A bunch of Random: Plans for the weekend, Guest Room, Ikea, Oscars, Amazon, Reading, working out

Happy Friday Everyone!!

I just love Fridays. Same reasons as everyone else, obviously.

For many years, I worked weekends, for Fridays were just regular days for me. It’s different now. I can go to bed late on Friday night because I know I can sleep in on Saturday and on Sunday. We get two whole days just for ourselves, family and friends. I also love to think of the weekend as a “reset button”. You forget about the weekend, get your things together, organized, take care of the house and prepare for the week ahead. It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it? LOL Can you tell I love weekends?

Anyway, I have a few things I want to talk about today, I guess I should follow the order of the tittle? Maybe it’s less confusing for you guys.

1. Plans for the weekend:

Things I must not forget:

• To drink my 1.5 to 2 l of water;
• To eat my fruits and veggies;
• To take my pills on time;
• To make sure I take at least 10.000 steps. (I only aim for 5.000 on the days when I work out)
• Remember to insert all of this information in my health app (including meals), which is the best thing I’ve been using ever. Lifesum
• Go and get my eyebrows done (for crying out loud)
• Cut my hair, my ends are very dry and thin.
• Shaving. I’m in a public pool several times a week, they don’t need to endure hairy legs, armpits and lady bits. (I rhymed)

Self-care things I would like to do:

• A green clay mask, as I haven’t done one in God knows how long.
• Take 2 big nature walks with the mister and the little four-legged lady. (Probably not gonna happen, being honest here)
• Do my favorite yoga routine before bed, I’ve been waking up about 3 times each night.
• Do some kind of foot scrub.
• Apply some clear nail polish on my nails so I won’t bite them.

Things we actually need to do:

• Finish tidying up the house. We have moved the furniture we intended to, which means Rui’s desk is in the living room and I have an office space in our bedroom. Our former office is now a “closet” (Our wardrobe, shoes, bags, coats are in there) and a guest bedroom. When you make such drastic changes, objects need to be moved as well, so there are lots of clothes and random objects that need to be put away.
• Laundry. Besides our regular laundry, we have a few blankets, pillows and clothes for my pregnant friend that need to be washed, as well as a few sheets. We also have a ton to put away.
• Clean the kitchen.
• Do some general cleaning around the house. (I’ll tell you what we got done when I do my update on Sunday)
• I need to move some of my plants inside because they don’t seem to like the cold and rain.
• Rosa NEEDS to go to the vet.
• We need to cook and prep for the week ahead.
• I want to read some blogs.
• I want to get my planner ready for the week (would you like to take a peek at my planner?)

• ---

• 2. Guest Room/IKEA

• So I’ve told you we decided we definitely needed to turn our office into a guest room, with an actual bed. Every time we had guests they had to sleep on the sofa or air mattress on the living room floor. I have nothing again the sofa or air mattress, except that the living room is the center of the house. If we need to go to the bathroom or kitchen we need to go through the living room. Our bedroom door leads directly to the living room, which means there’s no privacy.

We have this guest bed which is not so good but it’ll have to do for now:

It’s as shitty as it looks and too small for any sheets to properly fit. We’ll obviously keep it as an extra, as well as the air mattress, but I’m thinking we should get this one, which turns into a double bed if needed:

It’s pretty cheap too, only 169€. What do you think?

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3. Oscars

So I had this crazy idea that we could all watch the Oscars together. What? I know. But hear me out: I would write a post named: Oscars 2018 and we’d all be watching the Oscars at the same time and commenting on said post, like we’re actually talking while watching it. So who’s with me? We can have a long distance, blogging, Oscar-viewing party!!

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4. Amazon/Reading

This morning I heard on the radio that Amazon might finally come to Portugal. I was immediately excited and praying for it to happen. Every time I want to order something from Amazon, well, I can’t. For every 100 products, only about 1 ships to Portugal and the shipping cost is never lower than 20€. It’s really bad. Imagine having the option of Amazon Prime… Gosh, I need it.

I’ve been looking into getting a used kindle reader. You cannot really find kindles to buy here and when you do, they’re really expensive, so I’m looking for a used one. I might save about 100€ if I buy a used one.

I have been reading lots using kindle on my iPhone and Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited. My free-trial ended and I was pretty sad but then Rui surprised me by saying he wouldn’t mind if we paid the monthly subscription, so I’ll have it forever, woo-ooh.

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Finally, I want to tell you I hadn’t worked out as much as I did this week in years!! I took two 2.3 km walks and I went to water aerobics twice and swimming class once! Just need to brag about it.

That’s it everyone!!

What are you plans for the weekend??

Love you all.

xx

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Sort of Health Update – Anxiety and Depression

Hey everyone,

I have an hour and a half before I need to work so I thought I might drop a few updates in the form of random paragraphs, I guess. I haven’t really talked about my life, which I used to do every single day for many months. Speaking about months, this month my blog turns 1. What? How did that happen? I clearly remember the day I sat down an wrote my very first post, thinking no one would ever read it. How has it been a year already? My blog’s anniversary is on the 24th. What do you think I should do?

• Blog party?
• Massive giveaway?
• Re-post my favorite posts from this first year?

I just have no idea. I’ve done all of those in the past, to celebrate months and followers and all kinds of milestones and happy occasions. For my blog’s first anniversary I’m out of ideas so I could use a little help.

Anyway,

My anxiety and depression have had ups and downs. I’ve been doing well, most of the time and I do feel better. There were some moments when I had to deal with very complicated situations which caused some minor relapses.

Christmas was very hard. As you know, some of my family members are batshit crazy and that can be a problem. I think you may also know that my grandmother has dementia and, on Christmas eve, she didn’t remember who I was for the first time and was acting very confused in general, which left us heartbroken.

I take those things pretty hard and I’ve yet to go back to my “before Christmas” self. What does this mean for me? I’ve been sad, off-balance, nervous, stopped writing, reading and watching movies and shows. I prefer to listen to podcasts, they’re just easier.

Just before Christmas, when I was feeling really well, my doctor decided to increase my medication for some reason, which was a very bad idea. I was suddenly taking twice the dosage of Bupropion (300 mg), some crazy pill that was supposed to stop my hands from shaking (which I didn’t want to take because if I start taking medication to control my side effects from my other medication I’ll be eating pills instead of food pretty soon) but didn’t (I can’t remember the name) and this Topiromate to decrease my appetite.

Pretty soon I was feeling extremely weak, dizzy, nauseous and sleepy all the time, but especially after I took my medication. I was feeling very sick and kept waiting (too long) for it to go away. When it didn’t, I scheduled a doctor’s appointment and she decided some of them were lowering my blood pressure and causing my symptoms. I went back to taking only 150 g of Bupropion and I’m free of the one for the tremors. It took me just a few days to feel so much better.

I have no idea why she decided to increase my medication when I was feeling so well.

I’m trying to get back to where I was before all of this crap. Going to water aerobics classes, swimming, trying to establish a routine, trying not to care about stupid shit (very difficult for me) and such. I think I’m getting back on track and will be feeling like myself soon.

I guess that’s pretty much it, the short version.

How about you?

Any health issues lately? You can share, even if it’s just a nasty cold or a backache.

Talk to you soon, hopefully.

Health for days journey – June 28th (Stop all the slacking edition)

Good morning everyone!!

I hope you’re all doing well. Has your week been good so far?

I’ve come to the realization that this health journey hasn’t been healthy at all. I’ve been doing this for months and I’m actually worse. Why? Because I’m not focused and that has to change. I need to take action or things will never get better.

That being said, my main priorities for today are:

• Drink 2 l of water;
• Eat well – protein, 5 portions of fruits and veggies, avoid sugar and cut carbs to about 1/3 of what you use to eat;
• Take your meds on time;
• Take your multivitamin;
• Walk 1000 steps, at least. I’ve downloaded a pedometer and that is the first goal, just 1000. I plan on walking around my neighborhood until I reach my goal;
• 10 minutes of guided meditation;
• 30 minutes of reading;
• 30 minutes of adult coloring;
• 20 minutes of yoga;
• 20 minutes of listening to music;

And my tasks – non priorities, are:

• I really need to do some gardening. There are weeds to pull out, seeds to plant and plants that need to be trimmed (can I say that for plants?). I need to give them some fertilizer and water them. The garden also needs to be swiped a washed down with the hose and some bleach where Rosa usually poops;
• I need to do a few loads of laundry; And put them away immediately, before they pile up;
• I really need to find a way to trick Rosa into giving her parasite medicine and cleaning her ears and teeth. I bet I won’t, she’s sneaky.
• Empty Betty and fill her up again;
• Clean all floors;
• Read and comment blogs;

What else can you expect today?

• My Perfect Party Series on Gracie from A Light In The Darkness;
• 2 posts on Instagram;
• 2 posts on twitter;
• 1 post on Facebook;
• My “What’s Up Wednesday” post (didn’t happen last week);
• A poll!! I have 4 pairs of shows I was thinking on giving away. I’m not so sure now. You guys will help me decide if I keep them or donate them;
• An update tonight;

And that’s all.

• What is up with your Wednesday?
• What are your priorities for today?

Thank you so much for reading.

Have a wonderful day.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Chey

 

Guest Post Sunday – Depression and Exercise by Fitness and Fueling

This week’s Guest Post (I plan on publishing one every Sunday, from now on) deals with an issue that is close to my heart. Suffering from depression, one of the recommendations I get most often, both from doctors, fitness experts and even random people, is to include exercise into my routine. The relation between exercise and mental health and its power to help those with depression and/or other type of mental illness has been something I’ve  been wondering about for a long time, so I decided to ask someone who is experienced in fitness and nutrition to write an article on this topic. Greg blogs over at Fitness and Fueling, a website where you can find useful information and interesting posts on such topics. I encourage you to visit, starting with his About Page, where you can get to know Greg and understand why he is the right person to address and discuss the topic of exercise and its relation to depression. I’m sure Greg would be delighted to answer all of your questions, so feel free to ask, comment, share your ideas, or even your story. If this is something you would like to share with your readers or friends, please feel free to re-blog or share on social media.

Depression and Exercise by Fitness and Fueling

Depression … a topic many are uncomfortable discussing. First, let’s set the record straight, depression isn’t people suffering from sadness; much more is occurring outside of their control, it is a chemical imbalance. Exercise is a very powerful tool used to treat depression.

There has been extensive research to help those battling depression and/or anxiety. The most common treatment for depression is prescription anti-depressants that cause unfavorable side effects. However, it is not the only form of treatment. Decades of research suggests exercise can significantly reduce depression and anxiety. In this article, I will discuss the relationship between depression and exercise, how to start, and tips to help in the journey.

First, I have to mention that I have not suffered from diagnosed depression.  Throughout the last 10 years, exercise has been a tool I used to cope with tough times. From tough break-ups, family, and social pressure, life can be downright hard at times whether suffering with depression or not. From that experience, I know that exercise can be the last thing on someone’s mind. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 million people live with depression.  Everyone goes through difficult times at some point in their life. Many people living with depression feel they cannot control certain aspects of life resulting in a feeling of hopelessness. Exercise is absolutely within our realm of control. On the outside it may seem that exercise and depression have no correlation, however, research suggests that significant changes occur within our brain when performing physical activity.

If we could instantly flip a switch to change our thought processes I bet every person with depression would flip it, without much consideration. Unfortunately, science and technology aren’t there yet. However, exercise is the key to unlocking relief. There are many forms of treatment for depression. I believe it may be beneficial to treat depression from the outside in, forcing the body to move in sync with the way you want your mind to think. When we exercise the brain releases a slew of endorphins and chemicals that travel throughout the entire body. These endorphins change how we think and feel pain. Neurotransmitter norepinephrine is a scientific theory that suggests exercise directly impacts our mood. Now, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein in the human brain that promotes nerve growth and in contrast, BDNF is significantly reduced by stress. The reduction of BDNF is directly linked to brain health. Anti-depression medications aim to treat this chemical imbalance inside the hippocampus by elevating BDNF levels to normal. According to research, exercise has been proven to promote neurogenesis, (the growth and development of nerve tissue) and elevate BDNF levels within the hippocampus. The academic and medical communities are beginning to accept this as a valid benefit. Now, you are probably wondering, “what does it mean for me and how is it going to change me?”

Post-exercise, patients with depression report feeling more relaxed, accomplished, energetic, and in more control of themselves and their environment. I mentioned earlier, many things in life are out of our control and this led me to research the philosophy of Stoicism. Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that says we are thinkers who are connected to nature. Stoicism is centered on living in the moment, not being concerned with material items, and living life under what is directly in our control. It is worth researching if you are interested in gaining a warrior mindset. I can’t imagine the difficulty that may accompany starting an exercise program while battling depression. The amount of positive change in the brain is sure to be worth it. Now, beginning an exercise program can be difficult, these suggestions may help make it smooth and successful.

TIPS:

• Choose any activity that is enjoyable. There is no correlation between which exercise is more beneficial. There is a greater chance of continuing if it’s something fun.
• Creatine, a sports performance supplement, may help women with depression by improving their mood. Click to read more on creatine.
• Exercise in the morning has a significant impact on reducing cortisol (the stress hormone) levels throughout the day. Thus, reducing stress throughout the day.
• Fight the mentality, “what’s the point, I’ll be fat and ugly forever” by recognizing it’s the chemical imbalance talking and NOT you. Quiet your mind by walking.
• Food, depression medications can increase appetite, become surrounded by healthy options to reduce binge eating. Tips for juicing and benefits in this article.
• Have an exercise partner. This will encourage accountability and make it more enjoyable from the social perspective.
• If interested in a gym style routine, find a class. Just show up and move.
• Just go with it. New is unfamiliar and uncomfortable – be patient.
• Not all aspects of physical activity feel great. The end result is what is important.
• Participate in physical activity 3-5 times per week.
• Simple breathing exercises have a large impact on relaxation and mood.
• Write down the exercise to be completed the night before. This may help in staying committed. I wrote down my workouts the night before for years and it helped me stay on track. If I wrote it down, I had to make it happen.
• Yoga and meditation are remarkable activities to reduce stress and anxiety. Click to read more on yoga and stress.

Perhaps some people will feel utterly defeated most days and will sulk in a gym while putting forth a little effort and/or feel judged by others. There are a few approaches to this valid concern. Try performing exercise at home or in a location more discreet. Next, people who judge others are who have the problem – be you in the gym and don’t focus on what others think. (It’s surprising how many people are unaware of their surroundings in a gym today with the constant smartphone and television usage.) It is well documented that fresh air can have a significant impact on depression and mood. Try to get outside for exercise, I highly recommend it.

Exercise, physical activity, meditation, or yoga, will have a positive impact on certain neurological processes and chemicals in the brain for those suffering with depression or anxiety. The type of movement chosen is entirely up to you as research does not favor one in particular. Besides, the side effects of exercise are reduced blood pressure and increased metabolism to list a few. Stay true to yourself, push even harder when it’s difficult and most importantly have fun with it because at the end of the day we only have one life to live and we should strive to make it as fun as possible.

 

Sources:

“Exercise and Depression.” Harvard Health Publications, June 2009, http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-and-depression-report-excerpt. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

“YouTube.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Dec. 2016, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsVzKCk066g. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

Godman, Heidi, editor. “Regular exercise changes the brain to improve memory, thinking skills.” Harvad Health Blog, 9 Apr. 2014, http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

Kelly ServickOct. 10, 2013 , 1:00 PM, et al. “How Exercise Beefs Up the Brain.” Science | AAAS, 12 Jan. 2016, http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/10/how-exercise-beefs-brain. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

Lee, B.-H., & Kim, Y.-K. (2010). The Roles of BDNF in the Pathophysiology of Major Depression and in Antidepressant Treatment. Psychiatry Investigation, 7(4), 231–235. http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2010.7.4.231

The National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

Are you mentally tough?

If you want to unlock confidence and will power read this. The post 45 Minute Plank For Mental Toughness appeared first on Fitness and Fueling.

via 45 Minute Plank For Mental Toughness — Fitness and Fueling

My friend Greg wrote this amazing article that I think many of you would love to read. It’s inspiring in so many ways! It shows you that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, because your mind is more powerful than you know.

This is inspiring not only when it comes to fitness and body resistance (your mind gives up before your body does, most times) but also when we talk about being strong when facing life’s challenges. It can boost your confidence, and teach you that you are much tougher than you think. Which I’m learning through my journey of fighting depression.

This is not an article I would read before, but I have learned (in a short amount of time) that my body and mind are more connected than I could ever have imagined. If this is something you would like to learn about, this particular article is extremely inspiring.

If you like fitness and nutrition in general, this blog is one you are going to love. Greg is very nice and willing to help when it comes to these subjects.

Thank you, guys!!

xx

Just a Saturday, and some news!

Hey friends!

I hope you’re having an amazing weekend? What are you up to? I would love to know!

I got home about half an hour ago. I went to the doctor this morning, then we ran some errands (we found a way to pay less for our cell phone services, so took care of that), we did some shopping and bought Rosa a huge toy that she loves. Then I went to my mother’s house to see her and to pick up my sister who was going to my uncle and grandma’s house for lunch and then home with us. After lunch we went to the city to pick Rui’s brother up, he is also staying with us until Monday.

Lunch was nice, I got to meet my uncle’s new girlfriend whose name is… Rosa. Yep. My dog and my new aunt share a name. None of them is offended.

My uncle is an amazing cook and makes perfect desserts, so we had a great bacalhau dish and some chocolate crepes with whipped cream. It was yummy! It’s difficult for me to go to that house because there are so many memories. My grandfather lived there until he did, my sister and I lived there with my grandparents for many many years, while my mother was working abroad. It’s a sad house now. And the village too. Holds too many memories. Memories of people who are no longer living, people who used to be my friends but are no longer in my life. People I would give anything to be close to again. Those things make me sad. And then… you have my grandmother. Who is there, but not really there. She’s lost, somewhere in her mind. Somewhere in here fewer and fewer memories of her life. She’s with us, but she hasn’t been with us for many years. We are with her, but it hurts so bad. There’s nothing more hurtful than to mourn the living.

So after lunch, we went and picked my brother-in-law up from his apartment in the city. Then we came home, but stopped for some groceries. Some things we needed for tonight’s dinner and for next week. We decided against pizza and we are grilling some meat instead, with fries and a salad. I bought avocados to try again, because I have only tried them once and didn’t like the taste. I know they’re really good for you so and would love to add them to my diet, so I’m gonna try again. I also bought some frozen berries, for my oatmeal. Someone suggested to try that and I thought it was an amazing idea. I bought 750 g for 2,99€, which I thought was cheap, since they last for a while. We also needed some basics, fruit (I got kiwis, bananas and oranges, since we have a ton of apples left), bread, milk, eggs, napkins, charcoal for the grill, and orange juice. We got some onions to plant too. Red and some other kind. We are doing a huge garden this year!!

I’m trying to limit our grocery budget. For the last two months we wrote down all of our expenses and realized were we were spending too much. Communications was one of the areas we were paying too much for, but it’s now taken care of. The other big shock was groceries. 250ish for two people. Nope, cannot be. My mother spends 300 for 3 people and they buy cookies and soda and some expensive detergents. We are spending too much! I’m in charge of limiting our grocery expenses to 150€ per month, including toiletries and detergents. 175€ is the maximum and only because my new food choices ask for some expensive things like seeds, dried fruits and whole wheat pasta and brown rice. Anyways, I will do my best to keep our food shopping at that amount!

We also bought some cute little bunnies with Easter eggs for our little cousins. We are spending Easter with Rui’s family and we always give a little present to the girls. We still need to buy things for everyone else, but I’m glad that we are done for the kids. One less thing to worry about.

So, what’s the good news?

I went to the psychiatrist this morning. Rui went in the room with me this time. I asked her if he could and she said yes, which was good because he can tell her things that I forget! I told her about my lifestyle changes, about how much better I feel and she was happy and impressed. She said that I obviously needed this but didn’t know it or was unwilling to admit it. Rui told her about the blog and how he thought it was one of the best things in my life right now. She was interested so I told her more details and how I met such amazing people, some going through the same issues. I told her how much support I would get from those people and how amazing I felt because I was writing again (I used to write many years ago, fiction at the time, and one day I just stopped, until now) and because people were interested in reading what I write. She was happy about everything I told her and told me that she could see improvement. She said that my neurons are healing because, without the work stress, they can “accept” the medication better and heal properly!! So my brain is doing better hahaha. Rui told her I was a totally different person, which made me really happy. He has been in a better mood (I know you will read this, you little shit), and I’m relieved by that, because I never wanted to burden him in any way. He seems happier and I know it’s because I’m so much better.

And that’s it guys. Those are my news, for today. I’m so sore from the cardio video I did yesterday. Those are some powerful 15 minutes. My thighs and arms are not happy…

But I am 🙂

At least for today. Tomorrow we’ll see!

Love you, friends.

xo

Cheila

*Picture is the view from my grandmother’s house. It seemed appropriate for the post.

 

Health for days journal – Day 1 (planning)

Good morning dear friends,

It’s 07.55 a.m and I couldn’t sleep. That’s okay. I’m home, so I have plenty of time to take a nap later. I already had breakfast, made my list of to-dos for the day and now I’m about to write a very important post.

I told you I was going to leave work for a while and take care of myself, but I didn’t give you any details on what I’ll be doing over the next few weeks/months. Today I want to give you a general plan, so you know what I’m doing to improve my health and well-being.

Before anything else, I’m going to need to talk to my landlord and tell him that we are terminating my contract. I do not look forward to that conversation.

Then, I’m going to talk to my students and tell them I will no longer be able to teach them. I don’t look forward to that either. It kind of breaks my heart. But me first, right? Just for now.

Some of them have a few hours paid in advance so we need to decide what to do about that.

But this is today/over the next few days.

What’s going to happen in general?

Dietary changes:

• I will do some research today and come up with a diet plan that is suited for people with depression, taking into account my weight issues and stomach problems. After that I will outline a meal plan/shopping list that meets my needs. My goal for this period is put as many nutrients into my body as possible, change my bad habits and lose excess weight.
• The weight loss will certainly help my depression and anxiety in many ways, as I will feel and be healthier, more confident and will suffer less from stomach, back and knee issues.
• I will also increase my water intake, which is so low this time of year.

 

Exercise:

• I will try to do something every day, even if it’s just a short walk. I will certainly swim when I go to the city, do some YouTube videos (random, I think, but mainly yoga, Pilates and Zumba) and just try to keep moving, even if it’s just doing chores at home.

 

Sleep:

• I will try to establish a good sleeping schedule, going to bed early and getting up early too. I will rest as much as possible, allowing myself a little more than eight hours a night and occasional naps. The goal is to be 100% rested and revitalized when I get back to work.

Happiness plan:

• Rui and I established that I’m supposed to do as many of my favorite things during this period as possible, in order to switch my brain to happy and satisfied. That sad I will: Do crochet (I have a blanket I’m working on); read as many books as I can (I miss it so much); sing and listen to music; watch movies and series; get lost in some of those adult coloring books; meet my family and friends often; blog;
• I will also try to get out in the sun a little every day because I’m usually inside all day and I need to catch some air and get my vitamin D levels up;

Work:

• We are trying an approach where I will work ten hours a week, going to the students’ houses. It’s just two pairs of 10th grade siblings who need help with English and Portuguese. This was not a part of the initial plan, as I was supposed not to work at all, but I convinced Rui to let me work this ten hours. He’s not very happy about it, but I think, since he wanted me to focus only on myself and not about work, but the money is good and I’m more relaxed if I know I’m bringing in a part-time income, along with no longer having the office rent (which is quite expensive, almost as expensive as our house rent);

School:

• I only need to do three courses and then I finish my degree. I will, obviously not put this aside. I’m not sure I will be going to class, but I will be going in for tests, exams and presentations as well as do all of the assignments and readings;

Housework:

• I will happily take care of ALL housework during this period, as Mr. R is taking care of almost 100% of the expenses. I love cleaning and doing laundry and dishes and cooking, so I will be more than fine with this. I even consider chores a workout.

Doctor’s appointments:

• I will have a psychiatrist’s appointment once a month and a weekly therapist’s appointment. We are also going to ask for some exams, which I think my doctor’s should have ordered a long time ago, but haven’t. Just to rule out other health problems and to make sure I’m getting the best care;
• I will continue to take my medication every day, hoping it will be less and less with time. (I currently take 8 pills a day);

Blogging:

• I’ll keep blogging every day as I usually do, so you guys can follow my journey and hopefully feel inspired to take care of yourselves as well.

General care:

• I will try to be nicer to my body in general and take better car of my hair, skin and nails, that have been neglected for a long time! #moiturizerisyourfriend #whyamiusinghashtags?

I’m happy with where I’m at with my plans, and will do every possible thing in order to heal and get better. I will have the support of my loving, perfect husband (we are technically married anyway) and my dear friends and family. This should be fun!!

Today’s to-dos:

1. Talk to my students: Ery, Raphael, Sofia, Milene, Laís, Catarina, Ana, Filipa, Gustavo, Luís, Welton, Carla, António, Isabel;
2. Research dietary changes;
3. Cut hair; do a mask;
4. Talk to x about guest post;
5. Make waxing appointment for tomorrow (have gynecologist’s appointment on Wednesday and don’t want him having problems finding anything #queenofTMI);
6. Update “getting my shit together list”
7. Get to know 5 blogs and bloggers better. Dive into their blogs, read some articles, comment, like, support. I want my readers to know I’m their reader too.
8. Fold and put away laundry;
9. Change bed sheets;
10. Wash blankets from sofa (dog hair for days, that should have been the name of this blog)
11. Dust bedroom;
12. Put away dishes;
13. Do dishes;
14. Do a few loads of laundry;
15. Work out (try new?)
16. Watch movie (Casablanca) while crocheting;
17. Take it easy!!!

 

How are you taking care of yourself today? I would love if you would share in the comments!

Love. C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better than normal!

First of all, am I too sleepy or they have changed the position of the thingies when you go write a post?? Change makes me nervous. Whatever…

Today was a great day!!

I couldn’t sleep a wink last night, which is not good, I know, but I managed to get out of bed and live.

I got up at 6 and did a yoga video! I loved it, it felt amazing. It felt so good I even wrote a post about it. It’s not something I would normally do, so I say I feel better than normal today. I worked out! Me… If  you guys know me… Come on… I worked out… at 6 a.m! I just hope one of my friends comes and comments asking if I’m sick or something because this is not something I would normally do.

Okay, enough about the workout. I’m the typical fatty who works out once and won’t shut up about it. Thank God that’s not the only thing I did today.

After the workout, I drank some coffee. Picked up some dry laundry from the clothesline and took care of another load. It should be dry by the time I get home. I fed the dog and let her out, something that my boyfriend usually does. I blogged and answered comments and read some posts. I took a shower BEFORE my boyfriend, which hasn’t happened in 4 years. Poor thing is usually in the shower, plotting on how to get me out of bed without using violence. I washed and dried my hair, got dressed, put on makeup and was ready way before Mr. R. So unusual. I got to work early, and ready to start my day. I taught 6 hours of class, 3 of them to two new students. I had a meeting, another new student. I’m currently waiting to have another meeting with another new student. I’m unstoppable today, people!!

What else did I do?

I read many posts from my dear bloggers that I follow;

I sent a few emails;

I talked to students about schedules and got to an agreement;

I scheduled my therapist appointment for March 24;

I cleaned my office floor;

I made some money;

I started scheduling for next week;

….. I forgot to eat lunch.

Well, nobody is perfect.

Now I just want to get home, wear something comfy, eat some nice dinner with my love and my other furry love and watch This is Us. 

Happy Friday, my dear friends!

I worked out!

It’s 6.48 a.m here in Portugal and I have already done a yoga video! Yes, I’m surprised as well, but happy. No, I didn’t wake up to work out, I couldn’t sleep all night so I got up at sixish and decided to do some yoga workout. I’ll link the video down below, if you want to join me! See this as an inspirational post. If I can work out, you can definitely do it!

Easy Yoga for Beginners

I’m going to blog a little, eat something, shower and get ready for work. See you soon.

Have a good day.

xo