Today on the show I have old friend and colleague, Kristal Hill, who also happens to be the creative director of lifestyle & design at Free People. Yes, she really has that amazing dream job! We talk about the details of her role but the what I think you'll resonate with most is a story she tells – how stress affected her health. The way she got well is a huge inspiration that has left me feeling not the least bit guilty about taking time for myself. Let's dive in!

Alrighty, I hope you enjoyed this podcast! I loved catching up with an old colleague and being reminded about why FP is such an amazing place to work. It had a huge impact on me and truly shaped who I am today. That is one reason why I will always support this business & shop there :)

My favorite part of the interview is when she tells about her tough time, how her stress affected and manifested in her phsycial body because, it does right?! I bet a lot of us resonate with this. She was able to release the worry and anxiety with tools she learned by looking in. And I think this is interesting because so many of us go outside of ourselves to find answers but does that work? I don’t know. I’m not an expert but I’ve had to go in to and find a peace with what is.

The thing that helped was the yoga and meditation – and this is pretty woo woo but as a convert to both I’m so with her – it helped her get into her non-thinking self so she could clear out all the record-player thinking – which is really just worrying and replaying all stressful thoughts that don’t serve us. I notice these most clearly when I randomly wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep my brain just goes in circles. Yoga and meditation helped her clear these out so she could just observe them and change them. I don’t know about you but I want that radient glow that Kristal has too! I think the real take away of this is let’s NEVER feel guilty about taking the time out to go inwards or taking time for yourself  – in whatever form resonates best with us because that’s definitely going to make our work better. This ties into what I said a few weeks ago – not much good work come out of a stressed out place, certainly not creative work. So really placing importance to how we feel (and feeling well!) is crucially important to also working/living well. I LOVE how open Kristal got with us here. Clearly it resonated with me and I hope with you too but as always take what works for you and leave the rest. I know this isn't a one size fits all thing. 

Pics below of Kristal's gorgeous family and house. Follow her here on Instagram and you'll find her work over at Free People.  The books she recommended are: A New Earth, You're It, Material Girl, Mystical World, The Book of Awakenings AND the one she forgot on the episode is called The Untethered Soul.