HSP Diaries: The Happy-Cozy List
We are officially into fall… how are you feeling?🍂
Before I share my favorite HSP tools this month, let’s take a breath, center and create an upward spiral to bridge us into the weeks ahead:
What’s at least 1 thing you’d like to celebrate from the last few weeks?👏
I’m celebrating the turn of the season, my little one adjusting well to the new school year, the winding down of the renovation, and the strength I’ve been building with my new back and neck exercises (thank you Axis PT).
I also snuck in a restorative and joyful weekend to Asheville with my amazing friend Katherine. We walked and laughed and ooohed over flowers and brought our own turmeric tea to dinner.🌸🤓 It was a perfect mom retreat.
Life has been full of blessings, but being a Highly Sensitive Person/mom/wellbeing coach in this hectic world still requires TLC just to maintain a baseline of joy and fulfillment. Right?
Here are a few tools I’ve been using lately to support emotional and physical wellbeing – and to help me bounce back when things feel like a struggle.
The Happy- Cozy List
🧡Air fryer apples:
It’s apple season 🍎 and I’m always here for it. These air fryer apples have been a hit for after school snack and dessert. I used avocado oil, and added a pinch of salt and Lacanto brown sugar (yes, erythritol is controversial these days, but I’m only using a pinch and want to avoid the blood sugar spike I would get from using real brown sugar.) Cozy bliss!
🧡Grounding scents:
This time of year is when I love the comforting, sacred scent of vetiver. This sculptural, luxe diffuser is a splurge but has worked perfectly and looked gorgeous for nearly 10 years. And in case you missed it on the last blog, I have a new super clean candle obsession: Fontana spiced latte candle. I was a little skeptical when I smelled it before lighting it, but the soft warm scent is pure delight. I love a kitchen candle to add a happy cozy glow to darker mornings and evenings.
🧡Comfort music:
This month’s soothing Spotify playlist is on repeat for work and evening routine.
🧡Box breathing:
My monkey mind loves a guided anything and I am doing at least 1/day in October as part of an optimal health challenge I’m doing with the Human Potential Academy and Dr. Mark Atkinson (this challenge will open to the public in 2024, let me know if you’re interested).
🧡World’s easiest productivity boost:
If you are high achieving and highly sensitive, you know work environment is key. I’ve found one of the easiest productivity hacks ever – virtual co-working through Focus Sessions. Structured co-working sessions provide the secret sauce of accountability and body doubling (body doubling is REAL thing, so fascinating, and a total gamechanger even if you are an introvert who needs a lot of alone time).
Since joining last spring I feel like my productivity has quadrupled (at least). I love that the sessions are group (not 1:1 – too squirrely!), there is no pressure to keep your camera on and there are several sessions per day included in your membership.
Sometimes I write, sometimes I do the niggling bits that have stacked up (“clearing the deck” in Focus Sessions lingo) , and sometimes I declare “me time” and workout and clean the kitchen.🤣 I recently upgraded to Focus Sessions Planning to help bring more patience and discipline to my planning processes, so stay tuned. Whether you juggle deadlines, laundry or both, Focus Sessions may help you get more done in less time while feeling calm and connected. Plus if you join we can co-work virtually together! Oh — founder Megan Flatt recently published Focused. Be sure to check it out for her really tuned and fresh approach to “productivity.”
🧡Peri-menopause glow-up:
As you may know by now, I’ve spent decades studying health and well-being but only discovered skincare a year ago when I had covid and fell *deep*into Tik Tok and then turned 50 😂. Sparkle Skin Boost Plus comes highly recommended by legit menopause specialist and author of The Galveston Diet, Dr. Mary Clare Haver. It’s a winning, affordable combo of VERISOL Bioactive Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides, 100mg of Vitamin C and 100mg of Hyaluronic Acid that should help with skin elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles and more. I’ve been on it for nearly two months and have gotten noticeably more compliments on my skin. I like the no flavor version in coffee or smoothies.
🧡Tea time:
Last but not least, now that it’s finally below 90 degrees here in Charleston, it’s officially hot tea season. If you’re a tea lover, and especially if you have a secret tea drawer (!), I’d love to hear what tea you’re sipping this month. In keeping with my grounding theme, I’m loving roasted dandelion root. It’s especially yum with a little pumpkin spice creamer or milk and monkfruit brown sugar.
How are you staying happy and cozy this season? Share with us on insta!
Stay happy cozy!
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