2019 was a bit of a challenging year for me. I ended 2018 with chronic back pain and in 2019 developed a few other issues. I realized that I really needed to support myself mentally and that in turn was going to help me overall. As I dove into supporting my mental health I discovered a few things that really made a difference that I am sharing with you today. I also recognize how fortunate I am to have access to health insurance and the ability to pay for things that can assist my mental health as well as the love and support of my husband, family, and friends. I hope one of these can be helpful to you or someone you love.

Last year I fully committed to the calm app by doing the 10 minute daily calm exercises that focus on different aspects of mindfulness. Calm also has sleep stories which are relaxing bedtime time tales that help you fall asleep. My favorites are by the famous painter Bob Ross. For black history month calm also just launched a new sleep story by jazz writer Greg Thomas that I really found soothing and interesting. I have also used the app at doctors appointments or before flights to ease any anxiety I was feeling. You can use the calm app for free but if you want access the daily calm or sleep stories you’ll need to pay $12.99 a month or $59.99 a year. There is also a option for a lifetime membership which is $299.99.

There were a number nights last year that I simply could not relax. I had been reading that coloring can relax the brain because your thoughts are focused on a simple activity. I bought a few colored pencils and this great 60’s theme coloring book from Amazon. Also more recently vulture put together a free coloring book online of Baby Yoda and it’s been super fun to do.

I discovered Curable through a well-timed Facebook advertisement and learned that it is guided program that helps you understand why you have pain, why it persists, and what you can do about it. This is all done through an app.  At first I tried the free features and immediately had some aha moments where I recognized why I might be having pain, i.e. stress, anxiety, and even traits I had like perfectionism. Then I decided to dive into the program and commit to do it 1 to 2 times a week. Curable leverages a combination of pain science education and evidence-based techniques to address chronic pain holistically. Exercises can look like meditations, writing assignments, brain training, and education lessons. These are all designed to help rewire the brain to help eliminate pain. I have always known about the mind body connection but it is so much more evident for me now after using curable. Exercises take 10-20 minutes and the app suggests doing them 1-2 times a week for the best results. The app is backed by PHD’s, MDs, and several therapists. I was shocked to learn that 70% percent of Curable users report experiencing “some degree” of relief from physical symptoms after 30 days of using the app, and 30 percent of people say they experience improved quality of life. While the app makes no guarantees that it can treat or cure any ailment it has been worth to me to try it and at $14.99 a month this is cheaper than a doctors visit.

Gratitude Practice

Around when I was feeling pretty awful I decided to start a gratitude practice. I downloaded a free gratitude app called Morning-A five minute journal. I have a reminder everyday to spend five minutes listing three things in grateful for, three things that would make today great, a affirmation, and three amazing things that happened today. It only take five minutes to do this and finding affirmations online has been enjoyable. There is actually science that backs up why gratitude is so important. People that have a gratitude practice as less likely to experience aches and pains as well as have better health than those who don’t. Also it makes you happier and increases your self esteem. Check out this mindbodygreen article for all the benefits.

Not only that volunteering does good for your community it makes you feel good so this year I decided to join my local junior league.1901, when Mary Harriman, together with 85 other women, founded the Junior League for the Promotion of Settlement Movements in New York City. The name was later shortened to the Junior League. Early League projects included establishment of orphanages, programs in the arts, dental health for children, home nursing, parks and playgrounds. The organization became international when the Junior League of Montreal joined in 1912. The league began as the Fenton League and became the Junior League of Oakland in February 1935, with a charter membership of 61. In 1974, the name of the League became the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay to reflect the expansion of the League’s membership and service area. As a provisional member I have volunteered at food banks and fundraisers for my community. Junior League also has fun social activities such as chocolate tasting, music venue tours, and dinners. Volunteering has been the best thing I have done not only for my mental health but for my community.

What I have also learned is maintaining your mental health is a on-going process just like going to the gym so you must work on it every day. My goal is to continue using these tools to keep myself healthy everyday.

When I was in New York this summer I noticed some really cool spots to meditate like Inscape which has “caves” to meditate in. Although I didn’t have time to try it I was intrigued. I have been trying apps like Headspace on the google home and calm on my iPhone to try to get my zen on. Since nothing is like practicing in person I searched around and found Within Meditation minutes from Montgomery Bart.

Within Mediation is a drop in meditation studio located on the 3rd floor in Moshka Life Center in downtown SF. They offer two 30 minute classes Monday through Friday one class at 8:15am and 9am. The company was started by Hannah Knapp and Megan Parker who both have a background in yoga and wanted to create a space for people to meditate together.

My teacher for my first session was Nkechi Njaka who worked as a neuroscientist for many years and studied the link between brain and the body. She also did work as a modern dancer and choreographer! After class I discovered that she created a really cool mediation cushion which I think I have to have. In my 30 minute session my foot fell asleep and Nkechi told me that this is very common and why she created a new higher seat cushion.

Before my session Nkechi made some tea and then led me into the yoga room. It’s a beautiful space with nice light in the morning. We sat on the cushions and she lead me in a guided meditation for 30 minutes. I don’t think I have tried to meditate for that long and it was great having Nkechi there to keep me focused. She reminded me that you can notice what is around you (noises, light, etc) but you don’t have to have a opinion and that is kind of a revelation to me. Sometimes I feel so reactive to what is going on around me and I know now I don’t really have to have a opinion or reaction on everything. There is amazing freedom to quieting the mind and choosing what to focus on. We ended the session after thirty minutes and I was able to pop back into my office and continue my work day. I would highly recommend this class its such a refreshing way to start or take a little break in the day. There are a variety of ways to purchase classes and within is also on classpass!

Drop-in Classes
$10 — First Class
$18 — Single Class
$80 — 5 Class Package
$150 — 10 Class Package
$75 — First Month Unlimited
$100 — Monthly Unlimited
Also available on Classpass!

I have a fitness obsession and it’s name is ClassPass. I joined in March of 2017 when they announced a five class a month plan which is $65 a month. This is a perfect plan for me as I have a regular gym membership at Crunch and can take a extra 1-2 classes with ClassPass a week. It keeps my fitness routine fresh and varied. ClassPass is also perfect when you travel because most cities have it! From time to time ClassPass teams up with brands to offer a complimentary classes and the opportunity to try new products. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a free Core40 class and try a new make-up line from Clinique called CliniqueFit.

The class took place at the core 40 location in the lower pacific heights area.

Before the class there were representatives from Clinique that talked a bit about the product line and helped us apply product. One of the gals put on their new CliniqueFit foundation on me and it instantly smoothed my complexion. They told me to check out my make -p after class to see if I looked the same, knowing that Core40 can be a tough sweaty workout.

We then began class on the M3 machine which is a reformer Pilates machine on steroids. Core40 uses the lagree method which gives you the best workout in the least amount of time (40 minutes). Lagree uses slow movements (to target slow twitch muscle fibers that are scientifically proven to burn more fat!), resistance training , continuous tension (via spring resistance) and constant engagement of your core (on a moving platform) to push your muscles to max! You can burn 500-800 calories per class! I personally love the lagree method and have taken many reformer classes in the Bay Area. I still find it to be the most challenging workout as I’m absolutely never bored or find the moves to be easy. I’d strongly suggest if you want to take a lagree class to start with a beginning or foundation class to get the moves and the form down. If you start with a regular class it may move too quickly. There is a lot of movement on and around the machine  as well as adjusting the spring tension so would also recommend arriving early to the class to see if you can get a walk through or simply observing the class before you.

After the class I took a peek of my makeup in the mirror and it was still intact! Clinique provided some makeup wipes to completely remove makeup and sweat. There was also some juice from Juice Shop which come in reusable containers so you can take them back for a credit on another juice. I tried a lemonade and a ginger juice which were delicious!

As a added plus I left class with a couple of new friends on my ClassPass app. This is a fairly new feature where if you have a buddy’s user name you can add it to your app and instantly see where they are taking classes! I have met up with one friend at another class too. It’s so nice to see a familiar face at a new studio. For me it’s also great to get ideas on new classes and studios to try.

Many thanks to Classpass and Clinique to sweat it out, try some new makeup and meet new friends!