All Things Tea & Such

Not busy, but productive. That's the goal.

To be busy is to be occupied and full of activity, while being productive yields results or benefits.

Being busy can wear you out to empty. Being productive can fill you up to overflowing.

As we go through the hustle and bustle of life, my goal is to live in a manner that allows me to get the desired outcome without wearing me down. This is why self-care is so important. Taking time to be kind to yourself will enable you to refocus and refuel, so you're working smarter and not necessarily harder.

I was asked this weekend what I do for self-care. I responded that the most common things I do for self-care are to enjoy a cup of tea, read a book, and rest. I try to listen to my body and try to give it what it needs.

This is one of the reasons I started Grace & Gratitude. I wanted it to be a place where you would be encouraged to take a moment for you. Take a moment to focus on productivity instead of busyness. Take a moment to listen to your body and treat it well.

 

Here are a few tips on how to be productive, not busy:

1. Don't focus on getting everything right. Focus on getting the right things right.
2. Prioritize what’s important.
3. Learn how to say “no” to the things that don’t matter.
4. Create a schedule and stick with it.
5. Do the work you like the least first.
6. Focus on one project at a time. Instead of multitasking, hyper-focus on a single task.

What are some things you do for self-care?

How do you refocus and refuel?

What are some productivity tips?

I took this Monday to reflect on meaningful moments from this weekend. As a wife and mom of two toddlers, sometimes sheer exhaustion can cloud your thinking and cause you to forget those moments that really matter. So, I reflected on a long walk I took with the kids this weekend. My son asking endless questions and my daughter’s eyes lighting up seeing the geese in the pond. I reflected on my husband and I taking a long drive talking about anything and everything while the kids napped in their car seats in the backseat.

Moments don’t have to be major to be meaningful.

Reflect on your recent meaningful moments.

Record those moments.

Reference/recall those moments on days or during moments that feel anything but meaningful.

Reward yourself, aka, give yourself some grace. We're all out here doing the best we can.

Happy Monday! And a journal to record those moments are available in the shop.

Sunday. Sundays for me are for God, family, and rest. Today, we streamed a few church services, took the kids for a walk by the water and then took a long drive while they napped. Although I didn’t rest in the traditional sense, I did rest from those things that can cause me anxiety or stress and I instead focused on gratitude.

Today, even if you couldn’t rest in the traditional sense, take a moment for gratitude. Reflect on those people and things that bring you joy and peace. As the saying goes “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content”.

Mental Wellness is engaging the world through learning, problem-solving, creativity, etc. If there is anything positive about this period of quarantine, it is the opportunity to have time to do things I wouldn’t ordinarily have time to do. I’ve had time to take classes and learn new skills. I’ve had the mental space to solve lingering problems. And I've had the opportunity to create and launch Grace & Gratitude.

How are you managing your mental wellness? Have you learned anything new, solved a problem, or unleashed your creativity? If not, consider ways to do so! This weekend may be the perfect time.

Spiritual Wellness is our search for meaning and purpose in human existence. My faith in God is something that has helped me in my search for meaning and purpose. My faith is something that I regularly rely on to navigate challenging times. My faith gives me peace. And just knowing that I don’t have to have all of the answers all of the time is reassuring.

With all that we’ve experienced in 2020, how is your spiritual wellness? Have you struggled to find meaning and purpose during this time or have you found a way to connect to your purpose?

Physical Wellness is a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc. Whew, where should I even begin. LOL! At the top of 2020, pre-quarantine, I started a new fitness routine. I went to the gym a few times a week, I cooked quite often, and really paid attention to what I put in my body. It was during this time, Grace & Gratitude became a real thought. The healthy teas along with a healthy diet and fitness routine would be a win all around.

Then we fast-forward to mid-March and the pandemic erupts and quarantine orders are instituted, but I still wanted to maintain and enhance my physical wellness. So, the thought of Grace & Gratitude turned into a full launch with ten healthy and organic teas, along with self-care products that enhance your physical wellness by improving the quality of your sleep and focus.

Has the quarantine affected your physical wellness? Have you found ways to maintain or enhance a healthy body? Or are you planning a complete ”do over” in 2021?

If you need an easy and effective way to enhance your physical wellness, visit our store and try our teas.

Environmental Wellness focuses on creating a healthy physical environment free of hazards and the awareness of the role we play in bettering rather than denigrating the natural environment 

At Grace & Gratitude, we take pride in the role we play in our environment.

All of our teas are certified organic and are grown without conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage-sludge based fertilizers.

Our teas are grown following the Ethical Tea Partnership, an organization that monitors and regulates living and working conditions on tea estates worldwide.

The tea estates that grow our teas are net absorbers of CO2, one of the common gasses responsible for global warming. Most estates use renewable timber, refuse wood and root stock from exhausted tea bushes as a fuel source as often as possible. Not only are these fuel sources renewable and less costly than fossil fuels, they also emit fewer emissions.

What role does environmental wellness play in your life?

How are we connecting with, interacting with, and contributing to other people and our communities? COVID has forced limitations on our social interactions and forced us interact in creative ways. It's been months since we've been able to attend church, birthday parties, pool parties, concerts, and plays in person or without full PPE! I have never used Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Facetime as much as I have in 2020. But, these tools have allowed me to interact with people virtually and maintain my social wellness.

Check in on how you're fairing with your social wellness. Are you an extrovert yearning for lots of in-person interactions, or are you an introvert who is okay with limited in-person interactions? What are some ways you're protecting your social wellness during this time?

Happy Sunday! We’ll be discussing the six dimensions of wellness this week (see previous post). We are starting with emotional wellness, which is being in touch with, aware of, accepting of, and expressing one’s feelings (and those of others). Today, as you focus on starting a brand new week, how are you feeling emotionally? Today, I am striving. I have two toddlers that keep me running, and I'm tired 🥱. But I’m aware of and accepting of my feelings (and my husband’s feelings because we are both tired 😂), and I know how to ask for what I need, so I can begin to thrive. 

As you check in with how you're feeling (and those around you), are you striving, thriving, or merely surviving?