Chic Vegan

Are you guys tired of hearing about my month of raw yet? Well, this is the last post about it, I promise!

Yesterday was officially my last day of eating raw and guess what I ate for breakfast today?  Tempt Ice Cream! I am a complete maniac. Needless to say my stomach hurt for a good portion of the day. What is wrong with me? (By the way, the ice cream was delicious.)

What I Learned

30 days of raw food taught me to really value persistence and willpower. Every single day I was tortured with the possibility of warm hearty food.( Burritos… I heard you calling my name.)  I literally took one day at a time and sometimes even one hour at a time. This made me realize the power that I let food have over me.

Needless to say, food is an important part of my life. I cherish it and enjoy it’s nurturing goodness. I relish in the occasional goodie or not-so-good-for-you meal. But never did I realize how much I let food and the idea of it control me. Sadly enough, in 30 days my willpower failed me a few times, but all in all I am proud of my accomplishment and would endorse a raw diet to just about everyone.

The Benefits

Weight loss – My intention of doing a raw food adventure was not to lose weight, but it was an added bonus! I lost a great deal of weight the first 2 weeks – 8 lbs to be exact. I was kind of nervous because I didn’t want to shed too much weight. I love my muscles and curves! But my body knew exactly what to do and after I lost those initial pounds everything regulated and I remained (and still remain) at this ideal weight. This was quite amazing considering the fact that I was consuming at least 2,000 + calories a day.

Mental clarity – My thoughts were extra clear and I felt an increased sense of well-being. I would fade in and out of “zen” moments. This was all very nice and unexpected. I didn’t realize how scattered my thoughts were until they were calm and collected.

Energy – I had tons of energy! I kicked ass at the gym and in aerial class. I didn’t have bouts of sleepiness or “crashes” during the day anymore. I also needed less sleep. Unfortunately this was not a constant occurance during the end of the month. (See: “the pitfalls”)

Lightness – It might have been the weight loss or the extra energy, but I felt incredibly light during my time eating raw. I’m not really sure how else to explain it, but my body and mind felt light and airy.

Bye bye PCOS – Remember when I said that something really exciting was happening? Well, almost all of my PCOS symptoms disappeared during the last month. For those of you unfamiliar, PCOS (short for Polcystic Ovarian Syndrome ) is an endocrine disorder. It is closely related to female infertility, diabetes, obesity and a long list of other symptoms and side effects. I initially cut gluten out of my diet to control the symptoms of PCOS and that worked really, really well. However during this month I noticed that many of my annoying symptoms like hair growth, cramps, and breakouts completely disappeared.  I really believe that if I keep eating gluten free and high raw that I can naturally get my period again! (I haven’t had my period naturally in a few years… don’t be jealous, you actually start to miss it at a certain point.)

Bye Bye Migraines – I typically get 6-7 migraines a month. The type of migraines I get leave me in bed for hours and sometimes whole days. This past month I had 2. And I was able to take an Excedrin, a nap and get on with my day. This fact alone makes me want to be raw all the time!

The pitfalls

Weakness – Towards the end of the month I started to have “funky spells” where I would feel light-headed and weak. Some people suggested that I might have been detoxing. It also may have been completely irrelevant to my raw diet.  I’m not sure what it was, but it was not fun!

Constant cravings – {insert KD Lang joke here} I was constantly craving non-raw foods. Even food that I didn’t typically eat anyway. These cravings continued for the whole…entire…month.  This was totally due to my personal food addictions/obsessions.

Not enough diversity - After a while, everything started to taste the same. After two weeks my tastebuds started to get a little bored.  It might be because I was not exploring enough diverse foods or recipe But is could also be because there is only so much you can do with veggies and nuts!

Future Plans

I am so happy I completed The Raw Food Adventure. I think that it helped me grow and come to grips with my food hang-ups and obsessions. It also helped me become more in tune with my body and what it needs. I am now able to easily feel my blood sugar rise and fall and then eat accordingly. Pretty cool!

From here on out I am planning on eating high raw, gluten free and alkaline (80/20). I would like to avoid refined/processed foods, soy, sugar, and caffeine. My main goal is to eat to cure my PCOS and get the hormones in my body regulated on their own. I really feel like I am on the right path. However, I do know that I am human and really love food (and sweets!). I am not going to beat myself up about slipping up and having unhealthy food once in a while. What is the point of eating crap unless you can enjoy it?

I currently have a few consults who have the same exact problem: They are vegan, in college and broke. The general consensus is that these 3 factors lead to dinners of freezer burnt Morning Star patties, a wardrobe that hasn’t changed since 11th grade and quite a bit of nights out, staring in admiration at your friend’s food. Darlings – I have been there!

Whether you are at the University of Oregon (vegan options galore) or community college  in the middle of Nebraska, it is VERY possible to eat vegan and healthy on a minimal budget. While your at it, you can dress like the compassionate hipster you long to be and show all of the naysayers how fabulous being vegan really is.

While these tips are targeted at college students, they can be incredibly useful to anyone who lives on a strict budget or who is looking to save some money. I use most of these tips every day!

I broke this post into two parts. This first part is about eating vegan and healthy, even when it seems like all odds are against you. The second will be about staying fashionable and fabulous even if you are beyond broke and have 2 minutes to get to class.

Eating Out

Only eat out twice a week, tops. I understand that in college it is almost impossible to have every meal at home. Going out to eat with friends is a huge social event, and sometimes you just don’t have time to eat and then you get stuck in the middle of your bustling day, starving.  Try to plan out your weeks so you can have the majority of your meals at home (or take them with you).  However, when you do go out to eat try to make your meal under $10 and healthy. How do you do this? Research and trial and error. You can find menus online to almost every eating establishment in existence. Research what is offered on your campus and go try it out. Make a list of each business and what they offer. You could even put your list online and share it with other vegans on your campus! Eating out is actually not so bad once you do your research.  Here is a list of vegan items at chain restaurants and Happy Cow allows you to search out veg and veg-friendly places in your area.

Eating at Home or in a Dorm

Not many people have the option to  cook big elaborate meals everyday. While in college, you may be able to do this once in 4 years. If you are lucky enough to have an apartment or still live at home, your task is relatively easy.  To save time and money, make things in bulk. Make a huge pot of chili, soup or stew and store in the fridge or freezer. Now you have at least one meal a day covered for 7-10 days, for relatively cheap. Chop up veggies and store in bags or containers in the fridge so you can quickly make salads if needed. If you like big fancy meals, cook one once a week and invite some friends over. Or even throw a monthly potluck. It is much cheaper than going out to dinner.

If you live in a dorm, things can get tricky depending on how your building is set up. If you have a “floor kitchen” then you can just try out the ideas listed above.  If you do not, then your task just got a bit harder! You can purchase a portable stove top and a small refrigerator (with your college logo on it!) for cheap on Amazon. If you feel like getting really gourmet you can get a George Foreman Grill.  But please, please, please try not to burn your dorm down! For some easy and dorm-friendly recipes check out The Vegan College Cookbook.

If you purchased a meal card and your college does not offer sufficient vegan options, then you need to make a huge deal about it. Petition, write letters, and perhaps talk to the person in charge of your school’s meal plans about how important it is that EVERYONE has something healthy to eat. If they know the demand is there, they will deliver. Another option is to tell them you have serious food allergies.. if it is something that might lead to a potential emergency situation, they will probably go out of their way to accommodate you.

Grocery Shopping

Do not buy prepared and pre-packaged foods. Buy limited processed food. (You should actually not buy any processed food, but I’m thinking about what I ate when I was in college and I’m being realistic here.) Pre-packaged food is WAY too expensive for what you get. I know, it’s quick and easy, but if you cut it out of your shopping list, you will save loads of money.  Processed food is at times, a bargain but not worth it for the nutritional content. A bag of chips may be 99 cents and a bag of spinach may be $3, but the bag of chips has absolutely zero nutritional value and you will just end up being hungry again, soon after. Try to buy primarily produce, grains, beans, legumes and nuts. Grains, beans and nuts in bulk are typically the cheapest. You don’t have to buy all organic produce as long as the dirty dozen always is. Only buy enough produce to last you a week.

Figure out a budget and calculate exactly how much you can spend a week on food. Make sure you stick to this figure. After a few weeks of shopping you will be able to figure out how to get the most bang for your buck. Farmers markets are a great place to find cheap produce. You could also sign up for a CSA share and split it with a roommate or friend.

Do you have any tips for eating vegan and healthy on a college student’s budget? Let me know if there is anything else you would like covered and I’ll add it in part 2!!

Stay tuned for Part Two of this post that covers staying fashionable and beautiful with $3 in your bank account and no extra time!

I know you love my stock photography

Lately I have been obsessed with the idea of subconscious reality and the vague line between dreaming and “real life”.  I have been toying with meditation and the idea of Transcendental Meditation and lucid dreaming.You can probably blame this obsession on Inception or my lifetime fascination with all things metaphysical. I want to cover TM in a future post but for now lets explore lucid dreaming a bit.

Lucid dreaming is when you become fully aware of the fact that you are in a dream, and you start to consciously control it. There are two types of lucid dreams. The most common is when you realize you are dreaming halfway  through a dream.  The second type is when you go directly from a waking state into a dreaming state without any clear lapse in consciousness.  You probably have experienced this phenomena at least once in your life and woke up thinking “whoa that was freaky”. Lucid dreams are a fascinating phenomena that really make you question reality and your subconscious.

The beauty of lucid dreaming is being totally aware of all the nonsense in your dream while it happens. Many lucid dreamers can control certain aspect of their dreams to make them more interesting or to live out their desires in a “sub-reality”. Our brain patterns are the same when we are dreaming as they are during waking life, so our body reacts the same to dream events as it would in reality. Crazy right?  We all know how real our dreams can be at times and living directly in them is a tempting prospect. Its an exciting, magical, mind-game adventure!

Many people have mastered the art of lucid dreaming and have been able to achieve that state on a regular basis. Some people use this opportunity to rehearse real-life events, get freaky with a crush, ride a unicorn (that’s mine) and fly.. among endless other things. Here is how you too can dream your way to total reality confusion!

• Constantly ask yourself throughout the day: Am I dreaming? You want to turn that question into a consistent thought so it will come to mind while you dream. If you are like me, this question will freak you out from time to time.. and will also help you live with more awareness.
• Keep a dream diary. Write down every detail of your dreams immediately after waking up. This is very important! It will help you recognize consistent themes.
• Learn your sleep pattern. Figure out what time most of your dreams occur. You can set your alarm to wake you up during one of these cycles. If you remember your dream vividly you can go back to sleep with intentions to control it – and it will usually work!  (I used to do this all the time without really knowing what I was doing.)
• Do reality checks during strange moments in your day. Pinch yourself, flip a light switch, or look at your reflection – all of those things are distorted in dreams.
• Go to sleep with a mission. Plan out your dream or intention before going to sleep. Usually your mood or ideas will transfer to your dreams.
• Listen to Binaural Beats. They are often used to induce lucid dreams in studies.
• Think and learn about lucid dreaming every day. The more you inundate your brain with the idea, the more it will sneak into your subconscious.

Learn more about Lucid dreaming here.

Or you can check out this great Discovery Channel segment on Lucid Dreaming.

Do you have lucid dreams?  Have you ever had one by accident?  What has worked for you to achieve this state?

Life is seriously complicated and there are tons of things we have to worry about everyday. Your home should not be one of them! It should be your sanctuary, and your haven for inspiration and relaxation. Not a big jumble of stress and sensory overload. I’m a huge fan of simplicity, de-cluttering and organization (although right now my apartment would not lead you to believe that). A scattered living area can lead to a scattered brain which leads to…STRESS! Oh noes. Lets solve this room by room. (Stay after class for some bonus tips.)

Kitchen

Clean out your cabinets and fridge. Get rid of anything that has gone bad or expired. Designate one day every week to do this, to avoid playing random games of “whats that smell?”

Store bulk dry goods in accessible containers with scoops.

Rearrange your cabinets so all of the tools you use the most are easy to grab. Maybe put all of the things you rarely use in that cabinet you can hardly reach. Donate anything you haven’t used in over a year.

Create a filing system for all of the random recipes you have printed out over the years. Get a hole puncher and place them in a large binder with tabs to separate types of dishes.

Bathroom

Clean out the medicine cabinet and get rid of anything expired.

Get totes or storage containers so each person in your household can place all of their toiletries inside.

If you live near a store that sells personal care products in bulk then buy generic containers for each product that you can just take to the store to refill.

Bedroom

Get rid of any extra pillows or blankets that are kept on the bed during the day for “decoration”. Are they really necessary?

Try to keep as few things in your sleeping area as possible. Unclutter anything you may have piled up.

Clean out your closet and get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past year.

Ditch the TV. I’m a big believer of no TV in the bedroom. There is nothing worse for your sleep cycle than falling asleep with the boob tube on. Also, you don’t want to sleep while immersed in EMFs!

Office

Keep your desk uncluttered and as clean as possible. This actually does wonders for concentration while you are working.

Keep your desktop free of icons. I prefer to only have my trash can icon on my desktop. Place files in designated folders (like “projects” or “ideas”) in your documents.

Keep your bookmarks regularly sorted and clear out old websites that aren’t needed.

The only things you should have on your walls are inspiration and reminders.

New notebooks, planners, post-its, and paper is not going to make you more productive. I too get cold sweats in Office Depot, but try to only buy things you absolutely need to avoid the unused pile of office organization paraphernalia.

Living Area

Get rid of any knick knacks that you are not in love with or have sentimental value.

Store any books, magazines, DVDs and the like somewhere hidden and out of the way. However, I will typically leave out a book that I am currently reading, or the next movie in my queue.

Try to leave most flat surfaces, clear.

Stay on top of this stuff!

Tidy up and remove clutter every morning and night.

Deep clean every 6 months or so and donate anything that you don’t want or need anymore.

Make a schedule of one cleaning chore to do each day. That way you can clean daily in 5 minute spurts instead of spending a whole Saturday covered in Seventh Generation and baking soda.

Traditional deodorants are overflowing with horribly toxic ingredients like aluminum (linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer’s), Parabens, PEGs, petrochemicals, and synthetics. When applied liberally every single day, you can imagine what the buildup of these chemicals do to your body as you grow older.

But the truth is, nobody likes to be the smelly person in the room.  Although it requires slightly more work it is very possible to smell great while remaining toxin-free. I believe that a well rounded regimen can completely eliminate any funky odors that might spring about, even if you are an excessively sweaty mess running laps during a summer day. Everyone is unique and your regime really depends on your needs and lifestyle but here is what works for me.  This process works for me through hours of circus training, yoga or running outside in the heat.

• Eat a healthy vegan diet consisting of whole foods. (no refined foods, sugars, and preservatives).
• Wash with Dr Bronner’s Tea Tree soap. It is naturally antimicrobial!
• Allow pits to dry completely. Then apply Weleda citrus spray. I typically keep my arms up and frolic around my apartment like a lunatic until they dry.
• Apply some baby powder to help with sweating. I currently use Burt’s Bees Baby Bee powder, but will be switching to another brand after I am out. (BB’s works wonders but is owned by Clorox – a very un-vegan company!) Perhaps Farm Baby?
• Halfway through the day, or right before embarking on intense physical activity I refresh the Weleda spray with a small bottle in my bag.

I think the best way to combat the stinkies is with a healthy diet, a combination of products and re-application.

Here are my favorite products that work by neutralizing odor causing bacteria, instead of just masking smells like many natural deodorants tend to do.

Weleda spray deodorant

Erbaviva Lemon Sage deodorant

Pit Putty by Bubble and Bee

Miessence Tahitian Breeze Roll-on Deodorant

Aubrey Organics Calendula Blossom Natural Deodorant Spray

Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone

It is that time of year again! When our bodies start craving fresh fruit and veggies, and warm food isn’t really a necessity anymore. What a great time to do a raw food adventure!

For the month of August I will be detoxing and reinvigorating my life by eating a 100% raw diet. It would be really amazing if you could join me! For those of you who are unsure of what a raw diet is: It mainly consists of  plant-based foods in its purest form, not heated over 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). The idea is that heating up food destroys it’s natural enzymes and our body’s ability to process it. By eating raw foods we absorb more nutrients and get more “life” from them.  Raw diets can increase energy, heal illnesses, strengthen your immune system, improve digestion and give you that magnificent raw food glow.

I have covered the very basics of a raw diet before, including info on making the transition and some great resources. If you are considering doing this raw adventure,  how to make raw easy is required reading for all you busy people out there (everybody).

This past winter I attempted to do a 30 day Raw Food Adventure but after 10 days we ended up snowed in for two weeks, foiling my plans. I actually ended up eating incredible amounts of canned soup – the complete opposite of my initial plan! Now that I have learned my lesson and know that I’m not able to hold tight to raw food when it is -40 degrees out; here we are mid-summer,  attempting again!

I will soon be posting my meal plan for the entire month of August. Please keep in mind that this plan will be tailored to my nutritional needs and lifestyle. I’m posting it merely for you to get an idea of what is possible and to encourage you to create your own. You should tailor your meal plan to your lifestyle, needs, wants and anything else. Some of you may opt for a high raw diet (about 80-90% raw) and some may only be able to participate for 2 weeks – that is all totally ok!

Each week I’ll be posting a recap of my adventures; how I feel, things I’ve eaten, obstacles I’ve faced and I’m going to ask for you to share your journey along with me! I’m so excited for us to be doing this together!  If you are interested in this adventure, please leave a comment, introduce yourself and share anything else you would like. That way we can all get to know each other before the big month arrives.

Next week we will be starting some preparation such as cutting certain foods out of your diet and shopping for yummies. Get excited!

For those of you celebrating our freedom in the good ol’ US of A this weekend - let’s rejoice in the freedom of all living creatures whether they moo or oink or carry around wine coolers and throw horseshoes. While the 4th is a great excuse to gather with friends and family, soak up some rays and get a bit tipsy – it is also a wonderful day for reflection and being thankful for what you’ve got. Lets celebrate the freedom that we have to choose a diet and lifestyle that truly shows compassion to all living creatures and mother earth. Let’s also be thankful to have the means to spread our message all over the world.

On that note, lets cover what America knows best – consumerism. Here are some great compassionate BBQ suggestions.

The Pin Up Dress from Modcloth will keep you comfy, cool, cute and festive!

Try out some glamy glam shades to block out the blinding sun.

Kid Safe Screen from Marie Veronique Organics is not just for kids. I love this toxin-free, lightweight sunscreen and you should too.

Make some Country Fried Seitan, Macaroni salad or potato salad and woo your friends with your cruelty-free culinary prowess.

Consult Barnivore and stock up on your favorite veg-friendly booze! Remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water too.

Enjoy! Have Fun! Be Safe!

Photo via Farm Sanctuary

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
~Mary Lou Cook

Even if you don’t deem yourself as a “creative person” the truth is – everyone is creative. We are conditioned throughout life to think and behave as everyone else does and this beats the individuality out of us.  Some lucky people still have a natural proclivity towards creative thinking, but many have no concept of it at all. Well, I’m here to help! Working on a creative project is probably the most satisfying thing a person can do. There is something about giving birth to a fresh new idea that satisfies our soul. Here are some great ideas on how you can embrace your creativity and apply it in new and exciting ways.

Relax- Stress and constant worry leave no room for innovative thought. Your constantly racing mind doesn’t have time to think constructively. Be sure to take a few moments out of your day to relax. Sit in silence, focus on your breathing or full on meditate. Practicing yoga is another great way to relax and clear your mind for creative thoughts to emerge.

Carry a notebook – An inspiration notebook can change your life. We all literally have thousands of thought and ideas running through our head during any given day. Thoughts are fleeting and can be gone in a matter of seconds. If you have a notable thought or idea, or even if you hear a song you like or see a book you want to read – write it down. I carry my little notebook in my bag and write down ideas, songs, movies, books, words, and imagery that I like. Since my memory is like a sieve, this has been a godsend.

Ignore everybody-If you care about what people think, you won’t get anywhere creatively. Most people shun new ideas because they are comfortable with the way things are and change makes them woozy. When you create something you have to do it solely for you. Feel free to ask the opinion of those you respect, but don’t live by their words. When it comes down to it, your creativity is sacred and no one else should touch it. This idea is greatly inspired by Hugh MacLeod (who you should totally check out for more creative ideas).

Keep an inspiration folder – This can be a tangible folder or a folder on your desktop. Even if you are not creating something visually I think you should still keep folders of visual stimuli such as photos, illustrations or designs. I find that looking through images I find aesthetically pleasing, I can quickly get myself into a creative mindset

Limit your media intake – This is especially hard in modern times and something I struggle with constantly. We are regularly being bombarded with a crazy influx of information.  Most people will say that TV should be cut out of your life and internet should be severely limited. I think that as long as you are using those things as tools to learn and be inspired, they are fine in moderation. When it comes to 4 hour soap opera marathons and 5 hours on Facebook, you might need to re-evaluate your media consumption!

Try new things -New experiences are scary and challenging and that is exactly why you need them. The more you expand your brain to new possibilities the more ideas it can generate.

Use a different medium- If you are an illustrator then try writing a story.  If you typically write, try drawing a picture. Don’t worry about grammar, drawing ability, or any other feelings of inadequacy you might have. Just worry about getting your ideas down in a dramatically different way. You will be amazed at how your creative process changes.

Make things better -As you go through your day, make note of the things that aren’t working as well as they can be.  This might be a policy at the bank, your dishwasher, or the highway. Brainstorm ways to make these things better for you and everybody else.  The sky is the limit with this. For example: I think that all waiting rooms should have live entertainment, like a juggler or contortionist.

Don’t think – Stop rationalizing. Stop trying to figure out “how it is done”. Just get and idea and make it happen.

“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.”
~Ray Bradbury

Single Task-I used to be the queen of multitasking but I found that doing too many things at one time leaves certain projects slighted. Only work on one creative project at a time. This gives you the opportunity to live and breathe your ideas and not get scatterbrained and mixed up.

Have fun – If you are working on something that drains your happiness and excitement then drop it, because your creativity will get sucked away right with it. The purpose of being a creative person is enjoying the act of creation, including all the hard work involved.

With all of the distractions that are popping up in the world, it is hard to finish any given day with the feeling of accomplishment. It has become so easy to be inundated with social media, information, and even daily chores that it may begin to feel like you are treading water.

Do you have a novel that needs writing? A canvas that needs painting? Or do you just need to focus more on your current work?  Would you rather be sleeping? THIS, my friends, is a productivity checklist for those that excel at doing nothing (myself included). Hopefully this will help you reorganize your day so you can relax and enjoy it, while getting stuff done.

Get up early or stay up late - Everybody is either a morning person or an evening person. Decide which one you are and schedule your day accordingly. If you find that you are more active and able to concentrate in the morning, then wake up a few hours earlier and get something important like a project, workout or housework out of the way. If you prefer moonlight, then stay up late and get stuff done.  As long as you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep you can push your hours one way or the other. Just give your body some time to adjust!

Turn off distractions – Anything that is going to stand in the way of getting things done needs to be eliminated. Turn off the Internet or TV. If you need to work online, block time-suck websites like Twitter and Facebook. If some of your work involves social media make sure it becomes the last thing on your to-do list to ensure you don’t use up creative time with socializing.

Do one thing at a time – Multi-tasking is the death to all productivity. Set allotted chunks of time for each task you need to accomplish. If you keep interrupting your work with emails and social media, you will get nothing done! Keeping your brain focused on the task at hand will also lead to Flow.. which is ultimately the goal of work, no?

Make a list – A to-do list is pretty much crucial to being productive. I would suggest writing it on a Post-It or scrap of paper so you can get that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you cross things off. Also, be realistic with your list. I have the habit of writing a list that would take 3 people 2 days to accomplish. In this case, less is more – you can always do more after your list is complete.

Do the fun stuff first – Some argue that you should do the most tedious and excruciating tasks on your list first. But usually by the time you are finished with your mundane, un-fun tasks your enthusiasm is drained. I think that you should work your list according to what you are most excited about.  That way your passion will shine instead of having to be built back up after being squashed with lame work.

Set a timer - I would suggest taking a 5 minute break every hour. Set a timer and make sure you are working non-stop for an hour! (I like this app.) Then take a break to move around, relax, breathe deeply, snack, dance -whatever.

Save plenty of time to do nothing – make sure you have a big chunk of your day that is not scheduled. You can use this time to nap, read, watch movies, troll around the internet, or do something creative without feeling guilty for being unproductive. The same principle of building muscle applies here: The rest time in between workout is just as important as the workouts themselves. A relaxed, happy brain is the most creative!

What productivity tips work best for you? Are you working on getting more done?

photo by *maya*

A good majority of our human race wanders around aimlessly, searching for meaning and happiness. We feel uneasy and unsure.  We avoid new experiences and put off that special project for another day. We blame laziness, but it is something much more complex than that. It is fear. You are a big scaredy cat. And so am I.

What are we scared of?

Some people are frightened of heights. Some of cats. Some are even scared of pickles or balloons.  What I’m talking about is something more collective. I’m talking about the fear of change. People only truly want one thing out of life: happiness. With the exception of a few lucky individuals, people are not content with their lives. They come up with excuses like “Its not the right time”, “I don’t have enough money” or “I’m not talented enough.”   The truth is, the only thing that is holding you back is a deep, primal fear. At the very heart of it, this fear comes down to 2 things.

The vast infinity of the universe

When I was a kid, my brother decided to “blow my mind” one day and said..”Have you ever thought about what is past outer space? And what is past that? And where and how it ends?”  Whhhaaattt? Mind blown. I remember laying in the grass in my front yard (which I did often) and thinking of this. The feeling was overwhelming. I felt insignificant and helpless. I haven’t been the same since.

Many of you may not have had such an existential sibling to help with your mind expansion, but we all know the facts (or mysteries) of the universe. Deep in the back of our minds we know that we are floating helplessly in the middle of a big uncontrollable, unexplainable mix of light and gases. And that shit is scary.  But if you look at the big picture, you will find that knowing your insignificance helps you get over yourself and your little dramas. This leaves you free to follow your own path.

The fleeting nature of life

Almost everyone has had someone close to them pass away. It is the nature of life – everyone dies. We are constantly fighting off diseases and trying to live longer and look younger. Age is our enemy. Why? Death is the only thing that is certain so you would think it would be embraced. Unfortunately our culture evades this fact. We think that in order to live forever we must stay safe and comfortable.

The unknown is death to our ego. Taking a step outside of our comfort zone triggers a fight or flight response and our brain tells us that we should just remain where we are, doing what we know, regardless of our discontent.

How to punch fear in the face

As humans our egos don’t like anything that cannot be controlled. We fear uncertainty, and change is uncertainty. This is why we get stuck in life situations we really don’t enjoy – because changing those situations  is frightening. We don’t know anything about the future, because It hasn’t happened yet.  And Fear is anywhere you haven’t been. If you want to improve your life, you only have one choice: get over it.

Ignore that voice – Don’t listen to the little voice in your head that convinces you to avoid things. You know the voice: the one that tells you the bed is much more comfortable than the gym. The TV is much more exciting than writing your book. You can always do that later. Ignore it. It is called your ego and it does not know what is good for you. Pay attention to your instinct and your heart and you will never go wrong.

Just do it – Don’t question it. Don’t rationalize. Don’t plan. If you really want to do something just start doing it right now. Everything else will fall into place after that.

Scare yourself -  Face your smaller fears. Is jumping out of a plane the scariest thing you can think of? Do it. (with a parachute of course.)  Does public speaking give you the cold sweats? Start giving lectures.  Show your fears that you are greater than them.  After the dreaded task is done you will feel wonderfully amazing.

Stay on target – The clearer your objective is the easier it will be able to attain and the less fear can creep in. If you do not have a direct goal, the infinite possibilities you have can overwhelm and trigger your fear.

Think of the universe – When I start to get upset or scared or angry, I think of what my brother told me about the universe. I think of the fact that I am suspended in the middle of a big unknown and from not too far out, my seemingly huge planet is a tiny spec. This makes me realize that any choice I make is only a big deal inside of my brain. The only person who cares about my fears is me.

Header pic from EvanBrockett

Wolf pic from the Courage Wolf Meme Generator