So my latest obsession is learning about all things personality related. It was something which I felt it would be interesting to look into in more detail based on my experiences with my Happiness Project. In short, a major finding is that although we can all move the needle in a more positive direction, what exactly leads to a happier life for me is probably not identical to what would for you due to our individual differences. Starting out that project, I remember reading Gretchen Rubin's argument that one of the keys to happiness is self-knowledge, and she says that "we can build a happy life only on the foundation…
If/Then Planning for Failure in Order to Succeed and a Whole30 Fall Salmon Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing
At the height of my "going out" phase, I was living with my sister Kyle and we noticed that it was quite common for us to excitedly make plans with each other or friends, go shopping to get the "perfect" new outfit, and even spend significant amounts of time getting ready the day of, only to realize that we didn’t feel like going out after all. Although I have already talked about some of the reasons how and why I try to do it anywaywhen it comes to the fun stuff, I've recently be considering how the phenomenon of affective forecasting errors can influence our ability to build and maintain healthy…
Knowing When It’s Worth It and a Whole30 Chicken Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing
Over the past few months, I have been trying to stop saying I am busy. I have probably always been somewhat aware of the extent to which "being busy" is often glorified in mainstream culture today, but have become increasingly convicted about this fact over time and also more cognizant of its ill effects. Besides, I acknowledge that "being busy" is relative and there are plenty of people the world over who actually are much more busy than I. All that to say, there are definitely seasons when my calendar is more richly scheduled than others and currently I am in the midst of one of those times. Thankfully, this time around…
The Flex in the City September Studio Whole30 and a Salmon Summer Salad
September is the new January. And as shocking as it may be, we are almost there already. As the summer draws to a close, the vast majority of us resume our usual schedule and routine, often focusing our efforts on new or revised goals and resolutions. I've shared before how just how powerful the shift in season can be due to the phenomenon of "fresh starts." Research shows that when we experience a change in season (metaphorically or literally) we experience a psychological clean slate which provides a unique and important opportunity to make considerable changes to our health and habits with less concerted effort. And I personally feel that…
Know Your Purpose + a Whole30 Strawberry Walnut Salad
It's important to know your purpose. This is true on a large scale of course, but I acknowledge that might be slightly too big a topic to cover right here and now. I mean it in a more temporal and specific kind of way which I was reminded of earlier this week. On her podcast, Happier, Gretchen Rubin and her sister Liz Craft discuss ways to live a happier, healthier, and more productive life. One of the things that I really appreciate about the podcast and Rubin's approach in general, is that she is very good at making the esoteric, transcendental, or very aspirational more practical and tangible. In this…
Balance is NOT Key (for me at least!) + a Whole30 Stone Fruit and Blackened Chicken Salad
As I've written many times over the past year, the decision to dedicate time to truly knowing myself better has been life changing. Before that I would have, as most people do, just assumed certain things to be true without giving it much consideration. It's easy to be distracted by what I wish I were like or what I (or others) think I should be like. And thus I just assumed that I must like music (I really don't), that pizza is delicious (I have always been underwhelmed), and that "everything in moderation" is a good thing (not for an abstainer like me). And learning that, for me at least, balance is…
Curiosity as a Motivator: How what we attend to becomes more interesting and a Whole30 Avocado Egg Salad
“My True Rule is that persistence is its own reward. Somehow, the more you stay with something, the more you accumulate wisdom and meaning in whatever it is you're doing. Just by watering that flower, you get really attached to that flower." Bob Miller, President and Publisher at HarperStudios. I can remember vividly all throughout my education being completely enthralled and excited whenever there was an overlap in ideas or concepts between various classes or subjects or between what I was learning in school and "real life." I loved hearing about a new theory in science for example and then later reading about the same topic in a literature class,…
Announcing the Flex in the City Studio Whole30 and a Delicious Whole30 Chicken Caesar Salad
Last week over at Flex in the City we announced something which I personally am extremely excited about – our very first Studio Whole30! At the end of last month, I became Ireland’s one and only Whole30 Certified Coach and this will be my first official event. As I have shared previously, I am extremely passionate about this program and after completing several successful rounds, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it did indeed live up to its bold promise to “change my life.” I have completely transformed my health, my habits, and my relationship with food and have experienced tremendous growth in many other aspects
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Guess what?! This is officially the 100th blog post to be published on barreeatrepeat.com! I can't believe it - starting a blog is something that I have wanted to do for literally years, but was afraid to start for a few reasons. Firstly, I tend to keep a very full schedule and I wasn't sure if this was something that I could commit to. When I take on something new whether of my own initiative or by signing up for something with someone else, I take it very seriously as an Upholder. I am not someone who likes to quit things once I get started, so I knew this would…
Visualization and a Visually Appealing Whole30 Salmon Nicoise Salad
Something I always find interesting when I learn something new, hear about a particular concept or idea, or start a different activity, is the feeling that it seems to pop up everywhere, across a variety of settings. The Pacific Standard described it well: “your friend told you about that obscure blue-grass-electro-punk band yesterday morning. That afternoon, you ran across one of their albums at a garage sale. Wait a minute -that’s them in that Doritos commercial, too! Coincidence… or conspiracy? More likely, you’re experiencing ‘frequency illusion,’ somewhat better known as the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.” And although research has shown that this occurs due to the psychological processes of selective attention and…
