The "F" Word

We are all way too familiar with the f-word -- we use it casually, it resides deep in our psyche, and it is incredibly debilitating…

FEAR

For most of my life, I believed fear and anxiety were normal feelings to encounter daily and if they weren't present, something was wrong. How crazy is that!? If I am not scared or anxious, I am worried about it!

Today as I write this, I am making a vow to you and myself -- fear and anxiety will no longer be a part of my daily routine. If a nerve-wracking or anxiety-provoking thought presents itself, I will address it and if it isn’t warranted then, CIAO!

Three ways I combat fear:

1. Dancing -- play some of your favorite music (I love my flashdance channel on Pandora) and just DANCE in front of your mirror! Music has a way of making everything seem okay.

2. Reading -- pick up a great book and get lost in a story!  

3. Trust in the Universe -- have faith everything has a plan

4. Repeating this mantra over and over, “Live as though everything was rigged in your favor.”

Experience Gratitude

As January unfolds, it’s important to take note of where you are in your life -- be grateful, but also be aware of the goals you wish to achieve in the future.

Gratitude is number one and is proven over and over to greatly improve your quality of life.

When creating goals and resolutions, make sure you stay in your own lane and avoid comparing your lives to others. With social media, it’s hard not to be a voyeur and take note of what others have, comparing them to yourself.

If you are feeling blue as we enter 2016, start a gratitude journal. Write 3 things you are grateful for daily and please, please write this quote somewhere:

 “comparison is the thief of joy."

Stay in your own lane and be committed to your own definition of success, but don't forget to enjoy the journey ;).

It's Holiday Party Time!

It’s holiday season and you know what the means! Booze, sugar and everything gluttonous. Guess what? It’s okay!

If you want to indulge, do it with happiness, pleasure and sans guilt.

If you are eating and drinking what you consider to be unhealthy but delicious, then please enjoy every single bite and sip. Try to avoid “sneak eating,” a.k.a bites out of a pie box. Instead, cut yourself a slice and savor each crumb.

Here are some tips for staying healthy during the holiday season:

1. Never go to a party/event hungry. Eat a small meal beforehand.

2. Stay hydrated! The more water you drink, the more full you will feel.

3. Love yourself. Be good to yourself.

4. If you break your healthy habits for a few days, don’t let that deter you from getting back on track. Your metabolism needs some extra work sometimes, so don’t sweat it mentally -- but do sweat it at the gym.

5. Dance! If you are going to parties, take advantage of any live music and boogie!

Letting Go

As the New Year rapidly approaches many of us are thinking about resolutions we would like to implement in 2016, but how about letting go of what does not serve us? One of my New Year’s resolutions is moving forward in life with ease and grace. If something negative happens, rather than dwell and hang on to it I am learning to address it, learn from it, and let it go!

This can be a sad or emotionally difficult breakup to realizing a certain behavioral pattern is no longer serving you. While letting go, do not forget to be easy on yourself.

Awareness of what doesn’t work in our lives is 90% of the letting go battle.

Pat yourself on the back for reading this blog which causes us to become more aware...I am excited for you as you let go of 2015 and embrace the New Year.

How do you let go? Here are some of my go-to tips:

1. Find a body of water! Did you know bodies of water can absorb negativity? Whether you go for a walk by a pond, visit an ocean, or even run your bath! Say what you want to get rid of and tell the water to take it! (I swear I’m not a nut!)
2. Write it down and get rid of it!!! Take a piece of paper and write down, “Needing control every hour of my schedule no longer serves me and makes feel anxious. I am letting go of my need to control!” Take the piece of paper, rip it up and throw it away.
3. Tell someone with whom you are close what it is you are working on letting go and ask them to help keep you on track! 

It's Reframe Time

It’s reframe time!

Any Negative Nancys out there? We all have a tendency to see the glass half empty rather than half full sometimes...here are my tips to make sure you focus on the positive aspects, shall we say the silver lining of situations.

• Make a pro list for whatever is feeling negative

I currently live in downtown Manhattan but I am moving to the Upper East Side when my lease is up. I was missing nature that resides in Central Park and feeling claustrophobic in my neighborhood. I turned it around and made a list of everything amazing downtown, new restaurants, healthy options etc...I loved my list so much it inspired me to go to a new place every day!

• Meditation

Meditating allows the mind to become quiet and for you to feel more peace in your current situation. My meditation includes sitting quietly using The Mindfulness App or Deepak and Oprah’s guided meditation for 20 minutes . I take deep inhales and exhales while I focus on letting all my thoughts pass through me.

Whenever I am feeling down, I put on comfortable shoes and go for a calm walk. Something about moving the body is freeing and the endorphins really do help my mood! When you are physically active, chemicals called endorphins are released from your body. Interestingly enough, endorphins mimic similar feelings from morphine (without any negative effects) and make you feel extremely good.

• Music

Listening to songs that remind me of the happiest moments of my life or some just-darn-good Motown music puts a pep in my step! Check out, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” by The Everly Brothers and “We Belong Together” by Ritchie Valens.

• A Joy Journal

Take 5 minutes every day to write down the best parts of your day, ranging from a delicious lunch with a close friend to a snuggle with your pup. Revisiting your joy journal can make negative situations seem less important or not as severe. 

Be Compassionate to Yourself

As the holiday season rapidly approaches it’s easy to forget about the most important person on your gift list--- you!

‘Tis the season of giving to your spouse, best friend or parent but what about a gift idea list for yourself? This month, I am gifting self-love and kindness. I often put others' needs before mine, but today marks the beginning of my Chanukah gift to myself---be kind to Caroline.

Every time a negative voice comes into my head regarding body image or productivity, I will acknowledge the thought and then simply reject it.

IF WE ARE NOT COMPASSIONATE TO OURSELVES THEN HOW DO WE EXPECT COMPASSION FROM THOSE AROUND US?

While many November/December magazine issues have their 10 top holiday picks here are mine--- and they are only for you:

1.    Get a massage

2.    Get a manicure

3.    Take an hour to exercise

4.    Eat a meal that is healthy and delicious (sitting and chewing)

5.    Meditate for 20 minutes for a week

6.    Keep a joy journal where every evening you write down 5 things that gave you joy that day

7.    Eat something indulgent and enjoy every single bite (guilt free)

8.    Take yourself on a date!

9.    Spend a few hours reading a wonderful book that brings you happiness when you think you should be doing something else instead

10.  Get acupuncture! 

Listen to Yourself!

One of the most profound skills we can develop is the art of listening to our gut, also referred to as our intuition. In a place like New York City, with constant stimulation and external distraction, it is imperative we work hard to silence our environment so we can listen to the wisest person we know--- ourselves.

Two ways in which I quiet the outside is through dancing and meditation. Dance cardio allows me to connect with my body and really tune out whatever else is influencing my behavior. Following dancing-- I shower, get dressed and then sit in silence for up to 15 minutes to really focus on my outlook for the day or future events. When I fail to follow this routine I find myself irritable, indecisive and I steer farther from my path.

Let’s be clear, we have 2 main voices that live within us -- one is the ego (to learn more about this term, I suggest Gabby Bernstein’s books where she goes into detail about how to identify and ignore this voice) and second is our intuition. I see these voices as the angel and the devil.

The ego loves to be influenced by external voices and often persuades us to do things for outside validation rather than our actual purpose. Our intuition helps us stay in our own lane despite what is occurring in the path of others.

When we listen to our gut--- we do what’s actually best for us in the short and long term.

I challenge you all to start listening to yourself rather than following what others think is best.

Do you chew?

Today we are so overstimulated we often ignore the most basic human behaviors such as eating. 

How do you eat? Do you sit and reflect on what you are eating? Or do you just inhale your meal while on the go? 

I can remember being a little girl and hearing "chew your food," but not understanding the significance of actually chewing rather than just swallowing. 

Here is the 411 on chewing –

When you begin chewing, you signal digestive enzymes found in the saliva to start to break down the food. When the digestive enzymes are present and working, you not only prepare the body for maximum digestion, nutrient absorption but you also calm the body! The goal: chew your food 30 times before swallowing (this is a skill I am working on daily)!

Chewing your food will not only help you enjoy your meal, but will also prevent gas and even help your stomach and small intestine function better! I hope this post inspires you to sit, relax and CHEW!