Wellness Blog
Dive into our wellness blog to discover transformative self-care strategies and mindset shifts, designed to empower you on your journey to stress reduction, self-validation, and achieving your fullest potential.
Breaking Free from People-Pleasing: A Guide for Empowered Women
March 5, 20204
In the spirit of Women's History Month, let's dive into a topic many of us grapple with: the tendency to be people-pleasers. It's a common narrative for women to default to "YES," wear a perpetual smile, and embody the ultimate "nice" persona. However, the pursuit of meeting everyone else's expectations is not just exhausting; it overshadows our true strengths and resilience as women.
As a life coach devoted to self-care and stress reduction, I've seen firsthand the impact of people-pleasing on our well-being. For me, acknowledging my habit of prioritizing others' happiness over my own was a crucial wake-up call. It's a journey, and while I'm not claiming mastery, I'm committed to putting myself first, step by step.
Here's how I'm tackling it:
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Awareness of Social Dynamics: Understanding your people-pleasing patterns is step one. Reflect on your interactions—are they genuine, or are you seeking approval?
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Identify Your Needs: Look back at your conversations. Did you express your needs, or were you more focused on others? Recognizing your own needs is a significant move towards authenticity.
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Validate Yourself: Embrace self-validation. Remind yourself of your value before any interaction. Remember, conversations aren't performances. Speaking slowly allows you to tune into your feelings, helping you resist the urge to please.
This journey towards self-awareness, validation, and empowerment underscores our incredible capacity as women. By acknowledging our needs and affirming our worth, we're not just moving away from people-pleasing; we're stepping into our power.
As National Sleep Awareness Month winds down, it's time to spotlight a widespread issue many of us face: the quest for restful sleep. Despite knowing how vital good sleep is to our overall well-being, achieving it can feel like an elusive goal. Quality sleep is the cornerstone of being kind, connected, and vibrant throughout our days.
If you're asking, "How can I improve my sleep?" you're not alone. While personalized solutions are often the most effective, there are universal strategies everyone can try to begin their journey toward better sleep:
Unlocking the Secrets to Restful Sleep: Insights and Tip
March 26, 20204
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Invest in Your Bed: Your mattress and linens play a crucial role in sleep quality. Considering we spend a third of our lives in bed, investing in high-quality, breathable bedding is a foundational step to enhance rest.
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Mind Your Thoughts: Difficulty falling asleep often stems from a restless mind. Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your thoughts without judgment, and trust your body to know when it's time to rest.
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Adjust Gradually: If you aim to retire earlier, try advancing your bedtime by 10 minutes every few nights. Small shifts can significantly improve your sleep patterns over time.
Through my work with clients experiencing insomnia, I've seen remarkable transformations. Imagine adjusting your bedtime from midnight to 10 PM and elevating your sleep satisfaction from a 3 to a 7 out of 10 in just two months. These changes don't just improve sleep; they positively affect nutrition, stress levels, and physical fitness.
The key to success is experimenting with different strategies and
developing a sleep plan tailored to your individual needs.
Physiological sigh
When was the last time you cried or saw a little kid crying?! We all know how much of a relief a good cry is! It really chills us out when we breathe in, take an extra quick sip of air in, and then release a long breath out.
That's the physiological sigh. It's a natural biological process AND it's the fastest way to calm the nervous system.
It's simple. Let's do it together now. It's a big breath in through the nose, then an extra sip of air to inflate the lungs a bit more, and a sigh out the mouth. So nice.
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I teach this technique to hundreds of healthcare workers each month and it keeps them calm in stressful moments. When I take physiological sighs throughout the day I am more grounded and less overwhelmed.
I'll be bringing you simple and practical mindfulness tools to clear your mind on Tuesdays. The more we thread in meditation and mindfulness during the day, the more at peace and happy we are.
January 24, 2023
Calming racing thoughts
A racing mind is the 2nd most common barrier that keeps people from meditating.
We just have too many thoughts. 1 million is the most common guess. Sometimes it feels like we have 1 BILLION thoughts!
Who wants to sit quietly and observe unhelpful, obsessive, ruminative, negative, and worrisome thoughts!? Ain’t nobody got time for that.
It doesn’t have to be this way! First let’s get a few things straight. ​
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We think **at most** 60,000 thoughts a day. Not as bad as 1 million!
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Thoughts are NOT facts. You don’t need to agree with them or believe them or let them take you on a downward spiral.
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To slow your thoughts you need to slow down your body. Right. Now.
When you’re starting a mindfulness or meditation practice, (please) don’t bite off more than you can chew. The first step is awareness.
See if you can notice the content of your thoughts the next time you feel overwhelmed. There is no need to change anything. Simply add awareness to your day to day.
Little by little you might notice the space between thoughts. You got this!
January 30, 2023
Choosing happiness
I’m back from spending a week at a writing workshop in the safe space of Kripalu Yoga Center eating nourishing food, meeting fascinating people and sharing my story. I was nervous and unsure that the workshop would be worth my time (and money) but I returned empowered and encouraged to write my memoir. AKA... it went really well!
Meeting 20 adults from across America meant I got hit with, “Damn! You have so much energy, Liz!” and “You’ve been through a lot of hardship. How do you manage to keep a smile on your face?”. Those questions don't just get asked on vacation. I am asked them daily. And NOW it’s time to spill the beans.
I stay happy and energized by keeping everything in perspective and by practicing gratitude. Yup! It's pretty simple. Here's the nitty gritty.
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Perspective - It's the idea that everything changes...because it's true. To feel more alive we should be considering the bigger picture and processing our grief (the little losses like finishing the last scoop of coffee) every day. So I do that. I also reframe situations by putting myself in the teeny tiny shoes of a 4 year old. I pause to ask myself, “Will this matter in 5 minutes…. 5 days…. 5 years?” Perspective keeps me grounded.
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Gratitude - Look at your hands. THEY ARE AMAZING! If you have two working hands, you are so blessed. Now, feel your next in and out breath. Every breath we take has 1 Septillion (that’s a billion, BILLION) molecules. You are a MIRACLE walking around in a flesh body. Mic drop. Being grateful for the small and large miracles in our life is a direct path to happiness.
So what spin can you put on a challenging situation? What are you grateful for right now? What are YOU committed to doing that keeps your mind in the present moment?
I am committed to making a flower garden out of manure. FYI, it’s a metaphor... I don't have access to manure. I am committed to writing my memoir in 2023 as a way to heal. I am committed to telling my loved ones that I am grateful for them.
February 7, 2023
Supporting your heart
This week let's talk about information overload. Do you feel overwhelmed and distracted by dozens of emails, upsetting news, and hundreds of cell phone notifications? Is burnout bringing you and your team down?
By the way, your cell phone is just a tool and although there are "a thousand engineers on the other side of the screen working against you", you don’t have to live in chronic stress anymore. (P.S. I suggest reading Johann Hari's book Stolen Focus to reclaim your brain power).
We can make daily shifts to increase focus and reduce distraction. Make changes today with these two practices.
1. Figure out what is distracting you.
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Is it overthinking?
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Social media?
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Worrying?
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Wordle?
Distractions and interruptions are not the same for everyone. Spend 3 minutes making a list of your barriers. Once you’re clear on what’s holding you back, practice self-compassion to reduce the energy of the distraction. See if you can put physical space or time between you and the object, person or thought.
2. Clean your environment.
The more chaotic our living and working environment, the more messy our inner environment. Give your mind a break and clean up your space. Keep what you absolutely need on your desk such as a computer, pen, and water. The more cluttered your physical space, the more your gaze will orient away from your assignment.
February 14, 2023
Unfocused and overloaded?
This week let's talk about information overload. Do you feel overwhelmed and distracted by dozens of emails, upsetting news, and hundreds of cell phone notifications? Is burnout bringing you and your team down?
By the way, your cell phone is just a tool and although there are "a thousand engineers on the other side of the screen working against you", you don’t have to live in chronic stress anymore. (P.S. I suggest reading Johann Hari's book Stolen Focus to reclaim your brain power).
We can make daily shifts to increase focus and reduce distraction. Make changes today with these two practices.
1. Figure out what is distracting you.
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Is it overthinking?
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Social media?
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Worrying?
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Wordle?
Distractions and interruptions are not the same for everyone. Spend 3 minutes making a list of your barriers. Once you’re clear on what’s holding you back, practice self-compassion to reduce the energy of the distraction. See if you can put physical space or time between you and the object, person or thought.
2. Clean your environment.
The more chaotic our living and working environment, the more messy our inner environment. Give your mind a break and clean up your space. Keep what you absolutely need on your desk such as a computer, pen, and water. The more cluttered your physical space, the more your gaze will orient away from your assignment.
February 21, 2023
What is meditation?
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Meditation is best defined as non-distraction. It is a practice where you are not adding to your life. You are not doing more.
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In many guided meditations you cease to move your body and you close your eyes so you can better focus on one experience such as the sensation of breathing.
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Thoughts will arise as you sit and breathe. Even judgmental thoughts about thoughts will arise! Thoughts are not a problem. However, when you notice anything except the breath such as thoughts or sounds or body sensations, then you refocus our attention on the breath.
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You refocus on the breath over and over.
The above is what’s known as breath meditation and it is a concentration practice. Note the word concentration. It is a specific type of meditation. In concentration practice you are intentionally trying to focus on one thing.
Benefits of concentration meditations include
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focus
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calm
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smoothness of emotional states
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rewarding feelings of subtly in the body
FYI, the more focused you are in your life, the more present you are at work and intentional with those you love. the more peaceful you are, the more pleasant you are to be around. Skills gained from focused concentration practice help you become better in your everyday life.
The above benefits are incredible and I have a SECRET! The aim of meditation is actually to increase ... mindfulness! With very little practice your mindfulness can increase quickly. Next week I will define and debunk “mindfulness” because meditation is enough to work on this week.
So where do I start?!
Studies show that 12-minutes a day can improve life satisfaction. Get started today and listen to my new concentration practice.
But what if I don’t have 12-minutes to meditate?!
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That's fine. Not having much time is the BIGGEST barrier to meditation. You don’t necessarily need 12-minutes to feel the positive effects of meditation. Take 30 seconds and choose to focus your awareness on 3 cycles of breath. That practice is strengthening the skill of concentration.
Let’s pause again because I need to affirm that being in a state of non-distraction in 2023 with cell phones and emails and media and expectations to do everything and be everywhere at once is really hard.
Here's an even easier focus practice.
Consistent short moments of focus practice go a long way. When you are in a state of calm today try noticing the sensations in your nose from one inhale and one exhale. If that is doable, try it again in the evening.
Keep up the great work!
February 28, 2023
What the heck is mindfulness?!
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You know what it’s like NOT to be mindful, right? My previous roommate would often joke, "I’ll be mindless and you can be mindful”. When you are not mindful you may feel detracted, on autopilot, not present in your own life, and you might miss the beauty of the blossoming buds.
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**Mindfulness is the practice of paying careful attention to what’s arising on its own**
Let's pause. What is preventing you from paying attention?? Is it your racing mind that launches you into stories, negative thinking patterns, memories and catastrophes?
In mindfulness, you acknowledge that you get lost in thought (it's completely normal) and that getting lost in thought makes you unaware of the chosen object or experience that you're trying to be present with.
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In meditation you practice the skills of mindfulness by choosing to be aware of an experience such as breathing and when you're lost in thought, you kindly come back to the breath
Mindfulness of Thinking
This practice quickly opens you up from being mindful of breath, body sensations and emotions to being mindful (without judgement) of thoughts themselves. It’s normal to think thoughts are destructive, manipulative and personal, however, the truth is they are just experiences arising in consciousness.
Thoughts are not your enemy. When you notice that thoughts are simply arising, changing and disappearing, you see they hold no more importance than the changing breath or body.
This all sums up to mindfulness practice is about being more equanimous with all changing sensations.
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With as little as 5-minutes of practice three days a week of choosing a focus and being kind to yourself when thoughts distract you, you become less attached and less preferential.
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Mindfulness Practices
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Below are four steps that have helped me be more mindful and equanimous.
1. Get clear on what prevents you from being mindful.
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Is it overthinking?
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Work responsibilities or caretaking?
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Overwhelm or worry?
2. Journal what you want to be mindful of or when you want to be mindful. For example, do you want to be mindful of how you present yourself in meetings? Do you want to be mindful when you're with your kids or more mindful when you’re walking?
Notice what the lack of mindfulness is impacting in your life. Are you experiencing feelings of agitation and rushing, or is mindlessness ruining an important relationship?
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The power of our brains enables us to control our perception and point our attention to what we want to be mindful of.
Your brain is SO powerful.
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3. Choose 1 thing to practice being more mindful of. Let’s say this March you want to eat more mindfully. Your solution might be to slow down before choosing your lunch. Applying quick strategies to track progress makes change easier to continue so record on your phone or in a notebook how your experience changes during the mindful meals.
4. Give yourself grace. Whenever you notice you’re lost in a thought spiral or you “did that annoying thing you're trying not to do”, pause and be kind to yourself. Simply start again without a cruel inner narration by trying the mental note, “it’s okay!” and celebrate every time you do this!
Mindfulness Resources
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If you prefer learning via video, check out my 8-minute YouTube video on mindfulness including a 30-second mindfulness practice that strengthens presence.
Learn the skill of mindfulness in my 5-minute guided meditation.
WHY does meditation enhance creativity?
The brain needs a chance to do 2 things.
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To focus (to concentrate on one thing)
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To be open where you eliminate judgments about how things have impacted you in the past.
A fancy way of putting it is the brain generates creative ideas through divergent and convergent thinking. Convergent thinking where there is one answer and getting to it requires FOCUS.Divergent thinking is when you take a concept and think in new ways which requires OPENNESS.
Open Monitoring
The way to support creativity is open monitoring meditation where you start by focusing on your natural breath and then you open up to all experiences without preference and judgement. Open monitoring meditation reduces involvement in brain regions related to memory function. When you suppress memory, there are more possibilities of what could be.
How to do it
Sit with eyes closed and allow whatever surfaces in your mind surface. Practice non-judgement by just watching and taking inventory. That's it!
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Let's get our juices flowing!
In 2023 I got my website up, I started my Youtube channel and I'm writing the introduction to my memoir. I'm feeling creative as heck.
I want to hear from you! Please reply to this email with ...
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What will YOU do with more creativity?
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What creative projects are you working on?!
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What's your creativity dream?!
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More resources!!
My newest open monitoring meditation guides you step by step to being more creative and try open monitoring in my guided YouTube video if you prefer to learn by video.
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March 14, 2023
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Mindfulness Increases Creativity
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Creativity rocks!! When I changed careers from Architecture to Wellness, I worried I would lose my creative edge. What I didn't realize was that my meditation practice was keeping me creative! My meditation practice gives me the mental clarity to easily create content, podcasts, youtube videos and manage dozens of coaching sessions each week. Creativity has improved my social life and my work life. It improves my mood and it’s fun!
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Self-doubt Stinks
Do you experience self-doubt? Do you lack self-trust? Do you put too much pressure on yourself ? #storyofmylife. If so, you are A-OKAY. In fact, you’re a normal human just like myself. Stick with me this month and learn to take better care of your beautiful self.
Today we eliminate self-doubt
I started my podcast in December 2021 with the expectation that it would be a little “side project”. I doubted that anyone would listen so I set the bar low. I didn’t want to let myself down and be a total embarrassment so I only shared the link with close friends.
Soon after launching I celebrated the first subscriber. Then I celebrated 5 views a day. Then I celebrated the 100th download. Acknowledging these little wins kept me motivated and creating content.
Then what? Now, I have viewers from over 67 countries!!
How do I banish self doubt?
Every day I celebrate my successes. I pause to think or write down three things I did that went well. They don’t have to be enormous things like presentations that went perfectly. I celebrate when I take my full lunch hour. I celebrate when I say “thank you” to the person who opened my door. By reminding myself of how much I HAVE done, I’m rewiring my brain to look out for more examples where I am in control of my wellbeing.
I also capture compliments. Have you ever dismissed someone who told you they liked your idea, or complimented your new hair cut? Accepting a compliment is a gift to another person and accepting compliments is a way to take in our goodness. I spend a few extra seconds feeling the goodness of my clients compliments by writing them down. The process of writing down compliments gives me a few extra moments to accept and appreciate my strengths.
Here’s a teeny prompt. I challenge you to celebrate yourself and email me your answers!
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What’s one thing that you did that worked out today?
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What’s one compliment someone said to you about your personality or talents in the last month?
The little stuff matters. Keep up the great work!
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March 21, 2023
Instilling Self-trust
I grew up knowing that my Dad was an excellent writer and his father was an author. And although I loved writing as a kid, I got more and more insecure about my spelling and my intelligence in my teens. Since then, I didn’t trust that I could be or that I was a writer.
When I became a registered Yoga Instructor in 2013, I had to keep a journal for three months. Amazingly, I made it a habit and I’ve been journaling daily ever since 2013. As I go through 40 journals from the past 10 years, I realize that the truth has been in front of me this whole time. OF COURSE I’m a writer!
When I believed my limiting thoughts that I am "not a good writer", I felt awful and unworthy. When I questioned my thoughts and paused to sit and listen to my body, I felt clear.
Being with the body can be hard. I controlled my body and my gut for as long as I can remember until 2021 when I decided to make the change to appreciate and support my body.
As I befriend my body, I feel what I need to do. This year my gut (not my brain) told me I needed to go to my first writers workshop. And now I’m going to be a published author!
So how did I befriend my body?
Well that’s a long story and you’ll find out in my memoir. ;) ;) How do I maintain my positive relationship with my body and use it as a conduit for wisdom?! That I can tell you now.
I move mindfully within the first 30-minutes of waking so I can assess what it needs and spend time with something that is real. (Our thoughts are not facts. Our body gives us LIVE information)
The below Yoga Therapy practices are my SECRET to my energy and self-confidence.
I support my spine
Our spine is the central support structure. It moves in 7 ways. The spine lengthens, curves forward, arches back, moves to the left and the right and twists left and right. Pairing these spinal flexions with breath lubricates the muscles along the spine and maintains our bodies flexibility. Try these movements now! And please don’t do anything (ever) that causes pain.
I do joint lubrication
Joint lubrication makes me feel alive. Here's the 3 minute sequence I do every morning.
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Start by standing and rolling one ankle at a time in both directions. Then point and flex your feet. If you aren’t wearing shoes press up onto your toes and get those toes energized!
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Bend your knees and do the wobble. Aka take your knees together and rotate the knees in a circle. This should make you smile and giggle.
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Then stand hips distance apart and do hips circles like your hula hooping. P.S. opening up the hips reduces lower back pain. It's a win-win.
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Next do some shoulder rolls in both directions.
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Next goal post your arms and lubricate the elbows - make a lasso movement.
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Then interlace your hands and make figure 8s. Then flick your fingers.
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Last, take your arms by your side. Breathe in and look to the left slowly. Exhale and take your head back to center. Breathe in, look right. Exhale back to center.
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Pause.
My PRO TIP is to gently move your spine as much as possible during the day. You can do this in the car or in the subway or on a phone call.
You can lubricate your joints during the day too. I roll my ankles and wrists on my zooms call because no one can see me.
I teach spinal mobility and joint lubrication every day at the Hospital. Employees LOVE it. The above sequence makes people feel more relaxed, loose and they laugh!
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March 28. 2023
How to Reduce Self-pressure
This week we release self-pressure so we can relax.
A little bit of pressure can be a good thing.
Pressure helps us finish the project by the deadline and appropriate personal pressure motivates us to get off the couch and run.
But what happens when we put too much pressure on ourselves?
Do you remember when in March 2020 the only request was to slow down, be safe and stay home?
Well, I put that request on mute and accepted a job at a hospital and since then I’ve been in the pressure cooker for a long, long time.
Here’s how we know the load we are carrying is too heavy:
1. When our body hurts and our shoulders are up to our ears. When we are hunched over and when we feel constant upper back pain.
2. When we have the “save the world” mentality.
Not only does the weight of the world physically cause us pain, but we feel emotional pain when we think the solution is all up to us. It's the feeling that if we don’t send that email right now (even though it’s due tomorrow) everything will fall apart.
In 2020 I thought I was saving the world by coaching front line staff and helping them get better. I was addicted to giving and I was not taking care of myself.
If serving others (people or your organization) is negatively impacting our health, that’s when we know the load is too heavy.
3. Thinking we’re not enough.
We’ve all been stuck in a habit loop of feeling inadequate and overwhelmed from by a culture of toxic productivity. When more is never good enough.
When I started Coaching almost 3 years ago, I struggled with imposter syndrome and I connected my self worth with metrics. I thought 99 clients wasn’t enough, 5,000 podcast listens wasn’t as much as my friend's podcast, and 35 likes on Instagram was half as good as last time.
If we think we’ll be happy "when" we make more money or if we notice we keep raising the bar to unrealistic heights, that is when we know our load is too heavy.
Here’s how we lighten the load so we can breathe and be pain free :
1. Move.
We need to get out of our head and into our body. Our bodies were meant to move, not be in pain. Pain is information that we need to make a change.
When we bend forward during the day (texting, pushing, pulling and typing) we are hurting our spine. Our tight shoulders and back are due to our overstretched back body and under stretcher front body. My mind was blown when I learned this from Integrated Positional Therapy.
I had chronic shoulder pain for 10 years up until this January when I decided to change my posture and take the load off.
*Mindfulness Tip* Stand with your hands behind your back as much as possible during the day. Use the mantra, "open the front, strengthen the back"
2. Express gratitude for the simple stuff.
If you’re reading this, then you’re breathing. That’s a miracle.
I was doing what Cornell counselors call “discounting the positive” (which is when we only see what's wrong) until my business coach helped me realize how much I’ve done and encouraged me to rest versus burn-out.
*Mindfulness Tip* Close your eyes, place your hand on your heart, and notice the rise and fall of your breath in your chest.
Since opening my chest during the day, I no longer feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. I decided 2 decades is enough to push myself to my limits.
I committed to launching Liz Coaches and having love for myself and my accomplishments vs comparing my outcomes to others.
I am grateful for mindfulness practices that strengthen my body, and re-wire my brain away from unhelpful thinking patterns.
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April 4, 2023
How to be happier
Research says “happy people prioritize things that make them happy”. Sounds simple! Our goal is to achieve hedonic happiness which are experiences of pleasure and enjoyment.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to find pleasure in this world of distraction, discontent and comparison.
Since Buddhism says "comparison is the opposite of joy", how do we cultivate joy in our lifetime?
Research says “happy people prioritize things that make them happy”. Sounds simple! Our goal is to achieve hedonic happiness which are experiences of pleasure and enjoyment.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to find pleasure in this world of distraction, discontent and comparison.
Since Buddhism says "comparison is the opposite of joy", how do we cultivate joy in our lifetime?
Here are three mindfulness tools to cultivate joy :
• Get clear on what makes you happy. Use meditation as an opportunity to pause and gain clarity on your definition of joy. My latest Podcast “How to be happy and enjoy life", is available on Spotify or Apple, and it guides you to happiness through relaxation and reflection.
• Once you’ve clearly identified one to three experiences that bring you joy, schedule 5-30 minutes for the activities this month.
• Share one thing that brings you joy. Sharing reinforces the habit of happiness. Reply to my email and share one little thing (like coffee!) that brings you joy!
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April 11, 2023
Healing from Anxiety
Anxiety is "an alarm in the body that drives overthinking and worrisome thinking".
Anxiety is an experience that I know well.
For me, anxiety presents as over productivity. It can also present as thought spirals and paralyzing overwhelm.
Doctors see anxiety as a body issue meaning in order to heal, we must heal old wounds.
Meditation, yoga, and journaling can be effective strategies to manage anxiety. However, in order to heal fully, we need to go into the body and connect to our younger self who needs support.
We must feel our way to healing vs making sense of anxiety in our mind.
Although I'm a Wellness Coach, I'm also a human and I too must practice tuning into my body when I get anxious.
Here are five steps that help me heal from anxiety. I suggest you follow along on my Podcast.
• Find safety in your body. Lie down or sit comfortably.
• Connect with the location of your 'anxiety alarm'. What does it feel like? The younger self who needs support resides in this place. Befriend this wounded part by placing a hand on the part of your body.
• Explore where in your body you feel comfort, safety and ease.
• Bring a happy image and experience of your younger self to mind.
• Support the younger self with self-compassion such as a soft smile on your face or hand on that part.
Pause to notice how you feel after this exercise which is inspired by work of Dr. Russell Kennedy.
I invite you to enjoy my latest meditation 'Healing from Anxiety' on Apple and Spotify as I guide you through these steps.
To connect with your full self during the day, consider this strategy I - keep a photo of your younger self in your office or on your phone to touch into your goodness.
I welcome you to email me and let me know what you will do today to heal from anxiety.
April 18, 2023
Lessons in success
Today, I want to share a lesson that’s contributed to my success.
When she first recited these three words in January, I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t help but think that my business coach was speaking mumbo jumbo. But when my integrative health coaching mentor spoke the same three words last Friday, I heard clarity. His words felt touching, soothing and spot-on.
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“Trust the process”. They both (lovingly) suggested.
The world has been telling me to slow down, lean in and trust that growth is a process. It’s a process that takes time. That takes vulnerability. That takes thinking and seeing differently.
I realize that in order to trust the process and grow (my business, my relationships, and my own development) I must use these tools : rest, reflect and take risks.
Rest - Figure out a practice of rest that works well for you (I.e. walking, reading, or meditating) and do it instead of piling more on your plate.
On my journey to becoming a certified resiliency trainer in 2022, Dr. Sood taught me (from his 20 years of research at Mayo Clinic on resilience) that our brain tires after 60-minutes. In order to produce, we must pause between tasks.
How do I practice? Since getting my restorative yoga certificate in March, I've been practicing holding restorative poses for 8-minutes and I'm loving the renewed energy and productivity that immediately follows!
Reflect - Think of a time that your mentality was “go with the flow”, when you allowed yourself to be guided, when you didn’t control everything AND it all worked out surprisingly well!
One of the 7 principles of mindfulness is is non-striving and accepting things as they are.
How do I practice? The moment I let go of how I thought building my business “should” look, all the pieces came together. I deliberately remind myself of the experiences where spaciousness served me so I can keep moving forward.
Risk - Just do the thing you’ve been wanting to do! When we trust the process, we are more confident and less worried about mistakes or consequences.
Benjamin Hardy, Author and Psychologist, says 10x growth is easier than 2x growthand that every lesson will be learned when we are ready to learn it.
How do I practice? In meditation I focus on my goals, celebrate my successes and visualize my next steps.
How will you rest today?
What limited beliefs do you need to let go of to let your guard down?
What will you do today that scares you?
Trusting the process of learning and growing doesn’t happen overnight.
Since practicing these tools for the past 5 months, I trust what’s going to happen is what needs to happen. If trusting yourself and the world sounds appealing, I welcome you to tap into trust and listen to my latest guided meditation.
May 20, 2023
You can change your destiny
I know your time on Earth is valuable. But do you know what is the most valuable? Your health. Without health ... well ... you know how to finish that sentence.
What if I told you that our state of health is in our control?
Every action we take changes our epigenome. The epigenome is a set of compounds that modify our set of genes.
Per Mark Hyman, this means that every nutritious meal, every minute of exercise, every warm relationship, every toxin, every supportive thought, every night of adequate sleep and every stressor either positively or negatively influences our health.
We have an enormous ability to change these inputs. (MIC DROP!)
Since I learned about epigenetics in 2015, I mindfully make healthy choices - like waking a walk for 5-minutes versus staying seated - because I know that these choices move me closer to health and further from dementia, diabetes and heart disease. I take care of my health because I value time in good health with my friends and family.
Why do you want to be healthy? Let me know!
• Email your reply, i.e. "for my family" or "because I love being alive!"
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What's one health behavior you're willing to improve right now? Let me know!
• Switch your thinking to believing that making small lifestyle adjustments matters and trusting that your choices will make you healthier by reducing aging, inflammation and gene expression.
May is mental health awareness month which reminds us that we must create habits that support our mental health. To receive support in taking control of your health, reply back and learn how 1:1 health coaching can help you make positive changes.
Hey! Did you know I'm teaching complimentary classes? My next class on 'how to meditate' is on 6/17 - please join us! I invite you to follow my wellness journey on instagram and facebook, and relax with my mindfulness podcast.
In this week's recommended read, 'Young Forever' by physician Mark Hyman, you'll learn solutions to how to live stress-free with mobility and joy. Please support your local bookstore or consider buying a used book to #savetheplanet.
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May 27, 2023
How to reclaim your attention and finally focus!!
I'm obsessed with the topic of focus because I want you to live your BEST life!
Your attention is your most important asset. (Of course your hair is great too!!)
The importance of where we place our attention is well captured by the famous quote, “What we focus on becomes our reality”.
Reality is, it’s hard to focus these days because our attention has been stolen by advertising, information overload and infinite scrolls.
I strengthen my focus by making healthy lifestyle choices and spending time in play and in flow state!
**Every healthy choice (no matter how small) improves focus**
Johann Hari, author and journalist, has identified five areas that reduce focus in his book 'Stolen Focus'. We'll review 1 area today.
Problem / Solution
Increasing levels of stress / Meditation
Meditating can reduce overwhelm and blood pressure and it can increase productivity, flow and focus. Meditating for a few minutes a day can help.
Here are two ways to take action :
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SHARE
If you have questions about meditation, email me!
If you want to make health changes (sleep better, exercise more, have deeper relationships) and you're struggling to get started, I'd love to help you take one small step at a time. Reply to lizgcoaches@gmail.com to learn more about the power of integrative health coaching.
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June 8, 2023
How to cope when life's on fire
I’ll be honest. Last week's Canadian wildfires ignited fear in me.
A lot was uncertain and I was looking for answers. Do we fly to a green zone? Is it safe to commute to work? Should I buy air filters?!
Whether or not you've experienced worry about breathing unhealthy air, we all know how uncomfortable it is to be uncomfortable.
As soon as I feel anxious and notice my thoughts spiraling, I take a deep breath and take my power back.
You too can feel more in control of your wellbeing by pausing to notice sensations in the body, and asking yourself, “What CAN I do, right now, to take care of my health?”
Try this mindfulness exercise to increase wellbeing : Make a list of activities that bring you ease so that you have it on hand if life derails you - which life tends to do!
What brings me balance is working out, connecting with friends, and nourishing my body. Even Tim Ferris' notes that exercise, nutrition, and relationships are “metabolic reboots” which support our mental health.
P.S. - Thank you to my dear friend Jay for sending me Eric's Zimmer's Podcast with Chris Palmer because the book 'Brain Energy' is transforming the way we understand mental health.
So friends, we’ve got to put our physical and mental health first. I'm here to validate that it can be hard to take the first step yet we CAN use each moment as an opportunity to move closer to our health goals.
To promote health, this Saturday at 10AM I’ll be offering group coaching and mindfulness practices in my complimentary online class. You’ll also have a chance to deeply relax in a 20-minute meditation. Learn more about how to prepare for the session here!
June 13, 2023
Coming clean with my morning routine
Energy is contagious!
The #1 question people ask me is, “How do you have SO much energy?!”
It’s not from caffeine because it's been 2 months since I cut my coffee - #anxietyreducer - and now I'm even more alert.
And no, I don’t take magic pills. But there is magic in my morning routine.
Some of the most successful people have morning routines. Since productivity and zest are two of my core values, I've been optimizing my routine for 10 years and I'm super excited to share it's most optimized version with you.
Here's what to do to feel energized throughout the day, WHY I do it and abbreviations for who's inspired me :
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Wake up - I go to bed before 10PM and wake up at 6AM so that’s 8 hours of restful sleep. We need quality sleep to make rational decisions.
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Visualization (E) - It’s important to combat the morning blues by imagining a positive and compelling future. It's best to learn how to do it along with my guided visualization. Essentially, you are capturing how amazing you will feel in each part of the day. For example, you may close your eyes and say to yourself, "First I will wake up and take a morning stretch. I LOVE how moving my body makes me feel because mobility is REALLY important to me." You will continue to think in that way about your days activities and try to FEEL the goodness in this moment!
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Body scan (D) - I check in with how my body is feeling (I.e. neutral, stuff, at ease, etc) so I can give it the love it needs. Follow my guided body scan​ to practice. Essentially, you are noticing how your body is feeling today from head to toe. It can be helpful to say in your mind, "heavy eyes, loose neck, left shoulder is a bit tight" to increase your body awareness. The intention is to allow the body to be as it is without fixing anything. #curiosity
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Make the bed (F) - This makes me feel organized and it's correlated with better productivity throughout the day.
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Freshen up (G) - Let's face it. We’ve got to flush toxins out of our body. I spend a few minutes washing my face because our face is our brand! As I moisturize I deliberately say something nice to myself like, “I’m amazing and I look great!” to continue the positive vibes.
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Prebiotics (B) - The first thing I drink is my prebiotic supplementation with 75 vitamins and minerals which boosts my immune system and feeds the good bugs in my belly.
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Light and air (D) - I force myself to go outside to support my circadian rhythm and in less desirable weather, I open a window and turn on my happy lamp.
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Goals (B) - Reflecting on my long term goals by looking at them on a whiteboard and thinking about them helps me keep my values in mind and make sure I live my day in alignment with what matters most.
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Do REAL work (V) - I do a HARD task that I'm slightly scared of (I.e. edit a contract, etc) and I do NOT check emails so my day starts with a sense of accomplishment.
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Journal (E) - This allows me to dump all the thoughts out of my brain and onto paper so I can start fresh and give myself more space for the good! I free write on topics like last nights dreams and my daily goals. I also drink my tiny cup of coffee at least 30-minutes after rising because the longer we hold off drinking coffee, the higher our adenosine levels rise which makes the caffeine more effective.
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Read (E) - It's great to start the day with someone else's words and not our negative inner dialogue. Also, the brain is most alert in the morning so it's likely we retain the information we read.
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Meditate (E) - I meditate to reset, to reduce stress and worry and to increase gratitude. Not a day goes by without meditation!
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Move (E) - Moving increases mobility, flexibility and energy!
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Brush teeth (G) - Green drinks and coffee stain teeth. Good oral care helps to protect 2 of my favorite organs - the brain and the heart.
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I recommend rrinting this list and adding one practice to your morning at a time. I do this routine in 60-minutes and as you can imagine, that does not leave more than a few minutes per practice. Spending 90-minutes on these exercises would give you about 10-minutes with each which should feel really spacious.
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I am inspired by my teachers! Here are my morning routine inspirations :
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(E) Hal Elrod author of The Miracle Morning.
(V) Anna Vital created the Start The Day Routine.
(B) Brendon Buchard has a Simple Morning Routine.
(D) Anne-Marie Duchene incorporates structural alignment tools in her morning routine.
(F) My husband Lawrence Frydman inspires me.
(G) I created a few non negotiable practices.
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And now to the coffee question. How did I get to the point where I'm barely drinking any coffee? The honest and simple answer is that I decided to make a change. I've been in an Integrative Health Coaching Training through Andrew Weil's Center for Integrative Medicine for a year and Andrew Weil's book Spontaneous Happiness really inspired me. Dr. Weil encourages anyone struggling with coffee to nix it completely or reduce it. He said it almost always helps reduce anxiety so I gave it a shot! It turns out, I don't need the full cup of coffee like I thought it did for the last 15 years. I feel less edgy and experience less highs and lows. I've got my morning routine to energize me and once I made this change, I knew I could make ANY change!
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Email me at lizgcoaches@gmail.com and let me know what morning routine is working for you or what practice you will try!
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Stay energized!
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June 20, 2023
Are you floundering or flourishing?
Just like most of us, I've spent time coasting on autopilot. For ten years I was grinding away at my corporate job, dating one type of guy and thinking the same limiting beliefs. During those years, I only had enough energy to “take it day by day”. Know the feeling?
A year into the pandemic I paused to ask myself the question, “What will happen if I keep living this way?”
I realized that I was unintentionally self-sabotaging and what I really wanted was a healthy sense of self, a family, and a happy career.
That question inspired action in me. Since then I've made huge changes like finding a GOOD man, becoming a coach, and most recently launching my wellness business Liz Coaches.
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I love coaching because it promotes positive behavior change! A secret to why coaching is so effective at driving change is because coaches ask their coaching partners BIG questions. It’s because we BELIEVE in our partners ability to change and we BELIEVE in our partners UNLIMITED future potential!
Four weeks ago my Interactive Health coaching mentor, Candace, unexpectedly asked me a powerful future oriented question. She sweetly said, “Liz, if everything stayed the same, in 5 years from now how would you feel?”
For three years I’d helped my coaching partners change how they view themselves, how they move through life, and how they respond to stress but I wasn’t allowing myself to answer thebig questions!
What DO I want my future to look like? What will be different? What do I need to do to get there?
Ever since my call with Candace, I’ve prioritized my health, I stood up for myself for the first time in my career and I’ve been acting as my best future self.
Transformation is your ability to visualize your fantastic future.
I want you to unleash your best self in 2023 by asking yourself big questions.
How will you fulfill your potential? What’s in your way? What supports you being your best self?
Here’s an example of how I answered these questions : ‘My “keep pushing” attitude is getting in the way of me taking care of myself. My family and friends support me in being the Liz I’m proud of. I will fulfill my potential by committing to slowing my pace so I can show up for those I love’.
I encourage you to jot down your responses on your phone. Or take out a pen and paper. Or print this email and mark it up. Or talk to a friend about this topic. Just do something!
And if you’re thinking, “I can't imagine my infinite potential@” I can help!
Share your gut reaction to those questions with me at liz@lizcoaches.com. I respond to every email!
The spirit of Independence
As I celebrate Independence Day, I’m adding a touch of wellness to nurture my spirit, boost my immune system and increase positive thinking.
Whether you do or don’t celebrate the 4th of July, embracing the spirit of freedom by spending time outside, seeing loved ones or pausing for a peaceful yoga session, contributes to your overall wellbeing.
I recommend taking a moment (right now!) to prime your perspective and appreciate the freedoms we get to enjoy.
Look around your space and notice everything that supports your wellbeing.Cultivate a phrase of gratitude for both objects and experiences such as the sky, smiling, laughing and learning.
Great work!! What was that experience like for you? In my experience, gratitude has been a #1 contributor to my happiness and health. Especially in tricky times!
If you feel better after just a few seconds of gratitude, do this practice more often!
Cheers to a meaningful Independence Day filled with joy, gratitude, and wellness.
How to start doing more self-care
We know self-care is good for us because it supports our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
In fact, I'd wager that we all wish we did more self-care because we feel healthier and happier when we do! If you find it hard to take good care of yourself, you are not alone!
Here’s a one step exercise to help you maintain and improve your health.
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Think about a self-care practice you used to do that helped you.
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For example, I think back to the time I got monthly messages.... Ahhhh, so good.
This exercise seems really simple, but it does help prompt action.
Remembering that we’ve done something good for ourselves in the past increases our confidence that we can do it again. In integrative health coaching this exercise is called a "self-affirmation task" and 20 years of research tells us that remembering past successes leads directly to behavior change.
Don't have enough time for self-care?
Do you skip self-care because it takes too long?
Well, what if you could do self-care in as little as 5-seconds?!
It's a switch in how you view self-care. Self-care is simple. It’s a pause to feel your breath, or notice the breeze on your skin, or take in someone’s smile. Self-care is giving yourself a hug, turning a negative thought into a positive thought and shaking out tension in your body.
How do I know you can do self-care in 5-seconds?
Because after working with thousands of healthcare employees, I’ve seen that a simple 5-second pause increases energy, attitude and focus. Taking a few pauses during the day has been transformational for me and for my clients.
You have 5-seconds, right?! The next time you feel anxious, take a 5-second pause to do one of the practices I just mentioned. I bet you’ll feel better.
If you’re looking for a life of ease, balance and more self-care, and you haven't had success watching YouTube videos on happiness or googling “how to feel better”, consider coaching.