Honoring Your Needs: You Already Know It’s Important So What’s Standing in Your Way?

If your body had an actual voice, what would it say?

Would it thank you for feeding it nutritious foods and giving it time to rejuvenate?

Or would its voice be faint from the exhaustion and tension it’s enduring?

Sometimes you get so caught up in the daily grind — fulfilling your priorities and chasing your goals — that you forget about your constant companions…

Your body and mind.

When you neglect them, you neglect your needs… I’m talking about needs related to your well-being — sleep, nutrition, self-care.

When you ignore what your body is asking of you, you’ll quickly burn out. The burning fire that motivates you fizzles out and you’re left with ashes.

Instead of reaching the point of (almost) no return, you can build a healthier relationship with your body. When you learn how to honor your needs and desires, you can recognize and fulfill what YOU require to claim a life of greater ease, balance and growth. 

What Does It Mean to Honor Your Needs?

Honoring your needs is respecting your mind and your body. Share on X

Honoring your needs is respecting your mind and your body. You prioritize your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being by:

  • Understanding and respecting your limits
  • Creating healthy boundaries to protect your time and energy
  • Distinguishing your needs from the needs of others
  • Grounding yourself in your values and priorities
  • Learning how to manage your time, so you create enough space for self-care

When you fulfill the above priorities, you can achieve well-being. 

But maybe you already know this…

If so, then what is stopping you from following through on your good intentions?

The One Thing That Stands Between You and Honoring Your Needs

It’s simple, really.

You make self-care negotiable.

Instead, you think you have superpowers and you can just push through the exhaustion. 

You believe you can power beyond your limits indefinitely.

You overwork yourself because you believe the ends justify the means.

Yet, think about this.

What happens when you achieve your goals, yet…

  • Anxiety wracks your mind
  • You feel uncomfortable in your skin
  • You suffer from exhaustion and tension
  • You’re unable to recognize your self-worth

See, life isn’t about “hustling” every waking hour. Even an ambitious woman, like yourself, needs time to honor the needs of your body and mind.

If you struggle with honoring your needs, these three tips will help move self-care to the top of your priority list.

How to Honor Your Needs: 3 Practical Tips to Make Self-Care a TOP Priority

#1 Be Ruthlessly Honest With Yourself

Self-care is about preserving your well-being and protecting your needs and desires. That means dedicating time — one of your most valuable resources — to care for and love yourself.

However, your time is finite.

Contrary to what mainstream media says, you can’t do it all.

Think about it.

You have 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In order to give 100% at work, at home, in your relationships, and to yourself, it’s essential to be conscious of how you’re investing your valuable time and energy.

So, be honest with yourself when you consider taking on additional obligations, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Realizing that you can’t do everything isn’t necessarily “bad.” And it’s useful to be aware of how you spend your time and energy.

That’s why understanding your values and priorities is essential. While you may not get to everything, you can at least fulfill what’s most important to you.

This naturally leads you to create stronger boundaries. You start distinguishing between meeting the needs and desires of others and fulfilling your own.

And when you clearly understand the moments when you’re caring for yourself and not caring for yourself, you can make decisions about what you allow to enter into your life.

#2 Say “No” to Others, Say “Yes” to Yourself

Saying “no” might not sound like self-care but it is. Because saying no is a gift to preserving your well-being and manifesting your priorities.

Each time you take on a new project, a new task, a new favor that’s outside your priorities, you’re taking time away from yourself.

And this may lead you to feeling resentful, annoyed and frustrated not only with other people, but with yourself.

Because you know better.

You know that you won’t have the time for healing and developing yourself when you’re giving it away freely to other people.

And that is why being ruthlessly honest with yourself is the first tip — your resources are limited and you want to conserve them for healing and self-growth.

Otherwise, you will say yes whenever somebody asks something of you.

“When we say yes to everything and do not set boundaries with people, we can feel stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out,” said Jennifer Rollin MSW, LCSW-C in Psychology Today.

Instead, flip the dynamic.

Instead, start saying “no” to others, so you can start saying “yes” to yourself. Each time you say yes to yourself — even if it’s declining someone else — it’s a vote for honoring your relationships, intimacy, honesty and the truth.

So, which things should you say “no” to?

Look at what’s most important to you.

If your current needs align with giving your body the rest it needs, then you might need to say “no” to drinks and dinner with friends and co-workers after a long day at the office.

If you want to start feeling more energy and vitality, it might mean improving your diet and getting at least eight hours of sleep each night.

Your values and priorities offer a guideline on how to invest your time. 

#3 Make Self-Care Intentional

Your time is finite and if you don’t spend it mindfully, you’ll throw it away on activities that don’t align with your purpose.

(That often looks like hours of phone scrolling or staying up late binge-watching your favorite series!)

After creating stronger boundaries, be intentional about when you schedule your priorities into your life. Calendar blocking helps you maximize the precious time you have, so that you’re setting aside time to honor your needs.

Start with making a list of everything you do and the times you want to do it. Your calendar blocks might look like:

  • 7:00 – 8:00: Morning routine
  • 9:00 – 10:30: Work
  • 10:30 – 10:15: Stretches during break
  • 10:15 – 12:30: Work
  • 12:30 – 1:00: Lunch and ten minute walk
  • 1:00 – 3:30: Work
  • 3:30 – 3:45: Stretches during break
  • 3:45 – 5:30: Work
  • 5:30 – 6:00: Commute home
  • 6:00 – 6:30: Relax (you deserve it!)
  • 6:30 – 7:30: Make dinner
  • 7:30 – 9:00: Dinner and spend time with family
  • 9:00 – 10:00: Self-care

This is only one example. You might need to make changes to accommodate when you wake up, work, and go to bed. 

Calendar blocks are another way of creating healthy boundaries so that you’re creating space and time to honor your needs and priorities. Blocking even one hour for nightly relaxation and “me-time” can soothe your mind and body.

Dissolve Your Limiting Beliefs

Making self-care negotiable… Putting your needs secondary to others… Not valuing yourself…

These are all limiting beliefs that are obstructing your pathway to growth. And they didn’t show up overnight either. They slowly formed over years of…

  • Telling yourself that other people’s needs come before yours
  • Pushing self-care to tomorrow multiple times
  • Not giving your strengths and self-worth recognition

What these things have in common is that your needs don’t matter. With a belief like this, you diminish your potential for growth and restrict your access to the lifestyle you desire.

The Dangers of Self-Neglect and “Postponing” Self-Care: How to Start Making YOU a Priority

Do most days feel like a struggle just to make it to the end?

You’re overworked and overwhelmed. Even laying your tired head against your soft pillow does little to diminish the buzzing in your head.

Deep down, you know the remedy has nothing to do with the softness of your pillow. The more likely culprit is that you’re neglecting your well-being.

You’re not making YOU a priority.

You already know that taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is critical. Each is a pillar to well-being — when one falls, the others are soon to follow.

So why do you continuously swing back and forth between periods of overwork and overwhelm to “catching up” on sleep and relaxation? Play this game for long enough and you’ll seriously burn out.

Follow the tips in this article and you could finally break that cycle and make self-care a daily priority. 

Truly Understanding the Consequences of Self-Neglect

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms of self-neglect?

  • You’re on autopilot: Your day feels like a blur. You’re going through the motions, each action absent of creativity, purpose, or joy.
  • Other people’s needs come before yours: You continuously serve others before serving yourself. Now you’re noticing that your well is drying up and you have nothing left to give.
  • Every day feels like playing catch-up: It feels like you’re always behind in attending to your responsibilities, and you just can’t catch up. This frantic pace keeps you feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
  • Your mind swings between haze and chaos: Some days, you feel like you’re trapped in a thick brain fog. Other days, you feel like your mind is racing at a thousand miles an hour.
  • You’re physically burned out: Long-term stress and overwhelm lead to body aches, muscle tension, and low energy. Your mental and emotional overwhelm have become physical manifestations.So often, we get stuck in autopilot, scrambling to get things done, and we don’t notice muscle tension or mental exhaustion until it’s too late.

So often, we get stuck in autopilot, scrambling to get things done, and we don’t notice muscle tension or mental exhaustion until it’s too late. 

Recall the times within the past few months when you’ve experienced these symptoms. Remember the heaviness in your lids as you pushed yourself to work another hour. Experience the haze in your mind as you reread the same sentence over and over. Feel the intense desire to stay in bed, so you could hide from the day’s responsibilities.

I ask you to relive these scenarios because this is what happens when you neglect your body. These are the risks you assume when you “postpone” self-care.

Maintaining your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is not a chore to push aside. It’s not a thing on your to-do list that you’ll get to “when you have time.”

Your body is a living organism worth honoring — not another item on your checklist.

Yet, why do you continue in these self-sabotaging cycles?

Maintaining your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health is not a chore to push aside. It’s not a thing on your to-do list that you’ll get to “when you have time.” Share on X

Why Do We Continue to Neglect Our Well-Being (Even When We Know Better)?

Much of it has to do with guilt or shame around valuing yourself.

Often, people mistakenly believe that self-care and self-compassion are selfish. After all, shouldn’t you focus your energy on helping others rather than yourself?

If you’ve been putting self-care on the back burner, you might be feeding this negative stigma. However, this mindset is working against you.

“When we fill our time with responsibilities and constantly prioritize the needs of others over our own, we can drain ourselves of energy and desire,” says Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. in Psychology Today.

Caring for yourself is one of the most incredible things you can do for yourself and others. When you empower yourself, you’ll have greater strength, energy, and desire to share your gifts with the people around you. 

Each time you find yourself feeling guilty, tell yourself, When I care for and love myself, I am better able to care for and love others.

But self-care isn’t going to magically weave itself into your daily life. These tips will help you take conscious actions that make your well-being a priority every single day.

3 Tips That Encourage You To Make YOU a Priority

#1 Check in With Your Body More Often

A common reason why you might be pushing yourself too hard is that you don’t listen to what your body is saying until it’s too late. This often happens when your brain runs on autopilot — each day blurs into the next, as you focus on checking things off your to-do list.

A mental body scan helps you tune into your body. Follow these steps to help you experience what your body is telling you:

  1. Lay down.
  2. Take several deep breaths into your belly, breathing in through your nose and exhaling slowly from your mouth.
  3. Bring awareness to your toes. Observe any sensations such as tingling, pain, or tightness.
  4. As you become conscious of these sensations, breathe into them and notice what occurs. You may feel the sensation subside or even receive a message from this area.
  5. Repeat this process throughout your body, moving from your toes to the crown of your head.

Try doing this once each day – find a time that works best for you.

The more you listen to your body, the better you will understand what it’s asking of you. For example, a tense neck and shoulders might tell you to stretch more if you’re sitting at a desk all day. Or you might get the message to drink more water.

#2 Make Weekly Appointments with YOURSELF

Lack of time is one reason why so many women fail to take care of their bodies. That’s why I recommend putting it as a non-negotiable event on your calendar.

You make appointments with your doctor, attend meetings for work, and show up for family-related events.

You’re always showing up for others. What about showing up for yourself?

Prioritizing yourself is about putting YOU on your calendar and showing up on time, ready to care and love yourself.

Therefore, set a dedicated time for self-care. I’m serious! Go to your calendar and write in “self-care”. It may be your entire Saturday, or it may be for an hour every day after work. Try experimenting and choose what works for you.

But most importantly, stick to your self-care appointments. Some days, it may be tempting to cancel on yourself and squeeze in another hour of work. However, self-care will only make a noticeable difference when you declare it as a non-negotiable practice in your life.

#3 Seek Support When You Need It

Earlier, we talked about feeling guilt or shame around valuing yourself. You may feel similar emotions when asking for help.

Instead of relying on the help of others, you attempt to shoulder everything yourself.

But receiving help isn’t a sign of weakness.  In fact, asking for help can be one of the kindest things you choose for yourself because it helps you show up even more for those you love. If you’re still struggling to make yourself a priority (even though you’re aware it’s what you truly need to do), getting more support may be exactly what’s required for you to experience more balance and fulfillment.

So, if you’re practicing self-care regularly and not experiencing the peace and renewal you desire… Or if you need more guidance to bring additional structure and balance into your life… 

Ask for the assistance you need and allow yourself to receive it.

If you’re ready to overcome self-neglect and embrace self-care as a lifestyle, and require additional support, claim a Complimentary “Prioritize Yourself Breakthrough” Discovery session with me. 

In this 60-minute consultation, you’ll:

  • Reveal a clear and compelling vision of what else is possible for your life when you’re no longer neglecting yourself
  • Get simple and practical tips for how to prioritize yourself with ease (starting immediately)
  • Tap into self-care for greater energy, ease, and joy 
  • Explore how having a partner on your journey will provide a shortcut to all that you desire.

Click here now to claim your Complimentary “Prioritize Yourself Breakthrough” Discovery session.

Special note: I’m so excited to unveil a preview of Accelerated Evolution, my most effective coaching tool! Accelerated Evolution has changed my life and can change yours too. That’s why, at the end of the month, I’ll give you an opportunity to have an experience of these tools firsthand. So stay tuned…

And in the meantime, if you’re ready to find out how these tools can help you now, click here to schedule a “Breakthrough Struggle to Claim Ease” Discovery session with me.

Quantum Change: Manifesting Your Strength and Potential Through Ongoing Self-Development

2020 is a dramatic shift from the daily life you knew just one year ago. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe all the challenges we’ve had to overcome in only a few months…

Experiencing a pandemic. Sheltering-in-place. Wearing masks. Navigating heightened awareness of racial tensions.   

In response to the adversities we’ve faced this year, we’re undergoing what clinical psychologist William Richard Miller calls quantum change. Quantum change is “a vivid, surprising, benevolent, and enduring personal transformation.” In response to recent events, this change is evolving our consciousness and revealing new possibilities for ourselves and for society.

Within those possibilities is a more empowered you. 

Yes, you’ve been hard at work as a mother, a career woman, and a partner. You push yourself to limits trying to grow your career and provide for your family. Yet, you burn out in the process.

What about you and providing for your well-being?

Quantum change is creating a mindset shift:

  • You can still pursue self-development without burning yourself out. 
  • You can share love and compassion with the people around you and express it to yourself. 
  • You can still fulfill upon your list of priorities while putting YOU at the top of that list. 

Let’s explore how quantum change is empowering you to uplevel and care for yourself and the effect it has on the world. 

Why Self-Development is the Path Forward

It might not be the answer you were expecting. You might even think it selfish — with all that’s happening in the world, why focus on YOURSELF?

Yet hear me out.

Self-development is the catalyst for positive change in the world. In his book Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod wrote, “Our outer world will always be a reflection of our inner world. Our level of success is always going to parallel our level of personal development.”

What does he mean?

It means that the impact you have on the world will reflect the efforts you put into growing yourself. After you nurture and manifest your gifts, you can share them with others. Gifts like deep compassion and an abundance mindset can be shared with your loved ones, your community, and even your country.

But what happens when you fail to make YOU a priority?

The Dangers of Neglecting Yourself

You already know.

  • You suffer signs of burnout.
  • Life feels overwhelming.
  • You feel isolated and disempowered.
  • Every day is a struggle just to get things done.
  • Your potential goes unrealized.

Have you ever heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

In his Hierarchy of Needs, Maslow discusses what it takes to reach self-actualization — the peak of human experience.  The foundations of that pyramid are securing your basic physiological needs (food and water), feeling safe in your environment, and cultivating reliable support systems.

Yet, in these uncertain times, you might feel vulnerable at all levels.

If you’re a woman of color, you might fear for your safety due to recent racially-charged tragedies. If you were laid off due to business shutdowns, you might worry about providing for your family. And the time you spent in quarantine might have led you to experience loneliness and isolation.

Times are challenging, I know. But all is not lost. 

Cultivating a sanctuary of self-love and self-acceptance within yourself teaches you to embrace yourself as you are. And if you need any help to feel confidence and love in your own skin, support is available if you ask.

Create Quantum Change By Prioritizing YOU

The power to change your environment begins with creating positive change within yourself. Share on X

Recent events have confirmed my worldview — the power to change your environment begins with creating positive change within yourself. Before I could properly support and empower other women, I had to start with supporting and empowering MYSELF. 

This is why I became a Certified Accelerated Evolution coach — to inspire women to break through their mental and emotional blocks with greater ease and to more fully own their power, the same way I used these tools to help myself. 

Do you feel guilty about taking time for yourself? Do you judge yourself because you know you can somehow summon the resources to work another hour, do another task, or pursue another project?

I certainly did.

This emotional and mental block can be difficult to identify and dissolve, because striving — even if it means burning out in the process — seems like a virtue.

Yes, self-development can mean putting in the work, yet it also means taking time to rest. Because your potential to manifest your gifts and share them with the world also relies on the care and attention you put into your well-being.

The positive change you desire in your outer world springs from the well of abundance and compassion you cultivate within yourself.

So, start there. 

Start with caring and loving YOU.

Are you ready to lessen your struggle and choose ease in all areas of your life?

Quantum change is creating a mindset shift that reminds us: self-care isn’t negotiable.

Self-development is the path forward, yet it doesn’t have to mean achieving your goals at the risk of your health. You can manifest the change you desire by prioritizing self-love, self-care, and balance.

When you’re truly ready to make this shift in your life, sign up for a Complimentary 60-minute “Breakthrough Struggle to Claim Ease” Discovery Session with me.

In this 60-minute consultation, you’ll:

  • Reveal a clear and compelling vision of what else is possible for your life when you’re no longer struggling and are enjoying your life again
  • Get simple and practical tips for how to break free from your symptoms of overwhelm
  • Tap into greater ease, energy and inspiration 
  • Explore how having a partner on your journey will provide a shortcut to all that you desire.

As I mentioned previously, Accelerated Evolution changed my life and it can change yours too. In October, I will let  you know of an opportunity where you can experience these tools firsthand. So stay tuned…

And in the meantime, if you’re ready to find out how these tools can help you now, click here to schedule your complimentary “Breakthrough Struggle to Claim Ease” Discovery Session with me.

Mini Personal Habits: 6 Ways to Break the Burnout Cycle and Embrace Greater Ease

Are you wondering if there’s more to life than feeling overwhelmed?

Do you desire more space because your schedule is packed?

Is stress affecting your health and relationships?

If you answered yes to any of these, you’re not alone. Sometimes, it feels like you’re stuck in a cycle of overworking yourself, coping with the signs of burnout, and praying for relief. When you’re trapped in the cycle for long enough, your motivation wanes, your relationships become strained, and your performance suffers.

You want to create positive change, but chances are, you won’t break the cycle overnight.

Still, you can create mini changes one day at a time. 

One small habit at a time.

Last month, we talked about letting go of the things that weigh you down:

This week is different. Instead of sharing what to let go, I’m sharing mini personal habits that you can embrace. When you practice these habits for long enough, you do more than exit the burnout cycle — you claim a life of greater ease.

The Power of Habits

When you form personal mini habits, you’re not just adding something else to your to-do list. You’re becoming a more resilient version of who you are.

For example, waking up 30 minutes earlier to do something that benefits you on a physical, mental, or spiritual level is more than just getting out of bed early. When you create this habit, you’re becoming someone who cares deeply about herself.

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, shares the relationship between habits and identity. “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become,” Clear wrote. “No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

In other words, one day will hardly make a difference. But weeks of faithfully practicing your habits can manifest the incredible and beautiful changes you desire. While each woman’s goals may vary, the following six habits will lead you to greater joy and ease.

6 Personal Habits to Practice Daily for More Joy and Ease In Your Life

#1 Have A Morning Practice

While the world sleeps, use this time to tune into your body. Before fulfilling what other people ask of you, first listen to what your mind and body ask of you. Share on X

Before calls, texts, emails, and children beg for your attention, the morning offers a moment for silence and reflection. While the world sleeps, use this time to tune into your body. Before fulfilling what other people ask of you, first listen to what your mind and body ask of you. Their request might be physical, like more water and sleep. Or it might be emotional, like a deep and heartfelt conversation with a close friend.

A morning practice looks different for everyone, yet it need not be complicated. The following activities can help you tap into your inner dialogue:

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Journaling
  • Prayer
  • Reading
  • Walking outside

Each of the above activities will strengthen your mind and body over time. Each morning you choose to fulfill upon your practice, you’ll feel a little more grounded and balanced. This resilience enables you to maintain a positive mindset throughout the day, which provides the opportunity to move closer to achieving your goals with joy and ease. 

#2 Set An Alarm For Bedtime

Alarms aren’t just for waking up. You can also set an alarm for when it’s time to get ready for bed.

When following a morning practice, don’t make the mistake of sacrificing quality sleep. When your sleep suffers, you feel tired, irritable, and unmotivated. Getting adequate sleep — 7 to 8 hours — will keep you energized and motivated as you pursue your goals.

Making your sleep a priority is one way to love and honor your body. Just as your morning alarm tells you when to get up, your evening alarm reminds you that you can rejuvenate your body by preparing for a restful night’s sleep.

#3 Name 5 Things You’re Grateful For

Manifesting more joy in your life begins with acknowledging the blessings that already exist.

The bare minimum you need to survive is food, water, and shelter. Anything beyond this is a gift. Whether it’s nutrition, shelter, a healthy family or good friends, these things are all worth acknowledgment and appreciation.

Each day, pause for a few seconds.

Think of 5 things that you’re grateful for at this very moment. Then express your appreciation by saying aloud, “I am grateful for ______.” 

I’ll share 5 things I’m grateful for right now: “I am grateful for my loving family, my cuddly cat, my comfortable home, my caring friends, and my fabulous mentors and coaches.”

Even during times of overwhelm, there is still much to appreciate. This daily gratitude practice will remind you to be joyful in the present while being open to receive the abundance yet to come.

#4 Reach Out And Connect

Powerful support systems contribute to a life full of love, warmth, and joy.

But we sometimes take the people we cherish for granted.

The truth is that our loved one won’t always be there. Our time on this physical plane is finite. 

These recent months of self-isolation may have distanced you from those special people. It’s time to rebuild those bridges.

Take advantage of every moment you can to reach out and connect.

Time may feel insufficient, but love and joy can be infinite. Manifest both of these in your life through the relationships you keep. A simple text message or a phone call is all you need to keep those support systems strong. 

#5 Eat A Home-cooked Meal

Your body is something else you might be taking for granted.

The time spent sheltered at home may have had you ordering take-out or delivery more often than is healthy. To show your body more appreciation, start feeding it delicious and nutritious foods.

Head to the grocery store and pull out your kitchen apron. Or, if you’re like me and want someone else to do the legwork, sign up for one of the meal delivery services that provide all the ingredients. Then, all you have to do is put the meal together. Eating a healthy home-cooked meal (don’t skip the vegetables!) will build the daily habit of respecting your body.

Your body will reward you with more energy, a sharper mind, and brighter skin over time. And as you enjoy this increased vitality and desire, you will manifest your vision with greater ease.

#6 Step Outside

While many non-essential businesses are reopening, many gyms remain closed.

Fortunately, you don’t need a gym to get your steps in.

You can step outside, feel the warm sunshine, and breathe in the fresh air — all without the price of a monthly gym membership.

According to Lifehacker, stepping outside can also promote mindfulness and reduce stress. “When things get overwhelming, as they so often do nowadays,” they wrote, “putting on a pair of comfortable shoes and going for a short walk—while maintaining proper physical distancing of course—can help bring a little calm to a chaotic world.” 

This can be especially true if you’re working from home. Leaving your home to embrace the outdoors can bring much-needed separation from stress triggered by your work-from-home environment.

Don’t Let Overwhelm Block You From Your Best Life

2020 hardly feels like living your best life. Coping with COVID-19 and social injustice introduced new challenges and stressors that may reinforce the burnout cycle.

Yet you don’t have to postpone inner peace to 2021 and beyond. These daily habits teach you that even small actions, when done daily, can introduce powerful and long-lasting change — change that will create more joy and ease in your life.

Your journey doesn’t have to be a solitary one either. If you need additional support, claim a Complimentary “Overcoming Overwhelm” Discovery session with me. 

In this 60-minute consultation, you’ll:

  • Reveal a clear and compelling vision of what else is possible for your life when you no longer have so much on your plate and are enjoying your life again
  • Get simple and practical tips for how to break free from your symptoms of overwhelm
  • Tap into greater energy and inspiration 
  • Explore how having a partner on your journey will provide a shortcut to all that you desire.

Click here now to schedule a Complimentary “Overcoming Overwhelm” Discovery session.

Feeling Tired All the Time? Try These 4 Self-Care Tips (Optimize Your Energy, Part 1)

It’s 2:00 and you’ve hit another afternoon slump. You wonder if you can make it to the end of the day.

“Why do I feel so tired all the time?” you ask yourself.

Even if you’re working from home due to coronavirus, it feels like another exhausting day in the office.

You consider pouring yourself another cup of coffee. You might even have an energy drink waiting for you in the fridge.

Yet there lies the problem. You rely on sources that offer temporary energy boosts. However, the problem — and solution — is deeper than that.

You’re having a new and different experience — life in quarantine. And with the added stress and anxiety, you may be experiencing coronavirus quarantine fatigue. “It’s just overwhelming,” says behavioral health therapist Dr. Jane Pernotto Ehrman, “and part of the fatigue is the uncertainty, unpredictability and the unknowns in all of this.” 

That’s why it’s time to put away the caffeine and sugary energy drinks and practice a healthier response to feeling tired all the time: self care! 

Self-care is free, easy, and can be done at home! 

How Self-Care Can Optimize Your Energy

Energy is like a battery. Ideally, you’re waking up at 100%. 

But what happens when you don’t get enough sleep? Or your diet is lacking nutrients? Or your life is all work, no play?

You might wake up at only 80% or 50%. These are only a few causes of low energy in women that can lead you to suffer from signs of burnout.

And if you’re experiencing exhaustion from coronavirus, you might be feeling any number of the following symptoms:

  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Low motivation
  • Appetite changes
  • Insomnia
  • Racing thoughts

That’s why I created this two-part series on optimizing your energy, especially in these uncertain times. In this article, I explain how self-care can boost your energy. Next week, I’ll show you how to budget that energy with productivity tips.

So, why self-care? you might ask.

Everyday presents its own stressful challenges and the coronavirus outbreak has introduced new ones.

Yet, imagine starting every day at 100%. Your mind feels sharper. You have more bounce in your step. Your goals are clear. You know what you need to do. And you take action.

Yet, imagine starting every day at 100%. Your mind feels sharper. You have more bounce in your step. Your goals are clear. You know what you need to do. And you take action. Share on X

“If we don’t take action and recharge,” says Dr. Ehrman, “We will remain stuck. So, it’s important to relieve stress to re-energize and be more present.” Self-care helps you optimize your energy so that you can create and live your best life. 

Here’s how you can do it.

Feeling Tired All the Time Because of Coronavirus Quarantine Fatigue? Here are 4 Self-Care Tips to Optimize Your Energy

#1 Clean Up Your Diet

Your body is like a car and the food you feed it is the gas you pump.

Without gas, you’re running on fumes. With poor-quality gas, your car starts experiencing some problems.

It’s the same way with food. Some foods are low-quality and do little for your body. They’re usually high in calories and low in nutritional value — think chips, candy, and fast food.

If you want to boost your energy, look at the food you eat. If you discover your diet could be better, try planning your meals in advance. This encourages you to be mindful of what your body is taking in. The following tips will keep your diet healthy and your body energized:

  • Consume more complex carbs (like fiber-rich vegetables and whole-wheat grains)
  • Avoid simple carbs (like cookies and dairy products)
  • Increase your intake of dark, leafy vegetables (like spinach, broccoli, Swiss chard and kale)
  • Reduce your caffeine intake to avoid energy crashes (like coffee, energy drinks and soda)
  • Drink enough water (the Institute of Medicine recommends 9 cups each day for women)

But if you’ve been to your big chain grocery stores lately, you probably noticed that some shelves are picked clean. You may need to explore other options for buying nutritious foods. 

Now is a good time to support your local businesses by visiting a nearby mom and pop store. Or you might even want to start a garden and grow your own produce!

When you feed your body high-nutrition foods, it rewards you with increased energy and longevity.

#2 Cultivate Better Work/Life Balance

As a modern woman, you wear several hats: mother, businesswoman, caregiver, spouse, and more. But one that you might forget to wear is the woman who practices self-care.

You spend all of your energy on other people and obligations, but forget to save some for yourself. You suffer from poor work/life balance. Your other obligations — whether professional or personal — dominate your life and your health begins to suffer.

Show yourself how much you love yourself by putting your own self-care first. 

Try creating and maintaining a morning routine. Before you give your time and energy away, give it to yourself first. Exercise and meditation are great ways to kickstart your day. I enjoy greeting the morning with meditation and words of affirmation, followed by quality time with my pen and journal. 

If you work from home — which many of us are doing in these crazy times —  set a cut-off time for the end of your workday. Clean up your workspace and shut down for the day. Unless you’re a doctor or firefighter on call, work can wait until the next morning.

Your home should feel like a sanctuary. Don’t let coronavirus ruin it!

#3 Schedule a Well-Deserved Staycation

Daily self-care is critical to your health and well-being, but sometimes you need more.

Even when you’re maintaining a morning routine and getting enough quality sleep, you can still feel over-extended. If you’re still stressed, it may be time to take an extended break.

With what’s going in the world, now may not be ideal for traveling. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t relax and play! 

Instead, schedule a staycation as soon as possible. Stepping away from your responsibilities, while staying home can do wonders for your health. A staycation gives your mind and body the time and space needed to declutter and unwind.

After a relaxing break, you can return to your daily responsibilities with renewed energy and focus.

#4 Cage Your Monkey Mind

Have you ever heard about monkey mind?

“Monkey mind is a term that refers to being unsettled, restless, or confused,” says Dr. Diana Raab, “It is also the part of your brain that becomes easily distracted.”

Has this ever happened to you?

You might be working on a task, but your mind veers instead to the latest COVID-19 update.  There are many changes happening within your community. You might be checking your local news or social media to stay informed.

Each time you get distracted, you squander valuable time and energy.

Cage your monkey mind with meditation. Monkey mind often feels like you’re swimming in cluttered thoughts. Meditation pulls you out of the water by inviting your attention to the act of breathing. Many people remark on how clear and alert they feel after a meditation session. 

If you’re new to meditation, try using guided meditation apps, like Insight Timer or HeadSpace. Their sessions will teach you the foundations of meditation and intentional breathing.

Do you have any energy-boosting self-care tips that I didn’t mention? Share them with me in the comments below.

Make Self-Care a Habit

“The holy grail of habit change,” says James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, “is not a single 1 percent improvement, but a thousand of them.”

Waking up with a fully charged battery will support you when you feel coronavirus quarantine fatigue creeping in. But this happens only when you commit to making self-care a daily habit.

You might not notice a difference in your energy levels at first. But if you maintain a self-care routine, you will notice higher energy levels over time.

And daily self-care doesn’t have to be a two-hour routine. It can be as simple as 10 minutes every day with my “From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice.”

This practice has been shown to:

  • Increase mindfulness, well-being, self-confidence, and personal power
  • Increase your ability to concentrate
  • Cultivate a greater resilience to stress, a positive mindset, and a sense of hopefulness and calm
  • Decrease stress and stress-related symptoms like frustration, mood swings, feelings of overwhelm or lack of control, anxiety, depression, low energy, headaches, body aches and pains, muscle tension, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent colds and infections
  • Reduce or even stop worrying

Click here now to claim your free gift of my “From Burnout To Balance: A Simple 10-Minute Daily Self-Care Practice.”

How to Be More Resilient: Getting Back on Track When Life Isn’t Going Your Way

Ever notice how some women have this uncanny ability to bounce back from adversity?

With each challenge, they emerge wiser and stronger?

These women are resilient.

Resilience looks like the woman who loses her job but polishes her resume and starts seeking career opportunities.

Resilience looks like doing the best you can, even when coronavirus has disrupted your daily life.

Resilience is showing up for yourself every day, even when it feels like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders.

You don’t need a suit and cape to conquer your challenges. 

Resilience can be your superpower. And I’m going to show you how to be more resilient when you’re feeling overwhelmed with life.

What is the Meaning of Resilience?

Psychology Today defines resilience as “the psychological quality that allows some people to be knocked down by the adversities of life and come back at least as strong as before.” 

Resilience is choosing to move forward instead of giving up. 

Embracing optimism over pessimism. 

And understanding that each struggle is temporary and you have the power to create positive change in your life.

What Resilience Isn’t

Being Emotionless

Even resilient people undergo emotional turmoil during tragedy. The difference between those who are resilient and those who aren’t is how they cope. 

Something You’re Born With

Some are born with greater resilience than others — like athleticism or your IQ.

But that “level” isn’t set in stone.

Like training a muscle, your resilience grows with each challenge you overcome.

This is good news for you. Even if you have low resilience now, it’s something you can work on. The following tips will help you build resilience in the face of adversity:

5 Tips on How to Be More Resilient and Emerge from Adversity Stronger than Ever

#1 Build Your Support System

Different events can trigger emotional trauma — divorce, losing a loved one, even moving into a different home.

And trauma isn’t something you can necessarily weather alone. 

Building resilience is also about learning when to ask for help. Sometimes you need to rely on compassionate friends and family who will support you. 

You may also want to join a specific group. Stanford Medicine shares how “being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope.”

#2 Cultivate Healthy Outlets

Some women resort to unhealthy outlets when coping with adversity. It looks different for each woman — substance dependency, compulsive spending, and overeating, to name a few.

That’s why it’s helpful to build habits that will support you during difficult times. Healthier habits include:

  • Exercising regularly
  • Prioritizing quiet alone time for yourself
  • Cooking nutritious meals for your body
  • Engaging in a creative hobby
  • Spending quality time with family members

These positive outlets will give your body the resources it needs to cope with stress more productively.

#3 Find the Lesson

Why is this happening to me?

What did I do to deserve this?

These thoughts probably have passed your mind when misfortune falls in your lap. You might feel betrayed. You might even curse at your Higher Power.

Sometimes, tragic events are inexplicable. Yet, it’s up to you to find the meaning in them.

If you recently lost your job, what lesson can you find in that? Maybe it’s an opportunity to connect more with yourself and priorities.

What meaning can you find in the passing of a loved one? Perhaps it’s a reminder of your own mortality and the precious value of time.

How about recent events?

What can we learn from the coronavirus outbreak? There are reports of pollution reduction around the world. Maybe coronavirus is offering us a glance into what a healthier planet would look like.

Finding the lesson helps you build resilience. It encourages you to change how you view adversity:

  1. You can let adversity defeat you.
  2. Or you can let adversity teach you.

Have you recently experienced a setback? What lesson did you find in it? Share your discovery with me in the comments below.

#4 Take Just One Step

When you’re stuck in your problems, there are days when you don’t want to do anything.

Believe me, I know

There were days when I didn’t want to get out of bed because I was so overwhelmed by stress and fatigue.

Yet all you need is one small change to shift the course of your life.

For me, that was transitioning into a growth mindset — that I wasn’t helpless to the forces around me and there are things in my life that I can influence.

And your next step doesn’t need to be that big.

It could be as small as getting out of bed. Or perhaps it’s giving yourself just five minutes to sit in silence.

Set your own pace.

Confucius once said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

Start with finding your single next step… and then taking it.

Resilience isn’t as much about how fast you bounce back — it’s more about your ability to adapt and move forward.

#5 Seek Additional Support

For some, the above tips are enough to build their resilience.

Others might need a little more support. 

Perhaps that’s you.

I had my own life coach to help me overcome overwhelm and break free from burnout. I’m here to be that for you, as well.

If you’re suffering from overwhelm and want to thrive again, sign up for a complimentary “Overcoming Overwhelm” Discovery session with me. 

In this 60-minute consultation you’ll:

  • Reveal a clear and compelling vision of what else is possible for your life when you no longer have so much on your plate and are enjoying your life again
  • Get simple and practical tips for how to break free from your symptoms of overwhelm.
  • Tap into greater energy and inspiration 
  • Explore how having a partner on your journey will provide a shortcut to all that you desire.

Click here now to sign up for a complimentary “Overcoming Overwhelm” Discovery session.

Hi, I’m Whitney

About Me

As an International Speaker, Certified Life Coach, Spiritual Counselor, and Ordained Minister with 3 decades of experience researching personal growth and how we heal from within, I have healed myself from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and burnout. My proven strategies help women overcome overwhelm and break free from the burnout cycle. I then partner with them as they reclaim their passion and create the life they desire. Having experienced first-hand the challenges of finding physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance, I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured!!!

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