Women’s Healing and Empowerment Through The Chakras

Women’s Healing and Empowerment Through The Chakras

Jul 16, 2021 | Health

Colleen Tracey is a certified Life Coach, Esoteric Healing Practitioner

Colleen Tracey a certified Life Coach, Esoteric Healing Practitioner, Visual Artist.  View profile

Do you struggle to feel empowered? Are you embarking on a healing journey?

The Chakras are a system to access your consciousness and direct it into physical, psychological, and spiritual healing and empowerment. 

 

What are the Chakras?

The Chakras are seven major energy centers aligned along the spinal column, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Each center handles a particular aspect of life force energy. In order to be well and empowered, each Chakra needs to be open and fully functioning. Healthy Chakras receive, digest, express, and store life force energy. The particular aspect of life force energy at each Chakra, is characterized by a spiritual aspiration and a basic right (like the Bill of Rights!). 

The first Chakra is located at the base of the spine and is associated with your right to be here. It’s spiritual aspiration is self-awareness. The second Chakra is located in the lower abdomen and is associated with your right to feel. It’s aspiration is self-respect. The third Chakra is located at the solar plexus and is associated with your right to act. It’s aspiration is self-esteem. The fourth Chakra is located in the heart center and is associated with your right to love and be loved. It’s spiritual aspiration is self-love. The fifth Chakra is located at the throat and is associated with your right to speak and be heard. It’s spiritual aspiration is self-expression. The sixth Chakra is located in the middle of the forehead, or the third eye. It is associated with your right to see. It’s spiritual aspiration is self-responsibility. The seventh Chakra is located at the crown of the head and is associated with your right to know. It’s spiritual aspiration is self-knowledge. 

 

The Awakening Journey through the Chakras can heal and empower you. 

The journey of awakening through the Chakras is a journey to consciousness and self-understanding at each Chakra level. This upward journey through the Chakras from the root to the crown is a journey of liberation from negative beliefs and programming. At each level you encounter a different aspect of the self and rewrite negative programming. At the crown Chakra you arrive at full consciousness, a revealed self with an updated operating system of beliefs, aligned with what you want to create in your life: an upward spiral vision for what you want to be, do, and have in this life. At this point, what you know, believe, and want, become one. 

The journey back down through the Chakras, from the crown to the root, is the journey of manifestation. In this journey, liberated consciousness is brought down through each level and into your body and your life. 

The spiritual journey through the Chakras is universal, and as individuals evolve through their lifetime they progress through these different levels. Although the journey is universal, the pathway for each person is unique. Along this journey, the flow of life force energy through your system can be inhibited by several types of blocks. 

 

What is Blocking My Chakras?

Negative belief systems, trauma, cultural conditioning, rigid or oppressive habits, addictions, and physical injuries are some of the most common causes of blocks in your Chakras. Blocks obstruct the flow and stifle life force energy, arresting spiritual development and the manifestation of your highest purpose and potential. 

 

How to Heal and Empower through the Chakras.

The chakras are a manual for healing, empowerment, and spiritual transformation. The work on the Rainbow Journey through the chakras consists of examining your beliefs and programs at each level, releasing negative attachments, reclaiming your rights, and creating an empowering vision for what you want to be, do, and have. Like any journey, the best place to start is at the beginning, at the root chakra, where you come to stillness, and bring your awareness back to yourself. With awareness you can examine your foundation: your body, your environment, and your physical circumstances, bringing your consciousness into the body in the here and now. 

Your body is your vehicle for this journey, it is something you are. In the stillness of first chakra awareness, you learn: to hear the messages from your body, and that a well-cared for body is a pleasure to live in. In the first chakra you work to build a strong foundation to support your growth, and a healthy vessel to manifest all levels of your consciousness. First chakra work revolves around basic survival needs. If your first chakra attention is dominated by blocks (health, home, financial crises…) all of your energy will be occupied here, keeping your consciousness trapped at this level.

If the first chakra is open and balanced, awareness leads to witnessing second chakra feelings. Second chakra feelings provide the passion, motivation, and movement for change, a fundamental element of consciousness. 

Change and overcoming inertia characterize the third chakra, your power center. It is here that second chakra passion and movement ignite a higher purpose, and the will to direct your energy intentionally for personal empowerment. Moving up through the third chakra requires working through stubborn blocks and reclaiming your right to act as an individual. Here, old patterns are broken, and new and challenging action is taken for transformation. 

The empowerment of the third chakra brings you to the heart of the chakra system, the fourth chakra. Having faced and overcome your foundational, emotional, and empowerment obstacles, you find your place in the intricate web of relationships connected by the power of love. Here, compassion for yourself expands to hold compassion for all of life. This is the heart of the chakra system, and the bridge to the more spiritual upper chakras. Ever upward you go, rewriting old programs that stifle your soul’s life force energy, opening your heart, expressing your gifts at the fifth chakra, and transcending your sixth chakra illusions that block your highest potential. 

At the crown you meet your awakened and revealed self, a spark of the divine. The seventh chakra houses all the programs in your operating system, at each of your chakras. As you grow and evolve on your journey you continue to heal, clean, and update your chakra programs to fulfill your highest purpose and potential. The work of cleaning, reclaiming, and reprogramming your chakras is the rainbow journey to the self. The unobstructed flow of life force energy through your 7 energy centers is the rainbow journey of healing and empowerment.

 

Short Article Review

  • Many women struggle to feel empowered. The chakras are a map for the journey of  healing, empowerment, and spiritual transformation.
  • The Chakras are the seven major energy centers that receive, assimilate, express and store life force energy.
  • The Awakening Journey through the Chakras can heal your mind, body and spirit, and empower you. 
  • Negative belief systems, trauma, cultural conditioning, rigid and oppressive habits, addictions and injuries block your chakras.
  • Cleaning, and reprogramming your chakras can restore free flowing energy from your soul through the seven energy centers to heal and empower you.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any financial questions you may have.   

The Post Women’s Healing and Empowerment Through The Chakras appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.

Are 10k Months Achievable For Female Entrepreneurs?

Are 10k Months Achievable For Female Entrepreneurs?

Jun 17, 2021 | Career

Dawn Baxter

Dawn Baxter is a UK female entrepreneur who supports businesswomen to fulfill their dreams online.  View profile

Online service providers and coaches look at 10k or 10,000 pounds/dollars as the monthly income holy grail. For those of us in the industry, it is the number that is thrust around by many peers and mentors as an acceptable income. There are even many books, training and videos supporting the elusive 10k month, giving us tips on how to get there. 

Now if you are looking at that number and thinking wow – that’s just pie in the sky money, I am here to tell you that you are officially wrong (in the politest sense). Take it from someone who very much had a money mindset of scarcity and lack, to tell you that the reason this number is bandied about is that in the main part it is actually achievable. But there are some key elements you MUST have in place before you can even consider reaching this goal.

When you consider how many hats women wear in their daily life it begs the question, are 10k months even achievable for female business owners? Can we hit this level of financial abundance whilst also running homes, raising children and being all the roles in one?

Believe me when I say I am not assuming that ALL women have the same struggles – it is 2021 after all but I know in my circle of female entrepreneurs the daily time block often includes packed lunches, pick-ups, appointments, laundry, cooking or DIY. 

Depending on your niche and industry this number could be harder for you to achieve. If you have a business-to-business model, you will likely get there sooner.   People are willing to invest in things that will help them make more money in the future, which is a perfectly acceptable way of looking at it. I know I am more inclined to invest in myself under those circumstances! 

But let’s say for the article’s sake, that you have a couple of your money ducks in a row already. You are a business-to-business provider or your services are of benefit to people who are in the business world. Then what? What does it actually REALLY take for you to be bringing in, in just one month, a lot more than what some make in a year?

1. You need to have a desirable offer (or a few) – I know, I know!

This one is a bit obvious but that’s why its numero uno and we will get it out there first. If the offer isn’t desirable to your dream client, then it is game over before it has begun. You need to be providing something of value that your clients really want.

2. You need to have a reputation/social proof of great results.

This is a chicken and egg situation. If you have never sold something, then it’s hard for you to be able to provide this for your new clients. That is why often, service providers and coaches will run “test or beta” runs of their “desirable offer” so that you can offer something to your clients at bargain investment but also come away with the results that the service provides and some cracking testimonials!

3. You need to have an eager audience to work with.

Now I am not suggesting here that you need a 10k plus follow list on Instagram here, not at all! My audience is micro and my business makes sales every day – please don’t think there is judgement in the number. We do not do vanity metrics here! But there is something to be said of quality. One eager follower who is ready to work with you is worth 1000 general public – so be really picky with your targeting!

4. You need to have an easy onboarding/pay system ready.

You want to make it as easy as humanly possible for your clients to pay you! Even a simple Paypal button link will do – but remember to choose something where you are feeling okay about paying the fees. It may not be a lot on a 3.99 Ebay purchase but it is significantly more on 10k transactions.

– Pro tip:  If you are not used to receiving payments that high, Paypal may hold money back. Don’t worry about it, let it sit while they do their checks to make sure nothing fraudulent is going on and then request a higher tolerance on payments for next time!

5. You need to speak to leads and “qualify” them.      

It may seem awkward to rock up to potential leads and start a conversation but if you have an idea of what your ideal client looks like then it is important for you to make sure that this is right for them and for you.

– Pro tip:  If they are not the right fit for you or your offer then recommend someone who is or be honest.  You can sink your own potential by trying to make something work that isn’t right, re-read tip number 2!

6. You need to talk about your offer a lot!

I mean a lot – digital touchpoints can be as big as 50 times now – people do not see things as often as you may think! Keep talking about it, in different ways, regularly.

7. You need a plan and a structure to reverse engineer that income coming into you monthly.

You need to know how many people you want to work with to achieve this. Is your offer priced at 2k per person? Then you need 5 people a month. Take some time to figure out what is needed for you to achieve your goal. 

As someone who has made 10k months the easy and the hard way, my biggest piece of advice would be that it’s great to have a strategy and plan to get the financial goals you want, but don’t put all of the weight on the financial goals only. Who you work with and why IS SO IMPORTANT. There is a lot to be said about taking on projects that you are passionate about and that bring you joy. Sometimes when you are working in your heart space the money rolls into you in ways you never expected! 

Short Article Review

  1. Have a full suite of offers/packages
  2. Build up social proof
  3. Get your systems in place
  4. Qualify your leads
  5. Get your offers out there!

 

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.  

The Post Are 10k Months Achievable For Female Entrepreneurs appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.

Build Better Boundaries With Inner Child Work

Build Better Boundaries With Inner Child Work

Apr 22, 2021 | Health, Lifestyle

Kathy Huynh

Cybele Botran is a teacher, a SHE RECOVERS® and Holistic coach, and owner and founder of Wide Awake Recovery. View profile

Do you struggle with setting clear boundaries? 

When you listen to your inner child, it will become easier to set boundaries.

Many women struggle with boundaries.

Do other people overwhelm you? You may be holding on to the misunderstanding that you have to do everything for everyone else.

Is it hard to say no? You may believe that saying no makes you unlikeable.

Are you always busy? Perhaps you believe you have to hustle to feel valuable.

Do other people not listen to you? This is an opportunity to listen to yourself.

Are you hypersensitive to criticism? Cultivating self-love for your inner child will help you increase your self-esteem.

 

There is nothing wrong with you.

By creating a relationship with your inner child, you will begin to let go of the idea that there is something wrong with you. Remembering, reconnecting, and reparenting your inner child will help you shed shame and guilt from past behaviors.

As a child, you may have believed that approval was a necessary way to feel safety, love, and belonging. As an adult, you can meet your own needs through inner child work. Once you no longer rely on others for your sense of self-worth, your ability to set clear boundaries will dramatically improve.

Inner child work builds self-esteem.

A core need for children is to be seen and heard. As a child, you probably did not have the maturity to process emotions on your own. As adults, we have the opportunity to listen to ourselves and lovingly take care of our own needs. The deep and authentic connection with your little girl will help you stand up for yourself.

Once you build a connection with your inner child, setting boundaries becomes second nature. Just like a mama bear protects her baby cub, you too will intuitively know how to protect your tender, sweet self.

 

Inner child work improves self-awareness.

Inner child work is about noticing. When you begin to listen inside, you will notice your inner-critic. When you become aware of your inner-critic, you have the choice to respond to yourself differently.

With intentional practice, you can gradually transform your inner-critic into a loving, supportive voice. By speaking to yourself with a loving voice, you self-soothe and calm your nervous system.

 

Your inner child needs you.

Accessing your inner child is a practice. You may begin by finding a sweet childhood photograph of yourself. Place it in a spot where you can see it each day, perhaps on your desk or dresser mirror. Another way to become more conscious of your inner child is to pause throughout the day and check-in with her to see how she feels. When emotions arise, pause, and ask her what she wants, needs, and feels. While pausing, you may want to gently place your hands on your cheeks, cupping your chin. This will give you a soothing feeling of being held and loved.

Finally, you may connect with your inner child during quiet meditation. By getting still and listening inside, we are better able to hear our inner child’s voice.

By looking at a childhood photograph of yourself, pausing to listen to your inner child, and practicing quiet meditation, you will gradually become aware of what your inner child is feeling and thinking. This will take time. Inner child work is a practice.

 

Boundaries start on the inside, not the outside.

You may have believed that boundary setting is about building walls to protect yourself. Or perhaps you thought boundary work is about changing others and making them do what you want.

Setting clear boundaries starts by going inside. By doing inner work, we get clear about what is important to us. We learn to listen to our own needs and become effective communicators. By checking in with our inner child, it becomes obvious when we need to set a boundary.

Setting boundaries becomes easy because we want to protect our inner child and treat her with love and kindness.

 

Boundaries protect our capacity to love ourselves and others.

When we become acutely aware of our own inner dialogue, thoughts, and story, we learn how to self-regulate and care for our needs. When we establish clear boundaries, we protect our capacity to love ourselves and others.

When we take care of our own needs for safety, love, and belonging, we no longer rely on others to meet our needs. Inner child work is a beautiful way for women to build better boundaries. 

Short Article Review

When you listen to your inner child, it will become easier to set boundaries. 

    • Many women struggle with boundaries. 
    • There is nothing wrong with you. 
    • Inner child work builds self-esteem. 
    • Inner child work improves self-awareness.
    • Your inner child needs you. 
    • Boundaries start on the inside, not the outside. 
    • Boundaries protect our capacity to love ourselves and others

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.  

The Post Build Better Boundaries With Inner Child Work  appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.

Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Apr 1, 2021 | Career

Melissa is a serial entrepreneur who after chasing her dream life in the fashion industry

Melissa Gough is a serial entrepreneur who has helped numerous start-up businesses along her own entrepreneurial journey.  View profile

The world of entrepreneurship is definitely not for the fainthearted. It takes courage, grit, strength, determination & passion and although we may not all feel confident in each of those areas they are all muscles we can definitely learn to flex over time with consistency & experience. After all, we wouldn’t go to the gym just once and expect a 6 pack right?

The same goes once we’ve strengthened those skillsets, we must continue to work on fine-tuning them to become the best version of ourselves.

Again, we wouldn’t do all that work to get a 6 pack and then stop going to the gym would we?

However, no matter how much we work on ourselves, if we aren’t working on maintaining a positive mindset the entrepreneurial path can seem a hard journey to be on.

We can easily be knocked off course when things don’t work out, we hit obstacles or when goals start to seem unobtainable, we can head in a downwards spiral, 2020 is living proof for sure.

As entrepreneurs we are often wearing many hats and at the same time, sometimes we are head down, foot to the pedal and it can be hard to see situations for what they are.  As such, we probably don’t always make the best decisions for our business.

But there are things we can do for sure to ensure we are giving it out best shot by creating new positive habits which in time we will see a compound effect of in both our personal & business lives.

So, let’s talk about exactly what those positive habits are.  

 

Self-Care

This is HUGE. A lot of people see selfcare as a pamper day of bubble baths, face masks, and other spa indulgements but it is something we should be practicing every single day to maintain a strong positive mindset. (note: we should definitely still be indulging in pamper treats too, I just like to keep those for celebrating my wins!)

Here are some examples of what this could look like for you:

 

  • Sleep – 7 hours minimum per night. Enough sleep is crucial to allow our bodies to recoup, recharge & heal so that we can perform at our optimum level, resulting in better ideas, decisions and outcomes for your goals. This is underrated but it’s amazing what happens when you treat your body properly and avoid overwork when undernourished, especially over long periods of time, which then becomes the norm.

  • Water – Staying hydrated is another unappreciated factor to being the best version of yourself so you can run at your highest capability. Up to 60% of the human body is water. The heart & brain are composed of 73% water, the lungs 83%, skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79% and even the bones contain 31% water. Generally speaking, adults need approximately 2 liters of water a day (no, coffee doesn’t count) and if it’s hot or your exercising then up to 3.5 liters can be consumed.

  • Get Outside – I think this has been forced amongst a lot of us the past year. Being restricted on where we can go, we have been exploring closer to our homes with regular walks to break up working and living within the same 4 walls. This is definitely something we should all implement into our new working routines once ‘normal’ life resumes. Not to mention getting those steps in especially if you’re not managing to do any other form of exercise.

  • Communication – keeping regular lines of communication open with family & friends will help to keep your life balanced. We need to ensure we aren’t all work and no play.  Even though time is often tight with so many jobs to do as an entrepreneur, you will definitely enjoy your work a lot more. You need to allow your brain to have some downtime each day, it is crucial to reducing stress levels, overwhelm and the risk of burn out, something that a lot of entrepreneurs know about all too well.

Feed Your Mind

I would definitely position this 2nd to Selfcare because if you’re not looking after yourself through the above then a positive mind won’t save you from burnout.

Think of your mind as a vault, a place of strength and power where you can unlock all your capabilities and desires. Our minds are SO powerful and no one else has control over them but us! How cool is that! Nevertheless, we don’t always protect them like we should.

Remember this quote “Where focus goes, energy flows” (Tony Robbins).

Strength is in everything around us, we just need to focus on the calm & the good.  When everything is constantly changing, we need to ensure that the way we pivot to change is positively. The power isn’t in the changes or the comments made around the changes (COVID for example), the power is in our reaction to those changes and how we choose to move forward.

So, how can we do that exactly?

 

Social Media

What’s the first thing you do each day, when you open your eyes? (be honest). Is it reach for your phone on your bedside by any chance?

Ok, I want you to imagine your brain as a big dry sponge that from the moment you open your eyes in the morning starts to soak up everything that you ‘allow’ in.  Now think about it like this.  You pick up your phone, start scrolling through social media seeing the ‘perfect highlights’ of people’s lives, perfect airbrushed faces & bodies all in their professionally cleaned dust-free show homes with their perfect angel like children. Your sponge is now already full of negative thoughts and doubts as you’ve entered the world of ‘comparatinitous’ and are now left feeling inadequate and worthless as you begin your day.

This is exactly what happens in our subconscious and even though the day proves to start off badly, nothing you put on to wear looks nice, hair & make up won’t go right, your untidy home start to annoy you, yet we still continue to do this day in and day out. Why?!

Avoid the ‘scroll hole’ at all costs.

Second to that, we also need to allow our brains to have some downtime each day.  This is crucial to reducing stress levels, overwhelm and burn out that a lot of entrepreneurs know about all too well. Reduced screen time in the morning and evening, as well as regular daily detoxes will help to strengthen that positive mindset and see the benefits of a balanced lifestyle.

Another thing that I find very beneficial is planning & scheduling my social posts in advance, not only for a beautifully curated feed, but to avoid the need to have to reach for my phone.

Batch content creation & planning is also a HUGE time saver.

 

Reading

An amazing replacement for the morning and evening ‘scroll hole’ is reading, not to mention it’s much better on the old eyes. We subject our eyes to so much blue light through phones, ipads, laptops, computers, smart watches, tv screens, and advertisement boards.  It is literally everywhere, even in the sun!

Reading is one of the most powerful ways to inject positivity into your mind especially at the start of your day. Any form of self-education book, or autobiography by those who have walked the same entrepreneurial paths before us are great forms of coaching that will help save you time and money on your journey.

Mindset books will specifically teach you more proven daily tools and strategies to implement into your business that have been used for years.

 

Goals

I cannot stress the importance of having goals and clarity. Also, to have achievable goals, by that I mean goals we can set and achieve in short timeframes.

Yes, it’s important to have long term goals to have that dream life vision board but it must be broken down into smaller timeframes to be able to track and measure, celebrating the wins as you go. If you have a big goal and a huge list of things to do to get there, then the likeliness is that you will try to focus on them all at once and not accomplish very much. Try these…

-End Goal (The big vision, create a vision of this to remind yourself where you are going)

-Long Term Goals (The next 12 months)

-Short Term Goals (The next 90 days)

-Monthly, Weekly and daily goals (top 3 priorities for each timeframe)

This will allow you to be focused on the tasks in hand and move forward with clarity.

The Rule of esteem recognizes that all humans need and want praise, recognition, and acceptance.

William James once said, “The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” 

Therefore, remember to celebrate all the wins along the way, no matter how small (pamper indulges maybe!) it will most definitely help keep you motivated as you head towards your next set of goals.

 

Daily Habits

In addition to the above there are other positive habits you can implement into your daily routine to create the compound effect of a positive mindset. Remember, your brain is a vault, a big eager and curious sponge and we get to choose what enters it. So here are some other practices for you to also consider:

 

  • Journaling / brain dumping / emptying your brain – whatever you choose to call it, it helps! Something magical happens when pen hits paper it becomes real once it’s out of your head and the universe will help guide you (same with goals), it allows you to prioritize better too.

  • Meditation – I understand this isn’t for everyone (I find it very hard to quiet my mind) but being still or inviting your mind to just slow down works wonders for aiding sleep and reducing overwhelm, anxiety, panic and worry. Guided meditation videos on YouTube are great for those who aren’t able to just focus on breathing. Using ‘positive guided meditation’ as a way of getting positive words into your mind in a morning if you’re not quite the reader is also a great way to start your day too.

  • Stop the negative thoughts – noticing when you have negative thoughts is the first step, and this gets much faster the more you practice it (I think of it as a game I play with myself now). The next step is to stop them having an impact on your mood, again this gets quicker when you learn how to change your thought process. Eventually you will start to learn the trigger so you get there before your mind even becomes receptive to it. This practice does not happen overnight but starting to become aware of it is definitely a step in the right direction.

  • Affirmations – Practicing positive affirmations definitely helps to improve your mindset. Start by writing down a list of things you’re not so positive about when it comes to yourself. This could be the way you look, your confidence, or your capabilities. Then write down the positive opposite of the negative you wrote down. For example,

“I am not confident” = “I am brave”

“I need to lose weight” = “I am beautiful”

Or you can simply write down those you see in your future self.

 

I am Strong

I am Brave

I am Courageous

I am Capable

I am Beautiful

 

Try setting an alarm on your phone several times a day, when you wake up and when you go to bed especially is a great help to remind you of these.

Also put them in places you see regularly such as screensavers, mirrors, fridge, office, car, purse…wherever is may be.

Your mind only knows what you think or what you allow to enter it.

You need to be the protector of your mind, feed it, nourish it well and allow it time to heal.

With consistency and patience your strength and resilience to outside factors will surely build.  You will have control over your thoughts and your positive and powerful mindset will not only massively start to impact your life but your business too.

What you think you become,

What you feel you attract,

What you imagine you create.

 As with everything mentioned, it is imperative that you don’t try to implement everything all at once, this will create overwhelm and lack of focus so choose 3 key strategies that feel most aligned to you right now and start with those.

Remember, the 21/90 rule…it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle, so have patience with yourself and lean into each practice and enjoy it, don’t think of it as time you could be doing another task (we’ve all done that), rather, fully embrace and believe it will benefit you and your business.

I have no doubt whatsoever that you have the strength and ability to unlock your truest potential, one step, one day at time and become the best version of yourself living the best life you can imagine. Now it’s time, GLOW your brightest Sista, I’ll be watching!

BIG Loves, Melissa XoXo

 

Short Article Review

  • Self-care and feeding your mind are the 2 most powerful practices we can do and at no cost at all
  • Remember, the 21/90 rule…it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle
  • Talk kindly to yourself on a daily basis, out loud and in your thoughts
  • You need to be the protector of your mind, feed it, nourish it well and allow it time to heal.
  • Maintaining a positive mindset is a result of learning to flex your muscles over a period of time with consistency

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.  

The Post Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.

(Realistic) Self-Care For Mompreneurs

(Realistic) Self-Care For Mompreneurs

Mar 10, 2021 | Health, Lifestyle

Olivia is a business and marketing coach

Olivia Radcliffe is a business and marketing coach. She is the Founder & CEO of The Bluebell Group.  View profile

In a society where no one wears just one “hat” and people are continually pushed for constant productivity, taking the time to practice self-care has never been more important. 

It’s a complete irony, then, that most people protest at the idea because they don’t feel they have enough time in their busy schedules for self-care. 

As a single mom with a baby and a business and no child care (thanks, pandemic!), I’m continually inundated with self-care tips by well-meaning friends and family members. While I do greatly appreciate the love behind the suggestions, their recommendations tend to be woefully unrealistic. 

Take a long bath? Sit by myself with some tea? Meditate in a quiet room for half an hour? Ha! My 11-month-old son is a walking, climbing, exploring giggle machine. As nice as it would be, this mama certainly isn’t sneaking away for a steamy soak anytime soon. And when he’s napping? Well, that’s when the other magic happens, such as running a household and growing a business. 

That being said, I do believe whole-heartedly in the importance of self-care. Here are 5 ways I’ve incorporated self-care into my routine (sans face masks and bubbles).

1. Practice positive self-talk

Self-care is so much more than something you do for an hour or two each week. Self-care is a way of life and includes how you relate to yourself throughout the day with your inner dialogue.

Self-talk can be positive or negative. Focusing on increasing your positive self-talk can help reduce stress and improve your overall quality of life. Take a moment and assess your inner dialogue. Are you more negative or positive? What situations bring out the negative side? What can you do to avoid those situations or alter the inner dialogue to be more positive?

I’ve found that pausing and being intentional about what I was thinking and feeling towards myself in stressful situations, surrounding myself with positive people, and strategically placing some choice affirmations around the house has gone a long way towards building a habit of positive self-talk and decreasing my stress. 

 

2. Laugh often

Cat videos, TikTok stunts, a comedy special on Netflix – take time to do whatever it takes to get you giggling. According to HelpGuide, laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress (and, as an added bonus, it burns calories, too!).

Long ago, I developed a trick of looking at less-than-desirable circumstances through the lens of a TV sitcom (think Ross’ spray tan disaster). Now I’m able to laugh during times that normally would have prompted me to hide in my closet with a box of PopTarts.

3. Give it (and yourself) a rest

As entrepreneurs, we’re busy. As moms, we’re even busier. Multitasking is more than a skill, it’s a survival technique. But a key component to self-care (and to success in general) is the need to embrace the fact that sometimes the best way to get ahead is to stop. 

For example, a lot of times I’ll continue to work after I put my baby to bed. But there are also times when I know I’m too mentally/emotionally/physically exhausted to be very productive and I curl up in bed with a book or catch up on a show instead. 

There can be a lot of guilt associated with taking that time to do “nothing,” or maybe even a feeling of laziness or a sense of missing out on opportunities. But, in reality, taking a moment to stop the continual hustle and reset allows us to be more productive the rest of the time. 

4. Create a “Hype File”

Often, we get so caught up in keeping up with all of our tasks that we forget to celebrate our accomplishments. 

A Hype File is a place for you to write down and store screenshots, emails, texts, etc. that highlight and represent your accomplishments. 

If you got a glowing review, put it in your Hype File! Get a compliment on your outfit? Put it in your Hype File! Get the kiddos to eat their veggies? Hype File!

Then when you’re feeling down, you can take a glance at your Hype File and see immediate proof of how amazing you are and how much you accomplish each and every day. 

5. Take small, immediate actions

I have three questions for you: 

  1. How do you want to feel each day? 
  2. What makes you feel that way?
  3. What small, immediate changes can you make to feel that way daily? 

For example, let’s say you want to feel luxurious on a daily basis. Going on a spa weekend makes you feel luxurious. But, that’s not generally something you can do often, so what can you take from a spa weekend to add to your daily routine? Maybe you could buy some fluffy spa-quality towels, a calming scented candle for your desk, and make a pitcher of cucumber lemon water to drink throughout the day. 

Or, if you want to feel successful, you could redecorate your workspace and buy a guided daily planner and a special pen to use. 

These small acts that can be implemented immediately will help you be intentional about how you want to feel. 

When it comes down to it, self-care is all about you. What works for someone else might not work for you, but that’s the beauty of self-care. While bubble baths and yoga classes most definitely have their time and place, self-care in essence is really more about developing an intentional relationship with yourself and showing up for yourself with the kindness and love you share with others throughout the day.

 

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  • In a society where no one wears just one “hat” and people are continually pushed for constant productivity, taking the time to practice self-care has never been more important.
  • Self-care is a way of life and includes how you relate to yourself throughout the day with your inner dialogue.
  • Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.
  • A key component to self-care (and to success in general) is the need to embrace the fact that sometimes the best way to get ahead is to stop. 
  • A Hype File is a place for you to write down and store screenshots, emails, texts, etc. that highlight and represent your accomplishments.
  • Small acts that can be implemented immediately will help you be intentional about how you want to feel.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.  

The Post (Realistic) Self-Care for Mompreneurs appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.

8 Strategies On Working From Home During A Pandemic

8 Strategies On Working From Home During A Pandemic

Mar 10, 2021 | Career

Dawn Baxter

Dawn Baxter is a UK female entrepreneur who supports businesswomen to fulfil their dreams online.  View profile

If you had told me a year or more ago I would be sitting in front of my mac with a 2-hour old cold coffee, giving tips for navigating what can easily be described as the strangest global event we have ever lived through, since Brad left Jen for Angelina, I think I would have laughed. Hard.

Putting my family on house arrest was not anywhere in my 10-year plan. It’s easy to look at our situation in disbelief and like the layers of a well-grown shallot, there is a lot more to this whole thing than meets the immediate eye. If you are anything like me, you may have even sourced some comfort at the beginning of this pandemic in the way our governments shut us down.

Some of us have lost people, many in fact. Some, like myself, have been lucky enough to skim through this (so far) with only family of friends or one step removed losses. It’s an indirect sadness, you feel it, and you wish it didn’t happen, but you are also so grateful that it wasn’t your grandfather, brother, mother, sister or son.

There is a massive population of us that are hurting on the whole for others, and on a lesser level for ourselves and our old lives. Having pain or struggle in one area doesn’t cancel out pain and suffering in another. This is why it’s important to be tactful while working from home.

Here is a list of 8 strategies to help you through this pandemic while working from home:

1. Feel it

It is perfectly acceptable to be a mess right now no matter how close to the sharp end of this pandemic you currently are due to personal circumstances.

2. Be grateful

Now you have identified how you really feel, what is 100 on the suckometer and what isn’t? take some time to find the pockets of light in your day. I really would love for you to throw the “I should be doing” rule book out the window for this one.

3. Your oxygen mask first

In the event of an emergency on a plane, you are told that when the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling you MUST put on your own mask first. There is a very simple reason for this. You cannot help anyone else until you have helped yourself. No air for you means that you are no good to anyone around you, including you.

No matter how full your plate is right now, please, please, please recognize this one thing. You first.

You have identified some grateful spots – which is great, what else do you need? Do you need a standing appointment with a book and a bubble bath every Thursday? Make a list.

Be realistic but also recognize that there are opportunities to take better care of yourself than you are consciously acknowledging whilst you feed yourself another portion of “I don’t have time” or “I just need to do.”

4. Make a plan and fill it with routines

Sit down and map out your week, what is non-negotiable and what can be more flexible. How much time do you need to focus on that? What can you cut out or move?

This part will be hard especially if you have children because the working school day runs as your workday expectations do too. Something’s got to give.

It is important to categorize areas that are within as well as out of your control again for this part.

“You can juggle – but don’t multitask.” – me

Routines and rituals will help you. This may look different for everyone, whether it is a set bath time routine, a set “Golden time” per day (golden time is what we call relax, unwind, screen time for our two), or a time you can check your own computer in peace. The important thing is that everyone knows the plan and what area is being covered right now.

5. Get outside

Get some air, use your legs. Some days you may only get from the doorway to your car – that’s okay too. Especially if whilst inside the car you play a song and rock out, just for you, for those few golden glorious moments.

Getting outside might be required inside too – On a normal week you may not have spent every waking moment with your partner and kids or pets even. Too much of anything will start to slowly erode the joy it once bestowed on you. Be clear on what you need.

6. Boundaries

Have strong boundaries over your working hours, sleep and breaks. Make them, stick to them even if they are not what your normal 9-5 timetable looks like. Be realistic with yourself to make them achievable only – don’t use this as another benchmark of failure.

7. Plan

Make plans for the future – pencil them, put the sharpie down for now – but still make them and remember that although some things will be forever changed many will snap back such as seeing other humans and getting on a plane for instance.

We all need something to look forward to – this shouldn’t be any different.

8. Kindness

Be kind to the people you are communicating with – they may be the cause of additional stress because they are under additional stress and everyone has varying degrees of coping mechanisms and/or support systems.

You do not have to be superwoman – “You can do hard things” – Glennon Doyle – but you do not have to do ALL THE HARD THINGS AT ONCE. You’ve got this, I believe in you.

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  1. Allow yourself to feel it 
  2. Practice grateful
  3. Take care of yourself first
  4. Lean on routine
  5. Make time for outdoors

 

The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, investment, financial, medical or other advice.  Always seek the advice of a licensed professional regarding any questions you may have.  

The Post 8 Strategies on Working From Home During a Pandemic appeared first on Womanly Inspiration.