Wellness Wednesday: 5 Tips to Being Confident During Bikini Season

The time has come and bikini season is upon us. So for those of us who didn’t hit the gym as hard or eat as clean as we could have (me) or even if you did but you’re still a little iffy in the self-confidence department, I’ve put together some tips that will help you dip your toes in this water this summer. After all, summer is a time of care-free and happy living so why miss out?

1) Focus on being HEALTHY
Aesthetics are GREAT and definitely worth improving on and striving for. And if you work hard they will come. But a healthy mindset and lifestyle goes beyond just your level of fitness. So do things that take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Workout, stock up with some good reads from the library, schedule me time, and eat healthy. One of my favorite things about summer is all of the amazing fruit that comes into season. ALL HAIL THE WATERMELON. But seriously keep fruit handy. Freeze your grapes for a perfect poolside snack (you’re welcome.). Everything is connected so work on the inside and the outside will adapt and vice versa.
2) Pick a bathing suit you really love
Bathing suits are intimidating to begin with and there are so many different types. How do you handle it? Pick the ones that accentuate your favorite features and make YOU feel good! I try to rotate and buy new bathing suits but I always have one or two that are my go-tos. They’re my security blankets of the bikini world. I’m telling you, loving your bathing suit makes the word of difference and you’ll walk a little taller.
3) Fake it till you make it
Let’s be honest, no one is confident 100% of the time. Even the most confident people have their off days. But you can’t let them get to you! Sometimes you’ve gotta just fake it till you make it. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself a boost in the ego every now and then. If you repeat something enough, you eventually start to believe it. Channel your inner diva. Or just think: “WWBD?” (What would Beyoncé do?”
4) Be around people who bring out your confidence and happiness
You ever hear the expression “you are who your friends are” or something along those lines? Well it applies to bikini season my friends. You don’t want to hang out with people who are kicking you down and making you feel bad about yourself. Who needs that crap? Instead, be around people who really bring out your confidence and allow you to be yourself. There’s nothing more freeing that living your life feeling judgment free.
5) Tell yourself you’re a Boss Ass Bitch
Work what your momma gave ya. If you feel confident and you don’t take crap from anybody, they’re going to notice and they’re going to feed off of it. True confidence comes from within so you only you can make it happen.

Bikini season is nothing to dread. Have confidence in yourself and just enjoy what comes your way. After all its: “Summer time and the livin’ is easy.”

Wellness Wednesday: Tips to Stop Binging

Wellness Wednesday: Survival Guide to Finals

If you’re a fellow college student, or even a high school student, then you know finals can be unbearable. The pressure on and there’s only one thing on your mind: getting through them. My first experience with finals was rough: I wasn’t used to the huge workload and amount of stress all at once. But after a few runs of trial and error, I’ve learned to better navigate the water. So here are my tips to surviving finals!

1. Plan Ahead: When you get your syllabus, look at it! The first thing I do is highlight my exams and then I put them into my planner. You’re going to want to know when you have what exam, at what time, and in what room. Because trust me, you’re going to forget.
2. Give yourself time to study: I Like to start preparing at least a week in advance. What I’ll do is I’ll start organizing my notes, re-writing and then write up my study guide. I get my study guides finished a week before so that all I have to do is look over them.
3. Find a study zone: Preferably somewhere quiet. It can be the library (mine is good because it has separate floors and the higher you go the quieter it is), it can be the lounge in your dorm, your room itself, or even a café. I’ve seen plenty of people at Starbucks, Dunkin, or the local coffee shop.
4. Sleep: This is possibly one of the hardest things to accomplish. Finals week in college is notorious for Red Bulls, over the counter stimulants, and countless all-nighters. But studies have shown that the process isn’t really as effective as people think. Your brain AND your body need rest in order to function properly and efficiently. You do not want to be that person who falls asleep in the middle of your exam!
5. Eat right: I know you’re short on time and you want to reach for the pizza, Cheetos, and Pepsi but that’s not going to help. The food you eat has a direct correlation with how you feel and well you’ll perform. If you need food that you can carry try fresh veggies with hummus, they even make them in to-go containers! If you’re craving the sweets at 1 am in the library, opt for some chocolate covered berries. Delicious and nutritious! Whatever you do, just make sure you fuel yourself. The more you study the more brain power you use. You’ve got to recharge those batteries!
6. Take study breaks: If you’re like me then you need something to look forward to while you’re studying. Plan little breaks into your studying regimen. I will take a couple of minutes here and there to eat, drink, play guitar, or even blog. The point is to just take a second and let yourself regroup. You don’t want to run yourself ragged.
7. Be confident! You’ve made it this far. I know finals are stressful and they’re usually a large percentage of your grade but you have to keep in mind that there is life beyond a test score. At this point in the semester you know the format of your professors’ exams, you know how they grade, and you know what to expect. So have faith in your ability to deliver. The worst thing you can do is psych yourself out. It’s not over until you hand in that exam so just do your best. It’s a great feeling to leave your exams with the feeling that you did everything you could.

So those are my tips for getting through finals. They’re not very detailed but you get the point. Keep calm and study hard. Oh, and good luck!