Category: Uncategorized

  • 6 Months In A New City: The Good, The Bad, The Isolating, & How I’m Working To Love Myself More

    6 Months In A New City: The Good, The Bad, The Isolating, & How I’m Working To Love Myself More

    It’s insane to think I’ve now been living in New York for 6 months. Absolutely insane.

    In 6 months, I have seen both the greatest, and most difficult days to date. I’ve had days where I feel like I completely belong here and I’m on top of the world. I’ve had days where I didn’t know if I could get up and out of my apartment to face people. I’ve had days where I felt so lonely I wonder why I did what I did, and wondered if anyone even cares about me (crazy, I know). But moving to a new city can be completely isolating. And while exciting, some days I literally feel like I’m on an island.

    But I don’t think this only goes for people moving to a new city, I think it can happen anywhere. I used to be constantly surrounded by family and friends, and sometimes still even felt lonely. What I’ve learned is each day I have a new opportunity to do things that make me happy, make me feel better, and love myself more. So in the process, I’ve worked hard to love the absolute crap out of myself to get through some of the toughest days. Here are a few things I started doing:

    1. I started meditating. I downloaded the Calm app, and truly have been trying to meditate everyday. It’s really helping! My thoughts can get the absolute best of me sometimes, and in the craziness of each day, we don’t always spend time just sitting there with NO thoughts. Meditating sets me up for more calm and peace in my day, which is something I’ve realized I need. Badly.
    2. I’m re-prioritizing things that make me happy. Getting situated, settled, finding work, and all of the above have been a priority since moving. But, what about things that make me happy? I refocused on remembering things that make me happy and making them a huge priority; exercising, yoga, writing, reading, being around people, nights in, going to movies alone, dancing, trying new things – the list goes on! I’m trying to remember that in the daily grind of life, we still have to find time to do the things that make us happy. Simple but true.
    3. I’m practicing daily gratitude and daily affirmations. Right now, my daily affirmation is: You are strong, smart, sassy, & sexy! Sometimes feeling isolated can also have effects on my mental health, and by affirming these words out loud, I’m working on positive self talk and loving myself more. I also write down what I’m grateful for each week in my planner, which has been an amazing addition to my routine to keep myself feeling gratitude in each day.
    4. I’m reading more. This is another thing that eases my anxiety: reading. I’m challenging myself to read a book per month (though I’m hoping it’s more!) Reading expands my mind, calms me, and gives me more room for creativity, which makes me happier in my day to day. Send me your book recommendations!
    5. I’m giving myself grace. I’ve realized in the past 6 months that I put a ton of pressure on myself. I almost feel I’ve put pressure on myself to have some grand experience here, because of telling everyone my plans and dreams of moving to NYC. It makes for anxiety central when I have an off day, or I feel out of place, or whatever the case is. I’m trying to put less pressure on, and give myself grace. Live my life and be happy, but not cost myself my mental health because I want to achieve everything I’m dreaming of.

    Wherever you are, and wherever you’re at in life, just know that you are loved, you are enough, and you are not alone, my friend.

    XOXO, Kenzie

  • How I’m Choosing To Love Myself More Amidst My Holiday Slump (Including A Week Off Social Media)

    How I’m Choosing To Love Myself More Amidst My Holiday Slump (Including A Week Off Social Media)

    Oh, the holiday slump. It comes around for me every holiday season — and I never quite understand why. I’m surrounded by family and friends, I have so much to be thankful for, but why do I feel kind of down in the dumps?

    While I was home for Thanksgiving back in Chicago, it was my first time being back since moving to New York this past summer. It was a weird feeling having not been there for six months, and I’m not sure if I had some expectation for how it would go, or what — but I spent a week of quality time with friends, family, and everyone I’ve been missing for months on end. So it should have been the perfect trip, right?

    At the end of the week, I missed New York. That made me feel good — because it made me feel a sense of home, in my new home. But then I got back, and I just felt very ‘blah,’ as I like to call it.

    Sometimes, I think my expectations can get the best of me. I get so excited about things that it’s almost a let down when things aren’t feeling ‘perfect.’ Does anyone else feel that way? It’s hard for me to accept sometimes that things are just flat, and going okay (or even badly, ha). That’s how I’ve felt post-holidays — between work, personal things, and everything in between — and how I think a lot of other people might be feeling, so I wanted to talk about it. Because, it’s okay to be in a slump and feel a little down sometimes. To me, it’s how I get myself out of it and realign myself that’s important.

    Once I realized where my mental state was a few weeks ago, I started evaluating what was making me feel joy and what wasn’t. I realized social media was not bringing me joy at all. I was mindlessly scrolling, and it was making me feel extremely lonely. I also felt like I didn’t have anything to say on my blog, and it gave me more anxiety — what should I be posting, what should I be doing, etc. were all thoughts constantly running through my head.

    I decided to take a week off social media to cleanse myself a bit — in hopes I’d live in the moment more, think less, and not be on my phone as much. And it worked. My phone time went down 60%+… I was spending more like 1-2 hours on my phone each day, as opposed to something like 6-8 before… yikes! And not only that, I felt less anxious and lonely.

    I realized I need to set some new boundaries for myself when it comes to my social media use, which I will most definitely be doing. And in addition, my ‘holiday slump’ has made me even more focused on loving myself and doing things that make me feel good.

    This week, I went to a hip hop dance class with my best friend and it was insane – SO fun. I went to a movie by myself, which always helps clear my head. I finally started a crafting project in my room that I’ve been thinking about for a while but continually putting off. I bought Christmas presents. I went to my friends’ musical they were starring in. I went to tons of yoga. All of these things brought me joy, and I will continue to find ways to bring myself that feeling of joy, while also knowing it’s not always going to feel ‘perfect.’ And that’s okay.

    I hope even in the hard times, and the low times, you still love yourself and help yourself find the things you enjoy. And even though my expectations get the best of me sometimes, I will never stop getting excited about things and pushing towards what brings me joy and makes me happy. I hope you don’t either, and I hope you love yourself to the fullest, even in the times of a ‘holiday slump.’

    XOXO, Kenzie

     

  • 3 Things I Learned Moving to a New City

    3 Things I Learned Moving to a New City

    Holy cow — it’s been a minute since I’ve written a post! Life lately has been pretty wild — and I just hit about 4 months in NYC — so figured I was due for an update post on what’s been going on.

    But instead of just rattling through updates in my life, I thought it might be worthwhile to include my 3 biggest learnings from moving to a new city. Here goes!

    1. Being nervous and taking risks means growth is coming. I’m going to be honest, I’ve probably never been as stressed as I was than when I was preparing to move to NYC. There were so many unknowns, which gave me the ultimate anxiety in thinking about what my experience would be like and how I would do. But like one of my favorite quotes says – “no risk, no magic.” And that is absolutely true. I’ve grown immensely in these past few months — with no shortage of hard times — but that’s only because I put myself in situations that were scary (moving to a new city being number one!). And fast forward to now, I’m so glad I did. But the first step was taking the risk, which is absolutely the hardest part (but worth it!).
    2. Building a community is absolutely crucial. From the second I got to New York, I’ve worked my hardest to build a community. I got really lucky to land at a welcoming, supportive community at Orangetheory Fitness and have some friends and family already in NYC — but I’m also trying to go to new things where I might meet new people — like sports leagues, events, museums, etc. A few times throughout this journey so far I’ve questioned myself in why I left my “comfort zone” – a steady job, friends and family, and a place that felt like home. But for many many months, I was feeling like there was more out there and that I had to try something new — and New York was a place I could do that while chasing some of my dreams I was pushing off to the side for much too long. Some days, I’m not going to lie, I miss home and wonder why I made the decision I did. But the good days — where I see challenge, growth, and positive things happening — make it all worth it. And having a community there to support you makes it all worth it, too, which is why this is so important!
    3. Feeling lonely and lost sometimes is normal. As I mentioned above, some days I feel completely lost and lonely. I question myself and I question why I chose to move to a new city. But then I think back to when I had all these dreams of moving to NYC, writing my book, getting out of my comfort zone — and I remember why I made the plunge. My family and friends are dear to my heart everyday — and I always remember that. But trying something new definitely means lonely days will be there — and I’m learning to cope with it and truly appreciate the time I do have with loved ones and friends — old and new. I’m also working on reaching out when I’m struggling, which really helps. But main point here: it’s normal to feel lonely sometimes, no matter where you are. When I have those days, I remember what it takes to get me out of my slump, do my best, and move on to the next day.

    If you’re thinking about moving to a new city, here are the main questions I thought about (for years, honestly). I hope this is helpful in some way to someone out there who’s contemplating a big move (or did make a move)!

    1. Why do I want to move? Don’t forget, life is still life — so moving to a new city won’t “solve” anything that might be an issue in your current life. What it will do is bring those issues to the forefront, ha. I thought about why I wanted to move for years, and ultimately landed on the decision that I was going for it. But sometimes it’s not always the answer, and that’s okay!
    2. What city do I want to move to and why? I did my research and landed on NYC, but other cities might be a fit for different people. Think about your goals and dreams and how that city matches up. Talk to friends who live there about living recommendations, things to think about, etc. and make some visits so you really know you see yourself there. Then, it’s time to pull the trigger!

    Did you enjoy this post? Want to talk about moving to a new city, or life in general? DM me on Instagram @thecurveconfessions or comment on this post! I’d love to chat with you.

    XOXO, Kenzie

  • How Trying New Workouts Can Boost Your Confidence

    How Trying New Workouts Can Boost Your Confidence

    Working out can be an intimidating thing – whether it’s at a gym or specific workout studio – we’ve all felt “gym intimidation” before. By trying something new and unknown, you’re putting yourself out there; where you’ll be around people you don’t know, around people who have different bodies than you, and who might just be more experienced than you at this specific workout. But what I’ve learned recently is none of that matters – and trying new workouts can actually build your confidence.

    Almost two years ago I was beyond afraid of trying high intensity interval training workout, Shred415 (Read: The Workout and Positive Mindset that Changed My Life). My best friend kept convincing me I should try, and I always turned her down out of fear. I would use excuses like “I’m not a runner” or “I don’t think I can do a workout like that.” Two years later, I’m still regularly going and it’s a workout that helped me immensely on my weight loss and health journey – and even helped me complete my first triathlon (another thing I thought I couldn’t do). It did take months and months of going completely out of my comfort zone to get there – but it’s ultimately helped my confidence for the better.

    And that goes the same for other workouts I’ve tried over the years, too – Barry’s Bootcamp, Yoga, Cycling, Barre – and there are still new workouts I want to try. Every time I walk into a new studio, I may start out of my comfort zone, but I end the class feeling so accomplished. And hell, I grew to become a regular at a place I thought I could never try!

    My point is – don’t count out a workout because of a thought or fear in your head. Grab a friend (or yourself), check out a studio, and build your confidence! It might end up changing your life. 😉

    Now what workouts are you going to try?

  • Why Self Care is For Everyone

    Why Self Care is For Everyone

    Self care is something I’ve found to be so important on my journey of self love, and it’s something that we all might look at a little differently.

    But no matter which way you look at self care in your own life, it is for everyone. It’s a way to take care of yourself – mind, body, and soul – and something I believe should be actively thought about in all of our lives. It’s also a way to evaluate what YOU need to care for yourself.

    The way I looked at self care has evolved a lot over the past few years. I used to treat myself to things that weren’t necessarily good for me – like having a sweet treat or letting myself skip a night at the gym. My relationship with treating myself changed when I started to realize I wanted to fuel my body and treat it well – and that my self care routine should directly reflect that. I’m not saying I never treat myself to sweets (ha I promise I do), but the way I look at my self care routine has definitely changed for the better.

    I started getting into things that made myself and my body feel better – like baths (if you’ve seen my Instagram stories, you already know), face masks to exfoliate and nourish my skin, taking vitamins, spending nights to myself with a glass of wine, taking class at Shred415, doing yoga, etc. I’d say self care is something I’ve completely prioritized, and when I start to get overwhelmed or stressed by life, I immediately incorporate a self care routine. But even if I don’t have a reason, I want to be sure these things I enjoy are incorporated into my regular routine – and I think that’s how it should be for us all!

    What are your favorite ways to practice self care, and what’s your motive for doing it? I’d love to hear! Now go grab a glass of wine or a bath, you deserve it 😉

    Photo credit: @Shape