putting all anxieties about this pandemic aside, i want to focus on the good today. being in quarantine and practicing social distancing can be isolating and easily detrimental to mental illnesses that many of us go through. it's easy to let your situation control your emotions, but if you open your heart there is also endless opportunities for you to take control simply by changing your mindset and actions.



one | reconnect with yourself
chances are you've let go of yourself lately, you're unfamiliar with your emotions, your dreams, because you've been so focused on the outside world. take this time to reconnect with your heart. don't stay in bed all day, turn on music and dance so you can learn your body again. teach yourself something new to reconnect with your mind again.

two | reconnect with your passions
maybe there's words in your brain you have to get out on paper or maybe it's been a few months or longer since you've picked up your guitar. whatever you're passionate about, you now have time to make that a priority again.

three | cherish your home
you are beyond fortunate enough to live in a home, so take this time to be completely grateful for it. make your home a magical space again. paint a wall, make a new piece of art work, reorganize your pantry, clean your room, declutter your closet.

four | practice gratitude
i think a lot of us are focusing on what we've lost, and letting the anxieties of it's consequences get the best of us, but that's exactly it - these things are out of your control. your mindset, however, is entirely in your control. practice gratitude for your health, for phone calls with your loved ones, for this life. you've never been promised tomorrow, this hasn't changed.

            I am a big time essential oil enthusiast. Not only do they smell heavenly and have so many ways to utilize them, they also have so many benefits, too. The last few weeks I've been using a new blend I decided to throw together one day, it instantly blew me away how much I loved it so I decided to do some deeper research on the blend and the oils it consisted of.

            Where do I begin with this recipe!? It's calming. Peaceful. Uplifting. Anxiety fighting. It smells good and it's only made with three essential oils.


            I typically do equal parts for each essential oil with this blend, whether I put it in my diffuser or use it with my favorite way to "wear" essential oils (my homemade necklaces made of hemp string and stones). Breaking down this oil recipe, I wanted to share with you a bit on what each oil brings to this blend...

Lavender

Sweet Orange

            - it acts as an antidepressant
            - it's uplifting

Peppermint
            - it fights anxiety
            - helps fight pain, nausea, and other forms of discomfort

            And those are just a few of the things each oil does! But I wanted to focus on the properties that make this blend so incredible so I limited it to those benefits. Let me know in the comments below if you plan on using this blend or if you've ever used any like it! And if you do try it, let me know what you think!

            Hello friends! Today I wanted to talk about morning rituals. I'm a total morning person, but I only truly love mornings when I feel energized and I have the opportunity to be productive. Morning rituals for me are all about finding positive energy to ignite the day, setting intentions so I can better seek out my goals, as well as engaging with my mind and body.

            There is nothing I dislike more than a rushed morning, I always find that it tends to leave me feel anxious the rest of the day. I feel like all the speed bumps and stumbling blocks of being an introvert are brought out, too. I'm kind of left with a pit in my stomach the rest of the day, kind of like how you feel when you're late for a deadline.

            Ultimately when I engage in this morning ritual, I also find that I am so much more motivated to actually seek out opportunities to accomplish my goals and I just have a better day in general. I'm more carefree with the daily stressors that life brings me, I'm more optimistic and inspired.

MY MORNING RITUAL

            I will say that most mornings, I don't accomplish every task on this list. And sometimes not even half on my work days. However, everyday I do make an effort to do as many of these as  I can. I find that the more that I do, the better day I have, and that makes me all the more motivated to do it again tomorrow.

            What are some things you like to include in your morning routine? I'd love to hear your answers in the comments below!

1. practice yoga and meditation
2. sit and write in a coffee shop
3. go outside and feed your lungs fresh air
4. volunteer, it's a confidence booster and it opens your eyes to new experiences
5. start a journal
6. brighten someone's day
7. eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible
8. buy a plant or flowers for your living space
9. put on an uplifting song and dance
10. cook a new dish
11. go to an art museum
12. express gratitude
13. unplug, put away your phone and electronics for a few hours
14. read a book
15. watch the sunrise or sunset
16. go to sleep early, and get enough rest to wake up early, too
17. drink a hot cup of tea or coffee, or water (cold)
18. start your day off with stretching
19. listen to a podcast or an audio book (try multi-tasking, while your driving, cooking, cleaning)
20. do at least one thing that gets you closer to your goals
21. declutter, minimize your space and throw away or donate as much as you can
22. create a vision board
23. go on a friendship date
24. keep a notebook (a place to keep your ideas, your thoughts, to-do lists)
25. get creative (the possibilities are endless: photography, music, painting, writing, cooking, crafting)
26. work out, or try something new to shake up your routine (try only using your body, doing an outdoor work out, or attend a class)
27. listen to an instrumental playlist (Deep Focus on Spotify is a good one)
28. go on a drive (no destination, no plans, just drive)
29. burn a candle or diffuse essential oil
30. make a bucket list and start crossing things off
31. surround yourself with positive energy and people
32. treat yo self, take yourself on a date or stay in with good food an a movie
33. read the scriptures or indulge in something spiritual that's close to your heart
34. go to a farmer's market
35. watch an old favorite film

          Hello there, I'm Sarah and welcome to my journey and a place for all the light I wish to share with the world.

• I'm twenty four years old and an East Tennessee native who currently resides in Chattanooga. 
• I am passionate about non toxic and natural living. I'm also new on my journey, so I'm still transitioning and finding new products and recipes to fill my home with.
• I love learning about holistic wellness.
• I am a Christian and with everything I do my primary goal is to glorify God.
• So I suppose that makes me a Jesus loving hippie.
• I'm an artist and a writer and I come from a family full of artists and writers.
• I love photography, I learned about it through film as a teenager and I dream of having my own darkroom someday.
• I am full of wanderlust but I'm also a homebody. I've only been out of America once, when I went to Córdoba, Spain, and the city absolutely captured my heart (and that's where I took that photo of a sunflower field).
• I have a Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology and I geek out over the subject.
• I'm an INFJ and a true introvert.

          My wish for this blog is to be a place of soulful conversation, creativity, holistic wellness and truth seeking. If you've made this far, I hope you'll choose to stay to learn and cherish life with me.