Finding Balance in Your Life as a Woman

Today’s blog features one of our creators, Karoline. She’s the creator of the Dog Mom Mentality brand: a community of dog owners, a podcast, a merch line, and a journal all here to support and empower dog owners through their own mental health and training journeys. Karoline is based in Kentucky where she lives with her husband and dog, Layla. You can find her at DogMomMentality.com or on Instagram at @dogmommentality. 

Finding Balance Will Always be a Work in Progress

People always ask how I find balance while working a 9-5 and running a passion project turned side business on top of also being a wife, daughter, dog mom, and friend. 

The answer? It’s always a work in progress.

 As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that finding balance is more than just juggling work and everyday life, especially as a woman. I strive to find balance in the various areas of my life, and one way I do this is through self-care and nurturing my routines so that I can succeed in all my roles while still being my best self.

 My Non-Negotiables

To align my life with balance, I like to create a variety of non-negotiable actions and routines I do daily. Most of these fall under the category of self-care, but the intention behind them is so much more to me than just being inspired by the latest self-care trend! 

Here are some of my non-negotiables:

Meditation

I’ve noticed that morning meditation makes such a difference in my mood!

Skincare

Morning and night skincare are small steps for my physical health I never want to skip. This includes the O+R skincare products like Blur the Lines, Overnight It, and Lip Crush. The Overnight It sleeping mask has done wonders for my dry skin. I find it so fulfilling to see my skin glowing!

Supplements

Vitamins and supplements are for my long-term health. I take these to support a healthy gut, my joints, focus, (hello functional mushrooms), and ease everyday anxieties (my personal fav for anxiety is the Pure Bloom+ Mint CBD Oil).

Quality Time

Playing with my dog every day, even if it’s just for 5 minutes, is non-negotiable for me. It gets me moving, provides me time to bond and connect with her, and brings out my inner child!

Even when life gets hectic, these pieces of my life come together to help me stay creative and playful, ensure my physical and mental health is cared for, and allow me to recharge in a way that is best suited for me!

 Finding Balance in My Own Life

I believe that life is always a balancing act between fun and play. I really started to notice this when I became fully responsible for my dog, Layla and not everything could be about what I wanted to do, or what sounded fun. I quickly learned there had to be a good mix of play and structure as well as liberties and boundaries. 

I then started to see this concept apply to other areas of my life, like work and my social life.

Work + Life

Everyone can relate to this in some way. I have been proactive about this by doing something every day after work to break up the day and signal to my brain that it is time to wind down. This could look like playing with Layla, going for a walk, or reading.

Personal Boundaries

Working on setting boundaries, but still being respectful, empathetic, and considerate. Recovering people pleaser here! Setting boundaries can be really hard for me and I tend to be an all-or-nothing kind of person, so clearly communicating my boundaries while still being understanding and empathetic to the other person and their time has been something I have had to work on.

My Own Goals

The concept of burning out wasn’t really something I understood until I started working with Layla to overcome some of her behavioral challenges. I have always been independent and would push myself until I was finished with a task, but I realized you can’t do that when you have a teammate (even if they are a dog) and that comes with frustrations.

 Most of the areas I am working on, come down to self-awareness and managing my emotions and mental health. My non-negotiables I mentioned earlier help keep all of these things in check by giving me the energy, confidence, and time to reflect!

Being a Dog Mom

No one can pour from an empty glass, right? Being a dog mom is one of the areas of my life that requires the most mindfulness from me. Being balanced in this area looks like making sure Layla’s needs are fulfilled, while also making sure mine are fulfilled. I am a huge believer that the best dog moms are the ones that also prioritize themselves!

 Like myself, Layla has her everyday routines to keep her health in check. This includes a morning walk, playtime, nap time, and of course, meal time! Layla gets CBD with her meals every day in the form of a treat or tincture like the Paws A Moment Oil. CBD helps to ease her general anxiety, but it also provides anti-inflammatory properties which can improve pain and arthritis over time. Just like it is for humans, CBD helps to bring balance into the body which can affect mood, sleep, and a variety of other things.

Prioritizing Yourself while Finding Balance

As women, working to find balance and play with our strengths can help promote our energy, confidence, and unity while celebrating and fighting toward equality! 

I hope you were able to find examples of achieving balance throughout this article and take the time to implement some today. I am positive Onyx + Rose will be here to support you while finding balance in your everyday life through their products!

Take time to nurture and celebrate yourself today and, if you are able, play with your dog today!

 XOXO,

Karoline @dogmommentality