stay positive and give yourself a fighting chance to overcome stress and anxiety. Last week, I shared 25 Ways to Survive Stressful Times to help give you ideas on what to do while stuck at home. I have so many different ideas on how to spend my time since I had to shut down my massage therapy office. I miss working on my clients and the feeling of satisfaction when I can provide one hour of stress and pain relief for them.

When I am not working on my blog or coaching business, I like to still keep myself busy and work on my personal growth. One of my passions is to learn new things and find exciting hobbies to keep me busy. For example, I create to-do lists to keep my mind organized so I can remember everything I want to do.

Each day brings new challenges whether it’s helping the kids with their homework, cleaning up after their messes, finding ways to keep them busy, and getting used to the new “normal” of this extra time together.

As an introvert, I need more alone time than the average person to recharge and be able to cope with the stressors of each day. So, every day I try to focus on how I can be a better “bonus” mom and partner so that we can all live in harmony. Some days it is truly exhausting! However, I try to remember the positive and that we are all healthy and blessed with a nice home to live in and have love in our hearts and wonderful friends and family.

Insights on my Daily To-Do List

Each day I wake up and read devotionals from my 2 favorite books that my mom gave me, Jesus Calling and Joyce Meyer’s Starting Your Day Right. Doing this gives me the strength to face the new day with the armor of God. It helps me set the mood of the day and helps lower the anxiety that is always simmering. I am not a morning person at all so I need some extra time before I leave the bedroom to get my head right before interacting with anyone else.

Once I feel ok to start my day, I usually eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. I have been trying to stick to a regular schedule of eating so I don’t go off track and binge. Additionally, I always try to work out in the morning to get it over with. Structure works well for me!

After my morning routine, I check my e-mails and then scroll through my business social media accounts. I have been trying to spread caring and hopeful messages each day on my social media. Then I check my website for any new comments on my posts so I can interact with the people who follow me.

Being a business owner, you really always have to stay connected a large part of the day to stay in touch with clients and followers. I don’t mind doing this because I love connecting with old and new friends!

How I Stay Motivated

Making time to work out and cook healthy meals is also an important part of my day. I try to get work projects done before dinner and then have the rest of the night to spend time with family and unwind.

In the last few weeks of being home, I have had extra time to sort out what needs to be worked on and any other projects that have been held up in the wings. It is important for me to feel somewhat productive each day and I like to be able to check stuff off my list! Here’s some stuff that I do to keep my mind busy and feel productive to ward off anxious thoughts from creeping in.

My Business To-Do List

Develop new online group and DIY coaching programs
Learn about Google Analytics to grow my e-mail list
Take a class on SEO for my website
Update my old blog posts and optimize for SEO
Research new topics for my blog and conduct interviews with health professionals
Update my business books and expenses
Finish my taxes
Stay in touch with my massage therapy clients during the shutdown
Clean up my business social media accounts
Create a media kit for my blogging business on Canva
Use PicMonkey to create photos for my blog
Take a Pinterest class on how to build my following
Clean up my shared drive folders and organize my files
Take the 10K Traffic Challenge course to grow my blog following
Update my website content and try out new themes

My Personal To-Do List

Clean the house over and over again!
Organize the kitchen cabinets
Shop for healthy food and some treats too!
Bring food over to the food pantry
Clean out my car
Find a new personal growth class to take
Read more books. I am currently reading a very inspirational book Tim Tebow’s- This is the Day
Keep up with laundry
Sort through vacation photos and do something with them!
Take off pictures from my phone and upload to the computer
Make a new recipe every few days
Keep posting positive messages daily on social media accounts
Help kids with homework
Stay active every single day and sweat out any toxins
Go outside every day for fresh air
Watch some new Netflix shows – excited for the new season of Ozark!
Watch Mass on Facebook live every Sunday morning
Listen to one guided meditation daily
Play more board games with the kids
Learn about gardening and photography
Check-in with family and friends. My college friends have been doing a Zoom “happy hour” every week and it is so nice to see their faces and vent!
Last but not least- spend quality time with my family and always eat at least dinner together so we can chat. Relationships will surely be tested during this forced time together but praying that it will bring us all closer and stronger!

Write Out Your Goals

Have you been putting something off until a later time to work on?

Now is a great time to start working on your goals. Why not use this time and make progress on becoming a better version of yourself. You may not be a fan of writing to-do lists and that is ok! I am just sharing what helps me. What may help is looking at each of those 5 Aspects of Whole Health that I have shared in older posts– Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental, and Spiritual™©.

Take a look at how you can improve your life from that perspective and I promise you will come up with lots to keep you busy. What are some things you have been doing at home that have helped you pass the time? Work on your to-do list today! Whatever it is, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. This too will pass 🙂

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.

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25 Ways to Survive Stressful Times

By Jill Ciampi

On March 19, 2020

In Anxiety & Depression, Chronic Pain, Emotional Health, Environmental Health, Getting Organized, Lifestyle Blog, Nutritional Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health, Stress Management

During really stressful times, our brains sometimes cannot recall what is best to do for ourselves or our families. Being overwhelmed is a symptom of not having the ability to manage stress. Hey- I have been there thousands of times! Some of us with anxiety are just naturally more prone to feeling overwhelmed easily. It’s ok. There is nothing wrong with you for feeling that.

We are living in a world right now that is extremely stressful and uncertain at times. Did you know that anxiety is caused by worry and fear of the future and affects how we feel about our security and safety? Whether you are anxious or not, here are some ways to get your mind off the worries and fears of whatever is going on in your world.

25 Ways to Survive Stressful Times

Stay on track with your routine for yourself and your kids.

Move every day. Take a walk, run, or watch an exercise video online. Some of my favorites are Jessica Smith, Leslie Sansone, PopSugar, and Fitness Blender. I like a good mix of walking, strength, and interval training workouts.

Pray or meditate and read something positive daily. I like the apps Calm and Breethe and I just recently found a Christian app called Abide.

Take a break from electronics. Too much screen time can cause more anxiety. Stop watching the stressful news all day!

Watch a funny show or video. Youtube has a ton of them! Seinfeld and Friends reruns make me happy!

Schedule in some alone time even if it’s only 15 minutes. Find somewhere in the house, even the bathroom, to be alone!

Go outside, explore nature, and get some fresh air. Soak up the sunshine for some extra Vitamin D.

Start a bucket list of places you want to eventually travel to and then go on Pinterest and pin them for future review.

Update your personal and professional goals. It will help you remember your purpose and stay organized.

Get your kids involved in self-care routines like creative play and healthy movement. For example, do a guided meditation with them.

Ten More to Go!

Clean your house one room at a time! Organizing and cleaning are my 2 top ways to fight anxiety.

Get rid of unnecessary clutter and old clothes you don’t wear anymore and donate to a charity.

Play with your pets. We have a dog and he brings so much joy and stress relief to me daily! They need love and exercise too!

Organize your closets. Put your winter clothes away and get out some spring clothes.

Movie night. Netflix and Amazon Prime have great choices for all ages.

Play board games or cards. My new favorites in our house are 20 Questions and Blank Slate.

Do some yard work. Gardening or an outdoor project at your house will keep you busy and outside in the fresh air!

Watch virtual tours online like Virtual Traveler, or visit museums all over the world. My favorite is watching the aquarium webcams!

Sing karaoke! The Echo Show has the option to display the lyrics. I can’t believe how many words to songs I get wrong!

Last But Not Least

Read the latest novel. Check out Amazon’s list of best sellers. I like reading on my Kindle usually but still enjoy actually picking up a real book

Expand your knowledge and take online classes. Udemy has some great options! There are some great apps too for learning a new language like Babbel.

Set up a virtual hangout for friends or family with Zoom or Google Hangouts, or House Party from the comfort of your home! I also like the app, Marco Polo, which allows you to send quick videos to your contacts individually or a group.

Meal preparation. Now that we have more time at home, I am trying to plan and cook more especially to avoid last-minute bad choices! For new recipe ideas, scroll through Pinterest, and watch cooking videos on Tasty or YouTube.

Talk to a professional like a therapist or coach who can offer some extra help on how to manage stress better. Most of them offer telephone or online chats.

Have a Plan

The best way to overcome those stressful days is to acknowledge what you are feeling and then have a self-care plan in place to refer to when needed. You know the quote “have a plan or plan to fail.” I find that having a printed out list works for me and then I can choose what I feel up to doing at that specific time.

Above all, please take care of yourself first so you can be there for your family. I chose to have faith that eventually things will get better. Stay healthy and positive. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Please share what stress management tools work for you!

xoxo

Jill DeMasi is a Lifestyle Blogger, Licensed Massage Therapist, and a Certified Wellness Coach with a passion for helping others manage stress, chronic pain, and anxiety. Learn more about her journey and wellness practice that offers natural solutions to stress at www.AtTheHeartofWellness.com.