what to do when you're alone w/ your thoughts

"The Lord himself goes before you 

and will be with you; 

he will never leave you 

nor forsake you. 

Do not be afraid; 

do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8

Hey guys!! I hope you are all doing amazing! 

I have read and seen a lot about people having a hard time with quarantine. We were made to be social beings, and without a whole lot of warning, a lot of our "normal" was stripped away from us. It comes as no surprise that this is affecting people mentally.

As for myself, I am doing just fine for the most part. I only get stressed when there is something to be stressed about. Despite the spontaneous life change, I would not say I feel much different. I feel like I have managed my anxiety well, and this has actually given me the opportunity to let my mind breathe. 

I know I am extremely blessed to feel okay in a time like this, but it does take work to get a restless mind to become a peaceful mind. So, I am going to share some very simple things you can do to distract your mind from negativity :

1. Read : Read your Bible. Read a good book. Reading takes concentration and focus. It is a great way to pass time, and it's good for your brain.
2. Write : I highly recommend writing out your thoughts. Whether I feel horrible or amazing, seeing my thoughts on paper helps me have a better perspective. 
3. Go on a drive : This one doesn't even need an explanation. Listen to your favorite music, and just relax while you drive to no particular destination. 
4. Watch a movie : I recommend a "feel good" movie. A movie that would make you feel happy after watching it. My two favorites to watch when I need to distract myself are Frozen and Crazy Rich Asians hahaha. 
5. Take a shower : This will relax your body and mind. Listening to music would be a good idea especially if you are having a hard day. 
6. Clean : Just cleaning your room will make you feel more productive, and a clean space is just going to make you feel better. 
7. Go outside : I will go outside and sit in a chair. This one could be a two in one. You could go outside and read, write, listen to music, etc. Vitamin D is so good for you. 
8. Treat yourself : If getting a coffee or a little ice cream brings you a tiny bit of joy, get it. I get coffee like two - three times a week. It is something I am able to look forward to. 
9. Exercise : I wish I could say I was great at this one, but I have been so lazy when it comes to this lol. Gyms are finally opening up, but gym or not, there is things you can do at home. Exercise has so many benefits besides just being healthier physically. 
10. Paint or draw : I am not much of a painter or someone who really draws, but I do enjoy painting my nails. I also painted my entire room recently. You don't need to paint like da Vinci just have fun. 

(A moment from this past week : Coffee with the one and only Anastasia... The tattoo on my arm is fake, but mark my words, it will be real as soon as I move out lol. Until then, fake ones will do.) 

I hope at least one of those things is able to help you on your journey with your mental health. Everything that is happening will come to an end. This is not our "new normal". The sun always comes out after a storm. 

Last but not least... you ALL are soooo loved and appreciated! <3 <3 Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. 

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : (Blog account) Newkindofliving_ 
(Main account) gracekehlers 

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com  

PEACE OUT UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!

let's talk about feminism

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib

He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.

The man said, 

"This is now bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called, 'woman',"

for she was taken out of man.

Genesis 2:22-23

Heyyyy guys! I hope you all have been doing amazing during this crazy time. Once again, I pop on here after not being here for a little while. Life has been crazy haha. I will catch you all up to speed quickly. 

My book campaign reached its goal with an extra $50 to spare! I am currently working on revisions and the little details that take a lot of time to make my book great.

I am still happily in a relationship. We are almost to the finish line of being in a long distance relationship after almost three months of this. We will have a few months before his job once again takes him away. Long distance definitely has its hard moments, and makes communication a little harder at times. But we have learned to grow as a couple so much, and I can very honestly say that I am thankful for everything that it has taught the both of us. 

(** Disclaimer : As always when I talk about a controversial topic, please keep in my mind that it is my opinion. If I say something you do not like or agree with, come talk to me. I would love to hear your side!)

Let's get straight to the point. Do I agree with feminism? Yes and no. Sure, I believe women should have rights. Sure, I believe the way a woman dresses should not excuse rape or any thing to close to that. However, there is so much I do not agree with. 

It's supposedly all about equality, but I don't believe equality is the end goal here. Women want power over men. For many years, men were above women. But let's keep in mind that we don't want to turn around, and do the exact same thing to men. Two wrongs don't make a right. 

It is not even about men vs women though in my eyes. It is about women vs women. The harshest comments I have been told were always by a feminist. I have been looked down on many times for wanting to be a stay-at-home mom. Feminism looks down on moms or girls like me.  We are supposed to have high paying jobs now and not be housewives anymore. 

But what if that is exactly what I want to be? 

I want to be able to vote. I want to be able to dress how I want without fear of something happening to me. I get it. 

But as a woman, I should also get a say. I should be able to say that I want to take care of my husband, kids, and house one day. I should be able to say that when it comes my time to breastfeed my babies that it will be okay for me to cover up. Yes, I will be feeding my baby, but I don't need the world seeing my chest. I should be able to say these things without comments or heavy sighs of disapproval. If you get the choice to do what you want, so do I. 

This could go on forever. I could bring up so many political debates, bible references, and more strong opinions I have, but I am going to end it with this... Equality can be a good thing if it is gone about in the right ways. If feminism is about building each other up, let's actually stick to that. Women need to build women up. Men need to build men up. Both women and men need to build each other up. 

As for my body, my body is my body. I can dress and do as I feel is right and as I please. But one day, I pray it houses another little body. That little body will not be mine. That heartbeat will not be my own. Whether that little body is a girl or boy, I will give that body equality too. 

No matter how big or small, no matter what color your skin is, no matter what gender you are, equality is for everyone. 

I won't look down on your views, or judge you for your's. I will listen to the other side all day, but at the end of the day, I will always stick to my side. The world will always be full of different views, and we just have to learn that it's okay to not always agree. 

Last but not least... you ALL are soooo loved and appreciated! <3 <3 Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. 

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : (Blog account) Newkindofliving_ 
(Main account) gracekehlers 

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com  

PEACE OUT UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!

boyfriend, book, & blog

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, 

so that in all things at all times,

having all that you need, 

you will abound in every good work."

2 Corinthians 9:8

Heyyy guys! I hope you all have been doing amazing, and staying safe from everything going on right now. It has been four months since I last posted a blog. Go easy on me if it seems off hahaha. I am honestly just trying to get back into this particular writing style.  

I am so happy to be back. I have so much to share about what has happened in the last four months. This is like a super quick summary, and I will go into detail about certain things over the next few weeks. I don't know how much I will be posting on here again (hoping and planning on being as consistent as possible), but I definitely won't be gone for another four months after this blog. I will do my best to post weekly for as long as possible again. 

(With so much going on, I know how easy it can be to overlook the little things. But spring is here! Flowers are blooming, and days are getting warmer. This world still has pretty things to offer.)

I will start with why I took such a long break from doing something I love so much. It is because I am writing a book, "Party Pooper: Growing up with Anxiety"! I was approved for publishing back in January. My first draft manuscript of my entire book was looked over a couple of weeks ago. I was told I am right on track for publication this July!! This is extremely exciting for me. I have always loved writing, and once I dropped out of college, my love for writing practically exploded. Writing and publishing a book has always been a dream of mine, and it is crazy (in the best way possible) to watch my dream come to life. 

If you haven't seen my burst of instagram posts, my book starts back from the time I was four (when I began to develop anxiety) up until this very day. Each chapter is from a different year / specific time period of my life, and how I learned to navigate through life with anxiety. It is basically my tell all, and I have done my absolute best to keep everything as lighthearted and casual as possible sort of like the blogs I write for you all. 

(This is just a placeholder! If you preorder, one of the many perks is that you can become a part of my Beta Community, and help me design the best cover!)

The excitement does not end there. While I have been writing away like crazy to meet deadlines and get this book on track for publication, I met and started dating my boyfriend. (I will talk more about him and our temporary long distance relationship in the next blog.) For now, all you really need to know is that I am extremely happy. Everything has been going so well and smoothly for us. I cannot wait to see where God leads the two of us. 

(My favorite <3 )

For now, I will wrap it by saying. Thank you to each of you who have supported me in any way, even if it is just liking one of my posts on Instagram. A special thank you to those of you who have already preordered my book. EVERY contribution counts. $4000 is a ton of money to raise in the next 30 DAYS, but I am trusting God through it all. 

Last but not least... you ALL are soooo loved and appreciated! <3 <3 Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please keep praying for my grandmother, and now, I ask that you please pray for my book.   

Let's talk! I love hearing your own stories and opinions! If you have any questions / comments / concerns that you would rather not comment down below, direct message me or email me!

Instagram : Newkindofliving_ and gracekehlers 

Email : Newkindofliving@gmail.com   
Preorder my book today : https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/party-pooper-growing-up-with-anxiety-by-g-ehlers/x/23231976#/