Greetings!
Have you ever felt the kind of anxiety that had you feel as if you were spinning out of control?
Perhaps you wanted to stop it, and just couldn’t figure out how to do it.
Well, I certainly have.
Sometimes the pull of social media, cash flow concerns, scheduling appointments, and other people’s needs can create anxiety.
When overwhelm, fear, and anxiety run the show, you will burn out, act out, and/or get sick.
While working in Federal law enforcement, I didn’t have a 9-5 job.
I did what was required and when, for the good of the American people.
This meant often working long shifts and at different times of the day and night.
It also meant grabbing what was quick and easy to eat vs. what was healthiest for my body and soul.
Talking about your emotions was for people who were weak.
Looking back, I never realized how often I would hold my breath through out the day, waiting for the next ball to come crashing down, sometimes exploding into a million teeny-tiny little pieces making it impossible to put back together again.
After I started my business, I began creating boundaries, looking at my emotional health and well-being, and expanding my self-care routine so it was for maintenance, not crisis management.
In my business, I created 7 Pillars of Well-Being that I teach at Design Your Destiny Live and speak about in coaching classes with clients.
Today, I sleep 8 hours/night, invest in nutrition and skin care products that feed my body, and take a holiday every 6- 8 weeks.
Praying isn’t an activity that happens only on Sunday or during times set aside in the calendar. It happens every moment of every day.
Several times a month my husband and I, aware of our abundant life, share our wealth with different charities or philanthropic endeavors.
Courageous servant leaders understand that if they don’t take care of themselves, they can’t serve the people they’re called to serve in the world.
Here are the 3 simple tools that I have found to be the most essential elements of my self-care practice.
- Breathe. It may sound silly, and it has been the #1 activity to calm my mind and have me be fully present with what I’m feeling. Stopping to breathe deeply and consciously throughout the day has been even more grounding than my morning routine. Slowing down the breath and lowering your shoulders can have the immediate effect of lowering your stress response.
- Create Non-negotiables. Being clear what you want and why it matters to you, this understanding allows you to make mindful decisions and determine what is most important to focus on and when.
- Practice kindness. It feels good to be kind and to see its effect. Extending kindness to others makes the world a bit better, even if it is just one person at a time. Extending kindness to ourselves can be the biggest gift — one beyond what anyone else could ever give us.
ACTION:
The
Upside Challenge
of the week is to practice self-care with intention.
On a daily basis, track how it contributes to your well-being and your capacity to be your best self at work and home.
The world needs you and your brilliance.
With love and gratitude,
Lisa Marie
Lisa Marie
President/CEO
Upside Thinking, Inc.
951.334.9162 ~ Mobile
p.s. If you’re ready to embrace your calling – and not sure how to do it,
schedule a clarity call with me.
We’ll talk about where you are, what you want, and see if it’s a fit for us to work together. No pressure. Just lots of love for where you are on the journey…
