True Balance Life Coaching

The holidays can prove to be a highly demanding and stressful time. Several of my life coaching clients are under loads of pressure right now because of what feels like a Tidal wave of things to do in the next month.  If you are feeling stressed out, the following suggestions may be just what you need to help you reduce overwhelm and regain balance in your life this holiday season.

Plan and Create Task Lists: Prioritize and schedule specific days for shopping, baking, partying and other activities. Creating an actionable plan will make you feel more in control of  your responsibilities.

Acknowledge How You Feel: You can’t force yourself to be happy just because it’s the holiday season. If you are feeling blue reach out to a good friend or family member for some laughs.  If you feel lonely or isolated,  seek out community events or volunteer your time. If you are feeling overwhelmed stop and assess what you can let go of.

Breathe: Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Reduce stress by clearing your mind, nurturing your body and finding inner calm. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Reduce stress by clearing your mind, nurturing your body and finding inner calm.

Delegate: You do not have to do everything on your own. Ask the people who love you for help. It’s amazing how much friends and family are willing to step up and chip in.  People like to feel useful and needed. Do you think Martha Stewart takes care of all the details?

Get Real: The holidays don’t have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videotapes. This year we have completely switch up our regular game plan and it feels good!

Say NO Thanks: Saying yes when you really want to say no can leave you feeling resentful and totally overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every holiday event or activity. You have permission to say no thank you.

Continue Healthy Habits: Overindulgence contributes to additional stress and guilt. Plan to enjoy  healthy food before holiday parties so that you don’t inhale too many decadent treats. Do your best to to get plenty of sleep,  physical activity and down time to nourish your mental and physical health.

Planning for the holidays can be a lot of fun. All you need to do is create a plan, ask for help and honor yourself.  You deserve to eliminate the self-induced stress of the holidays and enjoy this time of year!

If you want more information about overcoming stress and anxiety,   you are welcome to visit www.anxietyslayer.com for additional posts, podcasts and ideas created to help you wipe out anxiety and get on with enjoying your life.

The month of July has been insane!  Launching my new book, coaching, kayaking, hiking, beach days, and Friday romps with my daughter has made for an extraordinarily busy time.  Being in tune with the warm weather, ever changing blooms, and angel painted skies is a summer blessing. With that being said, I am noticing that I still need to create some additional ME time.  Loads of summer activities tend to kick my butt if I’m not making space to sink in and also enjoy the ‘living is easy’ part of summertime. Just last week I was only a few steps away from falling in the brink!

How are you caring for yourself this summer?

Are you allowing for some time to take a breath?

You Deserve to take better care of  yourself…

Living a vibrant, luscious life is about creating opportunities for pleasure, relaxation and self-exploration.  It’s about knowing who you are and expressing your unique gifts in the world through gratitude, passion, connection and abundance.  You cannot experience a luscious life when your well is dry.

The first step to this journey of caring for yourself is to commit to making one small change,  and experiencing what kind of impact your healthy choice can have on your life.

Check out thee five simple ideas designed to help you take better care of yourself this summer:

Carve out some ‘YOU’ time.  Everyone needs time alone to be peaceful and recharge. Start with 2-5 minutes for silent reflection. Be LAZY! Read a few pages in a novel, take a walk, make a yummy new recipe. It really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it’s all about YOU!

Creative exploration. Enjoy the experience of creation. Paint, sculpt, cook, garden, play! While you are in the midst of luscious creation, I dare you to make a big fat mess!

Get it down in writing.  Self expression through journaling is a marvelous tool for clearing your mind. It’s a blast to witness and record your thoughts as they hop around the page like a juiced up water bug on the river.

Joy Spotting. Witness and log all of your joyful moments.  Each summer day has potential for many small moments that bring joy and happiness. My family shares five “happy moments” each night at the dinner table. We’ve found this is an excellent way to stay positive and learn more about each other.

Move your body. When we are caught up in crossing items off our to-do lists, we can tend to neglect nurturing and exercising our healthy bodies. Whether you dance, walk, run or ride, your body and spirit will thank you for the gift. Get up and move your body!

Oh my!

This month, each of my brilliant clients is feeling overwhelmed by the abundant distractions that keep showing up in their lives,  and the limited amount of time available to participate in each experience.  Too many choices and “Shiny Lures” of distraction seem to be everywhere causing acute experiences of pleasure and pain.   These powerful women want to have it all,  but occasionally get lost in the land of potent distraction.  Here are some ways you can address the anxiety surrounding an attractive diversion, get clear about your choices, and move forward on the path of your choosing.

I learned a great lesson from Arleen Boyd (better known as “Aloha” Arleen) when I interviewed her for my new book,  Life on Your Terms.  She said: “Just because you’re an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you’re living life on your terms. Recognize your purpose, and stay vigilant on that path. What I’ve found is that you can have it all—you just can’t DO it all at the same time.”

This is sage advice from a woman who started her own telecommunications company in the early 1980s and enjoyed the cutthroat business world and her CEO status until she realized that she was not running her business: it was running her.  My recent conversations with powerful women like Arleen nudged me to share some supportive ideas about living in a world filled with desirable distractions.  I am happy to report that today, Arleen brings her expertise to companies in the area of social media, building her clients’ internet presence to lift awareness, build brands, generate income, and keep customers. She strongly believes in surrounding herself with a network of peers who are also in positions of leadership. This network has allowed her to reach out and collaborate, and to stay grounded.

Supportive tips to keep in mind when you are snagged by a provocative shiny lure:

Experience and dream about the potential of the interesting, inviting and sexy opportunity – Part of the joy of being an entrepreneur is following your passion and making your own decisions. Another part is allowing yourself to dream and explore enticing opportunities.  You don’t have to say YES to every exciting offer.  Remember that you have only so many units of you to share with the world.

Allow 24 -48 hours or more to make decision on your investment or involvement – Have you ever been fully drawn into something immediately, only to find that a couple days later the thrill is gone? When I am read to chomp on a shiny object, I allow myself to get fired up and then let the idea / opportunity simmer. Immediate deadlines be damned! Let the idea sit and then revisit your energy in a day or two.

Explore the potential outcome of letting the shiny object pass you by – What is the worst case scenario if you do not pounce on the object of your immediate affection? Can you live with this potential outcome? Is this an experience you can enjoy a year from now?

Is the fear of loss motivating you to take action? – Often we can get caught up in a brilliantly crafted offer and lose our sense of balance out of the fear of missing out on an opportunity.  Marketers know how to push our buttons.  You know the drill: Only 2 spots left for blah blah blah… Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity. RIGHT.  When an offer resonates with you and is in your best interest, things will naturally fall into place. Do all you can to blow off fear-based involvement in ANY activity.

Does this shiny opportunity fit in with your vision for your business and your life? – This question will help you make solid decisions. If  you don’t have a vision for your business, it is time to begin creating one.  I’ve found the people I work with who have a plan or dream have a much easier time discerning which lures to chase.

For those of you who have a voracious appetite for all things shiny and new,  I feel for you.  Remember that you can have it all–You just can’t fully enjoy and experience it all at the same time.

Hutchison’s Law: “Any occurrence requiring undivided attention will be accompanied by a compelling distraction.” – Robert Bloch