Busy Bee Wellness with Marina

 A large part of taking care of our mental health comes from relationships and daily human interaction. Whether or not you are a introvert or an extrovert doesn’t matter. People need other people. One thing that I have discovered is that relationships take work and they can be difficult to maintain. In this post, I’m going to share a few best practices to maintain friendships and improve relationships. These can be applied to your platonic and romantic relationships because I believe, if someone is your significant other, they should still be a friend to you first. A few Best Practices for Relationships: When you think about someone or they are brought up fondly in conversation, call or text them to let them know. People love to know that people are thinking of them. For me, I find it very comforting.  Make time for your relationships. my excuse a lot of the time is that I am too busy to hang out with people. If we are diligent about setting aside time and actually making plans ahead o

I love the mornings and firmly believe that they have a big impact on your day. Creating a consistent and positive routine can be difficult, especially when you're busy. If you're interested in doing this, here are a few things you can do to implement one at the beginning of your day.  First, you have to get up. You do not have to wake up at the crack of dawn (even though sunrises are so lovely😉) but give yourself time to have a morning routine. I wouldn't recommend sleeping till 12 either. I generally wake up between 6 & 8, depending on how I'm feeling and what I am doing that day. By rule of thumb, I like to be up at least two hours before I have to leave the house, as long as I am not sacrificing too much sleep. That also means you have to go to bed early enough to accommodate your morning schedule.  Figure out what your non-negotiables are. If I wake up late there are a few things I do not leave out of my routine. Everything else is something I am okay with sta

 Have you ever experienced the "slump?" I don't know if I've mentioned this yet but I've been trying to get back into running. My boyfriend and I are both training and planning to run a marathon (or half) next April. However, I've just been getting back to it this week after about two weeks off even though I really didn't feel like it. It is hard to get back on the horse, no matter what it is for, running or not. There is no denying it. Here are 3 tips I used to feel motivated again.  Find some people who inspire you and get into their content. Watch videos, listen to podcasts, check out their social media posts, and more. They often have the best tips for reaching your goals if they align with their brand and the journeys that they share can help inspire you to continue.  Another thing you can do is materialize your vision of your goal. I recommend vision boards and journaling your progress. This helps keep yourself accountable and in line with your own g

 Okay, we're all here. We all understand the importance of self-care and feel the need for it. Maybe you've even cut out the time for it too but no what? What can you do that is going to help you relax, clear your mind, and care for your body? Here are a few of my favorite methods to do just that! To take care of my body, I love taking Epsom salt baths. It's great for relaxing your muscles and removing toxins from your body. I have loved lavender-scented salts especially. On nights that I have trouble sleeping, taking a bath like this typically does the trick. To elevate your bath even more, light a candle, make some tea, and turn on some instrumental music or a show. It's like sitting in your own personal spa. To take care of mind, journaling is a great tool. Sometimes all we need to get ourselves out of our own heads is to get everything in our heads out on paper, or just out in general. If writing isn't your thing, do video or audio diaries. If I don't materi

As my mom always says, abs are made in the kitchen. A large part of being and staying fit is in what you eat. However, being busy can make this very difficult. I discovered a few easy recipes I could prep beforehand or quickly before leaving for school or work. My Favorite Salad! Any mixed greens you choose Crumbled goat cheese Walnuts Grilled Chicken Blueberries Any oil-based dressing of your choice - I like to choose something on the sweet side This salad is so delicious; all you have to do is throw the ingredients together and enjoy! It is nourishing and refreshing, combining all the important things; protein, leafy greens, carbs, and more! The Best Turkey Sandwich! Sourdough Bread Mayonnaise - preferably one made with avocado oil as it is less toxic and inflammatory Sliced Cheese - I often choose pepper jack Turkey or whatever meat you choose - Deli Meat is fine, I prefer the ones from the deli counter at the grocery instead of the more processed ones in the refrigerated section. I

 Motivation is a difficult thing. I'm getting away from the idea that it is something that you have to have. Sure, it's nice to make progress towards your goal when you are in the right mood but you will never always feel like that. I feel like the most personal growth happens when we don't feel like working on ourselves but we do it anyway. Discipline is key. It is an art that doesn't get enough practice and attention. It's the idea that we can make things happen for ourselves no matter what obstacle, such as a lack of motivation. However, I am not saying that it's a simple thing either. It is quite literally mind over everything. So, how do I find the motivation to work out and take care of myself on top of work and school? The short answer is, I didn't. I wrote it into my weekly and daily schedules. It didn't have to be something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do. I know that I feel better and do better when I follow my schedule and take ti