Lessons For a Better Life
We’re getting deep again.
Come on, you know us. You can’t be that surprised!
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In the beginning of 2021, we were featured on Squaremuse (again?!) to share our thoughts on creating a better year for 2021, after what we learned in 2020.
Check out our tips here!
Now that some time has passed, we’d love to share an updated list of thoughts on how we are creating a better life for ourselves moving forward.
MEDITATION SHAPES THE MINDSET
Okay, hang with us for a second.
You’ve probably heard it all before… “Meditation is life changing!” “I couldn’t get through my day without meditation.” “Meditation makes me a better person.”
WELL, YOU GUYS!
The rumors are true! Meditation really does make a major difference in your life. Especially in times of extreme stress and turmoil.
Our favorite tools for daily meditation are apps like Headspace or Abide.
You’re probably familiar with Headspace, so we won’t go too deep into its amazingness. Abide, on the other hand, is much lesser-known, but in our experiences, just as impactful!
That’s not to say Headspace is missing anything… but Abide specializes in bible and sleep meditation. We couldn’t be happier with the renewed sense of security and spiritual identity we’ve discovered through Abide.
Whatever your comfort level with meditation, we can’t talk up this mindful practice enough. It truly has been life-changing for us.
READING REFRESHES THE MIND
Call us nerds, but we enjoy reading books.
If we’re being honest, though, we sort of lost our rhythm for awhile. But once we got back into the habit, we remembered just how fulfilled and serene reading leaves us feeling.
And look - we’re all for a good self-help, self-care book, but sometimes it’s nice to escape the world for a bit through a good fiction book. Right now, our favorites books are:
Changes that Heal by Dr. Henry Cloud
Quitter by Jon Acuff
Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by Curtis Jackson
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
NATURE NOURISHES THE BODY
You might not be able to get your toddler to meditate with you (we know. We’ve tried.) but you will be able to enjoy time in nature with everyone in the family - dogs included!
GET YOUR BUTT OUTSIDE.
Walk! Run! Play like a kid with your kids at the park! Take the dogs on an explorative hike! Set up a chair in your backyard and just soak up the sun for 5 minutes.
Whatever you can do, do it. Do what feels good.
And if you can’t go outside, bring outside in! We’ve brought out love of nature indoors through our plants. Our indoor plants create a warm, refreshing environment for our family to enjoy, even when we’re stuck inside being a little bit lazy (you deserve to be a little bit lazy sometimes!).
If you’re fighting your calling to go outside, let this research convince you. Research shows that being outside improves your health and wellbeing by:
Lowering your blood pressure
Reducing stress hormones in the body
Improving your mood and your focus
Accelerating your healing
Supporting graceful aging (when sunscreen is used!)
For us, even the simplest outdoor activity with our little family (kids and furry babies) leaves us feeling refreshed, fulfilled, and at peace with our lives.
EXERCISE ENGAGES THE BODY
No one actually enjoys working out, right?
Wrong(ish)! It might take some time to warm up to the feeling if you haven’t been active in awhile, but once you push past the hump, you’ll find yourself feeling ever so grateful to have this newfound appreciation for taking care of your body.
Exercise and mental health became a major focus of our lives after 2020.
Before, exercise just felt like a nagging weight on our shoulders. But with the extremity of 2020, something switched. Now, exercise feels like a reward. A gift that has been given to us. A responsibility to our family and our future selves.
Our advice? Let go of the “should’s”. Focus on being intentionally active each day. Who the heck cares what your coworkers' personal record is? Or how many miles your neighbor ran yesterday. Just get out. Get active. Take care of you and your body. That’s a win in our book! 💪🏾
THERAPY… THERAPY IS JUST NECESSARY
I hate to break it to you…
But therapy is NOT for broken people. Therapy is for open-minded, growth-focused humans who aren’t afraid of confronting their mind and reaching new heights.
That said, it takes some courage.
So here’s your sign. Therapy is available everywhere nowadays - online, over the phone, and in person. If you haven’t already tried, you might look into programs like Betterhelp or Cerebral. Or reach out to your network and see if you can get any recommendations for in-person therapists from your friends and family.
Therapy is not just for people with trauma, mental illness, or other extreme circumstances. It’s there to help you discover yourself, build your confidence, and create your dream life.
We’re more than just business owners. We are friends, parents but most importantly, we are human beings. And we are here for you. We are more than a community, we are a family.
Thank you for being a part of the #MTBFamily.
- Jason and Alejandra Bryant
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