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5 Tips for Stamina

5/18/2023

Here we are just at the cusp of May, bracing for the tumble roll into a race for time before summer takes full control. Often it feels easier for us to hold our breath and plow through the busyness, but when we don’t exhale we tend to shatter. By building a steady stream of stamina, while breathing of course, we allow ourselves the gift of space and time. Accomplishing it all at once is never possible in the end, so we need to feed the endurance meter so that fatigue is not the victor over our busy lives. Let’s look through some helpful steps:

Bite-sized goals. You can’t eat a big meal in one large bite. Instead, you take manageable bites until the plate is clean, or you are full. Set yourself up for success by setting small goals that you can reasonably accomplish in a specific time frame. If you are working toward a larger overall goal, break it up and complete it one piece at a time.
Build up time. Give yourself a specific amount of time to work on the goal each day. Start on the smaller side, keeping the bite sized mentality in mind. Once you have hit that time mark for a week or so, add a longer amount as a target for the next couple of weeks. The key to endurance is building, and time is one of the blocks in the structure.
Practice Persistence. Obstacles and challenges are going to fall across your path. Having ways to help you stay on track, or get you back up when your legs have been knocked out from underneath you is crucial. Try some of these:

Positive self talk-”You can do this” or “Just try again, you are doing a good job”
Deep Breathing-Take at least 5 deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. It will give you space to relax, refocus, and keep going.
Music motivation-Find a song that motivates you, and make it your go to when you need encouragement.

4. Everyday exposure. Repetition is a key step in building up stamina because it allows you the time to practice while getting used to the process. Once you set this step it's easier to build up to a high level of accomplishment.

5. Celebrate. Tell yourself you did a good job and acknowledge that you actually did the thing you intended to do. Surround yourself with people who will do the same. A solid support system is the foundation to keeping you going when the wheels feel like they might spin off of your busy schedule.

Make May the month you start the steady path up your mountain of goals, whether they are big or small. Find your rhythm and stay consistent. Stamina is a built- in friend and will pick you up when you fall.

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6 Tips For Collaboration

3/29/2023

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As the cycle of Spring comes into focus, it’s refreshing to feel the warmth of the sun and leave dreary days behind. Nature is in its peak of collaborating to bring forth the next birth process in all of the elements. We are surrounded by a harmony of movements that naturally work together and collaborate. It can be a bit more challenging for humans, so let’s take a few minutes to go through some steps so that with practice it becomes less daunting.

Have a team player mindset. You are still an individual and bring in all of your unique individual traits, which is what the team needs, but you are also a part of the team. Think about what is best for the team as a whole, and work with the team to achieve that goal.
Be actively prepared. Show up ready with your contribution. Be actively involved in the discussions, building of ideas, and the process of problem-solving. The active part here is that you are actively willing to be a part of this process so that the team can get to a point of success.
Comunicate, Communicate, Communicate. This one cannot be emphasized enough. Be clear about what you understand and what you don’t. Voice your opinions in a productive manner, and make sure you clearly understand goals and guidelines. Ask questions. Repeat information back for clarity. It’s always better to have clarity than to not.
Actively listen. This involves not just hearing what the other person says, but involving yourself in what they are telling you. Focus your attention on the person talking, not on your own inner dialogue, and especially not your phone. Pay attention to tone and body language-people say a lot with gestures and tone.
Adapt your Path. Communication and listening lend themselves to adaptability.The key to collaboration is that each personality of uniqueness comes together to find a place of flexibility so that something golden can be created. Be willing to bend a little with the flow of ideas.
Solve the Conflicts. All groups have them. There is no way to get through any set of human circumstances without them. When they arise, address them with honesty, empathy, compassion and clarity. Try to get to the root of the issue. Remember, we all need kindness. Make it a goal to admit frustration and work toward a resolution, but keep focusing on a positive outcome.

Collaborating might not naturally come to us, but life does present a series of challenges that make learning and perfecting this tool valuable. In bringing the best of our individual selves to the table, we offer perspective and openness. And that is something that is much needed to create a greater sense of compassion in the world.

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6 Tips for Managing Time

2/27/2023

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Here we are in the month that blows us into a space of wondering where time has gone and what we'll do to keep up before summer sizzles its way into our already packed schedules. March seems to gather a collective stressful vibe, not only because of daylight savings, but because time itself seems to speed up and it feels like we have to tackle it down just to accomplish anything. However, if we take a few deep breaths and ready ourselves, time can be our ally. We can manage it, rather than letting it control us. Let’s take a few moments to go through some time management tips:

Brain Dump. Your brain is full of activity. All of the information that you want to do, need to, and wish you didn’t have to do is swirling around inside just searching for a place to land. Find a format to dump it! It can be either a written or virtual list, just be sure to make a list of all of the things going on in your head that need to get out!
Prioritize the list. Look at your list and see which ones are the crucial things that have a time and due date, as well as significance of value of how they factor into your life. The ones that are most important need to be categorized as the ones you will get done first. The least important ones will fall towards the end. Think about how much time each one will take and factor it in as a step for completing the task. If you know how much time you need, then you feel better about how much time you can spend.
Make Time Your Friend. Like any good relationship, you need to have a good set of boundaries and balance with time. It is going to keep ticking, that is a clear element to count on, how you interact and work with this can make or break your relationship with time. Find your balance with time by figuring out how much time each thing on your list will take, and where in your day/week you will complete that thing. Find your boundaries with time giving yourself a set time to work on specific things, using that time to do them, and then stopping. If at all possible don’t overwork yourself. It seems normal to keep pushing, but you can reschedule the work that still needs to be completed into another slot. Time for rest is important too.
Learn Your Patterns. Think about how you operate and what time of day is best for you to perform the skills you need to complete. If you know you are more aware in the morning, schedule in some time to get some things done then. If you thrive in the evening, settle in with the owls and work late. Be aware of how long you are able to work without feeling burnout and not doing your best work. You can start to find the right amount of time blocks you need to set aside based on the workload, and on what you know you are mentally able to accomplish.
Settle In. Find the space that vibes with your work ethic. You need to be able to focus and also feel comfortable, yet determined. Give yourself the lighting you need, as well as any little fidget/stress gadgets you can grab to help with attention. Make your work space look like you and feel like a place you actually want to be.
Refresh and Refuel. Stop and take breaks. Drink water and have a little snack that makes you happy. Get up and walk around the house, or even around the block. Give your brain a chance to refresh so that it can restart when you get back to work. Just be aware of your time and make sure that the breaks are beneficial to your schedule.

Time does not have to be the enemy. Your busy schedule can be less stressful, more productive, and easier to manage, if you and time work as a team. It does require some crafting, desire to commit, and daily routine, but walking through life with more peace is worth it. Make this the month that you manage your time.

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7 Ways to Connect with Emotions

2/8/2023

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February is often associated with one specific emotion, the one that can alternatively make or break you, depending on the circumstance - Love. Although love in its various forms does play a big part in your relationships and connections, humans are a host of emotions. The value in taking the time to understand and grow in awareness of your own emotions is not only for your own mental benefit, but for further success in all areas of your life where you interact with people. In other words, being smart about emotions is vital. It might seem overwhelming to tackle, since there are so many issues that can be connected to our emotions. However, if we take it step by step, the process becomes lighter and we walk with freer feet. So let’s take a step forward.

Tips for Tuning into Emotions:
1. Listen to your body. The body communicates clear messages, but often they can be ignored because people don’t see it as the resource that it is. Treat your body as the expert on you and listen when it gives you signals. This can happen in many ways. For example, if you feel a deep, sinking pull in your stomach when you have to deal with a specific person, it’s your body’s way of telling you something is not quite right in the dynamic of that relationship.

2. Identify the emotion. It might seem like a simple step, but it can take a few minutes to actually explore what emotion you are feeling. Sometimes we present an emotion when a different one is actually the motivating force behind the scenes. For example sadness or fear can come out as anger. It’s okay if you can’t identify it right away, just start the process of looking and you will find it. Ask yourself why you are feeling the emotion and let your brain follow the thread. Your subconscious holds information just waiting to be tapped into and explored.

3. Feel it and release it. Positive emotions are easier to embrace, not only because they feel good, but because society tends to highlight them as the healthier ones. However, the negative emotions are just as natural, normal, and beneficial once you can embrace and express them in a progressive way. Allow yourself room to sit with whatever emotion is present and feel how your body reacts to it. For example, some difficult emotions might make you cry, or even scream. Let yourself feel and then release the emotion. If it stays inside, you are stuck with it and become blocked.

4. Learn from it. The emotional indicators are not just there for the feelings. Wisdom comes from the process of being present with your emotions. Whatever experience brought you to the emotion is worth evaluating to understand yourself and others better. Write it down so that you can analyze the information and see what it tells you for future experiences. Answer these questions as you write: What do you remember? What are the key details? How did you feel? Once you have all of the information in front of you, clarity begins to come. Now you are better able to understand the what and why of the situation and see the emotional impact it made.

5. Show Compassion. Stop keeping yourself in a place of blame or guilt. Open yourself up to fully embrace your emotions. Offer all of the compassion you would show a cherished friend. You will have space to explore and grow if you can accept and love yourself.

6. Share the love. Connecting to your own emotions not offers the benefit of better self awareness and growth, but opens the way for you to see others through a lens of empathy. Empathy allows you to try to imagine what another person might be feeling and thinking so that you can have a sense of compassion for them in that circumstance. Without first having compassion for yourself, it’s challenging to have it for others, so don’t miss this step.

7. Practice. One is the loneliest number. You can’t operate in one and be done with your emotions. If you focus and put in the effort it will become more second nature, but this is still a skill to be honed.

Emotions are a key part of who we are and how we function in life. Knowing how to understand our personal emotions and process them is not a skill that comes naturally, but it can be learned. In finding a greater understanding of ourselves, we can then see value in others. It is then we can begin to see the humanity in all of us.

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7 Tips for Self-Reflection

1/23/2023

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A new year is typically a time when new resolutions are made, and then promptly forgotten or broken. It’s a strange sort of ritual we are drawn to, each year hoping to be a better person in some aspect of our lives than we were the year before. Sometimes we take time to acknowledge the things we have accomplished, but mostly we make a list of things we need to change for the next year. If the past year has you in a space of feeling a need to make adjustments in your life, don’t miss a key aspect of personal growth: REFLECTION.

What is reflection? When you reflect, specifically when you self-reflect, you set aside space to deeply consider matters, whatever you might have swirling around in your brian. You give yourself an opportunity to focus and filter through experiences and understand the next steps to process. Once you get there, just walk forward and let the journey begin.

Tips for Starting a Self-Reflection Practice

Find silence. This has less to do with a quiet space, although important, and more to do with letting your mind release thoughts that are keeping it busy. Set aside your devices so that distractions are not close at hand. Find an even breathing pattern and focus on your body pushing air in and out. Once you are more in tune with your body, take a few minutes to sit with a neutral image (for example, a vast sky with clouds passing by) in your mind and let nothing happen but that image. Watch the image until there is nothing but silence. This process allows you the space to start reflecting.
Moments matter. Make space to talk to yourself. Your inner self-reflection is telling you important things, despite any surrounding chaos. Talk to yourself as if you are a friend that can be trusted. Say the things out loud that you need to say, but don’t want others to hear. Ask yourself the questions that you try to avoid, and then listen for your own wisdom to guide you.
Clearly connect. Tap into that thing that lets you connect with your emotions. Compartmentalizing difficult thoughts and emotions, whether they are big or small, is a natural response, but it can be more damaging in the long-term. Find what lets you come back to those tough emotions and find the strength to feel. Some people journal, others go for a run, or do yoga. It’s a unique space, and will look different for everyone.
Re-evaluate your lens. Though being able to see yourself with all of your flaws can be helpful, if all you see are those flaws, there is no room for growth. Start by seeing the better aspects of yourself in situations rather than the worst. If you need help, ask a trusted friend for some feedback. Typically, we are hard on ourselves and could use someone else to point out the positive parts of ourselves we don’t see.
Consider it education. Whether it was a cataclysmic failure or a first step toward a massive win, your brain traces each moment as a lesson to catalog towards your next step. Assess the damage, collect the prizes, and then write down the most important takeaways from it all.
Pivot your path. Once you recognize the negative thought patterns that were keeping you back, find a breakaway path. Worn down patterns are stubborn and often turn into mucked up trenches. Stepping out of them takes time and quite a bit of energy, but your new path can be the one that centers you more on the questions and answers that give you better confidence and clarity. For example, recognize when your inner dialogue stirs you towards words like never and always. “You will never be able to accomplish that goal.” “There will never be a time when things work out for you.” Start the shift here. Maybe tell yourself that you can accomplish the goal, but it will take much more time and effort than expected. Just directing the thoughts in the path you want to go helps persuade the rest of you to follow.
Check up! Set reminders to check in with yourself and see how the journey is going. Google calendar is a great tool, but anything that is easy and gets your attention works. Little “check ins” give you a moment to remember how far you have come and recalculate where you want to get to in the future.

Reflecting on your own journey is unique and personal. It involves insight, space, time and effort. You are the investment, and the value is knowing your personal worth. Never back down from it.

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6 Self Confidence Boosters for the New Year

12/27/2022

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Sometimes looking back on the year is rough on your confidence, especially if it was one that was full of challenges. The inner dialogue of your brain is a curious thing. Even though it is a part of you that you navigate each day, or you let have a little extra control, typically you aren't given any sort of preparation or tools on how to deal with this unique little beast. As you close the year, take a look at some ways to take action in taming your thoughts and make them work for your own benefit.

Post it! Get yourself some post-it notes and write yourself some quick notes of encouragement. They can be as simple as two or three words like, “You’ve got this!”, or “You’re Strong”. Keep them in areas where you will see them frequently. You’ll be surprised how just a glance at the words can interrupt the negative thoughts you are hosting.
Smile at yourself in the mirror! Take a minute to acknowledge that you are someone to be kind to and worth a smile. You can even tell yourself something encouraging or give yourself a compliment. “You look great today!”
Try new things! Make a list of things you would like to try and try them. You don’t have to be great at the thing from the start, but if you enjoy it and want to get good at it, make steps to get better. If you don’t like it, you at least tried something new. Part of building confidence is not just getting better, but learning how to fail, then getting back up and trying it again.
Catch the fraud! Recognize that the thoughts that make you feel terrible, worthless, and full of shame are traps. Once you see them as that, work on stopping the thoughts. From here, let the thoughts take a more natural space so that you can see yourself more clearly. Tell yourself what is really true.
Find a song that makes you feel good about yourself! Play the song when you need to boost your confidence or when you just want to celebrate yourself. It can be your mantra.
Be patient with yourself and be willing to give yourself a lot of space to practice, mess up, practice, mess up, practice, and keep on going. It’s not easy out there.

Self Confidence is not only a valuable skill, it allows you the space to understand yourself better. Like any skill, it requires effort and practice. Learning to navigate the world through a lens of who you understand yourself to be is the best possible scenario for your success. You are valuable and worth the effort.

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5 Tips for Stamina

6 Tips For Collaboration

6 Tips for Managing Time

7 Ways to Connect with Emotions

7 Tips for Self-Reflection

6 Self Confidence Boosters for the New Year

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