6 Techniques to Move your Mind from Chaos to Calm
Only you know the stressors that you face on a daily basis, internally and externally… here are ways you can move in the right direction to make changes for yourself, going from chaos to calm.
Releasing chaos and welcoming calm… doesn’t that sound amazing?! We can do this! Let’s make this our focus moving forward through the remainder of this year.
Only you know the stressors that you face on a daily basis, both internally and externally. And, as you already know, there is a lot going on in the world around us. No matter how much we try to limit our exposure to the negativity, sadness, and hate, some of it always manages to make its way into our protected, private, and sacred spaces.
We’ve got to do our best and start with ourselves to move forward with helping others, creating change, and making a positive impact on our small piece of the world. But remember, it takes peace from within to begin that journey!
Let’s get to it!
Here are a few techniques to guide our minds from chaos to calm. The goal is to minimize (even eliminate) the chaos and confusion that only distracts us from all the good stuff life has in store for us. Reaching a state of calm and peace places us in the best position possible to receive goodness & blessings!
Technique #1 - Let Go & Let God
My favorite, but sometimes the most difficult, as well. As a believer, I know the importance of faith and leaning into God's promises for me. The difficult part comes from the fact that I’m only human! As humans, we naturally allow doubt and fear creep into all areas of our lives.
I know that it is necessary to put that faith into action and live up to power & beauty that He sees in me. Praying, along with reading the scriptures and devotionals are a way for me to calm my mind, heart, & body.
Technique #2 - Incorporate Breathwork
Breathwork has a rich & deep history, and there are many different breathwork techniques. Each offers unique benefits that are meant to assist with different goals and needs.
Incorporating breathwork into your daily life can aid in lowering stress, increasing energy, managing pain, strengthening lungs, improving mood, and improving sleep... and that's just a few of the benefits. Take the time to look into whether this practice that may be good for you.
Technique #3 - Start a Meditation Routine
In the beginning, meditation may feel difficult because we find it seemingly impossible to "turn off our minds" from all of the things that are going on in our daily lives. But don't think of it that way... think of it as something that will ADD TO your day. It will become easier with practice and consistency.
Yogaeasy.com shares that "the purpose of mindfulness meditation is simply to become aware of what's going on without reacting to it. To avoid getting caught up in the 'stories' of the mind and instead let your awareness rest in reality - the present moment."
Technique #4 - Begin a Stretching Practice
I've shared about this one in depth, but let's refresh. As you know, there are so many physical benefits to properly stretching... flexibility, balance, posture, and circulation.
But... let us not forget the ability of a consistent stretching routine in helping you relax and reset. An effective stretch routine after a workout, after work, before bed, or even to start your day, can set the tone for what's to come... whether it be activity or chill time.
Technique #5 - Journaling
This one is relatively easy; you just need something to write on and something to write with. Oh, and a few minutes to be intentional about your thoughts.
If you don't have a safe person to relate to and share your day's happenings with (or, even if you do have that person), putting your words down on paper can be a great way to release thoughts & feelings that may be overwhelming your heart and mind. I know from experience that writing it down and getting it out helps... even just the act of slowing down with pen & paper can be cathartic.
Journaling can be used for both positive release and that which may not be so positive, it's truly personal.
Technique #6 - Get a Good Night’s Sleep
This one should go without saying but has to be said!
PLEASE remember what a good night of sleep can do: improve mood & manage stress; increase exercise performance; improve mental clarity; assist with health goals.
Take the time and care for yourself to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Realistically, there's no set amount of time that works for everyone, you have to find what works best for you, your body, and your schedule. But I promise you this, restful and consistent nights of sleep make a world of difference the next morning.
Did any of the six techniques resonate with you? Perhaps releasing chaos and welcoming calm has been a goal of yours. Hopefully, you can lean into one of these tips moving forward for the remainder of this year. Much love!
Six Ways to Push Through Tough Workouts
…the proper & positive mindset necessary to push through a tough workout…
Progress over perfection.
How do you get yourself into the proper & positive mindset necessary to push through a tough workout?
Anticipate Success
Make a plan that is achievable but still challenges you. Think ahead through any obstacles you may face and how you plan to push through toward personal growth.
Remember that success does not necessarily mean that you completed 100% of your goal, it can also mean that you gave 100% of your effort! And that’s huge!
Set Realistic Goals
Big, bold, and audacious goals are absolutely amazing, BUT sometimes it’s important to break down your workouts into smaller, more achievable targets.
At times, it may be important to focus on just getting through the next set of bicep curls versus completing that new YouTube workout you’ve been stalking... maybe one more block versus one more mile on your walk... When the time is right & your mindset is right, you’ll get it done!
Check In with Yourself
When a client or class attendee noticeably or audibly winces, grunts, or groans, I’ll check in to ask how they’re doing. I’ll say something like, “are you in pain, or are you working?” By this, I’m trying to find out if some part of their body is physically hurting or if they are pushing themselves toward the next level.
They can only answer this question if they are in tune with & listening to their bodies. So check in and get comfortable with yourself in order to grow.
Talk Nicely to Yourself
Positive self-talk is quite necessary and will come in handy. There will be moments when you will question everyTHANG, want to pack it up, and leave! That’s when you remind yourself of how capable you are and worthy of creating your healthiest & happiest self.
Focus on shifting those negative thoughts into positive ones, allowing you to push through versus stopping.
Workout Buddy & Good Music
Never underestimate the power of a good workout buddy. Having someone by your side to push you to the next level, spot you, hold you accountable, and even laugh with you, is top-notch! Talk about motivation in real-time!
Now, good music is my jam (pun intended)! I can’t even say that I stick to one particular genre of music, I just choose songs and beats that match my vibe on that day or during that workout session. Music has the ability to help us celebrate good times and support us through tough ones. Find your rhythm and LOCK IN!
Reward Yourself
Set up a reward system to celebrate yourself as you hit milestones or mini-goals. Having something to look forward to can boost your motivation and make the effort feel more worthwhile.
These “rewards” don’t have to be expensive gifts or treats, unless that’s what motivates you. Rewarding yourself may be a relaxing bubble bath, watching an episode of your new favorite tv series, enjoying a special meal at a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try, or perhaps even new workout clothes!
One of the main things to remember is that you should always strive for progress over perfection. Show yourself some grace. If today (or today’s workout) didn’t go quite as planned, just start again… keep showing up!
4 Truths We MUST Remember for Ourselves
It’s important for us to remain grounded in who we are and what we want for ourselves moving forward. BUT to do that we have to remember a few truths…
“There are billions of amazing people in the world, but there is only one you!”
Summer has begun and we are headed into the second half of the year. Seasons change, transitions begin, and life goes on. It’s important for us to remain grounded in who we are and what we want for ourselves moving forward. BUT to do that we have to remember a few truths for ourselves and not get lost in what is going on around us.
Let’s get into it…
The Truths...
Be Yourself
There is no one better at being you than you. You are inspiring others even if you aren’t getting the likes, the follows, or the engagement!
Keep doing you, for you. Everything else will fall into place. What’s meant to be will be.
Stay Focused
Stay focused on your OWN thoughts, skills, health, education, heart, goals, relationships, and business, to create your OWN wins & successes.
When this remains your focus, you can truly “do you, Boo”, with class and confidence!
No Negative Self-Talk
Let your words be uplifting, loving, encouraging, and full of praise. Be your biggest fan, even if there’s no one else.
The things we tell ourselves each day are either going to tear us down or lift us up.
You choose!
Stop Comparing
Don’t compare yourself to others!
This includes accomplishments, relationships, and even waistlines!!! Do what YOU need to do to hit your own individual goals. Use others as inspiration VERSUS comparison.
Take what you need... Share with someone else who may need this today...
5 (Doable) Tips for Improving Productivity
No matter what you have going on, the changing of seasons is a good time to evaluate yourself in regard to productivity.
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
We are quickly moving towards the start of Summer! That can mean a few of things… either we have a bit more time on our hands, because the kids are out of school; we become busier by taking on additional work; we hit the road and begin to travel more; or we take some personal time to rest and recharge… just to name a few possibilities.
No matter what you have going on, the changing of seasons is a good time to evaluate yourself in regard to productivity.
Read on to check out ways we stay on track moving forward, no matter what our goals may be. As with any new idea, plan, or task, the key is simply to START!
Establish a morning routine
When we get our morning off to the right start, we are poised for our own personal success, whatever that success may look like for each of us. Creating a proper morning routine is a great way to jumpstart us into thinking more intentionally about today and tomorrow. It will be important to begin the process with a good, restful night’s sleep. That sleep will encourage and assist you with waking up refreshed and ready to take on whatever the day may bring.
Prioritize your day:
Start each day by identifying the most important tasks that need to be completed. This focus will allow you to power through the day with intention leading to increased productivity. Once you’ve completed the high-priority tasks, feel free to move on to those items with lower priority that followed. Remember, don’t stress… whatever doesn’t get finished today will surely be waiting for you tomorrow.
Manage multitasking:
I used to thrive on having the ability to multitask… eventually, I learned better. While multitasking is sometimes necessary, it isn’t always the most effective way to complete our work. Try focusing on one task at a time for 30 minutes, instead of multitasking. This technique can improve concentration, improve the quality of work, and reduce the time taken to complete tasks by minimizing distractions.
Meal prep:
We’ve got to eat, right? And we’ve got to eat right! Meal prepping allows us the opportunity to slow down, plan, and prep meals that meet our needs and even the needs of our household. This planning allows for budget consideration, along with choosing healthier food options. Additional food/nutrition productivity tips include batch cooking, portion control, shopping with a prepared grocery list, and proper utilization of leftovers to minimize waste.
Declutter your space:
Now is the perfect time to wrap up your spring cleaning! Consider choosing a specific area to organize and declutter each week, whether it’s your car, under the bed, or a closet. As you work through your space, create piles to designate the items as: Keep, Trash, Donate, or even Sell! A tidy space has the ability to reduce stress, improve focus, and create a more peaceful environment for productivity.
As the seasons change, it’s important to not get lost in the shuffle of life and stay focused on our mental wellness. Being mindful of productivity is just one of the ways we can do that.
Resilience - Word of the Year
In my opinion, choosing a Word of the Year is much different from creating a New Year Resolution, a practice many of us may be more familiar with. Oftentimes with resolutions, even though we have the best intentions, we…
Resilience
“the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness:”
Before I get into why I chose Resilience as my Word for 2025, let me give you a little background into why this practice is important to me…
Have you ever engaged in the practice of selecting a Word of the Year for yourself? It is the practice of selecting one particular word (sometimes a short phrase) that will serve as your motto, guide, or focus for the coming year. People go to great lengths to come up with a word that will truly convey what their intention or goal may be for the year. Research may be employed to determine the best word, even prayer and meditation are used as guidance in selecting a word. The past couple of years, it has actually taken me longer than expected to determine a Word for myself… I take it seriously! So seriously, to be honest with you, that I actually set reminder alarms in my phone to check-in with myself to keep the focus as I move through the year.
In my opinion, choosing a Word of the Year is much different from creating a New Year Resolution, a practice many of us may be more familiar with. Oftentimes with resolutions, even though we have the best intentions, we have the tendency to create unrealistic and rigid goals for ourselves that do not always foster growth and awareness. Instead, resolutions give us a task that is to be completed, a box to be checked upon completion. When that task is not achieved, we may feel defeated and give up on that focus altogether. In my opinion, with a Word of the Year, we have more flexibility to establish exactly what that word means for us individually. Any given word may have a complete different meaning and impact from one person to the next, and that is perfectly fine. That’s actually the beauty of it! You, and you alone, are in control of the interpretation and execution, in your own way and in your own time.
Now, how did I come to choose the word RESILIENCE?!
Well, 2024 was tough (to say the least)! And if I’m being honest, I wasn’t able to handle some of the hits my family and I took as well as I would have liked to. BY WHOSE STANDARDS, you ask… my own. Now I surely understand that there is no right or wrong way to handle losing a loved one (or three)… no right or wrong way to handle illness in the household… no right or wrong way to handle many of the unexpected occurances that life throws at us. But, moving forward, I pray to be able to equip myself with the tools that are important to me to cope…. tools that I have since gained.
According to the American Psychological Association, “resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”
Verywell Mind states it simply as: “A resilient person is someone who has strong coping skills and is able to marshall their available resources, ask for help when needed, and find ways to manage the situation they are facing. People with psychological resilience are able to use their skills and strengths to respond to life's challenges. People with resilience do not experience less distress, grief, or anxiety than other people do. Instead, they use healthy coping skills to handle such difficulties in ways that foster strength and growth, often emerging stronger than they were before.”
KEY POINT: I do NOT expect to experience anything less than anyone else, I just pray to cope in a healthy manner… physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Trials and tests will always occur, but I’m striving to make 2025 the year that I grow more hopeful and optimistic AND prayerful in the MIDST OF and IN PREPARATION FOR whatever may lie ahead of me this year. Sounds relatively easy, huh? On the surface, yes. But when I think deeply about it, I know that this will be quite the process. Even the definition of resilience that I shared above is a bit too simple. Resilience is personal and individual. It is absolutely affected by our personal traits, our environment, our family, and so many other factors.
This Word… this year’s focus… is going to take some work on my part. Thankfully, I’m willing to put in that work. I’m not perfect, but God is. So, I will pray AND put in the work.
My challenge to you is to do the same…
Choose your Word, then put in the work!
Make a Difference with Kindness
A random act of kindness is an unexpected, good deed done for another person. There are times when these small acts of kindness are planned or intentional, but other times they may truly just take place when the need or desire presents itself.
“Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.”
February is a month jam-packed with many special reasons to celebrate and educate ourselves. One of my favorite occasions is Random Acts of Kindness Week, which takes place during the week of February 13-19, 2022. According to www.randomactsofkindness.org, “The work to create a kinder world never ends”.
A random act of kindness is an unexpected, good deed done for another person. There are times when these small acts of kindness are planned or intentional, but other times they may truly just take place when the need or desire presents itself. Either way, these actions have the potential to really make someone’s day, whether the recipient of the kind act or the initiator.
My goal here is to share ways that you can incorporate kindness into the special occasions of this month and on any given day, for that matter.
Black History Month is an annual celebration in February of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. But it also provides the opportunity to be reminded of how much progress is yet to be made in our country, and the opportunity to learn how we can contribute to progress.
Act of Kindness: Educate yourself - That could take place reading books, visiting historical museums, watching movies and documentaries, or asking appropriate and thoughtful questions directly to others. Be open-minded and prepare to listen and learn.
American Heart Month is dedicated time when focus is placed on heart disease, the number one killer of Americans. According to www.heart.org, “during American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations reinforce the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer and healthier”.
Act of Kindness: Learn CPR - CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, a lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Visit cpr.heart.org for more information on the different types of CPR, proper training, and how you can help. You can’t get more kind than potentially helping to save someone’s life!
Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14 and is probably a holiday we are all pretty familiar with. Traditionally, known as a holiday to celebrate love, whether romantically or platonically. Loved ones and friends around the world exchange candy, upscale dinner dates, gifts, flowers, and other expressions of affection.
Act of Kindness: Remember those who may not have a “Valentine” - This could include by choice or by circumstance… friends, family, widows, divorcees, etc. Meet up for lunch, give a phone call, or even send a note.
With those specials occasions in the month of February being covered, now I’d like to share a few (30!) FREE or inexpensive ideas on how you can intentionally share kindness during Random Acts of Kindness Week and beyond!
Pray for someone
Tell someone you love them
Compliment someone
Send a handwritten thank you note
Donate clothing
Buy the order for the car behind you in the drive-through
Bake a dessert for your neighbor
Offer to go for a walk with a friend
Donate books to the library
Plant a tree
Mow your neighbor’s lawn
Give someone a gift card you don’t plan on using
Write a handwritten letter to an old friend
Offer an appropriate compliment to a stranger
Donate to a food bank
Safely pick up litter in your neighborhood
Offer water to the mailman
Take treats to the fire station
Hold the door open for someone
Send a postcard to a family member in another state
Write a note for your child’s lunchbox
Teach someone something new
Help your kids organize and donate old toys
Create a care package for a homeless person
Shovel snow from a neighbor’s driveway
Donate blood
Say “thank you, have a nice day” to someone who holds the door for you
Walk someone’s dog
Check on a friend
Smile with your eyes, behind your mask
These are just a few of the ways you can intentionally show kindness to someone you know or even strangers. And remember the well-known quote by Aesop, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.