To make caring for your body an act of self love can be very simple Start by picking lotions, shampoos, and conditioners that make you feel good. Choose smells that give you the feeling you want in your heart. For example they say the scent of rose represents love. Cedar is a grounded and earthy smell. Fruity scents are thought of as energizing. You can pick your scent based on a memory. The smell of Bath and Body Works, Sweet Pea will always make me think of laughing wit

Having the confidence to love your body is complicated for most women. Society and pop culture sell us an idea of the perfect woman and as long as we spend every last dime, suffer through painful treatments, or even have possibly life threatening surgery, then we will be beautiful and worth loving. All that is the uphill battle we are fighting as the average woman. After being assulted it can make things even worse or give you an advisarial relationship with your body. The

Why meditation? Meditation is the practice of observing the mind and in doing so you gain the power to choose which thoughts you dive into, or the thoughts you'd rather not. As someone who deals with intense intrusive thoughts regularly, I sincerely believe my meditation practice has been crucial to my mental health and sometimes even my survival. The goal of meditation is to clear your mind of thoughts. Which sounds easy enough. Ok just don't think. This is a lot easier sai

The moment my eyes pop open, I grab my earbuds and turn on music that makes me feel hopeful. I made a whole playlist on Spotify of feel good tunes. I lay there and soak up the good tunes for about three songs, then I meditate. for a minimum of 10 minutes per day. If you have never meditated before, see the post on how to meditate for instructions. Then I grab my journal and write three things I am honestly grateful for. Make sure you are writing for you, and not an imaginary

Before I was officially diagnosed with PTSD I woud get triggered and be submerged in ice cold flashbacks while standing in a room of people looking totally normal. I must have been pretty good at faking it because no one knew I was having a full on, internal panic attack while staring another military spouse straight in the eyes. I would later learn about masking and how that was what I was doing for multiple decades just to survive. I would pretend I was fine, a few hours la

Every morning I wake up and the waterfall of thoughts begin. While I was in the thick of my worst days the first thoughts would immidiately set my heart racing. "The world hates women." "How am I going to protect your daughters from men?" "I wish I wasn't awake." Some days I am able to challenge those thoughts and put my train of thought on a different path. Somedays I just can't seem to get out of it. PTSD thinking can feel like an all consuming one way track that has no alt