Written by Design

Learning to rest. I think this is a valuable lesson to learn no matter what your pursuit. This benefited while getting my degrees, during my career, in fitness - in really anything I have done that required intense perseverance.
For me, a perfectionist in many ways, I struggled with this for a time. I can pursue a goal relentlessly to the point where I chase that perfect momentum and refuse to break. This is a recipe for burnout.
A perfect example for me was being in grad school when my dad passed away. He died on December 26th and I was due to start my next class on January 9th. I found I did not have the focus or the energy by then to pick right back up. So I took 8 weeks off and then went back. When I resumed classes, I felt energized and a lot more confident that I could manage the pace.
I did have a little trepidation that a break would lead to me just quitting altogether, but that didn't happen. I got my rest, and then returned to my goals with renewed vigor and was able to pus…

People seem to live life like everything is the Superbowl. There are two teams and for better or worse, you pick a side. We just saw this with the COVID situation. Half my social media was full of people saying it was a joke, don't be fooled by this hoax, and if you wear a mask you're a sheep and a fool. The other half were people truly scared for their health and saying things like, "I hope you like your pedicure, it'll look great in your casket" - almost as if they hoped everyone who went out of their homes would become ill.
Most issues are more complex than this. Why can we not be both concerned about our health AND our freedoms being revoked? Why can I not social distance AND enjoy my life?
It is now the same with the fallout of the George Floyd situation. And I have deliberated and prayed hard about the position that I take and the words that I will choose when I speak and write about this because it is such a serious, delicate and complex issue.
I support any …

I hate to seem cheesy and steal the line from the song, but it's true: what the world needs now is love.
Like millions, I was disgusted and heartbroken this week to see the senseless killing of George Floyd. In fact, images of the act leave me feeling completely sick to my stomach every time I think of it.
I'm not just sick because it's cop on civilian violence. I am not just sick because it's racial violence. I am sick because that any human can do this to someone - and others watch without interfering! - is just a heartbreaking representation of humanity. There is no humanity in it.
This violence then just led to further violence and unhelpful behavior and so the cycle continues.
But then I went on social media and saw my friend Lisa had shared a fundraiser for her local non-profit organization, and I saw the good that is being done to help others, and it just struck me as so beautiful.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do t…

I refer back, as always, to an episode of Frasier where due to a mix up at the hospital, it is briefly reported that he has died. Frasier is in shock as he sees his death reported on the news. It causes him to reflect on all of the things he has never done in his life, and people begin reminding him that not only is he not dead, he is still so young and can achieve all his goals still.
I was chatting with my sister this weekend about my upcoming birthday - I turn 37 next week. I said it is hard to believe I am 37 when in fact I feel about 15 most of the time (minus the arthritis and acid reflux!). She mentioned Marilyn Monroe and I said, "Wow, I will be older than she ever was."
My sister's response was, "In that case, you've had such a short life!"
That is how we talk about Marilyn Monroe and others like her that pass away far too young. We always say, "Oh no, she was so young!" So much life left, so much left undone.
I feel like I am getting to the …

When it comes to health and wellness I think sleep is highly underrated. Not just for physical wellness but almost even more so for mental health. When I hear people say things like, "Oh, I can totally function on only four hours of sleep" I roll my eyes exactly the same as the idiots who say, "Oh, no I totally drive better when I am drunk."

Why is sleep important? Well, I am not a medical expert but the clinical studies exist that demonstrate that sleep is important for memory and productivity, fitness and athletic recovery, managing appetite, improving social and emotional intelligence, reducing diseases associated with inflammation, improving mental health and decreasing the risk of depression - and the list could go on.

My mission here is not to convince you that sleep is important because hopefully you already recognize that it is. I am here to share some tips on becoming a disciplined sleeper so that you can reap the benefits of a healthy sleep routine.

The m…