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      8 Habits I’ve Tried for Better Periods (and Which Ones Actually Worked)

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      The relationship with my reproductive system has been more like a horror movie than a warm and fuzzy rom-com: full of mystery, a little depressing, and unnecessarily bloody. It sounds like the beginning of a Judy Bloom novel, but my period has never been my friend. Over half of my life has been spent with monthly intense mood swings, severe bloating, and cramping so bad I would have to go home from school. As a preteen and a newly appointed “woman,” I tried doubling up on Advil, spending hours under the heating pad, and eventually was prescribed painkillers by my gyno (i know, right? Yikes!). Enter: 25-year-old Josie. I’m a little more confident, self-assured, and mature (kind of) than the 12-year-old girl who cried thinking about having to go to ballet class on her period. I no longer have to go home from school (I mean, work) during my time of the month, but I’m still so uncomfortable that I spend every minute I’m not in bed, wishing I was (and no amount of Advil or dark chocolate squares will change that). After an endless cycle (pun intended) of pain, PMS, and heavy bleeding, I’m tired of feeling like my body is more my enemy than my friend.
      But also since I was 12 years old, I’ve taken courses and wrote theses on ancient forms of medicine, I attended nutrition school, and I became a certified health coach. I have made diet and lifestyle changes that have made me feel happy, vibrant, and energetic like I never have before. I know way more about my body and believe that any symptoms (yes, even PMS or heavy bleeding) are the body’s way of communicating that something is up, rather than “just the way my body is.” In my 13 years as a menstruating woman (major *cringe* at that terminology), I have tried quite a lot to help ease my period symptoms. Here are eight of the most noteworthy habits and whether or not they actually helped.

      Source: @josie.santi

      1. Eating more nourishing foods
      Traditionally, my period was my personal excuse to eat all of the pasta and gallons of ice cream in sight. I’ve always had intense cravings that I would give in to, but more importantly, I felt so uncomfortable during that week that food became a form of comfort. However, as I learned about the role that food plays in the way the body feels, I started questioning my “eat-hard, bleed-hard” mentality (are the graphic visuals starting to get gross?). Instead, I cut out gluten (something I knew I had a sensitivity to, thanks to tests done by my doctor), loaded up on fruits and veggies, and prioritized iron-rich foods like beans and dark, leafy greens.
      I even started treating myself to a plant-based meal delivery service during my period week so that I was eating extra clean (and so I didn’t have to get off the couch to cook or wash dirty dishes if I didn’t want to). When I started craving something heavier or sweeter on my period, I listened to it instead of suppressing it, knowing my body knows what it needs. But instead of pasta or mac n’ cheese, I made a warming rice dish, and instead of bingeing an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s, I had a few squares of dark chocolate to satisfy me.
      The results: Changing my diet has been one of the biggest and most drastic changes. While it hasn’t been a miracle cure-all, I feel lighter and happier on my period since eating differently. Most impressively, ever since I started eating for extra nutrients instead of using my time of the month as a free-for-all, my period has gotten slightly shorter and more manageable. 

      Source: @josie.santi

      2. Cycle Syncing
      Cycle syncing is exactly what it sounds like: syncing your lifestyle, exercise, and diet around your cycle. Some people call it an ancient wellness technique, and some call it a bio-hack. The idea of cycle syncing is that your hormones are different during each phase, and therefore, your needs, emotions, and energy levels are too. Think about it: the moon has four phases, the seasons have four phases, and we as women have four phases.
      I tried cycle syncing the 2020 way: by downloading an app. MyFlo helps track your cycle so you can know what to expect, but it also gives you suggestions based on where you’re at in your cycle for everything from foods to eat to how to work to what type of exercise you should do. According to MyFlo and cycle syncing in general, the hormones (and the 28-day cycle they’re on) tell us everything from whether we should go out or stay in, eat raw foods or cooked foods (and what kind), or what kind of sex we’re in the mood for.
      The result: My biggest takeaway from this experience has been feeling more in tune with my body and to stop resisting what my body needs. For example, through past periods, I’ve forced myself to wake up early for my usual a.m. HIIT class, even though I felt exhausted, or I made myself meet up with friends when all I wanted to do was lay in bed and watch Real Housewives reruns. Cycle syncing helped me realize I was not being lazy, and my period wasn’t destroying my health goals. Instead, my body just needed different things at different times. 

      3. Gentle exercise
      Back to that early a.m. HIIT nonsense: I realized the intense exercise that I typically crave makes me feel bad if I try to push through it on my period. I feel incapable, unmotivated, and exhausted. Sure, I was always glad I did it afterward, but I swear it made cramps worse throughout the day, and I just didn’t feel good doing it, as I knew exercise was supposed to feel. So instead? I stopped forcing myself to do anything and instead opted for slow, gentle movement like stretching, yoga flow, or a little pilates if I felt like getting really crazy. 
      The results: Admittedly, it still feels difficult to move my body at all some days, even if it is gently and slowly. I try not to force myself to do anything if I’m not in the mood, but I know that if I do get off the couch and go through a yoga flow or even do a few slow ab exercises, my cramps actually feel better and I immediately get more energy. Opting for gentle exercise was an important lesson that “perfection” isn’t always better. I grew up with the mentality that most of us did where the goal of health was “perfection:” a clean diet, never skipping a workout, and no room for mistakes. Instead, I’ve learned that the goal of health is not perfection; it’s balance. And yes, sometimes balance means five minutes of yoga or stretching that’s basically just laying on the floor. 

      Source: Felicia Lasala for The Eveygirl

      4. Natural supplements
      Various gynecologists and doctors have put me on double doses of Advil, those aforementioned prescription painkillers, or birth control pills (more on that below) to help with period pain, but instead of over-emphasizing ibuprofen or numbing the pain, I’ve learned that nourishing my body as a way to fix the root cause helps me more, rather than patching up the symptoms. I have tried a combination of Chinese herbs, vitamins and minerals, and all-natural mixtures that are said to help menstruation.
      Some of the most noteworthy supplements I’ve tried over the past few years are raspberry leaf tea (recommended by Berrion Berry), to help strengthen the uterus; Love Wellness’ #Mood Pills to help with PMS; and magnesium citrate, which my doctor recommended I take every night, with an extra dose while on my period.
      The result: I feel a huge difference in my pain levels and heaviness when I am consistent with supplements. What I love the most about natural supplements like raspberry leaf tea or magnesium citrate is that they simultaneously nourish the body and provide a multitude of health benefits to help the body heal, rather than covering up symptoms like a painkiller. Don’t get me wrong: my Advil bottle is still with me at all times from days 1-7 of my cycle, but I’m also incorporating plant-based supplements that have helped me need Advil less. 

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      5. Chugging caffeine
      LOL, as if you couldn’t already tell from the overall tone of the article, chugging caffeine was one that did not work very well. But it came with good intentions: my period makes me lethargic and tired, so my go-to response to counteract those symptoms for years was to chug extra coffee just to get through the day. There were even some days where I thought I could not go to work without caffeine because I felt so tired and “out of it” that a coffee-less Josie would have been dead to the world. I also had this idea that coffee was the hero, helping my body feel its best, while my period was the antagonist sabotaging all of my goals.
      The results: While it certainly helped my Starbucks reward points, depending on coffee did not help my period. In fact, I felt even more pain whenever I had too much coffee. What did help? Cutting out caffeine before and during my period. My doctor suggested that caffeine can interfere with hormones, so after trying a few weeks without it, I did notice a major difference in period pain. Now, I get energy from nutritious foods (see #1) that are actually giving my body fuel, and I let my body rest when it needs because guess what: it’s literally releasing an egg and shedding lining–now that deserves some serious R&R. 

      Source: @josie.santi

      6. Seed Cycling
      Seed cycling is a practice of rotating between four different types of seeds (pumpkin, flax, sesame, and sunflower) according to the phases of your menstrual cycle. It’s claimed to balance hormones by regulating the hormone estrogen in the first half of your menstrual cycle and the hormone progesterone in the second half, based on the different seeds’ effects on the body. Many women are deficient in the essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals found in these seeds that can support their periods, but it might also help balance hormones in general. While this is an ancient practice, there is some fascinating science that might back it up. For example, the phytoestrogens (like in flax seeds) have a similar structure to the primary female sex hormone and might have similar effects as estrogen to the body. 
      The results: Full disclosure, I am new to trying this one, so I think I need a little bit more time to figure out if it works or now. Also, I am still on oral birth control (see below), so I don’t technically even have a “cycle” to accurately sync with. I’ll be getting off soon and will dive fully into seed cycling (for the betterment of womanhood, of course), so I’ll report back when I have more ground to do so.
      But what I like so much about this one, even if I can’t feel any effects just yet, is that it reminds me that my “cycle” consists of more than just my period days. The reproductive system is always working, whether you’re bleeding or not, and what you do on the days you’re not on your period can affect the days you are on your period. As always, be your own guinea pig, talk to your doctor, but most importantly, remember that your reproductive health requires your care and attention 24/7.

      7. Oral birth control 
      First, a disclosure: between the NuvaRing, shots, IUDs, the patch, and pills, picking a method of birth control is as confusing as deciding what to get at a breakfast buffet (if I fill up on scrambled eggs and hash browns, will I regret not getting pancakes!?). Whether you opt for hormonal birth control to ease period symptoms or for actual birth control (or both, which is most often the case), the method that’s best for you is extremely personal. What’s right for your best friend, or even your doctor, may not be right for you.
      Whether you prefer hormonal birth control or a hormone-free method, research all your options, identify the root cause of any symptoms, and talk to your doctor about what’s best for you. For me, I have been on oral birth control for almost 10 years. As a teenager, my gynecologist put me on birth control to help ease period pain since nothing else was working.
      The result: What I have personally liked the most about oral birth control is that I know when my period is coming. I’ve worked it around vacations or life events, which has been a #blessing that I didn’t even have to deal with tampons and cramps when I did not want to. But when my period does come, I still have all the same symptoms, plus occasional random breakthrough bleeding. I also feel like it’s putting a patch on the problem instead of identifying the root cause. Bottom line: oral B.C. has helped in some ways but has not in others. I give it a 4/10 for me, but what is so cool about being a woman, and a human in general, is that we all have different bodies, and those bodies react to everything in different ways. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. 

      Source: @josie.santi

      8. Listening to my body (and intuition)
      The biggest change started with a lesson from my therapist (shout out to Dr. Kelly!). She told me that there is pain, and then there is suffering. Pain is the physical experience that you feel, and suffering is the meaning that you put on that pain. Sure, I was feeling intense pain while other friends didn’t feel anything at all, but I was causing myself to suffer by turning my body into the enemy and asking, “why me!?” (boy, am I dramatic). 
      Since then, I’ve gotten older, wiser (kinda), and more in tune with my body. I’ve learned that symptoms are not inconvenient, and cravings are not to be suppressed. The body knows what it needs and knows if something is wrong; we just have to listen to it. I stopped googling, “how do I get rid of cramps?” and started listening to what my body needed more of. I got a stool test to see what was going on in my gut and felt a strong intuition that it related to my period symptoms, so I worked to heal my body and trusted that my reproductive systems would follow suit. 
      The results: When I saw my body as something that always had my best interest in mind and knew that listening to it would help me be healthy, I stopped seeing my body as the enemy and my period as the antagonist. Instead, I started to appreciate what my body was going through (I mean, fostering an environment to grow a freaking human being? That’s pretty badass). I looked at any symptoms or pain as my body’s way of telling me something is not right, whether that means diet, stress, or something else going on internally. The pain has lessened with the help of those aforementioned diet and lifestyle changes, but the biggest change was that I stopped suffering because I listened to my body and trusted my intuition. Is it just me, or is this movie starting to sound a little bit more like a rom-com?

      Please consult a doctor before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article. More

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      24 Women of Color Revolutionizing the Wellness Space

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      When someone says “wellness,” you might have a specific image of what that looks like in your head. Maybe it’s healthy food, maybe it’s therapy and mental health care, maybe it’s making sure you get enough sleep at night or go to the dentist every six months like clockwork. If all of the people in the wellness space who you’re following on Instagram look the same, however (i.e. they’re white), you’re missing out on so, so much. Wellness has traditionally been a pretty exclusive space, which is not at all a good thing. These BIPOC health and wellness experts are making serious waves—and if you’re not already following them, well, what are you waiting for? 
      1. Sophia Roe, Chef, Wellness Writer, and Advocate

      Source: @sophia_roe

      Follow if: you’re looking for the perfect balance of elevated healthy recipes, relatable inspiration, and powerful social issues. Sophia covers our favorite wellness topics through a lens of diversity, inclusivity, and honesty.

      Source: @caliwolf

      Follow if: you’re interested in conversations about health, mental health, grief and loss, and her experience as a Native woman. Cali is changing the game by bringing Native women together and encouraging a healthy lifestyle grounded in nature.

      3. Ailsa Emmel, Certified Nurse Midwife and Blogger

      Source: @_happygocurly_

      Follow if: you want more evidence-based conversations. Check out Ailsa’s weekly #WomensHealthWednesdays for important, fascinating, and honest topics. Her killer fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content is a definite added bonus!

      Source: @hannahbronfman

      Follow for: gorgeous pictures, honest content, and helpful tips on everything from fitness to food to self-care. With an adorable new baby, an IGTV interview with Barack Obama (NBD), and a wellness empire under her belt, Hannah is serious #goals. 

      Source: @themirnavator

      Follow for: inspiring content that will make you want to get moving and get outside. If her well-known writing and motivational workshops don’t motivate you to live your best life, following her active life on Instagram will make you actually crave exercise–trust. 

      Source: @thenutritiontea

      Follow if: you’re over diet culture (aren’t we all??) and looking for health tips that are both helpful and inclusive. Shana gives us the reminder we all need that “healthy” looks different to every body, and food is meant to be enjoyed. *follows immediately*

      7. Traci Copeland, Nike Master Trainer and Fitness Instructor 

      Source: @traco4

      Follow for: some serious fitness motivation and help reaching your health goals. Traci is an empowering badass who regularly shares yoga flows, smoothie recipes, and health tips. 

      Source: @healthylatina

      Follow if: you want some health content that’s actually relatable. Michelle shares recipes you’ll crave (like tomatillo salsa or gluten-free chocolate chip cookies), workout tips you’ll use, and her experience living with eczema that you’ll find inspiring. 

      Source: @chic_in_academia

      Follow for: science and health content from an expert you can trust. Bertha is a genetic epidemiologist and public health expert, focused on presenting scientific facts in an attainable way. Add on amazing travel and lifestyle content, and you’ll be wondering how she has time for it all (but feel so glad she does). 

      Source: @doctoranddancer

      Follow if: you’re looking for science-backed info, relatable parenting content, and inspirational quotes. Dr. Desai is both a renowned doctor and TEDX speaker, so you know you’re getting the perfect combination of scientific facts and inspiration.  

      11. Jessamyn Stanley, Yoga Teacher, Body Positive Advocate, and Author of “Every Body Yoga“

      Source: @mynameisjessamyn

      Follow if: you want more health tips that are inclusive to everyone. Covering everything from yoga flows to fitness challenges to calls to action on major social issues, Jessamyn is transforming the wellness game to be more inclusive, diverse, and encouraging. 

      Source: @nativein_la

      Follow for: the inspiring combination of fitness motivation and social justice. Jordan authentically shares her experience as a Native person and proves that movement can be medicine to not only heal ourselves, but heal our communities. 

      13. Cara Harbstreet, RD, Food and Nutrition Expert

      Source: @streetsmart.rd

      Follow if: you think health and nutrition should also be fun. Cara features witty content that will have you LOLing through your Instagram feed, mixed with no-nonsense recipes that are as practical and delicious as they are healthy. 

      Source: Dr. Mariel Buquè

      Follow for: shareable inspirational quotes that will brighten up your Instagram feed and boost your mood. Dr. Buquè covers a wide range of life-changing holistic mental health content, like intergenerational healing, self-love, and more. Pro tip: don’t miss her meditations and inspiring interviews on IGTV.  

      15. Ginger Dean, Psychotherapist, Relationship Coach, and Creator of The Inner Circle

      Source: Loving Me After We

      Follow if: you need a little extra inspiration and guidance with your relationships. Ginger helps women overcome heartbreak, increase self-love, and boost confidence after toxic relationships, but her inspiring tips are applicable, no matter your relationship status. 

      Source: Jenny Wang PHD

      Follow for: a space where women can safely express emotion and explore areas that feel unfulfilled. Jenny Wang focuses on mental health content for members of the Asian diaspora and shares important conversations with other revolutionary women. 

      Source: @chelsey.moves

      Follow for: beautiful images, inspiring lifestyle tips, and all things Indigenous wellness. Wellforculture is an Indigenous wellness initiative to promote holistic lifestyles that we can all learn a lot from. 

      Source: @hellolaurenash

      Follow if: you need some serious stress relief on your Instagram feed. Lauren founded Black Girl in Om as a space for Black womxn to heal and help them feel liberated, empowered, and seen. Now that’s wellness.  

      Source: @berrionlberry

      Follow if: you have period symptoms or are looking to feel more connected to your reproductive system. Even just a scroll through Berrion’s Instagram feed is extremely educational: you’ll learn everything from how to eat on your period to why you should use a menstrual cup, and how to sync your cycle to your work schedule (genius, right!?). 

      20. Jessica Rihal, Yoga and Meditation Instructor

      Source: @jessicajadeyoga

      Follow if: you need that extra push to break out of your comfort zone. Best said by U.S. News & World Report, Jessica has transitioned from “someone who was too scared to go into a yoga class, to a yoga instructor who has been featured in inspirational documentaries and ad campaigns.” Now that’s the kind of 2021 energy we need RN. 

      Source: @askdrjess

      Follow for: concrete advice, powerful conversations, and radical self-acceptance. Dr. Jess gives such good advice, in fact, that #AskDrJess has basically gone viral, thanks to her her profound responses to a variety of topics from anxiety to self-love. 

      Source: @nutritionhappens

      Follow for: delicious, easy, and everyday meal inspo you’ll be screenshotting to make later. May is the queen of making veggies look utterly delicious, thanks to recipes like sesame cauliflower and butternut squash oat bars. 

      23. Lalah Delia, Spiritual Writer, Wellness Educator, and Author

      Source: @lalahdelia

      Follow if: you need an extra dose of love and inspiration in your feed. Lalah is basically the Oprah for millennials, thanks to her inspiring writing, relatable content, and shareable graphics that will help you pause and reflect while scrolling through your feed. 

      24. Roz Mays (AKA Roz The Diva), Certified Pole Instructor and Personal Trainer

      Source: Roz the Diva

      Follow for: an instant confidence boost. Roz is on a mission to help nontraditional athletes enjoy fitness, and is encouraging self-confidence, inner “Diva-ness,” and body pride along the way. Just check out her stunning videos for all the motivation you need to tackle any Monday, workout class, or tough time. More

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      The One Trick That Helped Me Reach Every Goal Last Year

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      One of my most defining characteristics is my planner. Every year, I change it up slightly, but I never fail to have at least 1-3 planners in my possession at all times. I live and breathe my planner and notebooks. But I use them for way more than my daily to-do lists and managing all of my events and meetings; my planners are filled to the brim with goals, lists, reflections, trackers, ideas, and more. And after building some much-awaited anticipation, I’m sharing everything I use them for, how I use them, and how exactly I managed to reach pretty much every goal I had for 2020–all thanks to my little black books! All of this to say, if you simply made it to December 2020, you’ve done a solid job. I didn’t reach every personal goal by miles (LOL, I wanted to travel outside of the U.S.!), and I reestablished my goals once the pandemic hit to feel like I was still pushing toward things even if everything felt different. Goals are honestly arbitrary if you’re happy and feel good; don’t beat yourself up if you merely survived this year. But I’m also all here for making 2021 the best yet, even with our “new normal” still in sight.

      What I Use
      I go back and forth and use many different notebooks and planners, but my divine trio this year has been as follows:
      Black notebook as a “bullet journal” that I use for lists, goals, trackers, and long as all hell to-do lists every single day
      A daily planner to track meetings and schedule everything in my day from workouts to Zoom calls to taking a bath
      A big monthly calendar for tracking birthdays, events, and things I need to know of in advance (photoshoots and filming things, big projects I need to work on for days, etc.)—I have done this a few ways, like with a dry-erase board, a monthly calendar pinned to the wall, or a monthly planner, and the dry-erase board was the best but least attractive, so wall calendar it is!
      And as for my favorite supplies…

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      How I Use Them
       
      Set up trackers
      Having trackers in my planner or journal is the only reason I’ve created any healthy habits this year—I wish I was exaggerating. It’s the easiest way for me to recognize patterns (like when I’m not drinking enough water I’m also less motivated to work out because I get headaches!) and address pain points in my routine to make room for the things I actually prioritize. If I notice that I went a whole week without reading, I set up next week’s weekly to-do list with specific tasks to get more reading in. This has made it so easy to see the habits I prioritize in my life and make them easy to achieve and develop rather than just a list of goals that I find daunting.

      Create daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals
      Before you can create your habits, it’s important to figure out what goals you want to achieve. Many of us write up a list of yearly goals sometime around January 1. “Run a 5K!” “Eat healthier!” “Get a promotion!” But the downfall of those giant goals is when you don’t turn them into easy bite-sized chunks that you can actually accomplish. 
      Once I’ve written out my top goals for the year, I work on dividing them up into monthly, weekly, and even daily goals for myself. And this list is constantly changing. If I know I’ll be drinking one weekend, I’ll up my water goal to make sure I’m hydrated, but I also will decrease my goal for working out four days a week if I know I’m giving myself some grace through the weekend. Creating daily goals also really helps me to stay on track with my weekly and monthly goals. It feels easy to just have a goal to work out one time versus “work out four times a week for four weeks.” 
      These all usually work together to help me reach those big goals, but I also throw in other notes sometimes. The last few months, I made a weekly goal to get dressed and do my makeup at least three times. This had nothing to do with a monthly or yearly goal of mine, but it made me feel better, and sometimes those are the best goals to have.

      Developed daily and weekly routines
      Once you have all of your goals and habits in place, you can start creating routines to fit all of them in. I despise waking up in the morning without a plan; I want to know what’s happening when. But that isn’t always possible. I can’t expect to have a calendar laid out for me every single day, especially while working from home. Instead, I’ve developed my own routines to follow on the days it would be so easy to just lay in bed and do nothing. (And to be fair, some days, the whole routine is doing nothing in bed—gotta love the weekend!) 
      I create daily routines for busy days, lazy days, days I have lots of meetings, and more. This has developed over time, as I’ve seen patterns in myself. I know that on a busy day, I’ll put off eating until midday, which only makes me ravenous and, in turn, idle the second half of the day. So, I created a routine that made sure I ate a big breakfast that would last me a while so I could get a lot of work done without needing to stop for snacks or to eat. In the same vein, it’s helpful for me to have a routine for the days I struggle to be productive, so I filled it with tons of self-care and enjoyable tasks that get me out of a funk.
      I also enjoy creating weekly routines. This helps me stay on track with the tasks in my life that I find it easiest to constantly swap to other days. Laundry always gets done on Fridays. I plan my week every Sunday night. I work out Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I get take-out on Thursdays or Fridays. Having these in place makes it easiest for me to see when things are happening, and it makes it a lot harder to put off. This is also really helpful at work too! 
      These routines live at the beginning of my journal, and I refer back to them often. I’ll look at them at the beginning of the week when I’m making a plan for myself, and then I schedule all of these tasks in my planner or iCal. 

      Monthly and quarterly reviews
      Although many of us have bi-annual performance reviews at work, I make sure to do them monthly and quarterly on my own, for both my entire life and for work. I sit down with my notebook and go over the things I want to stop, start, and continue each month. Doing it right then makes it so much easier to look back on every quarter as well as at my yearly performance review to see what I’ve worked on and how I’ve grown throughout the year. 
      I also do a quarterly review, in which I just list out what I’ve done and then develop goals for the next quarter from that. I’ve done this all in one go before, but I also sometimes just write in notes as they’re happening. This is great for making notes about little victories in your day, like doing a 45-minute cardio class instead of 30 minutes or giving more positive feedback to a coworker. But it’s also great to note any pain points, such as not having enough time to work on your passions or skipping your workout every Saturday because you’re too tired in the mornings (me). Then, I’ll use these reflections to develop goals and ideas for the next month and quarter. (Can you tell I make an absurd amount of goals?) 

      Refine my to-do lists
      I make a wild amount of to-do lists on a daily basis, as I’m sure anyone who loves having a paper planner does as well.  But I’ve really revised and refined my to-do list process. Instead of having a million lying around at all times, I write one gigantic to-do list every night before bed for the next day in my notebook. It has everything from “take out the trash” to “cook dinner” to “edit such and such article” and more. Every work task, personal task, home task, health task—you name it, and I write it down. Then, the next morning, I pull all of my tasks from that list and schedule them into my calendar if they can be scheduled. “Cook dinner” becomes a 7 p.m. item. “Editing” is blocked for 3:30-5:30 p.m. This cuts my to-do list down immensely, making it so that I’m focusing less on those pieces as “tasks” and more on them as just being parts of my day. It makes my day so much less daunting than having a million items on a to-do list that I don’t know how I’ll ever get them done. 
      Then, if my to-do list still seems terrifying, I’ve started using a tip from freelance writer, Olivia Muenter. She suggested using a different sticky note to break down each to-do list item, even the absolute smallest parts. When you can pull away a sticky note, it’s immediately satisfying, no matter how easy the task was. I’ve modified it by using a sticky note for each “part” of my list. Typically for me, this looks like “writing,” “editing,” “Facebook,” “home,” “personal.’ Then, each note has every single task that needs to be done in that category, no matter how small. Almost always, “home” and “personal” don’t get removed until around 9 p.m., but removing the work-related notes as the day goes on is magical.

      All of this to say, I’m certainly not a productivity guru. I’m still learning. Heck, it took me two more days than I originally planned for to write this article right here! But having a few plans in place helps me immensely, and I know it’ll be my first line of defense when 2021 inevitably throws us some wild curveball.  More

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      5 Small Changes to Make for a Happier New Year

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      New year’s resolutions have never been productive for me. I imagine that many of us —including myself—are finding it difficult to set goals considering what this year has looked like for us globally. This year I found that adding small changes to my routine has helped me not only cope with the rollercoaster of emotions I’ve felt this year, but they’ve also helped me find new interests and even helped me reassess what’s important in both my personal and professional life. Because of my success, I wanted to share a few small tips to help make this new year more balanced and joyful. 
      1. Make sleep a priority 
      A study conducted by the CDC found that one in three Americans regularly don’t get enough sleep. I used to be one of those people until I figured out that sleeping gave my brain time to recuperate from staring at the computer for hours. I once thought that the longer I stayed up and got things checked off my to-do list, the longer I was productive. However, I often found myself having to spend more time on certain tasks because my eyes and mind were too tired. 
      My body’s reaction to my unhealthy sleeping habits makes sense given our bodies repair themselves each night as we get our well-deserved shut-eye. The amount of sleep each of us needs is unique to us within an average of 7-9 hours. I find that being mindful of what time I stop watching Netflix, texting, and lounging helps me make sure I’m in bed by 11 p.m., as that is my personal sweet spot. Experiment with different times to find what works best for you and adjust from there.  

      2. Add a mindful act of self-care to your routine
      A few weeks ago, I asked my therapist if she thought self-care was really helpful. Of course, her answer was yes. As we talked, I questioned how something as simple as a cup of tea could help with mindfulness, and in my case, anxiety. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but what I took away from our conversation was that by taking the time to make a cup of tea or draw a bath, you are saying you deserve a moment reserved for yourself. 
      Even with us being in our homes most of the time due to the pandemic, there’s still a lot to get done, and prioritizing ourselves is still important. We’re even working during a time where the physical boundaries of work for many of us are gone, which means closing our laptops when we’re “off” is even more difficult. Whether it’s meditation, tea, a bath, meditation, a walk, therapy, painting, or whatever you dream up, finding something small to do that gives you even a moment of peace is worth it.  

      3. Find a workout activity you enjoy
      At the start of the new year, it feels inspiring to embark on a new workout journey. However, sometimes we can get lost in physical transformation, and not take the time to figure out what activities we really enjoy that we’ll want to stick with even after the celebratory feelings of the new year have worn off. Exercising in the past has felt like a chore, but I found my thing in quarantine. Seeing my body change has been great, but the energy boost and anti-anxiety benefits I get are why I don’t skip more than a day of working out. 

      4. Get organized
      Organization is something I struggle with, especially when I feel like I have accumulated too much stuff. Decluttering your space isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, decluttering is proven to impact your mood.  No one has time for that considering there’s already enough going on around us that triggers our stress. Investing in organization products is a great place to start, but going through items in your home and donating and tossing unwanted things helps make your room for a clutter-free environment. This includes home goods, clothes, makeup, and whatever else that is making you ask yourself, “Do I ever use this?”

      5. Set boundaries with your phone and social media 
      Setting boundaries with my phone, social media, and technology, in general, is an ongoing struggle—one that I often try to amend with no success. Going cold turkey feels pretty impossible, so I have adopted a subtle, but consistent approach to this one. For starters, I no longer roll over and check my phone the moment I open my eyes. Secondly, I shut down my screen time at 9 p.m. each night.
      Social media can have a positive effect on our lives, but like most things in our lives, overconsumption can bring about negative effects—in this case, sleep disruption, anxiety, and depression. If you’re like me and are looking for ways to have a healthier relationship with social media, Start with silencing notifications, sleep with your phone across the room (or in another room), and avoid social media an hour to 30 minutes before bed. Each of these tips are expert-approved suggestions that can help us find balance with technology. 
      I find myself saying this a lot lately because I know it to be true: small changes can lead to a big impact. Find small things that work for you and your world. More

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      in health and weelbeing

      15 Items Wellness Experts Love From Trader Joe’s

      by

      Thanks to cult-classics like Cookie Butter and Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (both of which deserve to be staples in everyone’s kitchen, BTW), Trader Joe’s doesn’t always get the health-food store reputation that it deserves. America’s sweetheart of grocery stores not only offers organic options at much more affordable prices than other stores, but they recreate genius alternatives of some of our favorite foods with cleaner ingredients and plant-based nutrients. There’s a reason Trader Joe’s is a go-to for nutritionists, dietitians, and wellness experts alike. Whether you’re plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, or just looking to make your diet a little bit healthier, here are 15 easy, delicious, and oh-so-nutritious items at TJ’s that wellness experts pull of shelves:
      1. Green Goddess Salad Dressing

      Many salad dressings (especially creamy Green Goddess dressing) contain sneaky processed ingredients, added sugars, and unhealthy creams, so wellness experts love this list of clean ingredients (avocado, fresh herbs, apple cider vinegar, garlic, etc.). Bonus hack: it’s not just for your salads. Try it as a dip or pasta sauce to sneak in some nutrients for little picky eaters (and no shame if “little picky eaters” means you).  
      Try if: you’re over boring salad dressings.

      2. Unsweetened Açai Puree Packets

      While many açai bowls you can get at smoothie shops or restaurants contain added sugar, Trader Joe’s Açai Puree Packets are unsweetened. If “açai” sounds like a different language to you, the superfood has a wide range of health benefits and tastes delicious. Add to smoothies or make your own açai bowl and top with fruit, nut butter, and coconut shreds.
      Try if: you’re a sucker for an Insta-worthy breakfast bowl.

      3. Cauliflower Thins

      Made of cauliflower (over 60 percent), eggs, parmesan cheese, and deactivated yeast, these cauliflower thins are a delicious alternative to bread, tortillas, etc., for anyone who’s avoiding gluten or trying to sneak in more veggies. Spread avocado on top, pile on veggies and hummus, or DIY your favorite sandwich for healthy, delicious, and easy meals.
      Try if: you’ve never been able to say goodbye to sandwiches for lunch. 

      4. Organic Coconut Aminos 

      This healthy alternative to traditional soy sauce is free of gluten and soy, making it the perfect option for people with food sensitivities or allergies. It also has one-third the sodium content of traditional soy sauce, is plant-based (made from coconut), and certified organic, which are all labels that wellness experts cannot get enough of. Order it online here. 
      Try if: you’re a sushi lover who wants to make your takeout order a little healthier.

      5. Riced Cauliflower Stir-Fry

      This cult-favorite stir fry is made with cauliflower instead of rice. The plant-based rice is mixed with chopped veggies and nutritious flavors like tamari, sesame oil, and ginger. Simply reheat the mixture over a skillet, and you’re good to go! Pro tip: add egg, tofu, or chicken if you want a little extra protein.
      Try if: you don’t time/energy/motivation to cook, but still want a delicious, plant-based meal.

      6. Organic Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea

      With turmeric to reduce inflammation and ginger to aid in digestion, this tea is basically a wellness expert’s dream tea. And it’s certified organic!? You’re going to want to stock up on this tea before all the health nuts sell it out.
      Try if: you want a warming go-to drink that doubles as an extra dose of nutrients.

      7. Veggie Spirals

      Whether you’re craving pasta with tomato sauce, pad thai, or any other noodle variation, the veggie spirals are the perfect way to squeeze in some extra nutrients. These pre-spiraled frozen packages make healthy eating easy; simply heat them up and add to any recipe or top with any sauce for a way healthier version of your favorite noodle dish. You can either use them as a replacement for noodles or add them to the noodles you already love.
      Try if: you live for a good noodle dish. 

      8. Hi-Protein Veggie Burger

      With an impressive 26g of protein, a simple ingredients list, and 40 percent of the daily goal for iron, these plant-based vegan burgers are a dream for meat-free diets. The texture is more like a falafel than a chewy burger, which means you can eat with your favorite burger toppings or put it into salads and wraps to get some extra clean protein into your lunches. Order it online here. 
      Try if: you want to add more protein in your diet.

      9. Organic Tahini

      The only ingredient in this creamy butter alternative is ground sesame seeds. High in fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, and a variety of other nutrients, tahini is officially a staple in health experts’ kitchens. Add it to salad dressings to make them creamier, use it in baked goods recipes to up the nutrition, or drizzle over fruit for a decadent (and healthy!) treat. Order it online here. 
      Try if: you want to hack your baked goods. 

      10. Kale Gnocchi

      Of all the infamous Trader Joe’s gnocchi (cauliflower, sweet potato, chocolate), the Kale Gnocchi has got to take the (very healthy) cake. With a simple ingredients list of potato starch, chickpea flour, sea salt, olive oil, and, of course, kale, it’s the perfect way to sneak in some extra greens.
      Try if: you never remember to eat your greens.

      11. Juice Shots

      You already know that fancy juice shots are a must-have in the fridges of bougie wellness experts and health influencers. The problem for us normal people? Juice shots can be hella expensive (and for literally one sip…?). Luckily, the shots at Trader Joe’s are the cheapest I’ve ever found, while still being certified organic and full of superfoods and nutrients, making them wellness-expert approved. 
      Try if: you’re looking to upgrade your wellness game.

      12. Chocolate Hummus

      I know what you’re thinking: chocolate…hummus? While I fully trust and respect the Trader Joe’s powers that be (AKA whoever names the genius products), I think of this less as a chocolate hummus and more of a chocolate frosting or dip that sneaks in some healthy ingredients. With a base of cooked chickpeas and tahini, dessert just got a lot more nutritious. Use as a frosting for baked goods or as a dip with apple slices when you’re craving something sweet.
      Try if: you have a serious sweet tooth.

      13. Cauliflower Pizza Crust

      Perhaps one of the most beloved Trader Joe’s products of all time, the cauliflower pizza crust revolutionizes drunk food and pizza cravings by replacing greasy crusts and processed flour with nutrient-dense cauliflower and gluten-free cornflour. Try the Margherita variety for the days where “cooking” means sticking something in the oven, or the bare crust to get creative with toppings.
      Try if: you live off of frozen pizzas (AKA everybody RN)

      14. Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil

      The only three ingredients in this delicious snack are popcorn, extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt. Made with organic kernels and olive oil (instead of more processed oils or butters), this is basically as clean as a store-bought popcorn is going to get. Plus, it contains fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Order it online here. 
      Try if: you want a nutrient-dense replacement for potato chips.

      15. Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto

      Because even wellness experts love pesto. Not only is this option dairy-free, but it’s also more nutritious than the traditional version by incorporating kale and cashews in addition to the usual ingredients like basil, lemon juice, and olive oil. Use the decadent sauce on top of bruschetta, with your favorite pasta, or as a dip for veggies.
      Try if: you need a go-to sauce that’s as healthy as it is delicious.

      What are your go-to healthy Trader Joe’s products? More

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      The Hacks My Therapist Taught Me That I’m Using to Make 2021 My Best Year Yet

      by

      After the complete dumpster fire of a year 2020 was, I was sure as hell due for a sit-down with a therapist (virtual, luckily). Everything “seemed” to be going just fine in my life, and I really had nothing on the surface to complain about. This year really put into perspective that having a job and housing, being healthy, and having a few close friends and family members are really all you need in life; the rest is just extra. So, why the heck was I so depressed? For one, I don’t want to downplay the absolute role of ~brain chemicals~ in all of this. I’ve suffered from clinical depression for as long as I can remember; the pendulum suddenly swings opposite my favor every now and then solely because my brain feels like it, and as much as I can try to meditate and journal and do yoga and become a freaking zen master, I’ll still deal with depression. But there are times when my anxiety and depression can stand for a little upgrade, and that’s where talking to a therapist about coping mechanisms comes into play. 
      I’ve long been aware of the concept of limiting beliefs: those thoughts you believe about yourself to be utterly true even though they’re almost rarely based in facts. I can tell my friends up and down when they’re speaking through a limiting belief or they’re making up ideas assuming them as truths. But when it comes to myself… LOL. I don’t have such a handle on how negative thoughts can be so all-consuming. 

      I can tell my friends up and down when they’re speaking through a limiting belief or they’re making up ideas assuming them as truths. But when it comes to myself… LOL.

      I have limiting beliefs about all kinds of things. “They’ll think I’m weak and unstable” if I open up or get vulnerable with people, or I “can’t meet a partner until I lose weight, because no one would want to be with me as I am now” are examples of really specific ones I have. But they also come up naturally: “I could never start a business,” “I’m not good at that,” “I’m bad at relationships.” I have limiting beliefs about my performance at work, my friendships, my relationship with my family, my habits, my productivity—you name it, and I’ve probably created a false reality about it in my head. Limiting beliefs can even be pretty specious, to the point that you might not even recognize at first that it isn’t actually factual.
      After a few sessions, my therapist caught on to a few of them and suggested I start reframing these thoughts. At first, I was like, “Yeah, sure, that’ll work.” In practice, it doesn’t seem like it could be that effective. “I’m bad at everything” becomes “I am open-minded and try everything, which makes it hard for me to become a master at any one thing.” But when we got more specific and took more time to focus on how I could reframe that thought, fireworks went off. Immediately, I noticed that my mood and ability to cope with negative emotions improved. 

      I have limiting beliefs about my performance at work, my friendships, my relationship with my family, my habits, my productivity—you name it, and I’ve probably created a false reality about it in my head.

      Since this has helped me so much the last couple of months, I’m ramping it up in 2021. The positive, healthy, mentally-well me has arrived! Here are a few ways I’ve used thought-reframing to manage my emotions and adjust the self-talk I experience, plus a few tips you can use to make 2021 your healthiest mental year yet:

      Keep A Journal
      My therapist recommended I dedicate a journal entirely for thought reframing. She said that when I have really negative thoughts that seem to pervade me—or even as time goes on, focusing on the little thoughts that come up throughout the day—to immediately write them down. And don’t judge yourself. If your first thought is that you suck and are the worst person ever, same! The whole point is noticing how often you have these thoughts. It makes sense why we’d feel down or sad if we’re constantly telling ourselves that we do, in fact, suck. 
      Then, at the end of the day or week, I go through all of the thoughts I’ve compiled and work on how I would reframe them. And when I really need a minute to calm down and regroup, I’ll do it right there, sometimes in the notes app on my phone. This has been a game-changer for me. I slowly am starting to see patterns in my thinking and discovering how I’ve managed let these intrusive thoughts take over for so long. 
      Some examples of thoughts I’ve reframed:
      “I look so ugly today” → “I’m really proud of how I did my hair and makeup today.”
      “I never have any good ideas” → “I prioritize ideation, and it’s a skill that I’m proud of at work.” 
      “I’m a bad employee because I missed a deadline” → “I am working so hard to produce work that is high-quality, and sometimes that is sacrificial.”
      “I’ll never meet someone unless I lose weight” → “I want someone to love me for me as I am right now, not someone who wants a different version of me.”

      If your first thought is that you suck and are the worst person ever, same! The whole point is noticing how often you have these thoughts. It makes sense why we’d feel down or sad if we’re constantly telling ourselves that we do, in fact, suck. 

      Source: rawpixel

      Try hot-to-cool thinking
      When reframing an entire thought seems a little daunting, hot-to-cool thinking is what my therapist recommended. Basically, instead of going from “I’m the worst” to “I’m the best!” you go from “I’m the worst” to “I’m working on it.” We don’t have to immediately love ourselves; that takes time. And even if you do love yourself, you get tripped up and have negative thoughts, maybe even often. It’s human, unfortunately, to be hard on ourselves and go to a negative place when we want to avoid feeling an emotion we don’t like, such as jealousy, sadness, fear, or anger. So, simply cool down your thoughts.
      Some other examples: 
      “I’m bad at my job” →  “I’m facing a few new challenges right now.” 
      “I’ll always be single” → “Being single doesn’t feel great right now. I would like to work on meeting someone.” 
      “I’m ugly” →  “Everyone has different taste; who I find attractive is not the same as who someone else does. Because of this, looks are so subjective.” 
      “I’ll never have enough money to live comfortably” → “I can provide myself the necessities right now, but I’ll have to find another stream of income to have extra spending money.”

      It’s human, unfortunately, to be hard on ourselves and go to a negative place when we want to avoid feeling an emotion we don’t like, such as jealousy, sadness, fear, or anger.

      Recognize when an intrusive thought is taking over
      The second you start to recognize that you’re catastrophizing or getting stuck in a loop of limiting beliefs, simply recognize it. Notice how it feels. Are your palms sweaty? Did you tense up? Is your posture hunched? Do you feel a temperature change? For one, when we can see how our body naturally responds to stress, it’s easier to understand how and why it’s not good for us. When you notice your jaw lock during a particularly stressful day and you move around to try to help it, there’s an immediate release involved. 

      Notice how it feels. Are your palms sweaty? Did you tense up? Is your posture hunched? Do you feel a temperature change?

      But there’s also importance in recognizing the thought so you can give yourself compassion. My therapist is constantly telling me to just stop and place my hand on my heart. Engage in self-compassion and love. Remind yourself that it’s OK to feel negative emotions. This alone has been a game-changer, and it’s so simple and can be done anytime, anywhere.   More