Episode 54: How To Survive The Holidays with Your Mental Health Intact
Happy holidays friends! Today we’re throwing it back to an oldie but a goldie from 2020 because these tips are so relevant this holiday season… and TBH, who didn’t need a little breather this week!?
While the holidays can be super joyful for many, they can also come with a ton of stress, pressure, grief, and loneliness for others. So, today we’re diving into five expert-backed mindset hacks to make it through this week with your mental health intact.
Happy holidays friends! Today we’re throwing it back to an oldie but a goldie from 2020 because these tips are so relevant this holiday season… and TBH, who didn’t need a little breather this week!?
While the holidays can be super joyful for many, they can also come with a ton of stress, pressure, grief, and loneliness for others. So, today we’re diving into five expert-backed mindset hacks to make it through this week with your mental health intact.
Tune in to learn more about:
Setting clear boundaries with yourself and loved ones
The benefits of an *easy* gratitude practise
How to “gamify” holiday drama and stress as a way of (pretty damn fun) coping
Dealing with grief and the loss of loved ones during the holiday season
Creating new traditions and making your own meaning during the holidays
Stay safe and happy holidays to you and your loved ones.
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 53: How To Have Adult AF Etiquette
This week’s episode is a topic you may not have realized you needed to learn way more about…modern etiquette! But this is NOT a stuffy table manners lecture about minding your P’s and Q’s.
According to today’s guest, etiquette expert Myka Meier, modern etiquette is about being kind, thoughtful and respectful, presenting your best self, and having the emotional intelligence and social skills to go anywhere with confidence. Sign us up!
This week’s episode is a topic you may not have realized you needed to learn way more about…modern etiquette! But this is NOT a stuffy table manners lecture about minding your P’s and Q’s.
According to this week’s guest, etiquette expert Myka Meiere, modern etiquette is about being kind, thoughtful and respectful, presenting your best self, and having the emotional intelligence and social skills to go anywhere with confidence. Sign us up!
Myka has been coined the “Marie Kondo of etiquette”. She even trained in London under a member of The Royal Household of the Queen — YAS QUEEN!
She started Beaumont Etiquette, which offers courses on etiquette that are super relevant to society today. She brings a fresh and modern perspective to manners, breaking down the stereotype that etiquette is stuffy or outdated. She co-founded The Plaza Hotel’s Finishing Program, and is the author of the two best selling books: Modern Etiquette Made Easy and Business Etiquette Made Easy.
Tune in as we answer all your Qs on:
When should you bring a hostess gift
Appropriate engagement, wedding and shower gifts
How to (politely) remind someone to pay you back
When you should send a thank you note
How to dress for weddings, funerals and job interviews.
How to set a standard table setting
Handling the bill on a first date
How do you make a good first impression in a job interview or meeting
Where to sit in a boardroom
How to network and self-promote tastefully
The 101 on business dining etiquette
We hope this episode empowers you to walk into your next social situation feeling totally prepared and confident!
Follow Myka:
@mykameier
Modern Etiquette Made Easy: A Five-Step Method to Mastering Etiquette
Business Etiquette Made Easy: The Essential Guide to Professional Success
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 51: How To Get Out of A Rut
Winter is coming… and with almost two years of the pandemmy under our belts and the sun now setting before we even get a chance to see it (who is daylight savings ACTUALLY saving?), it can feel like we’re living in Groundhog Day. If you’re feeling stuck and stagnant, and running low on energy like us, you’ve come to the right place!
Winter is coming… and with almost two years of the pandemmy under our belts and the sun now setting before we even get a chance to see it (who is daylight savings ACTUALLY saving?), it can feel like we’re living in Groundhog Day. If you’re feeling stuck and stagnant, and running low on energy like us, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re done with languishing. So, in this week’s quickie, we’re talking how to break the cycle of being in a rut and bring the joy back into life – and from changing our mindset to creating moments of inspiration and spontaneity, we’ve got the expert-backed strategies to get you back on track.
Join us as we discuss:
How to know if you’re in a rut
Finding the source and identifying limiting beliefs
Getting out of your own way and taking responsibility
Checking in with your emotional bank account
Setting manageable goals that will create momentum
Finding inspiration through creativity and spontaneity
The life-changing effects of practicing gratitude
Why falling in love with change is the antidote to getting “stuck”
We hope this episode inspires you to make positive change and kick those ruts to the curb!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 50: How To Know When It’s Time To Quit
We’ve all heard the saying “quitters never win and winners never quit”…it’s a mindset instilled in us from an early age, but is it *really* true? Spoiler alert: no, it is not. Letting something go when it’s no longer right for you isn’t a weakness or a failure. Be it a job, a relationship or even a habit, making the difficult decision to quit something can be the ultimate act of self-preservation.
We’ve all heard the saying “quitters never win and winners never quit”…it’s a mindset instilled in us from an early age, but is it *really* true? Spoiler alert: no, it is not. Letting something go when it’s no longer right for you isn’t a weakness or a failure. Be it a job, a relationship or even a habit, making the difficult decision to quit something can be the ultimate act of self-preservation.
Seriously, we’re big fans of moving on from jobs or situations that don’t serve us, and quitting has led to some of our biggest successes!
We’re living through The Great Resignation right now with North Americans quitting their jobs at record high rates, and if we’ve collectively learned anything from the last two chaotic years, it’s that our BS tolerance is at an all-time low, and we deserve to start prioritizing the things that bring us joy, growth and fulfillment. #YOLO!
So, this week we’re flipping the script on quitting and redefining success for ourselves. There’s only 24-hours in a day, let’s make sure they’re filled with the stuff that matters.
Join us as we discuss:
Redefining the narrative around quitting
Why society is entering "The Great Resignation"
How to know when it's time to quit
Our biggest lessons for letting go
What quitting can mean for your career and for creating new opportunities
Choosing yourself over toxic situations
How to quit well and leave on a high note
We hope this episode helps guide your decisions, and empowers you to find success on your own terms. You got this!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 48: How To Break A bad habit in 5 steps
Let’s be real, we’ve all got bad habits that are less than beneficial to our wellbeing. Whether it’s scrolling Instagram for hours or being late to everything – it’s time to admit that a big part of adulting is recognizing our own troublesome habits and doing the work to change them. We’re all about growth here at Teach Me How To Adult, people!
Let’s be real, we’ve all got bad habits that are less than beneficial to our wellbeing. Whether it’s scrolling Instagram for hours or being late to everything – it’s time to admit that a big part of adulting is recognizing our own troublesome habits and doing the work to change them. We’re all about growth here at Teach Me How To Adult, people!
The good news is: bad habits aren’t actually that hard to shake once you break it down. When we understand the psychology behind our patterns we can rewire our routines and start replacing them with good habits, instead. Revolutionary, we know!
So we’re getting to the bottom of all our bad habits in this week’s Quickie and breaking down the 5 steps to break free of them!
Join us as we chat about:
The psychology behind how bad habits are formed
Getting clear on why you *need* to change your habit
Identifying what triggers your actions
How to replace your habit and why quitting cold turkey won’t work
Gill & Cailyn’s bad habits and how they’re breaking them
Why its key to focusing on consistency vs. perfection
The research-backed ways an accountability-buddy can keep you on course
We hope this episode helps you curb some of your not so cute habits and make room for some more positive ones!
Download our free 21 day habit tracker!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 46: How To Get Politically Active and Vote in the Canadian Election
For young people like us, learning how to get politically active and engaged can be challenging at first. But with the upcoming federal election in Canada, it’s more important than ever to educate ourselves and show up to vote! So today, we’re diving deep on how to navigate the election on September 20th, and why it’s SO important for you as a responsible adult to exercise your right and privilege to vote. As we learned growing up, “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
So tune in as we cover how to get politically active by informing yourselves about the election and candidates, how to figure out which party you’re most aligned with, how to actually cast your vote and make a voting plan, and the different platforms of Canada’s major political parties.
For young people like us, learning how to get politically active and engaged can be challenging at first. But with the upcoming federal election in Canada, it’s more important than ever to educate ourselves and show up to vote! So today, we’re diving deep on how to navigate the election on September 20th, and why it’s SO important for you as a responsible adult to exercise your right and privilege to vote. As we learned growing up, “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
So tune in as we cover how to get politically active by informing yourselves about the election and candidates, how to figure out which party you’re most aligned with, how to actually cast your vote and make a voting plan, and the different platforms of Canada’s major political parties.
Listen in as we chat about:
Why it’s so important to get politically engaged and vote
How to gather reliable information on political platforms through reputable news sources
How to make a rock solid voting plan
How to choose which party you’re most aligned with (and legit online quizzes that will take out the guess-work)
How the Canadian electoral system works
How to actually cast your vote in the federal election this September
How to fill out your ballot based on the candidates in your local riding
The main platform points for the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, Green Party and Bloc Quebecois
We hope this episode helps you get educated on all of the different parties and platforms and inspires you to vote!
Mentioned in this episode:
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 45: How to stop procrastinating Now
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been guilty of procrastinating at some point. But if left unchecked, the endless cycle of putting off important tasks can cause a lot of unnecessary stress in our lives and can hold us back from achieving the things we truly want.
But, as the soon-to-be former queens of procrastination, we’re ready to kick this habit to the curb because there really is no better feeling than getting sh*t done. So in this week’s Quickie, we spill the tea on 7 ways that you can set future you up for success and stop procrastinating...today!
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been guilty of procrastinating at some point. But if left unchecked, the endless cycle of putting off important tasks can cause a lot of unnecessary stress in our lives and can hold us back from achieving the things we truly want.
And a lot of people think it’s just laziness or bad time management that leads to procrastination, but it turns out there’s a LOT more behind the psychology of why we put things off. Some use it as a coping mechanism to avoid unpleasant tasks, and the human brain is literally hardwired to value instant gratification and immediate rewards more than future rewards.
But, as the soon-to-be former queens of procrastination, we’re ready to kick this habit to the curb because there really is no better feeling than getting sh*t done. So in this week’s Quickie, we spill the tea on 7 ways that you can set future you up for success and stop procrastinating...today!
Tune in as we chat about:
The psychology behind why we procrastinate
Getting to the root of why you’re putting certain tasks off
Shifting your focus to the long-term benefits of completing projects now
The benefit of breaking tasks down into smaller pieces
Why it’s KEY to create a detailed timeline and workback schedule
Identifying and eliminating your distractions
How to use “temptation bundling” to take action
The impact an accountability-buddy can have on your goals
We hope this episode inspires you to break free of any procrastination tendencies you have so you can get things done and achieve everything you set out to do. Let us know if you try any of these tips or if you have any other tried and true methods to stop procrastinating!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 43: How To Start Dating Again
One of the many things we’re loving about life after lockdown is that LOVE IS BACK, BABY! So many people are jumping back into the dating world, but we’ve also heard from lots of single friends that they’re feeling a little apprehensive or unsure of how to get back into it all after over a year of isolation. In our recent Instagram polls about dating, 47% of you said you’re a litttttle nervous to get back into dating post-Covid, too, and lots of you have had less than ideal experiences on dating apps.
Navigating love and the dating world in 2021 ain’t easy, so we called in love and relationship coach, Lauren Zoeller, to answer all of your burning Qs, and give us the advice that everyone needs to hear, whether you’re newly single, have been on the market for a while, or are in an open relationship.
One of the many things we’re loving about life after lockdown is that LOVE IS BACK, BABY! So many people are jumping back into the dating world, but we’ve also heard from lots of single friends that they’re feeling a little apprehensive or unsure of how to get back into it all after over a year of isolation. In our recent Instagram polls about dating, 47% of you said you’re a litttttle nervous to get back into dating post-Covid, too, and lots of you have had less than ideal experiences on dating apps.
Navigating love and the dating world in 2021 ain’t easy, so we called in love and relationship coach, Lauren Zoeller, to answer all of your burning Qs, and give us the advice that everyone needs to hear, whether you’re newly single, have been on the market for a while, or are in an open relationship.
Lauren is a CTA certified Love & Relationship Coach, motivational speaker and podcast host. She helps high performing, female executives attract the dream relationship and life they crave, and she’s the creator of The Aligned Love Experience™, a coaching program that teaches women how to attract love. She’s been featured in international publications like Prevention, Shape, Business Insider, Thrive Global, Money Inc., and more. Believe us when we say love is her language!
Tune in as we chat about:
The lowdown on which apps are best for your wants and needs
How to meet someone IRL vs. on the apps
Tools for bouncing back from bad dating app experiences
The inner work we all NEED to do to show up as our best selves
3 non-negotiables you should be setting from the get-go when dating
Confidence boosters to get you feelin’ good as hell going into a date
Tips for setting boundaries early on when dating and why that’s *actually* sexy
How to deal with rejection and what to do if you’re ghosted
Good questions to ask on a first date to build connection
What you should consider if you have a “type” you only date
Red flags to look out for on apps and during a date
Lauren’s hot tip to successful dating in 2021
We hope this episode helps you get back out there, date with confidence, and pursue the love that you deserve!
Follow Lauren:
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 42: How To Stop Overthinking Everything
If you’re an overthinker like us, worrying about the future, dwelling on the past, and overanalyzing every single decision can be totally paralyzing in your day-to-day life. Overthinking can make decision-making impossible, and it can create tons of unnecessary stress that holds us back from living a life we truly want. And TBH, it’s usually all over nothing!
If you’re an overthinker like us, worrying about the future, dwelling on the past, and overanalyzing every single decision can be totally paralyzing in your day-to-day life. Overthinking can make decision-making impossible, and it can create tons of unnecessary stress that holds us back from living a life we truly want. And TBH, it’s usually all over nothing!
But today can literally be the day you take control of your thoughts rather than letting your thoughts control you. Spiralling thought patterns are learned, and they can also be unlearned. The key is just to identify what’s triggering your overthinking, and then work on changing your mindset. In this week’s episode we have tons of expert and research-backed advice on how to do exactly that.
Tune in as we chat about:
The difference between ruminating vs worrying
Why learning to just act and “think less, do more” can change your life and propel you forward
Why you should carve out designated time to overthink/worry
How to rewrite the stories you are telling yourself in your head
Tricks for taking back control over your thoughts
Tips for challenging perfectionism
The 10/10/10 test for gaining perspective
How simple mindfulness practices can calm your racing mind
We hope this episode helps you take control of your thoughts! If you have tried and true tactics for stopping those overthinking spirals, we would LOVE to hear them, so DM us if there’s something else that’s worked for you!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 41: How To Buy Or Rent Your Next Home
The housing market is absolutely insane in North America right now, especially in the major cities of Canada (helllllo, Toronto and Vancouver). The market is hotter than ever, and Canadian house prices and home sales hit record highs this March. So in today’s quickie, we’re diving into everything you need to know to navigate renting or buying your next home.
The housing market is absolutely insane in North America right now, especially in the major cities of Canada (helllllo, Toronto and Vancouver). The market is hotter than ever, and Canadian house prices and home sales hit record highs this March. So in today’s quickie, we’re diving into everything you need to know to navigate renting or buying your next home.
Whether you’re moving out into a rental for the first time or thinking about taking the plunge and buying real estate, there’s a lot to consider that can help you with your decision. Hosts Cailyn and Gillian bring their different experiences and perspectives as renters and homeowners to offer up realtalk on the process and logistics of landing your next home.
It’s daunting AF, but there’s still a ton of hope. It’s a good time to rent right now since we’re in a renter’s market, and if you’re looking into homeownership, interest rates are super low for the time being.
Tune in as we chat about:
Trends in the Canadian real estate market, and how much buying a home or renting a condo could set you back in major cities
How to decide between renting and buying based on your goals, values and finances (and the pros and cons of each)
The % of your income you should be sending on your home
The importance of location and neighbourhood
The team of real estate agents, mortgage brokers and lawyers you’ll need in your corner
Everything you need to know about mortgages, explained
The hidden and unexpected costs of buying a home that you should prep for
The process from submitting an offer to picking up the keys on your closing date
The requirements checklist you should use for finding your ideal rental
How to negotiate your rent like a boss
The paperwork, proof and process you’ll need to secure your rental home
We hope this episode helps you in your search for the perfect rental or your first home. Happy house-hunting, friends!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 40: How To Love Yourself More
If you have an idea that you can’t stop dreaming about, this week’s episode is the inspo you need. We chat with Ashley Freeborn, the founder and CEO of the renowned fashion brand Smash + Tess, about all things brand building, entrepreneurship, using fear to fuel your fire, and tapping your network to help get your idea off the ground.
You’ve probably seen people rocking Ashley’s rompers on instagram, or heard about her epic collabs with Jillian Harris, Sarah Landry of The Birds Papaya and Hilary Duff, just to name a few. Her brand started the #romperrevolution but here’s why we honed in on Smash + Tess for today’s episode: Ashley isn’t a serial entrepreneur or longtime business or fashion mogul, she just had an idea to fill a gap in the market, and made her dream a huge reality. What she created is so much more than a clothing company, it’s a community, a lifestyle and an inclusive brand that empowers women to live their best lives.
This episode is brought to you by Dove
Vaxxed girl summer is in full swing, and there’s so much good energy and hope again! But summer can also be a very triggering time for a lot of people when it comes to body image and insecurities. We polled you guys on Instagram about how you’re feeling in terms of confidence and self-acceptance, and we learned that we’re definitely not alone in this feeling. 76% of you said that summer triggers your insecurities, while 77% of you are feeling anxious about re-emerging from lockdowns with all the physical and mental changes we’ve undergone. 91% of you said that you struggle with negative self-talk, and we feel you...we can all be our own worst critics and bullies.
That’s why we called in body positivity activist and the Queen of confidence, Roxy Earle. We’re on a mission to help everyone (including ourselves) positively develop the single most important relationship we’ll ever have — our relationship with ourselves. And that requires unconditional self-love, compassion, gratitude and some helpful tools to get us out of negative spirals when we’re struggling with our self-esteem or body image.
Roxy is a former marketing professional turned model, entrepreneur, body positivity activist and a star on Real Housewives of Toronto. She started the #MySizeRox movement, which advocates that confidence comes in all shapes and sizes. She’s worked with brands like Knix, H&M, Le Chateau and Joe Fresh to bring more inclusive sizing and styles to their stores, and is launching the Ana App, which is a tool to increase positivity & confidence while also optimizing your health.
Tune in as we chat about:
Gill’s mindset shift for dealing with negative spirals, finding pride and respect in herself, and abandoning clothing sizes
Cailyn’s newfound outlook on self-love & body image as a soon-to-be mom
The moment that inspired Roxy to start the #MySizeRoxs movement
How confidence became her secret sauce and how to cultivate it (hint: it’s not genetic, it’s accountability!)
Roxy’s tips for practicing positive self-talk and self-love daily
Why Roxy is advocating for inclusivity and representation in the fashion industry
How a gratitude practice can help you combat insecurities and change your life
Why filters and body contouring apps are unattainable, exhausting and quite honestly...boring!
The mindset shift to have a healthier relationship with your body
The importance of practicing and modelling self-love as a parent
The #1 tip for looking and feeling your best in photos
We hope this episode inspires you to wear the damn shorts this summer and to start loving yourself unconditionally. You deserve it. And if you need any support on your self-love journey, we’re here for you.
Follow Roxy:
Get the Ana App (coming soon):
This episode is brought to you by Dove. Visit teachmehowtoadult.ca/dove for details on how to try a free sample of their Deep Moisture Hand Sanitizer that we can’t stop raving about!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 39: How To Have An Adult AF Home
A big part of levelling up in adulthood for us has been moving past those university-dorm-room living habits and creating an actual adult home. Because anyone who’s ever called their parents asking for laundry tips or cooking questions knows...adulthood hits differently when you have your sh*t together at home!
So this is your quick and dirty guide to all the kitchen tools you *actually* need now that you’re adulting, the scoop about everything from pans and knives, to linens and laundry, grown-ass bedding and those fancy touches that will make your space functional and elevated. Are laundry tips sexy? No. Are we all trying to figure this stuff out? Yes. We hope this episode shows you that you DON’T need to wait for a wedding registry to get nice things that make you feel at home where you live, because even small investments in yourself and how you live can make a huge difference in your happiness and efficiency.
This episode is brought to you by Dove
A big part of levelling up in adulthood for us has been moving past those university-dorm-room living habits and creating an actual adult home. Because anyone who’s ever called their parents asking for laundry tips or cooking questions knows...adulthood hits differently when you have your shit together at home!
So this is your quick and dirty guide to all the kitchen tools you *actually* need now that you’re adulting, the scoop about everything from pans and knives, to linens and laundry, grown-ass bedding and those fancy touches that will make your space functional and elevated. Are laundry tips sexy? No. Are we all trying to figure this stuff out? Yes. We hope this episode shows you that you DON’T need to wait for a wedding registry to get nice things that make you feel at home where you live, because even small investments in yourself and how you live can make a huge difference in your happiness and efficiency.
And even though we’re covering a lot of things that you can buy for your place, we just want to flag that today’s advice isn’t all about spending a lot of money and acquiring a bunch of stuff. This can all be really budget-friendly, so wherever you’re at with your living situation and your budget, and whether you rent or own, know that you can follow these tips with super limited savings!
Tune in as we chat about:
The kitchen tools and unexpected appliances that are actually worth it
The essential kitchen knives you need and how to care for them
The different pans on the market and why we’re cast iron and non-stick fans
Fancy dishware, glassware and barware for your home
Why a good, luxurious bed is the best investment you can make
How steamers, air purifiers and humidifiers will change the game in your bedroom (and skincare routine)
The lowdown on linens: how many you need, and the right way to launder them
How a good couch can make your living room whole and how to get one on a dime
The importance of mood lighting and music
Which plant babies are the easiest to take care of and will look cute in your home
We hope this episode inspires you to make your home feel like yours, and to invest in easy upgrades that will make all the difference in your grownup space.
This episode is brought to you by Dove. Visit teachmehowtoadult.ca/dove for details on how to try a free sample of their Deep Moisture Hand Sanitizer that we can’t stop raving about!
Products mentioned in this episode:
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 36: How to Up Your Instagram Game with Growth & Engagement
Instagram has so much value for both creators and consumers. It has the power to launch careers, and can literally make or break the success of a company or a campaign. Whether you’re a hobbyist, small biz owner, or aspiring social media manager, there’s a ton to gain from the platform, so today we’re diving into all things growth and engagement for Instagram with Laura Bitoiu, founder of B Squared Social.
If you want to learn how to build an engaged social community, which IG tools you should use to move the needle, how the algorithm really works, why reels have the best ROI, and what tools to use to streamline your social strategy, this episode is for you.
Instagram has so much value for both creators and consumers. It has the power to launch careers, and can literally make or break the success of a company or a campaign. Whether you’re a hobbyist, small biz owner, or aspiring social media manager, there’s a ton to gain from the platform, so today we’re diving into all things growth and engagement for Instagram with Laura Bitoiu, founder of B Squared Social.
If you want to learn how to build an engaged social community, which IG tools you should use to move the needle, how the algorithm really works, why reels have the best ROI, and what tools to use to streamline your social strategy, this episode is for you.
Laura is the founder of B Squared Social, a boutique social media marketing agency based in Vancouver, BC that offers social media marketing solutions for premium brands and service-based professionals. She offers coaching, consulting, online courses, and social media management services, and she basically quadrupled her own following by doubling down on IG Reels this past year, so she knows a thing or two about rapid growth.
Tune in to hear more about:
Why niching down your account is best practice
How Reels offer the most ROI of any content type—and how to crush your reels
Which IG features you should be using to maximize engagement
The secret sauce to going Live, and why it’s worth it
How the algorithm really works, and how to make it work for you
The best ways to show up in your IG Stories and how they actually convert
The value of developing a voice or persona for your social brand
Three things small businesses should do to create a successful IG presence
What tools or software to use to map out your content
How to overcome overthinking and anxiety on social
Strategies for breaking out of a creative rut and brainstorming new content
How to set healthy boundaries with social media
We hope this episode helps you make the most out of Instagram so you can grow online like a boss!
Follow Laura:
Mentioned in this episode:
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 33: How To Live Sustainably in 12 easy Steps
Sustainability is extra top-of-mind with Earth Day this week, and in the past year alone, we’ve seen just how huge an impact our small actions can have on the environment. (Seriously, just watch David Attenborough’s new doc…in just a few weeks after lockdown, air pollution cleared so much in Jalandhar, India, that the snowy peaks of the Himalayas were visible for the FIRST TIME IN THREE DECADES!)
We’ve really wanted to improve our carbon footprints and become more eco-conscious, so in this week’s quickie, we’re giving you 12 easy tips for going green that you can implement around your kitchen, living room, bathroom, closet, shopping habits, and outdoor space to live a more sustainable life.
Sustainability is extra top-of-mind with Earth Day this week, and in the past year alone, we’ve seen just how huge an impact our small actions can have on the environment.
(Seriously, just watch David Attenborough’s new doc…in just a few weeks after lockdown, air pollution cleared so much in Jalandhar, India, that the snowy peaks of the Himalayas were visible for the FIRST TIME IN THREE DECADES!)
We’ve really wanted to improve our carbon footprints and become more eco-conscious, so in this week’s quickie, we’re giving you 12 easy tips for going green that you can implement around your kitchen, living room, bathroom, closet, shopping habits, and outdoor space to live a more sustainable life.
Listen to this week’s chat to learn more about:
The impact you can make by substituting plant-based alternatives a few times a week
The scoop on what you can and can’t put in the recycle, garbage and green bin
Sustainable food storage tips we learned from our Grandmas
How to reduce your waste when grocery shopping
Reducing your kitchen waste (i.e. eco-friendly swaps for paper towels!)
Buying second hand furniture and Gill’s tips for upcycling your home decor
The impact you can make by switching to LED lights
The environmental, health & financial benefits of DIY cleaning products
How switching to a safety razor can save you $5,000!
The dirty truth behind fast fashion & enviro-friendly clothing brands we love
How to revive, repurpose or sell clothes you no longer love
How to start a garden and grow your own food, even if you don’t have a backyard/balcony
We hope this helps you make some simple swaps and changes in your life that will make a big difference for our beautiful planet!
Mentioned in this episode:
Zero Waste DIY Cleaning Products:
Our fave eco-friendly clothing brands:
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Episode 32: How to Drink Wine Like A Pro
Possibly the biggest sign that you’ve unlocked adulting status? You seriously know your way around wine. It’s always impressive when one person at the dinner table knows which wine to order with every dish, and the hottest vinos to put on your radar.
So, in this episode, we’re talking all things wine 101 with wine expert Lauren Power. We cover everything from how to host a wine tasting and the most popular go-to grapes, to the winemaking process, food pairings, and the proper temperature to serve your favourites! We also dive into an important chat about mastering our mindset around drinking, consuming with intent, and how to take a dry month if you want a break.
Possibly the biggest sign that you’ve unlocked adulting status? You seriously know your way around wine. It’s always impressive when one person at the dinner table knows which wine to order with every dish, and the hottest vinos to put on your radar.
So, in our latest episode, we’re talking all things wine 101 with wine expert Lauren Power. We cover everything from how to host a wine tasting and the most popular go-to grapes, to the winemaking process, food pairings, and the proper temperature to serve your favourites! We also dive into an important chat about mastering our mindset around drinking, consuming with intent, and how to take a dry month if you want a break.
Lauren runs in-person and virtual wine tasting events to help people explore and develop their own personal wine palates, and she’s the sales and marketing maven behind her family-owned wine and spirit importer, Treamici Wines.
Listen to our chat to learn more about:
The key grapes and regions to know
How to figure out your palette and wine preferences
The six most popular wines to order
How to actually do a wine-tasting, and notes to know
Tips for ordering wine off restaurant menus like a pro
When to decant and proper temperatures for serving wine
Easy, no-brainer food pairings
How to have a more mindful relationship with alcohol
Tips for taking a dry month
We hope this episode helps you feel more confident when it comes to choosing wine and drinking like a pro!
Follow Lauren:
instagram.com/laurenpower_wine/
Wines mentioned in this episode:
Veuve Clicquot Rose Champagne
Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Brut Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne
La Marca Prosecco DOC
Henry Of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut VQA
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 22: How to Be A Morning Person
Welcome to this week's Quickie, our super fast take on all the adulting things that matter to you. This week, we’re diving into *realistic* tips on how you can become a morning person with an AM routine that works for you.
Welcome to this week's Quickie, our super fast take on all the adulting things that matter to you. This week, we’re diving into *realistic* tips on how you can become a morning person with an AM routine that works for you.
We all know that research shows having a productive routine in the morning can set the stage for success. So we did our homework and researched the routines of successful, high-achieving women we love, and five science-backed ways to create a morning routine that works for YOU.
But let’s be real, mornings are not for everyone. So this won’t be a preachy episode where we tell you how perfect our morning routines are, because we’re not robots, and mornings are tough. But If you’re listening to this, it’s probably because you want to hack your AM routine and be a bit more of a morning person.
So listen to our chat to learn more about:
😴Debunking the shame around not being an early riser: 1:55
💃Celebrity morning routines we love, from Pryanka Chopra Jonas to Oprah: 3:30
👯♀️Our current morning routine tricks and hacks: 8:45
👩🔬5 science-backed tips for creating your perfect morning routine: 10:54
We hope that this episode helps you find a morning routine that works for you!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
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Episode 14: How To Get Organized AF
Spring has finally sprung, and since we’ve all been stuck in our homes for ages, this is the prime time to spring clean your life! In this week’s Quickie episode, we dive into simple ways that you can organize your home, your work life, and your time.
Spring has finally sprung, and since we’ve all been stuck in our homes for ages, this is the prime time to spring clean your life! In this week’s Quickie episode, we dive into simple ways that you can organize your home, your work life, and your time.
The first step to cleaning your shit up is understanding some of the psychology behind organization, which can help change our behaviours.
A number of studies have looked at what clutter does to people’s minds. Many point to how people who are stressed out, exhausted or burnt out can feel calmer and more at ease when they are immersed in hyper-tidy environments. Research in Psychology Today found that women with cluttered homes had higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. And Princeton University found that clutter makes it more difficult to focus on a particular task efficiently.
Organization takes time, and it can feel super daunting, so the key is to break it up and take it one step at a time. Try devoting 30 minutes a day to organizing an aspect of your life or space. There’s an awesome website you can use called UnfuckYourHabitat.com that breaks organizing down into small fun challenges and checklists.
There are generally four key areas of your life that could benefit from more organization.
Tidying up your home
If you’re a little Type A and you want to learn from the best, check out Marie Kondo’s best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or watch her show on Netflix, Tidying up With Mari Kondo.
She’s the organization queen and her organizational style, the Konmari Method of Essentials, has been used by millions. The Konmari Method follows these 6 principles:
Commit yourself to tidying up: if you want to go all in, instead of cleaning one room a day, devote an entire day to doing your whole house or apartment.
Imagine your ideal lifestyle: Visualization is key. How do you want to feel in your space? Thinking of your life in concrete terms like, “I want to live in a calm space that sparks creativity” is much more impactful and inspiring than, “I want a clean home.”
Finish discarding first: You need to purge before you start! And in true Marie Kondo style, before getting rid of any items, make sure you sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
Tidy by category, not location: Instead of starting with your closet, start with your clothes. That might include your front hall closet, storage bins, your shoe rack, and your closet.
Follow the right order of categories: Marie has developed a tried and true order of tidying up that she swears by:
Clothes
Books
Papers
Komono (AKA miscellaneous items)
Sentimental items
Ask yourself if it sparks joy: Having things in your home that inspire you and make you happy is important. If you love it, that feeling will radiate into other areas of your life.
If you’re not quite ready to go full Marie Kondo, here are some quick fixes that make a difference.
Have a strategy: Organization is less about “tidying” and more about thoughtfully strategizing where things should live for easy access and making the most of your space.
Group items by task: In the kitchen, keep everything you need for making your coffee on one tray, and keep all your baking supplies in one section. Tackle that out of control tupperware drawer and make sure every set has a matching lid. And only keep things on your counters that you use on a daily basis—the rest can be stored away.
Make the most out of all storage opportunities: Taking advantage of vertical space for storage is a great hack. These Amazon shelves are perfect for decluttering counters and displaying your favourite products! And never pass up on good under bed storage. Ikea has some awesome pullout underbed drawers where you can keep off-season garments, extra blankets or shoes, or sentimental memorabilia that you don’t use often.
Use decorative objects for storage: Corralling miscellaneous items in pretty baskets will keep your counters clear (shoutout to our fave home decor guru Alexandra Gater for inspiring us to do that!) On her YouTube channel, Alexandra recommends storing dry goods and bathroom products in labelled jars for a package-free, unified look. We’re also using decorative boxes as a filing system to organize documents, mail and paper bills.
Organizing your computer and work files
When it comes to getting organized at work, the best place to start is with your to-do list. Listen back to our productivity episode, episode 6, where we explore three productivity methods to organize and crush your to-do lists!
Now let’s talk Desktops. It’s a divisive subject, where some people exclusively have a few tabs open at a time and a perfect document filing system, while others have 1,000 tabs, a crowded desktop full of screenshots, and a computer that freezes daily. Experts recommend Bookmarking tabs you aren’t immediately using and maintaining a solid bookmarking system, or saving them to apps like Pocket to visit later. You can even use browser extensions to manage your tabs and schedule them to reopen in the future! But if you need to keep a lot open at once, make sure you group related tabs into separate windows, and if you're an Apple user, you can create different desktops for different purposes like Work and Personal.
Another place to focus on is your Inbox. We recommend setting up a folder system, setting up auto-filing rules, and using Outlooks clean-up tool! It deletes any redundant emails in a thread and keeps the latest one, one where someone was added or one with an attachment. Check out this link to learn how to use it. It helps to consistently carve out the first and last 30 minutes of every work day to organize emails and prioritize your day.
Organize your finances
There’s no better feeling than having your financial shit together, and all the hard work is done for you if you use software or apps that track your spending and your investments for you. We’ve said this before back in our Budgeting episode, but apps like TD MySpend and Quicken will break down your spending from all cards and accounts into categories so you can really see where your money is going.
Another time-saving suggestion: If you’re still getting bills by mail, it’s time to join the 21st century and sign up for online billing so you can easily track, save and search your bills and expenses digitally. That will really help come tax time. If you stay on top of organizing your receipts throughout the year, tax season won’t be such a daunting time! Try to organize your receipts by year, and then by month, and note on the receipt what the purpose of that expense was. And if you need help getting your taxes organized, check out our Canadian tax prep checklist to help you track everything you need before you submit!
Organize your time
Between work, hobbies, appointments, working out, cooking, time for friends, and side hustles, it can be hard to keep track of it all, so really using a calendar for everything can help you make sense of all the shit you have going on in a week. It sounds obvious but guys it ACTUALLY helps. And if you live with your partner or have a business partner, getting a shared calendar is a game changer! It helps you prioritize your time and balance all the craziness that life throws at you. It’s also a great way to reflect at the end of the month and see where you spent your time and what changes you might want to make for the month ahead. Cailyn plans her entire day (and life) on her Google Calendar.
Whatever part of your life you’re looking to organize, we hope that these tips help you get a head start! xx
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Episode 12: How To Stress Less and Manage Your Mental Health
If you’re feeling super overwhelmed right now, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and whatever you’re feeling right now, is 100% okay to feel. We’ve been feeling pretty damn stressed and a little moodier than usual if we’re being honest, so we’re really glad we are able to share this conversation. Because the more we open about how we’re feeling, the easier it is for others to share and normalize their experiences, too.
Many of us deal with some level of stress at the best of times, but when you toss a global pandemic and quarantine into the mix, it’s safe to say that almost everyone is feeling anxious and uncertain right now in some capacity. While some of us have been able to take this time at home to slow down and re-connect with the things that matter, others are struggling with unemployment, health issues, insane workloads, financial instability, loneliness, teaching AND parenting their kids, and just general WTF-is-the-future-going-to-look-like anxiety.
So, if you’re feeling super overwhelmed right now, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and whatever you’re feeling right now, is 100% okay to feel. We’ve been feeling pretty damn stressed and a little moodier than usual if we’re being honest, so we’re really glad we are able to share this conversation. Because the more we open about how we’re feeling, the easier it is for others to share and normalize their experiences, too.
We recorded an episode with therapist Megan Rafuse a while back, and we’ve put together a few highlights from our interview that are super relevant and helpful for anyone who may be feeling stressed today. Her advice and exercises have really helped us navigate our own stress and anxiety during this time.
Megan is a mental health innovator who specializes in millennial wellness. She’s the owner of the Toronto-based therapy clinic, Shift Collab, which offers one-on-one therapy and mental health workshops, catering to busy, highly-driven young adults. We hope Megan’s advice will resonate and offer some coping strategies and stress relief, so carve out a little well-deserved *you* time and read on for our key takeaways.
How can you get out of a stressed, anxious mental state?
“As women, we tend to be givers,” says Megan. “We want to support everyone else and sometimes that comes at the expense of ourselves.” We’re often stuck in a state of what Megan likes to call “Should-ing on yourself” and “Must-erbating”, where you find yourself thinking, “I should have done this, I shouldn’t have done that”. To combat this, Megan suggests we start challenging our “shoulds” with “coulds”. Flip the script and try saying, “I could have done this, but I have compassion for myself now, so I’m telling myself it’s okay that I didn’t.”
Another helpful strategy that Megan recommends is to think of your emotional and mental wellness as a bank account, and be aware of how many deposits you’re putting in versus how much you’re withdrawing. Start by making a list of things that make you feel fulfilled, like painting, working out, watching Netflix, calling a friend, etc. Then take your list and rate each item on a scale of 0-10 (0 being minimal nourishment, and 10 being the most nourishment) to figure out how much emotional “money” each one can add to your emotional bank account..
The key here is to be compassionate with yourself, notes Megan. “If I’m having a really tough day, I might not have the energy to do something that’s a 9. [So] I might not go for a long run, I might do a 2 and watch netflix and order takeout. And that’s okay, because putting $2 in your emotional bank account is better than none. It’s about not shaming yourself.”
And we all know that a reasonable level of stress is inevitable. It’s a part of our everyday lives and that’s what has helped humans adapt and survive over time. But when you start feeling too overwhelmed and burnt out, Megan recommends checking in with yourself and asking: “What have I done recently to put money back into my emotional bank account?”
“Things like our daily commute, how much time we spend at work, and relationship challenges [are] stressors. And stress tends to compound, [so] we need to know what helps us deal with our stress in order for us to be able to cope with it,” says Megan.
This exercise has been so helpful that we created an emotional bank account worksheet for you to use.
You can download it HERE!
How can we avoid the stress and added pressure of social media?
We would be lying if we didn’t admit that we sometimes compare ourselves to others on social media. Especially when we’re stuck at home in quarantine, it can add to the anxiety that we’re not doing enough or being productive enough when we see what everyone else is up to. Megan refers to these thought patterns as “compare and despair”. We compare our current state to other people’s curated highlight reels on social media, and then we despair and project negative thoughts about our own lives. Megan reminds us that “Our brain doesn’t have the capacity to recognize that Suzy probably took 100 photos to get that one shot and she used a filter.” So when you’re going through the compare and despair rabbit hole, Megan recommends to pause, let yourself slow down, and to take a social media break.
How can we identify the areas of our lives that are stressing us out most, and find more balance all around?
“A good way to manage stress, and burn out as well, is to think about our life as a pie,” says Megan. Start by drawing a circle with 8 slices that represent different areas of your life, and then rate how you feel in each area out of 10.
The key is to understand that you’re not going to have a perfectly rounded pie: “I think it’s kind of bullshit that we have to expect ourselves to have a fully round pie. Nobody has one, we will never have one. And it’s awesome not to have a fully balanced pie, because there are some areas in your life that you’re investing more time and energy into than others.”
This exercise will help you identify areas that you’ve been neglecting and may need to spend more time and energy on. It also allows you to give yourself some recognition for the areas where you’re crushing it!
If you’re eager to start doing this exercise, we’ve created a life balance pie downloadable for you as well! Download it HERE !
How to support loved ones and set boundaries when you’re at capacity with your own mental health
According to Megan, stress and burnout wants us to isolate. When showing up for others becomes too overwhelming and you need to focus on yourself, she suggests tackling this straight on and having an open and honest conversation. She recommends saying: “Hey I know I’ve been bailing on our FaceTime dates [for example]. I really care about you and value our friendship, but I am really struggling. Can we put our FaceTime dates on hold, but can you keep reaching out and send me a text every once in a while?” This helps remove the guilt and avoidance that can amplify if you just ignore your plans with people.
It can also be hard to support your loved ones when you personally don’t have the mental or emotional capacity to take on any additional stress. How can you take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself first?! If you find yourself in this situation, Megan suggests total honesty by acknowledging that you’re both struggling and that neither of you have the capacity to support one other. Then, you could brainstorm who else you can both lean on for more support. Not sure how to broach that convo? She recommends saying: “I hear you, and I really care about you, but I also don’t have capacity [right now]. How can we support each other through this [in a way] that doesn’t feel like it’s going to drain us even more?”
How do you know if your problems are “bad enough” to seek help?
We’ve both been guilty of letting our problems fester for too long, or if our problems are even big enough in the first place to warrant talking to a friend or going to therapy. So when it comes to dealing with these thoughts, Megan’s advice is simple: “There is no such thing as ‘bad enough’. If you feel like you’re struggling, reach out. Start with the people that know and love you.”
We hope that our chat with Megan helps you find some ways to manage your stress and anxieties, and also helps you to know that you’re not in this alone.
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
Connect with Megan here:
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Episode 10: How To Form A Habit - And Stick To It
We’ve all heard these famous sayings, “We are what we repeatedly do” and “excellence is not an act but a habit.” But how do you actually form new ones that stick? In episode 10, we’re diving into how to hack your habits (and actually stick to them).
We’ve all heard these famous sayings, “We are what we repeatedly do” and “excellence is not an act but a habit.” But how do you actually form new ones that stick? In episode 10, we’re diving into how to hack your habits (and actually stick to them).
It only takes 21 days to form a habit, and with all this time spent at home right now, a lot of us have more time and space to work on developing new behaviours we’ve always wanted to tackle. But it can feel really daunting and hard to find the motivation, because we’re all out of our routines, and habits require routine.
But habits don’t need to be these huge, crazy life changes! They actually work best when they’re small, subtle tweaks, and the key to making them stick is routine. It’s turning your habits into automatic processes where you can act without thinking, like brushing your teeth before bed.
The science behind our habits
It helps to understand why habits are at the core of everything we do, and how you can shape and change them to have a positive impact on your life. One of the best books on this topic is The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life & Business by Pulitzer-prize winning best-selling author Charles Duhigg. Duhigg explains that habits work in 3-step loops: Cue, Routine & Reward.
The Cue is what triggers you to do a habit, so, setting your alarm to wake you up everyday at 8:00AM. Having a trigger helps create a ritual that you can use to follow through with your habit.
The Routine is the behavior that you then automatically do after the Cue. For example when you first get out of bed you might brush your teeth, wash your face and go make a coffee in the same order every day.
And then the Reward is the part of the loop where you receive something for completing your habit. So that could be the comforting feeling of that first sip of coffee in the morning. Or maybe it’s taking a long hot shower after a tough workout.
So the key to start forming new habits or to changing any bad habits, is to understand your cue, change your routine and, reward yourself in a positive way that will encourage you to want to do that habit again and again.
Shaping your identity with habits
Simple habits have the power to change your self-image, confidence and mindset. That’s why they really matter—they change your internal narrative about yourself. How many times have you told yourself that, “you’re not a morning person, you’re bad at remembering things, you’re just not organized, or you’re always late?” The thing about habits is that when you show up and follow through with them, they help support the ideals of being a certain type of person.
Habits are the evidence that allows you to identify as something: Your immediate goal may be to run a marathon, but it’s ultimately to identify as a “runner”. You might want to start reading a few books on your list, but what you actually want, is to be “a reader”.
You can also think of habits like you think of compound interest, in the sense that the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. You might not see a lot of difference day to day, but they can really change your life in a few months or years. They’re like the compound interest of self-improvement!
7 Ways To Hack Your Habits
Whether you’re looking to nail a new morning routine, start meditating, read more, or start working out (check out episode #9 of the podcast, with fitness coach Beverley Cheng, for more workout inspo), we’ve rounded up seven proven strategies for making new habits stick.
1. Commit to 21 days
It only takes 21 days for a habit to stick, and once you’ve established that habit, if you keep up with it for 90 days, it’s guaranteed to become a permanent lifestyle change.
2. Be realistic
It’s way easier to stick to new habits if you start simple. Don’t try to completely change your life in one day, so start small and build from there. If you’re feeling super overwhelmed by a big goal, habit expert James Clear (the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones) recommends The Two Minute Rule: Take whatever habit you’re trying to build and scale it down to something that takes just two minutes everyday. So, reading more books becomes reading just one page a day. Working out daily becomes a quick two minute sweat sesh. Then you can build on that scale up once it’s become a habit.
3. Be consistent
Consistency is super important for making a habit stick. Try doing it at the same time, and in the same place when possible for those three weeks. Cues like time of day, place and environment will help make these changes permanent.
A great way to stay consistent is to try Filmmaker and Youtuber Matt D'Avella’s The Two Day Rule: Don’t go 2 days in a row without doing your new habit. That way, if you skip one day you don’t need to beat yourself up over it or give up. Give yourself a one day grace period and you’ll be more likely to stick to your new habit.
4. Try habit stacking
If you’re trying to do a bunch of small tasks regularly, a proven way to get shit done consistently is to group those activities together into a routine, and to link that to a habit you’ve already already set in your day. This anchors your new habits to an existing trigger, and it really does work.
5. Create visual cues
Tangible cues can act as regular reminders to practice your habit. For example, put your running shoes somewhere visible if you want to workout more or put athletic clothes on when you wake up, or leave your book on your night stand if you’re trying to read more.
6. Schedule in your habits
Scheduling whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish will help you treat it as a non-negotiable that you have to work around. Using an app to track your progress or to help set daily reminders is a great app—we recommend the Tally app, which lets you set daily or weekly goals for each habit. You could also use a connected device like Amazon Alexa to set reminders during the day.
7. Track your progress
You can also track your process the good ol’ fashion way with pen and paper, with something that habit hackers call the Seinfeld method, which was coined by—you guessed it!—Jerry Seinfled. When he was training to become a comedian, he knew that the only way to get better was to consistently write and test out new jokes, so he got a giant calendar and a big red magic marker and would mark an “X” every day that he wrote. Eventually you’ll get a big chain of X’s that will keep motivating you to add more.
We’ve created a free downloadable habit tracker to help you get started, so be sure to check it out here and start tracking your progress!
We hope these tips will help motivate you to start forming the new habits you’ve been dreaming of. Hit us up on social and let us know what’s been working for you!
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Episode 08: How To Sleep Better So You’re Rested AF
If you’re like us, you might be finding it hard to sync up your sleep schedule with this new WFH life. And even though we’re all stuck at home doing nothing and should be sleeping more than ever, a lot of us are struggling because our entire routine has changed. Obviously, we all know that we should be striving to get eight hours a night—that’s the dream. But it’s way easier said than done.
If you’re like us, you might be finding it hard to sync up your sleep schedule with this new WFH life. And even though we’re all stuck at home doing nothing and should be sleeping more than ever, a lot of us are struggling because our entire routine has changed. Obviously, we all know that we should be striving to get eight hours a night—that’s the dream. But it’s way easier said than done.
So we’ve done the research to help you catch your Zzzs, and we’re diving into 6 tips on how to fall asleep fast:
1: Wake up & go to bed at the same time every day
Yes, even on weekends! Welcome to adulthood. It’s all about regulating your circadian rhythm, which is basically an internal clock that runs in the background of our brains 24 hours a day, and cycles between stages of sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. Your circadian rhythm works best when you have regular sleep and wake habits at night and in the morning. Obviously things get in the way, like daylight savings, pulling an all-nighter for work or school, or binge-watching Netflix till 3:00am...shit happens, we’ve all been there. But if you can stay regular with your sleep schedule you’ll avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm, and those disruptions can make you feel groggy, moody, and can make it harder for you to pay attention during the day.
2: Watch your caffeine intake
This is a hard one, especially if you’re like us and LIVE off coffee. We’re not saying you need to go cold turkey, but if you're having trouble sleeping at night try reducing your caffeine intake in the afternoon. We’ve learned that our cut-off time is around 3:00pm for our last cup, so test it out and see what works best for you.
3: Watch what you eat and drink before bed
Try to avoid eating large meals before bed that’ll send your digestive system into overdrive. And even though we all love a glass of wine at the end of the day, studies show that booze is known to increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and can disrupt your sleep patterns. Yep, we know...this is why we can’t have nice things. Just choose your wine nights wisely, especially when you’re running low on sleep.
4: Create the ultimate sleep den
Optimize your room to become the coziest sleep den. Your bedroom should only be used for two things: sleep and sex. Straight up. Here are some ways that we’ve created our own sleep haven:
Purchase blackout curtains. These have been a game changer for us!
Dim the lighting in your room in the evenings. Mood lighting is key all-around.
Put on a diffuser with sleep-promoting essential oils. Aromatherapy is such a tried-and-tested way to promote calmness and restfulness before bed, and your fave scents can become a tangible cue or trigger for your mind that it’s time to sleep. We love the Sweet Dreams set from Saje or this amazing set that we always keep by our bed-side tables!
Invest in some comfy blankets - weighted ones are all the rage right now and can help you relax and fall asleep faster. This one is our favourite - it’s like a warm hug when you crawl into bed!
Keep it cool. Studies show that the optimal temperature for sleeping should be between 60 to 67 degrees fahrenheit (or 15-19 degrees celsius). AKA cold AF.
5: Limit your exposure to Blue Light
Your phone, TV, and laptop all emit blue light which can trick your brain into thinking it’s earlier than it actually is, and delays the release of sleep-inducing melatonin. If you can, try to not bring any devices into the bedroom an hour before sleep and make it a “no device zone”. If you’re guaranteed to get separation anxiety from your gadgets at night, here are some things you can do:
The only phone hack you truly need to know: Create a shortcut on your phone to switch to a red light at night if you’re like Gill, and can’t stop FaceTiming or watching YouTube videos before bed.
Download an app called F.lux that automatically changes the lighting settings on your laptop at night.
MAJOR HACK: Invest in some cute blue light blocking glasses to wear at night. These pairs are our fave, Cailyn wears them all the time and they’ve been a real game-changer!
6: Establish a bedtime ritual
And finally, establishing a relaxing bedtime ritual can help you wind down at the end of the day. Try doing a meditation (check out our guided meditation with Nina Purewal below from episode 5!), listening to calming music, reading, or unwinding to uber-relaxing ASMR videos. Do something to turn off that chatty mind so you can get to sleep.
We’re going to commit to testing out all these tips this week because we are tired as hell. So follow along with us on insta and we’ll keep you posted on how it goes! Hit us up on social and let us know what tricks help you sleep better. Sweet dreams!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
@teachmehowtoadultpodcast
See you next week! xo
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