My Thoughts for the Month
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”
Whether it’s fleeting, in-the-moment stress, or elevated, long-term
stress, it’s important to find healthy techniques that allow your mind
and body to unwind, relax and regroup. Having spent the guts of two
decades running my own business as an entrepreneur, I am no stranger to
the fast-paced nature of the work world. Long hours, mounting demands
and deadlines, high pressure… you name it, I’ve felt it. And it wasn’t
just taking a toll on me, it was impacting the physical and mental
psyche of my family as well. I had a huge moment of clarity and realized
that I needed to take a step back from my work and focus on what was
really important: me!
Avoiding stress, or a feeling of being overwhelmed is nearly
impossible; this is a natural part of life and overcoming challenges is
what allows us to grow and become even stronger, more powerful versions
of ourselves. What is possible is shifting the way you view your stress
and learning to better understand and partner with it in healthy ways.
If stress isn’t acknowledged and properly managed, it can lead to weight
fluctuation, digestive problems, brain fog, illness and disease. After
acknowledging my own levels of stress and its effects on my health, I
started implementing four simple concepts into my daily life that helped
reduce stress while improving my focus, productivity and creativity.
1. Reduce stress by putting yourself first.
You are the only CEO of your brain and body and the biggest factor in
your success, so try to invest in your peace of mind with relaxation
activities a little bit each day. It’s so important to take time for
yourself every day and do what you want that gives you the most internal
satisfaction and enjoy it, every day.
2. Don’t forget to breathe.
Proper breathing helps you release physical tension, it calms the
nervous system, brings new energy into the brain and hits the reset
button when you run into challenges and feel overwhelmed. Try this quick
one-minute exercise: close your eyes and count ten long, slow breaths
in and out. Breathe deeply all the way into your belly. Most of my
clients prefer to repeat to themselves “inhale one, exhale one, inhale
two, exhale two…” and so on, to keep a natural rhythm and pace. Stay
fully absorbed in counting, practicing letting go of thoughts and
distractions as you breathe out.
3. Take it one task at a time.
Instead of multitasking, and being all over the place, focus first on
the areas that add the most value to your business, working through your
to-do list one task at a time until fully completed.
4. Give yourself a break and celebrate.
Remember to be proud of all that you accomplish in a day or during the
week. No matter how big or small it might seem, take pride in what you
do and who you are. Take the top three things you’re grateful for or
the accomplishments you want to celebrate and write them down on a piece
of paper or on a Post-It note. Then stick it on your bathroom mirror,
the keyboard of your laptop, or somewhere so you can see it often as a
consistent reminder of what you’ve achieved that week. It’s a great
motivator to stay on track with goals/passions and what brings you joy.
These simple daily techniques allow you to not only improve your
physical and mental strength but also to truly thrive at your fullest as
you harmonize your mind, body, spirit and purpose.