Self Help



For the last several months I have been working towards a healthier, happier me.
From my mental health to my physical
(less of the physical I have to admit because I refuse to exercise or eat better!)
But I have been looking into natural and alternative forms of medicine to balance out and gain control of my hormones and to give me a sense of energy I have perhaps never felts.
At my work we have been discussing this idea of a frog in boiling water.
If you put the frog in a pot of cold water and slowly turn up the heat 
he wont jump out.
but if you threw him in the hot scolding pot he would jump. 
For so many of us women this is how we react to the changes in our bodies.
We learn to accept the hormones, the unwanted weight gain, the restlessness,
and so on... and from what I hear it just gets worse. uggg.
So I have decided to jump!
I am tired of the ups and downs of my moods, the constant irritability, and the lack of energy.
I've spoken with my doctor a little bit about these issues but have never really felt like she was listening. If I'm not anemic, why am I tired?
I'm going to try some natural products from Secrets of Mother Nature
If you are interested I'll be more than happy to share with you all how and if these products help me. But I'm very excited to try ANYTHING at this point.
Also I've decided to go the natural route because as many of you know 
motherhood is getting closer for me (not pregnant yet!)
and I want to be as health as I can be to carry a happy healthy baby into this world. 

As I said I am also working on my mental life too.
I've been reading self help books about marriage, self esteem and many other issues that are important to me to work on.
But most importantly I have been opening up to my friends and family 
I have such a small view of life. 
It's so comforting to talk to others who are on my same path or up ahead
 about the issues I'm having
from the challenges of marriage, self acceptance, copping with everyday stresses, 
or letting go of the past. 
Life is hard... but it's wonderful!
In blogland and we tend to show just the happy go lucky side of things
and thats fine - I love that about blogging
but what I also love about blogging is the community of woman
the bonds we have and the wisdom we share
All of you effect my life in such a positive way! 



On a lighter side of things
I haven't made  friday Mosaic in a while.
I love putting these together! 
This one really makes me over the top happy.
Such happy cheerful colors.
This last week you have all left such lovely comments
 on my blog and in flickr land!
Thank you... 
Many of you are really excited about my paper dolls! YEAH!
But unfortunately I'm going to sadly make you all wait one week more.
I know, that's not very nice but I have a few more ideas...
and I think you will conclude they were worth the wait.

This weekend sadly wont be a creative time for me.
It's spring cleaning time
UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!
We are cleaning our garage which is scary beyond belief.
And today I am starting to paint our now guest room and future nursery
to look a little something like this.
Thanks Jenny for the inspiration!

Have a lovely weekend Gals~
Chelsea Ann

20 comments:

aiaimatilde® said...

your blog is fantastic, i love it! :)

Meagan said...

I love what you've written here about self-exploration and acceptance. Very inspiring! And keep us posted about the Secrets of Mother Nature products. I've VERY interested. :)

Sadie Lou said...

Chelsea,
Such a gorgeous post!
You're such a ray of sunlight. I have been experimenting with different ways to make me feel better physically, so I found walking does wonders for my health and my MENTAL health.
:)
~Sadie

Peach Nia said...

Good for you for wanting to make changes!

While medical/orthodox medicine intervention is often very necessary, we need to focus on the saying that we are what we eat! One way to improve energy levels and hormonal imbalances is through diet and exercise, then adding supplements is another way to help the immune system, making sure you get enough vit d and calcium is really important for women too.

I suffer with Fibromalagia and that gives me a full gamet of symptoms both physical and mental and I have noticed that when I take the right supplements and eat right that both my moods and body feel so much better.

Chelsea Van Tol said...

Ahh. I <3 you so much :) your post made me a little teary.

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

hugs!

Have you had your thyroid checked out? If your thyroid is out of wack it can cause all of those symtoms.

Unknown said...

Hi Chelsea! Loved this post, love your honesty. Did you ever think about a gluten free diet? I have been toying with that idea myself lately.
You look particularly adorable today, and because of that, I am posting on flickr something just up your alley! I hope you enjoy the "Sentimental Journey." Oh, I deleted the sample I did to show another person how to stitch so evenly - just get a piece of gingham with the middle sized squares, not too tiny. That is how I learned in 9th grade Home-Ec class! Did you see the tea pot painting that Valerie painted of the red one I sent her? so wonderful! Busy, busy, all the best to you! Elizabeth

backhomeagain said...

I just love you little bird! Your spirit is my inspiration today...

Nancy said...

Good luck on your journey! I'm ttc and taking rainbow light prenatal vitamins, they are food based.

apparentlyjessy said...

I get the feeling that a lot of my beautiful bloggers friends are on the self-improvement journey at the moment, and I love it because I find reading about it very inspiring!

Elaine from L.A. said...

Such insight for one so young! You are a remarkable young woman! Can I adopt you? :~)

Carrie @ Cottage Cozy said...

My husband and I just cleaned out our garage today...I got it started while he was at work and when he got home we finished it up together...wow it feels to good to have it all cleaned up and organized! Thanks for getting back to me about the "Crafty Wonderland" at Doug Fir...I will have to come see you perhaps in August when you have your table again!

Exciting to hear how you are trying to use natural remedies for natural changes...I am a little bit farther along on that route and highly recommend your continued search for healthy alternatives. Have a wonderful weekend...can you believe it? 80-85 degrees....HELLO!

Stay Cozy, Carrie

*Evelyn* said...

Chelsea how are you?
great post blog !! Have a nice weekend !!

Evelyn

Shari from Big Yellow Farmhouse said...

Chelsea, You are so wise to be looking into natural/alternative medicine at your young age. I wish I had started down that road earlier.

A decade ago, about the time I turned 40, I started having some scary health problems. Spent a lot of money on medical tests, trying to determine what was going on and got absolutely no answers. It was a very tough, discouraging time.

The doctors were clueless, but a bunch of homeschooling moms in an online group introduced me to "natural" bio-identical hormones and some groundbreaking books by Dr. John Lee. I truly believe that natural progesterone cream may have saved my life! Every single one of my symptoms disappeared once I got my hormones balanced!

So I just want to encourage you in your journey. There are many wise women out there who have found some answers that conventional medicine (with it's emphasis on Big Pharmaceauticals) still doesn't recognize.

My very favorite alternative medicine site on the web is Dr. Mercola's health blog at mercola.com.

Thank you for talking about this issue. We all need to try and help each other find the answers! Good luck to you! We love you!!

Missy said...

I'd be interested to hear about your discoveries. I've been thinking about trying acupuncture.

Pieceful Bits said...

It is so true that women have many changes in their bodies and minds. It is a constant struggle. I have taken up running and it has helped my energy and mind a great deal. You just need to find what works best for you..it is not the same for everyone. You are such a dear..I hope you find what you need.
Hugs
(~~)
Julie

Alex (Wunderkind) said...

Sweet, beautiful, little Chelsea Ann! I would never have guessed you to have any self-esteem problems! People say the same to me all the time but in the end it really is all about how you feel about yourself. I love natural, alternative treatments to tackle anything that ails me or my family (including our pets) but after battling General anxiety and Panic Disorder for 9 years I finally threw in the towel and went, reluctantly to a "medical profesional" and although I'm not excited about being on man-made medications, I must say that being able to drive again is awesome. Sometimes brains are misfiring in a way that cannot be changed by yourself and it was unfair to my family that I continued on so long the way I was. Get a full medical work up and get a copy of your blood work, do your own homework. I truly hope it's something you can beat on your own. You are so lovely and full of sunshine, stay positive!

Tell that husband to give you a big giant hug for me!

Britt- Sparkled Vintage Charm said...

lovely post sweetie!! It is always good to try and improve oneself. I am always trying new vitamins or self help shows etc. :-) LOVE the idea for the nursery!! I was just thinking this morning how I want to paint Sutton's room that way!! (I have always loved Jenny's old bathroom) Of course as you know we have to get Sutton a room first! lol. There is a new place we are thinking about,but can't do anything about moneywise until after we come back from vacation. I hope you have a great day sweets! hugs!!

Leslie said...

Hi, I ran across your blog while searching around for crafty people. For a while, I felt fatigued, low on energy, a bit down, etc. Finally, after giving birth, everything shot downward so quickly. I found myself in the ER after a suicide attempt, which isn't like me at all! I was released with the promise of seeking help within a week or being admitted to a psych ward. After antidepressants and lots of tests, I was still so so tired that it was "severe fatigue." I even lost my job over it (a good job! I am educated!) Finally, I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition. Even if it doesn't run in your family or if the symptoms don;t all match up, please have your doctor test your thyroid hormone and your thyroid stimulating hormones. It is so often overlooked in young people. I got lucky. I have 10 years before the doctors would have even thought about doing the regular thyroid testing. Since starting treatment (a supplement pill a day), my energy is up, my weight is down and going down still, and I am happy. Good luck on your journey, and please check your neck!

Brian Burke said...

Just found your blog, ultra-cool it is!

I felt some sympathy when you spoke of being tired all the time, had the same prob most of my life.

Believe it or not, no more, since six months, when I quit eating meat. No need for naps, energy level is great. Cooking is a snap, last night I made fake sloppy Joe's, has become a favorite of my wife.

Lovely blog.