Have you ever heard the expression, “she walked in like she owned the place”? Descriptions like this are referring the way someone carries themselves. Either with confidence or on the flip side, timid and shy. Either way, you can see the difference in mere seconds of being around someone. The way you carry your happiness and your stress affects every part of you and how you show up. 

Every situation and emotion we experience is carried in a specific place or way in the body. For example, tension is usually carried in our neck and shoulders, and that leads to tension headaches. Stress, carried in our gut,  leads to ulcers. Both of these are fairly well known. But did you know that the way you carry the stress of your obligations or your to-do list, can cause pelvic pain? 

As busy women, we all have to-do lists and they never quite seem to be complete. That is a stressor all in itself, but not the one that I want to explore today. March is...

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about how you become the best version of yourself with the least amount of resistance. 

You allow yourself to learn new things, accept new truths, and change your behaviors. 

So many of my clients come to me ready for their life to look different. Ready to “stop feeling like this” or saying, “something’s gotta give.” I love when I hear things like that because, despite their misery, I know they are in a place where they are truly ready to make some changes. 

It is easier said than done though, isn’t it? When we have lived with specific thought patterns or behaviors for many years, it is difficult to un-do them overnight. Especially with that little voice in the back of your head talking you out of it. 

Maybe it says things like, 

“I have done this for xx years and it’s been fine.” 

“That’s not going to...

It is often said in the “coaching world” that we teach that which we need to learn. My goodness, how true that is. So often I find myself saying things in a session with a client and thinking, “Self, pay attention. You needed to hear that too!” The wisdom I have been blessed with over the last 7 years of this work has helped me to grow and evolve just as much as my clients do. As we’re all in the spirit of offering gratitude, I have to share my gratefulness for these lessons! I am a human and I face challenges just like you do. Sometimes I forget to ground, sometimes I don’t say “no” often enough, sometimes I don’t make self-care a priority and I end up burnt out… We are not meant to be perfect on this journey called life, we are simply meant to find peace in the process. Every time I find myself a little off, I remember the lessons I have learned from my clients. The ones that blow my mind and speak straight to my soul....

Who doesn’t love to be helpful? We have been told from the beginning of time to help our neighbors, help those in need, help each other out, lend a helping hand, etc… etc…etc… 

I’m all about being helpful, it's one of my most favorite things to do. I love to volunteer. I love to help those less fortunate than me. I love to be a part of something bigger than my own goals, dreams, and desires. And I love when others help me when I'm in need.  Here’s what I don’t love: when offering that help is at the cost of my wellbeing. 

You know how when you’re on a plane and the flight attendant reminds you to put your oxygen mask on first, then help those around you. Do you know why they do that? The reality is that once a plane cabin begins to depressurize, you have about 18 seconds before you start to be affected by the lack of oxygen. If you spend 15 of those seconds helping out someone else, you might not have time...

The other day I watched something happen that I think you’ll recognize in your own life. My husband and I were driving down the road and something fell out of the back of the truck. My husband got upset, stopped, backed up, and put it back in and we were off again. Less than a mile later, it happened again. And again he got upset, stopped, backed up, and put it back in. We go a little further and sure enough….we’re in the same situation for the third time, but he’s furious now. One could reason that it should have been tied down, the roads need to be bladed, etc… etc… but outside of that, what stuck out to me is that immediately after that happened he grabs for the bottle of Ibuprofen he keeps in the pickup and says, “I got so mad I gave myself a headache.” Now the nurse and healer in me know that this headache isn’t here to stay. It’s merely a side effect of his blood pressure skyrocketing due to his anger about the...

I have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I gave the first 4 years of my adult life earning that degree. Nowhere in my nursing education did I learn how to run a business! That training has all come since then through various courses, books, podcasts, and trial and error. One big concept for all business owners is to know which activities provide the best profit or return of investment. If you own a retail store, you’re likely not going to be selling winter coats when it’s 100 degrees outside. If you make jewelry, you’re likely not going to be making seashell jewelry if you live in the midwest. If you need a storefront, you’re likely not going to rent one for twice your average revenue. You don’t have to have a business degree to see the sense in this approach. 

Now, instead of revenue in your business, look at time in your life. What activities provide the best outcome for your time? Time is a resource we never get back. We never get this...

Does your conversation go like this, when you run into that acquaintance at the grocery store? 

“Hey! How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’m good, busy but good. See ya later!” 

Busy, but good. How many times do we repeat some version of that throughout the day? How many times do you think to yourself, “if I only had time…” How often do you get to the end of the day only to realize it flew by and you’re not even sure what you got accomplished? 

We have glorified busy. To be an overachiever is the best way to feel accomplished. To be so busy you can’t enjoy life is the only way to live. To have every day on your calendar full must mean that you are successful and well-liked. Right? Yeah… I thought that sounded a little crazy too. But, somehow that is the lifestyle we have fallen accustomed to. That is the standard we have set for ourselves. My dear girl, it...

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”? If you read my post Self-Care isn't Selfish you know exactly what I’m talking about. So often our cups are empty because of the lives we lead. We are overwhelmed with the busyness of life and we have allowed society to tell us what is important, and in most cases taking care of ourselves is not at the top of that list. We have allowed our schedules to get so full that there is no room for us anymore. We have nothing left to give. That is when your cup is empty. When you feel like there is just nothing left of you or just not enough of you. If you’ve ever thought or uttered the words, “I’m just one person, I can’t do it all,” then you know exactly what I mean. 

Routine self-care usually keeps us out of that feeling. It keeps us from getting to a place of burnout, anxiety, depression, overwhelm, etc. But what happens if we allow ourselves to keep...

You’ve asked, so here it is. Some of my favorite essential oils to support us on this wild ride called life. As always, I ask that you do your own research and you never consume a supplement of any kind without making sure it is safe for YOU. Essential oils are best used as a preventative and maintenance treatment, rather than crisis management. A few things to remember before beginning to use them. 

1. It takes about 30-50 roses to get one drop of Rose essential oil. Consider this if you plan to consume an essential oil at all, or even put it on your skin. Appropriate dilution matters in all instances, please complete research from trusted sources and be wise in how you use them.
2. Due to the increasing popularity in recent years, there are many many companies boasting “oils.” Be mindful that you are purchasing a true essential oil and not a fragrance oil. You may also want to look at how each company produces their oils to be sure the quality and sustainability...

So often I hear someone tell me, “I don’t have time for that.” Immediately, I know that time is not the problem. Poor time management and maybe a lack of priorities are the problem. See, we all get the same 24 hours in a day. Most people have a 40-50-hour work week. Most people have homes to clean, groceries to buy and laundry to do. Among a million other things they’d like to do. The issue lies in having to make the decision between doing thing A or thing B. I used to have the same struggle, until I got intentional about how I spend my time. Because we ONLY get 24 hours in the day. I can make more money. I can buy more food. I can watch that show later, but I cannot get this moment back. It sounds so cliché, but the truth is time is priceless. No one can make more, no one can stop it, no one can refund it. When the day came that I finally realized just how precious it is, it became very easy to rearrange my priorities. It’s hard to do at first,...