We are now settling into Autumn, and if you are in the Northern hemisphere, Spring!
Both are beautiful transitional months.
It’s time to set ourselves up for the the season ahead.
This month, I plan to have more focus, space and peace. More time for mind wandering, more health and wealth. More time with friends, more creativity, more fun! … and not necessarily in that order!
Here’s how I am going to do it despite the constant stream of grim news in the world.
Looking after ourselves creates a solid foundation from which we can help others. Real Self Care is more in depth than the superficial social media flavor of long bubble baths and delicious luxe treats. (I love those too! …but let’s look at some strategies to strengthen your foundation and craft that one of a kind gift you’ve got called YOUR LIFE.)
This is a great time to think about what you most want in your life, then plan and put that into action.
Maybe you will join me in doing this? I hope so. It’s much more fun to do this with a friend.
All these steps will help your brain and whether you are neuro-diverse (ADHD / ASD) or feel that you are firmly in the “normal” spectrum. Mind you, I’ve never seen a “normal” brain. As far as I know, every brain has or develops its own quirks! Especially these days.
EXERCISE
The bottom line? Your energy increases with exercise. And all you have to do is ten minutes a day to bring back your energy levels. Your mitochondria will love you for doing this.
Whether it be in a class, walking, cycling, yoga, YouTube videos, throwing balls to your pup in the park or climbing to the top of the slides with the little ones – opportunities abound to get active!
Choice paralysis? Just message me if you’d like some ideas and leads.
My challenge for you: Ten minutes a day, for thirty days.
That’s all. Everyone has just ten minutes. How could you not have ten minutes?
Let me know how you feel after a month!
SLEEP
At the very least, shut those eyes of yours for a minimum of 8 hours a night. Add in daytime naps if you can manage that. Peaceful and deep sleep makes everything work better. Everything.
With ample sleep comes more focus, better decision making, less weight, more healing, less stress and more happiness.
NUTRITION
We’ve heard it before but it’s worth repeating:
Eat lots of vegetables and in their complete form.
Take time to wind down and prepare simple, real food at the end of the day.
Drink lots of water.
Add in some good fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado.
Avoid the middle aisles of the supermarket.
Where possible, share the eating of all that good food with family and friends!
The bottom line? Your brain will smile, and your ability to focus will improve.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
I’m all about us developing an intimate relationship with our money.
Date it. Get to know it! Pamper it!
Instead of hiding your head in the sand and telling yourself stories that you are no good at math or don’t make enough, change the story – become the protagonist.
Treat your finances as one of your best and most intimate of friends. Cultivating this friendship will reward you over and over with peace of mind and all sorts of freedom.
One of the primary reasons people can’t focus and feel stressed and anxious is because they have money worries. Taking an active role in your relationship with money is empowering and will reduce the anxiety caused by avoidance.
DECLUTTER
Simplify to amplify!
Your external environment is a refection of your internal landscape.
Set aside time to declutter your home, garden, landscape, wardrobe. Wherever you notice it needing the most attention.
Don’t tackle everything at once as it’ll lead to overwhelm and your progress will stall.
Take for example your wardrobe. Run through your closets and donate the stuff you haven’t worn in a year (or years!)… When shopping for the season ahead, play a game with yourself: If I buy one article of clothing – then 3 must be retired from the closet!
LOVE YOURSELF
Love makes the world go around and starts with believing that you are worthy of love.
Self-love and deep feelings of worthiness are the foundation of managing your emotions.
Today’s media landscape of non-stop doom is, by design, wreaking havoc on our brains keeping us in a constant state of fight or flight.
Let’s fortify your mind with a couple of techniques.
Turn off your phone’s notifications. Set aside a time each day to catch up on current events and seek information from a wide variety of sources. Cultivate discernment and remember the very nature of writing something means it’s been (necessarily) subjected to a bias and a frame of reference. Welcome opposing points of view. Consider them. Keep an open mind and take in information without reacting. Just “be”.
The space you give yourself to “be” will naturally extend to others. Love and understanding grows like a garden when tended.
This is what I’m working on this month.
Maybe you could too?
If you are stuck and would like some help, I’m just a Zoom call away.
Lots of Love. ❤
XO Susan
