After being called a “doormat” by one of my closest friends, I began to think about how I went about my daily life.  How I interacted with people to be called something so surprising to me by someone I thought knew me best. 

Power is an interesting concept. It’s defined as our ability to do something or act in a particular way. I choose to leverage power to encourage me to love who I am today in the pursuit of who I desire to be tomorrow. 

I wasn’t always the best at setting boundaries, especially when I was in high school. I would push myself to do things for the sake of it, or just because others have asked me to do it.

There has been so much uncertainty in my life and in the world lately. A consistent question in my mind has been how to navigate that.

Setting boundaries is an important conversation to have with yourself. A set of boundaries is something deeply unique to the individual. Just as with a moral compass, a set of boundaries is important to allow you to set how and with whom you interact in life.

The concept of boundaries is something that's super interesting to me. I think that really understanding the word “boundaries” is what is important and how it can be incorporated into your own life in a healthy way!

Today, I want to talk about one of the most important parts of my sense of self, power over my thoughts. 

Facing life's intimidating and powerful waves can leave you feeling like they're constantly pushing back against your efforts and holding you back from your own power. In times like those, we need anchors to keep us rooted in our power. Affirmations and songs are two strong anchors I use. 

Subway is my personal nightmare. Walking up to the counter, making my specific requests, going down the line and specifying every minute detail of my perfect sandwich makes me feel as if the walls are closing in on me.

It’s so easy to feel out of control in my life, especially with the current state of the world. This month, the Hey, I’m Here Squad discussed setting boundaries. I have learned that sometimes, those boundaries need to be with yourself – especially when you start to feel out of control.

Did you know that you were a script writer and an actor? This previous week, I chose to enter the 7-Day Self-Love Challenge. Day one was great: I had high hopes and anticipation of all the things I wanted to accomplish in the week to show myself extra care.

Being in the fields of psychology and activism can be a mental challenge, especially in times as uncertain as today. The near most important thing I can do for myself in fields like this is to make sure I am prioritizing caring for myself.

As a former athlete, I used to always be on the move. I used to be a runner so I would spend my mornings running a few miles, then the afternoons recovering. I never thought about my surroundings too much.

Self love is something that I know that I’ve struggled with in the past. For many years, I felt like I had tunnel vision trying to accomplish one goal after the next. I never really gave any consideration to the weight behind the accomplishment, or savored any of the small victories I had attained. 

Each year, we take days to celebrate different types of love: Valentine’s for our significant others’, Independence Day for our country, Mother’s, Father’s, and Grandparents’ days for our families, and many, many more days.

I think you wouldn’t be surprised at who you are today. Even though I'm now a kpop-fan, which unfortunately is something you used to despise in the past, especially since it meant “being like the other girls”.

Winding down after working or socializing is very important to ensure that you are ready for rest! It can be all too easy to simply crash on the couch as soon as you walk in the door, but I have found that it feels much better to ease that transition by slowly unwinding.

If you’re like me and you love taking your notes by hand or on your ipad, your hands will definitely appreciate you with a TuneUp ball. Recently, Hey, I’m Here Squad members were gifted Tune-Up balls and we were taught different ways to use them! 

My evening wind-down routine is one that I choose to keep very consistent. After a long day at work, I’m typically ready to get home and turn my brain off for a while. After I pick up my kids and give them all the snuggles, I enjoy watching them play for a while before doing anything else.

Meditation is an activity that I’ve incorporated into my daily routine with great  success. I’ve been incorporating this practice into my daily routine for several  months now. I’ve seen big changes in that time.