Caffeine is an addiction just like any other drug. We crave it, we think it’s necessary, we fear the withdrawal, we make excuses on why we need it. But, this former coffee shop owner, mother of two, and newsroom manager is here to tell you, you can kick the habit.

1.) I went into withdrawal

Of course there were the caffeine headaches. The pounding-maybe-I-should-drink-just-one-cup kind of headaches. Then, that foggy brain feeling. I was goofy in that first week of “detox.” I was having trouble getting sentences out or staying focused at work, but those symptoms go away in less than a week. Honestly, the toughest part of the withdrawal is the mental connection you have with caffeine. It’s like your brain is telling you, “You need this. You won’t make it through the day without it. You need to stop at Starbucks because it’s part of your routine and your whole day will feel ruined without it.” Ok, Satan!! It’s seriously just the mind-f*ck that keeps many of us downing caffeine. What helped me was still keeping the daily routine going, just ordering decaf. I’d still get three shots of espresso, just all decaf. I also stopped drinking Diet Pepsi. I’ve switched to Fresca for when I want a pop.

2.) My panic disorder symptoms improved

This was the real reason I decided to ditch caffeine. When my panic attacks resurfaced in early 2019, I knew I had to take control of my wellbeing. Caffeine is a major trigger for anxiety. The highs and lows of caffeine can really aggravate your nervous system, hence triggering an attack. Within a couple weeks, I noticed it was helping taking the edge off. I also think, at a time my panic attacks had me spiraling, kicking caffeine felt empowering. I had taken control of something in my life. I had “beaten” this. I could carry that momentum into other places in my life.

3.) I started sleeping better

I’m a notoriously light sleeper. I toss, turn, and wake about 20 times a night-no exaggeration; And if my anxiety is acting up, then I’m also struggling to fall asleep. (My panic attacks are worst at night.) I am now sleeping sounder and deeper. I think I’m even hitting my REM again, because I can recall dreams now.

4.) My energy actually improved

This! So much, this! I am telling you- I can make it through the day better now than I could when I was pounding caffeine. A big reason? I’m not crashing mid-day anymore. I also think it has a lot to do with the fact that I’m sleeping more soundly. It’s giving me a steadier energy to make it through my day. Even on mornings where I didn’t sleep well, I still order decaf because I don’t want to end up in that same cycle as before.

5.) My headaches decreased

This was a surprise bonus that I didn’t expect, but it makes sense! Caffeine can actually cause rebound headaches. If you don’t know what that means, think of it this way: Caffeine can serve a purpose in medications. If you’re a migraine sufferer you may find that meds like Excedrine Migraine have caffeine in them. Well, that’s great, if you’re not already using caffeine daily. It will help zap that headache. But, if you find yourself popping two Excedrine Migraines a day, you will start to notice you seem to have a headache come on everyday. That’s because of the caffeine in it. The pills start to have the opposite effect and start to cause the headaches because your body starts to crave the caffeine in them. That takes us back to withdrawal.

I’m telling you mama (and daddy, and entrepreneur, and boss, student, doctor, etc.), you can do this! If you think it will make you feel better, it likely will! Have you cut out caffeine? Are you considering it? Drop me a note below! Or add me on 九九色情网站 and let’s chat! @The.九九色情网站.九九大香蕉在线.Mom

If I’m being really honest… that feeling has lasted all day. (In my defense, I think I’m getting an inner ear infection because I’ve been dizzy, off balance, and my head hurts.) But alas, that’s nothing compared to what so many people are going through.

This year, I’ve decided to put down what I’m most thankful for.

My dad’s in remission from prostate cancer

When I got the call in late March that my dad had Stage 4 Prostate cancer, everything changed. I think it’s particularly tough to hear it when you live 11 hours away. I’m a daddy’s girl, I call him everyday, so you can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions this year has brought. But, it was great news to hear just days before thanksgiving that his PSA level dropped from the high 220s now down to .02! He’s been responding well to treatment, and doctors consider him in remission. He said he saw the words in remission on a piece of paper, and I can only imagine what that felt like for him.

My Marriage

We just celebrated 7 years of marriage on November 24 and this was probably one of our best years yet. We got out and had several date nights this year, we went on several trips as a family. I’m thankful to have a good teammate, a good co-parent, and a funny and handsome one to boot!

My Children

I’m thankful both children are happy (for like 60% of the day) and more importantly, healthy. (Although the doctor just said Hayden needs to switch to 2% milk ) They are exhausting and drama-filled little mini versions of Josh and me, but they make me smile and make me proud.

My Career

I love my work fam and I love my job. This has been a particularly rewarding year. I’m now 16 months in and it’s really starting to feel like 九九国产香蕉视频. Because of our position in the Omaha market, I feel like I have a bigger opportunity to make a difference. We have a large reach, surprisingly bigger than what I had 九九大香蕉在线 in larger markets because we have such a bigger piece of the pie. We’ve gotten to do some meaningful stories and investigations that have been inspiring to be a part of. Management can be really stressful and draining, but also very rewarding. I’m thankful this opportunity found me and looking forward to what’s next.

My Squad

I’m so thankful to be making friendships here in Omaha that I suspect will last for years to come, and I’m also thankful that I still have a large support system that spans the country. Technology I has certainly helped this. I get to FaceTime my family often, I have so many group chats that still connect me to buddies from college, Detroit, Pittsburgh and beyond. I love that if I need to vent, need a shoulder to cry on, or just want to reminisce or have a few laughs, they’re only a text away! Also so thankful that I actually got to see Mary, Jackie, Cindy and Barrett over the course of a few trips… and the entire Yobbi family when we went to Natalia’s wedding this year!

Travel

One of my favorite things about Omaha is how it is within road tripping distance to some other great cities. We had so many adventures this year. And with both of us making more money, there have been more opportunities for getaways! We spent a week in Denver, I visited Minneapolis twice, went to Kansas City twice, spent a week in Michigan, had a quick trip to Pittsburgh, got to meet up with Cindy and Barrett in Sioux Falls, day-tripped to Lincoln. And in just a couple weeks, Annabelle and I will be flying to New York City to get into the holiday spirit!

Memories Made

We’ve made more of an effort to use our weekends and time off the clock to make memories. Annabelle and I have seen so many shows this year like Cats, the Wizard of Oz ballet, Phantom of the Opera in the front row. Josh and I saw Hamilton and went and saw Third Eye Blind in Concert. We’re going to see the Nutcracker next week. Josh and I did one of those “float tanks”. We’ve been to the zoo and museums multiple times this year and of course the pumpkin patch and local farms!

“Will my child come face to face with a school shooter?”

Granted, I work in news, so I tend to imagine worst case scenarios more often than I’d like to admit. But at the end of the day, I know that no school is immune.

I haven’t blogged in a while because most of my creative energy has been focused on work… one of those projects being an investigative piece.

It all started after we had Active Shooter training at work. During that, I learned that one of the reasons the Sandy Hook tragedy was so deadly was because those 20 babies bled to death. Out of that tragedy, Stop the Bleed training was born.

Watch my investigative piece here for more information.

I learned that because of Stop the Bleed training and a more widespread use of tourniquets to respond to mass casualty incidents, we’ve had a better survival rate.

The Vegas Massacre, for instance, could have been much deadlier. Hundreds were wounded, but they survived. By that time, Stop the Bleed training was more commonplace. Our law enforcement and first responders are now trained to respond more like the military does. Let’s be real, they have to be since these incidents tend to look more like a battlefield where assault weapons are used.

Leaving that seminar had me wondering, does my daughter’s school have tourniquets and do her educators have Stop the Bleed training?

I made some calls, and what I learned was unsettling. That led me to start reaching out to school districts across the metro.

Throughout my investigation, I learned the training is pretty much free. You just need to find an area hospital, police or fire department to come teach it. It only takes about an hour. I sat through a session myself.

It’s eye-opening. It’s chilling. But it also has the potential to save lives. That’s why I want to spread the word.

Parents, call your child’s school district. Ask if there are tourniquets in their building. Ask if there are staff members who have Stop the Bleed training.

Ask your workplace. A good tourniquet kit only costs $50. The training can also teach you how to stop the bleed without a tourniquet. Both are invaluable.

If you have questions, feel free to comment below! But please, make those calls and spread the word.

九九大香蕉在线 in news can be exciting, fun, rewarding, and often desensitizing. We see the worst (and sometimes best, but mostly the worst). People complain we show only the negative things, but it’s our job to expose reality in hopes of creating change.

This week, we lost three children in three separate, but equally awful tragedies. First, a toddler just a few months younger than my son Hayden, who drowned in a pool. The very same day we were doing a story on the first-responders who went to that incident, they were called to a 10-year-old girl who was hit while crossing the street with her brother. She died two days later. The following day, an 11-year-old boy on his bike was hit and killed by a semi. My heart ached, my stomach hurt.

I won’t even touch on the standoffs, shootings, and other situations we covered this week.

Oh, and to top it off, we started our week with active shooter training— just two weeks after the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, and just days after I sent my daughter off to first grade.

Guys, it was just a lot. Sometimes we do “feel” the news.

I see some of our newest hires, and they get into this business to try and expose truth, tell stories that need told, and they have this sparkle in their eyes.

I saw that sparkle dim in the eyes of one this week.

The reality— sinking in— that as beautiful as this world is, man, it sucks.

The best journalists are the ones who’ve had their hearts broken, the ones who have lost, the ones who can relate in some way to the heart breaking stories we have to tell.

But at the end of the day, at the end of a long week, this job is a reminder that life is precious, and short, and we should be soaking up every moment we get. That we shouldn’t hold grudges. That we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff… and that we should always end every goodbye with a hug, a kiss, and an “I love you”.