If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know I’m in the midst of change.

I’ll just come out and say it.

I left my full-time career in marketing/PR to spend more time pursuing my passion of writing this blog and building this community and my health coaching practice.

I still work for my employer part-time, part of me still loves that career (which is why I'm still there) and I’m beyond grateful to work for a company that allows me the opportunity to create a schedule that better works for my lifestyle. This is not lost on me.

What changed?

I reached a breaking point where staying the course was more painful and scary than the uncertainty of change.

I took a leap of faith knowing that temporarily I would no longer feel financially secure, a security that took me years to build. A leap where going out to dinner would feel like luxury but a leap that would also take me back to my center, back to alignment with me.

I knew I needed change

The number one question I’m asked is how I do it all: a career, a health coaching practice, blogging, creating recipes, co-running The Wellness Collective, finding time for self-care and the basics of simply being human.

I usually brushed off the question because actually answering it would force me to admit the truth—I couldn’t do it anymore.

In all the busyness, I was losing myself. Yes, I (mostly) checked off all the boxes on my to-do list but in doing so I lost the ability to laugh, to find joy and to simply be.

Life is meant to feel good. We are meant to feel good.

As I transition to a new normal, I’ve questioned if I made the right decision. I did. I’ve questioned if I can make it as an entrepreneur. I can if I truly want to. I’ve questioned if I know what I want. I know pieces of it.

In all of the beautiful transitions of life over the last couple of weeks, here are some steps that have helped transform anxious feelings and transition more gracefully.

How to Transition Gracefully

• Gratitude Journal—Every night before bed I write down between three and seven things that I’m grateful for. I usually aim for three and find myself writing more. Cultivating gratitude every day creates optimism about the future. Optimism is the opposite of anxiety. No matter how much uncertainty I experienced during the day, at the end of the day, I’m bringing myself back to a grateful heart.
• Express What you Want—Really do it. What do you from life right now and in the future? For me, right now, I’ve asked for more time and space to write and photograph recipes and the financial abundance to do just that. I’ve written it down, I’ve said it out loud and you know what? It’s happening. More on how to be a super attractor here. 
• Sleep— I’ve prioritized sleep and aim for 8 hours a night. I prioritize sleep over (some) social obligations, getting in that last email or squeezing in one more thing on my to-do list. Our brains and nervous system need time to recover, especially during times of change and transition.
• Meditate—I’ve become religious about my meditation practice. Every single morning. 20 minutes. Without question. Mediation can help alleviate anxiety and depression.
• Develop an Evening Ritual—This goes hand in hand with sleep. I’ve also become committed to an evening routine. I shut my phone off around 9:30pm, take a detox bath and write in my journal, fully giving my nervous system time to decompress from the day before bed.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids— I’ve focused on my intake of omega-3 fatty acids in in the form of salmon, walnuts, flax seed oil and leafy greens. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to increase serotonin in the brain.

If you’re feeling anxious during a time of transition, know you’re not alone and it’s time to prioritize self-care. With that said, sharing my own personal story and what works for me should not take the place of also working with a trained medical professional. We all need a strong well-rounded support team. 

For more posts about my own personal wellness journey click here.