Morning Routine Hacks To Support Mental Health

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In keeping with our Wellness theme for January, I wanted to share some parts of my morning routine that keep me centered throughout the day. Sometimes, if it’s going to be a busy day, I set my alarm a little earlier so I can get my “me time” in before I give my “me” to everyone else.

I love a good morning routine. It helps get my head right before a long to-do list, centers me when I feel scattered or in inklings of depression, and balances me when traveling. (When I really get the blues, these tricks help, too!)

Even if I don’t get through every part, it’s amazing what even one little ritual can do.

But I like to do it up.

It’s fun to look forward to some pampering in the morning. I also do these routines with Chris here, and he likes it, but there’s just something extra special about early mornings alone, right after he leaves for the boat, when I can, as one reader put it, paint your toenails without anyone complaining of the smell. (Chris would agree to mornings spent by himself, too.) I say this all with love. (Y’all know what I mean, right?)

Here’s my morning routine to get my mind right for the day. I’d love to hear what you like to do in the mornings! Please share in the comments below! 🙂 (more…)

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19 Yr-Old POCF Emily Drops Knowledge Like She’s 91

I can’t believe it’s been YEARS since I read this interview with Emily Cunningham. It’s amazing to witness the immense wisdom that this life as a Partner of a Commercial Fisherman can bring to each of us, even if we’ve just begun the journey. What I love about this interview is that Emily is both a fisherman AND and a POCF who honors her job yet keeps it real. Here’s how this post started when I first published it on 11/13/2020:

While searching the “lobster fisherman” hashtag on Instagram, I found Emily. Her photos beautifully capture a lobster fishery in Maine, completely different from Chris’ fishery in California. Plus, the shots she takes of her partner in action really got me right here. (Pointing to heart.)

Of course, I wanted to know how she deals with the POCF lifestyle, and Emily was kind to oblige! So when I read her answers and saw she was 19, I thought, How sweet. Let’s see what the youngin’ has to say. Then I kept reading and was like, Damn, girl! You know what’s up! Particularly for the passage that starts with:

“After a long day of working on the boat together, my job as his sternman is done – but my job as a POCF has only begun.” Ok. We’re listening.

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POCF Kat Jones Runs a Family & Seafood Co. Too.

“Learn how to budge and strive for a debt-free lifestyle. That way…you’re not drowning, divorcing, and taking meds to stay sane.” – Kat Jones

Going through the archives of the POCFs who have shared their lives with us is such a joy. I started to lean into our community during 2020, and out of that came community, discovery, and learning about how we, as POCFs, contribute to our partnerships, fishing business, and industry. 

One of those gems discovered through Instagram is Kat Jones. She’s a fisherman’s wife and runs Ventura Fresh Fish, a seafood market located in Ventura, California, that overnight ships to Nevada, Arizona, and across California. Oh, and they sell every Saturday at the Ventura Fisherman’s Market, too! On top of that, she’s a mom of three. So, multi-tasking as a businesswoman/wife/mother for this POCF is just another day.

On a side note, I’ve helped Chris sling some lobsters to a few friends, and the logistics behind it is, well, a bitch. There’s coordinating how many lobsters to sell, who to sell to, for how much, and where they’ll be delivered. So, I want to give a *big* shout-out to Kat’s family-run biz, which seems to do it seamlessly. Let’s Dive in!

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