By Nicholette Marbley
In my new column, Just For The Ladies, I want to offer something most columns don’t. I want to provide raw, honest, and thoroughly researched women’s issues that affect women of all nationalities and ages. Each monthly piece features scenarios I have thought about, gone through, or experienced. This column also includes the opinions of 3 women from all walks of life (Julie D’ Aloiso, president of NordoniaHills.News, is one of them). If you are a woman looking for guidance, entertainment, or a male curious about situations women are going through and want to help a loved one, this column is for you. I promise to deliver accurate and honest pieces each month and help you or a loved one to improve your life in some way.
COVID-19 has disrupted all of our lives. According to Hartfordhealthcare.org, more than one-third of Americans develop depression and anxiety. Those who make $25,000-$35,000 a year worry nearly every day. I, unfortunately, was part of the one-third that is impacted emotionally every day. Dr. James O’ Dea, Vice President of the Hartford Healthcare Behavioral Network, announced, “The spread of COVID-19 leaves people feeling out of control, which is uncomfortable and unnerving.” I was a nervous wreck. I witnessed people getting sick all around me. Both of my grandparents had COVID scares and were rushed to the hospital. Life was not good. I knew I couldn’t keep feeling like garbage because it would negatively affect my life. Me and the three lovely ladies I interviewed made changes to improve our lives. I chose to take vitamins, practice yoga, meditate, and improve my diet. Here is the daily routine I follow to stay sane, along with some advice from the three women I interviewed.
I wake up every day and drink a combination of vanilla chai and jasmine green tea, stir in matcha collagen, and take NAC. According to psychologytoday.com, NAC helps control ongoing negative thoughts that are common with people who have anxiety and depression. I also take magnesium before dinner—Healthline.com claims that various studies have shown that magnesium boosts exercise performance in all ages and reduces depression. After taking both vitamins, I meditate with a 2-minute manta youtube video, two 3-minute stretching videos you can do in bed, and a 10-minute positive morning video. I end my morning routine with my morning salutation (a group of yoga stretches done in sequence to wake you up in the morning), a 20-minute meditation video, and my original matcha beauty and brains smoothie. I end my day with my nightly stretch routine and a peach tranquility tea from Starbucks.
These are the two meditation videos I use before getting out of bed the mantra video https://youtu.be/aSUMsF5Qv-Y
and the positive morning meditation video https://youtu.be/DdUm9U9w9W0
Here are the stretching videos I use
https://youtu.be/GK92t5KI3ok
These are my Morning Salutation stretches .All stretches are done in increments of ten except for poses 10,11 and 12.
- Corpse Pose
- Staff pose
- Wide-legged prayer pose
- Cat pose
- Cow pose
- Downward dog
- Warrior 2
- Lunge
Repeat last three poses of the opposite side
- Downward dog 5 seconds
- High plank 5 seconds
- Upward dog pose 5 seconds
Going into downward dog and walk your feet back and get into a wide-leg forward bend.
- Do ten squats in a wide-leg forward bend
- Mountain pose
- Tree pose both legs
- Log pose both legs
Here is the 20-minute meditation video I use
Here is the recipe for my Beauty and Brains Berry Smoothie
1 Cup of milk
3 Tablespoons of Vital Proteins matcha collagen
3 Tablespoons of Vital Proteins beauty collagen
12 Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Of chia seeds
1 Tablespoon of flax seeds
2 Tablespoons of uncooked oatmeal
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter
I put all of the ingredients in a blender, liquid, and small mass items first and blend for 2 minutes.
These are my nightly stretches. Each stretch is two minutes :
- Pigeon pose each leg
- Happy baby
- Legs up the wall pose
- Corpse pose
Meditation and yoga are the foundation of my calmness. I talk about the benefits of yoga in my Predictions for 2020 Article. Meditation, according to MedicalNewsToday.com, is recommended for adults 15-20 minutes twice a day. Permanente Journal did a story on a 2014 study that showcased teachers who practiced transcendental meditation had reduced anxiety levels, and a 2016 study published by the same source showcased significant reductions in trauma, anxiety, and depression in prison inmates who followed the same practice. I mentioned that three women going through the same struggle I’m going through each have their way of dealing with the COVID blues. Here are their stories:
Marcia Hawkins (LA Red Carpet host and actress)
COVID-19 has been challenging because my pre-pandemic lifestyle included a lot of social interaction by way of various events in the Los Angeles Entertainment Social Scene and Black Greek Life. I go out to eat 2-3 times a week, which helps with feeling connected. I do Zoom sessions with friends. And I’m also busy with work, so I have a balance
Emily Bishop Bosu (Local Actress)
COVID-19 has caused some restlessness for me. I was getting ready to move out of state, but with the state of the world right now, that doesn’t seem like the best idea. It’s hard to plan for the future because I have no idea what it will look like, and that’s stressful. The uncertainty weighs on me, but I’m lucky that overall, my life is still going very well, so I’m trying just to enjoy what I can.
Julie D’Aloiso (President of SpiderCat Marketing, Inc. and Editor of NordoniaHills.News)
I have started eating better and working out. Both of these things make me happy. Because of COVID-19 I have changed to conducting interviews virtually via Zoom. I have also started doing a weekly online video show. In times like this many business owners have had to pivot and reframe the situation.
I hope you all enjoyed my first column piece. Feel free to write to us and suggest topics you want to read or simply tell us how we are doing. I hope I left you all with something to feel a little better this month. 🙂 nicholettemarbley3@gmail.com
