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We’re All in this Together America

Our world as we know it has changed and continues to drastically within a matter of days. These are circumstances most of us never could have completely imagined nor fully prepared for. Regardless of your political standpoint or views on COVID-19 and the government mandated closures all over the country, these circumstances are affecting our livelihoods, businesses are on the verge of failure, and children everywhere are turning to their Chromebooks for virtual learning and zoom meetings with their teachers and fellow classmates. Unless you’re an essential employee, or are able to work from home, you. don’t. have. a. job. right now.

We have all gone through an entire roller coaster of emotions by now, trying to balance school, work, parenting, life at home, etc while keeping spirits high and doing our best to manage and model healthy stress management to our children at home. Many are left wondering how or when they’ll be able to pay their rent and other bills. Unfortunately, those stimulus checks we haven’t seen yet aren’t going to cut it for the amount of time we’ll be in this thing. We’ve seen all the posts on social media, ranging from positive and encouraging words to angry and frustrated rants; many of which justify our negative feelings and even crap on those who are trying not to sulk. There is ABSOLUTELY no right or wrong way to feel during this unprecedented time but we have to try to make the most of a really shitty situation so that we can be healthy functioning adults with healthy functioning and highly adaptable children when we get out of this! The sooner we accept our current reality and do our part to flatten this curve, the sooner we can begin to live happier and closer to normal despite the flaws this year has presented. One thing we need to remember during shit times in our lives is that digging a hole only makes it deeper and harder to get out of when we’re finally tired of digging. We can’t change the negative aspects of our current situation but we CAN try to find the positive because guess what America, we’re ALL going through the same thing! A little differently yes, but our entire country and much of the world are in the same boat right now. Take deep breath, RELAX, and repeat. It’s OK to feel overwhelmed, confused, and angry but sooner than later I STRONGLY encourage you to try and find the light in this dark cave. Ask yourself what you’re doing to make this situation better for you, your loved ones, our country, the world as a whole. What can you do to give hope to children who are watching our every move and how we react, and how we treat each other during times of crisis or pandemic? Do we panic or persevere? We know how dark things can get but I encourage you to dig deep and try to BE the light. Try some of the following, come up with your own, shift your mindset, be grateful and let’s be UNITED America. We got this!

  1. Zoom call a friend/family member
  2. Play a virtual game
  3. Read a book
  4. Learn something new
  5. Watch a new movie
  6. Bake something new (involve your kids!)
  7. Camp in your backyard
  8. Work in the yard/garden
  9. Go for a Run/walk
  10. Build something (giant Jenga, corn hole board etc.)
  11. Order delivery/carry out from a LOCAL restaurant/cafe
  12. Write in a journal
  13. Make family videos (or tiktoc like the cool kids)
  14. Start a blog
  15. Meditate or do yoga (relax your mind)
  16. Message a friend
  17. Do an iphone photo shoot
  18. Paint a window (stained glass)
  19. Say a prayer or read a poem (you don’t have to be religious)
  20. Do a workout at home
  21. Watch a virtual concert (all the famous people are doing it)
  22. Join/start a bookclub with your friends
  23. Listen to a podcast
  24. Plan/prep some meals for the week
  25. Join a facebook group of likeminded interests
  26. Cook an ALL OUT amazing breakfast
  27. Clean out your closet or garage
  28. Go for a bike ride
  29. Teach your kids an old game
  30. Look through old photo albums
  31. Have a virtual “Night Out” (bevvy of choice required)
  32. Do Karaoke
  33. Do a science project
  34. Make a goal (miles ran, books read, etc)
  35. Go to bed early AND wake up early
  36. Try making that foamy coffee everyone is posting about
  37. Learn and tell some dad jokes
  38. Share something POSITIVE and unrelated to politics on social media
  39. Watch a Netflix comedy special or any comedy show (The Office duh!)
  40. Make a homemade pizza
  41. Buy gift cards from your favorite LOCAL businesses (Great Christmas gifts!)
  42. Watch a romantic drama (CRY it out, its OK!!)
  43. Share a story about your childhood to a friend or with your kids
  44. Have deeper conversations with your spouse/significant other (no stressful topics)
  45. Color or freshen up your drawing skills
  46. Join a virtual gym/yoga class
  47. Practice mindfulness
  48. Give a compliment to at least 10 friends publicly on social media
  49. Ask your kids, friends, family members how they’re feeling.
  50. Make a list of everything you’re grateful for

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Do More, Stress Less

Stress is an inevitable and normal part of our lives, especially as we get older and our responsibilities grow and change. Since the beginning of time, stress responses have allowed us to react to life threatening situations accordingly to protect ourselves from danger and even death. In today’s modern world our schedules are often jammed packed with activities, work, deadlines, even social media portrayals and influencers that it can be very easy to become overwhelmed and experience an abundance of stress. Mental health issues are on the rise with little to no help and understanding of what can be done to manage and minimize symptoms. I for one can attest to the stress levels of being a mom, whether working or stay at home the expectations that fall on you as a mother, let alone being a woman. As a result and also speaking from personal experience, ignoring triggers of stress and allowing it to ‘work itself out’ can eventually lead to mental fatigue, mimicking if not coinciding with depression and anxiety as the stress continues to build up. Being in this state for an extended period of time projects towards others around you; family, friends, co-workers, etc. can interpret your outward symptoms as malice, hate, jealousy, anger, “bitchy/a-hole” behavior and so on. Even though these expressions may not be intentional, your chronic stress forces you to defend yourself from any situation your brain deems as dangerous or life threatening.

As mentioned, stress IS normal to an extent, but it is important to understand not only the physiological effects, but the physical effects of stress as well. Understanding the stages (General Adaptation Syndrome) that your body goes through when exposed to stress can help you become more aware of these physical signs when they occur. Having that awareness will allow you to better identify the sources of chronic stress and until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining stress, managing your stress levels will be outside of your control.

“What exactly is General Adaptation Syndrome?”

In short, General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) are the stages that the body goes through when dealing with stress. The three stages are:

1. alarm reaction

2. resistance

3. exhaustion.

The alarm reaction prepares an individual to respond to a stressor, also know as the “fight or flight” response. During the resistance stage, the body tries to counteract the physiological changes during “fight or flight” and tries to get the body (heart rate and blood pressure) to return to normal. The final stage is the result if the stressor remains for an extended period of time and the body cannot return to normal, known as exhaustion. This physical response can cause a person to become irritable and have trouble focusing. In this stage the body is completely depleted and is no longer equipped to fight stress. Some common effects of this stage are shown in the image below and may come as no surprise but can also contribute to many health problems including but not limited to; high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

I recently asked close friends and social media followers some of the ways that they typically deal with or manage their stress. The most common of each were exercise and food (more specifically sugar). Simultaneously, while many understand the benefits of exercise as stress management, high stress also caused a decrease in regular exercise. So why is high stress leading to a decrease in personal hobbies that help us manage it? If the symptoms above weren’t enough to be a clear indicator of exhaustion, pushing aside your personal hobbies and activities should be the evident wake up call! If you’re putting exercise, yoga, running etc. on the back burner without finding alternate ways to manage, they you’re clearly at the opposite end of the road that you need to be on and as a result you allow yourself to be part of a vicious cycle that can either worsen or CREATE symptoms of anxiety and depression. Pair that with food/sugar/alcohol binging and you begin to see a trend and a reason why high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are CHRONIC health issues in this country and some of the leading causes of death.

What are some things that you can do NOW to manage your stress? Taken from some of the suggestions given to me, along with learning to say “NO”, stress prevention was one of the BEST things you can do now. Start with identifying your triggers/stressors. BE SPECIFIC! Don’t automatically assume the obvious, for example “work is stressful”. What is it about work that is stressful? Maybe it’s not exactly the deadlines you have to make but your procrastination to meet those deadlines. Once you have identified those triggers, begin planning ways to avoid them. Do you forget until the last minute that you have an assignment due? PLAN PLAN PLAN! Write down EVERYTHING you need to do; errands, appointments, deadlines, practices, games, chores, and in addition to that PRIORITIZE your personal time! Set reminders, look at your calendar and find ways to fit in exercise and other activities and hobbies you enjoy!

One thing I learned and found to be quite upsetting is that many adults don’t even have one. single. hobby. They are coming home and relying on food and screen time for comfort and relaxation. Let me be the first to say, I do enjoy a good beer after a long week and LOVE to eat, but when used as means to cope with stress the effects can yield long term health problems. Don’t be afraid to try something NEW! Try meditation/yoga, talk to a therapist in a safe, judgement free environment that allows you to express yourself. Go for a RUN! Trust me, no one runs because it’s easy but I promise you that the place your mind goes to when you run (for at least 20 minutes) is worth the temporary physical discomfort. READ a book! Again, 20 minutes is very manageable even for the busiest schedules. Go for a HIKE, a WALK, just get outside! Bring out your CRAFTY side! You may not think you’re great at it but finding ways to be creative (paint nights, doodling with your kids, pottery classes, etc) are great ways to exercise the mind. Find ways to be social! Join a club, team, a FREE running group (I know some great ones) or take a class! Finding ways to socialize outside of work can help prevent discussing stressful work topics outside of the office. Go to bed early, try to get some uninterrupted SLEEP. Avoid being on the phone or in front of a screen 45 mins to an hour before bed. Sleep is highly underrated and one thing we don’t get enough of yet NEED for our bodies to recover mentally and physically. And most importantly, DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF! I hope knowing what you know now will encourage you to find healthy ways to manage stress. It doesn’t have to be excessive and it shouldn’t be all at once. Pick one healthy habit each day and be consistent. Remember, only once you accept and remember that your stress is temporary can you begin to decide how your’e going to manage it.

  • helpguide.org Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Robert Segal, M.A.
  • https:/adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/relatedillnesses
  • mayoclinic.org/healthylifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/
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“Why”- Does it Matter?

Every decision we make in our lives has a driving force- or a reason that lead us to a set of outcomes. Identifying the motives behind our decisions can strongly benefit the outcome and your success, simply by answering the question “Why?”

As silly and cliché as it may sound, it’s probably one of the most important things you can ask when you find yourself contemplating or trying to do the “right thing”. I believe a sense of purpose will not only give you a better understanding of your self worth and value but will better allow you to hold yourself accountable on those days that you struggle to feel motivated. Oftentimes we confuse MOTIVATION as the driving force but, “motivation” is simply a temporary feeling or a state of mind. And since we won’t always be in the same headspace; knowing WHY you’re on a specific path is (figuratively speaking) the compass that will lead you to your desired destination. When your decisions are influenced by your values you’re more likely to persevere than a decision made with little thought process or one highly influenced by an outside source.

How exactly? Well, when you’re acting on a decision based on extreme outside influence or to make someone else happy, are you really working towards your personal growth? Challenges and adversity will arise no matter what, but how/if you grow from those hurdles always comes back to your values/passions/motives. Will it make you or break you?

With that said, I encourage you to ask yourself the following before making any big decision:

  1. What are my core values? (Family, personal growth, financial security, long term health, etc)
  2. Am I doing this for me? (Why do I think this will make me happy?)
  3. Am I doing this to please someone important in my life? (ie: spouse, parent, partner)
  4. Am I doing this because it aligns with the views of society on what success and perfection look like (and may help me face less criticism and scrutiny)?
  5. What do I want to accomplish by making this decision? (is this a long term or short term outcome?)
  6. Am I willing to put in the work when struggles arise? (Is it worth the risk?)

After reading the questions above, think about decisions that you have made towards your future. How many of them are you able to say that you made for YOU? How many of them did you make to please someone else? Which decisions aligned with your personal values and which are you the most satisfied or have been the most successful with in the long term?

I bring up all of the points above because as a personal trainer I see this with clients and potential clients quite often and unsurprisingly, the ones who can thoughtfully answer WHY are significantly more successful than those who do it because they think that they “should”. You’re simply not going to work hard for something, (without doing some emotional and mental damage) that you don’t find value in. So… what’s the takeaway? It’s totally OK to be unsure, to question yourself, to need a little guidance but the bottom line is, finding that compass that will keep you heading in the right direction when you feel lost. Decisions are tough and life is hard, no doubt! Find your driving force, make decisions based on your values, embrace your fears because we’re human and there’s no getting rid of it. Do that and watch yourself grow! 🌱

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Finding Balance & Destroying Self Doubt (A short backstory)

If someone told me 10 years ago that I’d be coaching and educating others about fitness and nutrition, I probably would have said “I wish!” Helping others has always been natural for me I guess. If someone was struggling in school, needed tutoring, advice, or even just company I was always the friend that was there and didn’t mind putting my needs aside to help others… I joked that I’d be a good school counselor or psychiatrist and at some point the athlete in me thought it would be cool to be a fitness trainer but, doubted my capabilities. I enjoyed knowing that I could help someone succeed or give them a little insight from an outside source but I would eventually come to realize that my success and need for growth was just as important as anyone else’s.

Years later, a newlywed and Shift Supervisor at Starbucks in Seattle, which was so much fun by the way. My husband and I were living the dream in a new state <Navy orders> and not much to really stress about. Soon I became a stay at home mom, raising our first son between my husband’s deployments and did this for 10+ years, 1 more son, and several duty stations later. During this time it was again, in my nature to completely put my own needs and dreams aside to fulfill the needs of my children and trying to live up to false expectations of being the “perfect mother.”

Being a stay at home mom has been a true blessing so “DON’T GET IT TWISTED” I am truly thankful for that. Being home during those early years has been one of the best things I could’ve done for them, but finding a balance for my own needs was something I failed with early on. I knew eventually they’d be in school soon and that there was more that I could and SHOULD be doing for myself… not simply for financial reasons but because the stress, anxiety, and depression was NOT worth it and I knew it was time to take care of myself if I wanted to continue being there for my children. When my boys are grown I want them to see the hard work I put in for them but also for my own self fulfillment. I knew that my going back to work would have to be doing something I absolutely love otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it to me. Money does NOT equal happiness and for this to work, I wasn’t willing to risk my own mental health for something I didn’t truly enjoy.

Between the end of 2015 and early 2016 we were now living on the opposite coast in Virginia Beach. I became a co-coordinator for a local military spouse running group; Stroller Warriors and drank the “CrossFit kool-aid” and the rest as they say, is history. I was two years into CrossFit I decided to sign up for the CF-L1 seminar and with a great opportunity at my box I started interning and coaching shortly after. Following that, I took the CF Gymnastics course and a year later I was officially certified as a NASM Personal trainer. I’m currently continuing to pursue my nutrition coaching certification to provide my clients with a much better understanding of nutrition to develop healthy lifelong habits with an appreciation for food as fuel.

When I’m not working out or training clients, I truly enjoy spending time with my husband and our two boys. We love the outdoors and anything we can do to be outside; camping, hiking, casual biking, running, breweries, farmers markets, summer concerts, and of course the BEACH! As a Personal Trainer and coach, my goal is not only to educate and train others on the benefits of strength training and physical activity but to guide and encourage overall wellness with a focus on mental health, Nutrition, and proper recovery. I hope to educate and inspire others to live fully, be strong, and embrace the struggle. Ending with one of my favorite quotes that I hope inspires you to pursue your dreams as well. “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Suzy Kassem

Drunken Peach & Fig WAP!

WAP or “Waffles and Pancakes” are what we’re referring to in this recipe and just like any other WAP you may encounter, a basic necessity and good for the soul!

I played with this recipe (haha) a bit to marry a combination of Summer fruits and Fall flavors for a perfect breakfast recipe during this time of year when we really aren’t sure if we want Summer to end but also really love Fall. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

  • Pancake mix (I used Krusteaze)
  • Driven “Vanilla Dream” Whey protein (optional)
  • Planet Oat Vanilla Oat milk
  • Crown Royal peach whiskey
  • 4-5 fresh figs
  • 3 peaches
  • cinnamon
  • Unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • vanilla extract
  • Light Brown sugar
  • bacon

First, begin cooking bacon on medium heat. While bacon is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a separate pan on medium heat. Then stir in 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar and keep stirring til bubbly. Add your sliced peaches, sprinkle with cinnamon or toss in a cinnamon stick and turn the heat down to medium low. Add in 1/4 cup of peach whiskey and allow the peaches to continue cooking while stirring occasionally.

Don’t forget to check and remove the bacon from heat to cool when done.

While the peaches simmer, follow the instructions on your pancake mix for serving size, subbing water for equal parts oat milk and whiskey. Yes, I used a boxed mix to make things simpler. I’m still a busy mom who enjoys cooking occasionally so I don’t hesitate taking shortcuts when necessary. Keep the batter on the *slightly thicker side for fluffier pancakes and add a little water if necessary. Whisk in one egg, and 1 scoop of HIGH quality/good tasting protein (optional) and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract to your batter.

Once your batter is combined and your peaches have softened, you may gently stir in your sliced figs, coating them in the sweet buttery mixture and remove from heat to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Cook your pancakes and waffles as you would normally to a light golden brown. When you’re ready to serve top with chopped bacon, drunken peaches and figs, and ENJOY!

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