Life Coach•personal development•personal growth•self care

How to Avoid Burnout and Stay Centered in a Demanding Career

Career burnout is a reaction to persistent and chronic job-related stress that can leave busy professionals feeling exhausted, demotivated, and unfulfilled. According to NBC News, the average American devotes 40% of their day to their job, leaving only a few hours for personal care and leisure activities. Add chores, childcare, and other personal obligations, and full-time workers have very little time to practice self-care. But taking steps to care for our bodies and minds is essential for feeling balanced and enjoying fulfillment in your work and personal life. Here are some easy ways to work self-care into your daily routine without uprooting your life.

Make Time for Exercise

Did you know that exercise plays a critical role in our stress levels? Exercise reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in the body and causes the release of endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are like natural painkillers that also have mood-enhancing effects. If you’re fighting sleeplessness at night, daily exercise may help you sleep better, too, which in turn will give you more energy and brainpower to get you through those busy days.

Luckily, you don’t have to commit to lengthy workouts to enjoy these benefits. Try to sneak exercise into your day whenever possible, whether this means parking a few blocks away from the office or getting out for a walk during your lunch break. If you could use a bit of a push to get moving more often, consider buying a fitness tracker. For example, the Apple Watch series features workout detection and a built-in ECG so you can keep track of your day-to-day physical fitness and monitor your progress over time. The Fitbit Charge 3 is another great everyday fitness tracker that features sleep tracking and a long battery life, so you’ll only have to take it off once a week for a charge.

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is vital to our ongoing mental and physical wellbeing. Believe it or not, at least 30% of Americans get less than 6 hours of sleep every night, suffering the effects of sleep deprivation as a result. Getting too little sleep can negatively affect several of your key cognitive processes, including decision-making, judgment, and emotional control. Overall, being sleep deprived will make it much harder for you to cope with stressful situations at work and at home.

Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to get more sleep despite your busy schedule. Although you can’t train your body to get by on fewer hours of sleep, optimizing your sleep routine will help you waste less time in bed tossing and turning or waking up in the middle of the night. Try to give yourself at least half an hour before bed to step away from work and life stressors and let your mind wind down. Turn off electronics, steer clear of alcohol and caffeine, and engage in some relaxing activities. Find a few activities that help you de-stress before bed. For example, Bustle recommends practicing guided meditation, writing a to-do list for tomorrow, and taking a bath to wind down before bed.

Find Easy Ways to Eat Healthy

Like sleep and exercise, healthy eating is important for controlling stress and keeping us energized. But the most convenient meals are rarely the healthiest options. When you have very little time to grocery shop or cook, the best way to incorporate healthy options into your diet is by reaching for nutrient-dense snacks throughout your day. Veggie sticks, raw fruits, nuts, and seeds make great energy-boosting midday snacks. If you like to drink soda, consider switching to flavored sparkling water to cut some sugar out of your diet. Sugar is a serious stress-causing ingredient that contributes to inflammation and can even affect your mood.

It can be tough to care for ourselves when we’re juggling a bundle of work responsibilities and life obligations. The irony is that the busier and more stressed out we are, the more important it is to make time for self-care. Don’t sacrifice your health for your career. Find ways to work healthy stress-relieving activities into your daily life so you can feel great and hit the ground running every day.

About the Author: George Mears is a brain fitness expert, educator, and counselor. He is passionate about sharing his thoughts and research through his articles.

Contact George: george@brainwellness.info

Life Coach•personal growth•self care

The Ultimate List Of Self Care Ideas

Why does Self-Care matter? Taking time for “Me Time” is one the most important things you can do to support your health and overall well-being.

Yes.. life can be amazing and it can also have it challenges. By allowing certain stressors to invade our space it can ultimately inhibit our productivity and creativity. When we focus on these stressors, they create negative vibes and cause our stress and anxiety to rise.

Learning techniques to establish a positive mindset will help you avoid the major impact stressors can have in our life.

So let’s talk Self Care!

Self-care means taking time out from your busy day to focus on you! By taking action and making self care a priority, you begin to rejuvenate your mind and body. My goal in to inspire you to do those things that make you feel happy and healthy.

I recently came across a great article written by Josh Spector entitled: “Nobody Can Stop You from Getting Better” Josh explains in order to be a better person and follow through with any goal, you need to follow this basic formula. His formula is outlined into 8 simple steps. Click here to reveal his 8 Simple Secrets!

If it’s been a while since you have taken time for some self care… then I am giving you permission today to have some fun and do something you enjoy. I guarantee you will notice a significant change in how you feel and your confidence and motivation will increase.

To help you come up with some self-care activities, I have created the ultimate list of self-care ideas.

Start A Positive Diet

Related Topic: 50 Lifestyle Changes To Improve Your Health

The food you eat has a big impact on your physical, emotional, and mental health. If you haven’t already, I recommend looking into nutrition and starting a positive diet. One that includes healthy but yummy foods.

It’s important to enjoy the foods you love, however, look at labels and stay away from processed foods. I think you will be amazed how good you will feel when you limit your sugar and carb intake. These small changes will ultimately have a large impact on your overall well-being. When you take the time to nurture yourself, it can become part of your daily self care routine.

Use The Shower

Related Article: 15 Life Changing Books You Need To Read

A shower is a great place to go when you’re feeling stressed, upset or any other negative emotion. Set the mood of our room and do your best to achieve ambient lighting and light a candle. Turn on some relaxing music to tune out all the noise occurring in your mind.

Also, take a moment to declutter your shower space. There ‘s been a lot of research done which claims a decluttered space leads to a decluttered mind.

The shower itself should be warm to hot water. Hot water relaxes the muscles, the mind and will help melt away the physical stress.

Let the water rinse away all the negativity and allow yourself the freedom of letting it all go and letting it flow down the drain.

Now the shower may not solve all your problems, however, it is a relaxing self care routine allowing you to unwind and have some quality time for yourself.

Talk To Your Friends

Our friends can be a major source of self-care and being selective about who we can hang out with can play a major role in our self care activities.

Life it too short to hang out with the “Negative Nellies.” Surround yourself with the people who lift you up, support you and love you.

Remember negativity is contagious. Fill your life with friends who genuinely have your best interests at heart and challenge you to be the best version of yourself. By doing so, you will notice a difference in your attitude and how you navigate throughout your day.

Self care is about devoting time and attention to yourself which will ultimately lead to mental and physical benefits. It’s time to say good-bye to the drama kings and queens in your life!

Learn To Meditate

Related Article: Benefits of Meditating – Guide For Beginners

Meditation can be one of the most powerful tools for clearing your mind and spirit. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be religious or spiritual to meditate.

Meditation has a wide array of benefits both mental and physically and remember it will not cost you a dime and anyone can practice this technique.

If you decide to practice meditation as one of your self care ideas, be sure to schedule your meditation for the same time each day. Meditating works best first thing in the morning when our minds are quiet and clear.

There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Just keep it simple, maintain a sense of humor and make it personally meaningful.

So have you ever tried meditating? If not, what’s stopping you?

Go For A Walk

Related Article: 8 Ways To Reduce The Stress In Your Life

Going for a walk is a great self-care idea.

It removes you from your current situation and takes you to a new physical location. When you begin walking and feeling the ground beneath your feet, you become aware of your surroundings, you stay present in the moment and feel motivated and inspired.

As we tune into our senses and begin deep breathing, we start to notice the beauty of the trees, the birds whistling a familiar tune or the fragrance of vibrant flowers. This mindful walk gives you the opportunity to reboot, letting the stress and anxiety fade away.

A walk only takes only a short amount of time and can provide healing, transformation and relaxation.

Spend Time Writing

Related Article: 50 Journal Prompts For Self Discovery

You don’t have to be a professional writer to spend time writing. In fact, writing can be a great way to practice self-care.

Writing can be very relaxing.

Seriously… writing can be a very calming experience. You see you don’t have the revision anxiety and the inner critic chasing you down. There is more space to experience the moment and who knows where it will take you.

Remember, writing for self-care may be difficult for some of us, however, don’t force it and have a little fun with it. Some of our underlying resistance maybe the thought of trying something new or making the commitment to actually put something down on paper.

Writing can be an intimate and vulnerable all at the same time, whether you are a writer or not.

So, I would encourage you to approach writing for self-care with an attitude of curiosity. Nothing more or nothing less. Don’t think too hard and just be consistent.

Learn To Say No

Somewhere along the line, we learned to become yes people. We want to please all of those around us to the point that we are willing to say yes to tasks we simply can’t complete.

Learning to say no is one of the best self-care techniques you can adopt and it will take a large burden off your shoulders.

When Saying “No”

Be firm, polite and but not overly apologetic. This implies you are sympathetic, but will not change your mind if pressured.

Be clear. If you decide to tell the person you’ll get back to them, you leave the door open to the possibility you could change your mind. If you lead people to believe you will say “yes” later, they could pressure you to agree at a later date.

No excuses are necessary. Remember, you don’t owe anyone a reason why. You just say; “It doesn’t fit with my schedule” and this is perfectly acceptable.

Enjoy A Cup Of Tea

Tea is an interesting drink. It contains caffeine but still has the ability to calm us. There are a large variety of tea blends to select from and they all have different tastes and curative properties.

Relax with a warm cup of tea and sit somewhere quiet to focus on just one thing at at time.

It’s about making a date with yourself; whether its at home, at work or the outdoors. Pencil in time on your busy calendar and consider it an appointment.

Make sure you use the finest, premium-level of tea and pour into your favorite cup or mug. Now sit back, sip leisurely and allow the worries of the day to roll off your shoulders.

You will find the action of just sitting there, sipping your cup of tea can bring an extra bonus to your busy day.

More Ideas

Still, need more ideas? Here is a list you can utilize to improve your mind, body and soul when it comes to self-care.

Acupuncture
Adopt A Cat or Dog
Aromatherapy
Declutter Your Life (Physically and Emotionally)
Digital Detox/Retreat
Essential Oil Treatments
Laugh More
Being Prepared
Reading
Reduce Alcohol Intake
Regular Massages
Setting A Positive Sleep Routine

Self-care is important; it helps to keep us happy, healthy and energized. I hope you have found this list inspiring and you’re ready to make some changes to improve your overall well-being.

Love and Hugs, xo

Committment•Confidence•Life Coach•personal development

6 Time Management Habits Of Successful Women

Everyone wants to excel and be successful at something. Some of us want to be effective role models for our children, others want to be leaders at their professions, while others want to perfect their craft or hobby.

Then there’s those individuals who want to be successful at everything they commit to. But in order to be effective leaders, parents or role models, we need to develop the skill sets necessary to achieve our true potential.

Those who have been successful before us can lead us through their trials and tribulations and carve out a path we can emulate. We can look at the techniques and strategies they used and determine the least path of resistance.

One of the best places to start your journey to success is by learning time management skills. We get so busy being busy; browsing the internet, taking care of emails, spending time on social media, our time management skills suffer.

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Then at the end of the day we’re frustrated by our attempt to have a productive day but 5 pm rolls around and we contemplate what did we really accomplish?!

Today we are going to look at some of the top time management habits that successful people have used to power their efforts and be leaders in their industry.

Be Early, Not On Time and Not Late

One of the first things people need to understand, in order to become successful, is to be early. Planning to be on time leaves too much room for error. What happens if you get stuck in traffic, forget an item or get delayed in a parking structure? The stress and anxiety will increase and you will appear disheveled and winded when you arrive at your destination.

Remember this famous quote: “To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be forgotten.”

When you plan to be early, you have time to remain calm, take a few deep breaths and prepare yourself . From parties to work events, interviews or meetings this is a great habit to develop.

Some of the most influential people set their watches five minutes early to create a routine of showing up early at any event.

Get Enough Sleep

Does sleeping less allow you to become more successful? No! Plenty of people who are trying to become successful skip sleep in order to be more productive throughout the day. When you sacrifice even an hour or two of your sleep, you are harming your success.

Your sleep allows your body and mind to recharge and rejuvenate itself. Without a recharge, you will not be operating at 100%.

Successful people know sleep is essential and are committed to ensure they get enough rest each night. They also make their bedroom a sanctuary where they have a place to escape, relax and rest peacefully.

Exercise Regularly

Successful people know the connection between productivity, happiness, and exercise. They plan an exercise routine each day to fuel their mind and body. A lot of successful people begin their day with an exercise routine, this allows them to get their mind going, and their body energized.

Exercise is a loose term. You can do just about anything to release those endorphins. It can be power walking, yoga, riding a stationary bike, walking on the treadmill or hitting the weights.

Some individuals who need to stay committed take morning fitness classes. Decide what works best for you and stay focused on keeping your mind and body fit.

Turn Your Electronics Off

Cell phones, desk phones, and the internet are constantly distracting us and keeping us from performing at an optimal level. The average office worker spends a large portion of their day reading emails and texting on their cell phone. All of this time takes away from being productive.

At the start of your day, read through only the most important emails and respond to the most important calls. Then turn your electronics off.

If you need your computer in order to complete tasks make it a habit to keep the internet browser closed. It takes just under 25 minutes to refocus on a task after you have been distracted. On the road to success, you don’t need this distraction.

Get back to your less important digital distractions after you have accomplished the main tasks of the day.

Learn To Plan

Planning is important when it comes to success. Planning involves coming up with a one year, three year, five year and ten year plan. Don’t just plan it out in your head, write those goals down on paper.

Goals take on a whole new meaning when they appear in front of you in black and white. Then Commit.

Also write down how you plan on getting there. Without a roadmap, you just may repeat the same cycle over and over again. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan.

While planning is important remember to stay flexible. Life is dynamic and to change is to progress. When we adjust to it, we gain knowledge and wisdom. Stay open to change and allow it to come through.

Related: How To Set Goals and Achieve Them

Your priorities may change and you may fall behind but use is as motivation to get back on track and follow this new path to success.

Successful people also plan on the micro level, planning their days out to the hour. Sometimes to the minute. Learning to keep a calendar/scheduler can be a big productivity booster.

Even planning out time, such as when you will work on each task can be a significant benefit.

Read Books to Get Inspired

Reading is an essential element for success. Books contain a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from the individuals who authored them.

It’s about recapturing the fire and rediscovering your “WHY”? There is always a reason why we started in the first place but sometimes life throws us a curve ball which discourages us and makes us believe we are not capable of achieving our goals.

Take a step back and gain inspiration from a famous author. Anyone who has been successful has had failures, obstacles and roadblocks. However, the difference between a successful person and unsuccessful person is the person who came through the trenches and never gave up!

If your are feeling a little discouraged today; start an inspiration book and get your mojo back!! I want you to Stand tall, Stand proud and know you are unique and amazing!! Show them whose BOSS!

Remember: forming a daily reading habit will expand your knowledge and help you on your journey to success!

Time management is one of the most important skills you will learn. Unfortunately, most schools don’t prepare us to manage our time in the real world. Take these tips to mind and join other successful people by adopting these positive habits.

I am so happy you stopped by to create a Healthier New You!

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Love and Hugs, XO

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