Hey guys! So I thought of this blog post because I feel like a lot of us have just been feeling a little “stuck”, “in a rut”, “blah” (whatever you want to call it), with everything that has happened this year. I mean, let’s be honest, 2020 has not been ideal. I know that it’s been harder than normal to feel good physically and mentally so I wanted to put together a little list of things that I’ve found to be helpful. And regardless of coronavirus or not, these are my to-gos whenever I feel like I need a “reset” so to speak.

Movement. Notice I didn’t say workout. This doesn’t have to be anything crazy but just moving your body is going to be helpful. For me lately that’s been taking really long walks. The fresh air and alone time has really helped from a mental standpoint –I get to destress and decompress. Physically, I think all of us can relate to always feeling better after we’ve done some sort of movement. I mean, no one has ever felt worse or regretted a workout. So find some sort of physical activity you enjoy–maybe it’s walking, weights, a quick HIIT workout, or yoga. And if you’re feeling super unmovtivated, just start walking. Put on your sneakers, walk out your front door and just walk! It’s better than nothing and I promise it will help you feel better. You can either take the time to be quiet with your thoughts, or put on a podcast.

Make a healthy breakfast. I’ve always found that I feel so much better when my first meal of the day is healthy. You feel good right away and I feel like when you start off with something healthier, you’re more inclined to eat this way for the rest of the day. It just helps set a better tone for the day, ya know? Most of my favorites involve using egg whites because I love to get in protein first thing. My go-to lately has been sourdough bread or a whole wheat English muffin with 2 fried egg whites, turkey bacon, avocado, and cheese. Another great option is using the Joseph’s lavash flat breads (I’ve seen these at Walmart, Wegmans, and Harris Teeter), and making a healthy breakfast burrito. An egg white, veggie scramble can be a great way to get protein and some greens.

Eat your greens! Speaking of greens. This is the next on the list! I will admit that I am pretty terrible about eating a lot of veggies, especially greens. They aren’t my favorite so I have to get creative on how I incorporate them. But again, when I get in some greens and am eating a balanced diet I just feel better physically and mentally. An easy way is to throw some spinach into the next smoothie you make, and I highly recommend throwing some veggies (think broccoli or Brussels sprouts) into an air-fryer. They get super crispy and are definitely more enjoyable to eat! Haha.

Meditation. For the last couple years, I’ve been using the headspace app to meditate and I’ve found it to be really helpful in forcing me to take a breath, and to take a few minutes to just slow down and refocus. This can be great way to start your day –as soon as you wake up and before you do anything else take even just two minutes to meditate and set your intention for the day. I’ve also found that meditation can be helpful mid-day if at any point you’re feeling stressed, or just need to refocus or reset your intentions.

Vitamins. Vitamins are a super easy thing to incorporate into your routine that you literally have no excuse not to do! It takes 30 seconds and you’re taking care of your body from inside out. I personally love Ritual because its only 2 capsules, they have a minty fresh taste, transparently sourced ingredients, and are proven to be effective! (Ps. You can also use code CLAIRE10 for 10% off your first 3 months).

Water (especially when you first wake up!) I haven’t been the best with my water intake lately and I started to realize how much it was affecting me physically. Last week, I had these terrible headaches and was just feeling really lethargic. I realized that I was super dehydrated and wasn’t drinking anywhere near enough water. Now, I’ve gotten back into the habit of drinking an entire water bottle when I first wake up (before eating or drinking anything else), and it makes me much more inclined to get in enough water the rest of the day. Again, it helps set the tone for the day when I’m making it a priority first thing. If you don’t like plain water, try add fresh fruit or lemon!

If y’all have anything else to add that can be helpful, please share! And just know if you’re feeling really unmotivated right now, I totally get it and you aren’t alone! Try picking just one thing from this list and do it everyday for the next week and see how you feel after. I have a feeling it will help! 🙂 xxC