As a child, one of my favorite activities was to play dress-up. Dressing up doesn’t just pertain to Halloween costumes. As an adult dress-up plays a big role in our overall success, did you know that? Have you ever tried mowing the lawn in a business suit? How about swimming in blue jeans? I’ll give you the top 5 benefits of dress-up for both kids and adults and why you should think about what to wear.
My recent dress-up play
One of my dreams as a kid was to have a Little House on the Prairie kind of life. Wearing the clothes and doing basic chores in them sounded so fun to me. I know that might sound silly, but those dresses were so pretty and full! At the time I wrote this post, I lived in a suburb with a small yard. My neighbors were about 12 feet away on both sides of our house, but we still had a garden.
After a fried day to the brain, I wanted to do something different to spark my imagination and escape the 21st Century so-to-speak. I wanted to play dress-up. To the bottom of my dresser drawer, I went and pulled my big long skirt out. This skirt wasn’t a prairie skirt as I have dreams but it was as close to one as I could get without spending money. It was dark teal with scattered blue sequents, and lime green lace and ribbon. My imagination had to work hard for it to be what Ma wore in Little House on the Prairie.
Dress-up gone wrong!
I slipped on the skirt and headed to the garden to do chores. It was fun walking to the garden, but gardening in this thing was not what I imagined. The garden was full of weeds and I only had a short amount of time before I had to get my son from school. In other words, my ‘playtime’ immediately went to ‘work time’.
In case you didn’t know, wearing a long skirt while gardening is not the smartest move. I don’t know how they did it in those days, but it was pure misery. Weeds poked my bum and little bugs crawled up my legs! Needless to say, I didn’t want to get my fun skirt dirty. My escape to Walnut Grove turned into a stress ball. Back to the house I stomped, I even stepped on my skirt and about pulled it off. Arg! I threw my fun skirt on the floor and pulled on my garden pants. Back to the garden I went, sat down in the dirt, and weeded the rest of the garden in half the time.
What I learned
What I learned from my dress-up play is that I needed to decide if I wanted to play or work. If it’s to play, “practical” is not invited. But if it’s to work, you gotta adjust your attire and put functionality to use.
As soon as I changed into the pants I don’t care about, the garden was weeded efficiently and quickly without any bug interruptions! All in all dressing the part will give you a leg up on the performance end.
Top 5 Benefits of Dress-up
1. Builds Confidence
Confidence. We all want it, we all need it. Why? Because people are depending on us to make things happen. Things usually don’t happen unless we have confidence in doing the task at hand. Playing dress-up permits us to move forward and boosts our confidence in looking the part.
The more confident you feel in your clothes
the more you’ll achieve.
For instance; dressing the part tells your mind to do that specific activity well. If I’m mowing the lawn in my work suit, I’m going to hurry up and do a bad job because I don’t want my suit to smell like mower exhaust. And if I’m swimming in jeans…let’s just say I would probably drown. I know these are off-the-wall examples, but I’ve seen people do them. Not only did they look miserable, but the guy mowing the lawn looked out of place. To read more about confidence, check out this post: 5 Easy Ways to Build Courage & Confidence.
2. Improves Brain Function
Dressing the part or playing dress-up engages our mind and triggers our memory. If we saw a coworker do an epic presentation and noticed their outfit, we too want that feeling of awesomeness when we do our presentation, so what do we do? We dress up as they did.
If we saw our mom make an amazing meal while wearing an apron, we too would want to wear an apron. How about Dad working in the yard with his work gloves and ballcap?
Wearing clothes that correlate to the job we’re trying to perform, puts us in the mode of doing a good job in that particular role. It gives us more confidence and freedom to act the part out, hence stimulating our brains to think as they do. When we dress like the character, we start to think like the character.
3. Fake it til you make it.
Dressing the part permits you to be that person. Have you heard the saying, “Fake it til you make it?” Sure you have! And you have every right to do so. You’ll learn more and more about that role until you know how to do it. Especially so if you are around people in that particular role.
4. Challenges your skills
What does a uniform say? It says I’m an expert, I have the answers. When you, let’s say, start a new job or you go to a trade show, your company wants you to wear their logo. They are asking you to represent them, which says you need to know the answers. Another example is at the store. You have a question, who do you seek for answers? Someone in uniform. When you wear the vest or logo, you have a responsibility if you want a paycheck. Dressing the part challenges you to learn as much as possible to answer questions. In return, knowing the answers makes your job a lot more fun and rewarding. It becomes easy and builds confidence.
5. It’s fun.
Putting some fun in your work can start in your closet or accessories drawer. Wearing fun bracelets, rings, or scarves does make a difference in enjoyment. Even nail polish can lift our moods. Dressing the part or playing dress-up is fun! When you have pep-in-your-step you’re happier, more productive, and people notice.
Playing dress-up isn’t just for kids, or for Halloween, adults will benefit from it too. We don’t have to dress up in our old prom dress or as a frontier woman to reap the benefits of dress-up, we can make subtle additions that can have a magical impact.
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Subtle dress-up ideas:
Wear a fun apron when you cook or even clean. The apron gives you confidence in making a mess! Who cares if you wipe flour on your apron or splash cleaner on it, it’s an apron! It’s simply doing its job. Check out this super cute apron.
When working outside wear work gloves and “garden pants”.
Working-out? Dress for success. Pitch the cut-off sweats and homemade tanks, and pull on the performance wear.
Home from work? Immediately change out of your work clothes into something more relaxed.
Dress for the weather…need I say more?
All in all
May you get the most out of your outfits. Dress for any occasion, you will have more fun, you’ll feel better, have more confidence, and you might learn a thing or two.
How to heal your body is time well spent. There are a lot of things in life that are priceless in navigating our length of time on this planet. One of them is taking care of your only vessel…your body. We all go through a lot of ailments, my goal is just that…to go THROUGH and not to settle and stay. Learn 8 things you can do to get your body on the road to healing. Let’s get you back on your feet to do more than exist!
Getting started in how to heal your body
There are times when taking care of our body can be pretty complicated. Not only do we seek professional help and get tests to make sense of it all, but what’s frustrating is that sometimes I want more information and understanding than I get at the doctor’s office.
Keep moving forward
Your incredible body is mysteriously amazing! No two bodies are the same, even though they are treated the same in a doctor’s office… God made our bodies to work a certain way, your body knows this and will try its hardest to stay aligned. The problem is, is that sometimes, your body needs a little extra help…consistent help…before it remembers what to do. And that’s where we come into play in knowing how to heal your body.
To know how to heal your body, we need to do a few things; whether it’s a general sickness, muscle imbalance, disease, inflammation, or whatever…we need to take a stand against this distraction and do our part so God can do His. Keep moving forward every day so He can do His healing.
How to heal your body with these 8 extremely powerful actions:
1. Hydration.
Hydration is ridiculously important in the healing process. Drinking fluids flush our system out, keeps things slippery and moving, and powers our cells to function correctly. Technically, we should drink half our weight in ounces. To make the math easy let’s say you weigh 100 pounds, you should then drink 50 ounces of water a day.
100 lbs. / 2 = 50 oz. per day
160 lbs. / 2 = 80 oz. per day
2.Diet low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats.
All these things are inflammatory to our system. With inflammation comes illness and disease. I know these ingredients taste good, but please be conscious and aware of how much you are consuming these treats.
3. Movement.
Movement is magic. Keep moving. Go for a walk, bike ride, do yard work, and just get your bones and muscles working every day. Think about a river versus a pond and compare the water quality over time. The river keeps moving and flowing, and a pond is stagnate and rots. This rings true for our bodies as well.
4. Sleep.
Sleep is so good to help your body restore and refresh. It’s in the slumber where we get better. It’s recommended to get 8 hours of sleep a night, well some of us need a little more and others a little less. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t reach that 8 hours. Give yourself permission to rest as much as you need.
There are times when our illness or condition may seem all physical, we often forget the spiritual component in healing. This is a huge part, if not the most important part of our healing process. The One who created you can heal you if you want to be healed. There are numerous stories in the Bible about healing and faith. Healing was and is a big part of Jesus’s ministry. Faith alone can heal. And to have faith is to get to know Jesus. To know and meet Jesus is to read about Him in the Gospels and to ask Him to come into your life. When you have that one-on-one experience with Him, things will change for the better.
What is so awesome about His healing is that it is mysterious and true. Mysterious as in you don’t know when He will, and true because He is the way, the truth, and life (John 14:6). His promises are truth, and his promises are promises. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” This is filled with incredible promises. Jesus is the source of healing; He will heal in more ways than one. Please open your eyes to His amazing love. Here are some Bible verses for healing to reflect on and memorize. I have found these extremely helpful!
6. Mental goodness.
Filling your mind with positive vibes affects your thoughts, which affects your choices, and your heart. This is SUPER important in knowing how to heal your body, especially now. Our world is broken. And the only way to make it better is if we make a change by putting good, healthy things into our minds. Add affirmations to your morning routine, listen to good music to and from work, read positive books, eliminate the daily news, remove horror movies even though you know they’re fake, and be aware of who you’re hanging around and what those conversations are filled with.
It’s incredibly good to get outside and go for a walk, especially if you have access to a park or trail with trees. There are numerous studies about the power of nature and how it helps ground us, relieve stress, and simply be a vitamin for our souls. To motivate younger generations to get outdoors some people call it, Forest Bathing (a Japanese term). It is a pretty cool term, kind of like “earthing” a.k.a. walking barefoot on the ground.
7. Perseverance.
This will see you through in knowing how to heal your body. Think of perseverance as a daily vitamin. Perseverance is doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Whether you’re in physical therapy, fighting an illness, or dealing with an addiction, every day you must do your part to keep moving forward. Keep doing the exercises, continue to eat healthy and drink fluids, and fight and resist the temptation to get off track…this is perseverance. How bad do you want to get better? If you want it, it will happen.
The Bible talks about perseverance. I especially like Galatians 6:9 where it says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The other truth I surrender to is Romans 5:3b-4 “…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” There is nothing more powerful than hope. Hope keeps you moving forward.
8. Grit.
You gotta want it. Healing isn’t for people who think they are entitled or that someone else is going to do it for them. For you to heal, you must do your part so He can do His. Grit takes courage, grit takes strength. It’s asking for a second opinion, researching on your own, trying different approaches, being persistent, having perseverance, trusting in Jesus, and doing what it takes to make things happen! Grit is “STRONG” and refusing the Enemy to take a foothold in you or in your mind. Stand firm. In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, the Bible says this, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
Wrapping up how to heal your body
For you to know how to heal your body, you need to do your part, so He can do His. If you want to frolic like well-fed calves, get your ass off the couch and make it happen! God put you on this planet for good works that He has prepared in advance for you to do! Use what He gave you, take care of it as much as you possibly can, show Him you want it, and ask Him to help you get moving. Healing happens. Healing gives you clarity, hope, perseverance, confidence in Christ, freedom, compassion, wisdom, and love.
Keep moving forward friends even if the doctors say differently. Do your own homework, get second opinions, look at the holistic route, use trial and error, and keep moving forward. Simply said, do more than exist.
The only way to change is to change. If you want to feel better and lose weight then grab these tips for weight loss. Here’s the thing, weight loss doesn’t have to be hard or depriving. Set yourself free and become who God made you to be. I have a simple philosophy that will bring you inspiration; plus it’s backed up by science. Simply put: TAKE. IT. SLOW. Remember the saying, ‘nothing changes if nothing changes’. Read about my four game-changing tips that change you without feeling like a change.
4 Tips for Weight Loss
Changing the diet isn’t something I could do cold turkey. In fact, I’m allergic to turkey! Hence the going slow part. The most successful thing with ‘change’ without feeling like it’s a change is to take it slow. With a gradual approach, you’re more likely to stick with it for longer… if not forever! Chris Kresser uses the words, “shrink the change“.
#1: Weight loss Tip #1: Go Gradual
The trick to losing weight is to eat a healthier diet so the body can clean out the bad stuff, call me Sherlock-Homes. I repeat, taking a gradual approach gives your body time to adjust and not be shocked. If you lose weight too fast, it could backfire and you’ll be headfirst in the bag of cheese puffs…not to mention gain even more weight! The cool thing about gradually reducing the bad stuff, like sugar, is that your body will start to crave healthier foods. You’ll feel better and the sugary snacks will start to taste bad. Interesting, eh? The bottom line is that our bodies will feel better with cleaner foods and they’ll want more of that awesome clean energy. Stick to simple ingredients and ingredients you understand.
Tip #2: Awareness is key!
Awareness. Sugar was my number one weakness. It still is, but I’m now aware of my consumption and I know my limits. When I adjusted my intake of the sweet stuff I finally understood the ‘less is more’ philosophy. My taste buds became more content and my body was a happy human. Did you hear that? I didn’t give up sugar completely, I just cut back immensely. Toxic foods can do a number on our bodily systems; in other words, inflammation. I wrote a short ebook on digestion and what things might trigger our inflammation. Once we remove the trigger, the inflammation heals. Check it out here: Triggers and What to do for IBD.
What’s for lunch?
Back in the day of wanting to lose weight, I would only eat a salad for lunch. It contained greens, Romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and maybe fresh broccoli. I didn’t have any protein or cheese. Just veggies. I chose whatever salad dressing sounded good, however, I would dip my fork in the dressing before I stabbed a helping of lettuce. Not too shabby of a lunch; but for me, it didn’t hold me over, which led to a Snickers Bar in the afternoon, and then a hefty snack after work. Can we say blood sugar on the fritz?
The small change I made was to add protein to my salad in the form of lean protein, I’m not talking cheese or other dairy products; but things like nuts, eggs, or grilled chicken. At lunch, I still aim to have more greens than protein, yet with a little protein.
Eatingwell.com
Tip for losing weight #3: Know your body
Know your body. If you need protein, get protein with every meal. Whether it’s nuts, clean meat, or low-fat dairy (if you can tolerate it) make sure you get enough protein into your diet. If you don’t, you’ll be hungry all the time and your blood sugar will yo-yo. Let me reiterate, protein helps you feel satisfied longer, it gives you energy, and need I say meat is an excellent source of B12, B6, zinc, and iron to name a few?
A little bit more about protein
Protein builds muscle mass, and it’s especially good after a workout. Add a little vitamin C to the mix and you’ve got a digestive helper and a helping hand at iron absorption. Listen up! The meat won’t make you fat unless it’s highly marbled or fatty; you also want to keep in check your portions. Choose lean beef, grilled chicken, grilled or baked fish, nuts, legumes, eggs, or pork loin. Don’t be scared to add it to your diet or your salad. Remember portion control is king.
Okay, okay, okay…you’re at work and can’t make lunch. That’s okay! You have a couple of options for a healthy clean lunch; the most obvious is to make it the night before. The other is to choose simple, limited-ingredient dishes when eating out. For instance, a 100% beef burger without the bun paired with a side of steamed veggies or a cup of clear broth soup, is a great lunch. It’s not heavy in carbs (bread or pasta) and it’s high in protein. You can also opt for an “unwich”, a sandwich without the bread. I eat this all the time but use lettuce instead of bread. Some people use a gluten-free wrap. Turn the sandwich inside out…lettuce in the center and lean ham for the wrap. If you want this weight loss thing to work, you need to be prepared and stay on point. Pack ahead or have a plan when eating out.
Think ‘simple’ when at a restaurant and think portion control! As for drinks, you know what I’m going to say…water without ice. Hey, it may be a little boring, but your body will be quieter and happier. You may not even need to drink water with your meal. Too much aqua with food will cause a lot of vitamins to flush through your system, plus it will take longer to digest the yum yums.
Your body is a temple, keeping it clean and feeling great is an amazing way to show God you love Him and thank Him. I hope you found these tips for losing weight helpful. Remember to take a gradual approach, be aware of what you’re eating, know your body, and be prepared. You got this if you want it. Keep moving forward!
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
How to manage depression is something everyone should be aware of. It is not a fun thing to talk about; but we all, at one point in our lives, will feel its slippery slope. It’s an exhausting cycle and at times we just can’t see the top. But how do we climb out once and for all? Learn three surprising ways to manage this uninvited downer.
What is depression actually?
Depression is not a secret, in 2017 there were 17.3 million American adults affected by depression. Depression negatively affects how we feel, the way we think, and how we act. It can last a couple of days, a few months, a handful of years, or a lifetime. It is a perplexing state of not knowing how to shut it off.
For five years+ I suffered from depression due to infertility. To make matters worse I became frustrated during those years because depression was messing with my identity. I felt like I just existed.
People don’t like to talk about depression. But people don’t talk about it enough. These days depression is swallowing up our children, yes children who are already on depression meds. It’s heartbreaking on many fronts.
How does depression happen?
There are a number of factors…too many to list, but usually, it’s when one event piles up after another. We’ve heard social media is a player (or layer) in depression. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, says, “It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades…it’s largely because of Smartphones.” Social media is a false measure of our identities, she is totally right!
This isn’t just for iGen, it’s happening to other generations. Why? We want to be accepted yet be ourselves and for people to ‘like’ us no matter what. When this happens our values collide. Could this desire alone be the root of all depression?
Depression makes you stronger?
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: Depression can make you stronger. This post isn’t about how to get through depression or manage Smartphone apps; it’s about what to do with depressionwhen you’re climbing out of it.
Our dark days can either bring strength or weakness; it’s how we see it. Do you know how I said I just existed? I’m going to feel that way. But as I look back, I noticed this period of life wasn’t to hurt me, it was to strengthen me.
When we’ve ‘been there’, we start to see the eyes of people differently. Let me reiterate, depression can make us stronger or weaker by how we use that experience in our life.
Using our troubles to help rather than hide-in produces strength. Our strength in moving forward, in doing more than existing, is having the courage to help people who are going through the same trials we’ve been through. This heals.
3 ways how to manage depression
1- Seek God, seek the Truth
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It is then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will” -Romans 12:2.
God is love, He is light. The Romans 12:2 verse gives me permission to step away from the world, its expectations, and false hope; and to instead seek the truth, strengthen myself, and use my experiences to do God’s will for my life. Reading a short daily devotional can help. I recommend Jesus Calling. Reading a study Bible is super helpful. And don’t forget the Bible App which has a lot of great study plans and more.
2- Look for someone who gets it
This isn’t easy. People don’t talk about this stuff. We need to take the first step here. As hard as it is, pursue people who have gone through the same thing and talk with them about it. Talking with someone who ‘gets-it’ brings comfort. This can be scary and vulnerable, but also very healing. If you belong to a church, ask them about a group to join.
If you need more than a conversation with someone, please seek out a professional, but make sure it is someone you trust and who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
One other way to know how to manage depression is to dig deeper into who you are. Your identity matters. There is no better place than to ask your Creator. Pray and stand firm with Ephesians 2:10, For I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that he has prepared for me to do. Listen up, you are valuable. The talents and abilities and the gifts God has given you help shape you and equip you to do some pretty amazing things. Tap into those things. Explore. Find joy.
In John 15:11 Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” He’s saying come to me, know me, and I’ll sustain you when adversity hits.
Get your personal values working. Abiding by your personal values will instantly bring you a sense of peace and direction. I have a freebie about how to know your personal values here.
Take better care of your body and understand how the best way for you to manage stress. We will all occasionally be visited by Depression. But at least we know how to climb out a little faster and stronger than we did before.
Depression ain’t no joke. There are many layers of depression, the key is to keep moving forward to heal those layers and revive the core of your existence. Seek Jesus to navigate through this season. He loves, he heals, and he has equipped you to stand firm in the faith. Have hope friend, and continue to go after it, for HOPE will get you through step by step.
How to live a drama free life sounds dreamy. But in a world that is dominated by drama; pandemics, racial injustice, a shaky economy, broken homes, and anxiety-filled minds, how do we navigate through all this? Right now is a great time to pull out your secret weapon to fight drama and kick it to the curb. Learn how to access your boxing gloves and how to use them effectively every day. You’ll be surprised how much simpler life gets and more enjoyable.
Mental breakdown
If you look at what’s on TV, YouTube, and in theaters, you wouldn’t be surprised by the health of our world. The shows these days are negative, scary, or full of things I don’t even want to see. Call me old-fashion, but for my mental state of being, I already have a bunch of stuff going on in my head and prefer to put positive things into it. With our daily dose of drama from our kids, spouse, extended family, and even ourselves things can build up and break down. What do we do? First and foremost, say “no” to drugs. I know that sounds funny, but seriously. We can achieve peace without the added side effects.
My go-to for cleaning my head out
When there is too much going on in my head I usually grab a piece of copy paper and write down ALL the things on my mind and categorize them in different departments. This is the first step to a drama-free life. Just do it. Don’t give me or yourself excuses of why you can’t take five minutes and write things out. By doing this, it gives you a visual of what you have going on in there, plus you can strategize on how to tackle it. This technique usually does the trick, but sometimes the unsettledness lingers.
My enlightenment to a drama-free life, who knew?
As I was listening to my daily devotional, the pastor talked about something that helped explain why I was feeling so overwhelmed. It was something I didn’t think of and that’s what I want to share with you.
Personal values do what?
Did you ever think personal values had a role in our serenity? I used to think personal values were like jewels in a black velvet bag; you learn them when you’re young and then carry them around with you. BUT don’t you dare get them out and use them because they’re valuable. Did I sure have that backward!
It had been a while since I opened my bag of personal values. Let’s face it, I’m an adult, and values are taught when we are children, right? Not so, those are morals. Morals are beliefs that are taught to us. Think of morals as “acceptable” acts. Parents usually teach morals to help a child determine what is right and wrong. Personal values come from within; they define what is important to us and help us make the right decisions that align with our hearts. When personal values are used correctly we ultimately experience happiness with our decisions.
Ahem. There is no better time than now to review your personal values. For me and Mr. Silent Chaos, my personal values had to intervene to save the day, along with some Bible verses of course. When our values align with our decisions, life is SO much easier and happier.
How could something so simple have such a big impact?
The first month of the year or around your birthday is a GREAT time to revisit your values. And that’s what I did on my birthday, I took a minute grabbed my values exercise, and reviewed what I wrote down as my core values. During the exercise, I realized some values had changed and that was probably one of the causes of drama. When we understand WHY we’re making certain decisions, we understand ourselves better and can move forward by making the right decision for our sanity.
After my values exercise, my mind felt clearer and cleaner. It felt like getting new running shoes, I was ready to run for hours on end. At this point, I could now go back and look at my paper where I wrote everything down and organized it according to my values.
If you’re at a point where ‘simplifying your life’ sounds like heaven, then sharpen your pencil. Drama isn’t welcome in my home anymore. In fact, if I can keep myself in line with my values and speak God’s word, then the enemy doesn’t have a foothold on me. Fight back with what the Lord put in you, and use your personal values.
“If you watch your life, you’ll be amazed at how many times a week Satan launches an attack against you for the sole purpose of stealing your peace. When I finally saw that, God said to me in my spirit, “Joyce, if the devil wants your peace that badly, then there must be something pretty powerful about being peaceful.”
