Happy Day! Ok, I am not in the best mood this morning. I am a little tired and was dreaming all night, however I am smiling anyway! I was hanging out with a special person until late ;)
I have a few, shall we say different things to talk about this morning. I know that this is not going to be a "normal" post because I usually just talk about food and moods, reviews, and training tips however I want to change it up this morning.
Have you ever not been able to say what you want to say but then realize that you are rambling about a topic that has nothing to do with what you feel like saying? Well that my friends was me last night. What I wanted to say, was totally not what spilled out of my mouth. I overflowed the room with my whole life story and I think that it was kind of a good thing but a little much. When a person is quiet, I will talk for the both of us.
My brain has been thinking about one thing this morning. Actually, I take that back. All night too. I. am. a. awkward. freak.
First topic of the morning....Dating, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fun topic, right? I know that a lot of my readers are between the ages of 19-35. I also know that some if not most is, have, or are dating. I thought that this would be a fun topic and maybe you will comment on this post. (What's up my people, you are so shy to comment!)
I know that you all know a little bit about me. Not as much as I would like. It is hard to tell 23,000 people about your personal life and let you guys peak into my life. What I am going to talk about though you already know! It is even on the front page. "I am a single girl living in a college town, trying to keep up with the kids as I feel like I am getting older and everyone else here is getting younger." It's the truth. I love this town more than anything but the ratio here women to men is 5 to 3. That's right. There are WAY more gorgeous southern bells here than you can count. Not only that, living in the college town of Athens there is a constant flow of young students.
Truthfully, there isn't much to see here of late. Over the past few years I have had the time of my life. Going from social event to social event. Playing a TON of music and parties galore. Not the case during the Fall/Winter. For the last few years I have pretty much hibernated during the cold months and then totally come alive during Spring and Summer. A lot of people are effected by the cooler months and I am one of them.
I have been talking with my best friend. Who is what I like to call " the champion of daters". This girl has mastered dating. She actually thinks that it is fun...Now, don't get me wrong. Dating is "fun" it is just the first date that makes me cringe. Why you ask? Because I never, ever get a second. I usually scare them off by the end of the night by being too intense, too talkative and give way too much information. I get nervous and I talk. A LOT. I was talking with Karen this morning and she was on a first date last night. I didn't even know that she was out doing that either! Girlfriend didn't let me in on this one... Anyway, we got on the topic of what to do when you are starting to get that nervous feeling and your mind is racing like crazy. What I do is TALK. I can even stutter and stumble over my words which just adds to the nervous tension. Last night I was prepare, or so I thought. I repeated to myself, "don't talk to much, relax and be yourself." I did one of the three. I have this philosophy. "Weed them out." What I mean by that is, don't play the dating game. Be yourself, honest and pure. So often (or so I have found out) you start to date someone and what you get is the "representative" of that soul. Yes, my dears. I have theories! I actually have proof. Maybe this post will help someone out or even make them aware of behaviours that cause relationships to seem to be something that they are not and then end up wasting time. I have noticed so many times that I will start to date someone and then after about a month (if I even get that far) I realize that the person I THOUGHT they were, are in fact very different. People in the beginning play the "dating game". They are actors. Both sexes are guilty of this for sure. I like to just go ahead and dodge this whole thing. Be myself, no extra frills and see what happens. Take it or leave it kind of mentality. It has worked a couple times but no luck in the last year. Sigh.... So what to do if you are like myself? Well here are some tips! You don't have to take my word for it though :)
So you've done the really hard part and asked someone out on a date, now the day has arrived and your extremely nervous. Here are some things you can do to try and calm yourself down.
Step 1: You should sit down and realize that you already got the person to say yes and that is the hardest part. It's very difficult for anyone to work up the courage to ask someone out and you already got over that hurtle, so way to go.
Step 2:Now you should sit down and clear your mind, maybe go over what your going to do that night. Plan on what your going to wear and when you need to get ready.
Step 3:Now take your time to get ready and look your best. You always feel more confident and better when you look great.
Step 4:When your ready its time to distract yourself by doing something else before its time to go. Maybe just watch some TV or read something. It will help you to not think about it and clear your head.
I should have done some research! HA! Now the part that I should be talking about. FOODS that will CALM you down and elevate your MOOD. These foods will help you in those intense situations. Who knew!?!
Regardless of the cause, when we're stressed we often counter intuitively turn to diet-busting goodies for comfort. Instead of soothing our frayed nerves, many of them ultimately make us feel worse.
Take the classic, curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why?
Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood-sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist:
Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
Guacamole. If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips -- crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little tension.
Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
Chai tea. A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away. Chamomile will sooth you as well! Don't drink too much though, it can also be used as a sleeping aid.
Dark chocolate. Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
I think that next time I may have to grab a avocado or some chocolate. Hey, any excuse for some dark chocolate and I am in! Needless to say, next time you are in a sticky situation and you feel anxiety, there are tactics that you can use! I do suffer from nervousness and anxiety whether it be a work function, social gathering or a date. It is something that I just have got to learn to deal with.
The fact of the matter is, you should just go with the flow. If you have one evening of talking excessively, or even worse not able to say a word because of nervousness just know that there is someone out there that will like you just the way that you are. I think that I will continue to take my own advice and say, "weed them out, if they don't like it at least you got rid of them early on." It is not easy for me to do all this and honestly I haven't really done it all that much but I will say. Try, try again! I have a question...
What do you do to calm yourself down when you know that either a situation is not going the way that you want or cant seem to relax?
Sorry this post took me forever, I was a busy bee this morning in between writing.
Tomorrow will be a great review, stay tuned!
-Heather
I have a few, shall we say different things to talk about this morning. I know that this is not going to be a "normal" post because I usually just talk about food and moods, reviews, and training tips however I want to change it up this morning.
Have you ever not been able to say what you want to say but then realize that you are rambling about a topic that has nothing to do with what you feel like saying? Well that my friends was me last night. What I wanted to say, was totally not what spilled out of my mouth. I overflowed the room with my whole life story and I think that it was kind of a good thing but a little much. When a person is quiet, I will talk for the both of us.
My brain has been thinking about one thing this morning. Actually, I take that back. All night too. I. am. a. awkward. freak.
First topic of the morning....Dating, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Fun topic, right? I know that a lot of my readers are between the ages of 19-35. I also know that some if not most is, have, or are dating. I thought that this would be a fun topic and maybe you will comment on this post. (What's up my people, you are so shy to comment!)
I know that you all know a little bit about me. Not as much as I would like. It is hard to tell 23,000 people about your personal life and let you guys peak into my life. What I am going to talk about though you already know! It is even on the front page. "I am a single girl living in a college town, trying to keep up with the kids as I feel like I am getting older and everyone else here is getting younger." It's the truth. I love this town more than anything but the ratio here women to men is 5 to 3. That's right. There are WAY more gorgeous southern bells here than you can count. Not only that, living in the college town of Athens there is a constant flow of young students.
Truthfully, there isn't much to see here of late. Over the past few years I have had the time of my life. Going from social event to social event. Playing a TON of music and parties galore. Not the case during the Fall/Winter. For the last few years I have pretty much hibernated during the cold months and then totally come alive during Spring and Summer. A lot of people are effected by the cooler months and I am one of them.
I have been talking with my best friend. Who is what I like to call " the champion of daters". This girl has mastered dating. She actually thinks that it is fun...Now, don't get me wrong. Dating is "fun" it is just the first date that makes me cringe. Why you ask? Because I never, ever get a second. I usually scare them off by the end of the night by being too intense, too talkative and give way too much information. I get nervous and I talk. A LOT. I was talking with Karen this morning and she was on a first date last night. I didn't even know that she was out doing that either! Girlfriend didn't let me in on this one... Anyway, we got on the topic of what to do when you are starting to get that nervous feeling and your mind is racing like crazy. What I do is TALK. I can even stutter and stumble over my words which just adds to the nervous tension. Last night I was prepare, or so I thought. I repeated to myself, "don't talk to much, relax and be yourself." I did one of the three. I have this philosophy. "Weed them out." What I mean by that is, don't play the dating game. Be yourself, honest and pure. So often (or so I have found out) you start to date someone and what you get is the "representative" of that soul. Yes, my dears. I have theories! I actually have proof. Maybe this post will help someone out or even make them aware of behaviours that cause relationships to seem to be something that they are not and then end up wasting time. I have noticed so many times that I will start to date someone and then after about a month (if I even get that far) I realize that the person I THOUGHT they were, are in fact very different. People in the beginning play the "dating game". They are actors. Both sexes are guilty of this for sure. I like to just go ahead and dodge this whole thing. Be myself, no extra frills and see what happens. Take it or leave it kind of mentality. It has worked a couple times but no luck in the last year. Sigh.... So what to do if you are like myself? Well here are some tips! You don't have to take my word for it though :)
So you've done the really hard part and asked someone out on a date, now the day has arrived and your extremely nervous. Here are some things you can do to try and calm yourself down.
Step 1: You should sit down and realize that you already got the person to say yes and that is the hardest part. It's very difficult for anyone to work up the courage to ask someone out and you already got over that hurtle, so way to go.
Step 2:Now you should sit down and clear your mind, maybe go over what your going to do that night. Plan on what your going to wear and when you need to get ready.
Step 3:Now take your time to get ready and look your best. You always feel more confident and better when you look great.
Step 4:When your ready its time to distract yourself by doing something else before its time to go. Maybe just watch some TV or read something. It will help you to not think about it and clear your head.
I should have done some research! HA! Now the part that I should be talking about. FOODS that will CALM you down and elevate your MOOD. These foods will help you in those intense situations. Who knew!?!
Regardless of the cause, when we're stressed we often counter intuitively turn to diet-busting goodies for comfort. Instead of soothing our frayed nerves, many of them ultimately make us feel worse.
Take the classic, curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why?
Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood-sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist:
Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
Guacamole. If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips -- crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little tension.
Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
Chai tea. A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away. Chamomile will sooth you as well! Don't drink too much though, it can also be used as a sleeping aid.
Dark chocolate. Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
I think that next time I may have to grab a avocado or some chocolate. Hey, any excuse for some dark chocolate and I am in! Needless to say, next time you are in a sticky situation and you feel anxiety, there are tactics that you can use! I do suffer from nervousness and anxiety whether it be a work function, social gathering or a date. It is something that I just have got to learn to deal with.
The fact of the matter is, you should just go with the flow. If you have one evening of talking excessively, or even worse not able to say a word because of nervousness just know that there is someone out there that will like you just the way that you are. I think that I will continue to take my own advice and say, "weed them out, if they don't like it at least you got rid of them early on." It is not easy for me to do all this and honestly I haven't really done it all that much but I will say. Try, try again! I have a question...
What do you do to calm yourself down when you know that either a situation is not going the way that you want or cant seem to relax?
Sorry this post took me forever, I was a busy bee this morning in between writing.
Tomorrow will be a great review, stay tuned!
-Heather
