I fully believe that in order to show up as the best version of myself in all areas of my life, including my career, I need to prioritize self-care. My self-care journey has evolved over time. Currently, I have a morning routine that I follow religiously which includes exercise and journaling. I also do the following: I drink tons of water, I eat well — lots of veggies and whole grains — and I limit processed foods, sugar and alcohol. 

My lifestyle choices allow the best version of myself to show up when I log on to conquer my work day.  What inevitably happens throughout the day is that negative self-talk starts to creep in. I’ll begin to beat myself up over what I forgot to share in the last meeting or in my last email response. Also, I’ll start to compare myself to my colleagues. So now, when my mind starts ruminating on the negative, it’s time to cue up the Thrive Microsteps! In those moments of negative self-talk I have found breathing exercises in the Thrive app to be very beneficial. Exhaling feels so good and stops the downward spiral.  

Connecting with my co-workers is also great. I find that a “drive-by” to someone's desk to check in, a chat in the kitchen, or a quick Zoom with a friend, all really help me to feel grounded. And if we get to laugh together too, that’s a bonus. In fact, laughing is one of my favorite things to do and I see it as part of my purpose and my life's work. Laughter helps me feel fulfilled, refreshed and less stressed — and hopefully the person I’m talking to can feel the benefits too.

My job is aligned with my values, which brings me right back to my best leopard print and lipstick self. I love bringing the “vibe” and LOLs to all my meetings, and sharing that good contagious energy with the team. I can tell we all feel less burnt out and more creative while we are driving solutions to help our customers save money and live better themselves. 

Working for a leadership team that wants its employees to "put their own oxygen masks on first" and gives us the time and space to focus on ourselves is magic. And I’m  super thankful that Stacey Levitt and Sean Long believe in the transformative power of Thrive webinars. They gave me the green light to plan weekly webinar sessions for the eCommerce Site Ops team throughout the holiday season. Each webinar was full of enlightening mic drop moments. During this time I went all in and took the Thrive Challenge.  

This is my biggest take away: During the week in between finishing my first Thrive Challenge and starting my second, I noticed that my vibe wasn't as high. I wasn’t as connected to myself and the people around me. I was in a different space. However, as soon as I started the Challenge again, I felt more like myself. I have known for years that my morning routine is pivotal for me, but because of the Thrive Challenge, I’ve discovered the benefits of recharging, breathing, and connecting throughout my day. I also loved the data shared in our Gratitude webinar, that “the benefits of a single gratitude exercise can last up to three months.” Every evening, I write down three things I'm grateful for in my gratitude journal which helps me lower stress levels, and I’m experiencing a greater sense of calm at night. I value my sleep and aim for eight to nine hours of shut-eye a night.

I keep telling myself: “You’ve got this, it's all going to work out — everything will be okay.” And looking back over my career, that’s what I would tell my younger self. I’d also say to her, “It's okay to do things messily, don't get stuck in the perfectionist zone. Doing things the messy way is fun, creative, and invigorating. It’s all part of moving with speed, iterating, and getting things done.  

For me joy is essential, tapping into happiness and wonder, and I have so many joy triggers. I love the view out of my window at home, I love the sun on my front deck as I sit and drink my coffee. My family brings me joy, being with my kids and embarrassing them! I love unexpected weekend day dates with my husband, which are happening more often as the kids are getting older. Walking on the beach with my dog is another joy trigger, so is dancing barefoot in the sun — and of course laughing. Oh, and last but not least, I’m enjoying the fastest growing sport in America, pickleball.