6 Ways I am Finding the Calm Amid the Chaos

It’s no secret that Hurricane Ian rocked our Southwest Florida community. We have a long road to recovery and the devastation is simply heartbreaking.

There have been many times since we began prepping for Hurricane Ian’s arrival that have seemed like pure chaos. My nervous system was in constant sympathetic dominance {fight or flight} and I was having trouble regulating it and finding my calm.

Once I became aware that I was living in a sympathetic nervous system dominant state {stressed, anxious, worried..} I knew I had to use my tools to help shift myself back into a parasympathetic dominant state {rest and digest}.

The stress of hurricane clean up, the devastation left behind and the shock wasn’t leaving anytime soon, but I consciously made a choice to control what I could…and started with my breath.

Here are six ways that I am finding the calm amid the chaos

• Daily meditation

• Daily movement

• Nourishing my body with real whole foods (and yes, that powerful Lean and Green Body® triple play!)

• Fresh air, going for family walks and soaking in that vitamin D

• Journaling {and almost purging whatever is on my heart that day}

• Connecting with my community

These are just a few of the things I am doing to help me stay calm and regulate myself so that I can go out and be the best mother, wife and human for my Southwest Florida community.

Photo By Jontel Chere

At the iconic Naples Pier (pre-hurricane)

I’d love to know how you find your calm when life gets chaotic! Comment below and let me know! xx

Journal prompt for a healthier mindset

Energy is everything.

“what you think, you become.” - Buddha

There is a ton of scientific data that proves that our brain believes the words coming out of our mouth, so why not change them up and switch our mindset? If we can speak more positive thoughts, our brain will begin to believe those positive thoughts - and they will become our reality!

It seems quite simple, but it takes some practice. One easy way to begin this practice is by journaling.

Every morning in your journal I encourage you to write down 3 things you are grateful for in that moment, 3 things that spark joy for you, and 3 affirmations about yourself.

For example it could look something like this…

3 things I am grateful for:

1. My Husband

2. My House

3. Living in the sunshine state

3 things that spark joy for me:

1. The book I’m currently reading

2. Long walks with my dog

3. Sunsets at the beach

3 affirmations about yourself:

1. I am smart

2. I am resilient

3. I am kind

These are just examples, choose what aligns with you in the moments each morning. Don’t overthink it, simply write what comes to you. Over time these 9 things will begin to become your truths, and although they may change daily, you will still be focusing your mindset on all the positive in your life and in yourself.

This positivity - and this mindset shift - will slowly begin to have a ripple effect out into your daily life. After 21 days of this practice you will notice that your positive mindset shift is lasting longer and longer, and stays with you for most of your day. When your mindset does shift towards the negative, it is now easier for you to bring it back these 9 things.

I can’t wait for you to try this exercise out tomorrow morning and see how much joy and positive it brings into your life!

Photo By Jontel Chere

Mood Boosting Journal Prompt

With a full moon and a change of seasons approaching our energy may feel like it’s all over the place. Some of us may even feel totally drained of energy. There is so much negativity surrounding us in the news, media outlets, and every place we turn it seems…how do we escape the negativity? We turn inward. We journal, we release any stored emotions, and we recognize that we can only control our actions and our reactions, and we find something that brings us joy.

Here is one journaling exercise you can do if you need a mood boost or are simply ready to release some stored emotions.

Grab your journal and your favorite pen and let’s get to work!

First, I want you to write down how you feel energetically in this moment. Whatever comes up first write it down, there are no wrong answers here.

Next, write down 2 things that you can accomplish today that will help boost your mood. Get creative…maybe it’s going for a walk, creating a vision board, cleaning out a closet, taking a bath…whatever will boost your mood and help you to release stored emotions. 

Then I want you to put your pen down, close your eyes, and imagine yourself doing those two things today. Imagine yourself walking through each of the steps of those activities. Notice how you feel doing those activities, perhaps feel your shoulders begin to soften, feel the breath begin to slow, feel the body begin to relax and feel the mood begin to elevate. Perhaps, feel a smile across your face. Just take another moment here to notice how you feel.

Now, I want you to write down one thing you can do every single day to boost your mood and maintain a high vibe lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but write down something you can do for yourself to maintain this feeling.

One more time, put your pen down, close your eyes and imagine yourself adding this one activity into your day - every day. How does that feel for you? Does it bring you joy? Does it help to balance out some of the other emotions and stressors? Does it make you smile?

Find something that brings you joy.

6 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

We have all had to adjust to our “new normal” over the past few months due to COVID-19, and with many of us being able to leave the house again (thank goodness!) we are now gearing up to adjust to a “new normal” once again.

I am a bit different than most, in that I actually thrive on change. Instead of running away from change, I typically run towards it. Over the past few months we have all experienced massive amounts of change in our personal lives, our work environments, our communities, and globally. For many this type of change can elicit anxiety… even in people like me who typically love change.

Even though I love change and was easily able to adapt my business model during the quarantine, I still experienced bouts of anxiety. I believe it’s normal. Anxiety is our body’s way of communicating with us and letting us know that something is off. It’s a sign for your to stop tuning into all the external distractions, and start tuning into whats going on inside.

Today’s I’m going to share six ways to deal with anxiety. I use these personally and with several of my clients.

1. Breathe. Pause whatever you are doing, close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and simply breathe. Connect with the rise and fall of your chest as breath enters and exits the body. Take 10 deep breaths here.

2. Meditate. Find a comfortable position, I prefer to be seated, but find what works for you. You can lead yourself through a meditation, simply tune into your breath, or listen to a guided meditation of choice. Check out the benefits of meditation here and my four tips for meditation here.

3. Journal. Sit down and write out all your thoughts that are rushing through your head, without judgement, just let it all out. Sometimes purging our emotions through writing and getting it all down on paper can help us to release whatever it is that is causing our anxiety in that moment. It may almost feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

4. Move. For me movement is one of the best ways to keep my anxiety in check. Find a workout you love…running, yoga, pilates… whatever it is, and move every day. Even if it’s only 20 minutes, do something to move your body and change up your mindset.

5. Diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in our emotional state. Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink in a day, then record your emotional state morning, noon, and night. Check in with yourself and notice the connection between what you choose to eat and your emotional state. Every time you eat think about fueling yourself physically and mentally.

6. Tapping. Emotional freedom technique tapping can seriously help anxiety as well as many other mental health conditions. EFT tapping helps to balance out the energy in the body, and alleviate emotional and physical pain. I will be doing a whole blog post about this in a few weeks, but feel free to google EFT tapping if you are interested in learning more!

I hope that you are able to incorporate some of these techniques into your daily routine to help manage anxiety. I am not a doctor and am only offering suggestions based upon my own personal experience. Please always remember that anxiety is a mental health condition and it is important to talk to your doctor about creating a treatment plan that would work best for you.

Thankful

With Thanksgiving behind us, and the holidays and New Year approaching quickly, let’s take a moment and pause.

There seems to be such a rush this time of year, one holiday on to the next. Presents, parties, and an overfull schedule has us moving at a rapid pace.

Let’s pause and surround ourselves with gratitude for this amazing life we are living. Let go of any hardship, stress, worry and think about what you are grateful for.

Gratitude for our families, friends, and the community in which we surround ourselves.

Every year, my family gathers around the table at Thanksgiving and we take turns stating what we are grateful for that year. It always struck me as odd that we only do this once a year. Shouldn’t we be thinking about, and outwardly expressing these sentiments weekly or even daily?

If we don’t tell those around us that we are grateful for them, how will they know?

How will they know that the simple act of kindness they showed to you changed you?

I encourage you to all pause, and surround yourself with gratitude.

Think about 5 things you are truly grateful for each day.

One of my favorite parts of my morning routine (thank you Rachel Hollis for the idea) is writing down 5 things I am grateful for. Each day they may look slightly different, but they always put my life into perspective. I look at the list every morning and I say ‘wow, life is pretty great’. This helps me to create positive energy in the morning, and then bring that positive energy out into my day. My clients, and those I meet then feel that positivity and hopefully some of it rubs off on them, and they are able to pass it along.

Here are my 5 things for today…

1. I am grateful for my husband, my partner in life.

2. I’m grateful for this time each and every morning for myself, to pause and reflect.

3. I am grateful for my dog Neera, who lays by my feet as I write this.

4. I’m grateful that my business is doing so well, and I have the opportunity to share something that I am so passionate about with my community near and far.

5. I am grateful for my family, and my friends who have turned into family.

What are your five things?

5 ways to get a better nights sleep…Starting Today!

According to the new Consumer Report, 27% of Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep all night, and 68% of Americans have trouble with sleep at least once per week.

The numbers are high, and they continue to rise. Sleep is essential. Sleep allows our body to heal and repair our vital organs, it increases our productivity during the day, and boosts our immune system. 

Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, obesity, hormone disruption, poor eating habits, an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and depression. 

5 ways to improve your sleep starting today!

1. Turn off all electronic devices a minimum of 60 minutes before bedtime and store them away from your bed. The blue light that is emitted from electronic devices, like our cell phones is harmful and disruptive to sleep. 

2. Journal for 5 + minutes before you go to sleep. Journaling before bed allows those     lingering thoughts and worries to get out of your head and onto the pages, allowing you to have a more restful sleep.

3. Use blackout curtains in your bedroom, and switch your lights to a dimmer. This signals to your body that it is time for rest. The blackout curtains can be very helpful to block out street lights, and can help provide a deeper sleep.

4. Sound machine. Using a sound machine (even a sound machine app on your phone) can help to block out excess noise, and soothe your mind and body into a more restful sleep. 

5. Cut off your caffeine by 2:00pm, at the latest. This will allow your body to absorb and utilize the remaining caffeine before you hit your pillow.