Wow, this is such a wonderful day to celebrate I could not resist writing about it!
One of my favourite words is respect,when I briefly read what it said I was delighted and a bit saddened at the same time.
Why.... you ask, well its so fantastic to be more respectful to others but lets not forget about being respectful to ourselves.
Often people ask me 'what do I need to do do ensure I am respectful to myself?' The answer is easier than you think, just reverse all the things you do to others and ensure you do them for yourself.
The problem is that usually is easier said than done,we often find it less difficult to be respectful to others but somehow we dont deserve to do the same to ourselves.
Perhaps we feel guilty or embarrassed if we are respectful to ourselves as well,or even sense it might be rather egotistical.
The thing is its as important for a healthy happy life that we do these things for ourselves as well.
Be realistic with your personal expectations of yourself
Make sure you take proper meal breaks
Get plenty of sleep
Learnt to say no and set boundaries
Say how you are really feeling
Be Authentic, be yourself
Make time for fun
Let go of the 'negative self talk'
And the list goes on..... My suggestion is IF you make time for some of the above you will automatically feel a deeper sense of self respect which will ultimately positively affect others around you.
Did you know this is the last Bank Holiday before Christmas?
Bank holidays are generally precious to most people, families love to get together, the summer is almost ending, nights are drawing in, and most of us want to get the most of the day. The problem is, are our expectations for enjoyment just a bit too high? Very often if high expectations are not met, then it can lead to high drama if things don't work out as planned, disappointment sets in and we can often feel let down, hurt or not good enough.
My new school of thought for you to consider is:
Whatever happened to 'go with the flow' 'enjoy the moment' and just be present in the now.
Slow down
Give yourself a rest
Laugh at the simple things
Don't overbook yourself
Keep it simple!
We often don't realise how much we create the 'bad day' we end up experiencing. It is good to learn a new way of doing things. Just for today, let go of your high expectations of how it should be and just enjoy the ride.
How lovely to have a Best Friends Day. Most of us have got someone in our lives who has been there for us, whether it be a long-term childhood school friend, someone we have met in the workplace or even a beloved partner.
But your best friend really needs to be yourself. It may sound odd, to be your own best friend, but time and time again I have clients who say… they are their own worst enemy. How many people seem to speak badly about themselves, berating themselves when they make mistakes. Generally being unforgiving. Have unrealistic expectations of themselves, and seem to put everyone else first.
I would like to see more people be their own best friend. It generally comes back to self-love, self respect and self care. Aren’t we always brilliant at being there for others, almost addressing their every need, being kind, respectful and loving, without a thought for themselves.
When you start to practice being your own best friend you will really start to reap the benefits. Take some of your own advice, the sort of advice you would give to your best friend if they were feeling tired, exhausted or overwhelmed. And don’t feel guilty when you give yourself time out!
Maybe now is a good time to ask yourself, who your real best friend needs to be?
Well sometimes it just has to be done!
Light hearted fun and almost childlike is my theme for this weeks Blog.
How often are we too serious and don't stop to smell the roses and enjoy life a bit more?
Recently I went into town by bicycle, which I love, just cycling along the seafront looking at the beauty and expanse of the sea.
I had an appointment to paint my toenails and was due to cycle back home at a set time, but guess what? I had overshot the time and did not have time to let them dry properly.
Well in the big scheme of things it’s not exactly a big drama you might say, but I decided to cycle home with my bare feet.
I have to say it was such fun, the freedom of wearing no shoes and seeing my pretty red manicured toes was such a treat.
It reminded me of when I was a child and spent more time with shoes off than shoes on.
So my health tip for today is kick off your shoes, go barefoot, take up yoga, go for a paddle in the sea, walk on the grass, wiggle those pinkies, do whatever it takes to bring you back to the fun side of life.
I was a bit stumped at what to do for my health tip this week so decided to keep things simple and go back to the basics.
So with that in mind, in my experience, the real ‘Key to a healthy happy balanced life’ is adhering to these 12 simple principles.
I am living proof that anyone’s lives can be turned around, I was once stressed, inauthentic, overweight and tired a lot of the time,I ended up constantly trying to blame others for not helping me enough,having too high expectations of me and generally not understanding how hard life was for me.
I felt unsupported and disrespected, there came a moment in my life when things had to change, and it had to be ME!
I found the answers to my various problems by practicing the things below and I can honestly say I have never felt such self-love, self respect and contentment in my life before.
Learning to say no and ask for help
Practicing radical self care
Living in the present
Doing the next smallest right thing
Being grateful
Finding a sense of spirituality
Letting go of resentments
Learning to just be myself (Authentic)
Making time for fun
Enjoying loving relationships
Following your calling/purpose
Spending time in nature
So if you feel you are ready to make changes and would like some support, empathy and respect on your journey then contact me, I would love to work with you.
Its amazing how focusing on positive things or things we are grateful for can change our whole mindset!
Recently my son was in a terrible accident and nearly drowned as a result,he is a professional kite surfer and was in South Africa at the time.
I saw the video on BBC one which showed the incident and his miraculous recovery, it was really moving and emotional.
Its came to my attention following the show that I had been focusing on the worst part of the video and it upset me the past few days.
I appreciate it was shocking to see it for the first time but he has made a pretty much full recovery and thats what I really need to focus on today.
So my suggestion to everyone is to really focus on all the great things in your life and work on the things that need changing slowly and steadily.
In my experience its the way to a truly happy, healthy and more enjoyable life.
Today is (6th June) ‘Thank God its Monday day’ I bet not many people start their week feeling like that!
Wouldn't it be great if we could all feel happy on a Monday?
Well there are a few things that can help you feel happy on a Monday, one of the most important is to do a job you love and I feel blessed that I love my work and it makes such a difference.
I wake up eager to get on with my true purpose and it brings about a passion and excitement that helps to energize me.
Accepting also that some times we don't feel up to it after a nice weekend of rest is about being real, we cant ALWAYS feel great about Mondays.
Having a positive attitude and lots of gratitude is helpful and as my husband often says after a long Monday at work, ‘Sandra I am lucky to have a job’.
If you do not work then ensure you do something fun or that you love to start your week, I often go the the cinema which is fantastic for my mind and helps me lighten up a bit.
There is also plenty of research to suggest if people are suffering from depression having a-disciplined routine at the start of the week gets them into a happier cycle of thought.
So lets all look at making our weeks start on a happier footing by injecting some gratitude and doing more of what we love.
Feelings are the most incredible way of staying connected with our selves, yet most people are told at times in their lives they should not feel the way they do,they then often push down feelings.
Pushing them down can then lead to anxiety and dis-ease in our bodies, as a Health Coach one of my purposes is to help people understand that feelings need to be PROCESSED.
Only when you truly feel what you feel can you move forward into solutions, our feelings really need to be respected.
Many of my clients find just talking about how they feel about life situations is a massive relief in itself and can often lead people to quicker solutions instead of being trapped with negative energy.
So whether you are happy or sad, frustrated or lonely, the sooner you are able to recognise the feelings the sooner they will pass.
I just LOVE my work it's the most amazing exhilarating thing to have a special purpose.
My mother told me when I was a child everyone has a special gift, she said Ihad the gift of the gab ( Bless me,I didn't know it meant I talked a lot).
I remember getting excited and soon found out it was not so great, as I grew older I felt a need to pursue my calling/purpose and found a career as a Nurse. Ironically it is all about communication to others and ultimately now as a coach/Public speaker as well,I realise I WAS actually gifted in the speaking department!
So if youLOVE what you do and believe you are good at it then whatever it is you are on the right track.
The three main litmus tests are.
1.Do you feel a sense of purpose and fulfilment when you are doing it?
2.Does it make you happy?
3.Do you enjoy it?
If the answer is yes just keep on and don't worry about success or money ( tough as that might be) just keep on keeping on.
I changed career when I was 47 and it was the most wonderful thing I have ever done,I had to be so brave but the force behind me (and my faith in my purpose) kept me driving forward even in the tough times.
So my suggestion is find what you LOVE and never give it up, a life working towards your purpose will be a life of deep joy and fulfillment.