For When Social Media Steals Your Joy

Have you ever had a few minor aches and pains, plugged them in to Google and, within a few minutes, convinced yourself that you were severely ill? This effect is apparently known as Cyberchondria and is not an uncommon reaction to WebMD.

I was getting coffee with a friend last week and we were joking about how social media can be a lot like WebMD. You think you're OK - you're having a good day, cruising right along - and then, bam! You see a friend in Iceland. Suddenly you're Googling flights to Reykjavik, making a Pinterest board for all of the cute coats you're going to need. Not to mention the boots!

And bam! You see a friend just graduated law school and you're panicked: what are you doing with your life anyway? Suddenly your bachelor's degree feels like child's play and you're scouring the internet for an LSAT prep course near you.

You see a friend's Christmas dinner table - the white dishes, gold chargers and tiny evergreen wreaths. Suddenly your tiny piney feels like Charlie Brown's tree and you're wondering if you're actually a grown up? 

You see people at a party on Friday night, as you're getting in bed at 10 p.m. after a lovely night of a face mask and a glass of wine. Suddenly your night (about which you felt very content five minutes prior) feels embarrassing. Why didn't anyone invite me? Why don't I do more cool stuff? Why am I not more social? 

From boyfriends to babies, brunch to New Year's Eve and everything in between, it can be easy to sit on social media and notice all the things that are wrong with our lives. It can be easy to suddenly feel the aches and pains that are plaguing us, diagnosing ourselves with all sorts of issues that were never really there to begin with. 

In these moments, it helps me to talk back to those aches and pains. To remind myself that Iceland does sound nice, but, before this moment, it wasn't even on my bucket list. And sure, another degree would be nice, I guess, but I'd never even thought about grad school until I noticed everyone around me was snatching up MBAs. 

It's essential for me to have grounding statements (Truth Arrows!) to speak back to that noisy voice echoing from social media. I have to remind myself I'm exactly where I need to be right now. I am doing enough. I am not missing out. There is enough to go around. 

I am not supposed to keep up, but, instead run wild and free toward my own dreams. 

Maybe you're running toward your dreams. Maybe you feel super stuck, unsure of what to do next. Maybe you have no clue what your dreams are and are just trying to keep your head above water today. 

From someone who has been there (all of those places!), let me tell you: You are doing enough. You may feel like you're drowning. But, you might actually be treading. Don't let the cyberchondria get you down. Keep going. You're doing great. 

Link Love Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

We are in LaGrange, Georgia, today for Chris' best friend's wedding. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few things that have made my December really happy. 

Posting this pic randomly becaaaause (1) I am wearing this gold dress this weekend. (2) I miss my friends (3) I miss summer (always!)

These Nike Sweats // I had a Nike gift card that I'd held on to for the last three years (not exaggerating. I am a GC hoarder). I LOVE loungewear and really value being comfortable at the end of the day. I stopped making myself feel bad for my love of comfy clothes and took the plunge on these babies in black. I'm in love! They are so soft.

How I Built This // This podcast. I cannot get enough of it. It's from NPR and the host, Guy, interviews people who have started successful businesses (think: Patagonia and Sam Adams brewery). It is awesome. 

Batty's Raw Radiance moisturizer // I've mentioned Batty's a handful of times because I love everything she makes. A few years ago, I got obsessed with EWG ratings, so now I try to run most of my products through Skin Deep to make sure they aren't filled with gunk.

Most everything Batty makes is EWG approved and smells amazing. My skin is on the dryer side and December is always a hard month for me - especially when I go home to Indiana, which is less humid than Georgia. Batty's to the rescue! It keeps my skin from drying out. 

(Note: these are not referral links for Batty's, but if you want 15% off your first order, this one is! Also, her prices are in CAD, so it will be lower than you see listed when it hits your credit card.)

Carry On Warrior // I'm finding myself not totally sold on this book, but unable to put it down. It's a weird mix. But I'm enjoying reading it nonetheless. 

My Sister Chapstick // I got this for free at The Yellow Conference and am obsessed. My lips always get dry around this time of year and its moisturizing power has helped a lot. 

Pentatonix O Come All Ye Faithful // I love their rendition. It's so happy!

20-Something Entrepreneur: Jen Robin

This post is part of a series: Slow Cooking, 20-something Entrepreneurs, which I created to shed light on what it's like to start your own business in your 20s. Meet the other beauties here. 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I could not be more excited to introduce you to my friend, Jen Robin. Like me, Jen is now in her early 30s. However, at the end of her 20s, she left her job to launch Life in Jeneral, a professional organizing company. Aaaand she's killin the game :) 

I met Jen years ago on a trip to California and knew she was someone I wanted to be friends with. She's full of life & energy, insanely generous and so kind. Also, all of the organizational solutions on her Insta feed will make you swoon. I dream of having her organize my whole house. 

Meet Jen below! 

Let's start with an easy one. What is your morning routine? How do you get the day going? Do you snooze? Do you drink coffee?

I am an early riser. I love getting a good workout in before the day starts because if I don't then - it won't happen ;) After my workout my favorite part is grabbing (or making) coffee and walking my dog Charlie. I try my best to stay away from the emails until I am ready to dive in. Most days that's a little tricky since there's so many moving parts to my company -- always something that needs to get taken care of and I like to stay on top of it. 

You have a thriving business that you launched pretty quickly. It seems like you have it all together when it comes to knowing what you want to do with your life. Has it always been that way?

To be honest, I wasn't expecting the business to thrive this quickly. I do take great pride in the hard work that I have put in for this company to succeed. I definitely don't have it all together (does anyone?) but I do feel fortunate that I have created this company to be my biggest passion and greatest accomplishment to date. 

It definitely hasn't always been this way in my life but I have always had an outlook like my father had, which is why I think the success has come. He told me at a very young age that I could do anything I wanted if I worked hard, stayed humble, and kept an honest and kind heart. 

Now that you're in your 30s, if you could, what would you tell yourself at 22? What do you wish you'd known? 

I would have told myself to take care of ME first. All my life I have been putting others before me because I thought it was selfish not to. It's my best and worst quality. I love people to their core, and that tends to put their needs and wants over mine. I am finally learning that I can't give the best of me to others if I don't care for me first. 

I wish I would have known at 22 that would be the last full year with my dad. I told him every single day that I loved him and that he was my hero so I don't regret anything in terms of making sure he knew that, but knowing that a year later he would be gone is still hard. For anyone that has experienced that kind of loss, you will never forget the last days and conversations with those people.

I remember crying myself to sleep one night shortly after knowing I would never be able to speak to him again and how I would be able to thrive in this world without him. I woke up thinking I want to live a life where I know he would be proud of the woman I am. So I had two choices to make; 1. Let the loss of break me. Or 2. Live his legacy of joy daily and do something that inspires people. Every day I wake up, thank God and him for another day and just do and be the best I can. This company is in honor of him. So, at 22 just know whatever life gives you you can survive it and thrive. 

What was the most influential book you read in your 20s?

I have quite a few so it's hard to choose just 1. My dear friend Emily, who owns her own company as well, told me about this book, You are a Badass by Jen Sincero. I have read it countless times. Just a reminder of choosing happiness daily and owning your own self in this world. I am obsessed! 

What's the biggest misconception people may have about you from watching you on social media?

My personal social account always shows me at an event, or a wedding, or traveling. I laugh when people say "you live the life" always traveling and attending events. They don't realize I wake up early, work on those trips all day, and am working on the weekends up until those few hours of those events. You never know what REALLY is going on. 

For so many of us, our 20s can be one big comparison trap. How do you keep yourself from constant comparison? The internet makes it so hard! 

Your 20's are tough but so wonderful as well. My favorite quote about this is that "comparison is the thief of joy" and couldn't agree more. I stay FAR away from comparing. There's always going to be someone taller, smarter, prettier, skinnier, funnier (okay maybe not funnier :)) but you get it. I don't want to live my life comparing but rather being so grateful for what I have and who I am. 

What do you consider play? And! What are your creative outlets?

I recently discovered "taking me days" and my life has pretty much changed, ha. Play for me is working out, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with friends. My work is extremely creative daily so thankfully that side of my brain is always spinning.