Lets face it, sometimes we just cannot stop working. I am totally guilty of this, and often start my day early checking emails over coffee and end it checking emails on my phone in bed (usually hiding the light from Baron, my pup, because he gets annoyed easily).  Sometimes we just have to learn how to shut it all off and rest.

While some people are inherently able to destress and remove themselves from work, social media, and other various distractions, other people (like me) feel this constant pressure to do more and more, to the point of exhaustion. Last summer when I taking my company through a complete rebranding, I was slammed, to say the least, and things got really bad. It’s actually one of the reasons I wanted to share this blog, to help everyone reading avoid the mistakes I made last summer, and to implement the changes that now allow me to better cope.

My first mistake was taking on way too much in a short timeline. Always think about actual time frames and realistically what can be accomplished in that period of time. Even though most people think I am superhuman, I also have limits. So do you, and the people we work with.

Beauty Kitchen has hundreds of products, so why did I think my brand-new graphics design hire could come up with a new look for our company and rebrand all of our products in a month? Was I crazy? Although Michelle is amazing and we managed to get it done over the summer and in record time, it was an impossible goal for anyone. So, bottom line is: set attainable goals and timelines, and make a master plan. Every day I praise the Lord Michelle did not quit on me.

Another mistake I made during the chaos of rebranding was not sleeping enough, eating enough, or working out. Listen, if it’s going to get done tomorrow, I should just do it now. That’s what I used to say to myself. NO NO NO! Don’t do this or you’ll burn out. (I will discuss routines in an upcoming blog.) Because I was not going to the gym, eating properly, and I was super stressed all the time, I was cranky, skinny and I looked like poop. I really did. No amount of Beauty Kitchen Eye Gels could help, lol. I ended up in the hospital or at the doctor’s office several times from exhaustion, and my arms looked like I was on drugs from all the blood draws.  I was convinced I was sick, and guess what the doctor said, “Slow down!”

Since then, I have learned my lesson. I do these things to pace myself:
-I work from home 1-2 days a week.
-I eat, a lot. I go to the gym daily, even on busy days I make the time.
-I cut off my day by 8pm, when I can… (I know, I know but at least it’s not 2am with a 5am wakeup time).
-I make time for friends more
-And, I take a couple weekends each month to go to my favorite places. My top three places are Sedona, Los Angeles, and Malibu — basically anywhere I feel Zen.

A few more tips to pace yourself that I have found work for me:
-Set your phone’s screen time to shut off your apps (Instagram, Facebook, Games, any notifications, etc.) by 7pm.
-Try to watch TV at night in the living room and do NOT turn it on when you go to bed. I am moving soon and will not even be placing a TV in my bedroom.
-I take CBD every night before bed and I wake up feeling refreshed.
-When I feel extra tired, I pass out in a Beauty Kitchen or Marianna Naturals sheet mask to relax. Trust me, try it.
-I plan my dinner time.
-Don’t feel like you have to be active in your friend group chats 24-7. I am in a ton, and while they can be fun, they are also very distracting.
-I often do Masterclasses instead of watching the same tv show over and over. They usually leave me feeling revived!

I hope you found these tips useful!  If you have any tips from your own experiences that you want to share, email them to me @askheathermarianna@gmail.com.

XOXO,
HM