Hey everyone!
Since my last post here, I have curated so many new ideas in the sectors of health, wellness, food, books, style, and more! I have learned so much through this blog and am so excited to share what I have in store. Stay tuned for updates!
xoxo,
Casey
Hi guys!
With the end of the semester slowly approaching my schedule has been absolutely crazy! Which is why I am combining the aspects of data 3 & 4 of the wellness challenge into one post. Day 3 requires taking extra time to do something you enjoy, and day 4 was all about getting moving with yoga or other exercise. I have found that reading and exercising are two things that truly clear my mind. Whether it’s before bed or during the day, dedicating a portion of time to doing something for you can help get the rest of your day rolling. For example, reading gets your mind off stresses of the day and can help you relax midday or make your eyes sleepy before bed. The same goes for exercise, yoga can energize you or relax you at any point of the day.
After completing days 3 and 4, I learned how crucial it is to implement these practices into my every day life. I’ve felt so much more positive and productive so far during this challenge! Once the challenge is over, these two habits in the past two days are ones I hope to continue every day.
Stay tuned for the rest of the challenge!
Casey
This week I’ve been compiling some meditation themes to change up some things up and help create more prompts for a gratitude journal. Two that have caught my attention the most are: acceptance and appreciation.
With acceptance, it is important to remind yourself that you must accept the things you can’t control. You will never know the cause leading up to this moment, or the next. Acceptance is freeing your thoughts and loosening your grip on things that we cannot realistically control. This doesn’t mean losing motivation, but acting and speaking out with compassion and empathy. Accepting situations and feelings outside of your influence, whether they are negative or positive is the most responsible thing we can do for ourselves.
Appreciation is something you may feel after accepting what life hands you. When you appreciate your health, relationships, and experiences you’re automatically allowing yourself to be happy.
I hope you’re able to use either of these themes this week to boost some mindfulness and happiness!
Xoxo,
Casey
With Valentine’s Day coming up, what a better way than to show yourself a little self love? Whether you have a significant other or not, there are many ways to celebrate love. The idea that so many people surround this holiday with trying to show material affirmations of love towards their significant other is great and all, but learning to love yourself is key. The relationship you have with yourself is actually the most important relationship you will ever be in – before relationships with other people.
As we focus on loved ones, friends, and family it is easy to forget to give ourselves the love we rightly deserve. First of all, the greatest gift we can give ourselves is time. Engaging in hobbies or tasks we have been to busy to complete can be very rewarding. Valentine’s day may be the perfect time to learn how to weave self-care practices into your day. I would urge anyone to engage in a hobby they’ve been neglecting, begin a new book, meditate. Set aside time to enrich your mind, body, and heart through things that bring you joy. The odds are that you deserve to set aside more time for you.
Engaging in self care does not always have to happen alone. Maybe your ideal Valentine’s Day includes more time with others! This is a perfect opportunity to be present in the moment and fully enjoy yourself. I have found that some of the best experiences I have had with friends and family are when we put our phones away. This way, we engage in what we are doing and are fully focused on each other. Doing so always leaves me feeling happy and more connected with loved ones.
Deepen your perspective on love and daily experiences and then live it out every day. Create an environment of love within yourself and others. Life is short, why not give yourself the tools you need to be happy?
This Valentine’s Day, I hope you enjoy you!
Casey
Have you ever felt like the week is never-ending? Already on Thursday and still don’t have your stuff together? It’s okay, I promise!
As a college student, I have experienced and will experience weeks that are much more busy and stressful than others. However, staying busy is not a bad thing. In fact, it could mean that things are going really well and you are making progress toward your goals. Being busy actually makes me happy! But, if you have been dealing with hours in the library, extra shifts, insane workload, being sick, caffeine dependence, maybe a even a little procrastination…Listen, I gotchu. Stress and lack of sleep can morph you into a worn out version of you. Don’t wear yourself down in the process of trying to be successful. For example, you can’t study until 4 a.m and spent the next 3 days catching up on sleep every time you have a test. It’s not feasible or fair to all other aspects of your life. With all of this in mind, I am going to share some of my strategies to get through high-stress weeks below:
1. Make Lists
Personally, I am a very visual person and love getting everything that has been on my mind out and onto paper. When making a list of all of the homework or studying I have to do, I will write out my daily and long term tasks. Then, I will make a list of the things I either want to do or have to do at home. Each morning, I write a short term list of things I need to accomplish that day and prioritize it by either a due date or time frame. For this list, I must complete everything by the end of the day. On my long term list, I may write “work on paper”, which has a due date in the near future but is not due today. This way, I can chip away at it and create a plan to incorporate it into my daily tasks. Things like doing your laundry are not usually time sensitive and can be things you would look to do after your initial to-do list has been checked off.
2. Find What Stresses You Out the Most
You may be overwhelmed with your to-do list, which can paralyze you into not achieving anything you had planned for the day. Taking a step back and seeing what your priorities are can help. Have a group project to complete? Write out your group’s plan for the assignment, distribute tasks, and even set up a meeting time. Lightening your schedule and breaking tasks down to their simplest form help to give you a sense that you are achieving things one step at a time.
3. Food Prepping
If I spend Sunday night or one night each day of the week to prep healthy snacks or meals, I always feel less stressed out. I am able to sit, eat, and complete my work without having to drive around or find the quickest place for food. Fueling your body and having something to look forward to can increase your energy to tackle what the day throws at you. Whether you are short on time or have the weekend to begin prepping, the fact that I took the initiative to prepare for myself makes me so happy.
4. Taking breaks
Step 1: do not look at your phone. Step 2: thank me. I have never felt better than when I take a break from working to read, walk, talk to a friend, write, or draw. For me, looking at my phone does not provide my brain with relaxation. Stretching, drawing, or even doing a five minute mediation are all more productive uses of your time than being on your phone. I love to turn off all notifications for social media and get rid of all distractions. Taking a meaningful break from screens to unwind for a mere five minutes helps me collect my thoughts and relax much more than someone’s Instagram. Taking meaningful breaks helps me to not procrastinate and create my best work.
5. Accept That you May Not Be Able to do Everything
While being organized and knowing exactly what your tasks are can help you achieve much more, sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day. What is important is to continue carrying tasks into the next day and do your best work with each go. Working under negative stress does more harm than good. But, stress is a part of life. Learning to manage it is key. In these tough weeks, remember that you are working, you are where you need to be, and as long as you keep a goal in mind you are going to get there.
Love,
Casey
“For when the flower blossoms, the bees come uninvited” – Ramakrishna
Hello!
I am Casey, a college student studying Communication with a concentration in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing and IT. I fell in love with writing and the arts at an early age, as well as technology and the world of health.
As I navigate through college, I hope to find a way to integrate my many interests into a career. Writing and Social Media could potentially be within my future, and I am so excited to enter the blogging world!
Very recently, I have found that self-care must come before everything in order to present my best self now and in the future. Living well is much more accessible than people think. I hope to help others live positively and showcase the value of your own wellness through Bee Well. This is based around what I am most passionate about through my daily life – both physical and mental wellness. I find happiness in spreading positivity and investing in all aspects of self. My posts will revolve around everything from self-care tips, beauty, lifestyle, and recipes. And if you are wondering, Bee Well was conjured up from my love for honey and … of course, bees in addition to my dedication towards living a positive lifestyle. Stay tuned for updates and new posts each week!
Love,
Casey
Bee Well 