How to get over a case of the Mondays

It is the beginning of a new week and you had so much fun this weekend and you just don't want to adult. You know it's a Monday. Monday's for me (the feeling not the actual week day) can even sometimes come on a Wednesday or even Thursday. We all hate when it feels as if the week is rushing towards us and we just want to stay on the couch in our PJs all week and watch Netflix.

Today I want to talk about some things I have started doing when I get that Monday feeling to chase those blues away.

1. The first thing is to set my sights on something other than the mountain of work/chores/life that I have in front of me and focus my attention on something exciting such as a planned event or even just planning out a nice quiet night on my own. I find that when I can think about something else it helps make my Monday better. If I have a fun night planned with a friend or if I have decided I am going to have a relaxing bath when I get home I always try and focus my attention on that when I begin to feel like I would rather just lay on the floor than do what needs to get done (I know you have had that feeling before too, don't lie).

2. Whenever I feel like I am going to have a total Monday blah feeling I normally know it the night before and so I try and combat that by planning to wear an outfit that I am loving for the day. I think about wearing my favorite pair of earrings or a dress I am loving and just wearing something that you feel beautiful and confident in can make you feel less blah and help makes that Monday feeling get a little bit smaller.

3. If my Monday seems to be absolutely dragging and I start to feel as if I just cannot go on (I know, a tad dramatic but you know the feeling I'm talking about) I will get myself a pick-me-up. Normally this involves stopping by a Starbucks and getting my caffeine fix but it could be something as simple as getting a piece of chocolate or taking a few minutes and watching a super funny video to get yourself out of the Monday funk. Whatever it may be, rewarding yourself for all the hard work you have already accomplished can help motivate you to finish out the day strong.

I hope these few ideas help you to be able to conquer your own Monday blues no matter when they may hit you.

xoxo Jess

Ways to combat a sleepless night

Do you ever have those days where no matter how much sleep you get you still wake up feeling exhausted? More times than not that is how I have been waking up every morning. Blame it on my on-the-go schedule where I work all day and go straight to rehearsal at night and do it all over again. I love being able to keep busy but it does start to affect things like the brightness of my skin or the bags that grow larger under my eyes. So because of this recent battle with fatigue I have created some ways to combat that tired look and feeling in a way that makes people think I got 8 hours of sleep instead of my usual 5!

Tip #1

This is something I've done since I had the option but it is still the most important to me and that is shower in the morning. I know many people battle over whether it is better to shower at night or in the morning but from experience I can tell you that for someone who doesn't get much sleep that hot shower in the morning does wonders to get me alert and not groggy. Not only does it wake my body up but it also leaves me feeling refreshed and ready for the day! So those of you who are nay-sayers just give it a go for a week and see if it makes a difference in how awake you feel in the morning! 

Tip #2
Another great way to wake up your skin and also your senses is a face wash. You can use any face wash that you like or even opt for the "lazy" way and use a face wipe but by putting that cold cleanser on your face it helps to make you more bright eyed and luminous and makes your skin less splotchy and dim. This also gives you a clean surface to apply your normal daily makeup routine.

Tip #3
If you wake up later than planned (the snooze button does happen to the best of us) then the first defense to looking tired is concealer. This little bottle is a miracle worker on those nasty under eye bags and are also great to use as a highlighter on the top of your cheek bone to give you a luminous look. Pick a concealer than is a little lighter than your skin tone and it will not only cover dark under eye circles but also make you look more awake.

Tip #4
When I wake up in the morning my eyes always feel tired. Recently after my last trip to the eye doctor I was diagnosed with chronic dry eye. When I wake up my eyes feel dry. Like they need a huge glass of water so the way I do this is by using eye drops made for dry eye. Even if you don't have chronic dry eye using eye drops in the morning is a great way to hydrate those tired eyes and make you feel rested.

Tip #5
To wake up those now hydrated and concealed eyes the finishing touch is mascara. I don't know what it is about a little mascara but by using it to enhance, darken, and lengthen your eye lashes it opens up your eyes and makes you look more awake. Thank you to whomever created this wonderful miracle product. My favorite mascara at the moment is Benefit's Roller Lash. It really sticks to my lashes and make them curl without having to use my eye lash curler.

Tip #6
The last tip I have for making you look more awake after a night of little sleep is blush. This may seem a little weird but it honestly is something that will not only brighten your face but also enhance your cheek bones and facial features. By applying a little bit of blush to the apples of your cheeks and sweeping it up to your temples it can brighten even the most tired face.

These tips are just a few of the ways I have been finding successful in making me feel and look more awake on most mornings because we all know none of us gets enough sleep at night.

If you have any tips you use in the mornings to help make yourself look and feel more awake leave them in the comments below!

xoxo Jess

The importance of thoughtfulness

One compliment I like to receive is when someone tells me I'm thoughtful. Why you may ask? Well, because this one little word is jam packed with meaning.The idea of being thoughtful is by being able to be perceptive with the people you are close to and act on it. For example, it is thoughtful of someone to perceive that you are having a bad day and giving you a little pick me up such as a nice card or your favorite candy bar to make you feel better.

So how can you become more thoughtful to the people who are in your life?

First pay attention when people are talking to you. Actively listen to the conversations you are having because it is the best way to learn small things about people such as their favorite things or types of activities as well as things that they may hate. It is easy to remember if your best friend hates seafood if the first time you throw out a seafood restaurant as a meal option they say they hate it. Log that into important things to remember for the future so that if you are out with other people who suggest it you can politely let them know your best friend hates seafood so another restaurant will need to be chosen.

Paying attention is more than just about food preference too. If you pay attention to how people talk about certain other people or places just by the way they inflect their words and their facial expressions you can start to see how they feel about those things. This is important because you can gauge a situation and mood of this person in the future to be able to know if they may need a pick me up or if they are uncomfortable in a given situation.

Now that you have logged in a few important facts it is also a good idea to write it down somewhere. I am a fan of journals so I have one specifically for this to make sure that I don't forget the little things which can make someones day if you show them you remember. I have things such as important dates and some of their favorite and least favorite things. Having a lot of friends this can be challenging stuff to remember that is why I find this helpful. For important dates I also have them saved in my phone with reminders so that when the date is coming up I remember and can plan accordingly.

So after you know these things what can you do with the information? Well, it depends on how well you know them and also the type of relationship you have with them and the type of person you are. For me, I know that things such as little 'pick me up' gifts or cards with a sweet message will always be the things to cheer me up or make my day however one of my friends may like being given a cupcake in their favorite flavor or being brought their favorite Starbucks drink when they are at work or just a text letting them know you care. It is important to know what things work for what people.

Just a small gesture goes a long way to most people and being thoughtful is something that I feel more people need to understand. It doesn't take a big gesture to show someone you care or that you are thinking of them. It really is as easy as getting a card and writing a note or remembering their favorite chocolate is mint chocolate and picking them up a little bar to give to them. Being thoughtful is just that, taking the time to think about how you could make someone else's day by putting them first. I always feel the best about myself when I do something for someone else and it is an easy way to pay it forward to your friends and show them that you not only pay attention to them and their lives but you also care about them and your relationship with them.

I challenge you to try and think of a thoughtful gesture for someone you know who may be having a tough week or day.

What is a small gesture that would make you smile if you were having a bad day? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo Jess

Where's the coffee?

I am NOT a morning person. By any stretch of the word. I would much rather stay awake until 3 a.m. to accomplish everything I need to than wake up at even 9 a.m. every day. I think we have all felt that before in our lives and especially those of you who can relate to not being a morning person. However, recently I have challenged myself to wake up earlier and try to become more of a morning person.

The key to this for me was my mindset. In the past when my alarm has gone off in the morning I have grumbled and hit the snooze button five times before dragging myself out of bed. This would subsequently cause a chain of reactions of 1. me waking up later than I wanted and thus in a rush 2. no time to be able to relax and fully wake up 3. stressed out about no time to properly go through my morning routine and 4. just have general stress about starting the day.

This nasty habit developed when I started college because I didn't have early classes so I fell into this stay up late and sleep until the last possible moment routine. In my experience it has not been a very productive or enjoyable routine to have. 

So how have I began my journey to try and turn this around? By simply giving myself a chance to be a morning person. I don't know that I will ever be as productive in the morning as I am at night however I do think that I can change the way I begin my days. 

The first step in doing this is waking up with a positive mind. When my alarm goes off I am trying to say one thing that I am excited for that day instead of grumbling about having to wake up at whatever God-awful hour it may be. For example if I have plans for the day I think about those plans and how excited I am about them.

The second step is to just get moving. I have read countless articles online that stress getting out of bed after your first alarm goes off because snoozing your alarm makes you more tired. To do this I just reason with myself. You all know you have those talks with yourself in the mornings that go a little like "You know you can totally lay here for 10 more minutes you know it is going to make you feel great" and then 10 minutes goes by and you feel like its only been 30 seconds. I have started telling myself the truth that 10 extra minutes laying here is not going to make me want to get out of bed more or feel more awake. 

The third step is to have a routine. I know this should probably be the first step for most people but for me just getting out of the bed on time and without snoozing deserves an Olympic gold metal. I think it is important to know how long you take to do things without rushing yourself. This is where your routine will come in handy. For instance, I know that I want to take my shower first before I do anything else because a warm shower helps me wake up my body and mind more and gives me time while in the shower to focus on becoming more alert. My routine in the mornings is normally a 8ish minute shower (depending on how long it takes me to wake up), 15 minutes to dry and style my hair, 15-20 minutes to do my makeup and get dressed, and I like to give myself at least 30 minutes to be able to eat breakfast and relax before I have to head out the door.

These little steps have helped me in just the little amount of time I have implemented them and it has helped me become a more joyful person in the mornings. I may still be grumpy when I wake up but by the time I need to leave my house I am excited for the day ahead, I'm in a relaxed mood because I didn't have to rush to get ready, and I am ready to tackle the day!

I hope these little tips can help those of you who may also not be morning people to at least start your day off on a better foot even if you still give side eye to those perky morning people!

Let me know if there is anything you do to help you be positive in the mornings!

xoxo Jess