Hey Sunny Siders, wow it’s been a long, crazy year since the last time we talked. Life got pretty crazy and I didn’t have time or energy to put into this blog. I had to put it on the back burner so I could focus on me. But now, it’s a year later and I’m a year stronger! I am ready to focus on the things that bring me joy, one of which is this blog. My goal is to start posting weekly with recipes, workouts, and heart to hearts as to how I am feeling. Let’s start with some things that 2021 taught me and how I’ve grown since we last talked.
1. You’re opinions can change! I’ve done a lot of growth in this area in the past year, especially when it comes to relationships, food, exercise, and mental health.
2. Life is meant to be enjoyable, take time for yourself. I used to be terrible at spending time doing things I enjoy for fear of letting my grades slip. Now I know that I can maintain good grades AND have fun living my life.
3. Spending time alone and taking time to work on yourself is a great thing. People fear being alone, but what I’ve come to learn is that you can create the version of yourself that you want to be when others aren’t around to influence you.
4. You are more than the food you eat or the way you look. In this past year I’ve healed my relationship with food, my body, and exercise. It wasn’t easy, but learning that my desire to be thin, eat “clean,” or over exercise stemmed from needing a sense of control in my life. Things aren’t always in your control, and something that should be tearing you down is your relationship with food, exercise, and your body. I will be going into more detail about how I healed my relationship with food soon!
5. The way you talk to yourself matters. You know that inner monologue that won’t shut up? Yeah, it’s affecting the way you see yourself! I suffered from such negative self-talk, that in the past year I was battling both anxiety and depression in tandem. I owe a lot of thanks to my therapists for helping me find coping mechanisms that worked to let me see the world and myself in a better light. I still struggle, but currently I’m doing a lot better than I was at this time last year. I will also be going more into depth about anxiety and depression in the near future.
6. You have to let go and accept things that happened in the past. I am horrible when it comes to blaming myself for things that happened years and years ago. In this past year I’ve learned that I’ve made lots of mistakes, but in every instance I’ve learned and grown from them. There is no need to keep beating myself up over something that has long since past. Give yourself some compassion and forgiveness, because it is not healthy to dwell and beat yourself up for eternity.
7. Don’t be ashamed to be yourself. So many times I’ve felt like I had to pretend to like things I didn’t, dress a certain way, or act a certain way to be accepted. This is as far from the truth as you can get! When you’re trying to be someone you’re not, it’s obvious. Not only that, but you aren’t comfortable being someone you aren’t. Embrace who you are, quirks and all, because there are people out there who will love you just the way you are.
8. You are in control of your happiness, no one else. In this past year I have actively started finding ways to make myself happy. Finding hobbies and activities that bring you joy are crucial.
Sunny Side Up With Siri 