Tag: anxiety

Random Update

Nothing too exciting has been going on around here lately. I have spent all of my time finishing up projects, interviewing and waiting to hear back on potential summer internships, and coordinating my college dance team showcase. These last few weeks have been filled with stress and craziness, and it’s definitely starting to take a toll on me.

I’m somebody who needs eight full hours of sleep a night and a balanced diet and exercise. I have never been somebody who could pull an all-nighter studying and eating anything that I want, and then be completely fine the next day. The second I start shifting my priorities away from my heath and well-being I get frequent headaches, stomachaches, and I almost always develop some type of cold or sore throat.

I know this about myself and have for a long time. Yet, when things get busy I still tend to fall into old habits. Lately I have found myself staying up until 1 AM to finish a powerpoint, and then heading out the door by 8AM the next day. I haven’t been cooking healthy meals, instead I have been resorting to granola bars and bagels on the go, sometimes skipping meals altogether. As always when this happens and I continue to push myself, I feel horrible.

I’m trying to rest up and get back on track as soon as possible, because I really don’t want to be sick when I leave for my trip! I have been drinking Emergen-C like it is going out of style and trying to rest. It’s so important to listen to your body and take care of yourself even when things get busy. It takes up more of your time to feel better than it would have to just make smart choices in the first place!

xo,

Jaclyn

Four Weeks!

Happy Monday everyone!

I made it through my first day of work after ten days off… and it was definitely a challenge. Luckily, all that is in store for me for the rest of the night is sushi, Netflix, and a nice big glass of green tea. 🙂

I’m extremely proud of myself today. As of yesterday, it has been four weeks since I implemented a “lifestyle change” – if you care to call it that – which includes working out regularly, eating healthier, and living a more stress free life.

During these past weeks, I have focused mostly exercising and creating a regimen that works for me. I have always worked out and kept in relatively good shape, but never like this. I made a commitment to myself and so far I feel great!

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I’ve heard over and over that it takes 4 weeks for something to become a habit, which is why I am so happy with myself for reaching this milestone!

You may be wondering why all of a sudden I decided to make this change..

This past year of college was very difficult for me. I was extremely stressed out, anxious, and generally unhappy. My schedule was filled to the brim with activities and other commitments, the schoolwork was very difficult and time consuming, and I was living in a tiny apartment with a roommate who I did not get along with.

I was captain of my college dance team, held a position in my sorority, worked 10+ hours per week, and was pursuing classes towards both my bachelor degree and my masters. To say the least – I was in way over my head.

I didn’t make any time for myself or the things that I genuinely cared about. I wasn’t getting enough sleep and I wasn’t taking care of myself. Because of my busy schedule I rarely had time to go grocery shopping, never mind taking an hour to go to the gym.

I didn’t know how to handle it. I was frequently in a bad mood and lashing out at the people who cared about me. I knew I was doing it and felt awful about it, but for some reason I couldn’t control it.

When I moved home for the summer in May, I took some time to re-evaluate decided that something needed to change. I realized that no matter how busy my schedule gets, I need to make time for myself! I decided then and there that I was going to dedicate this summer to self improvement.

665d9ee745f89597ea65b105c370274eI first decided to focus on my health! I made a commitment to workout at home 5 days per week and to start drinking more water. So far so good. I have found myself with more energy and much less stress in my life.

My next task is improving my outlook and attitude about obstacles that come my way, while keeping with my workout regimen. I started this by keeping a Gratitude journal, as I mentioned last week.

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully it gives you a better idea of where I am coming from!

 

xo,

Jaclyn

 

Q. What do you do to handle stressful situations in your life?