Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
Is your self-care routine starting to feel more like a burden than a source of joy?
You’re aware that self-care is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle – physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yet, it can be challenging to stick to a self-care routine if it feels like a burden. The goal is for self-care to be a joyful and fulfilling part of your day. You want to feel rejuvenated and refreshed. So, if self-care feels like another item on your to-do list, it’s probably time to reevaluate how you approach it.
When you’re feeling stressed or anxious, it can be difficult to find the energy or motivation to engage in self-care activities, even knowing that these activities can help alleviate stress and improve your mood. This is why it’s essential to manage your stress with a consistent self-care practice that you truly enjoy.
Avoid self-care activities that feel daunting, even if they might have a positive impact on your health. For example, if you don’t enjoy running, don’t force yourself to do it just because it’s what others are doing. Instead, try yoga, swimming, or dancing – or any other activities that bring you joy and make you feel good.
To keep self-care fun, make it easy by taking small steps and incorporating interests that have you smile or laugh. This could be reading a funny book, listening to upbeat music, or watching a comedy. Look for activities that you can do with friends or family, like walking or taking a dance or cooking class together.
Also, give yourself permission to take breaks and reward yourself for making progress. Self-care should be something you look forward to, something that lifts you up and brings you joy. So, approach your self-care practices with a positive mindset. Focus on the enjoyment you’ll receive in the moment, rather than the end result. This can help you sustain a fulfilling self-care practice that truly benefits your well-being. Remember, self-care shouldn’t feel like another item on your to-do list – it should be a source of joy in your life.
5 Ways To Refresh Your Self-Care Practice
Check-In Regularly
Take a few moments to assess your well-being on a regular basis, so you can identify areas of your life where you may need to make space for more self-care. Each day, consciously reflect on how you’re feeling. This could involve asking yourself questions like “How am I feeling today?” or “What do I need right now?”
When you’re aware of your thoughts and emotions, you gain a better understanding of your state of well-being and can identify areas where you may need to focus more attention or care.
Prioritize Values
Your values are the principles and beliefs that guide your decision-making and behavior, and they can be a powerful tool in helping you determine which self-care activities work best for you.
Start by identifying the values that are most important to you. These might include family, health, career, spirituality, creativity, or community. Then, determine how your values align with self-care. For example, if your value is health, then activities like exercise, eating well, and getting enough sleep may be particularly important to you.
By prioritizing your values and aligning your self-care activities with them, you can create a self-care practice that is more meaningful and sustainable over the long term.
Define Self-Care
Defining what self-care means for you is an important step in creating a sustainable self-care practice. Self-care means different things to different people, so it’s important to take the time to reflect on what it means to you personally.
Create a list of self-care activities that align with your values, needs, and priorities. These activities could include anything from taking a bath to spending time in nature to practicing mindful meditation. The key is to choose activities that nourish and restore your well-being. And remember, what works for another may not work for you, so it’s important to stay open to trying new things and adapting your self-care as needed.
By defining what self-care means for you personally, you can create a sustainable self-care practice that supports your physical, mental, and spiritual health over the long term.
Be Present
When you are present and mindful, you can more fully enjoy the experience of taking care of yourself and bring more joy to your self-care practice.
The act of being present and mindful allows you to avoid distractions that can detract from your self-care. Turn off your phone, set aside your worries, and focus on taking care of yourself without interruption. This will allow you to savor the sensations of a relaxing bath or the taste of a healthy meal, and appreciate the positive impact it has on your well-being.
Tap into your feelings, thoughts, and emotions, and experience greater joy by being fully present in the moment during your self-care activities.
Show Gratitude
Gratitude is the act of being thankful for the things you have in your life, and it allows you to focus on the positive aspects of your self-care routine. This can increase your overall sense of well-being and joy.
Giving gratitude can be an act of self-care on its own. However, when you focus on what you’re grateful for during a self-care practice it can enhance the experience. For instance, while taking a walk through nature, give gratitude for the beauty that surrounds you, the fresh air, and the sunshine.
By giving gratitude for the act of self-care you’ll experience more joy and fulfillment in your daily life.
Redefine how you practice self-care by focusing on joy as your goal. Don’t allow self-care to feel like a chore. Instead, look at it as an enjoyable and rewarding experience that brings you fulfillment.
Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
Do 5-Minute Self-Care Practices actually work?
Yes! Here’s why…
Self-care is essential to your physical, mental, and spiritual health. It’s a misconception that self-care must be a time-consuming act of luxury. The reality is that self-care is any mindful practice that helps you maintain or improve your well-being. This could be as simple as a focused breath of fresh air in between daily tasks.
Neglecting self-care provides an opportunity for stress and anxiety to build. This could cause forgetfulness, difficulty sleeping, frustration, inability to focus, and an overall lack of joy. As a high-performing woman, you may have a tendency to over-work yourself to the point of exhaustion. This is what happened to me. I continuously prioritized my career over my personal needs and put off self-care until I reached burnout.
After reaching this detrimental, de-mobilizing state, I recognized how crucial it was to be in balance. I began to practice sustainable habits, such as 5-minute self-care routines, in order to build a foundation that honored my essential needs. This helped reduce stress and overwhelm, while increasing my ability to stay focused and motivated. As a result, I was able to achieve greater success, while maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle.
If you have the mindset that you’re too busy to practice self-care, give yourself the gift of 5-minute self-care practices throughout the day and notice the surprising benefits to your well-being. You’ll be able to sustain great success without sacrificing life balance.
Self-Care In 5 Minutes Or Less
Put Your Feet Up
Put down your phone and avoid distractions. Enjoy 5 minutes of rest with your feet up to reset your day. This improves circulation and recharges the body.
Focus On Your Breath
The simple act of mindful breathing can help you reconnect and focus your thoughts. A breath can invite self-awareness and calm the body. Count your inhales and exhales, noticing where the breath moves within your body. If you combine mindful breathing with other self-care practices, it helps release stress more quickly and enhances relaxation.
State Affirmations Aloud
Remind yourself how amazing you are by taking 5 minutes to state affirmations such as, “I am worthy of receiving love and care” and “I love the person that I am”. Speaking affirmations aloud is a great way to boost your confidence and improve your mental health.
Have A Laugh
It may not be easy to laugh on cue. However, you can evoke laughter by watching a 5-minute clip of your favorite comedian or funny animal videos. You could also contemplate a memory of a funny moment you shared with a friend or connect with a loved one who brings a smile to your face. Laughter instantly improves your mood and is a great way to care for your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Tidy Your Environment
Your environment is an extension of your Self. When you care for your space, it’s also an act of self-care. Take 5 minutes to organize clutter, water your plants, or dust a few shelves. This can brighten your space and your day.
Enjoy A Hot Drink
Calm your senses and warm your soul with a hot mug of tea, coffee, or lemon water. Ingesting warm liquids boosts your energy while giving you a sense of comfort. This is healing for the mind, body, and spirit.
Write In A Journal
Writing down what’s present in your mind helps you check in with your emotions. In addition, journaling harmonizes your subconscious and conscious thoughts. This is a great way to improve your spiritual health and connect with your higher Self.
Make A Gratitude List
Keep an ongoing gratitude list, so you can appreciate all the good you have in your life. This list will instantly remind you of all your blessings and provide a healthy mindset, giving you a feeling of greater joy and improving your well-being.
Stretch Your Limbs
Create spaciousness in your body and relieve tension with 5 minutes of stretching. Tension is stored throughout the body, and particularly in your shoulders, neck, and back. A gentle stretch loosens tension by creating space and movement in the body. This is great for reducing stress and improving your physical health.
Practice A Mini-Meditation
A short meditation can be as powerful as a longer meditative practice. During your mini-meditation, you could also chant a mantra or use a touchstone to help you stay focused and mindful. Meditation helps reset your thoughts, which can reduce stress and improve mental health.
Play Your Favorite Song
Music is a great way to lift your mood and bring relaxation. Whether you choose to dance to the music or not, it can help you disconnect from stress and reconnect with the present moment. Listening to a favorite song is a great way to care for your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Walk Around The Block
Take a walk around the block, in your garden, or to the mailbox and back. Moving your body, even just shaking out your legs for 5 minutes, is an act of physical self-care. When your blood flows better, your mood improves. This is also great for your mental and spiritual well-being.
Refresh With Water
Drink a glass of water, splash cold water on your face, or rinse off in the shower. Water refreshes your senses and boosts your energy. This can keep you focused and motivated throughout your day.
Routinely practice 5 minutes of self-care to improve and maintain your physical, mental, and spiritual health. Get started with 5-minute self-care practices and enjoy a balanced life of success, without sacrificing your well-being.
Burnout, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Overwhelm, Receiving, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Spirituality, Uncategorized
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Although you are a spiritual being, you may struggle with unresolved issues stemming from your human experience. These issues tend to cause emotional and mental upset, which can keep you “asleep” and unaware that you are a spiritual being. Yet, at some point you may tire of the struggle and desire to embark on the path of spiritual evolution.
Spiritual evolution is the journey to find and experience the divine being at the core of your existence, also referred to as your true nature or higher self. To evolve spiritually, you must free your awareness from your ego, identities, and the conditioning of past experiences. This allows you to dissolve your unresolved issues and view life from new perspectives. This shift enables you to experience greater peace, joy, and ease. As a bonus, your growth contributes to the evolution of the human collective consciousness.
The Process of Spiritual Evolution
A key step to evolving spiritually is recognizing that you’re on a journey to discover your true nature. You deepen your introspection by engaging in spiritual practices such as journaling, meditation, and mindful movement. This provides you with greater clarity and insight. As you continue forward on your journey, you may notice certain indications that you’re evolving. Here are 3 stages of spiritual evolution:
Conscious Connection
Your subconscious stores an accumulated wealth of knowledge that isn’t always accessible to your conscious mind. As you evolve spiritually, you’ll experience greater mental clarity, and connections between the conscious and subconscious become more frequent and distinct. You might notice that your instincts are heightened or that you make decisions with greater confidence and ease. These are signs of an increased connection between your conscious and subconscious.
Awareness
Being present and living in the moment is a sign that you’re developing greater awareness. This awareness is essential to connecting with your true nature. Being at ease with uncertainty or finding joy in quiet moments are both indications of your growing awareness. Appreciate the moments when you are present and aware, as they bring more clarity and a deeper relatedness with your true self.
Awakening
An awakened mind sees the positive aspects of a situation more readily. You’ll find that you have greater faith in the Divine, allowing you to better trust your timeline. As you discover your deeper purpose, you’ll experience profound levels of insight and joy. Awakening to your true nature enables you to access and activate your greatest potential.
Tips to Remember
It takes time
Spiritual evolution is an ongoing journey. Throughout life, your true nature will provide guidance and wisdom. The more you trust in the Divine and stick with your spiritual practices, the greater chance there is of synchronicities appearing in your life.
It’s not always easy
Even when you engage in consistent spiritual practices, you may encounter obstacles. Choosing to stay on the path of spiritual evolution requires discipline. How you handle the challenges that occur will determine the extent to which you reap the rewards of ease and flow.
Major shifts might occur
Change can be uncomfortable at times. Yet, it’s important to your spiritual evolution. Your insights may invite shifts in such areas as your relationships, career, and lifestyle. Welcoming these shifts opens the door to receiving outcomes that are beyond your imagination.
As you look for signs of your spiritual evolution, you’ll be more inspired to remain on the path that leads to experiencing your true nature.
Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Uncategorized
Tis’ the season for social get-togethers, spoiling your loved ones — and yourself – while appreciating all the blessings in your life.
As you mark your calendar for special celebrations and plan your holiday errands, you might want to consider how you can share your blessings with your community.
Giving back to your community is a meaningful way to celebrate the holidays. When you share your blessings, not only do you help others, you feel good about yourself and encourage elevated morale in your community.
The holidays are a time when well-established traditions are honored and new traditions are formed. So, why not encourage a tradition of altruism within your community? When one person does good, it has a ripple effect that inspires others to do the same.
Helping others and encouraging your community to share their own blessings is a tradition you’ll want to continue. What better way is there to find such an incredible sense of fulfillment year after year?
3 Simple ways to give back to your community
Connect
Connecting could be as simple as a smile or friendly greeting to someone you pass by each day. It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of your day-to-day life and not show your appreciation for others. Many people lack connection in their life, so it could mean the world to someone if you mindfully take a moment this holiday season to have a friendly exchange.
Volunteer
There is an abundance of organizations that rely on volunteer assistance. If this idea appeals to you, check with a charity that resonates with you and lend a helping hand. No matter how much time you choose to give, you’ll be making a difference.
Perform acts of kindness
No act of kindness is too small, and each one can inspire someone to “pay it forward”. This means that your act of kindness can encourage the recipient to perform a kind action for someone else. One act of kindness not only can bring joy to the receiver, it can also encourage the community.
What to consider before giving
Prioritize yourself
Before stepping out into your community to give back and spread holiday cheer, acknowledge your own needs. It’s common to feel exhaustion and burnout at the end of the year. Devote time for self-care and rest so that providing for others isn’t a burden. When you feel like your best self, sharing your energy with others comes with greater ease.
Choose something you enjoy
Do you love animals? You might choose to volunteer at a shelter or walk your busy neighbor’s pet. Do you have a love for humanity? You might want to make care packages for the homeless or donate to a food bank. Do you love nature? Consider hosting a clean-up or joining a movement that is dedicated to improving the environment. When you choose something that holds value for you, you’ll enjoy it even more.
Fill a void
Take into consideration the unique makeup of your community. Is there an area that could use some attention and care? Doing something that directly supports your city can have a greater impact on your community as a whole. Seeing and experiencing these changes first hand can also bring you a wonderful sense of fulfillment.
This year, adopt a new holiday tradition and share your blessings with your community. You’ll find that giving back evokes kindness and encourages others to do the same.
Happy Holidays!
Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Fulfillment, Self-Love, Uncategorized
What feelings arise when someone is inconsiderate of you?
Anger, frustration, resentment, hurt, unworthiness… It’s valid to feel these emotions, yet how do they impact your well-being?
Unhealthy emotions sap your energy, affecting your focus and drive. As a busy high-achieving woman, you can’t afford to let disagreements get the better of you. Yet you’re also human, so it may be difficult to ignore the pain that can accompany a seemingly unjustified action. You may repeatedly replay the situation in your mind, stirring up even more disturbing thoughts, which can result in emotional exhaustion.
So, how can you relinquish these energy-draining thoughts and emotions?
When someone’s actions hurt you, you only debilitate yourself further by holding on to pain and anger. Practicing forgiveness can help relieve recurring negative thoughts and unhealthy emotions. Forgiveness is a choice, a conscious and deliberate decision to release feelings of anger and resentment. To forgive doesn’t necessarily mean to forget, it means to accept and surrender the emotional charge experienced from the situation.
When you choose forgiveness, rather than holding on to the past, your mind stays open to the positive possibilities of what could happen in the future. By forgiving, you reclaim your power and effectiveness.
If you’re struggling to let go of unhealthy emotions triggered by another person’s actions, here are some ways to help you forgive others and reclaim your power.
3 Strategies for reclaiming your power when you feel hurt
Shift your perspective
When a person’s actions feel designed to deliberately offend you or just don’t make sense, it can help to put yourself in their shoes. Although their act presented itself as harmful to you, it may have been a difficult, but necessary, decision for them. When you are able to shift your perspective, it can make it easier to understand where the other person is coming from.
Look for the positive lesson
When you reflect on your feelings about another’s action, you may learn something about yourself that can be applied to future relationships. One of the best ways to learn in life is through experience. The learning may be around how you reacted or it may be an awareness of boundaries that you wish to set for yourself and your relationships. Whatever the case, by consciously looking for a positive lesson, you support your future self.
Trust the Divine
Divine timing means that when you’re connected and in alignment with the universe, things will happen at the moment destined. You may have heard the saying, “Everything happens for a reason”. This adage empowers acceptance that what can seem negative now may eventually lead to a positive outcome. In my previous article, The Art of Receiving: Spiritual Connection, I talk about how to strengthen your connection with the universe. By practicing spirituality and accepting the concept of universal intelligence, you expand your perception of divine timing. Then moments of frustration can appear less bothersome and you’ll be able to forgive more easily.
Don’t let another’s actions impact your focus and drive. Release any resentment and unhealthy emotions and reclaim your power. Practice forgiveness today for a more joyful tomorrow.
Uncategorized
Do you beat yourself up over your actions?
Are you living in the past because of regrets?
If so, you can set yourself free with forgiveness. Believe it or not, forgiveness is essential to your growth. And although you may be aware that it is healthy to forgive others, you may not recognize how crucial it is to forgive yourself.
As a high-achieving woman, there are many decisions you make – from career to family to personal priority and more. At times, you may find yourself wishing you could turn back the clock and do something differently. And when a choice comes with regret, it can be difficult to move forward.
Forgiving yourself sets you free from debilitating regret and allows you to focus on the here and now. You can learn from your decisions, no matter the outcome. And when you forgive yourself, your personal awareness and self-acceptance grow.
Learn to forgive yourself for
Momentary chaos
Stress can often cause unpredictable behavior. When you’re under pressure, it’s natural to react out of character and say or do something that you might regret later. This “stress response” or “flight-or-fight” can be triggered in a moment of chaos. Yet, how you react at that moment doesn’t define you. So, the next time you are reactive under pressure, apologize to yourself for the lapse and focus on developing greater awareness of your reactions in the future.
Indulging without fulfillment
Perhaps you have a bad day or you’re feeling restless, so you look for comfort in a box of cookies, a bottle of wine, or by venting your frustrations to a friend. Whatever the indulgence, it can often leave you feeling unfulfilled afterward. Forgive yourself for your lack of discipline and remind yourself that this doesn’t have to create a pattern of bad habits. Consider the different choices you could make the next time.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable
When you allow yourself to trust someone, their response may not always be what you had hoped for. This can leave you feeling regret for being vulnerable in the first place. So, remember that vulnerability is how you learn who you can trust. Instead of blaming yourself for speaking your truth, forgive yourself and move forward with resilience.
Low personal productivity
At times, you may find yourself moving slower. You wonder where your motivation and energy went. You might even play a self-deprecating dialogue in your head, “I’m lazy” or “I’m not doing enough”. Yet, your body is most likely slowing down for a reason, so criticizing yourself for decreased productivity will only make you feel worse. Instead, if you notice repeated bouts of low energy, acknowledge this pattern without judgment. Perhaps there are changes you can make in your daily routine to unlock greater energy. Forgive yourself for not consistently being one hundred percent, set aside time for self-care, and get back on track.
Procrastinating on the pursuit of your dreams
Perhaps you are frustrated by a vision that you can’t seem to make time for or a dream that isn’t moving forward as fast as you desire. By dwelling on your procrastination or lack of forward movement, you expend a lot of energy. It actually takes less energy to forgive yourself. And since dreams don’t usually manifest in a day, allow yourself grace. If your vision is truly soul-driven, you can recommit to making it happen and take sustainable action.
Forgiveness enables you to move forward. As you learn to accept whatever you may consider to be personal failures, you receive valuable lessons that can heighten your consciousness. You discover greater self-awareness and self-acceptance through the practice of forgiveness.
When you choose to let go by practicing forgiveness, you move forward with greater love, compassion, and ease.
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