8 Healthy Habits I'm Working on Right Now

As most of you know, I’ve had a pretty tough year. The thing about tough years is that it makes you reevaluate your life. It’s made me want to be better. I want to be a better sister, wife, dog mom, artist, and all around human being. I’ve been working on some new habits to be a better version of myself. I thought I’d share them with you today to give you an inside look as to what I’ve been up to over here.

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1. Bi-Weekly Therapy

I recently started seeing a therapist to work through the grief of losing our son at 22 weeks in May. I go to appointments every other week. These appointments have helped me realize that my grief is not the only thing I need to work through. I’ve suffered from generalized anxiety much of my life. That tends to surprise a lot of people, because I’m a pretty calm person on the surface. Those close to me are more aware of it. Talking about this and learning coping techniques has helped me immensely. I tend to get a little emotional as my appointments are approaching, because talking about my feelings has never been easy. However, coming out of therapy, I always feel better. I think everyone could benefit from a little therapy. I wish I had gone sooner.

2. Bi-Weekly Massages

Full disclosure - this is my reward for going to therapy, because it’s not always easy. I’ve told myself that as long as I do the work, I can treat myself to massages. I used to be good about getting massages, and then I lost the habit. Now that I’m going every other week, I feel much more relaxed. It’s great for the ailments us artists suffer from. I always share what I do for a living at my appointments. I then ask them to focus on my neck, shoulders, and hands. And it doesn’t only help me physically unwind. An hour spent lying on the table listening to spa music helps me mentally relax as well. It’s been amazing.

3. Daily Gratitude & Prayer

I’ve been starting each day by listing out three things I’m grateful for. Then, I say a little prayer for the day and ruminate more on the positives in my life. In the hustle and bustle of my days, I haven’t always remembered to stop and give thanks. Lately, I’ve felt like life just isn’t going my way. I tend to forget how much in my life is going right, and this practice helps me remember.

4. Daily Green Drink

When I think of one thing healthy people eat, it’s greens. While I do my best to stay healthy, eating mostly vegan and moving often, I know I fall short on greens. I have a perpetual sweet tooth, so I tend to eat lots of fruits, and not so many vegetables. Recently, I started drinking a green juice first thing in the morning. If I don’t have green juice on hand, I’ll make a green smoothie or mix green powder (this one came highly recommended to me, and I love it) with water or another type of juice. Not only has this habit been a great way to start the day, but it’s made me feel like a healthier person. I’m more inspired to be healthy the rest of the day because of it.

5. Wearing a Step Tracker

I know I’m a little late to the game on this one. I’ve been hesitant to get an Apple watch, because I don’t want to be more connected than I already am. I was debating buying a pedometer on Amazon when, out of the blue, my sister said she had a Fitbit Alta she wasn’t using. That’s the funny thing about habits. Once you set an intention, serendipity sometimes makes things easier for you. I never thought I’d be a Fitbit person, but I’m absolutely loving it. I try to get 10,000 steps a day and succeed most days. I’m not much of a high impact exerciser. As someone who’s suffered from adrenal fatigue, it tends to send my cortisol soaring. That’s why walking and yoga are my go-to exercises. I bought Ryan a simple step tracker on Amazon, and we compete every day. Most days he wins, but it’s fun to try and keep up :)

6. A Pattern a Week

I’ve been wanting to add new products to my shop for a while. When I thought about doing this it seemed daunting. Where do I even start? I realized any new products that aren’t art prints would probably require patterns. Starting this October, I began creating a pattern per week to add to my new library. I’ve really enjoyed this endeavor, because it uses a different part of my brain than my prints. I’m feeling inspired by my work in a new way. I’m able to zone out more while I work, because of the repetition. It’s also a great new potential source of income, because I can license out the patterns to companies.

7. Sharing Daily Best and Worst

Ryan and I have started sharing the best and worst part of our days in the evenings - usually at dinner or before bed. This has been a great way to bond as a couple, and feel more connected to each other’s days. Talking about the best part of our day always makes us laugh. Talking about the worst part somehow makes it not so bad. Once you’re more aware of what makes a day good, it’s easier to attract more of that the following day and minimize negativity. You quickly start to notice patterns.

8. Keeping a Bucket List

In the midst of my grief, I’ve had trouble making plans for the future. Finding things to look forward to has been difficult, so I started making a bucket list. It’s helped me get excited about life again. My list is broken down into five categories:

• Places to See

• Experiences to Have

• Things to Accomplish

• Things to Acquire

• Skills to Learn

My list includes things like going to Disney World (I know it’s crazy I’ve never been) and learning to make pasta. I try to keep them fun and light. I don’t need anything that makes life feel more difficult right now.

By the way, I crossed the pasta one off my list using this recipe with my stand mixer attachment. It was phenomenal and foolproof. Now I only intend to eat fresh pasta moving forward. I put this truffle oil on top and it was heavenly. Talk about food that’s good for the soul!

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So that’s what I’ve been working on. I’ve been feeling a lot better than I was earlier this year. Focusing on self-care has been a positive distraction from my grief. What healthy habits are you working on right now? Let me know in the comments below!