Extreme Self Care

You will accomplish much more and much easier if you take the time to first strengthen your personal foundation.

1. Come to see how perfect your life is today
2. Choose the type of energy that you want to use during your day
3. Your Passion is your Life, What is your passion?
4. Stop trying to change, instead…. Evolve!
5. Stop waiting for life to come to you, go get it!
6. Develop a sense of greatness in yourself and in the universe.
7. Let your vision set your goals and guide your life.
8. Change is your friend, embrace it
9. Get a coach to hold your hand through the changes.

Related posts

• Boosting Self-Esteem With Affirmations
• ‘Getting organized’ is an event or destination.
• Create a Life You Love
• Daily Self-Care Habits to Manage Stress
• Speak Your Passion!

5 Easy Steps to Creating Permanent Change in Your Life

Personal growth or self-help books and programs are cramming the bookstores and the seminar circuit. People are lining up to learn more about how they can change or fix perceived problems in their lives.

“I need to work on it” is a phrase used by many people preparing to make changes. Examples are “I need to work on my Anger,” “I need to work on thinking more Positive,” or “I need to work on exercising.” Velma Gallant, an Abundance Coach and Trainer, says the issue with “working on it” is we set ourselves up for immediate failure.

The expectation is to go from working on something to fixed almost immediately. If the “fix” is not achieved, then clearly we have not worked on it hard enough, and therefore are “not good enough”.

Ms. Gallant reveals there is a way to create change without the emotional rollercoaster.
She says, “Stop working on it!”

It has been said, “Words are Powerful.”
Consider how you feel when you say the word “Work”?
Many immediately recoil and refuse to do what ever has been labeled as work.
Another word can be used when seeking to create change.
Practice.

By phrasing your desired change with “practice” instead of “working”, the emotion surrounding the change transforms.

“I’m practicing being more Positive.” “I’m practicing being more relaxed.” “I’m practicing a new way of exercising.””
Quite often the term practice refers to improving a specific skill such as in sports or music.
“The more you practice, the better you get.”

This phrase applies to achieving any desired change or skill, whether internal or external.

Ms. Gallant designed these 5 easy steps to creating Permanent Change:

1. Decide what is it that you want to change. It can be phrased as a “Don’t Want”.
“I don’t want to be so negative all the time.”

2. Determine what the opposite of your “don’t want” is.
“I want to be a positive person”.

3. Add the word “Practicing” to your new desire, and phrase it as if you are already in action.
“I am practicing being a positive person.”

4. Write out your Practicing Statement, and put it up where you will see it every day, such as the mirror when you brush your teeth. Write it in your journal.

5. Start practicing. Acknowledge any successes you have throughout your day in your journal, and refer back to them often.

By practicing, you automatically give yourself permission to achieve your goal one day at a time. The pressure to change overnight is removed. You lessen the possibility of feeling “not enough”.
If you slip, it’s okay. You are practicing, and by practicing you will get better day-by-day.

The desired change over time grows into a new habit. “I need to work on being more positive” becomes “I am a positive person.”
Personal change can occur with ease and joy.
Are you ready?

Get out a piece of paper or your journal. Create your Practicing Statement using the 5 Steps to Creating Permanent Change. Start practicing today!

Ms. Gallant will critique your Practice Statement or Journal Work. Email to: practice @ welcomechanges.com.

To assist you in creating Abundant Changes to your life, subscribe to Ms. Gallant’s weekly newsletter, Welcome Changes, by sending a blank email to subscribe @ welcomechanges.com or visiting www.the-abundance-connection.com. You will also receive a life transforming e-book as a gift when you subscribe.

*************
Velma Gallant is an Abundance Coach, Author, Speaker and Trainer, specializing in the principals of Abundance and Deliberate Creation. She is the creator of Living Abundant Joy Tele seminars, and the soon to be released book Living Abundant Joy. Velma also writes the Welcome Changes newsletter, which is your weekly Zap to your Abundance Magnet. http://www.the-abundance-connection.com Velma is available for interviews. You can reach her at: velma @ welcomechanges.com or 1-800-99-ABUNDance (1-800-992-2863).
Copyright© 2004 - 2006 by Velma Gallant and Welcome Changes. All rights reserved.

Related posts

• Making the Most of your Workday
• April 2008 - Book of the Month
• The Top 10 Ways to Be Your Very Best - part 2
• Boosting Self-Esteem With Affirmations
• De-clutter

How can I start slowing down?

Embracing the Slow creed means rethinking your whole approach to life.

But everyone has to start somewhere, so here are five tips for decelerating:
1. Leave holes in the diary rather than striving to fill every moment with activity. Easing the pressure on your time will help you to slow down.
2. Set aside a time of day to turn off all the technology that keeps us buzzing - phones, computers, pagers, email, television, radio. Use the break to sit quietly somewhere, alone with your thoughts. Or try meditating.
3. Make time for at least one hobby that slows you down, such as reading, painting, gardening or yoga.
4. Eat supper at the table instead of balancing it on your lap it in front of the TV.
5. Always monitor your speed. If you’re doing something more quickly than you need to simply out of habit, then take a deep breath and slow down.

©2006 Carl Honoré Author of In Praise of Slow.

Related posts

• ‘Getting organized’ is an event or destination.
• Recipe for Simplicity
• Breathing and Relaxing
• Yoga for Women: Basic Yoga Lessons for Women
• Three Simple Ways to Be More Optimistic

Sometimes your body or your environment sends you a signal that it is time for self care.

Have you been sick a lot lately? Have you been so tired that you can barely get out of bed?
Have you been irritable? or just plain bitchy?

It is your body saying that it is time for a rest. Not listening can lead to much more serious physical or mental health issues.

So while you are busy making great plans for the new year and while you are jumping on that exercise machine to work on those new years resolutions. Don’t forget to plan some quiet time.

Daily journaling or meditation
Daily walk in the park
Weekly coffee with close friends
Weekly dates with your spouse
Monthly visit for a massage
Monthly trip for a manicure
Quarterly long weekend from work
Quarterly long weekend away with your spouse

Plan these things into your Goals for the year, you will spend more time enjoying life and less time feeling sick and tired.

Do you have two minutes to relax… try this Relaxation Video

Related posts

• Origins of Yoga
• Yoga for Computer Users: Other Postures
• 9 Minutes to Sanity
• ‘Getting organized’ is an event or destination.
• The Top 10 Ways to Be Your Very Best - part 2

It is 5:25am… on a crisp January morning. The window open slightly so that you can smell the clean, freshness of the morning air. A small breeze makes it way into the room. You are still under the warm, cozy, comfy down-filled blankets, snuggled to your loving partner.

It is 5:30am… you reach over and hit the snooze button, not wanting to move just yet, your partner snuggles a little closer. You now have 9 precious minutes…. do you go back to sleep or do you use them wisely to start your day on a most amazing high.

Maybe you don’t live in a area that has cold mornings, maybe your area is warm sun filled mornings. The intention of “9 minutes to Sanity” is that you take advantage of those 9 minutes after you hit the snooze button and when the alarm rings for the second time.

Yes, I know you do it! Everyone does it! Maybe not every morning, but some mornings. I do it especially on those cold mornings when it is much nicer to snuggle with my honey then to get up and hit the shower. This is actually when I was thinking about this, I was thinking about just how great it was to have my partner beside me…

Three Simple Steps to “9 Minutes to Sanity”

5:30 - 5:32 - Gratefulness

3 short minutes to thank your higher source of power for everything that brings you happiness.
Your nice warm bed, your loving spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your career, your home, your friends, your family the list can go on and on.

5:33-5:35 - Intention

Setting your intention for the day is like writing your on movie script. You are setting the stage for how your day is going to go. All positive aspects start with a simple over riding thought.
“In a easy relaxed manner, In a healthy positive way, each and every action will bring me one step closer to my goals. My intention for today is that the day is positively charged, all my tasks are completed in a easy relaxed manner. All interactions with clients and co-workers is for my highest good.” You get the idea, this can be what ever you want it to be and it should most definitely is a positive statement.

5:36-5:39 - Breathing

Simply and Easy. Concentrate on slowing breathing in slowing counting to 5, slowing breathing out slowing counting to 5. Keep doing this until the alarm goes off.

By the time you have followed these exercises, you will be more then willing to get out of bed and start the day. Kiss your partner, and jump out of bed to start your most amazing day!

You can easily continue the Morning Ritual with journaling, a great breakfast, yoga, or the thing that you love to do the most. Try “9 Minutes to Sanity” for a 6 weeks, create a great new Morning Ritual.

Related posts

• When is it time for Extreme Self Care?
• The Key to a Better Life
• What is hidden in your Extreme Treasure Trove?
• Yoga for Computer Users: Supported Side Stretches
• Setting up a Home Office on a Shoestring Budget

Is that really a word, “unmanagement” ?

“Sorry, we have no matches for unmanagement”, well I guess if I can’t find the definition on the internet it isn’t.

But the point of me using the word unmanagement, you can’t actually manage time. Do you feel the bolt of lightening? That is correct. You can not manage time! No matter what you do, there is no way to stop time, or slow it down or make it dance. Look at all the trouble that Adam Sandler got into when he tried to control time in the movie “Click”.

Seriously though, we really can’t control life, the seconds, minutes and hours tick by no matter what we are doing. What we can control, is how we use our time, we control our activities and our environments. There is not much sense in worrying about the things that we can’t actually control.

If you are like me and 50% of the people in the world, we have WAY more stuff going on then we can find the time for. Now we have to choose what we spend our time doing.

These is where the tricky part comes… you need to know what your core values are, you know that ones that make you tick, help you make important decisions. Your values also allow you to prioritize how you are going to spend your time.

If your top core value is Family, well then you are going to make spending time with your family the most important priority. So when you are faced with the decision, “do I work late tonight or do I go to my daugther’s soccer game?” You will decide to go to the soccer game.

Unmanaging Time is the easiest thing in the world as long as you know what your core values are.

Step 1) What are your core values?
Step 2) Put those values into action!
Step 3) Enjoy your life!

Now some of you may be saying, it is not that easy, you don’t understand my life. Those my friend are excuses for not really understanding yourself and what would really make you happy. People are the most content with their lives when they are doing what they want to be doing, when they feel they are in control of their lives. Let me repeat that, people are happy when they are in control of their lives, not when they are letting time control them. We control our lives, by not sitting idly by and not control your actions. Now if we are really luck we are enjoying our lives and loves so much that we don’t even notice time go by.

To Help you discover your Core values, here is a great list that will get you started in the right direction. Click Here

Related posts

• Writing Effective To-Do Lists
• Create a Life You Love
• De-clutter
• Trust your instincts
• Empowerment in Action

Chaos and a hectic pace seem to be par for the course in most anyone’s workday, and it can turn your workday upside down if you let it.  However, with some careful planning, efficient scheduling and well-developed work habits, your workday can smoothly sail along.

Planning your workday actually starts the previous evening.  Take a few moments before you leave work to jot down important meetings, phone calls that need to be made or returned, ideas or concerns that need to be discussed with your supervisors or co-workers, or other notes to yourself about projects you’re working on or clients you’re currently working with.  That way, it’ll be right there for you to see the next morning, and it’ll make getting into the swing of things much easier. 

 You should stay on top of your both your desktop and electronic inboxes. Check e-mail when you arrive, and immediately sort each message into an appropriate folder. Even if you don’t have time to deal with the contents of a message or even read it fully, sort it for later action.  Sort through and organize regular mail and correspondence as well, and organize into piles for later action if necessary.  Make sure you come back to these at the end of the day and take any appropriate action or you can at that time.  Try to make it a habit of responding promptly to all mail requesting a timely response.  Check through these inboxes during the course of the workday as well.

Return or make your most urgent and important phone calls early in the day.  Like you, most people are more likely to be at their desks during this time.

Get in tuned with your personal energy level and schedule.  If you have more energy at the beginning of the day, tackle your toughest projects then.  If your energy level dips after lunch, take care of filing, e-mailing or other general tasks at this time.�

At the end of the day, return to your checklist and prepare for tomorrow. Review your checklist and cross off completed items. Move any pending items to tomorrow’s to-do list.

Utilize both an electronic and wall or desk calendar to keep track of deadlines, meetings, and appointments.    If your day allows, try to work on those long-term projects a bit so that as their deadlines approach you won’t feel so pressured or rushed.

 Most importantly, take a break.  Don’t get into the habit of having your lunch at your desk or cutting your breaks short.  A walk during your break and time away from your desk to recharge are probably the most important things you can do for yourself to recharge your battery, clear your mind and prepare to tackle the tasks at hand more productively and efficiently.

Related posts

• 9 Minutes to Sanity
• Empowerment in Action
• The Top 10 Ways to Be Your Very Best - part 2
• How to Expect the Best
• Three Simple Ways to Start Believing in Yourself

The home office has slowly become the foundation of the modern day household.  We pay the bills, organize recipe files and photo albums and develop calendars and schedules on our computers, and some of us make a living from here.  With so many different activities happening here, it’s easy to see how it can easily become the most disorganized and unkempt area of the home.  A clean organized desk and home office can save time, stress and even money if we work from home.  So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your messy desk and disorganized office, take a good hard look and see what’s overwhelming your order the most. 

Mail is probably the biggest contributing factor to our messy desktops.  Get in the habit of dealing with your mail on a daily basis.  Toss what you can, place those things that need to be shredded into a shredding bin and shred them once per week, and file the rest away properly.  This might also be the time to update your filing system and make folders for current years or months.

Another culprit of office clutter is computer storage media such as CDs, DVDs and floppy disks.  Take the time to ensure each is properly labeled and placed in a protective file or case.  Categorize and alphabetize them for easy access.

If you have an office area that is commonly used by all family members, it can easily become cluttered with glasses, coffee cups, food wrappers and dirty dishes.  Since computer equipment can easily be damaged should something spill on it, it’s probably wise to impose a rule forbidding eating and drinking while using the computer.  This would lessen the clutter at the same time.  If you spend a considerable amount of time during the day in your office and your office space is large enough, provide for an area far from the computer and other electronic equipment where food and drink can be set without the fear of ruining equipment should a spill occur. 

If you utilize a bulletin board, take the time to make sure all the items posted on it are current.  If not, take them down and file away or toss.  Make sure your calendar is always displaying the current month so you can see the month’s activities and appointments in an easy glance.

Office supplies have a way of easily cluttering up our workspace as well.  Take the extra time to clean out and organize desk drawers if necessary and make sure all office supplies have a home other than the top of your desk. 

With some forethought, planning and discipline, your home office can become and stay productive, efficient and serene.

Related posts

• Origins of Yoga
• What is hidden in your Extreme Treasure Trove?
• Setting up a Home Office on a Shoestring Budget
• Great Food for Your Next Backyard Adventure
• Keep your Car Organized and Simplify Your Life on the Go

American driver spend on average about 15 hours in their car each and every week.  With busy hectic schedules, our cars are quickly becoming our home on wheels, so it should be as no surprise that our cars can easily become infested with clutter.  And just as we have a system in place at home, so should we in our car.  An organized car keeps distractions at bay and essential items within easy reach. 

Visor CD holders and passenger seat organizers are great items to have to keep your life in the front seat calm, cool and collected at all times.  Each of these organizing tools keeps important items within easy reach, such as your water bottle, toll money, or map. 

If a good portion of your time in the car involves hauling your children back and forth to daycare, on shopping excursions or to weekly activities, it’s likely that your backseat is a toy box on wheels.  There are simple and affordable mesh nets that can be placed over the back of the front seats so that books, toys, and allowable snacks can be kept within easy reach.  Encourage your children to place their items in these organizers when they are getting out of the car, and you’ll encourage them to learn how to pick up after themselves in your home as well. 

Trunk organizers are a great storage tool for keeping those needed items from floating back and forth in the trunk during car rides, and provide a safe haven for your groceries to travel home in.  Cargo nets can also be installed in the trunk to accomplish the same secure environment. 

Lastly, keep your pooch safe and secure in the back by placing a dog divider in the back of your minivan or SUV.  This keeps them safely contained in one area during the commute, thereby decreasing the likelihood of him bounding onto your lap and getting in your way during the drive.  It also contains him in an enclosed area if he’s dirty from playing in the mud or water.

Related posts

• ‘Getting organized’ is an event or destination.
• Empowerment in Action
• Origins of Yoga
• 4 CornerStones of your life
• Think Green when you Clean

The Diamond Posture (Vajrasana)
Kneel on a thick carpet or blanket with your knees close together. Sit back on your heels and stretch up from your hips, balancing your head well so that a line drawn  through ear, shoulder, elbow and hip would be straight. You should sit up in this posture for greatest benefits.

The Locust (Salabhasana)
Most yoga students are familiar with this posture. Lie flat, face down, chin on floor. Make your hands into fists and push them either under your thighs to help the lift, or place them alongside your body. Exhale and lift legs from your hips, tightening your  buttocks and stretching your legs up and back. Hold position for as long as possible, exhale, return to starting posture and repeat.

he Dog Stretch (Adho mukha svanasana)
Lie face down, legs stretched back, buttocks tightened and knees pulled back. Place hands just below shoulders, exhale and lift head, then chest, shoulders and torso,  pushing down from your pelvis and straightening your arms. From the back of your head to your tailbone, your body should be curved back. Push shoulders back and down. Push head back more. Stay like this as long as possible with normal breathing. Come down very slowly, and relax.

The Twist (Bhardwajasana)
Kneel on the floor and sit back, bringing both feet to the right of your hips. Straighten your right arm, bring it across your body and turn to the left. Place your hand, palm down under your left knee. Exhale, turn your body more to the left and  clasp your right elbow with your left hand, from the back. Turn your head and gaze over your right shoulder. Fold position for a few breaths and then twist and look back over your left shoulder. Shoulders should be at right angles to the body. Come back to starting position and repeat on other side.  You should do this posture once every hour if you have lower back pain.

Related posts

• Eliminate the Chaos of Home Office Clutter
• Keep your Car Organized and Simplify Your Life on the Go
• Origins of Yoga
• When is it time for Extreme Self Care?
• Basic Sitting Postures with Benefits