Time to Hatch!
It’s Time to Hatch!
There has been a shift, do you feel it?
There has been a shift. Do you feel it?
This week is the first official week of fall and I feel a shift. Not just in the weather, but in the schedules, my thoughts, my clothes, everything! Things pick up speed from those nice cocoon days of summer. In a lot of ways, September marks a NEW YEAR. The changes offer a good time to reflect on what is going well and what we want more of, what we need and what we don’t need. Before hatching from your cocoon fully, (do you hatch from a cocoon??) take a breath, a pause, a beat. Even five minutes to just take stock of your life and needs, right now at this moment, is probably more time than you have intentionally given yourself in a long time.
I have been having a lot of trouble writing this email. I have had many false starts and I think this is why….When coaching my clients we are always working towards something. Concentrating on small sustainable changes and tailoring them specifically to their life and needs. I am recognizing that sometimes our biggest need is status quo. Sometimes we need to float along and just enjoy the fruits of our labor. To see what comes up naturally, to just be present and not focus on the end goal. Of course this doesn’t mean to let everything fall apart, but more an honoring of what is in place and maybe permission to go with the flow and not need to work so hard right now. Maybe. Maybe this isn’t where you are and by all means, take this opportunity of the September New Year to contemplate changes, set goals and embrace the vigor of a new season, but if this isn’t you right now that’s OK too!
What I think is important for this transition to a new year/season is the reflection. Take stock in what you have and make that decision of floating or plowing through for yourself. Life is not something that happens to us. Let’s be intentional with whatever path we choose for this year. If you choose autopilot, you are not lazy! On the contrary, you have gotten to a point where you can float along for a while. This is life, ebbs and flows. Be aware of them, make them work for you.
And lucky us, the ZenDitty year begins again in January so there is always time to readjust the course and reflect!
Rambling Thoughts
You pick, maybe September doesn’t do it for you! Would you benefit from choosing a time to reflect? Maybe it was Labor Day, maybe your birthday, maybe even the first of every month?
Adding this wellness wheel as a tool. How would you rank yourself in each of these areas and where would you want to be? How do these areas of your wheel affect that which is most important to you in life? Are you being true to yourself?
Summertime and the livin’ is easy…
On a super hot summer day I often think, “how does anyone get anything done in this weather?!” There’s nothing like breaking into a sweat just going to get the mail, right? Then I think about rocking chairs, front porches and lemonade and I’m reminded that it’s OK to slow down and maybe even do “nothing” for a while.
If you are feeling stagnant or unproductive in your promises to yourself, ask yourself if this is a good time to give your body and mind the break that it needs? We often feel like we have to keep pushing through, but what would happen if you shutdown for a bit? I like to think of this time as cocoon time. A comfy little space where are you safe to rest. And we all know what happens when we give ourselves that time in our cocoon, right? We grow wings and can fly!
Not enough time to cocoon? Maybe we can find some when we consider the following from Cleveland Clinic on downtime:
“Research has found that taking breaks can improve your mood, boost your performance and increase your ability to concentrate and pay attention.”
“ burnout and the health problems that go hand-in-hand”
Breaks activate the Default Mode Network part of your brain which is “linked to things like ethics, memories, creativity and how we define our sense of self.”
Now giving your mind a break sadly doesn’t include dinner with friends or even making a puzzle. And it definitely doesn’t mean watching TV, scrolling social media or candy crush. For a real and replenishing brain break you need to let the mind wander.
Gaze out the window, zone out!
Tip: If you’re having trouble letting the mind wander and letting go of thinking, try tuning in to something like…
watching the clouds
or
listening for birds
or
the hum of a fan
or
the sound of your own breath
If that’s still too hard for you, consider some mindLESS tasks like:
coloring
walking (silently)
or even vacuuming!
I see you! I know many of you are still “too busy”, but give it a try. See if scheduling true downtime makes a difference in your productivity. Maybe you can actually squeeze more into your day if you take good care of your brain.
A few reasons why…
Reduces stress
Better sleep
Improves mood
Increases energy
Increases resilience
Strengthens immunity
Decreases depression & anxiety
Helps with chronic pain & disease
SUMMER GIVEAWAY
I am offering a FREE Health Coaching Micro-session to the first 3 people that email me. A standard coaching client will commit to 7 sessions to work through a full process, BUT a micro-session is great when you already know what you want to work on and I help guide you to action steps for that particular topic.
Sessions will be scheduled in August as I will be in my cocoon for the month of July!
It's time to enjoy the blooms!
Just like bringing in the beautiful May blooms from the garden, practicing gratitude brings joy into your life.
We have all experienced gratitude naturally, but did you know you can experience that feeling more often by intentionally adopting a gratitude practice?
Gratitude is seeing the good in others and in life itself.
Finding your rhythm and establishing a consistent routine that works for you can be the hardest part. Some ideas to get you thinking are…
Actions:
Send a note of appreciation to someone.
Say ‘Thank you’
Start or end your day with 3 things you are grateful for.
Listen to a guided meditation on gratitude.
Acknowledge Gifts:
Sunrise / Sunset / Rainbows
Close parking spots
A good song on the radio
A hot shower
**And don’t forget to show gratitude to yourself!**
A few reasons Why…
Reduces stress
Better sleep
Improves mood
Increases energy
Increases resilience
Strengthens immunity
Decreases depression & anxiety
Helps with chronic pain & disease
Bonus Read: Positive psychology article with videos and exercises. Read Here.
April Showers
Bring May Flowers
It’s time to plant some seeds for future blossoms!
Your challenge this month, should you accept, is to put pen to paper and dream big. What does the most ideal version of you look like? One way to to do this is to write about at a typical day in your ideal life (or ideal job or ideal relationship…) and make sure to include the following:
Physical Environment
Nutrition & Lifestyle
Mental/Emotional WellBeing
Fulfillment & Purpose
Physical Activity/Fitness
Sleep
What if I told you that you could manifest it? If you do this exercise you’ll have already begun to make it happen.
“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”
Manifesting starts with being aware of your desires and what holds significance for you. Being extremely clear about your desires, right down to the smallest detail, will pave the way for you to start envisioning how they can come to fruition. Focusing on manifesting changes your energy. Similar to how practicing gratitude can enhance your sense of appreciation, identifying your desires and reasons behind them can help to bring them to fruition.
*There is so much you can google on Manifesting. If you are interested in more on this topic I encourage you to explore and see what resonates with you.
The "Wheel of Health", below, serves as the foundation for the Health & WellBeing coaching I provide to clients. I offer this to you as a tool, not just for the exercise above, but to monitor your overall health whenever possible.
The "Wheel of Health", below, serves as the foundation for the Health & WellBeing coaching I provide to clients. I offer this to you as a tool, not just for the exercise above, but to monitor your overall health whenever possible.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Make mine a mini…
Keep it easy, make it beautiful. Set yourself up for the best!
Setting yourself up for success
I talk to a lot of people who, at times, feel beaten down by life. Caught in the hamster wheel of constantly “doing” and feeling as if there is no time or no energy to make things better. I am not above this. In fact, I learn a lot from my conversations with others about their struggles. Sometimes it shines light on something I didn’t realize I was self-sabotaging and remind me that I’m not alone. I almost always learn something valuable from my coaching clients. One thing that really stands out this month for me is the importance of understanding your motivations and starting really really small.
Yup, you read that right. Start really small,
minuscule maybe!
For years, I was an early morning walker, enjoying time outdoors or on my treadmill before work. But when my schedule changed, I stopped walking altogether. I missed it, yet I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. So on October 1, I challenged myself and a few friends to walk for just 15 minutes every day this month. This simple exercise has been eye-opening.
First, a small goal is much easier to achieve, even on the busiest days.
When I suddenly remember my challenge and it’s already dark outside I tell myself…it’s ONLY 15 minutes!
On the weekends, when I'm busy doing yard work or just being more active, I adjust my goal to weekdays only. It’s my goal, so I can do that to keep it working for me! It’s empowering!!
I also tossed my sneakers in the car, allowing me to walk wherever I was headed. I discovered new locations I wouldn’t have otherwise explored!
Starting a walking routine in the fall has been a beautiful way to kick things off. It’s shown me that we can make our goals enjoyable or at least as easy as possible.
I loved this challenge so much that I'm planning something small and new for November. I’ll keep walking, but not necessarily every day. I’ll have to take a few minutes to really think about what I would benefit from the most and go from there.
Here are some other examples of starting small:
Writing just the date in your journal every morning
Tracking just your breakfast calories daily
Cutting back on one soda a day
Turning off your phone 15 minutes before bed
Meditating for 2 minutes before leaving the house
Making a list of clubs or groups you might want to try
Having one meal a day without carbs, meat, or dairy
Going to bed 5 minutes earlier
WHAT ELSE?....I’d love to hear your minuscule goals and what you are celebrating!!