In the winter, if you had asked me what my go-to shoe brand was, I’d 100% include Sorel at the top of that list. While we didn’t get too much snow living in North Carolina, I owned these boots and these and made sure to bring them along with me to every cold weather trip we took. The quality of Sorel is something I definitely appreciate in cold weather but it wasn’t until we moved to the city and started looking for comfortable spring/summer shoes when I realized, “Sorel has sandals?!”. Yep! They also have some really cute sneakers that I have on my wishlist. While browsing Shoes.com the other day, I came across so many cute Sorel sandals that I could definitely see myself wearing, especially as someone living in a city. Earlier in the week I actually took Colbie on a walk in these wedges and I was shocked to come home to no blisters. Comfortable wedges that I can wear around the city? Yes please!
It might be a while until we can go out to eat and meet friends for dinner at a local restaurant but I’ve still been enjoying getting dressed most days and planning ahead for the future. If there is anything I’ve learned in our 3 months of living in NY, it’s that comfortable shoes are crucial.
I recently put together a couple of ways I can wear these black wedges and I can’t tell you how fun it was to dress up and break these in. I actually hadn’t owned a pair of black wedges ever until these and I was surprised with how many outfits they went with!
If you’re in the market for some sandals but want to keep them comfy and suitable for places like NYC, you can browse Sorel’s spring collection here:
Thank you to Shoes.com for sponsoring this post.
Hi friends!
This is Colbie, the dog. My mom let me write this and I figured I would share a few of my favorite city essentials. Who knew I’d be living in a city? One day back in February, my mom told me to get in the car and the next thing I knew, we were in this new place I’d never seen before. We haven’t left since so I guess it’s my new home. It’s called New York City and it’s pretty cool. We go on a lot of walks and I meet a lot of friends in the parks. I’ve never seen so many dogs in my life. I also love when the doormen give me treats when I walk by. Anyways, let’s get into my favorite things for this new city life. You’ll want to get a NYC dog license here too if you’re new.
I’ve used this collar for the last year or so and then my mom got me a matching leash and harness. They have a harness walk kit and a collar walk kit. This brand is nice because the collar and leash never get smelly or dirty thanks to the material it’s made of. The harness has 3 different attachment points for the leash so it’s super comfortable to use for everyone. My mom has been a loyal customer since the first day they launched! You can occasionally find this brand at Nordstrom, Anthro, and Bloomingdales but I’ve found that the best prices are directly from the brand’s site.
Gone are the days of privacy in the backyard. You’ll need a very large quantity of poop bags for dog life in the city. There is pretty much no area or situation in the city where it’s ok to not clean it up so it’s important to always have some stocked up. One time after we first moved here, my mom forgot one and we had to stand there until she could call my dad and get him to meet us with an emergency poop bag. I love this bag holder because, again, it’s easy to keep clean (and chic… who doesn’t love a chic poop bag?) and stays attached to the leash. For bags, I like these because they are better for the environment.
When I tell you that we go on more walks, that is an understatement. We not only go on more walks throughout the day, but on the weekends my mom likes to go on very, very long walks all across Central Park, and it can get really hot here! It’s nice to have one of these water bottles (with a bowl attached) in her backpack so that I stay hydrated all day long.
On rainy days, these wipes come in handy so I don’t track dirt and germs around the apartment. You’d be surprised at how dirty our paws can get from just one long walk.
One day, I noticed a couple of dogs wearing pants in the park…….. Apparently that’s normal here, especially in the winter. From what I’ve heard, when the roads are covered in salt for snow, it can be painful on the paws. Turns out, they’re called “dog leggings” LOL. My mom ordered me these dog leggings after I told her all my dog friends had them so I can’t wait to wear them next winter. They’re also nice for a rainy day, not just snow/ice. But seriously, once winter rolls around, I’ve heard dog booties at least are a must. Including some others:
Another sight you’ll see often in NYC, dogs in rain jackets! I’ve included some of my favorite ones on the internet here:
This one’s mainly for all the dog moms out there who like to go on long walks. If you move to NY, get prepared for way more walking than what you’re used to. A mini backpack is always a good idea so you can keep balls/treats/water in there.
Did I miss anything? We also love the Furbo camera because it throws me treats when I’m alone although we haven’t had to use that in a while.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my “dog day in the life” video coming soon!
If you’ve watched any of my stories on Instagram over the last two months, you probably have realized that we’ve spent a lot of our recent time walking through the park. Luckily, we were able to find an apartment we loved right between two big beautiful parks in the city, Central Park and Riverside Park. If you’ve never visited Central Park before, I highly recommend taking some time to stroll along the more quiet paths a little higher up in the park (70’s, 80’s, 90’s at least). We usually enter the park in the 90’s streets and the first time I walked in there, I felt like I was walking into actual heaven. The lawns were so lush and green and the beauty has only multiplied in flowers and greenery since that first walk. I remember wishing I could bottle up that feeling but, turns out, I somehow still feel like every single day. Central Park blows me away every single time I walk through there and it’s been a definite perk of living in the Upper West Side during this time where almost everything else in the city has been shut down. Before we lived here, I had only experienced the southern part of the park closer to Midtown so this area of the park really feels brand new to me. Colbie is still living her best life sniffing all of the flowers and going on many more walks than she did at her old house.
Every walk I take in the park, I wish I could transport my friends and family here to walk with me so they can experience the beauty in person. Until then, I decided I’ll share a virtual “walk in the park” on the blog and share what I’ve been feeling, thinking, and experiencing while getting more and more settled here in the city… all the things we’d chat about if we were all on a walk in the park together.
I actually don’t think I’ve sat down to share my thoughts in writing about how I’m feeling about living in NYC. It’s obviously been a strange time in the world for everyone, especially here in New York, but aside from the weirdness of all that is going on, I have thoroughly enjoyed this new home that we have created. Of course, there are parts of NC that I miss dearly but, for the most part, I’ve kept a surprisingly positive spirit and a very adaptive attitude about all things NYC.
I didn’t think that I would enjoy it as much as I do but, ever since moving here, I’ve been appreciating the small details that come along with living in this city… the neighbor who sang out of his window (who turned out to be famous), everyone cheering on the essential workers at 7pm, the downstairs pianist in our building practicing their songs each evening at the same time, grabbing a fresh bagel across the street on Saturday mornings, the sunlight that pours into our bedroom (this was not the case in our old home), living completely car-free and being able to walk everywhere (even doctors appointments which is a huge perk), the creaky old floors in our 100+ yr old apartment, the list goes on and on. New York City in general just has so much character in so many ways. I even love the smell of the old laundry basement… is that weird? I already know it’s going to be really hard when the time comes to leave. I’m not 100% sure when that’ll be but, for now, I am soaking in every detail. There is a feeling you get here that is indescribable. It’s not all a concrete jungle – there are actually some really quaint areas that I never knew existed. Very “You’ve Got Mail” vibes. It’s a special place.
Mentally, I’ve been feeling very happy and somehow calmer living in NYC, which sounds like the opposite of what I would expect. I feel calmer yet more motivated and inspired than ever before. I think it’s all of the “new” to me experiences. Maybe it’s because there aren’t a lot of things to do currently other than stay inside or go on walks and it’s forced me to slow my brain down and focus more on what matters. Do you know your enneagram number? Mine is a 3 wing 4 or an “achiever” mixed with an “individualist”. So, previously to living here, I was always “go, go, go” with my to-do lists. I still have daily to-do lists but my approach has been a little different lately. I actually take a lot more time for myself, ex) a walk in the park. I now look at moments like that as “productive” whereas my old self would just let our dog out in the yard if I felt like I didn’t have time for a walk. Setting aside time to reflect and enjoy the present moment has occurred more frequently here for me I guess you could say. This is probably an effect of staying home and also staying at a new-to-us home. Have you taken a moment to just do something for yourself that may not come across as the “most productive”? Those moments are actually much more productive than you’d think. Maybe even the most.
I do really look forward to the time when I can meet new friends in the city or go to dinner and catch up with our old friends here. I can’t wait to go to the park without a mask on so I can really breathe the air.
I also have to say that for the first time, I’ve honestly felt really excited to have children in the future. When we first decided to move here for TJ’s job, our first thought was “well, it’s a perfect time because we don’t have kids”, but truthfully, there is so much to experience here with children and the city just makes me more and more excited for that day to eventually come so that they can potentially experience what we are experiencing. The park brings me back to field trip days and it makes me smile seeing children experience it. TJ says I’m creepy when I say that but you know what I’m saying. That’s been on my mind a lot lately.
My mind has also been on everyone affected significantly by the world’s current situation. At first, I felt so helpless, but then I realized that every little “thank you” and appreciation gift meant so much to those out on the frontlines. I decided to put 100% of my last month’s Etsy shop proceeds towards COVID-relief and essential worker appreciation gift-cards. The shop raised close to $1500 for April so I’m excited to sit down tonight and organize all of the nominations and get all of those sent out. By the way, I just recently decided to sell photography prints on Etsy from our travels and, now, daily walks. You can check out the shop here. If you know of an essential worker that you’d like to thank, I’ve noticed that you can really not go wrong with a Sephora giftcard or gift-card for dinner delivery.
And, now I will leave you with some of my favorite park photos I snapped while on my walks lately. I hope you all have a great weekend. We are supposed to have the best weather here yet this year and I am looking forward to spending quite a lot of time enjoying the sun.
FOR THE WALK:
I can’t believe Mother’s Day is in less than two weeks. While I wish I could treat my mom to a trip to NYC to spend a spring weekend here with me, that will have to wait! But for now, there are a lot of great options online to send to the moms in your life. Personally, I’m sending my mom one of her favorite photos framed from Artifact Uprising along with some smoothie cups from Daily Harvest.
(1) ALOFreestyle Sweatshirt – the most cozy sweatshirt made for all lounging needs! I have this high-quality sweatshirt in 4 colors and haven’t been able to find anything that compares! The inside is super soft and ALO is a great place to splurge on your mama!
(2) Halluci Cross Band Slippers – the absolute hands down best slippers with the memory foam insole and perfect for all the time we’ve been spending at home!
(3) Revlon Salon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer – one of the most popular hair products on the market right now and Caitie (part of the PITP team) raves about it. She says it’s an “amazing product through and through gives the perfect blowout. It takes a few times to get a hang of how to give the best volume but dries my hair amazingly “!
(4) Kopi Mug & Warmer Set – to always keep her coffee warm on those busy mornings!
(5) Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase – to give her a instant boost of luxury while she gets her beauty sleep. This silk pillowcase also allows for better absorption of skin products into the skin as opposed to a regular pillowcase.
(6) simplehuman Mini Countertop Mirror – because who doesn’t need a great magnification mirror when getting ready?!
(7) Barefoot Dreams Cozy Robe – perfect for cozy mornings at home during this time! If you’ve never treated someone to Barefoot Dreams anything, it’s basically a no-fail gift idea.
(8) Reah Leather Backpack – the perfect bag for all the many errands she runs on the daily or even just a nice walk to the park.
(9) Chemex Classic Pour Over – an affordable coffeemaker to make as much coffee as she needs to make it through the day.
(10) Afloral Faux Olive Branch Tree – olive trees are trending for the home right now and they help add some brightness and natural feel to any room!
(11) Magnolia Table Cookbook – so she can master all the recipes by the time the whole family can get together again.
(12) Daily Harvest Gift Box – such a great gift that eases the hassle of making breakfast while staying at the top of her health game! I’m a major fan of the smoothies.
(13) Anthropologie Salt & Sand Scented Candle – No better time to make your home smell fresh with a new candle.
(14) Madewell Ashcroft Sunglasses – here’s to summer!
(15) Skylar Scent Club – sign her up for a monthly membership so she can receive a new, clean scent every month. The gift that keeps on giving! You can also gift her a set of scents along with a giftcard so she can choose which scent she wants full-size. Can’t recommend this brand enough for perfume with cleaner ingredients.
(16) Janna Low Top Sneaker – high quality white sneakers are another no-fail gift idea! This style is a spring essential (looks great with dresses, pants, you name it and these are 40% off).
Like many others, we’ve been spending a lot more time in the kitchen lately trying to find simple (but nutritious) recipes using easy to find ingredients. We’ve been trying to limit the grocery store trips and, when we do have to go, we’ll peek our heads out the window to see how long the line is first (a perk of being neighbors with the grocery store), and head out with a list of foods that can both last a while and be incorporated into many different meals. I’m excited to partner with Vidalia Onions today and share a couple of different breakfast casserole recipes that are both hearty, delicious, and can help save a lot of time!
I’ve talked about my love for Vidalia onions a few times before but you might be wondering, “what makes these onions special?”. Well, first of all, they are only available in stores typically from April to August or September when they run out. They also add the perfect amount of sweetness to all of my favorite recipes: pasta salads, sandwiches, omelets, on burgers, honestly anything! In my opinion, they elevate every meal and are known as America’s favorite sweet onion, hand planted and harvested in only 20 counties in South Georgia.
Two of my favorite breakfast casseroles are 1) a Mexican-inspired casserole and 2) a tater tot casserole. YUM. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. Let’s get into the recipes:
Mexican Breakfast Casserole
12 eggs
1 pound of ground turkey sausage
½ large Vidalia Onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
16 oz mexican cheese, shredded
2 oz cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups of milk
3 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
½ teaspoon of black pepper
Option for spicier casserole:
2 jalapeno peppers
½ teaspoon of hot sauce
Toppings
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Avocado
Hashbrown Muffin Breakfast Casserole Bites
1 ½ cups of frozen tater tots
½ large green bell pepper, chopped
½ large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 cup of shredded cheese of choice – cheddar, pepper jack, or Colby jack
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon black pepper
Follow along on Instagram later today where you can enter to win a 10 lb box of Vidalia onions! Have a great weekend!
Having spent a whole lot of time indoors and at home this season, I’ve been finding myself looking through old photos of places we’ve traveled in previous years. These days, I’ve been getting my travel fix a few different ways: through my walks with Colbie through the park (I find new spots every day and it definitely feels like we’re traveling to a new place) and through decorating our home with travel art prints. I’ve always been heavily inspired by travel photography whether it’s incorporating different images within gallery walls or just taking photos of flowers I find in the park. There is something very calming yet exciting about it.
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite travel art prints on the internet that can hopefully help you add a little bit of adventure to your home!
We recently added some changes to our kitchen in our apartment and, for under $500, it feels like a totally new kitchen! We added some faux marble counter-top paper, faux backsplash subway tile, switched out the cabinet pulls for something new, and removed two of the cabinet doors to open up the space more. Watch the video above for all of the details of the process and let me know if you have any questions! We did this over a weekend and the countertops were much trickier than the backsplash but so worth it!
xo, Shelby
As most of you know, about a month ago we moved to NYC. With all of the time spent indoors lately, we’ve had a lot of time to decorate our apartment and make it feel more like home. Today, I wanted to share an empty apartment tour from BEFORE we started decorating and before our movers came. If you’re curious about updates and what progress we’ve made so far, you can see more here. You can shop our apartment decor here.
Hope you all are staying healthy and safe!
Shelby
One of the last home projects that we completed before making the move to NYC was our bathroom. This was something that I wanted to do since we moved in but it was a few rooms down on the priority list. When we eventually decided to re-do our bathroom, we obviously had NO idea we would be moving anytime soon. So, I ended up only using the bathtub a few times, sadly. It was a pretty big undertaking and took a couple of long months to complete (but not as long as the kitchen!).
Let’s first talk about the design. I mocked up a mood board for the bathroom before getting started. This was the most fun part for me: selecting tile combos and color schemes. I wanted to go with an airy, calming feel with soft muted blues and neutral textures with natural elements. The only thing I didn’t end up getting to do was adding a pendant light above the bathtub. As we approached the end of this renovation and realized we would be moving, I learned that the pendant light I wanted to install would not meet inspection requirements for safety reasons, so I decided to just leave the original light.
Incase you’re wondering, I use Canva for all of my moodboards and just drag and drop/layer different images of products I love to get a feel for the look I’m going for.
As a general rule, we usually hire someone to help us with anything plumbing or electrical related. We had to be a little more careful with this demo since there was plumbing throughout everything we were taking out. Our friend Todd had recently finished his bathroom so we called him to come over and help. He was also the one who helped us with our kitchen demo! God bless Todd. We ended up hiring someone for our electrical and plumbing work but we did end up doing the demo and everything else ourselves.
We decided to do a complete gutting of the current bathroom – vanity, flooring, walls, bathtub, shower, and shower doors. Note from TJ: If you are handling any sort of demo yourself, whenever doing any type of renovation that involves plumbing, you want to make sure the water is turned off. There is usually a main line shut off (ours was in our utility closet off the kitchen). If you can’t find the main shut off, you can always pop out to the street and turn it off there.
The first thing to go was the old vanity. The original vanity was a double sink, so it was fairly large and, in order to get it out cleanly, we had to make sure that all the water lines and plumbing is disconnected, otherwise we would risk damage to the connections. To make it a little more manageable, we removed the cabinet doors and sink counter before trying to get the rest of the vanity out.
Once the vanity was out, we had access to disconnect the jacuzzi tub water supply and electrical. This was one of the more difficult parts of the demo, as the tub was encased in tile. The first step was to remove all the tile and then pull out the tub from its 2×4 base. After the tub was out, we took out the shower doors. Shower doors are usually drilled into the studs in the wall since they are so heavy, so if you are removing yours make sure to take that into account. There is a lot of caulk around the shower doors, so be sure to remove that as well, unless you are planning to remove the tile like we did. The next step was to remove all of the hardware like the shower head, shower handle, and drain cover.
At this point we had all the big things out and moved onto the tile. There are a couple of options when it comes to removing and laying down new tile. You can remove all the tile from your desired area and then 1) chisel all the excess mortar from the cement backer board or 2) pull up the cement backer board from the floor and lay down new backer board. We wanted a fresh palette, so we opted to pull up all the old backer board to lay down new ones. If you are doing a similar project, make sure the subfloor is in good enough shape to lay down new backer board. One thing we did not want to redo was the shower basin. Typically replacing a shower basin is very long process that involves laying down concrete, ensuring you have the right angle, and making sure the drain is in the correct spot. After removing all the tile from the floor and walls we put up the new backer board. We used screws instead of nails to make sure the backer board was securely on the floor and the wall studs.
Cement backer board tip from TJ: Score and cut the backer board in a well ventilated area since there is a good bit of dust that flies when cutting the board to the size you need.
Once everything was out and the new backer board was laid down, it came time for laying new tile. For the floor tile, we chose a clean white, hexagonal pattern that came in 12in x 12in sheets. We found them at Floor and Décor in Greensboro, NC. They had SO many options and if you live close by to a location (within an hour or so), it’s totally worth it. In order to keep your tile lined up and straight use a laser level that projects onto the floor. This will keep you on track with the mortar and laying down the tile. We had never tiled floors before (our previous projects had been all walls), but this was much easier to stay on track and moved pretty quickly. The only area where we didn’t tile on the floor was where the drain and water lines came up from the tub.
Once the floors were finished, we moved onto the wall tile. Previously, the tile in the shower only went up to about 6.5 feet in the shower and to the window sill around the bathtub. We wanted a cleaner and more complete look, so we decided to tile the entire wall with the shower and tub. In addition to that tile, we also decided to tile the wall above the vanity. It had been just drywall and paint before, but we wanted a cool contrast with a textured tile look. The tile we chose for both walls came from Home Depot. The shower wall tile we picked were long rectangles in a pale green color. Before laying the tile on the walls in the shower, we made sure to prepare the backerboard with a waterproof membrane as a little extra protection. We ended up picking 2 different color grouts – “space gray” for the floor tile and “snow white” for the wall tile.
Once the tile was laid, we began putting the bathroom back together. We bought a new freestanding tub (the smallest one I could find), double sink vanity, and new hardware. We picked black accent hardware for the shower, bathtub, sink faucets, door handle, and towel hangers. In addition to all this new hardware, we took off the existing hardware on the vanity and replaced it with hardware that matched the rest of the bathroom. For more hardware details, watch this IGTV video we made.
Before the renovation we had one large mirror and a strip light over the old vanity. I knew that I wanted something a little different and a little more modern so we chose to go with 2 separate circular mirrors and two gooseneck style lights to go above them. We added a small wall shelf across from the end of the bathtub too. I ordered this shelf but ended up painting it white after seeing the color wood in person.
The next step was replacing the shower doors. The old shower doors were accented in an outdated shiny gold and we knew that was not going to achieve the modern look I was going for with the black hardware. Instead of putting back the old doors, we opted instead for clear shower doors all the way around. The hinges and handles were black, matching the other pieces in the bathroom.
One of the last steps for the renovation was painting the walls. They were a cool shade of grey and we decided to go with a clean pure white to create a contrast with the new tile.
To shop all bathroom details, click below, and if you have any other questions, let me know! For our exact vanity, you can find it here in various sizes!
The other day as I was driving back from the airport, I realized that it was probably my last time for a while I’d be driving my car. With our recent move to NYC last weekend, we made the decision to leave our cars in NC and most likely sell them pretty soon. It wasn’t a hard decision for us to make as most people in NYC don’t have cars (and if they do, they pay a hefty price for parking monthly) but with walking, the subway system, and taxis/Ubers/Lyfts, I’m actually excited to leave our cars behind.
Anyways, on that drive back from the airport, I found myself feeling so happy and thankful. NOT because we were getting rid of our cars to embark on a new adventure but because I realized that it had been 10 months since I had experienced a panic attack in my car. It was such a strong sense of happiness that I felt like I needed to share about it on my Instagram story right then and there, so I did. Then I was surprised to get at least 50 messages from other people who had experienced the exact same thing… panic attacks while driving.
I think most people who experience these can agree that it is NOT panicking about driving… it becomes panicking ABOUT panicking while driving. The thought of passing out and losing control of the car while going 65 down the interstate became my biggest fear. For me, these started to occur the year I was getting married. I remember driving down to Charleston, SC for our wedding in 2017 and I would start to get sweaty, dizzy, and thought I was going to pass out so I pulled over at the nearest rest area. I thought that our wedding was giving me anxiety (which I’m sure it did) but even after our wedding, I noticed it would happen at red lights in intersections on my morning drives to work. All of sudden, I would feel my head getting dizzy and then I’d go in full on panic-mode… roll down the windows or blast the AC, turn up music, anything to get my mind on something else. Unfortunately, these panic attacks started to spread into other areas of my life… meetings at work in conference rooms, meeting friends for coffee, sitting at restaurants, even just walking around Target or the grocery store. Driving over bridges was pretty bad too. My biggest fear seriously became: having a panic attack and fainting in public. But I would say that they were the worst when driving because, clearly, it would be disastrous IF I were to lose consciousness while driving. But out of all 100 or so panic attacks in my life, I never ONCE actually passed out while driving. So what was my problem and why did I have this irrational fear?!?
I knew this started to affect the quality of my life when friends would ask to meet me for coffee and my first thought was “but this means I’m going to have to drive there and I’m going to have a panic attack”. To those who have never experienced anxiety at this level probably think this entire post sounds SO irrational and crazy but I know there are people out there who have felt this same way and I’m writing this post for them. After a few cancelled plans, I started to get down about the whole thing. Anxiety was taking over my life and I wasn’t living fully. That is when I knew I had to figure out a way to overcome this. I started doing research on my own and I felt like the word “anxiety” just didn’t even compare to what I was experiencing. I felt like I had a full-on panic disorder and I needed it to GO. I came up with a plan to try EVERYTHING I could to get back to normal when driving used to be relaxing and therapeutic for me. At that point, medication was the last resort on my list of things to try.
First, I found a therapist to go talk to. If you’ve never been to a therapist, I highly recommend it. I will say, I only went to a therapist once, twice (two different therapists, once). That sounds really confusing but I never could find a therapist who I felt really understood what I was dealing with. I limited my therapist/counselor searches to be within a 5 mile radius from me though (because I didn’t want to drive far, obv.) so I know I was really limiting myself but I just didn’t want to panic about anything else. It’s crazy how much better and calmer you can feel after talking to someone about your issues for like 30 minutes straight. Highly recommend. After both of my therapy sessions, I drove home feeling calm AF. I felt like speaking with a therapist helped me A LOT short-term.
In addition to the few times I went to a therapist/counselor, I focused on exercising first thing in the morning, eating real/non-processed foods, drinking A LOT of water, and limiting my sugar and caffeine intake. I also noticed that on weeks I’d go to church, it would be better. I also had a few coping mechanisms that helped me when driving: giving myself some grace and knowing it was OK if I took the backroads and avoided highways if needed (honestly, I took an uber to a lunch meeting once.. yolo), driving in the right lane, listening to fun/random and entertaining podcasts like Kaitlyn Bristowe’s or other Bachelor people’s podcast… lol. I’m usually a productivity or health podcast listener but I realized that what my brain needed in that moment was just something totally random, funny, and carefree to get my mind somewhere else. Also, listening to throwback 2000’s music would help me a lot. I created a playlist I could go to for when I’d feel a panic attack coming on. Just picture a girl driving across a massive bridge BLASTING “Dem Franchize Boyz” trying not to pass out… that was me. That was my life. Of course, rolling windows down, putting AC on high also helped. CBD oil started to become popular during this time too and I’ll tell you, that really did help! If you haven’t tried CBD oil, I highly recommend it, but make sure to find the best quality brands.
After about a year and a half of living with this though, I had had enough. I felt like I was trying everything and it wasn’t 100% gone. CBD oil definitely would help but it wasn’t 100% for me. That’s when I decided to go see a doctor. I was always very anti-medication, if possible. Growing up, my sisters and I never took any medication unless we were sick. Before this last trip to the doctor, I had seen a couple of doctors who prescribed me various medications for anxiety but I was always too afraid to actually go get the prescription filled. The prescription just collected dust or stayed crumbled up at the bottom of my purse. BUT, last April, I felt like it was causing borderline-depression so I had a doctor write me a prescription for the smallest possible dose of Lexapro. This medication takes 6 weeks or so to reach it’s maximum efficacy but even after 1 week, I was feeling a difference. I don’t want you to rush out and go ask your doctor for Lexapro, but, for the first time in my life I felt like I was living life fully and living life like a normal non-anxious person. I feel like it was the best decision I have ever made for my overall health and I am so, so thankful for it. I haven’t experienced any panic attacks at all while driving, I’ve been able to go on stage in front of very large audiences for speaking events staying cool as a cucumber, meet up with friends and grow relationships without panicking about panicking, and I just can’t even explain how thankful I am. I don’t know if I’ll stop taking it anytime soon but, for now, I feel like my brain has been reset back to normal. The science is complicated and I am not a doctor but I feel like my brain was very chemically unbalanced. Everyone is different and different things work for different people so I just wanted to share what has worked for ME and have this post make you realize that you are not alone and that the struggles you are facing are not permanent. I thought I was going to experience panic attacks for the rest of my life and I haven’t had one since April. About anything. And I’ve experienced QUITE a lot of major life changes lately. I still worry about things that are truly concerning but as far as worrying about irrational things that probably aren’t going to happen, I’ve completely stopped doing that.
So, hopefully you don’t feel alone in whatever you are struggling with! The beautiful thing about the internet and social media is that you can find others who are dealing with the same things you are dealing with in life. If you have any questions, let me know, but I encourage you to at least book an appointment with a therapist or doctor if you haven’t before! It could potentially make a huge difference.
