All in Health & Wellness

Managing My Mental Health During the Holidays

Managing My Mental Health During the Holidays

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Too early? I don't care. Well, maybe I care a little. I don't want to totally annoy Andrew with my pre-Thanksgiving Festivus. It's just poor Alton who has been subjected to holiday playlists during our daily walks. But hey, he can't talk AND I get the honor of picking up his dog poop. So I think he at least owes me that.

At any rate, why am I writing about this? Well, it wasn't what I had planned on writing about today, and since I think all three people are reading these blogs these days, I'm taking the opportunity to use this writing time as a minor therapeutic release.

I am feeling a little blue today. And unlike the song, Blue Christmas, it's not because I'm missing someone from afar. Instead, I'm feeling some pre-holiday overwhelm, some frustrating life stuff, Alton's tummy has been upset, blah blah blah.

Rather than surrender to that blah bah-humbug, after I finish this post (and take Alton on his second walk of the day), I will put on some Christmas music, organize my kitchen pantry, and start decorating the kitchen. Why? Because it will make me happy.

Addressing My Low B-12 Issue

Addressing My Low B-12 Issue

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

I was pretty fortunate during COVID that I did not have any significant health problems that required attention. But several months into the lockdown, my doctor let me know that I needed some routine lab work so she could refill my blood pressure prescription. It was during that regular check that she discovered my B-12 was low. So low, in fact, she asked me if I was a vegetarian. Although I did cut red meat out of my diet several years ago, I am not a vegetarian. It just got very uncomfortable for me to digest. So I eat pork, chicken, and turkey instead. She asked me to start taking B-12 supplements, and we would recheck my labs in a few weeks.

Let's be honest: left to my own devices, my diet would be one of a toddler with unlimited access to the snack bin. I love snacking. I love chocolate. I love finger foods. So, that combined with the fact that I don't take a daily vitamin, it doesn't surprise me that now that I'm in my mid-40s, my body finally waves the red flag.

Thankfully, after a few weeks of taking B-12, my labs returned to normal levels, so as long as I keep taking supplements, I should be fine long-term. But the whole experience got me thinking more seriously about what I'm eating, food portioning, protein consumptions, and implementing a vitamin routine in my daily life. And for someone who isn't exactly thrilled about change, these were some big steps to consider.

Why I Have Limitations on How Much I Use Social Media

Why I Have Limitations on How Much I Use Social Media

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

Explaining what happened with me and social media might be easiest put into relationship terms: initially, I dumped it; then we went on a break, and now we are talking again. And when I say social media, I am talking about Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I cut some slack to LinkedIn, Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube because they have somewhat a niche purpose. Of the latter, the only one I use is YouTube-- even when I was on my social media break, mostly because I enjoy consuming vlogging content and I have my own channel.

Truth be told, I've attempted to write this blog post several times. In every attempt, I have struggled to know how to best articulate what I was thinking and feeling as I slowly realized that social media was becoming a detrimental part of my life. Or more simply, when I recognized that it took a lot more from me than it was giving me in return.

Of all the social media platforms I listed above, Facebook was the one on which I was most active. I have Twitter and Instagram accounts, but I wasn't very active on them even before the break-up. For many years I feel like Facebook had an appropriate priority in my life. I could have the app on my phone and still have the self-discipline to not have my phone glued to my hand. I liked Facebook, especially in its earlier years. Back when you had control over your newsfeed, conversations weren't polarizing, and manipulation by malicious third-party entities wasn't a problem. You know, back in the good 'ole days when all you had to worry about was being poked.

Low Chemical Cleaning Product Options

Low Chemical Cleaning Product Options

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

A few years ago I started to take a serious look at the things that I was exposing my body to. I started educating myself. I read food labels to try to better understand what I was putting into my body. I also started thinking about what chemicals I was exposing myself to through cleaning products and personal hygiene projects.

The Positive Effects of Organized Living on the Human Body

The Positive Effects of Organized Living on the Human Body

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

It is easy to get caught up in what I would call the “tidings” of organizing. For example, things like, the most on-trend organizational solutions, the best life-hacks, and must-have productivity tools. These are all things that help deliver the result of an organized space or productivity practice. But what I’m wondering about in today’s post is: what is going on in the brain and body as it relates to living an organized life.

There are many commonly understood and accepted positive health benefits of living a more organized life. If there weren’t, the organizing industry wouldn’t have its own National Accreditation Industry (The National Association of Professional Organizers) and The Container Store wouldn’t have net sales of $890 million for 2018.

Just Google “health benefits of getting organized” and you get pages of results listing numerous sources giving information about how having your sh*t more together can:

  • save you time

  • save you money

  • get better sleep

  • help you prioritize

I Will Never Be A Morning Person

I Will Never Be A Morning Person

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

I gleefully give my middle finger to anyone who sermonizes on the idea of a “morning routine.”

They say that people change over time. That maturity, or life experience, or, just adapting to new forced circumstances will, over time, inherently change who you are. Well, for some people, about some things, this may be true. But there is one thing about me (spoiler alert in the title) that I think will ever change— and that is not being a morning person.

I’ve made it to 42 years on this planet and I can most assuredly say that I don’t like waking up early any more now than I did when I was, well, ever.

The Power and Importance of Comfort

The Power and Importance of Comfort

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

I am typing this blog post at 11:19 at night in bed, laying flat out on my back, with an android tablet suspended over my head while typing on a Bluetooth connected keyboard laying across my legs. And I am completely comfortable. It helps that I have the peaceful sound of my golden fur son's snore purring at my side, and my hubby is here in bed too. I have my heart full with my family love while my head is still filled with whirling thoughts that I want to put into a blog.

This set up has been a long time in the making. I've made previous attempts to no avail. But this time, somewhat born out of necessity, I was determined to find a solution that would work. I came to the realization recently that if I was seriously going to get my blogs launched with some consistent writing, I was going to need to find more time in my day. The only time that is a practical option is the time late in the evening when I am in bed watching YouTube or reading the news on my phone.

If only I had the right set up to type blog posts while in bed.

The Challenges of Being an Introverted Extrovert

The Challenges of Being an Introverted Extrovert

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

It was no surprise to me that when I did the personality INJT test that the results showed I'm an extrovert. After all, I like to meet new people and I think I am pretty outgoing. And moreover, I'm certainly not the wall flower in the corner of the room.

But lately I'm coming to realize that I might actually be more introverted than I once thought. I'm not afraid to do things by myself that others would find unthinkable-- dining out alone, going to a movie alone, once I even went to the club without my wing-sister! Additionally, it's because of how much effort it takes for me to be extroverted. Typically I have to psyche myself up for a meeting, or do a mental pep-rally to plow through a list of phone calls. Large gatherings, social mixers or crowded malls are all places I'd rather avoid (and I love to shop!)

But life happens right? And I've made a conscious decision that I'm not going to avoid my roles in leadership, experiencing new places, or meeting new people, just because it stresses me out. So to cope pad my schedule so as to not be rushed.

Getting Help for My Fears About Flying With the Fear of Flying Clinic

Getting Help for My Fears About Flying With the Fear of Flying Clinic

Jody Yarborough
Health & Wellness

I started the process of facing my fear of flying weeks ago with small steps by simply Googling "fear of flying." Online I found resources that answered some of my questions about the mechanics and safety of flight. I even looked at some YouTube videos of passengers experiencing moderate to heavy turbulence during flight. One of the best realizations I made in my cursory online search for help is that I am not alone in my fear. This was a great comfort and relief and indeed, this helped me feel less afraid over the course of the next few weeks. But when I went to actually book our plane tickets, that familiar paralyzing feeling-- tightness in my chest and a sinking in my stomach-- returned with as strong intensity as ever before.