by Lucy | Jun 20, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. -Psalm 29:11
Do you ever get the feeling that you might have put a little too much on your plate?
This, of course, happens literally when we are really hungry and find ourselves at a buffet or party and end up dishing up too much, especially when our eyes are bigger than our stomachs.
Feeling overwhelmed can also happen figuratively if you get excited about something and end up taking on too much at once. This may be followed by feeling a lack of motivation, discipline or confidence. Feeling overwhelmed by life is less about what’s going on and more often related to negative thinking.
Below are a few ideas to keep in mind when you feel overwhelmed:
Don’t sweat the small stuff – Day by day, week by week we all have busy lives, responsibilities, and unexpected disappointments. When we let the little annoyances, such as the unexpected bank fee or a last-minute cancellation get us down, we waste energy worrying about things that we cannot change.
I can stop worrying about: ______________________________________________
Connect with your emotional energy. If you, or someone in your family, has gone through a distressing health experience such as a cancer diagnosis or heart attack you know how emotionally exhausting those situations are. Other drains on our emotional energy include exciting stuff such as a job promotion, buying a new house or finding out you’re pregnant. Anything life-changing takes energy to process and absorb. During those emotionally charged weeks – good or otherwise – remember to be extra gentle with yourself.
I use emotional energy when: ___________________________________________
Recharge your batteries. In yoga last week, our wonderful instructor read a passage about the importance of recharging our batteries. We give, give, give all day at work and then go home and give more to our families. For myself, I recharge with yoga, walking (in the woods!), spending time with friends or cooking. Other people find energy by playing golf, doing artistic projects such as knitting or sitting back and enjoying their favorite TV show.
I recharge my batteries by: ______________________________________________
Get back to your happy thoughts. Whether you choose prayer, meditation, pranayama (breath practice), an upbeat radio station or your favorite book – the options are endless when choosing to get your mental state rebalanced.
I feel happiest when: ___________________________________________________
Food for thought:
The tragic attack in Orlando, FL shook the nation as with each horrible event of that nature. It’s all too easy to fall into a negativity black hole, but we can do better.
Let us unite in love, hope and peace by taking care of ourselves and creating the world we want to live in.
by Lucy | Jun 13, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
“Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces.”
-Judith Viorst
Do you remember the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst?
If not, it’s about a kid that experiences one horrible thing after the next, which turns into a very unfortunate day. From getting from waking up with gum stuck in his hair to getting punished after shoving the bully that called him a crybaby. Oh, and he is the only one that has a cavity when they visit the dentist.
We’ve all been there. The days or weeks it seems nothing is going our way and clearly the world is plotting again us.
I had one of those last week :-/. I’m okay, all is well (especially after a Daddy sushi date on Saturday!). Anyhow, I know how it goes to feel overwhelmed by the world.
This week I’m sharing some of my favorite tools in my toolbox that get me through the rough days. On the days you don’t want to “adult” anymore I hope you’ll find guidance, peace, hope or at least a smile from one of these resources.
–> Dr. Wayne Dyer – A brilliant motivational speaker, American Philosopher, and self-help teacher/author.
Here are Dr. Dyer’s Top 10 Rules for Success, which is a video (shared here) and a great book.
–> Amy E. Smith – Is a life coach and entertaining hostess of The Joy Junkie Show. She uses humor (some vulgarity) and inspirational tips to teach confidence, peace and self-love.
Here’s an episode I recently enjoyed, called 4 Ways to Love Yourself When You’re far from Where You Want to Be.
–> Chel Hamilton – A meditation and hypnosis specialist who provides free meditation tools through her podcast Meditation Minis.
Most recently, I found this message called The Trap: Breaking Free to be incredibly transformational.
Food for thought:
Life is good.
Life is also hard, messy, stressful, overwhelming, chaotic and exhausting.
In those times, try using a tool in your toolbox – or mine – to help get you to the other side.
Recipe of the week: Fish Tacos w/ Mango Salsa
Now in case the taco teaser has you craving tacos too…
I think these summer temperatures (like 101 degrees F, yesterday!) call for something light and refreshing, such as Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa.
This week’s recipe, Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, is brought to us by thelemonbowl.com.
by Lucy | Jun 6, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food. -Hippocrates
Recall your last truly enjoyable, savory and delightful meal.
•Think about where you were eating, who you were with and the emotions (happy, peaceful, festive, etc) you felt. Maybe it was at a fancy restaurant, home-cooked or down on the farm.
•Imagine the setting, tastes, and smells.
•Remember the conversation you enjoyed or the connection to nature (if your memory is also on a picnic, like mine!).
Chances are the meal experience you are imagining has nothing to do with the chicken sandwich from the drive-thru or energy bar and apple you ate while you were running from meeting-to-meeting last week.
Most of our meals are eaten as a reaction instead of an experience. Sometimes we eat because of the time of day, an attempt to cope with uncomfortable emotions, or out of habit – including mindless munching on the donuts your coworker brought to work.
How often do you eat and experience the food sitting in front of you?
Below are the first steps to trying out mindful eating for yourself.
(Modified from Eating with Fierce Kindness by Sasha Loring, M. ED., LCSW)
1. Find a minimally distracting place to eat, ideally a clean table set with utensils and a napkin.
2. After you set the food down, sit down and close your eyes to check in with your hunger level. On a scale of 1 to 5 identify how hungry you are – 1 and 2 are hungry, 3 is neutral, 4 is satisfied and 5 is full.
If you are feeling the urge to eat but don’t feel hunger check in on the emotional reason you want to eat.
3. Assess for stress. Do you feel relaxed? If not, take a few deep breaths, and focus on relaxing your muscles especially around the digestive system putting job throat and stomach.
4. Look at your food, notice what appeals to you such as the smells wafting from the plate. Take a moment to consider what went into this meal, including where the food came from, how it got to be on your plate. What do you appreciate about it?
5. Reassess your hunger level and sensations in the digestive track. Do you feel more or less hungry now?
6. Choose to take the first bite. After that, set down the fork, spoon or food item you’re holding and notice the taste, texture, temperature and so forth of what you are chewing. Pause to notice the compulsive reflex of how quickly you typically take the next bite or chew and swallow your food.
7. Continue enjoying the meal, including frequent fork breaks (FFBs) to stop and notice the flavors and reassess your hunger scale.
Food for thought:
A little challenging, huh?
No kidding, my first mindful eating experience – about 3 years ago – included a Facebook post halfway through where I decided that it just wasn’t for me.
Three years later, mindfulness and mindful eating have changed my life. Give it a try today to see how it can change yours too.
Recipe of the week:
On vacation last week, I had the most scrumptious turkey burger. It’s one of those foods I keep meaning to prepare myself – so let’s see how this flavorful option turns out!
This week’s recipe, Garlic Rosemary Turkey Burger, is brought to us by thenewhotess.com.
by Lucy | May 23, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. -Lucy Hayhurst
At the gym last week, I was watching a gentleman jump rope when his iPhone jumped out of his pocket and rolled onto the floor. This clearly wasn’t the first time it was dropped… The screen was already shattered.
I remembered when I bought my iPhone and decided to invest in the extra-strength case and screen protector in order to prevent a similar tragic ending.
The scenario got me thinking about how much hard work we put into regular exercise and consistently eating a well-balanced diet. Sometimes all it takes is one “wild weekend,” such as Memorial Day at the beach, your baby’s 1st birthday party or a road trip to visit the family, to unravel weeks or months of hard work.
In order to protect your hard work, WBN recommends implementing strategies or game plan to set yourself up for success.
Here are a few ways to stay on track no matter where this busy travel season takes you!
Well-balanced Starter Shake – Before a weekend enjoying “whatever!” I find it helpful to have a fruit and veggie packed smoothie each morning to kickstart my taste buds and my mind onto healthy eating choices.
Keep on tracking – Even if you do not want to write down or enter 10 chicken wings, a large order of onion rings and 4 beers into myfitnesspal, it is important to stick to the habits, such as a daily food journal, that keep us on track.
Don’t stop moving – Find ways to incorporate physical activity into your weekend getaways, during the birthday festivities or travel plans. One idea is to try this awesome website one of my clients shared with me: https://www.doyogawithme.com
Remember! A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest.
Food for thought:
Rest. Relax. Repeat.
How are you planning to relax AND stay on track this summer travel season?
by Lucy | May 16, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Be the change you want to see in the world. -Mahatma Gandhi
I had a great conversation with a colleague and friend of mine, Chan Little, about change. Chan is the owner of The 360 Approach, a boutique wellness studio offering personal training, fitness classes, health coaching, and more!
I asked her about if/how all of us could achieve her fantastic figure.
Her answer? Yes, you can achieve the body and physic you are looking for, as long as you want it bad enough. (Sure, our genetic tendencies will play a role too, but genes do not choose what we eat or how we exercise).
What change are you looking for?
A change in your weight? In your strength or athletic ability? Or maybe you want to feel more well-balanced with your food choices?
My desired change: _______________________
What’s the first step to making this change?
Do you need an accountability partner? Maybe some personal training and coaching from Chan at The 360 Approach? Do you need a plan of what to eat or strategies to make healthy choices?
My first step: _________________________
Who will help me make this change?
There are helpers in our life that want us to be happy and inspire us to be our best. Reach out to your helper(s) let them know what change are looking for and ask if they can help keep you accountable.
My helper is: __________________________
How will I stick with my changes?
Whether it’s a daily reminder, such as a picture at your heaviest, reminding you why you want to change. Or a journal you keep to track the success and progress from this change. Perhaps it’s a mantra written on a post-it note hanging on the bathroom mirror?
My daily reminder: _________________________
Food for thought:
For many of us, change is difficult.
If you really want it, and the change is that important, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
I believe you can and you will!
