Hey guys!

The last several days of this month snuck up on me. I mean, tomorrow is August 1, and on Wednesday, Bazooka starts his new class at daycare. We didn’t even buy his school supplies until this past weekend—oops!

Summer is flying by.

Like I did last month, I wanted to reflect on some of positive and not-so-positive actions/goals/thoughts I’ve had this month.

I feel like I’ve become more self-aware lately, and I’m trying really hard to reshape some of the negative habits I have into positive ones. It’s a work in progress, but the good thing is, none of us have to be perfect!

4 Things That Have Served Me Well in July

Meditation // You guys saw this one coming. For the last several weeks, I’ve been meditating daily—or almost daily. Sometimes I’ll do a walking meditation so I can keep my body moving, but other times I’ll do a short breathing exercise or guided meditation while seated in my car, just to unwind on my lunch break. I’m still learning and becoming comfortable with the idea of “being present,” but I’ve already noticed positive changes with my attitude and stress levels at work.

Drinking adequate water // With the hellacious summer heat, I’m really trying to drink more water! I used to have no problem, but lately it’s just more difficult. On days that I’ve been adequately hydrated, I’ve just felt better and done less mindless snacking.

Conscious effort to avoid negative talk at work // Now, I’m a huge supporter of the occasional (or regular) “venting session.” I think we all need to let out steam—so long as it doesn’t become a habit or way to bring everybody else down. I’ve noticed, though, that when we all vent in the office, it’s easy to get sucked into that black hole of negativity, so I’ve made a concerted effort to stop before we get to that point.

Incorporating yoga back into my routine and exercising more intuitively // After talking about Bikram yoga recently, I decided to try the hot yoga class at the Y. It’s been just what my body needed. I did switch gears and take my “Cut, Cardio & Core” class last week, but I just feel better when listen to what kind of movement my body needs as opposed to following a routine.

…And 3 That Haven’t

Allowing myself to get wrapped up in negative thoughts // I may be doing better with the negative talk at work, but when it comes to personal/private negative thoughts, I could improve. Some days, I think I use my anxiety as a “crutch.” If I wake up anxious or depressed or am simply having a bad day, it’s like I cling to that and allow it to impact my entire day instead of actively trying to think differently and turn things around. I can use my mood as an excuse to behave in a less-than-awesome way. I almost feel comfortable in that spiral or sadness, but as it continues, I just become a mess. So, I need to focus on turning those thoughts around more quickly and doing things—meditation, 5 minutes of exercise, whatever—that impact my mood positively.

Still spending too much time on my phone & iPad // Self-explanatory. I need to talk more and be more present, and I’m almost positive late night scrolling is negatively affecting my sleep quality.

Moving too slowly in the mornings and feeling rushed (& stressed) on the way to work // I love my mornings because I get a little quiet time to get ready while Mark takes Bazooka to daycare. But…I end up getting distracted (see above) and then realize how late it is and stress out. I don’t think I could get up any earlier, but I need to plan a little better so I have enough time to make breakfast and not be the last person arriving to the office every darn day. And if I’m not rushed, I can devote a little more time to my #boringselfcare routine of fixing my hair and whatnot.

Are you doing things that don’t serve you? #boringselfcare #mentalhealth #selflove Share on X

So tell me…

• Do you have any negative habits you’re trying to break?
• What is something positive you’ve done this last month?
• Any goals for August?