Anyone here ever feel stressed???

Yeah…thought so…

I thought I was stressed before the pandemic, but the last few years brought it to a WHOLE new level. I don’t know about you all, but I still am very anxious about COVID, I’m balancing work and mom life and it’s only getting more complicated to balance as this pandemic goes on. Oh, and then there’s the normal fun of those two year old tantrums we navigate every day…

I wouldn’t trade my work or the chance to parent these beautiful humans for the world, but that doesn’t mean that the chronic stress of “fight or flight” mode can’t wear me down. In fact, chronic stress, from any source, is downright dangerous. Here are the 3 types of stress that we all face in life:

1. Emotional stress: This could be the rage that arises when someone cuts us off in traffic, or when we’re facing financial difficulties.
2. Physical stress: This can come from some sort of physical injury. For example, bumping your knee against a chair or cutting a finger while cooking.
3. Chemical stress: This results from exposure to toxins, such as pesticides, processed food, dirty water, and so on.

All stress is handled in the same way: the adrenals kick in and release anti-inflammatory hormones (such as cortisol).
So, based on all this, we can start to see why chronic stress of any kind is harmful.
This highlights just how strongly we need something that can help us manage stress. (excerpt from livewellzone)

That “something” for me is Adaptogen Elixir

I’ve been taking this elixir since August, and it’s fair to say I was skeptical at first. Like, super skeptical. But I’ve truly noticed a difference- namely just an overall feeling of calm and feeling less prone to react so strongly to stressors throughout the day. And, taking it closer to bedtime definitely helps with sleep!!

Gratitude journaling, daily affirmations, meditation, high quality CBD and ADAPTOGENS….all part of my stress relief toolkit. Because it takes a lot of tools to combat a lot of stressors. Oh, and exercise OF COURSE!! What do you find is the best way to relieve stress in your daily life???

Here’s a link to my wellness store if you want to try the elixir, risk free. Let’s look get ready to calm the chaos!!

https://jessicatreadwell1.isagenix.com/en-us/search?q=Adaptogen+elixir+&t=products

Happy Friday, friends!! Cheers to a relaxing weekend!!

Guys- these last few weeks have been CRAZY at work. I’m a school based Occupational Therapist, and the fall is always busy with evaluations and documentation…and the pandemic has only made things busier (if you know a teacher or school therapist, give them some love these days!). Needless to say, it’s been hard to squeeze in a full gym workout, or even anything longer than 20 minutes at home.

So today, I took out these new bands and quickly ran through this routine (note my super adorable workout partner):

✨squats (20 reps)

✨curtsie lunges (15-20 reps per side)

✨fire hydrants (15 per side)

✨clam shells (20 per side)

✨bridges (20 per side)

✨leg lifts to the side (20 per side)

3 rounds in 20 minutes and my legs were burning! What I love about these bands is that they’re durable and don’t dig in or slip like the rubber ones. If you need a band upgrade, here’s where I found them:

Let me know if you try the workout…or the bands!

To your health!!

~Jess

This weekend, Adam, the kids and I had the most FABULOUS weekend in New Hampshire (with my lovely mother in law joining us for a day too!) The weekend was full of some hikes, exploring the polar caves, lots of kids activities, arcades and shopping. We stayed in a great condo, but there was no gym there to use.

I could have definitely written off the weekend as a “rest weekend” from working out. We were averaging 10-12,000 steps a day and eating pretty healthy (thank you condo- I hate eating out 3x a day!!)

But I also know “crabby mommy” comes out when I skip my workouts too many days in a row. I also love the energy and mindset that follows a morning workout. So, I committed to doing just 10 minutes of a workout each day. I went beyond that ten minutes all three times, because we all know getting started is the hardest part. But either way, I know I was gonna start my day off with some movement and enjoy vacation more because of it.

What can you actually do in 10-15 minutes you ask?? Well, anything!

💪If we’re driving somewhere, I love to bring a kettlebell and do a circuit of 5 different moves (kettlebell swings, goblet squats, one legged deadlifts, windmills, one arm swings), 50 reps each

💪 you tube a fun cardio or dance workout to get the heart rate up without any equipment or even much space

💪do a circuit of squats, push ups, lunges, tricep dips and bicycle crunches, 3 times through

💪 you can find lots of yoga and barre workouts on all the popular workout apps or you tube

💪 head outside for a 1-2 mile jog or run

When the workouts were done, I enjoyed my post workout shake, my pumpkin spice coffee and lots of fun with the fam. WIN/WIN!!

These are ideas I share with my clients when they travel, but they’re great ideas for your super busy workweeks too. Please remember you don’t have to do the perfect workout, you don’t need the perfect workout space, and you DEFINITELY don’t need hours…just get your heart rate up, sweat out those toxins and have fun!

Tell me your fave workouts for traveling or busy days!

To our health!

~Jess

Hi friends!

It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in with you all. Things are good here…still plugging away at the busy-ness of daily life with pandemic worries piled on top. The kids are 2 and 5 now (how is that possible??), my husband recently made a big job change and work is the busiest it’s EVER been for me. Basically…life is busy, stressful and beautiful all at once.

I’m getting a chance to write this morning because I have a client who is out of town. That’s rare, and I’m grateful for the few extra minutes to breathe while my husband feeds the kiddos. So, I spent an extra few minutes meditating and journaling this morning, and it made me think I ought to share my morning routine here too.

One thing that changed for me during the pandemic, a little over a year ago, was re-engaging with my daily gratitude journal and committing to meditation every morning even if for 5 minutes. And guess what, guys…it’s really changed things for me!

At the start of the pandemic, I was dealing with postpartum anxiety…which felt a bit out of control when pandemic anxiety piled on top. Because of that, I started to have some health issues that impacted my daily life. I don’t expect anything to be perfect, but after struggling for a few months, things really did start getting better. I’ve found a good mix of tools to help me live with anxiety, but one of my most favorites is my daily routine.

Starting my day with gratitude and my intention statement is SO easy. Even after the hardest day the day before, there is something I can be grateful for…sunshine, the sound of my kids’ laughter, a conversation with a friend, or maybe just a hot cup of coffee and hot shower. The longer my gratitude practice has gone on, the easier it has become to list MANY blessings in our lives.

After journaling my gratitudes, I almost always feel more positive. If the rest of the day is rainbows and sunshine from there on out, awesome! My gratitude grows. And if the rest of the day is quite the opposite of that, as it often can be, I make myself recite the list of gratitudes that I made that morning…because even in the midst of the most stressful or painful day, no one can take away the sound of my kids’ laughter from the day before or the sunshine that bathed us as we were playing in the yard. Even on those hard days, I know that the laughter and sunshine will return 💕💕

I’d love to hear about how you set yourself up for positivity each day too!

I’m off to build legos with my son (his new obsession) and enjoy that hot cup of coffee. Wishing you all a beautiful Monday and a beautiful week ahead

Hey readers! My friend Lauren (an incredible yoga instructor and reiki practitioner) is sharing some great tips for our self-care series this week!

Written by: Lauren Tamburello Bio: Lauren found yoga when she was in the final months of her master’s in public health program. During this time in her life, she was anxious, burnt-out, and running on little sleep. She was not taking very good care of herself. Yoga helped (and continues to help!!) Lauren to sloooooow doooooooown, be more centered, and take better care. Just months after finding yoga, Lauren knew it was a practice that she needed to adopt as a lifestyle. Lauren completed her 200 hour teacher training at Lexington Power Yoga in Vinyasa Yoga. She is passionate about practicing and teaching safe and functional movement and making yoga accessible to all bodies. In addition to yoga, Lauren is a reiki practitioner. She believes in the healing power of touch and relationships. When she is not teaching, practicing or trying to incorporate yoga philosophy into her meetings and interactions at her day job, Lauren can be found dancing, cooking, reading self-help books, listening to live-music, drinking coffee, and having deep conversations with friends. Check out this link to hop into one of Lauren’s classes: https://virtualteamy.org/live-classes/?filter=MindBody Yoga has been my lifeline – primary self care tool – during the covid 19 pandemic. I have found myself pulling it out of my tool box at least daily – often multiple times a day. It has helped my physical body through movement and stretches after long days at work and excessive time sitting. It has helped my mind (and preserved some degree of my sanity :)) by providing me the opportunity to slow waaaaaaay down, let go of stress and anxiety from the day, and create a quiet space for me to process, reflect, and connect/check in with myself. I have found it helpful to start and end my day with the practice – typically with just 15- 30 minutes. I have started leaving my yoga mat unrolled and favorite props <yoga blocks and foam roller> out for easier access and as a reminder. Sometimes I follow along to a class (I’ve included some of my favorite resources below) or sometimes practice without instruction and focus on moving my body organically and intuitively, sometimes with my favorite music playing. My practice looks different every day as I adapt it to meet my needs. Where to start? Body & Breath I always begin my practice with a few minutes in stillness (usually in child’s pose or constructive rest) and focus on slowing/ elongating my breath and checking in with my physical body and mind. I ask myself How am I doing? and force myself to slow down and answer honestly. (Please note- this is not that easy to do! How many times when someone asks you “how are you?” and you automatically, without even thinking, respond “good” or “busy”. Try to answer with more depth next time you’re asked the question.) I often do a body scan, a tool that involves bringing awareness to the entire body, part by part. You can notice any tension, discomfort, etc. and work to let it go. I typically start at the crown on my head and work my way down my body to the tips of the toes. Before/ after connecting with my physical body, I work to focus my attention on my breath and often will play with counting my breath – maybe you start with 5 cycles of breath (1 cycle = inhale & exhale) and work towards 10 cycles. I focus on sending my breath into my chest, my lungs, and into my belly and allowing my exhales to be just as long as my inhales. Sometimes I will try to take the deepest breath I have taken all day. I follow this body and breath work with an instructor-led class or unstructured practice or will end my practice here. Here are some of my favorite shapes- Back, shoulder, spine mobility Constructive rest

 Foam rolling Cat/ cow Reclined twist Stretch Backs of the legs Viparita karani (legs up the wall or block at lower back)

 Downward dog Forward fold Tight Hips Happy baby

 Figure 4 (can do this at your desk while seated or on your back.

 Child’s pose

 Mantras that have helped me through this time- Healing I can do the hard things. Breathe Do small things with great love. Stop rushing. Here are my favorite FREE classes/ instructors- YMCA of Greater Boston You can check out my weekly live classes here!!! I teach a live virtual gentle flow yoga class on Tuesday and vinyasa flow class on Friday. I also teach in person classes at the Oak Square YMCA on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30a. Yoga with Kassandra Insight timer

It feels appropriate to be writing this blog on my busiest day of the week (and probably my busiest work day so far this school year). But self-care is just as important on our busy days (arguably more so), so here I am…

Let’s talk about walking!! You might expect me to pop on here on a Wednesday and talk about Workout Wednesday. And while I ALWAYS encourage a good sweat session, I think it’s more important to take the stress away from exercise and focus on movement…especially on our busy days.

Today I worked two jobs. I rushed around getting the kids ready for school this morning, trained clients, and worked at 3 different schools throughout the day. Then pick up, baths for the kids, dinner, bedtime routine…you get it.

So today I didn’t get a workout in. But I did commit to fresh air and movement, walking between school buildings during the day and a quick walk with my son after preschool pick up. It was COLD and crazy windy here, so I did have to convince myself to do those walk…maybe a few times!!

Was I glad I took a break from the never ending “to dos” to move my body and get some fresh air???

Sure was!!!

Did I feel happier and more energetic because of it???

Sure did!!!!

I’m not here to tell you about the NUMEROUS health benefits of walking those 10,000 steps a day. Hopefully everyone knows that by now.

What I am here to say is that, no matter how tired, anxious or overwhelmed I feel on a given day, the gift of fresh air and movement does not escape me. And, like the ADAPTOGENS I wrote about last week, walking is a non-negotiable part of my day that truly makes a difference.

Pic of my two favorite waking partners…from sunnier days, of course!!

In the spirit of my self-care/stress reduction tips on here this month, I want to focus on one of my daily habits that helps me mediate the harmful effects of daily stress: ADAPTOGENS

Adapta what??

Adaptogens are herbs found in nature that help modulate the physical effects of stress, such as increased heart rate, rush of energy and increased blood pressure. These responses are produced in our bodies in response to acute stress, but when the stress hormones that produce these reactions are in overdrive from chronic stress, the effects can be harmful.

And chronic stress is such an epidemic in our lives…these days more than ever. A few years ago I finally decided to add a botanical adaptogenic drink to my daily routine (after doing a good amount of research), and fell in love right away!

Better sleep!

Better energy!

Improved workout recovery (cortisol levels are elevated post workout)

Immune support

I’ve seen adaptogens getting a lot of buzz right now in mainstream media and I’ve seen for myself what a difference they make.

I’d love to hear if you’re a fan too!

I haven’t written on here as much as I hoped to these last few months, for many good reasons. Like so many of you, I’ve been focusing on one day at a time, trying to stay present and trying to take care of my own physical and mental health. And amidst all that is going on in the world right now, that seems like the right place to place my priorities.

I hope all of you are prioritizing self-care as much as possible these days as well. Whether it’s a good workout, a good book or even a good cry in the shower, we all need some “me time”, some easy lifestyle hacks to add to our day and some moments to just breathe. And some accountability to make it all happen.

So this month, I’m going to be focusing my posts on easy things you can do to focus on self-care. Because, when so much of our world is out of our control, let’s focus on what is…

Stay tuned!!

Work demands ✅

Taking care of all the kids needs ✅

Getting in that Peleton ride or early morning run ✅

Sleeping 8 hours a night?? Ummmm….I don’t have time!

This is a topic on self-care that is always on my mind. Mostly because I’m a busy, working mom and I GET IT! I struggled with insomnia and the effects of lacking sleep for many years. And because I have so many clients, family and friends who are struggling with this too, I feel it’s super important to address.

But first, let’s delve into WHY we need sleep-

Sleep is an integral process in the body. It:

• AIDS in cognitive functions
• Regulates emotions
• Boosts immunity
• Balances metabolism
• Balances hormones
• Regulates blood sugar and blood pressure
• Combats fatigue
• Suppresses cancer cell growth

Lack of sleep has been connected to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, depression and cancer.

Now, before we start getting worried about what our late night work emails or Netflix binges might be doing to our bodies, let’s just take this one step at a time. Like any other sustainable lifestyle change, your not going to drastically improve your sleep overnight. It’s a process and grant yourself the patience and room to make it a process. Pick 1-2 changes from the lost below to implement each week, and add on only when one habit has become more automatic:

Lifestyle modifications to improve sleep:

1. Find 1-2 pockets of your day to meditate. It can be for five minutes at a time, but make sure you make room in your schedule to do this consistently.
2. Exercise daily! This can be a traditional workout, yoga or a walk. But daily movement is essential.
3. Keep your sleep and wake times consistent, even on the weekends. (Easy if you have two young kids like me. But important for all of us).
4. Remove those LED lamps, laptops and televisions from your bedroom. (When we moved from our apartment to our house five years ago, we moved the tv from our bedroom to the family room. I swear to you that was the start of my improved sleep patterns!)
5. Always sleep in your bed. Not the couch as your watching tv late at night. And hopefully not on your kids floor as I find myself doing some nights…
6. Keep the temperature in your bedroom around 65 degrees.
7. Don’t hit the snooze button!! I mean, I always New this, but recent research taught me this new fact…”Jolting” awake multiple times a morning affects the cardiovascular and nervous system. Yikes.
8. Eat a primarily plant bases diet (yet another point for plant based!!)
9. Don’t shoot the messenger for this one- try to stick to one caffeinated drink per day, and finish it entirely 10 hours before bed.

• Be mindful while eating (another tough one for us moms, amiright?!? I mean, when was the last time I ate my food warm and didn’t get up at least ten times per meal to fill cups, clean spills cut food or quickly stop the baby from dumping her entire plate on the floor??)
• See what I mean…I’m not gonna implement all of these strategies overnight and either are you. But I will keep adding no a few at a time and I’ll get there.

This week, I’ve been working on:

• Not hitting snooze! I was so good about this pre-pandemic, but anxiety and stress made it hard to have my usual morning energy. But honestly, it’s been feeling SO good to get up early, before the rest of the house.
• Stop drinking coffee by noon. This has been easier than I thought… I’ve been sipping on cold brew hibiscus tea all afternoon instead of another cup of coffee and I love it.
• Daily meditation-twice a day when possible.
• Hope this article gave your all some good tips. Remember that all that other self-care stuff doesn’t work if you’re not getting enough quality sleep.

Tell us, what tips will you be trying this week…

(And here’s the cutest reason I didn’t sleep for eight months this year…)