Hey my friends! I’m Hayley Hobson and I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome to the Whole You Podcast where I share tips to help women like you implement healthy hacks and habits so you can eat smarter, rest better, and get it ALL done.
So lemme ask ya…
Do you ever feel like your life is just go - go - go?
Like you never have a calm moment?
And even when you lay down in bed, your mind is going a mile a minute?
That’s totally been me lately.
It’s like our lives have just become one big to-do list sometimes.
And you know what?
It’s friggin exhausting!
So, can we please just acknowledge that for a moment?!
*Deep breath*
OMG that felt good. We should all do that more often.
Because yes, our lives are all crazy full these days.
And yes, I’m here to help with hacks on how to get it ALL done...
...But you gotta take time for yourself to de-stress.
Like, every day.
I’ve put together an amaze-balls De-stress checklist for ya.
It’s one to-do list that you’re actually gonna look forward to. LOL
I made this because finding effective ways to recharge is soooooo important.
Yep, there is such a thing as “effective rest.” LOL
You literally can’t keep going when your gas tank is on empty (or in my case, if you leave your electric car uncharged)...
Just like your car needs regular maintenance, so do you, girlfriend.
And I know there are a gazillion tips out there on how to sleep better or relax…
But I’m bringin’ ya a few lesser known methods that REALLY work.
And no, I am not just going to tell you to meditate.
Even though you should!
It does work!
For some people.
Not all... (or at least trying to do the traditional forms of meditation doesn’t work for everyone…)
But I digress.
Oh and P.S. Unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders.
But really do it.
Like right now.
K good job.
LOL
So anyway, today I’m gonna tell you about 5 uncommon hacks to stress less and rest more.
First off...
You’ve heard of vitamin C, right?
And I don’t mean the singer…
But like I do love The Graduation Song…
And where is she now? Hope she’s doing well.
Thank you for that classic…
But vitamin C!
The actual vitamin.
Commonly found in fruits and veggies.
It’s legit REALLY good for you.
Many studies have shown that vitamin C reduces stress.
And stress can cause both physical and psychological issues.
So this is big.
Vitamin C has been directly linked to lowering blood pressure and boosting immunity.
Even though it’s present in a lot of great and healthy foods, sometimes it can be hard to get the proper doses every day just through your diet.
So I highly, HIGHLY recommend getting yourself on the vitamin C supplement train.
It can be part of your daily routine!
Vitamin C supplements come in a lot of forms.
So you get to pick!
But one I REALLY DON’T recommend are the gummies.
Not just for vegan reasons but they also sneak in extra sugars…
They’re not regulated by the FDA so they don’t always have the same amount of nutrients they say on their labels…
And on the flip side, you can actually take TOO MANY of them because they taste good… which means you may experience vitamin toxicity.
Crazy, right?
I recommend using the liquid form… AKA liposomal. You can get it from Amazon or most health stores.
I’ll tell ya right now it doesn’t taste great, but it absorbs the best into your body.
Another option is an IV injection, but a lot of people have resistance to this, so liposomal is the ideal way to go.
And if you’re already taking vitamin C supplements…
First of all, go you...
...But secondly, during any majorly stressful times, you know what you can do?
Increase your intake.
And PS…
While personally I don’t recommend the chewable route… sometimes it’s the only way you’re gonna get it into your kids’ diet, right?
Or maybe you’re not willing to “go pro” with your Vitamin C just yet… LOL
So I’ll say this with a little resistance… but if you absolutely friggin HAVE to… chewables do the job.
And if you’re having a really stressful week, you can double your dosage.
But remember: this shouldn’t be your normal protocol.
There’s only so much Vitamin C our bodies can actually process…
...so keep this double-up hack in your back pocket for when you’re stressed AF and need a little boost.
Normal daily intake should be around 65-90 milligrams and the upper limit is 2000.
Having too much vitamin C can lead to… well, let’s just call it… bowel issues, ok? LOL
So now that you’ll be loading up on vitamin C on the reg, I have another solid hack for ya.
I know that sometimes eating can seem like just another thing you need to do.
But eating is very important for your body and your mind to keep on trekking.
We’re all guilty of skipping a meal…
Just grabbing a smoothie to go…
Or a protein snack on the way out the door.
Life can be hectic like that.
But you gotta learn how to eat slowly and turn it into its own event.
It’s time for you to enjoy your food and meal time again!
Eating slowly is proven to help with digestion.
And that’s important because no one likes heartburn.
Or stomach aches.
Or overeating.
Learning to eat slowly and savor your food can be a moment for you to embrace mindfulness.
Reflect on your day.
Laugh about the funny thing your neighbor said.
Finally remember the reason you walked into your closet this morning.
Or you can chat and share your day with your fam.
It doesn’t matter how you do it.
Just take your time!
Eating quickly takes the joy out of it.
And gives me hiccups. LOL
And no one wants that, right?
Exactly.
So it’s decided.
Eating slow is the way to go.
And on that note, when is the last time you cried?
(How’s that for a segue? Did I give ya whiplash? LOL)
Ok so really, when was the last time you had yourself a good cry?
Earlier today?
Yeah, same.
But you know what?
That’s actually a good thing!
I know we all have moments in our lives where we decide it’s not the right time to cry.
Maybe you’re at work.
A social event.
Or in your car with the kids.
In line at the DMV…
...OK actually that one’s valid. LOL
So anyway, you bury it down and hope it passes.
Well ya know what?
That’s actually pretty bad for you.
When you hold in those emotions, it can cause some unpleasant things.
Like anxiety.
And aggression.
And irritability.
Wait… maybe people at the DMV just need to cry more…
I’ll suggest that next time I’m told to stand in yet another line by Carol with the dead eyes…
Bet that’ll go over well. LOL
Releasing those emotions and crying makes things better.
It lowers stress.
And boosts your mood.
Crying can truly be therapeutic.
If those feelings have passed but you know you could benefit from a good cry…
There are some things that can help that along too.
Might I recommend keeping a queue on your streaming services that are just movies proven to make you cry?
The ones you avoid on a normal Friday night with friends.
But then watch back to back for the perfect cryfest when alone.
Some guaranteed sobbers…
About Time
Stepmom
My Girl
Steel Magnolias
Special TV show mention…
Any Grey’s Anatomy season finale episode.
Ugh, the plane crash…
If you know, you know.
The point is…
Get your cry on, girlfriend.
I promise you’ll feel a million times better after you let it out.
But you know what will also make you feel better?
Learning how to say no.
And not just like forming the words in your mouth.
I mean actually saying NO.
To people.
To events.
To favors.
To baking cupcakes for a bake sale.
(Although I’d be surprised if THAT one makes a comeback anytime soon LOL)
If you’re already at your limit and ready to crack, you cannot keep adding to your plate.
I know it can be scary to tell someone no.
So you can ease your way into saying no.
Rather than just automatically agreeing to something...
Play it coy and give yourself time to think.
Say that you’ll consider it.
This’ll allow you to properly assess if you can add any more to your already-busy schedule.
Or you can just rip the bandaid off and say no from the start.
It gets easier over time.
I promise.
You know what they say.
Practice makes perfect.
And that includes saying no.
But I’m not telling you to say no to everything.
Just the stuff that overwhelms you.
Or that you feel obligated to do.
You have free will to share your time with others in whatever way you want to.
So stop saying yes to parties you know you will be miserable at.
Or volunteering for something when you haven’t even had a chance to wash your hair this week.
Take care of yourself and your own needs.
Say yes to yourself!
To kombucha.
To a bubble bath.
To a little chocolate snack.
To putting on your jammies at 4pm and reading a book.
No judgment here!
Say no to the extra things causing you stress and anxiety.
There’s enough of that with just your normal everyday stuff.
Saying no creates healthy boundaries for yourself.
That’s something we all need in our lives.
And it’ll benefit you...
In sooooo many ways.
So just do it!
Say no!
And experience how good it can feel!
Because you know what?
It’s good.
Like REALLY good.
And now we are on to my 5th and final unconventional hack.
It might be my favorite.
I mean, I love them all.
But this one never fails me.
Do you have a favorite movie you’ve seen 100 times?
Or a TV show that never gets old?
Studies have shown that when people are feeling anxious, it can be extremely calming to watch something familiar.
When you already know what happens to a character or how a movie ends, it can actually be very comforting to you.
You already know the best jokes.
The moment the jock notices the shy girl.
The reason he never called.
Who the real father is.
The fact that even though it doesn’t seem like it in the middle, they do end up together.
You already know it...
...And you enjoy it.
You know that watching Joey try to learn French on Friends will be hilarious.
You’re guaranteed a heartfelt moment between Jim and Pam when watching them fall in love on The Office.
You cannot wait to watch Heath Ledger sing “I love you, baby” in 10 Things I Hate About You.
And you love to say “Big Mistake. Huge.” along with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
So stop thinking that you always need to be watching the show everyone is buzzing about.
Or the movie that got all the Oscar noms.
Just add everyone’s suggestions to your non-existent “watch list.”
And then go watch whatever shiz sounds good to you.
If it’s watching Parks and Rec for the 50th time, then so be it!
Sometimes you just need to enjoy something you know you like and that won’t give you any suspense or surprises.
And that’s okay!
I do it!
And you can too.
Ok, so quick recap of my 5 hacks for you…
- Get you some vitamin C
- Eat slowly and mindfully -- it’s not a race
- Cry your little heart out
- Learn to say no, and
- Watch that comfort show
Got it?
Of course you do.
I can’t wait to hear all about how you implement these hacks into your life!
And how you do with the De-stress checklist!
I’ll drop the link in the show notes for ya too.
I hope this episode gave you a guide to bringing more rest and less stress into your life.
We all need that!
So until next week…
I’ll see ya online.