Last month was stressful… Who am I kidding, every day is stressful. So I spent a week trying to relax.
GOALS THIS MONTH:
- Meditate every night
- Take yoga classes
- Do as little as possible in my free time
HOW DID IT GO:
Um, not well actually. Turns out I don’t relax easily. I knew that about myself already but I thought that taking a week to myself and practicing relaxation techniques would force me to be less stressed out… I was mistaken.
I’m not sure how much you guys know about this, but SPOILER ALERT, wedding planning is actually pretty stressful and it requires constant work. And if you take a week off, that work doesn’t go away. So I spent a week of nights enjoying time on the couch watching TV, and the next mornings regretting all the time wasted that I could have been bedazzling some sort of centerpiece! Apparently by relaxing, I created more stress.
And with the weather getting warmer, there were more fun activities happening that I felt obligated to instead of taking a full day for the nothingness I wanted to commit to instead. So I got none of my to-do list done and no relaxing done! But man did I attempt to well.
There were some positives that came out of the whole thing though. I had a chair massage for the first time and it made me realize how much tension I am carrying around. The Massage Therapist even gave me tips on how to protect my lower back when sleeping (pillow between your knees if you’re on your side, under your knees if you’re on your back and under your ankles in you’re on your stomach.)
Also, I learned that I don’t have to go to yoga to relax - all forms of exercising are relaxing because your body feels better and you’re less anxious afterwards. Although being told to lie on my mat, close my eyes, and listen to music while meditating at the end of yoga is most definitely relaxing.
If you want to try your own relaxation week, our Towson location just opened the first Merritt spa, called M•Brace 360, and massages are super cheap for members! Also, yes to yoga, wine and not doing dishes/laundry/cleaning/anything. I think I will be more successful if I take small day-long breaks instead of pushing all of my responsibilities away for a week at a time. Or at least that is what I will tell myself next time I just want to watch lot of TV.
SIDE NOTE ABOUT LAST MONTH'S WHOLE30:
You all know how much I hated the Whole30. Well I would like to make an amendment to that. I did hate it. BUT I noticed its positive effects even more after it was over. Now that I can eat anything I want again, I realize how easily my cravings can be satisfied most of the time.
Before the Whole30, if I wanted ice cream, I could go to an ice cream parlor and easily eat a large size and be happy about it. Now I am very happy with a small and it stops the craving. Also, I always hated vegetables, but I realized there are a few that I don’t hate anymore and they can be hidden or mixed into a recipe to make it healthier.
I find that I am making my own healthy snacks more and am cooking with more healthy ingredients. I don’t even need cheese anymore like I used to! I am able to be even healthier on a regular basis with less extreme moments of weakness. So did I like the Whole30? No. But I like what it made me learn about myself.
VLOG:
FAVORITE RECIPE THIS MONTH: Whole30 Chocolate Almond Bites
This makes an awesome snack when you need chocolate! Very healthy and can be easily changed if you aren’t on the Whole30 diet. I added protein powder to mine and extra coco powder to make it more chocolate-y without adding sugar.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 2 TBL cocoa powder
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup raw almonds
- ¼ pecans
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 2 pinches salt
Your choice of coatings:
- Cocoa powder
- Crushed nuts
- Shredded coconut
- Hemp Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Matcha powder
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a food processor. Slowly add teaspoons of water if mixture isn’t sticky enough. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll into balls and roll in your coating of choice. (I coated mine in shredded coconut and added extra coco powder and protein powder to the mixture as well.)
