Everyone always stresses the importance of being *vulnerable* when it comes to blogging and social media. While I’m not really one for oversharing or joining in on a pity party (in real life, or on Instagram), I do think it’s important to recognize that sometimes shit gets real. And in October, shit got real for me.

Life gets busy, everyone with a pulse knows that. Especially when the easy breezy vibes of summer start to fade and we go into full-on fall mode. It’s no secret that the last few months of the year absolutely fly by. Between the holidays, wrapping up work projects, traveling and the seasons changing, it can feel like fall disappears before our eyes and it’s suddenly January 1st (however, our waistline from the pumpkin spice and holiday food intake might say differently – jk).

But sometimes, we tend to give ourselves a little too much credit for our capacity to handle “doing it all,” and we simply forget to come up for air.

And that’s exactly how I felt this past month. I feel like my life is literally the Friends theme song and it hasn’t been my day, my week or month, or even my year.

Okay, that’s a little dramatic. But this year has been a doozy and I feel like in October, it all hit me like a sack of potatoes (or pumpkins because, fall). Between my lease ending and moving into a new apartment, a two-year relationship ending (yeah, bet you didn’t see that coming), work trips, keeping up with friends, and an abnormally high influx of blogger events, I’m pretty sure I had something going on 29/31 days in October.

It was exhausting both mentally and physically, but there were SO many fun and worthwhile parts too. And while everyone has different reasons for letting life get a little out of control, I know I’m not alone in needing a refresh.

So with November upon us, here’s exactly how I’m hitting reset to center yourself, get organized, shake off October and make the most of these last few holiday months of 2018. A few of these steps are housekeeping (which, in my opinion, leads to underlying stress if not handled) and a few of them are about being mindful.

1. Center Yourself by Making Updates

This step may not be necessary for everyone, but it’s crucial for me since I just moved and I think it’s important to center yourself by starting with organizing the housekeeping details. Making updates means checking into all of your accounts to make sure everything is up to date including billing and shipping addresses. Check on bank accounts, shopping accounts like Amazon, weekly or monthly subscription services (um yeah, obv don’t want your HelloFresh going to whoever occupies your old place), updating your driver’s license, and even making sure your car insurance address is up to date. Trust me, it feels so good to have everything up to date!

2. Center Yourself by Taking Inventory

When was the last time you took inventory of everything you’re subscribed to or a member of? Are you an angel investor in that gym down the street (aka the membership fee auto drafts every month even though you haven’t been since March)? Do you really need that BirchBox every month just to throw four out of the five samples into a drawer under your bathroom sink? Most of the time, I find I’m just too lazy to cancel these types of things or “I’ll do it later.” But I won’t, and you won’t either, so set aside some time and do it now.

I don’t want to go on a tangent about money here, but these types of things add up and REALLY can make a huge difference when it comes to your bank account. Evaluate what you’re a member of and cancel what you don’t need or use anymore. This in itself will help center you!

3. Center Yourself by Setting Goals

Okay, now that the boring formalities are in check and you don’t have 3 different billing addresses floating around the internet, it’s time to hunker down and set some goals. This doesn’t have to be a full-on master goal setting sesh, but just take some time to center yourself, reflect and jot down what’s on your mind. Let’s be serious, there’s not a whole lot of time for accomplishing goals during the holiday months, so use this time for planning. Set a time to check in once or twice a week to work on fine-tuning these goals so that you can hit the ground running once the new year hits. I recommend putting it all into a note on your phone (I like to use Evernote so that it shows up across my phone and computers) so you can add to it whenever inspiration strikes!

For example, a few things I want to work on for 2019 include getting my finances in check (what’s a budget?), monetizing my blog, diversifying my income streams through the aid of experts on posts like the price of Kiana Danial, making time to tap into my crafty/artistic side, and focusing on being healthy and happy. These are mostly broad idea type goals, so I’ve been working on breaking them down even further into actionable steps, but we can get into that in another post.

4. Center Yourself by Taking a Breather

Last but not least, let’s remember the most crucial step in refreshing after a whirlwind month/day/year: take a damn breather!! Here are a few of my favorite ways to breathe and center myself:
– Get in bed early every night for a week and read an inspiring book (I have an entire list on Amazon)
– Take a yoga class at least once a week
– Explore some of my favorite monthly horoscopes for mantras and inspiration (The Numinous and Nadine Jane Astrology are my faves)
– Read up on a few wellness inspired blogs (such as Well and Good or MindBodyGreen)

When it comes down to it, I think we’re all guilty of taking on more than we should and letting ourselves get off center. But I hope this list helps you to get organized, unwind, and prepare for the busy (and exciting) holiday months to come! I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you shake off a tough month and center yourself, so be sure to post in the comments below!

xx