Spring is always a rejuvenating season for me. It’s a time when my goals from the new year are (mostly) still intact and the hopefulness of warmer weather grants me a fresh wind—my birthday at the end of March is a nice push toward ‘reawakening’ as well.
In my world, a lot my success with healthiness comes down to routine and a simple question: do I have one, or not? When I’m feeling my best, it’s a regular, planned thing. A lot of work goes into maintaining the wellness of my body, mind, and spirit. It’s a consistent series of trial and error and a realization that it’s always going to be that way: no one totally has their shit together, but we’re all on a quest to do our best.
Here are a few of my go-to favorites that are helping me not only maintain my routine from a long winter, but also helping me to jump into spring with a fresh attitude, energy, and desire to keep chasing that balance.
OneNote
Listen up: OneNote is my personal life saver. I’m not even joking—over the past few months, incorporating this digital whiteboard of sorts into my daily routine has given me structure and organization in a way that I’d be drowning without.
For those unaware, OneNote is a computer application for Microsoft users, usually included in suite packages with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, though I’m sure you can get it independently. In mine, I have tabs for my to-do list, each of my clients, my grocery list, goals, and more. Checklists have helped me to see through the mud and have helped me get my shit together in a single place.
Liquid multivitamin
Over the years, I’ve tried and failed to maintain a regular vitamin routine. I think that part of it has come down to having just too many different pills, and struggling to continue if I miss a day or the doses from different bottles don’t match.
For the past month or so, I’ve been trying a liquid multivitamin from Mary Ruth’s Organics, and I love it. It’s delicious—fruit punch flavored—and I actually look forward to taking my 2-tbs dose each day. I originally heard about it for hair health, but it has all the basics of a standard multivitamin.
Here’s the link, from Amazon.
Aloe leaf juice
Okay okay okay, hear me out on this one: I was influenced. Laughs aside, I heard of benefits associated with gut health when taking aloe leaf juice each day on an empty stomach, along with a probiotic vitamin.
So, here I am.
The juice doesn’t taste great. It’s not horrible, but it definitely has a bite. I drink it from a 1-oz shot glass and shoot it like it’s the worst tequila known to man, and follow it with a chaser of my Mary Ruth’s liquid vitamin.
Here’s a link to the aloe juice, and here’s a link to my current probiotic.
Water, water, water
I don’t know if I’ll ever really be drinking enough water, but I’m trying! My best trick is to have a water bottle I’m obsessed with, that has a straw built into it. That’s just what works best for me.
My current emotional support water bottle is the Stanley 40 ouncer.
Brain stimulation
I’m my best self when I’m reading! Lately I’ve been trying to read more and scroll less, and that’s a huge boost to my happiness. (Especially the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, which I’ve been obsessively devouring!)
Additionally, I’ve been trying to play a few games of off-brand Wordle each day on my Samsung TV free games app. It might seem silly, but it feels really good to tickle my problem solving itch and think through a low-stakes problem.
Greens
When I remember, I grab myself a packet of Better Days Co. greens and add them to 16 oz of water or sparkling soda. I’ve found this a helpful way to get some extra veggies in my diet, because lord knows I need ’em.
Here’s a link to the type I’ve gotten in the past.
If I’m feeling extra spicy, I might add a Liquid IV into the mix, for some additional hydration.
Fit by Katy Challenge
Listen, we all know by now that I’m a person who starts fitness-y things and has a hard time finishing them (you might remember 21 day fix or 75 medium? Lol.). However, I recently finished an 8-week program and lived to quietly brag about it to my husband.
I did the Fit by Katy Happy New You challenge: 8 weeks of macro-counting and weightlifting. I chose the at-home option and made it through all 40 days of exercising, which usually lasted around 45-60 minutes each.
I initially chose the program because I discovered that my metabolism was messed up, by years of under-eating and fasting (I learned the hard way: this cycle of practically starving myself led to significant weight gain). Some research revealed that by counting my macros (protein, carbs, and fat), I could both ensure that I was eating enough and work on my body’s composition in the process.
I did it! (Here’s the review post.) I already signed up for the next challenge, and I’m excited to keep pushing myself and building my routine.
Also, if this sounds up your alley at all, there’s a promotion for the next challenge where we both get $20 (if you sign up, please use my email address! It’s savannah.nelson.george@gmail.com.)
Post-workout with collagen
After nearly every lifting workout, I take a BCAA powder drink from Alani Nu; I’ll add it to 16 oz of water and prepare for my soreness to take a backseat.
Lately, I’ve also been mixing collagen into my recovery drink, because (along with being odorless and tasteless), it also adds some much-needed protein. I’m literally always looking for easy ways to add more protein into my diet, so it’s perfect.
Here’s the link to the BCAA post-workout drink, along with my collagen powder.
Therapy
And last (but certainly not least) is therapy! My weekly sessions have been a fantastic form of self-care since I started in December. As someone who suffers from seasonal depression and ADHD and anxiety symptoms, I feel like I’ve found a new way to approach my mental health and give myself some accountability.
Every once in a while, I’ll share some brief takeaways on my Instagram stories (on the slim chance that a generic piece of advice or reflection is helpful to someone else who might need to hear it!); I feel like I have some universal lessons that I’m learning, from self compassion to boundaries to giving myself permission to feel and react.
Therapy is such a privilege but I believe everyone can benefit. It’s a game changer!
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