Thank you for being here, and especially the subscribers who have offered feedback so far. My survey is still open and I’d love to hear your (hopefully good 😉) thoughts so we can continue adding new content and keeping it fresh. For now, let’s dive into November! ✨

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♡ MANTRA OF THE MONTH: What I appreciate, grows.

In the spirit of the month of thankfulness, our November mantra focuses on gratitude: “what I appreciate, grows.” Gratitude is such an underrated health practice. Scientists studying positive psychology found that a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms! What?! When we express appreciation toward our relationships, work, health, home, and mindset, our perceived value of these things increases, and our overall outlook on life improves.

As we move through November, let’s choose to spend our time and energy on what we are most thankful for, and to notice even the smallest parts of life that bring us joy.

Keep reading for fun resources this month including a FREE downloadable Gratitude Journal and a 3-Day Mini Goal Setting Challenge.

Wellness Trends 🌱

The start of November means the temperatures are sure to begin dropping lower and lower. Here are this month’s wellness tips to keep your spirit high and bright.

♡ Seasonal Self-Care:
As the days get shorter, many people navigate what is commonly known as “the winter blues.” This is an experience of feeling sad or down throughout the fall and winter. However, some people may have a more serious condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression that’s tied to the seasons (🙋🏽‍♀️). The decrease of sunlight in the day affects our circadian rhythm, and the colder temperatures make it more difficult or less desirable to go outside. Because of this (sometimes subtle) shift in our mood, our rituals can often become more difficult to maintain. Ironically, this is when self-care matters most!

Here are a few tips on how you can set yourself up for success when it comes to maintaining your self-care routine throughout the next few months.

• Focus on getting 8 hours of sleep AND waking up when your alarm goes off. I am guilty, guilty, guilty of hitting that snooze button. But the winter blues can be sneaky. If you allow yourself to stay in bed too long, you may be giving in to those sluggish feelings and taking away the opportunity to kick-start your day with positive energy. Prioritize your morning routine now more than ever! I recently partnered with Happier, a meditation app, and love kick-starting my morning with a 5 or 10-minute meditation. You can use this link to try it for 30 days completely free!

• Keep👏🏽Getting👏🏽Outside. I said it last month, and I’ll keep saying it because it’s so important! Expose yourself to sunlight as often as you can. Bundle up for a walk, or make a fire to sit in the backyard during the day. We are just the human version of plants and the sun is what gives us energy. Vitamin D is a critical resource and it’s hard to come by when the days are shorter so make sure you’re not taking it for granted.

• Say “no” to protect your “yes.” One of my favorite quotes of all time (shoutout Robin Arzon), and it’s especially important as we head into the busy holiday months. You’re likely getting invited to parties and gatherings with friends and family and it can start to add up mentally and emotionally. It’s self-care to budget how you spend your energy and time as much as your money. Make sure you’re allowing yourself to say “no,” and take time for yourself when needed to re-energize.

There are also a handful of gadgets and helpful tools you can find on Amazon that can help stave off the winter blues! I compiled a list of recommendations for you here!

What I’m Loving Lately ✨

A quick hit of the things in my life currently bringing me thoughtfulness and joy.

♡ What I’m watching:
Per cozy season, we love to choose a binge and stick to it for our nightly “show” together. Currently, we’re on season 6 of Desperate Housewives and we are locked in. 🤝🏽 As a note: If you’ve never seen the show, it’s a fictional comedy/drama, originally aired in the 2000s. I’m not typically one for reality TV, but I don’t think it’s anything like the Real Housewives, other than the similar title.

I also love getting into the appropriate holiday spirit through a good movie or TV series. In October, we used a homemade movie jar to choose something spooky to watch when we were in the mood for a movie. It was so helpful to take the thinking and debating out of making a quick decision (Netflix decision fatigue, anyone?). I’ll be sharing more details on how to make your own Holiday Movie Jar later this month, so keep an eye on my Instagram! 😉

♡ What I’m reading:
Speaking of binge, I’ve been on a fiction bender. I just finished None Of This Is True, by Lisa Jewell and it was such a fun and fascinating read. I will say, it contains potentially triggering content throughout the first half and I almost put it down, but once the story comes together, it turned out to be one of the most creative fiction thrillers I’ve read in a while! I’m now reading one of my all-time favorite author’s newest releases: Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty. I’m less than halfway through it, but so far, it may be one of her best I’ve read!

I’ve also picked up a re-read non-fiction for the season, Gratitude Through Hard Times, by Chris Schembra. A good friend gifted this book to me back in 2021 when I was going through one of my hardest times, and it’s chock-full of incredible data on how gratitude positively impacts our lives, as well as one-liners that serve as daily insight, no matter where I am in the book. I’ve been sharing a snippet every morning on my IG story. You can find these books and check out all my favorite and recent reads on Amazon.

♡ What’s inspiring me:
In October we attended my 3rd annual Campfire event at Flying Horse Farms. The organization offers a magical, transformational camp experience for children with serious illnesses, and Campfire is their annual fundraiser. We look forward to it every year because it’s so inspiring to hear stories from the campers and their families about the challenges they face in everyday life, and how camp offers them opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience. Not to mention, the camp is free for all campers and their families. You can learn more about Flying Horse Farms by visiting their website, and if you’re feeling called to, explore opportunities to volunteer.

♡ What I’m Loving Lately:
All things pumpkin! I’ve been sharing pumpkin-fied recipes on my Instagram, and the MVP of most of what I’ve been conjuring up is the Silk Dairy Free Pumpkin Creamer. It’s so smooth, the pumpkin flavor is incredible, and a little goes a long way! I’ve been adding a splash to my matcha, coffee, cereal, and cocktails! Check out my pumpkin espresso martini recipe here!

Wear Good Thoughts

We’re nearing the end of the remaining pieces of our limited launch collection at goodthoughtsbrand.com, but we’re excited for new winter-inspired pieces coming soon. Stay tuned for what’s next with the brand by following along on Instagram and subscribing to the Good Thoughts Brand newsletter here.

Career Corner 👩🏽‍💻

I get asked for career advice A LOT and love engaging on this topic. Starting as a middle-school teacher right out of college, my non-traditional path has led me through various business functions in high-impact roles, and I’ve increased my salary by 500% over less than 10 years! It’s also thanks to my professional career that I’ve been able to somewhat comfortably take time away from full-time work and afford myself options regarding how I make a living.

I’ve always advocated for improved mental health in the workplace. It can affect your career in many ways, including your day-to-day productivity, creativity, decision-making, and overall confidence. However, I believe that whether or not you’re saving the world or just selling dental insurance (IYKYK), how you perceive your value at work can drastically improve this aspect of the experience — whether you perceive your value as high, but don’t feel adequately compensated; or perceive your value as low, without the right support to improve.

For the newsletter’s first career section, we’re discussing value. How do you begin to understand your value? I like to think about this twofold:

♡ Step 1: Understand your value as it pertains to your current role and set of responsibilities. What is your job title, or what would a standard job title be for the work you’re doing? Where does this job typically fall in the hierarchy and necessity of a standard business? For example: “Office Snack Manager” might be well-loved by your colleagues, but it’s (unfortunately) not a role that commonly holds significant importance for most companies. If you believe your role may be near the peripheral of necessity, you might want to discuss what opportunities are available to move into a position that allows you to contribute a more critical impact. This leads to Step #2…

♡ Step 2: Understand your value as it pertains specifically to your company. This comes down to personal performance. How are you impacting the business on a day-to-day basis? Even if you are in a highly regarded role, is your value perceived highly by your management? If you feel your performance may not be as highly regarded as you want it to be, put this concern forward to your boss. As a people leader and business decision-maker, I’ve never been disappointed when even the poorest performer shows a genuine interest in growing with the business and asks for support to do so!

Before moving on to a conversation about compensation, it’s important to feel confident. Understanding your value and tracking this value over time is a great way to build confidence before engaging in a conversation about compensation.

I’m working on a longer course that will further break down helpful tips around building confidence and advocating for your worth in the workplace and I’m currently offering 1:1 career advice (among other things!) through coffee conversations, which you can sign up for here. You can also check out my FREE value tracker tool here.

Love & Life 💘

Another new section based on your feedback! ICYMI, Cody and I got engaged this summer, but we’ve been meeting routinely to discuss our relationship for most of the time we’ve been together.

♡ What is a Weekly Relationship Meeting?

In short, our weekly relationship meeting is a routine, intentional time set aside to pause and connect as partners. We use this time to discuss how we can support one another’s goals, as well as to get organized around our lives’ logistics. Meeting routinely throughout our relationship has allowed us to feel we’re cultivating a healthy, romantic, meaningful, and joyful partnership together.

♡ Why hold a Weekly Relationship Meeting?

There are a lot of ways in which sitting down routinely with your partner can be beneficial. I’ve specifically reflected recently on the unique challenges life holds for adults without children. While we hope to have a family one day, currently, there’s a lot more blank space than I imagine families with kids have. As we grow as a couple, it’s helpful to make sure we’re aligned on how we should be spending our time, money, and energy and that we’re both working toward the future we want together. It also creates intimacy in the relationship and helps us avoid complacency.

♡ How do you hold a Weekly Relationship Meeting?

• Build it into your schedule: choose a time and day that works for you both and hold one another accountable to honoring it every week.

• Sit together: Cody and I go to a new coffee shop every week for our meeting which keeps it fun and interesting, but you can also just grab a comfy spot on the couch or the kitchen table.

• Limit distractions: try to keep your cell phone away and the TV off. If you have kids, make sure you hold the meeting while they’re napping or in bed for the night.

• Have a plan: I’ve been using Notion to keep our meetings hella organized, but you can easily use a simple shared Google Doc, or just work off of your calendar. I’m working on being able to share my Notion space, and in the meantime, my Google template is linked here. Whatever you decide, just stick to a dedicated space, notebook, etc. so that any notes on what you discuss are all in one place.

• Be brave and authentic: whether you’re discussing your busy social calendar for the week, or using this time to communicate a challenge you’re having in the relationship, it’s important to lean into the opportunity to connect and be as authentic and honest as possible. Trust me, being brave in these conversations will help you both feel closer and will help your partner better understand how to support you.

♡ Above all…

Have fun! This meeting should never feel like a chore. If ever it does, take a pause and try to re-frame it. Whether you’ve been married for years, or newly dating, if you’re genuinely interested in cultivating a solid, connected relationship together, avoiding the “roommate syndrome” that can sometimes unexpectedly sneak in, and just generally interested in staying close, this meeting should help you nurture and prioritize your partnership. Make it fun and share ownership!

Let me know if you give this a try in your relationship and how it goes!

Final Thoughts 💭

♡ November Reflections:
As 2024 nears its end, we’ll look forward to the next couple of issues discussing ways to reflect and prepare for 2025. I encourage you to set intentions for the final weeks of the year, and if you have a goal in mind, don’t wait. How can you lay the groundwork to set yourself up for success as early as possible? This can be for personal goals to wellness or mindset shifts you may want to cultivate.

♡ 3-Day Challenge:
Setting goals in the new year is a great tradition, but often we struggle to keep up these goals throughout the whole year because well, a year is a long time. As a mini-challenge, let’s practice holding ourselves accountable to our goals by committing to just 3 days.

Look ahead and choose a few days within the first two weeks of November when you’ll be able to commit to 3 steps for 3 days.

Here is what you’re going to do:

1. put yourself first: wake up 10 minutes earlier to spend 1:1 time with yourself. Use this time to visualize the next version of who you want to be. This can be visualizing yourself in the relationship you’ve been wanting, working your dream job, or as simple as the version of you who sets a goal and sticks to it. All you have to do is close your eyes and think about what it looks like, and how it feels.

2. move your body: whether you go for a walk, do 20 jumping jacks, or 10 minutes of yoga, commit to moving your body every day for 3 days. If you already do this well, how can you add another mini goal to your 3-day challenge? Drink more water? Read instead of watching TV?

3. dress to impress: get dressed every day as if it’s your birthday! Do your hair and makeup and wear something that makes you feel GOOD! Again, if you’re already in the habit of doing this, challenge yourself to take a new step toward a better you!

It is truly in our small, everyday habits that we can realize the most transformation, and this 3-day challenge should help you practice taking on a little bit of change for a short period of time.

Resources Recap 🔗

♡ Gratitude Journal: In honor of the mantra this month: What I appreciate, grows, I’ve included a free downloadable Gratitude Journal. This is meant to be a simple, organized design to encourage daily reflection on what is bringing you joy and gratitude. You can use it daily, or weekly as a tool to help you reflect. It includes space for writing, prompts for reflection, and room for your own intentions and affirmations.

Or, if you’d rather purchase your own gratitude journal, my personal favorite is linked here.

♡ More Resources From November:

• Happier 30-day free trial

• Self-care gadgets

• Favorite and recent reads

• Pumpkin espresso martini recipe

• Career value tracker template

• Free Relationship Meeting Template

What’s Coming ⏭

♡ Special Holiday Edition(s)! While the newsletter will continue to be published in monthly volumes (for now), be on the lookout for a special holiday edition this month with Thanksgiving-specific updates, including gift guides! Stay tuned!

♡ Here’s what to look forward to in the next issue:

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What I appreciate, Grows. 🙏🏽✨

Let’s Connect!

Check out my website and follow along on social media for more daily positivity and inspiration!