Hey you! 

It's been a bit of a roller coaster the past month, or maybe past few months depending on where you live in the world with 'Rona (aka the Coronavirus pandemic) wreaking havoc. So I decided it was time for a pep talk. 

Maybe you need this or maybe you're sailing along just fine right now but regardless, spreading positivity is always a mood booster so here I go!

Below are my top 10 FREE ways that I'm keeping things positive in the outlook of my small business of dainty handmade jewelry and with life in general:

1. Having gratitude for the small things in life and the fact that I'm healthy. This is a glass half full outlook and a 'wake up on the right side of the bed' attitude that I try to impart on my attitude daily. Just realizing that things could be so much worse makes me feel thankful for what I do have! I released the Rainbow and Butterfly Collection during this pandemic and the pieces have always embodied hope to me. They've served as a daily reminder to continue to be grateful.  💛

2. Getting lots of sleep (eight full hours), drinking plenty of water and eating my greens. Now this is a game changer. The world can feel like a scary place after a long day but if you make it a point to get to bed at a reasonable hour and forego looking at COVID-19 as an extended vacation, I bet you'll wake up with a totally different outlook on life. Also, making sure I don't load up on too much sugar (I have a major sweet tooth) and get in my greens has been essential for my mood and my skin. A great way to do this is with a green smoothie! 

My Green Smoothie Recipe is super easy:

1 Cup organic orange juice

1 Cup organic frozen strawberries

1 Organic frozen banana

3-4 Organic kale leaves 

Image from Pinterest

3. Getting dressed everyday! A simple but very effective way for me to stay focused, productive and feeling good is getting dressed. When I feel good in what I'm wearing my whole days goes better. I also feel more awake! If I change into work out clothes or change into another pair of pajamas I'm mentally not on the ball. It's so funny how that works but I've tested this and it's 100% true for me that when I get dressed I answer my emails faster, I'm more focused on my jewelry to-do list and I get more done that day. Lately, I've been wearing my new favorite lavender top, white jeans and the Initial Necklace, Beaded Hoop Studs and Birthstone Rings as my daily uniform. See below! 

4. Go out for a daily walk and get some sunshine! Just like sleep and nutrition, this is an essential and a natural mood booster. Sometimes it's easy to get in a creative rut especially when I need to do the social media for Katie Dean Jewelry and the photography... and design new pieces... plus all the other administration tasks that go into running my small business.  Or you may just plain go stir crazy when you're spending so much time inside during this pandemic. Solution? Grab your face mask and go out for a social distancing walk. I dare you to even leave your phone at home. Use your walk to look at things and extrovert! See the beautiful flowers that are sprouting in Spring and allow yourself to get clarity on something you've been bogged down about or don't think at all... whatever floats your boat!

5. Light a candle, put on your favorite music and take a soak in the bath. I loooove my bath time. I put lavender epsom salts and lavender bubble bath into it to make it extra special and I have started lighting a candle each time and all those things combined really elevates it to the ultimate self-care 'me' time. I love supporting my fellow small businesses, so I frequent the PF Candle website whenever I'm in need of a new one (I believe they're offering free shipping on all US orders right now). I also swear by the Coco Rose Body Polish. It leaves my skin silky smooth and rejuvenated. 

Image from Pinterest

6. Slap on a face mask and read a book. Getting lost in a good book takes me back to when I would spend every waking hour reading the Harry Potter Series in Middle School. I was completely and utterly obsessed ...and still am. As you can see from the picture below, my book stack is getting higher which I'm very proud of. I've read most of these books in the past 6-8 months! My favorite author lately is Jojo Moyes. She has so many books available and they are all wonderful novels that I can totally get lost in! I'm currently reading The Giver of Stars and right before I dive into the pages I put on a face mask by Skinesque (another small business based in California) -- two birds with one stone, right? 

7. Attend a free webinar or watch some YouTube videos to learn a new skill! Whenever I learn something new or try something I've never done before, I feel super empowered. It can be daunting at times to put yourself out there but don't let the fear of failure stop you. For example: my website is through Shopify and the cool thing about that is they love to educate their customers and they have tons of free educational content out there. I've taken advantage of their SEO webinars and online conversion workshops and have completely changed up my website to better cater to our user experience on the website! There's no doubt that we will always have something we could improve on but to me it's one of the best feelings to learn a new skill. 

I've also been watching YouTube videos on how to cook steak and I'm happy to say I've earned the praises of my husband for my improved skills! On a totally different end of the spectrum, YouTube was super helpful in learning how to play Backgammon and Jon and I are completely obsessed. We play at least 2-3 games a day. If you're looking for a new two-player game, I think you would love it. And hey, if you want to teach yourself how to do an at home manicure, there are sooo many good videos online for that. See my flower nails manicure below for proof!

8. Start pinning on Pinterest. To me, Pinterest is a so therapeutic and inspiring! I love seeing what other people are up to creatively on the platform and I enjoy pinning to my boards whatever images spark joy within me. Lately I've been using Pinterest to get new dinner recipes. In the beginning of quarantine I was baking up a storm... and my waist line and energy levels did not approve, haha. So instead of baking I'm focusing on savory dishes and Pinterest has been so helpful in helping me get creative with what I cook for me and my husband. 

Below is snap of the Chili Chicken I made from scratch based on a friends recipe on IG stories. It was deeeelish.

9. Allow yourself to indulge in a new TV show. Fixer Upper has been my every day show during quarantine, I'll even put it on while I fulfill your dainty jewelry orders (thank you!!) and it genuinely makes me laugh and smile. The light hearted, wholesome content that is the heartbeat of that show, as well as the creativity in how Joanna & Chip Gaines fix up those rundown homes is so cool to watch! See the below picture of a cozy kitchen corner they redesigned.

I can't wait to visit Magnolia Farms one day. Oh and I highly recommend listening to their book, The Magnolia Story on Audiobook. It is such a beautiful story of their life and brings you hope plus it's very aspirational as an entrepreneur to hear where they started and where they are now. They've built an empire to look up to.

10. SET GOALS. Daily ... and for the future. I can't say how much this simple thing has helped me stay positive for the brighter future that lays ahead for us all but also has helped me to continue my business during these changing times. Making a list daily or weekly of the top priorities that I need to get done has helped me stay active and connected to our community on social, continue to meet our targets for new collections that we're releasing and stay focused on the future.

Now more than ever brainstorming and thinking outside the box is essential. Challenging times can bring out the best in you and your abilities so start making your list and ticking one thing off at a time. Even if it's as simple as cleaning and organizing your space! Below is a picture that I took after cleaning my home office space and whenever I look at it, it makes me smile. 

I know for me that this simple action of writing down goals is helping me to stay positive, focused and productive and will enable me to come out of COVID-19 as a strong business. 

I hope this post helps you to stay positive and helps you to come out stronger from this season of change. I believe in you and the spirit of mankind. I know we will make it through this and be more passionate, loving, creative and kind because of it. 

Have a wonderful day and thanks for reading! 

XOXO, KATIE