The importance of rest

/in /by

This weekend was very busy, we had plans it seems like every moment but it made me really appreciate the little bit of down time we had and how much it’s important to rest. Especially in pregnancy, my stamina is far less than my normal levels. I was able to take a nap this afternoon and at first couldn’t fall asleep so I just layed down in bed to breath and rest, I eventually fell asleep and woke up about an hour later, just what this body needed!

I also took a break from social media, I’m on quite a bit during the week to run my online business so the weekend is a time to rest my brain from the hustle and bustle of online. I feel like I may miss out on a few things but taking a break on the weekends or at least cutting back significantly helps me be more productive during the week.

That’s all for now, I hope you had a beautiful weekend!

XO

Book-ending your day!

/in /by

How you start and end your day is really important. Most highly successful people have morning routines as well as evening routines. This helps set you up for a successful mindset at the start of your day no matter what else happens during the rest of your day that is out of your control-having a ready mindset from the routine will improve your chances of having a better day. This helps with anxiety and overwhelm too when you can set up your brain right at the start of the day.

I first heard this from Lewis Howes on his podcast a few months ago so I thought I would mention that today. The podcast is Episode 685.

I have started with my morning routine and it’s simple and takes less than 5 minutes and I notice a profound difference in my mindset and have far less anxiety when I fit in my morning routine. Sometimes I only have that 5 minutes to myself before the whole family wakes up, I prefer an hour of quiet in the morning and feel even better and more clear-headed on those days.

My morning routine is get up drink water, then grab my gratitude journal and write at the top the date, time I woke up, 1) drink water, 2) I am statements, 3) gratitude- 3 things I’m grateful for, 4) prayers for people or something on my mind, 5) service- how can I serve others and goals I want to meet through service. That’s it! It takes little time and then ideally I get in a workout afterwards.

At the end of the day to book-end it I like to take a quick shower especially if I missed my morning shower then go chat with hubby for a little bit or watch t.v. together. On those nights I feel best getting into bed instead of having my phone in my face until lights out. I get more restful sleep when I end on a calming note.

How do you book-end your day? What new habits are you going to implement?

Pregnancy Gingivitis

/in /by

Today I went to my dentist for a regular checkup, my teeth have been bleeding when I floss. A pregnancy side effect! I didn’t know it had a name, it’s called pregnancy gingivitis. The hygienist said it’s due to hormones from the pregnancy and it will clear up after having baby. I also have a water pic and when I use that my gums don’t bleed so I need to use it more. I need to continue brushing and flossing daily, articles online suggest gargling with salt water as well.

Some insurance plans offer an additional dental cleaning during pregnancy to help prevent tooth decay and find problems that may arise.

About a month ago, I chipped a filling while flossing. I didn’t think my dentist could fix it because I’m pregnant but she was able to add the ceramic filling, it was a small chip. So it’s always a great idea to get checked out if you have dental issues come up during pregnancy.

 

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4385665

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/swollen-gums-during-pregnancy

Comparison steals your joy

/in /by

Tonight I’m going to keep it brief. I keep falling into the trap of comparison and most of the time I just want to see how others are coaching and doing their business, how they present it on social media and what type of response they appear to be receiving from what they say. But then I easily fall into comparison mode that these people are so much better at showing up on social media so why should I bother or when I go to write my own post and connect with others, I lose my confidence and don’t know what to say. It’s actually a terrible cycle!

What I am doing to reverse this and step away from comparison is to focus on what I want to share first. I write that down, I make a plan for the day or the week, I talk with my success partner and coaches on my team that are working on similar goals and that helps so much! I started feeling good this week and have exercised with weights a few times and gone on longer walks with my daughter and that really helps to clear my head.

If you fall into the comparison trap know that you’re not the only one but you don’t have to stay stuck in that space. You have something of value to offer, you are unique and amazing, after all there is only one of you!! XO

Vein Disease

/in , /by

I’m 22 weeks pregnant and since about 8 weeks into my pregnancy I noticed the veins on my right calf have become more pronounced! In my first pregnancy I had a varicose vein sprout on my right calf and this pregnancy it really expanded and now most of my right calf is super veiny and gross looking.  I bought a compression sleeve off Amazon, naturally and showed my midwife my varicose veins. She said I could go to a vein specialist to get checked out, the first one I called wouldn’t even see me because I’m pregnant and they can’t treat me. I went back and asked for another specialist. I just want to get it checked out to make sure it’s not a danger to me or this little baby in my belly.

Today I went to Kimmel Institute in Boca. The nurse checked me out and took an ultrasound of my leg, she confirmed the diagnosis with Dr. Kimmel who came in shortly after and he explained to me what exactly is Vein Disease. Basically the veins in my leg aren’t correctly pulling the blood up and down my leg so little veins are sprouting around that area. The pressure on my uterus from this pregnancy are creating the environment for the veins to look worse. Fortunately, this is not harmful to the baby or me. The thing to do right now is to wear a full leg compression sleeve (sigh). After I have the baby and finish breastfeeding I can go back to get treated with the procedure called, Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA).

I’m thankful this is something that can be treated later and relieved the baby is not affected. It was interesting to learn how the vein system works. Dr. Kimmel explained it really well, I’m not doing a good job explaining it like he did. He did say to make sure I’m well hydrated and also to avoid high intensity activities such as running, jogging or hiit workouts which I have stopped all those activities early on this pregnancy. He said regular exercise is ok like walking, light weights and yoga so I’m going to continue doing that.

That’s all for today!