Today I want to talk about self-care, but first I just wanted to give a quick intro as to what inspired this topic. The inspiration is actually the same reason I haven’t posted most over the last few months.

To keep it simple and brief, over the past few months, I’ve been dealing with some health issues that have really taken a toll on my energy levels. These challenges have forced me to make some significant lifestyle changes. Combine that with being a mom to two little ones and focusing on my paid clients and opportunities, and I just didn’t have the time or energy I needed for these free trainings.

During this time however, I’ve been adamant make relaxation and self-care a priority. It wasn’t an easy decision, and I’ve felt guilty about it at times. And again, that is what inspired this post. It is going to be a short one, but on a topic that I think it pretty important.

The Importance of Self-Care

Today, we’re going to talk about something that’s incredibly close to my heart: the importance of taking care of yourself, even when you feel like you might be letting someone down or not meeting certain goals you’ve set for yourself.

Understanding Burnout

Before we dive into self-care strategies, let’s talk about what happens when we don’t prioritize our well-being: burnout.

I’ve talked about this before, but basically burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It can lead to:

Decreased productivity
Increased risk of physical and mental health issues
Strained relationships
Loss of motivation and creativity

The scary thing about burnout is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process that can sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention.

The Power of Non-Negotiables

This is where non-negotiables come in. These are the things you commit to doing for yourself, no matter what. They’re your personal boundaries that protect your well-being.

Some examples of non-negotiables might be:

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night
Taking a 30-minute walk every day
Having some screen-free time before bed
Spending quality time with loved ones
Practicing meditation or mindfulness
Journaling every day.

Your non-negotiables might look different, and that’s okay. The important thing is that you figure out what you need to feel balanced and healthy, and then make those things a priority.

Setting Self-Boundaries

Along with non-negotiables, setting clear self-boundaries is crucial. These are the limits you set for yourself and others to protect your time, energy, and well-being.

Some examples of self-boundaries might include:

Setting specific work hours and sticking to them
Limiting time spent on social media
Communicating your needs clearly to others
Learning to say “no”. This could mean commitments that you don’t have time for or that don’t align with your priorities or values. It could mean relationships that are detrimental or draining. Or something else entirely. And the great thing about ‘no’? It’s a complete sentence. You don’t have to explain your reasoning if you don’t want to.

It’s important to remember that setting boundaries isn’t selfish. It’s necessary for maintaining your health and being able to show up fully in all areas of your life.

The Ripple Effect of Self-Care

When you prioritize your well-being, you’re not just helping yourself. You’re creating a positive ripple effect that touches everyone around you. By taking care of yourself, you’re better equipped to care for others, be more productive, and pursue your passions with energy and enthusiasm.

Think about it like the oxygen mask on airplanes. You need to put your own mask on first before you can help others. The same applies in real life. If you don’t take care of yourself, eventually you won’t be able to take care of anyone else etiher.

Okay, time to wrap this up.

I just want to emphasize that taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. It’s okay to prioritize your basic needs and happiness. In fact, it’s essential. And so I hope you take the time to take care of you. Today and everyday.

I know it can be challenging, especially when you feel like you’re letting others down. But remember, by taking care of yourself, you’re ensuring that you can show up as the best version of yourself in all areas of your life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this. I’d love to know what resonated with you the most, what your non-negotiables might be, if you’ve experienced burnout or guilt or struggled with setting any particular boundaries… Please share in the comments or feel free to send me a message.

Also, as I’ve been making the lifestyle changes that I needed to and am getting my energy levels back under control, I’m excited to announce that I am opening up two more coaching slots in my three-month program. So if you’re interested in diving deeper into these concepts and working one-on-one to create a personalized self-care plan, or focusing on my other specialties of battling people pleasing, overthinking and self-sabotage, please reach out.

Remember, you’re worth taking care of.

A little reminder that if you need a little extra support, I’m your girl. I offer one on one coaching as well as a free facebook community for support. You can check get more info by clicking the links. (And of course feel free to reach out to me with any additional questions!)

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you probably that I have a huge love for mantras, affirmations, and anything along those lines. Today I wanted to talk a little more about choosing a mantra and why it’s so great to have if you’re healing from PTSD, dealing with anxiety, struggling to stay focused, etc. I went live in my facebook group last night talking about choosing a mantra so I thought it made sense to come write about it here as well.

What is a mantra?

To put it simply, a mantra is a word or phrase used to help adjust your mindset and cause a certain thought to take root. This way, it can act as a guide for your thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions and reactions. Mantras have been used for ages to calm your mind, reduce stress, promote healing and help us get from Point A to Point B. (I’ve found that they can be especially helpful when healing from PTSD.)

How can a mantra help me?

A mantra can help different people in different ways. But one of the most common ways is to help to quiet the mind and reduce anxiety. That makes this really great to have in your pocket during trigger moments! When you repeat a mantra, you are focusing your mind on a single thought, which can help to quiet the other thoughts that may be causing anxiety, stress or distraction.

A mantra can help to create a sense of safety and security. For example, someone with PTSD might feel like the world is a dangerous and unpredictable place. By repeating a mantra that creates a sense of safety and security, such as “I am safe” or “I am protected,” you can begin to shift your perception of the world and feel more grounded. Similarly, someone who is feeling anxious might choose something like “I am capable” or “I can do this.”

A mantra can also help to promote healing. By repeating a mantra that promotes healing, such as “I am healing” or “I am getting better every day,” you can actually strengthen your belief in yourself and your ability to heal.

It’s important to make sure that whatever you choose feels right and powerful to you, so that it is easier to put your belief and energy behind it. The one I started with, that to be honest, I still return to when I’m feeling the need, is “Even though what happened happened, I will be okay because I am strong and I am healing.” So mine was a longer one and that worked really well for me, but you need to figure out what works best for you because different types of mantras are going to work in different ways for different people. It can also change over time. For instance, right now, my current mantra is “slow down.” It’s a very personal process.

How to use a mantra:Once you have chosen your mantra, here are some possible ways to use it:

Set your intentions.

What is it that you want to achieve? What are your goals for the mantra? Is it more self-compassion or stronger boundaries, learning to say no or maybe learning to say yes depending on the situation? Less nightmares or more positive connections? You want to create an association between this intention and your mantra so that you can stay connected. So keep this intention in the back of your mind as you repeat the mantra to yourself.

Now, this is where you have some options.

One way of doing it is to just start repeating it to yourself.

You can say it out loud, in your head, or write it down. You can set a timer for ten minutes and just sit there repeating it or you can go a more relaxed route of just saying it throughout the day when you feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Visuals and journaling

Create a visual of your mantra and put it somewhere that you’ll see often. It can be simple- just words on paper. Or it can be fancy and beautifully designed- whatever motivates you to look at it and take note of it. Also try writing it out again and again each day in your journal. Even if you don’t go back and read your journal entries, for many people, the simple act of writing something can help it take route deeper in your mind.

(As I mentioned in my word of the year post last week, as well as in my live training last night, I can help you to create a completely custom journal for this process, burning your mantra right into the cover! Just reach out to me if you’re interested!

Pay attention to the results

Once you’re repeating, writing, reading, hearing your mantra all the time, you want to make sure that you are paying attention to the way that you’re thinking and feeling. Notice how the mantra is effecting your life. Are you more focused and more present? Are you thinking more positively and strongly about yourself and the world around you? Making changes to be more in tune with who and where you want to be? Your mantra should be helping you to be more in touch with your goals and more in control of how you feel, act and react.

The right mantra is important.

Having a mantra can be super effective as long as you’re willing to do the work and make sure that you’re choosing the right one. Again, choose a mantra that resonates with you, set your intention, and then repeat repeat repeat.

If you need help creating the perfect mantra, you can either grab my free affirmations quiz or I have a training for that in my facebook group and I’d love to support you. Pop on over to get instant access, or shoot me a message for a direct link to the training. It’s a multi-part training that includes a lot of information about mantras, and I also guide you through two different methods of forming your perfect mantra. The goal is to leave the training with a mantra to try.

If you do create a mantra and give this a shot, feel free to come tell me how it’s working out for you because I would absolutely LOVE to hear all about it and help cheer you on.

Tag: coaching

Self-Care is non-negotiable