well-being

How Body Neutrality Changed My Life

How Body Neutrality Changed My Life

Imagine waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror, and feeling at peace—not because you think your body is flawless, but because it doesn’t define your worth. What if the conversation shifted from self-criticism to self-acceptance, and from body perfection to body neutrality? In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards and social media highlight reels, cultivating a positive self-image can feel like an uphill battle. But what if we stopped striving for perfection and instead focused on appreciating our bodies for what they do, not just how they look? Enter the concept of body neutrality—a refreshing approach that encourages us to detach our self-worth from our appearance. I want to explore how embracing body neutrality and fostering a positive self-image can transform the way you view yourself and your body, creating space for self-compassion, confidence, and genuine happiness.

Music: Our Emotional Soundtrack

Music: Our Emotional Soundtrack

Have you ever felt an overwhelming sense of joy, excitement, sadness or frustration, but didn’t have anyone nearby to express those feelings with? What did you do? Did you simply keep those feelings inside and process them internally? Or did you do what many others do when they want to further express these emotions: turn to music? Music can be such a powerful tool for people of all ages to process and regulate the emotions that they may be feeling.

Building Community Despite Political Differences

Building Community Despite Political Differences

America is more divided than ever. Just scrolling on social media, you will see influencers calling members of opposing political parties’ “monsters”, “idiots”, or even “subhuman”.  Americans these days love to latch on to people who are just like them and block out everyone else. In fact, according to a research study conducted by professors at Brown and Stanford University, the growing rate of political polarization in the United States exceeds nearly every other democratic country (Kimball 2020). We are simply becoming more and more divided.

Combating Climate Anxiety by ENGAGING

Combating Climate Anxiety by ENGAGING

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got the climate on my mind. The dreadful climatic news swirls around me left and right. I don’t know what to do. The more I investigate it, the more afraid I get. As such, I often feel stuck or paralyzed about what I should or even could do. Should I walk to school instead of taking a car? How do I best conserve water? Did the food I’m eating come from a sustainable farm? We are constantly faced with environmental dilemmas, but we often follow our habits—sustainable or not.

Reshaping Life's Path: How Life’s Challenges Spark Personal Growth

Reshaping Life's Path: How Life’s Challenges Spark Personal Growth

While none of us enjoy setbacks, it’s important to remember that on the journey of life, every challenge is a stepping stone towards personal growth. While facing adversity is never easy, it can significantly transform you, shaping a more resilient, insightful, and compassionate individual. Today, My Best Self 101 explores how the obstacles we encounter can lead to profound personal transformation and ultimately, a richer, more fulfilling life.

Grit: My Experience on a Cattle Farm

Grit: My Experience on a Cattle Farm

As a child growing up on a cattle ranch nestled in the Northeastern Idaho mountains, grit was a physical presence. Grit was the wind blowing dust and debris into my eyes, nose, and mouth. Grit was the ring around my ankles and between my toes when pulling off crusty socks. Grit was sand and dirt in every bite of a sandwich pulled from saddlebags during a long cattle drive. Grit was everywhere, covering everything, as persistent as the smell of fresh manure. It was washed off in freezing mountain streams during hot July summers and again in steaming showers at the end of long, hard days.

Self-Compassion Breeds Confidence

Self-Compassion Breeds Confidence

Why am I like this? My thoughts move at 100 miles per second. I’m dumb, I’m not capable, I’m not beautiful enough. I am too lazy. The people around me seem to have everything together all the time. There is no escaping this anxious, stressful reality. My spiral begins to feel uncontrollable and panic sets in. Suddenly, my husband walks into the room and tells me I am beautiful and hugs me. He tells me about his day and how he missed my smile. My thoughts ease and I am immediately encircled by his warm, intentional embrace. Feelings of love and comfort rush over my body and the crippling feelings are replaced with encouraging ones. I feel capable, beautiful, and heard. Because I received comfort from my sweet husband, I feel capable of offering the same love to myself. I am reminded of my worth. My confidence grows and I see the miracle of the day.

Gratitude Sundae: Building a Life Filled With Sweet Appreciation

Gratitude Sundae: Building a Life Filled With Sweet Appreciation

When I think about gratitude, I imagine it like an ice cream sundae. Hear me out—gratitude is the base scoop of ice cream, the foundation for all the sweet, wonderful toppings life can offer. Without it, the dessert of life feels incomplete. But when you add that scoop of gratitude, everything else—joy, connection, resilience sticks a little better and tastes a whole lot sweeter.

Lessons on Forgiveness: Who Are You Really Hurting?

Lessons on Forgiveness: Who Are You Really Hurting?

My grandma once told me a story, and while she has told me plenty of stories, this is one that I remember often. She said, “When your grandpa and I were first married, we attended an activity for couples. One of the activities was for each of us to write down a list of things we wished we could change about our partner. When they started the timer, my pen started flying across the paper. I probably came up with a good list of 30 things, and I was excited to see what Grandpa had written. When it came time to share, Grandpa flipped his paper over, and on it, he had simply written ‘nothing.’ I was so ashamed of my list of 30. How could he forgive me of all my flaws while I hung onto his?” As I have watched my grandparents’ relationship over the years, my grandpa is still more content in the relationship, and he is quick to love, while my grandma often complains of being trapped.

Creativity and Well-Being: Why Making Art is Good for You

Creativity and Well-Being: Why Making Art is Good for You

Think about the last time you were feeling down or mentally unwell. In that moment, what did you do to make yourself feel better, if anything at all? I remember one of the last times I felt down and a little lost in life; it was during the Covid pandemic, just after we had been told that we could not go back to school and needed to stay home, away from all our friends. I was devastated that my senior year had taken such an unfortunate turn. I was looking forward to my last semester of high school, my one and only prom, and of course my graduation. These events were no longer promised to me, and I my mental well-being was suffering. I remember feeling this way, but instead of throwing myself a pity party, I decided to try and make myself feel better. My youngest sister is an arts and crafts connoisseur so I asked her if she would teach me a craft that I could do with her. We ended up painting with watercolor and making friendship bracelets for several days and these activities made me feel so much better.