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Build a self-care routine that serves you!
I must admit that my level of self-care has been pretty minimal at times. I particularly remember when my children were very young and I would find myself caught up in a flurry of feeds, nappy changing, playing, medical appointments and, because I like to make life extra challenging, I was studying at the same time! So, self-care was not on the radar much, apart from getting sleep…and a good night’s sleep was like gold! I also experienced a lot of guilt around self-care. If I did relax and make time for myself I would worry that I was not doing something important around the house (because my own care…
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Gaining insights from your journal writing
If you have ever kept a journal you will know that it can provide a rare space in your life where you can just ‘be’, away from all the noise and distraction of daily life (and the influence of others!) Within the pages of your journal you can be open and honest about how you are feeling, entertain your latest creative ideas, explore new directions for your business or career, and work through your problems. It is the most attentive listener and will never wade in and try to persuade, advise, or judge you. Combined with coaching, and talking things over with people in my support network, I have found…
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Acknowledge your wins and celebrate them!
Here we are at the end of another year! Before you start thinking about New Year’s resolutions or goal setting, take a moment to look back, reflect on how this year has been and consider what you are taking away from it. In the process of doing this, it is important to recognise the successes you have had, to acknowledge the effort and positive decisions you have made, to take the time to give yourself a well-earned pat on the back, and express gratitude to those who have supported you along the way. Read on to find out why you should make a habit of celebrating your wins, not just…
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Time for your mid-year check-in! How to review your goals and keep yourself on track
Remember those goals that you set back in January when you were full of that ‘New Year, New You’ enthusiasm? Well, hopefully you do! How are you doing now that we are six months into the year? Taking the time to do a mid-year review of your goals will give you a chance to check that whatever you are working towards is still relevant and right for you. Even though you might really want to make some changes in your life it is so easy to get distracted and completely sidetracked. If you have lost track of your ‘why’ then reviewing your goals will remind you of the reason you set out…
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How to build a daily mindfulness practice
That special time of year is creeping upon us and while quality time with loved ones, showing our generosity, and having a good old knees-up is lovely it can also be a bit hectic as we prepare for the festivities, finish up work projects, and respond to all the requests from school which seem to multiply towards the end of the autumn term. Pass me the mulled wine and a few mince pies quick! Of course, it’s not only this time of year that can leave us feeling a bit frazzled. We can get so caught up in the everyday busyness of life: the daily stressors, running here and there…
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Beat Digital Overwhelm
Ah, simplicity! That has become my word of the year especially over the last few months as I have been desperately trying to get on top of the digital deluge that seems to have taken over my life. I noticed that I was spending way too much time filing away emails from the many mailing lists I had subscribed to (and then never actually reading them), loading up dozens of tabs with interesting articles that I was sure I’d read ‘someday’, downloading lots of cool freebies, signing-up to online courses, joining every Facebook group related to my industry, regularly falling into scroll holes on social media, succumbing to click bait…
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5 Morning Journal Prompts To Kickstart Your Day
I have often fantasised about having one of those super chilled and invigorating morning routines that are frequently recommended in the personal development and wellbeing space. You know, where you wake up naturally, basking in warm sunlight, switch on a guided meditation, slip into your stretchy pants and do some gentle exercise, have a healthy breakfast, read a few pages of a book, and then journal until your hearts content… While I have been able to incorporate some of these things into my morning routine, the reality is that during the week I am a mum of two, and the beginning of the day mainly involves making sure that both…
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What’s Your Summer Holiday Survival Strategy?
The end of the school year is in sight (or it may already be done and dusted for some of us!) and that six week stretch will soon be upon us. On the one hand there is the wonderful prospect of quality time with the family, heading off on holidays, exploring new places together, and not having to leap out of bed for the school run (whoop!) On the other hand though there is the dreaded juggling act between work and home life, figuring out how much holiday you can afford to take, who is going to look after the kids, and how you are going to keep them suitably…
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Looking for some inspiration? Create your own inspiration board!
This highly motivating and creative activity came to mind after a journal prompt got me thinking about all the things that have inspired me over the years. As I ran my eye over the various sources of inspiration that I had listed out I felt butterflies buzzing around in my stomach and a rush of determination to get on with my plans! I wanted to bottle that ‘get up and go’ feeling that had been evoked by my list, especially for days when some sort of setback occurs or for when I’m just feeling a bit stuck! Leaving the list in my journal, possibly never to be looked at again,…
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Kickstart your yearly review and find your focus for the year ahead
After reluctantly emerging from my Christmas cocoon, and finding out that another lengthy period of lockdown loomed ahead, I made the decision to pause and take stock of the last 12 months. I wanted to extract any useful ‘life lessons’ that I could from what was such a challenging time (for many different reasons), to ponder ‘What next?’ and start the year with renewed focus and something positive to work towards as lockdown continued. If, like me, you love putting pen to paper and taking time out to journal (or just really want to give it a try) then I have packed this post full of questions that will prompt…
