Take Care of You This Time

A great recipe for some chilly weather this season. It’s one of my favs!

https://thecleaneatingcouple.com/healthy-chicken-pot-pie-soup/

Try this amazing & healthy recipe this week!

We all want our houses smelling amazing this season! Here’s how easy it is! 🫘🍁🎃

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars 🍌🍫

Produce
3 Bananas, super ripe

Condiments
1/4 cup Peanut butter, smooth natural

Pasta & Grains
1 1/4 cup Oats, instant or quick cooking

Baking & Spices
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup Chocolate chips
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Stir together in large bowl. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool. Enjoy!

Healthy Meatballs ?!?!?!? What!!!! 🧆🧆🧆🧆

Football Food Goals

Check Out This Amazing Chili Board. It’s SO Easy… And Delicious

Potato soup from Scratch

Almost that Time 🍂🍁🍞🥧🧋

Watch this Idea Pin by @carolinehaygood7 · Cute & Easy Fall Snack Ideas An Idea Pin by Caroline

Some of These Leaves are Starting to Turn 🍁

Football is Back 🏈🏈🏈

And This Only Means One Thing… 🤔🤔🤔

Fall Foods are Upon Us!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

So, Get Those Crockpots Out 🫕🫕🫕🫕

Here’s a Great White Chicken Chili Recipe We Love

AND

It’s SO Simple!

Enjoy 🍁🍂🏈🫕

Everyday Things that Are Just Good Habits
💯 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

Start Your Day with Stretching 🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏽‍♂️

Keep Up With Housework 🧼🧹🧺

Take The Long Route 🛣️🛣️🛣️🛣️

Pay It Foward When You Can 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Utilized Continued Education 👨🏽‍💻👩🏼‍💻🧑🏽‍💻

Take Time Off 🧳🕶️🏞️🌅

Sing Like No One is Listening 🎼🎧🎤

Throw Some Healthy Foods in the Buggy 🍇🥦

Do One Thing a Week that You Enjoy 🛶🩰⛳️

Text or Call a Friend to Catch Up 📞☎️📲

Get Enough Good Sleep 💤💤💤💤💤

Hahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣

A lil fun for all my Healthy Food Peeps

Does Anxiety or Depression Affect Your Weekends? 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏽🤷🏼🤷🏼‍♀️

There are so many thing packed into our everyday lives that contribute to being overwhelmed & tired. 🚘🏡🛣️🐶👔🦺🧑‍✈️🧑🏽‍💻

You are not alone. Do not feel alone in this! 👫

Thousands of Americans work through the same things. 👭👫👬👫👭👬

11 Encouraging Tips

It’s normal to occasionally feel overwhelmed, stressed, and down. Everyone feels blue and in a low mood to some extent at some point in their life. What’s not normal, however, is experiencing what feels like can’t get out of bed depression for a long period of time. This is a mental health problem that can affect your ability to take on the day. If you’re in that place right now and experiencing this type of depression or mood disorder, we’ve got some tips to help.

Depression can make the most basic, everyday tasks feel virtually impossible. If your morning depression is making everything from showering regularly to getting dressed in the mornings more difficult, you should know: you don’t have to be depressed in bed today.

Read on to learn more about how to get out of bed when depressed and miserable. These tips can be helpful in moving ahead and trying to manage your depression symptoms.

1. Light Therapy 💡☀️

Research shows that light therapy for depression actually can help improve our mood. Light therapy has proven effective in treating sleep problems and depression symptoms, which is known to affect circadian rhythms and sleep cycles.

“Light therapy is an incredibly effective tool for individuals struggling with depression. The amount of comfort and energy sunlight affords us is huge. Light exposure boxes are great in allowing this to occur but nothing beats the power of the sun.”
You don’t even need a light box or any fancy, expensive equipment to see the positive effects light can have in helping you get out of bed every day. Even just opening the blinds to let natural light in might be just what you need to help you get up and out of bed today.

You don’t even need a light box or any fancy, expensive equipment to see the positive effects light can have in helping you get out of bed every day. Even just opening the blinds to let natural light in might be just what you need to help you against morning depression and get up and out of bed today.

2. Establish A Morning Routine You Enjoy🧘🏼‍♀️🧘🏽‍♂️

From our sleep habits to work life, we naturally thrive on schedules. If you’re constantly having sleep problems and feeling like you must drag yourself out of bed every day, that mental mindset might be contributing to why it’s so hard to get up in the first place. These negative thoughts can hold you back immensely and, in some cases, make your depressive symptoms worse. Instead of focusing on those negative thoughts, which can ultimately lead to a stressed and rushed morning where you’re constantly feeling behind and in a low mood, try creating a routine that you can find joy in. Whether it’s meditating in the morning, doing a quick 10-minute stretch, making a fun breakfast, getting outside for a walk, or even getting a full 30-to-60 minute cardio workout in, giving yourself something you enjoy to look forward to might make it easier for you to begin your day.

3. Find A Reason to Get Out of Bed👓🐶👗

If routines you enjoy can help motivate you, finding a fun or exciting reason to get out of bed in the morning might help even more. Maybe it’s a special breakfast or treating yourself to a fancy cup of coffee on the way into the office.

Giving yourself a reason to get up is always a good motivator against clinical depression. Positive reinforcement can be a great influencer and help you break the hold that I can’t get out of bed depression has on you.

4. Start Your Day with Baby Steps🚶🏼‍♂️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏾

If just the thought of swinging your legs over the edge of the bed feels overwhelming, keep in mind that you don’t have to take on the whole world at once. Take baby steps.

Be kind to yourself and have a plan with small, attainable, achievable tasks that are easy for you to take on, one at a time. Think in terms of 1-foot-in-front-of-the-other. This can be a great mindset if you’re trying to overcome your mood disorder and feeling depressed in bed. Start with something as small as getting a glass of water. Know that you’ll have a light breakfast just after that. Then move on to brushing your hair and teeth. Getting dressed might be after that.

Keep moving forward with these small, isolated tasks, one after the other, until your morning routine is complete and you’re ready to take on your day.

“Even the smallest of acts can be a massive struggle but trying to do something you would already do is starting the day. It may not be precisely in the morning but doing something is starting down the path. Including our basic needs into the small steps counts.”

5. Let Your Appetite Draw You Out of Bed🥓🥞

Our bodies have a way of telling us it’s time to move forward. If you’re hungry, or if you really enjoy that 1st cup of coffee every morning, you might be tempted enough to actually get out of bed. The idea of a tasty breakfast might just spark your appetite. You might even discover that it’s a blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice every morning that encourages you to get out of bed despite feeling depressed.

The idea of a tasty breakfast might just spark your appetite. You might even discover that it’s a blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice every morning that encourages you to get out of bed despite feeling depressed.

6. Set More Than One Alarm⏰⏱️⏰⏱️⏰⏱️

If the temptation to turn off your alarm and go back to sleep feels so strong that you can never get up the first time, consider setting more than one alarm, 5 to 10 minutes apart. You might need to set your first alarm earlier to allow for multiple alarms without you being late, but that can be easy to fix.

7. Make (and Stick To) A Schedule📆🗓️

When you don’t have a schedule in place, you might feel like you need to make constant decisions about every little thing. Creating and sticking to a schedule can take the stress out of your mornings. Having set times to start and end tasks can be very helpful in reducing some of the morning dread you might be feeling.

Additionally, depression is known to have a significant impact on how well you can make decisions. Having that schedule set can help eliminate some of the decisions you need to make — from what to wear, to what to eat, and more.

8. Plan for the Occasional Day in Bed 🛏️

We all have bad days from time to time. Some days can be worse than others. Plan ahead for the times you just can’t find it in yourself to jump out of bed and take on the world. It might be something as simple as throwing on some comfy clothes, having a special treat in the freezer for breakfast, or maybe even keeping face masks, lotions, or other at-home spa treatments readily available for those extra difficult times when you need a mental health day.

9. Reach Out for Help🫱🏼

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might just feel too depressed to get out of bed. You should know that it’s OK if this happens. Recognizing the fact that your depression is getting worse, or that you’re no longer able to manage it on your own, is a huge step. If you’re starting to feel like the number of days your depression is making it hard to get out of bed is increasing and each depression symptom adds up, it might be time for you to reach out for help.

If you’re starting to feel like the number of days your depression is making it hard to get out of bed is increasing, it might be time for you to reach out for help.

You can talk to a friend, your partner, or even a doctor or online therapist to ask for help. You might even find that just verbalizing how you’re feeling can be empowering. At the very least, you might be surprised to learn that you’re not the only one who feels like they can’t get out of bed because of depression. Sometimes knowing that you’re not alone in how you feel, and that others are experiencing something similar, can be helpful.

10. Talk to A Mental Health Professional About Your Depression Treatment 🗣️

Don’t let your depression go on so long that it becomes debilitating. If you’ve tried all the tips we’ve given here today and you’ve talked to a friend or loved one about how you’re feeling, you should be proud. However, if you still can’t seem to shake your depression, and being depressed in bed is becoming something that interferes with your daily life, you should consider talking to a mental health professional.

A doctor or therapist can help you come up with a new depression treatment plan or adjust your current one to help you manage depression and any depression symptom you’re dealing with. Make sure that you’re communicating with them so they know how severe your depression has become. They can help you better understand what type of depression you’re dealing with or if other mental health conditions are affecting your energy levels.

It might be something as simple as adjusting the dosage or type of medication for depression you’re on, or it could also be a matter of finding the right combination of medication and therapy for depression.

11. Let Yourself Have a Mental Health Day & Stay In Bed 🛌

Remember that you don’t always have to be 100% on point. Maybe you need that mental health day today. Maybe staying in bed and watching a movie, or reading, or catching up on emails and working from bed is exactly what your body and mind have been craving. Sometimes you just need to make self care a priority, and that’s OK.

We often convince ourselves that persevering is the most important thing, but sometimes it’s important to acknowledge the importance of taking care of our most basic needs, like rest and relaxation.

“Pushing ourselves constantly when struggling with depression takes its toll on us. Ensuring some sort of self care day is important. This may be the day you allow yourself to stay in bed or just stay in your PJs and lounge.”

With Football Season Being Right Around The Corner, Here Are Some Great Football Party Recipes 🏈

18 Game Day Appetizers That Belong At Your Football Watch Party Touchdown-worthy dishes made for tailgating, from the big college football game to the Super Bowl. Here are a few appetizers to try this football season.

ARE YOU DRINKING ENOUGH WATER?!? 💧

Water Consumption Guidelines

The general recommendation remains at about eight glasses of water each day (64 oz.). But this will vary depending on body weight. Also, high altitudes and dry, hot climates will dehydrate your body more quickly.

“We lose a good amount of fluid every day through breathing, perspiring, urinating and bowel movements. We should continually replenish water in the body and adapt the intake to our activities and environment,” says Dr. Barbara, who explains that someone who works outdoors in the sun and heat should drink more fluids than someone working in an indoor setting.

6 Ways To Ensure You’re Being Smart About Aging 👨🏻‍🦳🧑🏻‍🦳

1. Be Kind To Your Skin 👱🏼‍♀️🧑🏽‍🦲

-Wear sunscreen and protective clothing when outside.
-Get yearly skin cancer screenings.
-Stick to gentle products in your anti-aging skin care routine.
-Stay hydrated.

2. Keep Moving 🏃🏽🏃🏼‍♀️

-2.5 to 5 hours per week of moderate-intensity exercise, 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, or a combination of the two
-muscle strengthening activities of moderate intensity or greater, that involve all major muscle groups, two or more days per week

3. Be selective with your diet 🥒🍓🫐🥔🥑🍞

-fruits and vegetables, either fresh, frozen, or canned
-lean protein, such as fish and beans
-at least three ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, rice, or pasta every day
-three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy, such as milk, yogurt or cheese that are fortified with vitamin D
-healthy fats

*Avoid using solid fats for cooking and use oils instead. Stay away from processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.

*You should also keep your salt intake to a minimum to keep your blood pressure down.

4. Get enough sleep 💤 💤 💤

Good Sleep is important for your physical and mental health. It also plays a role in your skin’s health.

Getting enough sleep has been proven to:

-lower the risk of heart disease and stroke
-reduce stress and depression
-lower the risk of obesity
-reduce inflammation
-improve focus and concentration

5. Practice mindfulness 🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏼🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏼🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏼

Mindfulness is about acceptance and living in the moment by focusing on the present. Practicing mindfulness has many proven health benefits that can help you age better, including:

improved focus
better memory
lower stress
improved emotional reaction
relationship satisfaction
increased immune functioning

To practice mindfulness, try:

meditation
yoga
tai chi
Coloring
Playing cards
Stretching exercises
Long Walks

The world is crazy right now. 🌎

We’re busier than ever. 🏃🏽🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

So much is expected from us. 📅💵🕰️

And we are always on the go. 🚘🚘🚘

We get it. 💯

HOW TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH YOUR STRESSFUL DAY WITHOUT FALLING APART…

-Focus on what you can control. 💆🏼‍♀️

-Control your stress with a breathing exercise.🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏽‍♂️🧘🏽‍♂️

-Take an at-home personal day. 📅

-Snuggle with your pet for comfort. 🐶🐱🐰

-Go on a walk by yourself. On this walk, take time to sort out your thoughts and regroup. 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

-Do something to make yourself laugh. For me, it’s watching comedy on my phone for just a few minutes. 🙈🙊🙉

-Working on changing your mindset. This will take time. But everyday give time to focusing on more positive thoughts throughout your day. The more you do this, the more positive your outlook will become. 🧘🏼‍♀️

-Snag 15 minutes ⏰ to yourself every single day.
Doing something you enjoy everyday will help relieve your stress, and give you joy. 🙂

-Help others. Find something in your day to do for someone else. Even if it’s just putting the grocery cart 🛒 back, holding the door for someone. 🚪 This will bring you surprising good energy!

-Say NO! The power of saying no is huge. Stop over committing. Don’t volunteer. You don’t have to go to everything.
Start learning the power of NO and you will be surprised that things can go in without you. You don’t have to run yourself dry to be at everything, and you’ll be happier relieving your schedule of all of those commitments! 🚫🚫🚫

Is Your Monday Lagging? 🚶🏾🚶🏼‍♂️🧎🏻🧎🏽‍♂️🚶🏾🚶🏻‍♀️

It’s Not Always Easy To Fit These In, But I Know It’ll Help You With That Lag.

Make It easy By Finding A Way To Cook These Into Your Dinner or Pack Them In Your Lunch

https://joyfilledeats.com/easy-keto-meals/

Easy Keto Meals 5 Ingredients or Less Over 25 Entree Recipes As a busy mom of 5, I try to keep ingredient lists short for dinner time. Many of these Easy Keto Meals with 5 Ingredients or less are staples in my house.

Get In A Routine Sunday Nights To Prepare Your Best Self To Have The Best Week 💆🏼‍♀️🧘🏽‍♂️☀️📅

https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/photos/healthy-restaurant-menus

The Healthiest Dishes at 30 Major Restaurant Chains You can eat out and still eat healthy food. Find out from Food Network the best things to order at these popular chain restaurants.

SIMPLE SUNDAY SUPPERS 🫕

55 Simple Sunday Suppers to Try This Weekend Sit back and relax with an easy Sunday dinner.