Looking Back on 2017: The Good, the Bad, the Beautiful Messes

It wasn't all bad. It was actually really big, and really great. But I would have forgotten that if I didn't take time to look back.

Real LifeRachel DawsonDecember 29, 2017new years, 2017, new year, steward: 2018Comment

on antidotes for anxiety.

I've learned little by little that the anxiety does not have to win.

Freewriting, Real LifeRachel DawsonDecember 11, 2017the on series, anxiety, antidotes, stress, counselingComment

The Little All-Natural Ways I Stay Healthy

I swear by these things to keep me from getting the flu, a cold, or anything else in the winter season, and so far, so good!

Real Life, Vegan + Gluten-FreeRachel DawsonDecember 8, 2017healthy, vegan, supplements, sick, health, vitamins, natural, vgf, eco-friendlyComment

This is What it Means to Be Real

This was the assignment from my counselor that week: to read The Velveteen Rabbit, an old childhood favorite, and write about what it means to be real. And so, I did.

Real LifeRachel DawsonNovember 29, 2017counseling, velveteen rabbit, realComment

The One Where You Tell Me What to Watch Next

I'll tell you what I've watched, what I've loved, what I've hated, and you tell me what I should watch next... deal?

Art + Culture, Real LifeRachel DawsonOctober 30, 2017reality tv, tv showsComment

Why I LOVE Using Powersheets

The 2018 Powersheets are available TODAY -- trust me, you're going to want to get your hands on these great intentional goal planners!

Real LifeRachel DawsonOctober 25, 2017powersheets, cultivate what matters, goals, resourcesComment

A Little Fall Bucket List

My favorite season is in full swing (even if the temps are still too warm for my liking) and I'm making plans to savor every bit of it.

Lists + Roundups, Real LifeRachel DawsonOctober 10, 2017autumn, fall, bucket list, apple picking, pumpkin, playlist, spotify, music, wendell berry, poetryComment

"How's Your Anxiety?"

"How's your anxiety?" He asked it simply, no judgment, no presumptions, just a question that felt both light and heavy all at once.The tears welled up, unexpectedly yet not.

Real LifeRachel DawsonSeptember 19, 2017anxiety, counseling, counselor, mental healthComment

I Will Not Stay Silent

A few thoughts in response to Charlottesville (and the whole last year, really), and a few book recommendations if you don't know where or how to start listening and engaging.

18 Ways Hot Yoga Has Changed My Life

I took 21 classes in a month after having never even tried yoga in a 105 degree studio before... and I'm hooked. Here's how this practice has won me over, mind, body, and soul.

Real LifeRachel DawsonAugust 4, 2017hot yoga, yoga, self-care, the hot yoga barre, happy body challengeComment

What Anxiety is Like

I had a panic attack this week. Again. This is my attempt to give the feelings words, to somehow win back control over the anxiety that tried to take me over.

Real LifeRachel DawsonJuly 26, 2017anxiety, mental health, depression, panic attackComment

Show up. Stick around.

There are so many days I don't want to show up. But... I'm learning.

Real LifeRachel DawsonJuly 17, 2017Comment

The Routine That Made Me a Morning Person

I was the most hardcore night owl for so long, but the snooze button and the frantic feelings that came with it weren't my friends. Thankfully, I figured out what works for me, and I am a BIG fan of the mornings now.

Real LifeRachel DawsonJune 7, 2017morning routine, morning, quiet time, devotional, bible, bible study, she reads truth, work, podcast, gardenComment

What's Great (and Hard) about Leaving Social Media... And Why I Came Back

I recently just started tiptoeing back onto the apps again, and I wanted to share a bit more of my experience these last few weeks in case you, like me, find social media to just be a LOT to handle

Real LifeRachel DawsonMay 23, 2017social media, facebook, twitter, instagram, detoxComment

5 Favorite (and Super Random) Products I'm Loving Lately

You know how sometimes you buy something and realize it makes your life SO MUCH BETTER and you never would have known how great things could be had you not had that thing?

Real LifeRachel DawsonMay 16, 2017pens, powersheets, eyelash serum, dryer balls, clean, glossier, boy brow, game changers, products, beauty productsComment

Why I Got an Olive Branch Tattoo

I got a new tattoo! (Happy birthday to me!) Here's the story of its significance.

Real LifeRachel DawsonMay 4, 2017tattoo story, tattoo, river city tattoo, ink, most popularComment

Why I'm Giving Up Social Media For Awhile...

I'm not handling social media in a healthy way. It isn't a bad thing at the core, but I have made it an idol, and I have chosen it over things that truly bring life.

Real LifeRachel DawsonApril 26, 2017social mediaComment

A Story about my Heart

Let me tell you a story about my heart. It's been hurt, it's been broken, it's been mended, it's been brought back to life.

Real Life, FreewritingRachel DawsonMarch 31, 2017heart, relationships, singleness, high schoolComment

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