Thursday, January 10, 2019

HAPPINESS, Health and Beauty Tips for 2019 (and Life)

As I wake up today, it’s cloudy outside and I remember how far I’ve come. So many of you follow me on Instagram and this blog because of my career in fashion. Thank you for that. I’m hopeful you even appreciate my sense of humor or maybe we are friends from college. But what many of you don’t know is that I have always struggled with anxiety and depression. Over the past few years it got worse. My anxiety was exasperated by chronic migraines and neck pain. In the past waking up on a day like today would be “a reason” to have an off day or an off week or an off month. This cold front coming through would trigger a migraine. Add the chronic pain to anxiety and everything would snow ball. I would be angry at myself for feeling awful...and that just made it worse. I have always been so hard on myself. My worst critic.

Guess what? Mental health is not a something you decide to struggle with. It is not a choice and I will argue that forever, with anyone. And if you are struggling emotionally you know what I’m talking about, but it’s the people who don’t understand how you're feeling . . . who come from a very naïve, negative place. They think that you can just go to the gym, take an antidepressant, pray, think positive and you’ll be just fine. (Cue eye roll.)

When your brain is not wired like somebody’s who does not suffer from anxiety and depression, and you want to feel better... you try everything in this world. I did. I tried EVERYTHING. But I still didn’t feel better. I felt defeated. Lost. Confused. The opposite of happy. I was miserable. KEY part is that all of of these struggles are now in the past.

I promise to share specifics about my journey in future posts. What I can tell you now is that I am free of extreme anxiety, depression, I barely get any headaches, my chronic pain is a non issue, and I'm happy! Regular medicine does not work for me. I tried SO many different ones, all the way back to when I was a 12 years old. BUT, what did work was this cutting-edge infusion treatment. Ketamine infusions gave me my life back. I have never been this happy before. My brain is completely healed. 100%.

No one and I repeat no one on this earth should have to suffer from anxiety, chronic pain, depression, bi-polar depression or PTSD. I never had true PTSD nor was I dealing with bi-polar disorder, but this treatment is successfully treating those disorders. Thank God. Together, we can finally stop negative stigma around mental health.

I'm here to empower you today. I still use all these tips today, and I truly believe in them. All of these tips come from a place of love. I want to help you, and I sincerely mean that. So let’s get started.


1. Happiness. Because you know what is really beautiful? Glowing from being at peace and feeling happy. We all want it. Some of us are experiencing it right now, some of us are struggling, and some of us may be struggling next week. We get into a funk and don’t even know what's hit you. Like losing a loved one...or an emergency surgery. That can surely knock you down, and it’s not your fault. Read that again— it’s not your fault. But what is a CHOICE is deciding to find something that makes you happy again. If you have an underlying mental health issue and medicine doesn’t work for you, it's not your fault. If your family has a history of heart disease, you can do everything possible to adjust your lifestyle and be proactive, but you heart health is still going to be an issue. That's also not your fault. Brain health (PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic migraines) up until recently, haven't had a treatment option like Ketamine infusions -- with none of the horrible side effects. It offers instant results and has a 90% success rate. By instant, I mean three hours later. I did my first treatment last November here in Dallas, TX, at Texas Ketamine Specialists. This is not a rehab facility. It a doctor's office. It took one hour, I went home and slept for a couple hours and then I woke up. Literally. I went outside my parents' house and took my dog for a walk. And for the first time I looked around. The sun was shining through the leaves of the trees, I could hear the birds chirping, and I was completely at peace. It was quiet and beautiful, because I didn’t have anxiety, I wasn't sad, and I didn’t have a headache. I was finally living and happy. This is what normal feels like. Wow. 

We all want to be happy but we are all afraid to talk about not being happy. It's so annoying. That has to stop. I was really cautious to share my story, because I was worried about being judged. I’m not afraid to share my story anymore. I want to help you, and I want you to be happy and thrive too!

2. Treat Yourself. Now that we’ve gotten the crucial conversation out of the way, treat yourself. Now this looks differently for everybody. Maybe you’ve been working really really hard and you’re exhausted. Take a nap. Get a massage. Go buy the shoes that you’ve been wanting to buy. Take a trip. Just do it, because you deserve to be happy. And don't second guess it.

3. Celery Juice. It's something everybody is buzzing about now, but I’ve been drinking it for quite a while thanks to a dear friend of mine Lindsay. She told me all about it. "Try celery juice", she said. "Just trust me." Do you want your skin to look good? Say goodbye eczema and horrible breakouts. Do you want to heal your body from the inside out? The benefits go on and on and on, and I cannot tell you enough how much of a difference drinking celery juice first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) will do for your life. I legit feel like this is one of the most magical secret cures that is not so secret anymore. Added bonus, it helps with weight loss and also increases your mental clarity. Just check out this graphic above. I'll just leave the rest to the experts, because celery juice is just that-- life changing.

4. Snuggle With a Dog. If you don’t have a dog or cat, get one. We had cats growing up, so the dog I have now is the first dog I've ever had. He's 12 and amazing. If you do not have a dog (or cat, because I don’t want to offend the cat people), run to your nearest shelter and get one. I’m not even kidding. There is nothing more unconditional as far as love goes, and there’s nothing better for stress than loving on a pet. If you know me you know how obsessed I am with my dog, Riley. He is my everything, my fur baby. So I suggest that you snuggle with your dog or cat today. Yep. It's just that simple. You will be happier and healthier because a dog (or cat) is in your life.

5. Aromatherapy. I’m obsessed with candles. Kinda embarrassed about it. The only thing that I hoard is candles. At my condo, I have a closet of candles. If my friends don’t know what to get me for a gift, it’s probably going to be a candle. I love different smells. But it’s more than just candles. It’s lavender bath bombs, an aromatherapy neck wrap...even a particular perfume/cologne that just makes you happy. Everyone is different, so I encourage you to find what scent makes you happy. I suggest you start with lavender essential oil.



6. Help OthersDo you something for another person. This could be as simple as “acts of service” from The Five Love Languages, but let’s take it one step further. If you are having a particularly bad day and your depression/anxiety is trying to steal your joy, do something for another person. Pay it forward at the Starbucks’ drive through or volunteer at your favorite non-profit organization. Something beautiful happens to our mindset when we share kindness with others. Poof. Our thoughts shift from self pity and negative self talk to a position of pride. We are now empowered and full of grace. Before you know it, you have forgotten about the challenges that once plagued you. After all, life is a matter of perspective, because perception is our reality.



7. Skin health with Dr. Adean Kingston. Men and women alike, we all need a good dermatologist. I don’t care how many times you go to the gym or how healthy you eat, if you do not have a good dermatologist, you are making a mistake. Get your skin checked every year for skin cancer. I have my personal dermatologist faves here in Dallas, and Dr. Adean Kingston is an angel. This is not a paid ad for her, but she is incredible. From skin cancer checks to anything cosmetic, she is your girl. And her staff, especially Mia is amazing. So do with this what you what. Men - get your skin checked with her. My whole family goes to her. She used to be one of the main dermatologists at Cooper Clinic before she started her own practice. For me, I am very open and conservative with preventative skin care. Botox, fillers and laser treatments to remove sun are amazing. I bet you would not be able to guess my age unless we grew up together. And Dr. Kingston is my secret.



8. Secret Facial. One more big tip that also has to do with your skin. Maybe you’re thinking, “I don’t have the money to do preventative skin care like laser treatments." What if I told you just from following this blog that I can get you an amazing one-hour facial using the top skin care products, with a renowned esthetician in a spa environment. This is not a Mary Kay facial where you do it yourself. Every celebrity you follow who has glowing skin absolutely uses at least one product from the Natura Bissé collection. If you are interested, please shoot me a message. I’ll hook you up. This is also not at ad. I make zero money by telling you about this. I often tell my clients about this secret, but why not share that with you too? Your skin will be glowing, happy and healthy. You will feel relaxed and they DO NOT push their products on you. It's a win-win.




9. Music. I love music. I don’t know about you, but I would deal well with the daily stress of life without music. Whatever you enjoy listening to just do it. I am personally obsessed with Pandora. Some of you may love Spotify or Apple Music… it doesn’t matter what interface you use, but jam out. If I'm feeling spunky I'll turn on Mike Jones or play my Rihanna playlist. Music is healing but also it’s so much fun. The whole point is that music is therapy. No matter what you are going through, there is music to listen to, learn from and simply enjoy.






10. Exercise. I’m happy to report that exercise did not come first on this list. This all goes back to the happiness. Exercise because it makes you feel better. Don’t exercise because you believe that if you’re in good shape and you look “perfect” that the guy that you like is finally going to notice you. Or for the guys reading this, that the girl you want to date is finally going to go out with you. Exercise because it’s good for your brain. We all know what I’m talking about, and no matter how crappy you feel— if you get up and get some exercise, you feel better. Walk outside for five minutes on your lunch break. Personally, I'm obsessed with pilates. It’s fun, challenging, tones my muscles (not an a bulky way, as it elongates while toning), so that’s what I do. I will never be this hard-core cardio person. I hate running. You don’t have to go to the gym every single day and kill yourself doing weights or extreme cardio. Sometimes it’s as simple as going outside and walking your dog or walking the mall (like me). Whatever you choose, just know it makes a difference.
------Speaking of malls and walking, I’m just finishing my celery juice and will be off to the mall. I'll be walking in five-inch heels and bringing my dog with me. I hope you have an amazing day and great weekend ahead. I look forward to hearing your feedback too. If you made it this far and are still reading, please give yourself a high-five! This was a very long and wordy post, but all of this needed to be said. Ketamine infusions, done with the right medical staff can be life changing. I hope this helps. And if you are truly struggling . . . right now, today, reach out to your doctor and tell them you want to learn more about Texas Ketamine Specialists. If you need more specifics, please e-mail me. I will gladly share more. I love you guys, I’m grateful for YOU, and I will talk to you soon.
With love,
Laura