Do you feel overwhelmed, stressed or depleted? Are the people around you telling you that you need to take care of You? Or, maybe it’s the little voice inside your head that is nudging you to take some time for You.  It is time to listen to these wise sentiments?

In this week’s article I am going to give you 1 Simple Solution to help you find calm in the midst of chaos while simultaneously having the additional benefit of detoxing your body which has the bonus effect of making you feel more vibrant and allow you to shed some weight. (This is one of the little secrets that I share with my Fresh Start seminar participants & I am going to let you in on it.)

Even though I am the “Guardian of Harmony” I know what stress feels like! I think that we experience stressful times so that we can fully see the contrast of what we want or don’t want to experience in our life. The contrast also gives us appreciation for the moments that are flowing with ease & grace. That being said, moving back into graceful flow from moments of stress & overwhelm is key for harmony, peace and joy.  Arming yourself with techniques that can help you shift from a state of anxiety to one of calm is important in today’s world that can exacerbate feelings of pressure, strain and discomfort.

I can relate! For months my husband has been advocating the idea that I take some time for me, add in more yoga and go get massages. It has been a busy year running around with the 4 kids and all they do, fitting in time for business projects and dealing with our primary home that was destroyed in the winter of 2015. The stress has definitely taken its toll. Unfortunately, I didn’t heed his insight quite as much as I should have. While working on a staging project 3 weeks ago I attempted to move a large mirror and inadvertently injured my back. Well, as I often tell my clients, the Universe will begin to whisper in your ear messages that it hopes you will hear. If you are not listening the messages will get stronger, louder and harder to ignore. So, in my case, initially it was my own inner GPS that began to nudge at me to take care of me. Have you heard your own inner GPS whisper in your ear? I didn’t listen and the voice became louder and my husband would gently urge me to take care of me. I only half-heartedly listened by saying all of the right things but not actually taking action. “I did go to yoga a couple of weeks ago, I’m too busy this week.” Well, the Universe wanted me to hear the message loud and clear. And, I eventually understood the wisdom when I was unable to get out of bed. Ok, I will slow down and start making it a priority to take care of myself. Do you hear the whisper?

Well, the main thing I began to incorporate back into my daily life was taking a bath. Why you ask? First of all it soothed the soreness in my back. But, that wasn’t the only reason that I turned to this self-care habit. I knew it would be a great way to decrease stress, detox the body of unwanted chemicals and rev up the metabolism so that I wouldn’t feel so disappointed for missing my daily workout routines while I recovered.

Taking a bath is a relaxation technique that is beneficial in so many ways.  It decreases cortisol levels that can be brought on by stressful situations. This is helpful on many levels.  First, cortisol causes fat to be stored around your middle. Second, cortisol increases inflammation. It is important to include things in your daily routine to reduce cortisol. This is especially important because we live in a culture that induces cortisol just by participating in daily life. Taking a bath also decreases fatigue and benefits your nervous system. Baths increase your circulation and lowers blood pressure. For optimum benefit this is what I recommend (although, always ask your doctor if this is a good idea for you).

Harmony Bath(20 minutes each day in a hot bath)

Ingredients:
-2 Cups Epsom Salts
-1 Cup Baking Soda
-10 Drops Organic Lavender Oil

There are many benefits to the Harmony Bath. First the Lavender relaxes the nervous system and lowers cortisol levels. The Epsom Salt enhances the effects of the detox. The baking soda promotes a balanced pH for optimum healing and detox benefits.

Of course, it goes without saying that the bathroom environment should be supportive and nurturing. That is, take some time to make it pretty and inviting. Your experience will be less beneficial if you are looking at piles of laundry in the corner and are reminded of your to-do list instead of enjoying the blissful 20-minute restorative experience.

Are you going to listen to the whisper that is telling you to take time for you?

I included a picture of a bathtub from our recent trip to The One & Only Resort in the Bahamas. The ocean vistas complimented this serene setting. I would love to see pictures of your serene setting or your ideal vision of your dream bathroom. Come over to Home in Harmony on Facebook and share your pictures!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

Image Credit: Nickolas Sargent

In our culture self-care is often seen as an indulgence instead of a necessity. This perception contradicts the reality that studies demonstrate. That is, self-care creates inner calm, a healthy body, more creativity & inspiration, greater efficiency and effectiveness.  In this week’s article lets look at self care and how your home can be utilized to form the foundation to take care of you so that you can live your best life!

Have you ever gotten “the look” when you tell someone you have gotten a massage? You know the look; it has the critical indictment that you are sitting around lazily eating chocolate bonbons all day.  Instead, in our current culture, anxiously racing around focused on a to-do list that is miles long is worn as a badge of honor.

Our society promotes and idealizes those that swiftly move through life while taking on mountainous loads of responsibility.  More is seen as better, a larger to-do list or excessive responsibility is applauded.  Taking time for you is often seen as a weakness or gluttonous.  I invite you to examine how you feel about self-care. Do you see it as something only necessary for certain situations or people? Are you willing to incorporate it in your life? Taking time to examine these questions will help you clear away any unconscious feelings associated with self-care that might be buried deep in your subconscious mind and hindering you from incorporating this important dynamic into your life.

Studies have demonstrated that self-care (be it massage, time in nature or reading your favorite book to name a few) can have a tremendous positive influence on your body, mind & spirit. These studies also demonstrate that when you are involved in task-oriented situations you are more efficient, effective and creative when you incorporate self-care in your life.

Often times we go through our daily lives expending energy and we don’t take the time to fill our proverbial tank. This leaves you feeling depleted. Take some time to think about what truly brings a smile to your face, joy to your heart and a sense of contentment. Is it playing hockey, going to a yoga class, watching birds dart here & there, or painting? Whatever it is for you, add more of these activities into your day and week.

You can include your home in your self-care ritual.  Do you have an area in your home that nurtures and supports you? Do you have a favorite spot that you love to go and sip some tea? Create a little oasis within your home that is a respite for you to steal away when you need a moment to recharge. Studies show that particular colors and objects have a direct impact on your physiological and psychological well-being. Begin to notice how colors make you feel. Could you include an object in your space that brings a smile to your face? These simple tips can help you begin to create a home environment that is designed to inspire, nurture and support you in living your best life.

Here are a few things to consider:

What does self-care mean to you?

What are your current self-care habits?

Can you include more activities that fill you with joy?

How could you include self-care into your life? What would that look like for you?

Is there a space in your home that nurtures and supports you when you are feeling depleted? If not, can you begin to create this special area?

You were meant to live a life filled with joy, harmony and ease. Implementing self-care into your daily ritual will expand your capacity to be more creative, feel healthier, increase your ability to effectively tackle that to-do list and create greater focus and success. Use your home to support you in implementing positive habits that will allow you to create the life you deserve!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

I’ve had a few community members say they want to make fulfilling changes in their lives.  They want a more effective & simple way to create home & head organization. They feel overwhelmed and fatigued. They know that there are people out there living their dreams based on a passion and feeling purposefully inspired and driven to do something more. But, they are basically stressed about a whole-lotta-things.

Can you relate? 

The sentiment I’ve been hearing is that there is a hope to hit the reset button on life and re-calibrate that unbalanced, stressed-out and frustrated sensation.  They want room to breathe in their head & home.

Seriously, what if this was possible? It almost sounds overwhelming in and of itself. But, as you know I am all about simple solutions. I only like to share golden nuggets that help eliminate stress, not create more! Let’s look at an easy and effective way for you to hit that reset button that will have profound effects on all areas of your life.

Are you ready to create room to breathe?

Research shows that an overwhelmed mind goes into a state of lethargy, which creates a static state or inability to move into action. Have you ever had so many things to do that you don’t know where to begin, so you just don’t do anything?

Our culture creates a steady stream of information inundation that fills your brain, product consumption that fills your home along with an endless assortment of demands.

Can you relate?

I think back to my grandparents generation and it is amazing to me to think about what life was like and how much simpler it was. They didn’t need to declutter because they just didn’t have the same amount of stuff in their homes. Computers, smart phones and TVs were not vying for their attention at all times of the day. Studies show that the today’s average household contains over 300,000 items.  This is much less than what it was for our grandparents.  According to Forbes, the average woman owns 30+ outfits. In 1930, that number was 9.  There is no question that in our time & culture life is more complicated.

With that said, let’s look at a quick 4-step process that will help give you room to breathe in your head & home.

Sometimes small changes can have a big impact.  Begin to notice what areas in your head & home feel cluttered. Are there areas that are more burdensome than others? Begin to evaluate where the surplus of anxiety originates. Do you need to curb the clutter from paper work or a swamped email box? Are you flustered by your daily schedule? Are the cupboards filled with cans that have expired? Or, do you binge on food items because you have a packed schedule that doesn’t’ allow time for getting & preparing healthy meals? This conscious awareness will help you with the next step.

Now that you have thought about what stresses you out, write them down. Often, just the act of moving your thoughts from your head to paper will make you feel clearer. It will also give you an opportunity to evaluate what needs to be addressed to make your life clutter-free and vibrant.

Take action!  Wishing things would be different doesn’t create change. Taking action does. Categorize the things on your stress-list based on urgency & stress level. Tackle the most stressful things first. Imagine what it would feel like if that stressful, 100-pound gorilla was off of your shoulders. Wouldn’t you feel lighter, brighter and able to breathe with more ease?

Look at the top 3 items on your prioritized list and determine what 3 actionable steps you can take to cross them off your inventory. Give yourself the opportunity to accomplish these tasks by making them manageable. Crafting reasonable objectives will allow you to stay out of overwhelm and on target to accomplish your goal.

This 4-step process will help you create room to breathe in your home & head.  When you begin to notice that you want to hit the reset button on life and re-calibrate the unbalanced, stressed out and frustrated feelings that can surface, see if this simple solution will allow you to breathe with more ease and grace.

I would love to hear what ONE item makes you feel overwhelmed, frustrated and stressed. Just by acknowledging it will help to release some of its hold on you.  Please share your thoughts below. I am sure your experience will resonate and help another member of the Home in Harmony community.

You were meant to feel grounded, balanced and joyful!  Decreasing the clutter in your home & head will allow you to make this happen.

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

photo credit: pinterest dot com

I wrote that subject line for a reason. Did it get your attention?

You have probably heard that it is important to work smarter not harder and what I wrote above is the opposite. Why would I do that?

In today’s article I explain how our culture encourages working harder, faster and more, more, more (working harder not smarter). Unfortunately this mindset paradigm sets you up to feel overwhelmed and to burn out quickly. It couldn’t be further from helping you live a successful, productive and happy life.

Let’s look at how to step off the proverbial treadmill that society has manufactured so that you can create your own rules and a strong foundation to help you thrive.

To strategically work smarter than harder in today’s whirlwind culture it is critical to develop the ability to think clearly. This can be challenging when the barrage of life is flowing at you, constantly. That is, you become inundated with your to-dos, obligation, needs of other and the technological world that are all vying for your attention. And, you only have so much attention to go around.

So let’s look at how to go from cluttered, chaotic overload to clear & inspired living.

First of all, realize that when you begin to make space in your mind and life, things feel calmer, clearer and give you clarity to take control.  You might ask, “But, how do I do that when things are so piled up?” Good question! Here are a few tips…

Find the fun! When you put that to-do list aside and take a few moments, hours or days to just have fun, you are able to clearly assess the priorities in your life. Joy helps your mind, body and spirit feel alive and fulfilled. Your adrenals take a much-needed break and your happy hormones kick in. This allows you to have a fresh perspective and new insights that might be missed when you are gasping for air from under the pile of demands.  Make fun a priority!

Quiet your mind by starting an activity that doesn’t involve doing but instead being. Our culture promotes a lot of doing! Jump off that train and think of an activity you can do that will literally train your brain to take some time-out. Things like dancing, singing, meditating, riding a bike, drawing and yoga are all examples of focusing on Being in the moment. These types of activities allow your brain to be focused on the present instead of worrying about the past or future.

Begin to notice activities that you do on a regular basis that “suck your time”.  Are you on social media for more than 20 minutes in a day? Is this helping you create the life you hope to design? Keep a notepad with you for a day writing down 15 minute increments and jot down what you are doing during those periods of time. This eye-opening activity will give you insight into how the minutes of your day are really spent and if they are helping you live a successful, productive and happy life.

Clarity will help you get off the cultural treadmill that promotes working harder not smarter. Why set yourself up for overwhelm and burnout when you can move with ease and grace through your life.

It’s time to bring joy and fun into your experience so that you can create your own rules and strong foundation that will allow you to build the life of your dreams!

Happy Soaring!

XOXO

photo credit: empowered life fitness dot com