MY FAVORITE (1-MINUTE) NERVOUS SYSTEM CALMING TOOL

Serenity now

Most of my clients are struggling to manage their stress in some way - it can manifest in irritability, overwhelm, time management issues, lack of sleep, anxiety, etc. We work on stress management in a number of different ways, but often the very first thing that needs to happen when doing this work, is an initial calming of the nervous system.

My favorite tool for doing this takes about 1-minute and provides immediate relief and long-lasting effects when done regularly. It’s called 4-7-8 Breathing, popularized by integrative medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Weil.

Here’s how you do it:

1: Gently touch the tip of your tongue just behind your top front teeth and let it rest there during the exercise.

2: Exhale all your air through the mouth, to start, through pursed lips, like you’re blowing up a balloon.

3: Close your mouth, and inhale through the nose (deep into the belly) for 4 counts

4: Hold your breath for 7 counts

5: Exhale all the air through the mouth again, through pursed lips, like you’re blowing up a balloon for 8 counts.

6: Do this for 4 cycles at a time.

It’s best to practice this exercise while seated (or lying down if you like), and if you can, before you start, take a moment to relax your shoulders and the muscles in your face. You can do it every morning and/or evening for proactive stress management benefits and in the moment whenever you’re stressed, just keep it to 4 cycles maximum each time.

This exercise is also excellent to do if you’re having trouble falling asleep.

Here’s a video of Dr. Andrew Weil demonstrating the technique.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you!

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5-MIN MORNING HACK THAT KEEPS YOUR BRAIN SHARP, YOUR STRESS LOW AND YOUR ENERGY UP

The 5-minute breakfast salad

It’s 11:30am, and even with your third cup of coffee you’re still dragging yourself through your morning meetings. Or worse - you’re so jacked-up and anxious that you’re having trouble focusing.

Whether your mornings are sluggish or adrenaline-fueled, you can flip the script and actually feel more:

→ Awake

→ Alert

→ Focused

→ Steady

I’ve got a bunch of tools for this but one is what I eat in the morning, and one of my favorites is my 5-Minute Breakfast Salad.

Greens in the morning aren’t for everyone, but if you can swing it - here are 4 reasons this salad is amazing for mental clarity and physical energy:

1. Protein

A protein-packed breakfast helps to keep your blood sugar stable, which in turn keeps your energy levels stable. Win!

2. Good fats

Healthy fats in foods like avocados and extra virgin olive oil help the brain function better, and since fat slows down the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream, they provide satiety while avoiding blood sugar spikes (which inevitably lead to blood sugar crashes.)

3. Antioxidants

Colorful fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants called phytonutrients which are excellent for cognitive function, and mental health support.

4. Dark leafy greens

The greens themselves, folks! Dark leafy greens support optimal brain function. They’re high in folate which is great for energy, mood and brain health. My favorites are baby arugula and baby kale - easier to digest than grown up kale or raw spinach.

Now for the best part - how to make this in 5 minutes:

→ Hard boil a bunch of eggs at the top of the week

→ Cut up your veggies at the same time

→ Buy pre-washed greens

→ Put it all together and enjoy.

WHY YOUR FEAR OF SAYING "NO" IS MAKING YOU EVEN MORE ANXIOUS

Just say no.

If you struggle with anxiety and setting boundaries, this is for you.

Saying “no” (whether it’s to your partner, your family, boss, your co-workers, your clients, even your employees) can be terrifying - and it might even feel as though it’s the actual source of our anxiety.

But did you know…

That the inability to say “no” to people is actually a trigger for anxiety?

If you allow people to take up more time/resources/space than you have to offer, the result can be to feel:

→ Overwhelmed

→ Frustrated

→ Irritated

→ Angry

This compounds when you’re already struggling with these emotions, and what you truly need is to create some space to care for yourself to start feeling better (in life and at work.)

Saying no to others can be essential so you can say yes to yourself.

To create the time and space to do things like:

→ Move your body

→ Prepare and eat healthy meals

→ Breathe

→ Rest

→ Play

If this was helpful, save it for when you need a little reminder.

3 REASONS MOST PEOPLE FAIL AT KEEPING A MORNING ROUTINE

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Ah, the morning routine….such a popular topic and (quite frankly) so misunderstood.

After spending years figuring out how to create routines that work for me (and helping others do the same), I’ve learned some thoroughly invaluable lessons about how to get ‘er done, even with an irregular schedule (late nights, early mornings, traveling etc…)

Let’s bust open 3 morning routine myths that will change the way you set yourself up for the day.

Myth #1: There’s an ideal morning routine

Immediately no. Just like everything else, your morning routine needs to work for you, where you are in your life, right now. When you try to keep a routine that doesn’t fit into your life, it’s easy to fail, get discouraged, and stop doing it altogether.

Myth #2: It needs to look exactly the same every day

Nope! If you have 5 minutes one day and an hour the next, let your routine change with real life. Gather up a few core items as your must-haves and adjust the time spent on each, as needed. If every day is exactly not the same for you, how can your morning routine be exactly the same? When you make it flexible, your routine fits into whatever your morning looks like and - boom - day won.

Myth #3: A morning routine starts in the morning

Let me ask you this - what kinds of decisions is your morning brain making? Hit snooze? Blow off the workout? When you set yourself up the night before, you’re already halfway there.

• Want to drink water right when you wake up? Set a full bottle on your nightstand before bed.

• Want to exercise? Lay out your clothes the night for one less excuse for not doing the thing.

• Want to start journaling? Put your notebook by your bed so you can do it right when you wake up!

What gets in the way of your morning routine and how you can set yourself up for success?

DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email if you need a little guidance (I freaking love talking about this stuff.)

3 WAYS TO COOK MORE TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN HAPPY AND YOUR STRESS LOW (EVEN WITH AN ERRATIC SCHEDULE)

One of the things with which my clients struggle is that they want to cook more, because they know it will help them feel better and think better and keep their stress levels in check. But they don’t always know how to prepare for the week because their schedule can be so up in the air. They might not know if they’ll need to travel that week (or not) or which nights they’re going to be home. As a result, they:

• Can’t plan their grocery store trips ahead of time

• Don’t want to buy perishable things (like produce) only for it to go bad before they can use it

• End up buying unhealthy processed items because they’re shelf-stable so they won’t go bad

These are very real concerns, and I’ve definitely been there. Cooking food at home more frequently is a hugely important way to increase energy, lower stress, heal your gut, etc. But often it’s easier said than done.

Here are 3 ways to actually have the ability to cook when you find the time (so you can avoid hitting Seamless yet again):

1: Stock your freezer

Shop when you can, and buy frozen or freezable foods that can be easily defrosted and cooked when you actually have the time. You can do this with meats, veggies and even sauces.

2: Create a stock grocery list of fresh items that you can order for delivery

This might sound obvious, but if you don’t have a good-for-you grocery list ready to go, you can find yourself in the store or on InstaCart in a panic. Having a tried and true list of items you know how to cook (and you know do great things for your body and brain) will help when you find you’ll actually be home to prepare a healthy dinner.

3: Go big and stay home

When you do find that you have some time to cook - cook a LOT! This goes back to your freezer tip. Cook extra proteins (i.e., two packages of chicken instead of one), extra veggies (i.e., two heads of broccoli or a few different kinds of veggies) and extra grains (double or triple that rice or farro recipe.) Eat from that batch while you’re home, bring some with you to the office or your on site and freeze the rest for the next time you need a fast healthy meal.

Save and share this post if you found this helpful and follow for more tips on how to make cooking with a busy schedule attainable (and maybe even enjoyable!)

3 WAYS TO TELL IF YOU'RE HEADING TOWARD BURNOUT

Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Burnout is emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic stress.

We all have a certain amount of stress in our lives, but when it gets excessive, or we let it go on for too long without addressing it, that’s when it can lead to burnout.

Does experiencing all these symptoms mean you’re definitely heading toward burnout?

Of course not - but trust me when I say that you do not want to find out…

I can tell you that after having been through the other side of burnout (and working with people who have experienced full on burnout), it is SO much easier to prevent it than fix it once it’s set in.

There are lots of tiny changes you can make to prevent stress from turning into chronic stress (and prevent chronic stress from turning into burnout)…

But the very first step is to notice the symptoms. Here are a few to look for:

1: You're having trouble focusing

You're usually on the ball like a ninja, but lately you've been feeling like you're struggling to concentrate because you're feeling unmotivated to do the things you usually love, in work and life in general.

2: You're too stressed to sleep

You either have trouble falling asleep or you can't stay asleep, because your brain is filled with ruminating thoughts that you can't seem to quiet down.

3: You're irritable or overreactive

You feel more sensitive than usual and you're struggling to control your emotions. You might be experiencing mood swings or snapping at the people around you, especially at work.

These are just 3 symptoms that can contribute to burnout if they're ignored.

But if you notice and address them soon enough, you can stop them from snowballing into something bigger.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to spot the signs of burnout early on, so you can get back to feeling your best and doing what you love.