We made it back to the Pacific Coast and I am so truly happy right now. We are in Pismo Beach, CA, a nice little touristy/beachy town. Mike’s family owns a beach house here, so we’ve been visiting for several years. It has so much character, but so many new things, so I can’t wait to walk downtown and see everything. I’m also excited to see it all decorated for Christmas…don’t think I’ve been here during this season before.

After we got all set up yesterday, Mike asked if I wanted to take a walk to the beach. I jumped up and said heck yeah! So the pic above is from our afternoon walk. There’s a river that runs into the beach, so we couldn’t cross over to the ocean, but today I plan to venture out and explore.

Oh and then the sun started to set and my heart…..

I’m just feeling the need to write. I’ve been having such a hard time with this transition and 2020, as many others are feeling the same as well. I have always had anxiety, but the last few months have been a whole different level. Anxiety has manifested in different ways now. Before I felt it in my stomach. Now, my chest gets so tight I can’t breathe, my head spins, I can’t focus and I feel faint.

Writing is therapeutic for me. I woke up to the birds singing and a beautiful sunrise and immediately felt the need to pull out my laptop and write.

Here are some things that have helped me with stress/life/anxiety in the past and I’m starting to integrate again:

• Meditation. I use the Calm app, but you can search YouTube for free sessions.
• Writing.
• Get outside, go for a walk, hike or bike ride. Even just sitting outside for a few minutes makes a big difference.
• Slow, easy mornings. I usually wake up, have breakfast and bring a cup of hot tea back to bed and chill. Usually I’ll watch YouTube or these days I feel the pull to write more.
• Declutter your space – including social media.
• Acupuncture. Oh my gosh how I’ve missed my weekly sessions. This is a huge game changer if you’re struggling with nearly anything. I swear by it.

There is something to be said about having a calm, peaceful, simple life and I am here for it.

Feel free to add your tips below.