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UPGRADE

7103 If you follow me on Instagram, you know one of the most important quality I look for in a person is grit. Grit is the ability to have a clear and unwavering focus on a goal and not being afraid to work hard at achieving it. Grit is never loosing that passion, drive and determination. Grit is seeing every step you take as a learning opportunity and edging closer to your goal. Grit is the major secret in what makes a candidate stand out during a job interview.

About a few months back, I found myself loosing my grit. Not because I had lost my passion and drive to achieve my goals, rather it was because I was having trouble sleeping. I rarely sit in my bed and read a book to help me go to sleep. I have tried that tactic numerous times, but instead of making my eyes droop…I end up grabbing my iPad and start brainstorming ideas. If you look at my iPad, I have four apps I use religiously to brain storm ideas, draw out my thought process, and even create UML diagrams on how I envision the flow of information to occur in a software project.

Today I can comfortably say I got my grit back at 100%. About two months ago, I took a step back to analyze what was causing me to loose my drive and passion.7102

Time-Out:
Don’t feel bad taking a little much deserved time-out every day. I would find myself constantly on the go such that around mid-evening, I would basically crash for a short nap only to have difficulty sleeping at night. By the time I would end up falling asleep, I felt like a complete zombie waking up to feed the twins late at night and early in the morning. Plus my alarm no longer has one or two preset alarms saved, it literally has over a dozen preset alarm times because my body needed more rest time. So I changed my routine and added a little break in the middle of the day. Everyday, I would put on some music and have a dance party ‘Meredith Grey’ style. Dance like no one is watching and dance the tension away. It sounds silly but you will be surprised how refreshing it feels after five minutes.

Do something creative:
After you have taken a mental time-out, do something fun and creative. As someone who creates content on Instagram, one of the most important things for me to do is explore and try various creative initiatives. In 2005, I made new years resolution to try something new every year. In the span of 10 years, I got my motorcycle license, started wall-climbing shortly followed by rock-climbing, went sailing with some friends, traveled a lot and went on a safari. Everything went to a screeching halt once the twins came in the picture. Now to do something creative and spontaneous, I will go out for a jog or grab my yoga mat to get some fresh clean air in my lungs. At the same time, I will let my mind clear of any worries and just concentrate on what’s around me. If the weather is not cooperating, I’ll do something creative with my hands like paint, sketch or write something.

Smile:
It’s surprising how much better and relaxed you feel while you smile – or even laugh. It is the cheapest therapy and totally works. The best part is that it’s contagious. The last few months, I have been playing a few comedy movies on Netflix while working and it’s amazing how therapeutic it has been. Every time they are on, I feel goofy, energized and happy.

Focus on your feelings:
When I am busy with work, I forget to do a mental check and see how I am feeling. I get so caught up trying to get my job done, or meet deadlines that I don’t take notice of how exhausted and mentally drained I feel. Sometimes I feel uninspired. It’s important to listen to your feelings and see what you can do to fix it. Once you do this, you will automatically take some time out and find a way to bring back the excitement and passion in your work.Casper Mattress, Casper7106

Get a good night’s rest:
Getting a good night’s rest sounds easy, but it isn’t if you are not sleeping on the right mattress for your body. Before I got my mattress from Casper, sleep was something I had to do for my body because I was drained after a long day. It was a necessity, not a luxury.

The last few weeks I have been busy getting the twins’ nursery complete, so I never thought about taking a closer look at my mattress until Casper approached me for a partnership and offered me an upgrade. Goodbye old spring mattress that would dig into my back and cause me the worst back-ache, and hello to memory foam that molds to my body like the perfect hug. After my first night with my Casper mattress, I don’t know why I had never tried them out before. I was surprised at how comfortable it was and cool (something that’s very important to survive our hot summers).7104

If you are having difficulty sleeping and are looking for an upgrade, I recommend that you visit Casper and try out their mattress (use coupon code ‘cottage’ to save $$ towards your new mattress). If you are in Toronto, make sure to visit West Elm or the Casper Cottage to try out their mattress. The Casper Cottage is running until August 19th, so be sure to stop by and schedule a nap before it’s gone.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Casper, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

9 Comments

  1. August 8, 2017 / 7:59 pm

    such a cute post! been wanting to try out Casper mattresses!

    kileen
    cute & little

    • Grey Canvas
      Author
      August 8, 2017 / 8:27 pm

      You should try it out!! You can try out their mattress and test it out (plus use the coupon code to save yourself $$ when you order one)
      xo
      S

  2. August 9, 2017 / 6:36 am

    Oh I really needed this post today! So many great reminders, love to check myself everyday and reflect how what I’m feeling. You can’t really put in the energy or work if you’re mind isn’t there. Hope you’re having a lovely week babe! Xx

    http://www.thefashionfolks.com

  3. August 9, 2017 / 9:10 pm

    Time outs are SO important to reflect and get back to running as full speed.
    Glad to hear you got your grit back girl 🙂

    Lyndi

    http://www.stylecalling.com

  4. Siffat
    August 10, 2017 / 8:35 am

    A good night’s sleep is so important! I can totally relate to this post because I was suffering from perpetual exhaustion before I changed my mattress. I have a Casper one as well and am obsessed!
    xo
    Siffat
    http://icingandglitter.com

    • Grey Canvas
      Author
      August 24, 2017 / 4:34 pm

      You are so right about sleep being important! It’s sad not many people know the value of a good night rest.
      Isn’t the mattress amazing!! I got my folks to swap their mattress for a Casper one also.
      Thank you for stopping by Siffat
      xo
      S

  5. August 11, 2017 / 10:09 pm

    Couldnt agree more. Sometimes, all we need is take a step back, and get a good break to rejuvenate that passion, and grit. And also yes, it’s important that we get good night’s sleep regularly. Our body and mind needs that rest to work 100%.

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

  6. August 21, 2017 / 8:55 am

    Glad you found out what was making you lack motivation. The mattress looks extremely cozy. Wishing you a great week! xx

    Andreea,
    http://couturezilla.com/

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