A Hippy's Guide to Embracing Technology

I have a new addiction to podcasts.  I totally jumped on the Serial bandwagon, which took me down the rabbit hole into the world of podcasts.  Turns out talk radio is the perfect medium for someone like me to connect with my introspective side and indulge in lots of thought-provoking material.  One of the things that has been on my mind a lot after listening to some TEDtalks and This American Life, is the concept of humanity and how it's impacted by social media and technology. I have a love / hate relationship with technology.  It's a powerful force that scares and intimidates me and makes my mind feel like it's going to explode.  I have a similar reaction to outer space. My inner hippy sometimes wants to flee to some commune off the grid to spend life living in the moment.  The other part of me wants to take a picture of myself doing that and upload it to Instagram (#offthegrid #hippylife #inthemoment #connected #naturelover).  Having started a business, I am now more dependent on social media than I ever have been and it does raise a lot of internal conflict. I'm digging my heels in the dirt at the same time as I'm diving headfirst into Flat World (the cyber world that exists within a flat screen).

I am trying my best to find a happy medium. To embrace the amazing aspects of technology that allows me to connect with a wide group of people from anywhere in the world, while also staying grounded and connected to my beliefs. One of my biggest focuses is on the concept of presence; the idea of living in the moment. Nowadays most people struggle with this, myself included, as we're constantly tempted by the draw of the attention and distraction of social media that is often kept in our pockets. It's something that keeps coming up for me and I think it's something that's important for us all to think about as we continue to live in a society that is more and more dependent on social media. In response to my own need to find a place within this technological world, I've come up with a personal guide to keep me grounded and thought I'd share it with you, Flat World.

A Hippy's Guide to Embracing Technology

1. Remember that "off the grid" is always one power switch away:

Before having an iPhone I would often forget my phone or just let it die and exist for awhile free of it.  Now, I rarely separate with it.  Lately I've been trying to spend more time with it on silent, so I'm not constantly tempted by notifications, especially when I'm with other people and want to be more present.  If I'm off in the woods and want to use my camera, I've been putting my phone on airplane mode so that I can still use the camera without being lured into Flat World.  And then there's the power switch.  This is always an option for a full "off the grid" experience.

2. Allow yourself empty time and space:

I've noticed that when I get in the mode where I've adapted to constant entertainment and distraction easily provided by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on, that I'm no longer left with empty space. I forgot how important that empty space is to me. Empty space is what inspires me to go within and journal, meditate, do yoga, hula hoop, or fill it with some other activity that allows me to take full advantage of that moment. It's good for me to remember that I can be content in quiet, peaceful, still moments and that beautiful things can happen when I explore within that space.

3. Don't forget that Flat World is full of actual humans:

One of the things that has disturbed me the most about social media is this disconnection it allows us to have from humanity. Lots of times people feel freer to say hurtful things because they're comfortable spouting out their opinions in the comfort of their homes behind a screen. I believe that many people wouldn't act that same way if they had to face the repercussions of seeing the hurt they caused someone with their words. We allow ourselves to become detached and we should always remember that on the other side of the screen sits real people with real feelings. There's a great episode of This American Life about this, listen here. Instead of using social media as a vehicle for hurtful words and strong opinions, we should use it's power to spread love and positivity. We now have access to people, celebrities, idols, gurus, colleagues, and people with similar interests in ways we never have before.  Use social media to make positive connections, draw inspiration, express gratitude, share creatively, and show love and support. Remember when it wasn't polite to talk about politics or religious beliefs at the dinner table? Flat World is the new dinner table, so stay classy.

4. Put pen to paper:

I love mail.  The good kind, not the bill kind.  I love cards.  I love writing.  Blogging has allowed me to write publicly and to get my thoughts out efficiently and quickly, which has been extremely beneficial and therapeutic, but it doesn't compare to the act of writing using the old school method: pen and paper. Journaling is something I still practice when I'm struggling with something. The slower process of it allows me to get fully present with my feelings and it provides a lot of clarity. Writing doesn't just help me connect to myself, but to others as well.

When I first moved away to California, I started writing letters to my roommates from college and loved it. We would doodle our own stationary and share about recent happenings. It really helped ebb my loneliness in the first few months. Recently, I've started to take the time to send out more cards to people. I can't tell you how much enjoyment I get out of hand picking cards that perfectly represent someone or some inside joke between a friend and I. I also can't tell you how much enjoyment I get out of seeing a card or a letter show up in the mail. More and more I'm wishing to take the time and effort to express myself in this way because it feels special to me and makes me feel connected in a way the internet cannot provide.

5. Information saturation:

Holy guacamole, we sure are exposed to a ton of information! It can be extremely overwhelming and, depending on the nature of it, disheartening. In so many ways I feel blessed to have answers, solutions, interesting news, and creative inspiration constantly at my finger tips, but I've had to learn to filter out the stuff that weighs me down. I'm a sensitive individual with a bleeding heart that is quick to feel the pain and joys of others. I have to be careful with what I spend my time on on the internet, so that I don't get lost in sadness or negativity. I do my best to embrace the stuff that lifts me up or inspires me and then not give energy to the stuff that leaves me feeling down.

5 Ways to Enjoy Valentine's Day No Matter What Your Relationship Status Is

Many people have a love / hate relationship with Valentine's Day, which I totally get.  I've spent Valentine's Day sipping champagne and eating chocolate covered strawberries with a loved one and I've also spent it dressed in all black at Red Lobster with friends swearing off men. I've groaned at the first signs of Valentine's Day paraphernalia, but I've also spent a significant amount of time searching for the perfect gift.  This holiday is unique because how we celebrate it and how we feel about it is often reflective of our current relationship status and how secure we feel within that status. In recent years, I've begun to see it a little differently.  Valentine's Day, to me, is simply a celebration of love and who's to say what kind of love that is. Love is the purest, most sacred, and most beautiful form of expression and why not take this as an opportunity to celebrate that? This is a great time to reflect on those in your life who mean the most to you and it's also a time to think about the most important relationship in your life, which is the one you have with yourself.

I will always jump at the chance to talk about self-love, because I firmly believe it is what dictates our reality. How we feel about ourselves is reflected back to us in our day-to-day interactions, our lifestyle choices, our relationships, and our acceptance of the world around us, so it's always good to improve on our relationship with ourselves. This Valentine's Day let love into your life by choosing thoughts, actions, relationships, situations, and environments that mirror a high-level of respect, love, and positivity because you are worth that.

5 Ways to Enjoy Valentine's Day No Matter What Your Relationship Status Is:

1. Do something special for you:

Fill yourself up with love so that it oozes out of you into the people and world around you.  Once you're full, you have so much more to give.  Take the time out of your day to do something just for you.  Take a bath, read a book, go for a walk, grab a drink with a friend, cook yourself a nice meal, get a massage, go to a movie, whatever it is make sure it's something you enjoy.

2. Express your love:

As far as I'm concerned, life is too damn short to not say the good things we think about people. Sometimes it feels vulnerable and uncomfortable to express how much we care about people, but it's time to get over it. Compliment someone, tell that someone special just what makes them special, thank your parents, thank your kids, tell someone they're beautiful, spread positivity in anyway you can. This is a powerful and quick way to feel amazing.

3. Celebrate Valentine's Day with more than your partner:

Say "I love you" to anyone special in your life. My parents have always given us Valentines and it always has meant a lot.  It always feels good to share love with friends, family, and significant others.

4. Indulge:

My love for food makes any holiday an excuse to treat myself or try something new.  Whether it's takeout, your favorite chocolate, that expense Kombucha Beer you always want to buy (this obviously is on my list), or creating something beautiful for yourself to eat, take some time to indulge in something you love.

5. Reflect:

Like I said earlier, this is a great time to go within and take account of the love in your life. Not in the way that leaves you curled up with a bottle of wine and a box of kleenex, but in a way that empowers and inspires you to continue to deepen your sense of self-worth and bring positivity into places that may need some. It's also a great time to reflect on the journey that has taken you this far and to be grateful for all the lessons and greatness in your life.

Life Outside Comfort

It being January, I'm getting lots of questions about my goals for 2015, which has inspired some self-reflection. There have been dramatic shifts in my life in the last ten years, each acting as a catalyst for change and growth. While reflecting this week, I remembered a huge personal goal I set for myself a little over two years ago, that has become one of the most powerful tools I use to expand on and increase my wellness and happiness. This is that story. When I first began to really explore my wellbeing and dive into this journey of self-discovery and change, it was an intense roller coaster ride. My body went through drastic shifts and I began to dive into my mind and deal with emotional struggles. It was kind of a mess, but an extremely rewarding one. I committed to my journey 110 percent and completely surrendered to the process. This meant that I didn't leave any stone unturned.

One thing at a time, I processed through my inhibiting emotional patterns and studied each symptom that limited my body. If I was given a solution, I chased after it, no matter how much of a struggle it was.  And it was a struggle. The only things keeping me going were the amazing results I was seeing. Everything was improving: my sense of self-love, my energy, my overall health, my thought patterns, my inspiration, my connection to others, my sleep, my motivation and drive, my emotional state, my confidence, etc. Bit by bit, I was letting go of the things that were dragging me down and creating a life that I had always wanted for myself.

There were a few years that just felt insane. I had stirred up everything in my life and was waiting for the dust to settle. And, finally, it did. A couple years ago everything began to feel more stable.  Let me be clear here, life didn't necessarily get easier, but my internal self felt more confident, secure, and prepared to deal with any bumps in the road. I once described it by saying, "the shaky ground I've been standing on has left me feeling more solid than ever." My happiness and wellbeing became more consistent and, oddly enough, this worried me.

After experiencing years of ups and downs associated with self-growth, I was terrified that all the growing would stop once I was happy. I had become a self-growth junkie. Once afraid of change, I now reveled in it, chased it, loved it, because I usually walked away having let go of even more baggage, feeling lighter than ever, and with a deeper sense of self. I opened up about my concerns with a friend who told me that I could continue to reach new heights by choosing to do things outside my comfort zone. Embracing experiences that scared me could be a way to get my self-growth fix, while being less intense than my previous roller coaster ride. It was a way to reframe the world I lived in and made it more adventurous and exciting and less scary.

Around this same time, I had lost my cousin to suicide. His family was extremely open about the loss and used it as an opportunity to shed light on mental illness, raise awareness, and help others who struggled. This inspired me greatly. Riding the waves of this inspiration coupled with my new willingness to embrace challenges, I started a blog called Life Outside Comfort. The purpose of the blog was to tackle any test that came my way and to do it openly. I wanted to honestly convey my inner struggles in hopes of inspiring others to be more open about emotional hardships and to help people realize that we all have challenges and fears that inhibit us and that we are capable of freeing ourselves from them.

I had no idea that this blog would stop being just a blog and would become a way of life for me.  It had such profound effects on my anxiety, my confidence, my fears, and my ability to be vulnerable, that it's been ingrained in me forever. In the year and a half that I kept the blog I tried online dating, took hula hoop classes, went to Zumba, began pole dancing, went white water rafting, repelling, rock climbing, I ran my first, second, and third 5k, I embraced aspects of my character that I was embarrassed or ashamed of, I was open about a terrible break up, I was honest about my emotional struggles with anxiety and depression, I even gave a public talk on Raw Aphrodisiacs.  Some of the things were small and some were huge, but they all, in some way, challenged me and taught me something.

Some of the fears I challenged:

My favorite part of the whole thing is that I pushed myself to do things I've always wanted to do, but was too scared of. Slowly but surely, fear stopped ruling my life and no longer kept me down.  I was now free to embrace all that the world has to offer. This doesn't mean that I no longer feel fear, or anxiety, or doubts, but that I no longer let them define or control me.

After awhile, I stopped blogging my experiences because challenging myself became such a part of my life that I couldn't keep up with it. It's something I enjoy doing and I'm excited to continue to push past my barriers and create an uninhibited life. This year and for every year, it will be a goal I set for myself.

To learn more about my commitment to discomfort check out my blog.

Back To Reality

The first Monday back after the holidays can be a little rough.  A full work week, below-zero weather, and staring into the face of the dead of winter can be a little overwhelming.  However, it's also a time when most of us have grown tired of holiday cookies and the frequent drinking and eating and are ready to get back to our routines and commit to a healthier lifestyle. It's actually a very inspiring and motivating time, since we've taken advantage of the time of indulgence and are now craving food and behaviors that make us feel good.  I personally love this time of year because of that.  Getting up early to juice and make green smoothies is easy and welcomed right now and I appreciate that.  The time of indulgence has past and the time of self-care has begun.  In that spirit, I thought I'd share some of my personal wellness tips to bring in with you this new year.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!

This is one of the best things you can do to support your health, so do it!  It's simple, it's cheap, and it's extremely important.  Learn more about this here.

Cook for yourself.

Save money and be in charge of what you're consuming.

Read ingredient labels.

Chemical additives can be harmful and taxing on our bodies.  Be sure to pay attention to what you're buying.  Check the ingredient labels and make sure that what you're eating is actually food.  If you don't know understand what something is, then there is a good chance you shouldn't be eating it.

Get fresh air.

I know, it's cold… really cold, but, when you can and as often as you can, find ways to get outdoors, especially when the sun is out.  It's a great way to reconnect to yourself and enjoy the beauty that constantly surrounds us.

Move your body.

Fight the urge to be less active and make it a priority.  Get creative with it and find ways to move that are fun and enjoyable!

Set up a healthy environment.

If making healthy choices is hard for you, try to make your home the safest place.  Set your kitchen up so that you have plenty of healthy options that you enjoy.  Include meals, snacks, and even healthier indulgences. If you need to satisfy a craving then you can go and get it elsewhere.  This way you'll make more choices that support you.

Create a wellness support team.

We all have varying needs to stay and be well.  Whatever those needs are for you make the effort to create a team of people and things that satisfy these needs.  For me, it's getting regular massages, acupuncture appointments, going to yoga classes, having friends to cook healthy meals with, and having people in my life to confide in.

Challenge yourself.

This is the most powerful tool I use to continue to grow, learn, and reach new heights.  The more I challenge myself, the more I'm able to let go of things that inhibit me and fully embrace who I am.  You can do this in small or big ways.  I try to say yes to things even if they scare me, especially if they scare me, and to walk into unchartered territory.  Having been someone who has had lots of struggles with anxiety, this commitment to discomfort has changed my life for the better.  I could say so much more on the importance of this, but, for now, just know that pushing against barriers can be extremely liberating and I encourage everyone to do so.

Deepen your self-awareness.

Our bodies are constantly talking to us, we just have to learn how to listen.  Start to pay attention to symptoms and patterns that can help you understand more about your body.  Education and massage have helped me the most in this.  Learning more about anatomy and physiology gave me a better understanding of the human body and massage helped introduce me to my own body.  I now know where I carry stress, what areas are weaker, and how to deal with that.

Strengthen your sense of self-worth and self-love.

Last week I went in-depth on the importance of this in a blogpost, which you can see here.  I believe it is the most important thing we can do to be healthy and happy because with a strong sense of self-worth and self-love it is easy to make choices that are a reflection of that and that continue to nurture, support, and empower us.

Think positive.

Making a conscious choice to focus our energy on positivity will help create a more positive world to live in.  Check out my blog on this here, to get a look at my personal experience with this powerful shift.

It's a new year and time for some focus within.  Take advantage of this shift into a time of self-care and commit to a happier and healthier lifestyle.

If self-care is something that is difficult for you, take advantage of the services I offer as I have many ways I can support you on your journey.