selfhelp

It has been 11 days – 11 days of waking up at the crack of dawn – actually before the crack of dawn – at 5am. 11 days of trying to maximize my productivity. 11 days of trying to break my addiction to distraction.

My husband is thinking of switching careers, which I am in full support of, but he has some fear of the “what ifs”, so I dragged him to the book store to help find some books to help the psyche. While he perused the business, and self help section – I ran my fingers along a table with some “must read” books – I picked them up, read the back, put them back down – none of them really held my interest. Then there it was – just sitting there – the 5 am club. On the front; Own your morning – elevate your life and on the back it spoke about how this man Robin Sharma introduced this concept over 20 years ago, and it has helped clients maximize their productivity, upgraded their happiness and accomplished epic results. I put it back down – I was here to help the husband. I went over and asked how I could help – he was nose deep in a bunch of books and I don’t even think he heard me.

Ok – fine, fine – I went back over to the book. I read the message from the author. The last sentence has me hooked. “The world needs more heroes and why wait for them – when you have it in you to become one. Starting today”. I quickly added the book to his pile as we made our way to the check out.

I was excited – first off I love books – LOVE books! Fiction, non fiction, biographies, how to, cookbooks.. the list goes on.. basically throw a bunch of words on a piece of paper and hand it to me! The next day, I settled onto my couch, poured myself a glass of wine, and got ready to fully immerse myself into the 5am and prepare myself for the changes to come.

I finished the first couple of chapters – to say I felt inspired and invigorated would be a lie. I hated it. This book was not what I was expecting. This was a story of two people on a journey to the 5am club. What the heck – how did I pass over that in the description on the back – a story?! I wanted the information, I wanted to the secrets of the 5am club, and wanted to know how now. I put the book down, disappointed.

Another couple of days passed – the book was staring at me on my coffee table. Read me. Do it. Give me a chance. Nope. Just wasn’t there yet. My phone rang, and it was the MIL; she asked what I was up to – I gave her a glimpse into what I was feeling. How I was so excited for this book – but felt so let down that it wasn’t the self help book I originally thought it was. She said just try to read it again with an open mind. She said maybe you will finish and maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll find something in one chapter that resonates and that’s all you need… Yes mom….

I told myself – 3 more chapters… That would bring me to 5 chapters in total. The book was $21.00 – so that works out to $5.25 a chapter. That wasn’t too bad – I have spent more on less.

By Chapter 4 I was hooked. I was invested. This IS exactly what I needed. I resonated with the painter and the entrepreneur – I read page after page, writing notes feverishly. I read the entire book – all 311 pages and 17 chapters in 2 days. I do not want to spoil this entire book in one blog – but the 5am club really does provide a formula that you can use to wake up early, be inspired, focus, and rid yourself from distraction.

I will share my journey – not frequently – but enough to let you know how this plays throughout my day to day and work life. Just know “mastery is not a sudden event” it is going to be journey; some days are going to be easier than others. My first 11 days have been a freakin’ roller coaster. Up, down, sideways, a few tears and a heckuva lot of smiles.

I will leave a little tidbit – the 3 step success formula – and we can discuss it a little later …..

Are you a member of the 5am club? Share your thoughts below…

Want to purchase you own copy? Click here

Imagine my surprise when I felt a tap on my shoulder! Get it?

In a previous post I mentioned that I was currently going through fertility treatments in hopes that one day – we will have an adorable mini-me or mini-him that we can love, take to Disney and call our own.

I went through so many blood tests – I am surprised I still have blood left in me to give. The doctor’s tested for everything; hematology, thyroid function, pituitary function – nothing came back glaringly off – my FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) levels were where they needed to be, no issues with my LH (Luteinizing Hormone).

We decided the next course of action would be TIC (Timed intercourse) along with Prometrium which is a progesterone hormone. It will help prepare the lining of the uterus to protect and nourish a growing baby during pregnancy. I was to take 2 pills a day.

However – this post isn’t about our first attempt – this is about one of the horrible side effects of Prometrium. Depression. The depression impact is hard. It causes anxiety, restlessness and at times thoughts of despair. Being new to asking for help when I was originally prescribed I didn’t ask many questions; if at all. My job was simple. Take the pills. Hope for the best. I was not prepared for the flooding of emotions and feelings that would come along for the ride. By the time I gained enough courage to reach out and ask for help, and perhaps answer my questions – my period came – I was to stop immediately. Spoiler alert – attempt 1 was not successful.

We are now attempt 2 – and I am being proactive – I am acknowledging what my body and my mind is going through and I am finding and asking for ways to help myself.

I found reading, getting out for a daily walk with my pooch, talking with the babe, and getting on a sleep schedule helps but what I found works the best – a bath. I know, I know what you’re thinking. Finally the blog title makes sense.

I did a little research for things I can do to help with what I was going through – and it kept bringing me to baths.

In a German study, participants with depression reported a boost in mood after soaking in a 40C bath for 30 minutes. In fact, in this experiment, regular baths proved to be more effective in aiding depression than aerobic exercise.

A Japanese study also looked into the mental health benefits of bathing, this time, in comparison to showering. They found that bathing resulted in less stress, tension – anxiety, anger-hostility, and depression, in the people who took part.

It’s believed that hot baths are particularly transformative because they warm us up. Increased body temperature at night helps synchronize our natural circadian rhythms, leading to better sleep patterns, along with improved quality of sleep and overall wellbeing.

You can read more about the above here

I started taking baths – I would fill up the tub, turn on netflix, and just chill… I found myself bored after the first 7 minutes, and often found myself more irritated than I was before the bath.

I started to change the way I took a bath. No technology. I would read instead. The bathroom light was off and instead surrounded myself with candles. I had water nearby for when I started to feel a little too warm. I began to finally relax. Enjoy the time in the tub.

I then started kicking it up a notch. Epson Salts, Essential Oils, Flowers, Milk, Honey. Here are some of the my favorites that hopefully will work for you:

Lavender – this floral scent is often known for its calming effects. Research also suggests that lavender may also help relieve anxiety, reduce stress, and promote relaxation

Milk Bath – milk baths are super easy – just choose your type of milk and pour into your warm bath water and begin to relax. Usually I add 1 to 2 cups at a time.

Honey – honey has skin-smoothing benefits thanks to its amino acids and antioxidants. I recommend mixing in about 1 cup of honey with some hot water, then pour into your bath tub. This can also be combined with the milk bath.

Lemon/Citrus – Squeeze and drop 5-6 lemons into your warm bath water. Slicing and placing them to float above the water will make a beautiful photo for the ‘gram but it won’t provide any benefits! It’s the juice of the lemons that will help refresh your tired skin.

Have another DIY bath tip or know any other surprising things to add to your bath – let me know below!

Tag: selfhelp

“Own your morning. Elevate your life”

I was alone in the bath…