Smart Business? Try Smart Self Care

When it comes to business, many of us make decisions using an intellectual approach- looking at calendars, bank accounts and deadlines.  When we need to create cash flow, monitor expenses, and manage risk, data drives our decisions.

So what happens when our decision doesn’t feel right? When in spite of the data we know we should be doing X, not Y, or turning left and not right?

Gut instinct is a sense of knowing what we need to do in spite of the visible information we have to the contrary.  Paying attention to body signals and our inner voice happens when we leave ourselves time and space to hear and feel, and when we operate from a place of non-stress and equanimity.  What I have learned is that when I come into a rhythm of self care, my nervous system is able to relax and I can both look at data AND listen my inner voice. With this comes better decisions.

Check out the rest of my article on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog:  Making Better Business Decisions: How Self Care Makes Me Smarter

Time Management + Work Life Balance

Tune in to this podcast to catch the conversation between myself and Carly Banks from my Yoga Health Coaching community.  We chatted about time management, which can be a struggle for busy moms and business owners.

What you’ll get out of tuning in:

  • Why getting enough sleep may be the next step for upleveling your business
  • How to gain better calendar integrity
  • Why you should block self-care into your calendar
  • Links to key favourite resources like the 12 Week Year, Planning Your Career and GTD

Check out the podcast on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog-  Building Time Management: Establishing Work-Life Balance

 

Why I Have A Meeting With Myself Every Morning

“Show me your schedule and I’ll show you what your priorities are.”  

Robin Sharma – the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – makes it pretty clear. When we use calendars to actively schedule our work, family and self care activities we are making a statement: how we allocate our energy reflects our priorities and values.

Take a look at your calendar. What’s the first thing you see? For many of us it is commitments we have made to others- business meetings, client follow up, places we need to be with our kids and aging parents. Often the only personal commitments reflected on our calendars are for health and medical issues and taking care of the mundane- car, house and finance.
What does it mean when we don’t see ourselves reflected in our calendars? While it may mean that we don’t value self care, for many of us it simply means that we did not learn the value of taking time to plan for ALL of our needs . Giving ourselves permission to spend time scheduling our self care needs as well as the needs of others is a learned skill.

Check out the rest of my article on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog:  My Most Important Meeting of the Day

Rise Early to Shift Yourself Into Health

A friend of mine is a morning show radio host. For years she tried to sell me on her secret to making more time in her day- a 3:30am wake-up call. By 8am she had already recorded her show, gone for a run and ferried her kids off to school. Me? I was a night owl who rocked the late night jams that pushed my projects to the finish line. Who doesn’t love going to bed with a big check mark beside that one thing that you’ve been wanting to finish up?

But in my 40’s something wasn’t working anymore. I was struggling with mental focus, flare- ups of inflammatory conditions and general crabbiness. Thinking I was “hangry” I would snack frequently and I piled on weight. What I was missing was this realization: I was a tired night owl who couldn’t hack it any more. The consequences of using my night energy to get things done was burning me out. My night owl tendencies were backfiring and costing me my health.

Check out the rest of my article on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog:  Morning Bird or Night Owl? Shift Your Identity + Your Health

How to Sleep Like a Baby: The Mind Dump

Racing mind distracting you from falling asleep? Waking up in the middle of the night remembering something important you were supposed to do?  Your mom’s birthday. Paying your taxes. Follow up from the staff meeting.  A creative project you want to start. They all take up space in our awareness. And often it is this uncaptured mess of thoughts that keep us from falling asleep and staying asleep.

I have learned that getting enough sleep is one of my most critical self care habits.  If I don’t get to bed early enough, my day is one of overwhelm and ineffectiveness in all aspects of my life- at home, at work, and in my relationships.

Check out the rest of my article on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog:  Sleep Like a Baby By Closing Off the Day

 

Getting Things Done Without Burning Yourself Out

Rewind to ten years ago. A typical Wednesday evening would find me exhausted and fighting a migraine. I would take some ibuprofen and retreat from my family to the bedroom where I could sleep off the overwhelm and fatigue. Another “Burnout Wednesday” under my belt, I  finished out the work week. Every Sunday I would press “repeat” and start again with inspired energy.

Fast forward to last week. I’m developing two businesses, parenting teens, recovering from a recent surgery, and preparing for a major move. Life is full. And I am calm, focused, healthy and happy.

My secret?  I’ve learned how to be more productive, present and effective by taking care of myself better. And one of the ways I learned to do this was by learning a new language.

Check out the rest of my article on the Yoga Health Coaching Blog:  Dancing with Fire: How to Get Things Done without Burning Yourself Out