The Burnout Culture:7 Ways to Take Back Your Power….

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I couldn’t believe I spent another year working hard to end the school year suffering from burnout. I knew I enjoyed teaching but being exhausted was not in my extended life plan. It was time to change my life and end my abusive relationship with this burnout culture. So, in 2018 I began my journey into working less and living more.

America, the land of the burnout, overworked and underpaid culture, promotes the concept of living to work and working yourself into exhaustion. Americans have lost a sense of personal fulfillment and what it means to have a hobby. Instead, many Americans turn every passion into a business perpetuating an overworked lifestyle. I believe it is time to stop the obsession of chasing money, power, and success. It is time to seize the moment, embrace opportunities, and live your dreams.

Suppose you are wondering how to go from exhaustion to ease; check out the seven tips below. These seven tips will help reclaim your time and take back your life.

1. Know Your Limits. Let your “No” mean “No” & only say yes to stuff you really want to do.
2. Unplug. Whether it is unplugging from social media, people or your phone take time to sort through your emotions to gain clarity in the direction you want to go.
3. Plan a sabbatical. Sometimes the demands of work and life can be overwhelming so take the time to reset by taking a year off from work.
4. Pace Yourself. Do a little at a time instead of feeling like you have to do everything all at once.
5. Give yourself permission to be still. It is okay to step back from your life and rejuvenate.
6. Take a nap. Listen to your body & get the rest you deserve.
7. Find a hobby not a business. Figure out what you love to do just for fun and remember hobbies are for personal fulfillment versus making it another business venture.

The Art of The Pause…..

“Learn to pause or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” ~Doug King~

The holiday season is here, and many of us feel like we are on the brink of a breakdown. With the extra traffic, Christmas shopping, and everyone running around in a frenzy, the joy of the holidays has become burdensome. The holidays should be a time where the pace of life slows down, the present moment is treasured, and the idea of spending time with family is cherished. However, as years roll by, the holiday season has become congested with commercialization. We have stopped practicing the art of the pause.

The holidays are the perfect time to press pause and start living in the now. When you take the time to live in the present moment, you appreciate the beauty of life. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year to enjoy the art of the pause. Below are three tips you can implement to start savoring the holiday season!

• Take a break from social media. This Christmas commit to being present with your family and friends by disconnecting from social media. When you are not posting every moment, you will savor it and not miss out on making memories.
• Take some vacation time from work. Too many people have vacation days but never use them. Don’t let your vacation time build-up without enjoying the fruits of your labor.
• Don’t buy gifts. Yes, it is tempting to want to get the whole world a gift; however, spending money you do not have only creates stress. How about this season you give your loved ones the best present of all your presence. 

 

 

3 ways To Create A Memorable Summer!

 

With summer coming many people are excited about vacation and spending time with their family. However, I am passionate about creating memorable moments with my daughter. Although I am going to visit my family, I have decided to shorten my trip and plan smaller trips throughout the summer for my daughter and me to enjoy. It is so easy to get caught up in focusing on visiting so many people during your time off, however, what is more, important you planning trips that make you happy this summer even if it means disappointing others. Vacation is about unplugging from your routine and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

My main focus this summer will be unplugging from social media, reading books I love and being present in the moment. We can produce the most fabulous things when we focus on the present moment.

Below are three ways to create a memorable summer:

1. Unplug. The present moment is the most important moment in our lives. This summer take the time to take a break from social media and savor the memories.

2. Do what makes your soul happy. Too often we spend endless summers traveling to see family but have not schedule time to do what we desire. Make sure you schedule a personal trip in for yourself this summer, you deserve it!

3.  Create Memories That Last For A Lifetime. Spend this summer exploring new places and spaces to produce memories that will last forever. The goal is to spend money on experiences not things.

So, I challenge you this summer to do what makes you happy, focus on the present moment and create memories that will last forever!

30 Days of Stillness

In a world filled with the consumption of busyness it is very unusual in our American culture to take time to be still. Since I have been back in the United States it seems as if we consistently glorify busyness, as if it is a badge of honor. The glorification of being busy has caused many diseases, stress, breakdowns and much more for the American culture. People identify with the words “hustle”, “grind” and “go-getter” as a way to celebrate their busy lives. Too often we confuse productivity with busyness and vice versa. Therefore, slowing down is never a thought because we do more to be more to get more. Instead of finding the beauty in simplicity we rush through life missing out on it.

I remember when I lived abroad I cherished the simplicity of life and enjoyed the moments of downtime. Simplicity was not so foreign to me until I came back to the US.  I began to yearn for the days where being present in the moment was a joy. Although, I’ve been  back in the US for 11 years now I still have not adjusted to the hustle and bustle of busyness. However, I made a vow to myself to get back to the life of simplicity!

Every summer I spend time strategizing where I want to go and who I plan to visit yet, this summer I wanted to do something different. I decided to spend 30 days being still; doing absolutely nothing. And to be honest, I found so much enjoyment in relaxing, slowing down and being present in the moment. Although, you may not be able to take 30 days off to be still but you can pick a day to do absolutely nothing.

Here are a couple of things I learned from my month of slowing down.

1. It can wait. Sometimes what you think is a priority is not a priority so rearrange your list and take some time to slow down.

2. Staycation.  Staycations are the best vacations because it allows you to rest and refresh your whole being.

3. Stop chasing people. I spent too many summers and holidays on the road visiting people who had no intentions of visiting me. Save your gas and money for a trip you want to take alone.

4. Become a priority in your own life. Stop waiting until other people put you as a priority on their list. It is time you become number 1 on your own list.

5. Stillness is mindfulness. When you are consumed with the present moment you see the present in everyday living.

So, take the time to disconnect yourself from the spirit of busy and embrace the joys of living in the moment. 

Which lesson will you implement this week? Let me know in the comments.

7 Ways To Reconnect With Yourself

How often do you check in with yourself? It is important to ask yourself questions to make sure your mind, body, and soul are aligned. Sometimes we go through our daily routine in life forgetting to check in with our self. We rush through each day just to get to the weekend to repeat the endless cycle. However, we never realize that stress or being burnout is due to us losing the connection with ourselves. When you begin to take a daily inventory of your happiness you will bring awareness back to yourself.  Spending time reconnecting with yourself is essential to living a well-balanced life.  Below are 7 ways to help you reconnect with yourself.

1. Breathe. Yes, breathing is a sure way to reconnect you back to your body energy. If you take the time to slow down your breath & breathe slowly it will help you calm down. According to an article in Living Strong, “Deep breathing relieves stress and anxiety due to its physiological effect on the nervous system.”

2. Go outside. Nature is a great way to connect yourself back to the beauty around you. The more you are aware of all the godly beauty it will refresh your soul. 

3. Meditate. Meditation is one great way to feel at peace, to clear scattered thoughts and bring you to a place of oneness. Even if you meditate for 8 minutes a day it will change your mental state. There are many apps that you can download to start your meditation journey. You can also sit in silence without any distractions to assist you on your meditation path.

4. Pamper Yourself. When was the last time you took some time to pamper yourself? 

Indulge a little whether it is take a spa day, getting a glass of wine, exercising or eating alone at your favorite restaurant understand pampering yourself will help you re-energize.

5. Read Your Favorite Book. Spending time to read your favorite book can help you escape from the chaos. According to Reader’s Digest,”snuggling up with a good read tamps down levels of unhealthy stress hormones such as cortisol, Weight Watchers recently reported.

6. Sit by the Water. I always felt that sitting by water has a calming effect. If you spend time at a body of water it will help you reflect on positive things.

7. Unplug. Unplugging from technology and social media can help you reconnect as well. Spending time to stay present in the moment will help you appreciate the current moment.I would also suggest not posting every moment on social media. Posting everything you do on social media can take away from the authenticity of the moment.

After practicing these seven ways you will feel less stressed and more connected with your mind, body & soul!

References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/136646-why-does-deep-breathing-calm-you-down/ 

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-reading/

The Lost Art of Conversation

 

Somewhere lost in a timeless warp, where meaningful words use to be more appealing than texting or holding a conversation through the computer. Technology has made us lazy as we use social media and texting as a way to hold conversations when these things truly hinder the art of conversation.

I remember living in a world where you would talk on the porch to family and friends for hours savoring the moments. In this new millennium technology has handicapped us from learning how to evoke meaningful conversations. I believe social media has disabled our younger generation because they lose themselves in social media without becoming social within the world around them. The biggest question to ask is how can we get back to the beautiful art of conversation with a social media and text induced world?

The greatest way to tap back into the real world is log out from the virtual world. There should be a healthy balance of technology verses real life conversation. Real life conversations teaches us how to socialize with one another, it teaches us how to listen, pause and interpret someones words as well as body language. When we are holding conversations through text or social media we misconstrue what a person may say.

 In order, for us to reconnect to realistic, meaningful & authentic relationships we have to be willing to unplug  from social media and become sociable with the world around us. When we evoke intimate one on one conversations we are more fulfilled and happy in our lives.

The art of conversation can be rekindled in this saturated age of technology by:

1) Unplugging. Taking a digital detox from social media.
2) Reconnect. Making time to reconnect back to real relationships before social media became your primary outlet.
3) Vacate. Get out the house & meet new people.
4) Off Button. Turn off your phone for an hour or so to live in the moment & be mindful of the present.
5) Live in the moment. We miss out on intimate connections with the people we love because we share every moment on social media. Take some time to savor the moment & keep your memories secrete without sharing everything on your social media sites.