If you found your way to this post, you’re probably like those of us who set great new year’s resolutions, but rarely keep them. Your intentions are great, but somewhere in between the newness of January to March, the settling in of April to August and the September through December feeling of being ready for it to be over things fall apart. Sure one or two things may have been accomplished, but there are always those ones that carry over.
Reasons for why can vary and only you know the reasons why. It’s possible that some of your resolutions are a bit ambitious for where you are in your life at the moment, it could be that you’re not organized – everything is in your head instead of written down where you can track your accomplishments. Maybe you’re someone who gives up because things don’t happen fast enough for you. Whatever the reason, you’re here because you want change. Check out and implement these 5 tips for setting and keeping your new years resolutions to make this year rock.
In the midst of this nationwide quarantine/shelter in place understanding the importance of managing Coronavirus anxiety will be one of the contributing keys to getting through this brief moment in time without losing our minds. Particularly if you suffer from any type of depression or anxiety on a regular basis, add to it the stress and pressure that is currently being placed on everyone and you have a complete recipe for a mental breakdown if proper coping mechanisms are not implemented.
It shouldn’t have to be stated that if a professional diagnosis and medication has been prescribed anything you read in this article or for that matter any place on this website does not replace the advice of your primary doctor or medical team.
However, if the effects of social distancing – being confined to your home, stuck in what seems like your own version of the movie Groundhogs Day, are mild and you’re looking for a few strategies to help you along, here are 10 Tips for Managing Coronovirus Anxiety to get you through.
By now I’m sure we’re all feeling the effects of this quarantine/shelter in place/ lockdown. No matter if your state is on complete restriction or medium level with some general limitations, the one thing that’s clear is that we have a long way to go before this Coronavirus pandemic is over.
It’s in the air.
Fear. Panic. Confusion. All week there’s been nothing but doom and despair. No one knows what COVID-19 is. We have a general idea on how you catch it, and how you prevent the spread, but how to obliterate it completely and whether a vaccine will be available to the general public, better yet, should we even trust the vaccine is still out for debate.
Rumors of martial law, conspiracy theories of a New World Order – go into any grocery store and the shelves are empty. No beans, no rice, and toilet paper of all things is like gold in these streets. People are getting robbed of their most basic necessities prompting ridiculously long lines in front of the gun stores. It’s like everyone lost their minds.
Then just as most had binge watched all they could on Netflix, Hulu and whatever other streaming device; as most began to sink down an endless black hole of negative news stories, presidential briefings that left you more confused that the last one, and at the point when the world was in need of mental healing, a break from reality, some semblance of normalcy, a savior of sorts – out of the social media heavens DJs from all over descended down on us like the Avengers.
Hey y’all, my name is Apple and I’m a recovering people pleaser.
I was scrolling through my Instagram one day and came across this post that read, “You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you”
I’ve been chronicling my “Journey to 40.” My own little thing in honor of embracing this new phase of life I’m entering. I’m grown grown. Three children, one divorce, full time career, budding business with bills to match grown. As I embark on this journey, I’ve never felt more secure in my womanhood than I do now. I’m comfortable in my skin, comfortable with most of my decisions and yet every now and then I’m faced with a situation that brings me to a place that is all too familiar. One that’s uncomfortable and at times stressful. Every now and then I have to choose between pleasing others vs pleasing myself.
Maybe you’ve been there too. Here’s a few scenarios:
You’ve made plans with friends, but when the day comes you just don’t feel like following through for a number of reasons – you’re tired from the week, you have a ton of other things on your plate, or maybe you just flat out don’t feel like it. Instead of asking for a rain check you opt to go. It’s a good time, but in the back of your mind you know you’re going to pay for it later.
Or maybe you’re already overloaded with work and a coworker asks you to do them a solid and take on an additional project that they need help with. You’re gunning for a promotion, or just wanting to show that you’re a team player so instead of saying no you smile politely, say yes and now you’re overwhelmed, overworked and over-stressed.
If neither of these apply, maybe your battle of being a people pleaser is in your dating relationships. You want your person to be happy, but most importantly you want them to be happy WITH YOU. Time and time again you find yourself conceding to things you don’t necessarily agree with just to keep the peace. I won’t get into specifics on this one – we don’t don’t have that kind of time, but this can range anywhere from small things that don’t seem like a big deal until they pile up over time to things that you flat out do not like but deal with anyway because “that’s just their personality.”
It took me a few days to put into words the experience of Station 8 Burgers Influencers’ Event and Grand Opening. I thought about all the different adjectives that could describe the delight my tastebuds felt. Words like delicious, amazing, and fantastic seemed so generic. How do I describe it? Then it hit. It was like a party in my mouth. Feel free to insert any bad joke I might have just walked into – it is what it is. Literally everything was beyond any expectation I had going in.
Let me pause here and give a little background. Station 8 Burgers is the sister restaurant of Station 16, my ultimate happy hour spot. It’s where me and one of my best friends sneak off in the middle of the day for good eats, drinks and a little girl talk. It’s our sacred space where no one (including our other friends or dates) are allowed. We know going in that no diets are allowed and give ourselves permission to be us. What happens at Station 16 stays at Station 16.
Making the hour happy
To say I was excited about the opening of a new restaurant under the same umbrella is an understatement. So when I got the invite to the Influencers Private Tasting of Station 8 Burgers, of course I had to bring my girl along for a mom date… it was only logical.
For the past two weeks I have done brunch with the girls and it’s been everything I needed in life. With all of the things that occur every day – jobs, kids, relationships… adulting – it’s easy to disconnect. I’m not about to get on my soapbox about how maintaining girl time is important to your psyche but seriously, if you haven’t gotten together with your “Boos,” you need to put something on the calendar STAT.
Brunch with the Girls: Reconnecting
The first week I did brunch with the girls was a long time coming. One of my closest high school friends and I decided that after years of keeping in touch via letter in college (yes I’m showing my age), and then Facebook, it was time to stop say “hey girl, let’s get together sometime” and really get together. So we put a date on the calendar to make it official – Mother’s Day Weekend.
You’d think that would have set it in stone right? Wrong. In true motherhood fashion, leading up to the day I thought of a number of reason why I couldn’t make it, especially since I didn’t have my kids that day. You name it I came up with it.
So over the holidays I became obsessed with getting cash back from my purchases and my newest obsession outside of eBates is an app called DOSH.
For some of you cash back may not be a new thing, but considering I didn’t jump on the coupon craze a few years back I had to question my own sanity that I wasn’t benefiting from all the purchases I’ve been making.
Before I get into the details of what it is and how it works, let me put out a little disclaimer.
Given the fact that drinks on a regular day generally cost anywhere between $5.99 to $7 (Applebee’s margaritas go up to $8.99), this is clearly a deal of epic proportions.
The best part about this whole thing is there’s no need to wait for happy hour or jet over there during certain times of the day – as long as the Applebee’s near you is a participating location, you’re in.
So call your girls, coordinate a babysitter and go catch up like you’ve been promising to do since the last time you were all together …. when was that again?
When the name Gabrielle Union is mentioned, many things come to mind.
The infectious dimpled smile.
Her youthful, never seeming to age beauty.
BET’s hit show “Being Mary Jane” where she stars as the lead character.
Her #RelationshipGoals with NBA star hubby Dwayne Wade.
Multiple endorsements including a clothing line with New York & Co, and her own hair care line Flawless by Gabrielle Union.
However it’s her recent reveal in her upcoming memoir, “We’re Going To Need More Wine” that has opened up another side of the beauty.
In an excerpt of the book Union, 44, speaks exclusively to People magazine of her battles with infertility and failed IVF treatments, revealing that she’s suffered multiple miscarriages in hopes of having a baby with her husband.
I have had eight or nine miscarriages. For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle.
Union, who married Wade in 2014 initially didn’t want children, but after spending time with and helping to raise his three boys (two sons from a previous marriage and a nephew), she realized that having a baby was exactly what she wanted telling People,
I never wanted kids. Then I became a stepmom, and there was no place I’d rather be than with them.
Although Union has spoken of the about IVF previously, this is the first time she’s discussed her own issues and the amount of pressure she’s faced as a public figure.
For so many women, and not just women in the spotlight, people feel very entitled to know, ‘Do you want kids?’ A lot of people, especially people that have fertility issues, just say ‘no’ because that’s a lot easier than being honest about whatever is actually going on. People mean so well, but they have no idea the harm or frustration it can cause.
Through sharing her story she hopes to shed light on the subject and change the way people approach her regarding this sensitive subject.
Once a month I look like I’m in my second trimester because I’m bloated,” she says. “It leads to the questions and it leads to the rumors and anytime I go into a doctor’s office I feel like I’m a member of SEAL Team Six undercover because I don’t want people to speculate.
Just about everyone has spoken their peace about Kevin Hart cheating on his wife Eniko Parrish. From his ex wife Torrei Hart, to other comedians, celebs, fans, and the social media meme gods and trolls, people on both sides have been weighing on the scandal and subsequent controversy.
Last week on The Real, Tamera Mowry-Housley became the latest celeb to comment on the couple, but not in the way that one would think. While every one else has primarily focused on the fact that Hart has done this before with his first wife, or that Eniko shouldn’t be surprised because she was once the side chick herself, Tamera approached it from a completely different angle.
If that happened to me?! On the basis of what I think a marriage should be? I’m not staying. You want to know why? I’ll tell you why. This is me, this is me. When you cheat on me and I’m pregnant that tells me the basis of your character.
The 39 year old actress and talk show host goes on to say,
Because I’ve been pregnant. Not once, but twice… You go through a lot and this is one of the times that your husband is supposed to be doting on you…he’s supposed to be loving on you…You are carrying his child!
After a a brief round applause from the audience she goes on to say,
To me, that is like, ‘Yo, you cheat on me while I’m pregnant? What you gonna do when I’m not?!’ But that is… that is me. But I say that… I say that not to judge. Because like I said, we don’t know their message. We don’t know what they’ve been through.
A completely different perspective than most but something to consider.
Sexy After Kids, do you think Eniko should leave Kevin on the basis of her being pregnant? Is cheating while carrying a baby different than any other time? Speak your mind below!
