Need a pick-me-up? Here are some easy ideas!

Need a pick-me-up? Here are some easy ideas!
In our current social climate, with COVID and riots and now hurricane season approaching, it's easy for us to feel overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and just unmotivated. We can sometimes get anxious or depressed when we focus on the things that are troubling us.

One surefire way to turn yourself completely around is to focus outward. 

When we take our thoughts away from our own problems and shortcomings, suddenly the world seems a little bit brighter. 
A positive outlook is easier to cultivate when we focus on those around us. So how can we practically put this into action?

By doing the simplest of actions: Random Acts of Kindness, affectionately called RAKs.

Not only can these help us to focus on others, but we get a rush of endorphins when we do something nice for someone else, and this can also help us to feel more empowered and in control.

Let's start with RAKs in the home.

  • Do someone's chore for them (even a parent doing a child's chore!)
  • Leave love notes around, on their pillow, in their bathroom, at their seat in the kitchen
  • Bring them a treat from the grocery store
  • Make their favorite meal or dessert
  • Announce a movie night and have their favorite movie (or one they've been wanting to see) all cued up and ready to go
Here are some ideas for RAKs in the office, for those who aren't working remotely or will be going back to the office eventually:

  • Bring in bagels or donuts
  • Leave a note of encouragement on their desk
  • Bring in an extra cup of coffee from Starbucks
  • Buy someone's lunch
  • Wash out someone's coffee mug or lunch dish in the breakroom
Need some random ideas for when you're out and about? I have some of those for you too:

  • Bake bread or cookies to bring to your neighbor (this is especially great if you don't know them or better if you do but don't like them!)
  • Pay for the order behind you in the drive through
  • Give someone a sincere compliment instead of just thinking about how much you admire their outfit or hair or whatever
  • Leave a substantially larger tip than normal
I know you could easily do an internet search for these, but I wanted to share a few to get you started.

Here's my suggestion: make a list of 5 RAKs that you will do within the next week and as you cross each one off, write the name of the person next to it. 

What other Random Acts of Kindness can you think of, or what have you done or had someone do for you that really blessed you?


My mindset is great! ...right?

My mindset is great! ...right?
In the movie Home Alone, as the family is rushing to get everyone in the car to the airport after oversleeping, Frank McAllister makes a comment to Peter McAllister that there's no way they'll ever make the flight. Peter tells Frank to be positive, to which Frank replies, "You be positive. I'll be realistic."

If you've seen the movie, you know they did end up making the flight.

That quote has stuck with me from the first time I saw the movie.

Oftentimes we can confuse pessimism with being realistic. We tell ourselves we're simply choosing to be honest when in fact, we're really just being negative.

We take this tactic when talking about our own attributes, reasoning this is why we don't speak highly of ourselves. We don't want to give ourselves false compliments. There's a huge difference between falsely complimenting ourselves, and having a positive mindset.

In order to have a positive mindset, we don't need to wear rose-colored glasses or ignore the harsh realities about ourselves, our situations, or our world.

What we do need, however, is the determination to not allow anything negative to stand in the path of what we want.

Our words have SO much power.

There's a huge difference between saying, "I hope I can achieve this goal" and "I am going to make this happen!"

It's great to hope. Everyone needs hope. But placing outcomes on our hopes rather than on our actions won't get us anywhere near our goal.

There's a big difference between saying, "I am just not creative" (which may be true in the moment) and "I am going to grow in my creative abilities!"

I'll be honest, this is something that I have had to be very intentional about improving. It's not easy! Positive mindsets don't come naturally to most people. I can almost guarantee you that the people you know who have a positive mindset have worked hard to have it. 

If this is something you struggle with and you'd like a little kickstart, I would love for you to join us in our Drops of Blessings Facebook Group on Monday for our FREE 3-day Mindset Challenge!

We'll work together over three days to take a look at how we're currently thinking, and what we can do to flip our mindset switch to the positive setting. We'll explore truth vs. reality, and actionable steps you can take to help you speak truth over every situation.

If you're ready to join us, click here to head to the group and come on in! 

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Would you take a bath in your bed? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Would you take a bath in your bed? 🤦🏻‍♀️
Sleep Hygiene

When I first heard that phrase, I had visions of a bathtub in my bed. 🛀🏻 Literal hygiene. 

Apparently not. 😂

Sleep hygiene refers to the ways you take care of your health to promote better sleep. 

Some people are diligent about making sure they exercise regularly, avoid caffeine late in the day, stick to a strict sleep/wake schedule, and turn off all electronics.

Other people are on their cell phones as they fall asleep, or watching TV. They don't exercise, they consume a lot of alcohol late at night, and have a tendency to go to bed at all different times.

Which of those people do you think sleep better and feel more refreshed and energetic throughout the day?

My money is on the first group of people. Those are the ones with good sleep hygiene habits.

Did you know that 35% of adults admit to getting less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period? This, my friend, is the definition of sleep deprivation.

What happens when you're sleep deprived?

Lots of things. For one, sleep deprivation is the cause of 1,500 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries every single year in the United States. 

And what else?

  • It can cause you to be less alert, less able to focus, and less able to problem solve.
  • It hinders your ability to lose weight (and can actually cause you to gain weight).
  • Causes your skin to age faster.
  • Impairs your memory.
  • Can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure - both of which can be fatal.
  • Increases risk of depression and anxiety.
This is why sleep hygiene is so important!

There's a lot more than just a handful of habits that go into sleep hygiene - the foods you eat; the books you read; what you think about during the day can even affect your sleep.

That's why I have a FREE Sleep Checklist available for you to download and work through, to help you develop better sleep hygiene habits so that you can begin to sleep more soundly each night, and wake up feeling refreshed throughout the day. I want you to live your life feeling as good as possible

Click here to grab yours!

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NEW BLOG: Sleep and Mental Health: The Connection

  • Jun 17, 2020 09:31 AM Central
  • Melissa Smith
  • 0 Comments
NEW BLOG: Sleep and Mental Health: The Connection
After a late or restless night, getting very little sleep, how do you feel?

Are you chipper, upbeat, optimistic?

Peaceful, calm, steady?

Or are you irritable, sad, frustrated, anxious?

One night of awful sleep is all it takes to wreak havoc on your thought processes and emotions.

How much more would your mental health be affected if your sleep was disrupted over several nights, weeks, or months?

Multiple studies have shown that people with a chronic sleep disorder such as insomnia are 17 times more likely to develop anxiety. It's also common for sleep problems to develop before major depressive episodes.

Incidentally, when people with mental health issues also experience sleep disorders, they're less likely to respond to treatment.

On the flip side, when treatment for the sleep disorder is given, it's much more likely that the mental health issue will improve as well. This has also been the case for children with ADHD. Not only can the disorder itself and the medication prescribed cause sleep issues, but when those sleep issues are treated, the symptoms of the disorder are sometimes eliminated completely as well.

We know that getting enough sleep is crucial for our physical health, but sometimes we don't realize the impact it can have on our mental health.

Rather than automatically assuming our emotions and mental health need medication, we should first look into how well we are caring for our bodies' basic needs.

Click here to grab a FREE Sleep Checklist that you can check off to make sure you're taking all the right steps to help your body get the sleep it needs, so that you can feel your best, both inside and out!

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How To: Fall Asleep Peacefully (And a FREE Checklist to Help!)

How To: Fall Asleep Peacefully (And a FREE Checklist to Help!)

It’s 11 p.m.


You’re staring at the ceiling, rolling over, tossing and turning, then staring at the ceiling again. Your mind is going a million miles a minute and you just can’t settle down to a peaceful enough state so you can fall asleep.


Is there anything more frustrating?


Sometimes our bodies are in overdrive and our adrenaline is pumping, whether it’s from physical activity, a stressful conversation, or too many worries on our minds.


The good news is that there are certain things you can do to help your mind relax, so you can drift off into blissful sleep.


1. Turn off your devices.

Sometimes it’s not about knowing what to do, it’s doing what we already know. We’ve been told time and time again to put our screens away at least an hour or two before bedtime. If you’re not already doing this, you’ll be surprised at the difference it can make when you start.


2. Exercise - in the morning.

We know that exercise can help us to sleep better, but exercising in the afternoon or later can get our bodies energized to the point of being unable to settle down for sleep. If you normally exercise after work, try exercising on your lunch break instead. If at all possible, get up earlier and work out first thing in the morning. BONUS: your body burns body fat more efficiently on an empty stomach!


3. Warm skin, cool room.

One of the best feelings ever is rolling over to feel the coolness of the unused side of the pillow against your cheek. It’s so comforting to snuggle down into warm sheets when the air is chilly. A great way to do this is to set your room to cool down by lowering the AC temperature or opening a window in the winter, and then take a warm bath or shower while the room cools. When you get out, your warm skin will feel the comfort of the cool air, and getting under the blanket will only amplify that comfort to further relax you.


4. Empty your brain.

Put a worry box next to your bed, where you can write down your worries and concerns then lock them away. Keep a notepad on your nightstand so you can write down any pressing to-dos or reminders for the next day, so you can release any anxiety of forgetting them. Gratitude is also hugely important for peace of mind when falling asleep. Consider journaling things for which you’re grateful before turning off the lights. BONUS TIP: Lavender essential oil is fantastic for helping your brain to slow down and turn off. 


5. Settle your stomach.

The harder your body is working to process what you’ve eaten, the more unsettled it will be and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Avoid spicy foods, anything with caffeine, cheese, alcohol, fatty foods, and chocolate. The best foods and drinks to consume closer to bedtime are warm milk, lemon tea, bananas, kiwi, nuts, and honey.


It’s easy to feel frustrated and as though sleep is just beyond our grasp, but there are so many things we can do to prepare our bodies to fall asleep easily and peacefully. 


Click here to grab your free Sleep Checklist with more tips to make sure you’re getting a great night’s sleep!


 
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