Bailz Has a Blog

Tag: gentle living

  • 🌀 A Spine-Tingling Update (Literally)

    🌀 A Spine-Tingling Update (Literally)

    Well, I had my follow-up with the chiropractor this afternoon, and MAN is my spine jacked up, y’all! My hips are rotated in ways they should not be, my mid-back is all kinds of tight, and I have some scoliosis in the top part of my spine and neck. Seeing the scans and X-rays definitely got me in my feels.

    I knew it was bad—bad enough to seek help—but I didn’t think it was that bad. Still, after hearing Dr. Lauren explain everything, it all makes sense. A lot of the things I’ve struggled with can be symptoms of a misaligned spine: difficulty sleeping, depression, focus and memory issues, anxiety and stress, allergies and congestion, even ADHD. Crazy, right?

    🌿 The Plan

    We’ve created a 90-day treatment plan, and I’ll be going three days a week for adjustments. Every 30 days, we’ll redo the scans to track progress and fine-tune as needed. I got my first adjustment today—my first in a long time—and oh my goodness, it felt amazing. Especially my neck! It was all kinds of snap, crackle, and pop. She told me to expect some emotional release afterward… and she wasn’t kidding. I cried almost my entire drive home. It felt like a dam finally breaking.

    🧘‍♀️ Movement & Mindfulness

    Before my appointment, I did a short Yoga with Adriene practice to center myself and stretch out. After I got home from my appointment, I hopped on the walk pad—but I changed up my approach. Instead of my usual 45 minutes, I walked for 20 minutes at a slow, steady pace. I wanted to move my body gently today, and that’s exactly what I did.

    Now, as I’m writing this, I’m feeling sore and tired, so the rest of my day is all about gentleness and rest. My plan? Cozy clothes, dogs on the couch, and a good book or two.

    📚 My Healing Companions

    I’m currently reading The Artist’s Way, How to Do the Work, and The Body Keeps the Score—a powerhouse trio for healing the mind, body, and spirit.

    💤 The Ongoing Battle with Sleep

    I’m still really struggling with sleep. Falling asleep feels impossible some nights, and when I finally do, I wake up drenched in sweat—like full wardrobe-change, move-to-another-spot-on-the-bed levels of sweat. It’s exhausting, and I know my lack of rest is affecting everything else. I’m hopeful that with continued chiropractic care and the other work I’m doing, I’ll start seeing some improvement soon.

    💜 The Gentle Reminder

    I’m proud of myself for sticking to my goals—but I’m also proud of myself for listening to my body. Yesterday, I wanted to walk and do yoga, but my body said, “Nope, not today.” So instead, I rested and read, and that was the right call. That’s growth, too.

    I’m not at 100% yet, and that’s okay. I’m still in recovery, and healing takes time. I’m learning that giving myself grace is part of the work. I have a plan, a path, and patience—and that’s enough for today.

    As always, thank you for being here. I am so grateful for you. 💜

    Love always,
    Bailz

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  • ✨ Learning to Take Up Space

    ✨ Learning to Take Up Space

    I feel like I’m still very much struggling with the concept of taking up space. My inner critic keeps piping up from the back —

    “Who do you think you are? Who cares how you’re feeling right now? Who cares what you’re doing right now? How vain of you to think that people would care about anything you do or say!”

    But I’m doing my best to keep pushing through it — to keep showing up, sharing, and putting myself out there anyway. 💜

    🌿 The Reality of Burnout Recovery

    The burnout recovery process, in the day-to-day scheme of things, isn’t fun or exciting. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t always make for riveting updates. But to portray it as anything else would be dishonest — and authenticity is what I’m striving for.

    Sometimes my updates will simply be: “I’m tired, so I’m going to rest.” That’s not laziness. That’s the work. Listening to my body and honoring what it needs instead of forcing productivity because of what my brain says I “should” be doing — that is healing.

    💗 Giving Myself Grace

    This last week has been beautiful, but it’s been a lot. I’ve done big, brave things and I’m proud of myself for each one. But I also know that big steps require recovery time — and I’m learning that I can’t keep doing “big things” without recharging in between. Otherwise, I’ll push myself until my battery runs out, and then I’ll crash into burnout again — tired, resentful, and self-critical. I don’t want to live there anymore.

    So I’m practicing gentleness instead. I’m building in space to breathe. To rest. To just be.

    🛋️ Rest as the Work

    I could have forced myself to write yesterday, but instead, I made rest the priority. I spent the afternoon on the couch watching The Office, snuggling with my dogs, snacking, and just straight chilling — no guilt, no pressure. And you know what? It was exactly what I needed. 🐾

    💅 A Little Act of Rebellion

    Today, I still felt tired, but I had enough energy to do something kind for myself. I went to get my nails done and splurged on the fancy pedicure — the one with all the extras — because I’m learning that I’m worth it, especially when it comes to self-care.

    And for the first time in years, I changed up my polish color. I almost always go for black, but today, I felt drawn to something different — a bold, classic cherry red. 🍒

    It’s funny how something as small as nail polish can feel like a declaration. I stood at the color table, quieted my thoughts, and paid attention to how I felt. I was drawn to the reds, so I picked one without overthinking it. At the last second, my anxious brain tried to talk me out of it — “Just get black like always, be safe, stick with the usual.” But I didn’t listen this time. I trusted my gut. And I’m so glad I did.

    🎯 Present, Not Perfect

    I don’t know if cherry red will be my new signature color or if I’ll go back to black next time. But for right now, I love it. It feels authentic to this version of me — and that’s all that matters.

    This was a small but powerful exercise in being intentional and staying present. I’m not worried about what past Bailz would’ve thought or what future Bailz will think. Today, I just wanted to make current Bailz happy — and I nailed it. (Pun absolutely intended.) 💅😉

    Thank you for being here, I’m honored to have you on this adventure with me!

    Love always, Bailz 💜

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  • The Little Ways I’m Coming Back to Myself

    The Little Ways I’m Coming Back to Myself

    Hello, friends 👋

    Today has been another slow day, but I can feel myself starting to come back to myself. I’ve still got a ways to go, but the fog is lifting bit by bit. And for now, that’s enough.

    It still takes effort—more than I’d like—to truly let go and relax. That voice in the back of my mind is still whispering: “Don’t waste this time! You should be doing more. You’ve rested plenty. Let’s go!”

    But I’m getting better at replying: “Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But I’m going to snuggle up on the couch and enjoy this episode of Gilmore Girls anyway.”

    💗 A Little Help From My Favorite Human

    Heath worked from home today, and honestly, his presence made a huge difference. This afternoon, he surprised me with a little at-home spa setup—he arranged a cozy chair with a back massager, brought out the foot bath, made sure I had snacks, and told me to just relax.

    So I sat. I soaked. I snacked. I let the knots in my back melt a little. I watched TV. I laughed. I cried. I breathed. I was present.

    It wasn’t glamorous, but it was meaningful.

    🛁✨ The Power of Ritual

    Since getting home from Guthrie, I’ve returned to one of my favorite self-care rituals: nightly baths. Every evening, I draw a warm bath and take time to reconnect with myself.

    Lately, I’ve been treating myself to some beautiful bath soaks from Flewd—my current favorite is called “Sads Smashing” (fitting, right?). They’re clean, fragrant, and formulated with emotional and physical well-being in mind.

    I turn on my galaxy light, set a timer for 30 minutes, and listen to something soothing—sometimes Mel Robbins, sometimes an audiobook, sometimes sound frequencies focused on relaxation, chakra healing, or self-love. I hydrate well before, during, and after.

    This little ritual is helping me reestablish trust with myself. It’s saying: “You matter. You’re worth taking care of.” Not just on the good days—but on the hard ones and the quiet, in-between ones too.

    🤍 A Gentle Reminder

    This phase of my life isn’t flashy or exciting. But it is sacred in its own way. I’m learning how to rest. How to let go. How to be soft with myself. And how to believe that small acts of care are more than enough.

    As always, thank you for walking through this journey with me.

    💜 Bailz

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