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Bookish Tay

Good Books + Good Living

Categories: Lifestyle, Mental Health

How I’m Coping with Anxiety this November

Last week I read this great article about how all of our pandemic anxiety is about to collide with seasonal depression + anxiety.

November is a hard and triggering month for me already, and usually when I feel the most anxiety. Throw in the election tomorrow + the pandemic + the sun going down at 5 and woo, it’s a fun ride. But also not.

This year though, I made a plan with a few things I’ll be doing daily or regularly to help ease my anxiety this month. I shared them over on Instagram stories today but wanted to share them here as well.


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My plan for coping + dealing with my anxiety this November:

1) Take breaks from social media.

Oh hey, the love and sometimes hate relationship I’ve got with social media. I love that I’m able to connect with friends and family there, and share my love books. But this year, it’s been intense. Just like it was in 2016. I’m rarely on Facebook and Twitter these days, cause everything is either Trump this or Biden that and it’s just… a lot.

I’m planning to take a bit of a break this week, because my anxiety is already high and I know it will be with the news of the election. I’m setting some boundaries with social media, that I’ll probably keep in the future.

2) Move my body

Whether it’s a walk or a 10 minute yoga practice or a full 30-45 minute at home work out, I’m gonna move my body every single day.

3) Be creative before I get on social media (if I get on at all)

This is one of the boundaries I’ve created for myself. Before I start scrolling I’m going to write or edit or color or write a blog post. Anything and everything that’s creative will be done (or at least started) before I get on social media, on the days I get on at all.

I am creative by nature, but it’s often easy to get caught up in what everyone else is creating and working on if if I’m constantly on social media. So, I’m reversing what I’ve done in the past, I’m creating first, scrolling second (or third or fifth).

4) Talk with my friends

Being a stay at home mom is often lonely (at least in regards to adult connection). This year I’ve been better about calling and talking with my friends, but I’ll be making even more of an effort this month to reach out and have phone dates.

5) Re-read or re-watch my favorite books and shows.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been craving the familiar this year. The things that have brought my heart joy in the past, the things that make me feel more normal. I’ll be reaching for these things more this month (and probably in December too).

And the rest of my list:

These aren’t things I’ll do daily, but they’re in my pool to draw from when my anxiety is high. This list includes:

  • Having dance parties in my kitchen

  • reading Scripture

  • Praying

  • Going to the library

  • Journaling

  • Car rides

  • Decorating for Christmas

  • Listening to Christmas music

  • Watching Christmas movies (or old favorites)

I know these things will help me. I’ve also got regular therapy appointments with my virtual therapist, a weighted blanket for at night, and hope that doing these things will actually help. I’d love to hear what’s on your plan to help with anxiety at this time?

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    Categories: Lifestyle

    Currently – 10.30.20

    This post may contain affiliate links, see site disclaimer for details.

    Happy Friday friends! I hope you’ve had a good week! We’ve been adjusting back into normal life after 2 weeks in Utah! I’m feeling some election anxiety and may take some time off social media next week (or I’ll be on booksta and tiktok a lot to distract my brain.. who knows. But, it’s Friday which means it’s time to chat about some things I’m loving.

    The past few weeks I was doing Happy Friday, Happy Reading posts, and while they were fun, it’s not exactly what I want to share weekly on my blog. It just wasn’t a good fit for me. So here I am, switching things up again!

    When I first started blogging, I used to share things that I was currently reading, watching, and loving. It’s been a long time since I shared a post like that, but I think it’ll be fun to share the things I’m currently doing each week in a weekly wrap-up post. So, here we are!

    Currently Reading

    This week I finished a few books! I finished The Bone Houses and shared my review yesterday. It was the perfect amount of creepiness for me and a perfect book to read before Halloween! I also just finished American Royals. It was so fluffy and cute and just fun. I loved all 4 POV’s and their respective stories + romances. I need Majesty now! I can’t wait to see what will happen next!!

    This weekend I’m planning to finish You Are the Girl for the Job and start Redeeming Love, which a good friend recommended to me!

    Currently Watching

    I’ve been making my way through a re-watch of Gilmore Girls and loving it all over again! I’m currently on season 5, and I’ve always been team Jess, but I kind of.. like Logan this time around.

    I’m planning to start the new season of This Is Us this weekend, which I’m excited about!

    I feel like I haven’t been watching a ton of TV lately, but I miss it. What have you been watching? Any binge-worthy shows I need to check out!

    Currently Listening

    If you don’t know, I love music. I’m an enneagram 4 and I love making mood playlists. This week I’ve been listening (and dancing) to 1989.

    And one of my friends suggested I listen to Sam Smith’s new album and it’s beautiful and heartbreaking and I’ll definitely be listening more.

    Currently Loving

    My latest obsession is TikTok. I swore I wasn’t gonna get one, but I did (@bookish_tay on there). It’s just for fun right now! I’m making videos about books and hoping to spread some positivity.

    These cute Taylor Swift inspired stickers! I bought a bunch that gave me the vibes for my second book (which I hope to start writing soon!) But aren’t they great?!

    My new Little by Little journal from Cultivate What Matters! This journal is currently sold out, but it’s been the perfect thing to write my daily gratitude in!

    We don’t have many Halloween plans, because of Covid. We’ll mostly just be hanging out and eating candy!

    That’s everything this week! What have you been loving this week?!


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      Categories: Lifestyle

      My New 2-Step Morning Routine

      This post may contain affiliate links. Please see site disclaimer for more details.

      I’ve always wanted a morning routine, but everywhere I looked seemed to have routines that felt busy and complicated.

      Then I read this post from Erica about the 3 things she does each morning and I thought “wait, I could do 1-2 things in the morning” So I did, and maybe life didn’t change drastically, but it did change.

      Morning routines don’t have to be complicated. I knew that I didn’t want to have a ‘to-do list’ routine before my actual to-do list for the day got started. I needed something simple that would leave me feeling refreshed and ready for the day.


      What my 2-step morning routine looks like

      Now, every morning my alarm clock goes off at 6:30. I’d love to get up at 6 to have a little more quiet time before Von gets up, but I need to work on my bedtime routine before I do that ;).

      My alarm goes off and I head to the bathroom, where the clothes I picked out for the day are waiting for me. And the first part of my morning is to take a shower.

      Ever since I became a mom, I have had this seemingly never-ending battle with taking showers. Do I or don’t I? Do I do it in the morning or not until 2 pm? There seemed to be no in between. But for me, I know that I feel better if I get up, get showered, and get dressed. Yeah, I’d love to work out in the morning, but maybe we’ll add that in once I’m used to getting up consistently.

      I shower and get myself ready for the day. Step one, complete.


      Then I head to my office and grab my journal.

      Not my journal journal. I grab my Bible and my Write the Word journal and write out a couple of verses and what’s on my heart in the morning.

      It’s simple. It’s quick. It’s a way to get God in my life right from the start and I love it. (See how the Write the Word journal changed my faith)

      Once I’m finished with that, I can get a start on my day. Some mornings, Von is up by this point so our day together starts. Other mornings she sleeps a little longer and I get some writing or blog work in, depending on what’s happening that week.

      Simplifying my morning routine has helped so much. I’m already happier when Von gets up, knowing I took a few minutes for myself to get ready and spend some quiet time with God.

      Next, I’ll be simplifying my (our) bedtime routines, because I’m learning that sometimes the most successful mornings start the night before.

      What’s your morning routine like?

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        Categories: Books, Lifestyle

        Happy Friday, Happy Reading – 10.16.20

        This post may contain affiliate links, please see site disclaimer for more details.

        Hi friends! Happy Friday! It’s been a great week for me, as I’ve been up in the pretty mountains with family all week. I didn’t read as much as I hoped I would, but I still had such a fun week relaxing and spending time with family. V had the best time playing with all of my cousins (we’ll just call them her cousins too) and it’s gonna be so hard to leave!

        This weekend we’ll be heading back home and I’m hoping to get in some more reading since I haven’t read a ton this week!

        What are you hoping to read this weekend?


        Recently Read:

        A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab


        IMG_2258.JPG

        For Tay’s Book Club this month we’re reading A Darker Shade of Magic. This was actually the 3rd time I read this book, and now I can’t wait to read the rest of the series (it’ll be the second time for the rest of the books).

        But wow. I love the magic and the story. I just want to give Kell a hug and be friends with Lila. Can I visit this magical London?! This book definitely sets up more for the coming books, and I liked it, even more, this time knowing what was going to happen in the rest of the series!

        Grab a copy of A Darker Shade of Magic Amazon or Bookshop.org

        Follow along on Instagram and Goodreads to see more full reviews!


        Read with me:

        I’m hoping to finish You Are the Girl for the Job this weekend and read more of The Dark Vault which I just started this week! Oh.. and maybe reading more of A Discovery of Witches (cause I’m obviously incapable of reading only one book at a time)

        Will you be reading either of these this weekend or something else?

        Don’t miss these posts:

        • 3 ways to prep for NaNoWriMo

        • Some Books I’ve Loved Recently

        • The best Goal-setting planner that you need!

        Have a great weekend friend!


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          Let’s be friends!! —> Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook

          Categories: Lifestyle

          Powersheets: The Goal Setting Planner that Will Change Your Life + the 2021 Cultivate What Matters Collection

          This post contains affiliate links, this means if you make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no cost to you! See my disclaimer for all the details

          Happy Wednesday friends! It’s a happy day around here because the 2021 Powersheets Planner is now available in the Cultivate What Matters shop!

          Want to be inspired all year long to reach your goals? Love setting goals but feel like you aren’t making any actual progress on them? I know the feeling well. That’s where I was in 2018, and then, everything changed.


          2021 CWM Powersheets Collection _ THP _ -2674_square.jpg

          If you’re like me and have big dreams and love making to do lists, setting goals, and pretty things, I’ve got the best news for you.

          Powersheets will change your life.

          How do I know that? Because they changed mine.

          I heard about this goal planner back in 2018 as a new mom and thought “I don’t really need that, I can just track my goals/habits in a journal” which did, somewhat successfully throughout the year, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

          Was I setting goals for things that actually mattered? Did I really want to make a monthly spread each month and then try and find it daily because it was just on a random page in my journal?

          The Powersheets Goal Planner gave me everything I needed and more to help me stress less about what goals I was making, but actually make real progress on my big dreams.


          5.png

          2020 was not the year I expected. It threw a lot of curveballs personally and globally, and yet… I still accomplished a lot (and am still accomplishing a lot since the year is not over yet!

          And in part, I owe a lot of success to my Powersheets. After the pandemic hit and I felt flustered and afraid and unsure of what to do. I joined a ‘goal refresh’ hosted by Lara Casey, the creator of these goal planners, and everything changed.

          Yes, this season that I was in was extremely difficult, but it didn’t mean that my life had to stall or that I couldn’t keep planting good things and growing.

          I walked away from that short refresh, ready to take on the world (okay, maybe not quite) but I had a better plan, and you know what? Good things came from that.

          I strengthened my faith in God. I finished another draft of my book and then another. We bought a house!

          And while some of these things may just be part of who I am, I know a lot of the reasons why I am where I am today, is because of my Powersheets.

          Powersheets are a goal-setting planner that not only helps you track and tend to your goals but helps you dig deep to figure out what really matters and where you really want to go in life.

          Before you even write out any of your goals (okay, well after you write out some of your ideas for the new year), you get to dig deep and do the prep work.

          At first, I was skeptical. Did I really need 30+ pages of all this ‘stuff’ (that’s what it seemed like the first time around) to help me get to where I wanted to go? YES!

          Powersheets use the science and psychology behind goal setting and habit making to help YOU figure out what your best year looks like. Who wouldn’t want that?

          So as we leave behind 2020 (well, in a few months) I’m looking forward to making 2021 even better, even if the curveballs and lemons the year will bring are bigger than this year (which I hope they aren’t).

          But just because there’s so much uncertainty, and so much unknown, you are stronger than when we started this year. And I want 2021 to be even better for you.

          So why Powersheets?

          Because you get to use this stunning tool to help grow the things that matter most. And yeah, you can do it on your own, but for me, everything changed once I had the prep-work and the foundation for where I wanted to go. Powersheets have truly changed my life, and I plan on being a lifetime user.


          2021 CWM Powersheets Collection _ THP _ -2707-Edit_square2.jpg

          Shop the Cultivate What Matters 2021 Collection

          Today the new 2021 Powersheets go on sale, along with so many other goodies! I grabbed the Clear Skies Powersheets, a Little by Little journal, and a ticket to the Cultivate Your Year Live* with Lara Casey! I also might get a marker set!

          I would have grabbed some stickers and washi tape, but I still have some from last year!

          *Cultivate Your Year Live is a virtual event where Lara will walk us through all the prep work in your powersheets so that you’ll be ready when 2021 starts! On launch day (October 14th) you can get a ticket for 50% off!

          Click on the photo to take you to the item, or click to see the entire Cultivate What Matters Shop


          Best Seller Bundle

          Best Seller Bundle


          Goal Setting Sticker Book

          Goal Setting Sticker Book


          Tending Tape

          Tending Tape


          Little By Little Journal

          Little By Little Journal


          2021 Powersheet Covers

          2021 Powersheet Covers


          2021 Wall Calendar

          2021 Wall Calendar


          Color-Coding Marker Set

          Color-Coding Marker Set


          Accessory Pouch

          Accessory Pouch


          Magnetic Page Markers

          Magnetic Page Markers

          Have you used Powersheets before? Are you going to in 2021? I’d love to hear how Powersheets have changed your life in the comments!

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            Hi there! I'm Taylor! Welcome to Bookish Tay, a book and lifestyle blog. Looking for a good book or way to make life better? You're in the right place.

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            Repeat after me: “I can do today.” I was 19 w Repeat after me: “I can do today.”  I was 19 when I first heard this mantra. And since then, whenever I’ve been having a bad mental health day or a bad day in general, I repeat this to myself (and sometimes it changes to “I can do this minute or hour”)  You can do today.
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