Staying Motivated...

This semester of occupational therapy school has really got the best of me, continually keeping me on my toes! I found this video on working in OT with children, my ultimate goal. It is pretty informative if you don't know much about occupational therapy, but what I found most helpful is that this video is a reminder for me of why I am here in school, constantly feeling stressed about the next project/test and working my butt off to accomplish my goals! This vid helps put everything I am working so hard for in perspective, and keeps me motivated.

Let's Move!

As I am almost done with my first semester of OT school, I have learned a lot about the field of occupational therapy and all the diverse areas I can go into and help others! Occupational therapists don't just deal with treating people after they undergo an injury, disease or disability. We also work in areas of health prevention and promotion. One of my classes this summer focused on learning about health promotion and what types of roles OT's play in health promotion and education both on an individual level and on a larger scale, out in the community. A major issue that our country is dealing with right now is childhood obesity, and as an OT, I can take the opportunity to get involved, help create and instigate health initiatives and interventions in schools while promoting health and well being! So, recently on a National level, Beyonce and First Lady Michelle Obama have gotten together and collaborated to address this exact issue, promoting the Let's Move initiative to curb childhood obesity. So exciting right?! Check out the video above to see how dancing and physical activity is one of the first steps to getting people involved and aware!

happy shark week!

Hope everyone's having a wonderful summer/weekend! I've been on hiatus with OT school overload. Only two more weeks until a bitty break before fall semester starts. All the homework assignments, projects, tests, presentations and researching my teachers have been giving us is really building up and my head feels pretty much as big as that shark in the pic up there (getting ready to explode!!) Ahhh but i gotta remember...JUST KEEP SWIMMING! :)

use somebody

 

I came across this treat tonight to help me fall asleep. An absolutely beautiful cover of Kings of Leon's Use Somebody by Laura Jansen. Sweet dreams!

happy living

I have been working on this blog post for the last few days, so please hang in there with me as it is longer then the rest. As I transition into a new and exciting part of my life, starting occupational therapy school, I have had this past week off work before beginning the program..my little "stay-cation" as I call it, to focus my energy and goals into preparing myself for going back to school and working hard towards my dream of becoming an OT! I am very excited to start the program and make some new friends who share similar goals as me.

So, this past week I have been spending some time revisiting what occupational therapy is all about. A lot of people have no idea what an occupational therapist is or does, so you might just learn something new here. Essentially, occupational therapy assists people in living their lives to the fullest through health education, promotion and prevention. "Occupational therapy is a unique, creative rehabilitation profession that focuses on helping people of all ages to improve their quality of life in terms of independence, productivity, and/or overall well-being, in spite of whatever physical, mental, situational, or emotional challenges they face." (J. McCabe) Many of the patients I will work with will be dealing with some sort of illness, injury or disability. I will work closely with my patients to design strategies and set and achieve goals that will help them with everyday living activities and occupations, as well as, finding ways to adapt and live fulfilling lives with their illness, injury or disability. We will also work on rebuilding independence, and engaging in meaningful activities that will help them in living healthy, happy balanced lives. I look forward to really investing myself and getting to know my patients and the individuals I work with and discover what types of activities make them happy and inspire them to live life to it's fullest! 

Thus, with all that said, I have decided that a good starting point, to help better understand others I work with and really tap in and connect with them, would be for me to ask myself what makes me the happiest? What inspires me to live life to it's fullest? What kinds of activities do I enjoy engaging in the most that help me live a healthy, happy balanced life?

I decided to create a happiness and inspiration photo collage! (I also included a few quotes..since we all know I love quotes ha!) Check out what makes me happy and inspires me to live life to its fullest. Then go ahead, and start on your own inspiration/happiness project..it's easy and fun, weather it's a blog or a picture frame or shoe box of your favorite things. It's a great reminder for me to never take any moment for granted and live every day like it's your last! Immerse yourself in life! Take action and do what makes you happy! ~Heidi

my sister, Allegra, inspires me to be strong and confident. Most importantly she reminds me to laugh and not take life so seriously. I love spending time with her, whether we are traveling together, hanging out in my room watching Office re-runs, or talking over Skype. 

My mom and dad inspire me to live life to it's fullest! My mom inspires me to stay true to myself and follow my heart, set goals and take chances, and live every moment with grace, love and gratitude. My dad inspires me to work hard and stay dedicated to my goals, while also enjoying the silliness of life. I am incredibly blessed with wonderfully, down to earth, loving and supportive parents..I couldn't feel any more grateful!!

My friends not only make me so incredibly happy and cheerful, but I admire each and every one of them in unique ways and they inspire me everyday towards becoming a better and happier person. Not only are they all inspirational, but they are smart, beautiful, compassionate and fun! I am incredibly blessed to have crossed paths with each of these individuals and have such amazing friends in my life! Love you all! :)

Going to the movies!! One of my favorite hobbies is going to the show and I'm not gonna lie, I love movie theater popcorn too! I love everything from artsy to comedy to action to children's pixar! 

Speaking of movies...one of my favorites I saw this year was Christopher Nolan's, Inception (loved this scene!)

Summertime! I love grilling out with friends (although I do most of the watching, talking, eating and drinking ha). I love going to the pool as well as sunbathing with my girls, and just hanging out having a few drinks outside and listening to some tunes are the best summer nights!

Baseball games! Love cheering on my KC Royals while enjoying a good beer and a hotdog (or as of lately, some chicken fingers and fries ha!)

Cheering on KC Sporting soccer team! Love the energy at this place! So much excitement and enthusiasm..these games should not to miss!

Being silly/goofy with my friends! Ha I just LOVE being a big dork and photobooths are perfect for that! (esp with silly props) My friends inspire me to live in the moment, enjoy life, learn to laugh at yourself and not take life too seriously!

Long morning bike rides! (no, this is not me..but I like the pic) I just love the feeling of wind across my face and flying down hills..biking gives me such a great rush and motivates me to work harder in all areas of my life!

Wearing hoodies in the Fall! Autumn is my favorite time of year! It was when I was born (October), and I absolutely can't get enough of the beautiful changing colors of leaves and crisp breeze! It's football season, hoodie weather and pumpkin carving time..what's not to LOVE about Fall?!

Mindful morning yoga! (almost) every morning I awake to a 25 minute yoga session. I love how yoga naturally brings peace, calm and happiness to my life. Slow stretches, controlled breathing and deep meditation reminds me to be present in the moment and let all my worries, doubts or negative thoughts float away like clouds. Yoga starts my day off well and reminds me to breath when things get tough! 

Pilates! I have become completely hooked on pilates thanks to my good friend, Jenny, who is a professional ballerina and during her off season works with me at the nursery, Punkin Patch, and teaches some of us pilates classes during our work break! Since I did ballet and dance for about 16 years growing up, it is really similar in a lot of ways..strengthening core muscle groups and working on flexibility. I also really enjoy the social interaction and support I got while taking classes with my friends at work!!

Jogging outside! I enjoy running, mostly outside, rather then the treadmill. This photo was taken the semester I lived in Australia where I would wake up every morning and run along the beach. I absolutely loved living on the ocean, especially since it motivated me to run and bike along the water!

Most of you probably know by now that one of my biggest passions in life is traveling to new places and exploring new cultures! I am absolutely thrilled when I get to travel somewhere new or even visit a place I haven't been to in a while. I love planning and organizing fun activities for trips, as well as sometimes acting the 'tour guide' (I get a little overboard sometimes and want to do tooo much ha as some of you know.) The main things that inspire me and that I have learned from traveling are: It will always take some problem solving- I love the challenge of finding where you want to go and what you want to do; also I've learned that great things can happen when you are flexible; one of my favorite experiences in traveling is when you experience that 'moment of awe'- that moment when you realize you are part of something much bigger than you; and learning that not just your trip but your whole life is one crazy adventure even after returning from a trip can make you realize you can create beautiful moments in your everyday life!

Photography!! It's pretty obvious, but I love capturing life and documenting my life through photographs! Like how I was talking above during traveling I really try to capture that 'moment of awe'-that moment where you realize you are part of something much bigger then you! I like to capture expression, nature, emotion and quality of life! This world is SO incredibly amazing and has so much to offer- haha you know I LOVE it! I've been completely obsessed with filters and the instagram app on my iphone lately..in case ya didn't notice ;)

Nature! Maybe it's because my mom loves everything nature from flowers to birds to trees and I grew up learning all about it from her classification books, or maybe it's because I studied biology in undergrad, or maybe because I grew up playing outside every chance I got, or maybe because I fell in love with the writing and ideas of Thoreau and Emerson while reading their theories in high school..who knows?! But I absolutely love the outdoors; there is so much beauty and inspiration nature can offer if you open your eyes to it and really appreciate every part (even the humongous dragon fly that attempted to attack me in the face this morning haha)

The ocean and the beach! Every thing about the ocean makes me smile, from sea turtles to the crash of the waves hitting the shore (which is the sound I use for my deep breathing technique in yoga, by the way) to the feeling of my toes in the sand. I love laying and walking along the beach admiring the crash of the waves and the point where the sky meets the ocean. My dream is to live by the ocean some day! (or maybe retire there, might be a more realistic goal.)

Flowers, of course! The beauty and perfume of flowers make me so happy! Orchids are my personal favorite! :) What is so inspiring about flowers is getting to watch them bloom and grow and it reminds me that each day I have a chance to bloom and grow to my full potential. every moment that you've got, you have a chance at a fresh new start to grow and learn. That is what's so great about life!

Ice Cream!! haha the pup just looks so happy, reminds me of myself when I enjoy an ice cream cone! What's better then ice cream?! seriously.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk Go KU!! Cheering on my hawks in football and bball season make me so happy!

My morning coffee also makes me very happy, and wakes me up on the days I can't fit in yoga. my fav is skinny caramel macchioto. (but you'll know when I haven't had my coffee..i kind of run into things ha.)

Live music and concerts make me happy! This past year I have had the wonderful opportunity to go to some fun concerts..a few of my favs being the one from the pic above (Kings of Leon in Boston), Girl talk in KC Crossroads, and Mumford and Sons at the city market in KC! I'm a lucky girl!

Cheering and hangin in the members club at KC Sporting games!

French fries!! If you know me, then you know that french fries (or sonic tots) make me happy :) Ha I even dream about fries sometimes lol (probably something I wouldn't encourage for my patients', but we all got to enjoy ourselves in moderation.)

little miss

So I love music! Pretty much all kinds. I truly believe music is our universal language. Wherever we live, wherever we are from, and whoever we are, we can all relate to and express ourselves through music. I just love how songs stick in your memory and remind you of certain times, places, experiences and people. I also love relating back to songs and reflecting on what is happening in my life. Some days you just need a good tune to lean on when you're having a tough time and motivate you to stay strong and keep going. I love Sugarland, and today I could really relate to the lyrics of this song.

all about adele

 

I just love this song by Adele, Rumour Has It, actually her entire album is amazing! You can watch her live performance right now on itunes festival if you open the itunes store tab! Check her music out, her voice is unbelievable!