Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

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Jul 14 2016

Ten ways busy women can recharge

Every. Single. Day. That’s how often I see drained, weary women, desperate for a little R&R. Short on time yet heavy on responsibilities, it’s common for today’s women to sacrifice self-care.

I’ve been there. Prioritizing everyone but myself, it took a painful condition to get me to finally wake up.

Maybe you’re that type of person, too. Let’s see…a high achiever, an endless do-er, a chronic giver — have I got that right? You know you should be taking better care of yourself, but you keep putting it off while you finish something else.

Let me ask you this: Do the words “Type A” resonate at all?

I thought so.

Quick quiz. Self-care is only for people with:

  • Lots of free time?
  • Lots of money?
  • Lots of health issues?

And, of course, the ability to manage the guilt. The guilt of doing something for themselves, instead of doing of everything else, that is.

It’s craziness I tell you.

Where in the world did we get the idea it was better to be busy than lead a good life?

The good news is you can stop the train. It shouldn’t take a major illness or some horrible event to get you to notice you’re important. Because you’re most important. Remember, the whole empire crumbles if you fall apart! Did you forget that?

There’s even better news, too. Contrary to what you’re thinking, it actually doesn’t take a lot of time to keep your mind and body in great shape. Honestly, just a few minutes, several times a day, makes ALL difference between having the life you want and burning out forever.

Odd thing though. A lot of us women have no idea how to recharge. For a long time, I didn’t either. It isn’t pouring another cup of coffee or inhaling a cinnamon danish. It isn’t organizing a drawer, either (though that can be immensely satisfying). And it certainly isn’t checking your iPhone.

Recharging — and effecting real change – is the kind of self-care that keeps you grooving all day, all week, and for the rest of your life. It’s the kind that actually hits the reset button for a little while, but helps you stay healthy and strong for a really long time. Real self-care is the key to preventing the serious crash and burn you may have only heard about. Trust me on this one. You don’t want to go there.

Now, I can already hear you saying it, so I’ll address your skepticism head-on. I know we all lead different lives, and there’s no single solution that’ll work for everyone. But, there are some tips that work for at least some of us, which you’ll find in this list. And if you know of one I’ve missed, by all means, post it as a COMMENT. The more ways women can find to recharge for a few minutes a day, the better off we’ll all be together.

10 Ways [Even the Busiest of] Women Can Recharge

1. Breathe

It’s amazing the power of good old fashioned breathing. Just a few minutes of actual breathing — done the right way – provides not just peace and calm, but oxygen to parts of your body you didn’t even know you had. Think you already know how to breathe? Check again. Not those shallow ones into your throat or into your shoulders. We’re talking slower, fuller, more nourishing breaths that go all the way down into your diaphragm, into your hips, and even down to your feet.

2. Head Outside

Ah, the healing power of nature. Just thinking about it makes my shoulders loosen. There’s nothing like sitting in the bright sun for a few minutes, soaking up warmth and vitamins like a cuddly blanket. Or, sitting quietly under the trees, contemplating the sounds and textures, or maybe contemplating nothing at all. Being outside is already a great start. For an extra boost, you can even get barefoot for some extra grounding and energy exchange. Doing that several times a day might become your new favorite habit.

3. Meditate

Seriously, people. Meditation doesn’t have to take forever. If you’re used to listening to long, guided meditations that last 30 minutes or an hour, or if you think meditation involves sitting in silence the entire afternoon, you’re wrong. There are much quicker ways to reconnect. Doing a 5-minute walking meditation around your living room can be incredibly calming. Even just slowing down what you’re already doing (washing dishes or filing documents) can have positive effects.

4. Take a Bath

When was the last time you took a bath? I don’t mean dipping your martyrish, self-sacrificing carcass for 2 minutes into the dirty bathwater you plucked your kids from. I mean, an honest-to-goodness nourishing bath, in a deep pool of water, with epsom salt, your favorite essential oil, and permission to lay there for a luxurious 15 minutes. Do it! Extra points for locking the door.

5. Journal

I happen to be more of a crisis kind of journaling person, so I only journal when I’m working through something really big. Yet, despite my personal habits, I recognize the incredible effects daily journaling can have for many people. The act of writing things down can unburden the mind, help clarify issues, force us to make connections, and often eliminate emotional charge altogether. These steps together are very healing, as our thoughts move from the mind to the pen, and out of our consciousness where they clamor for constant attention.

6. Unplug

As devices take over, and people crave more and more artificial connection, it’s becoming impossible to put our devices down. Women, in particular, spend far too much time on social media, trying to remain distracted from their thoughts or soothing a starving need for acceptance or support. But there can be such peace in shutting out the noise for a while, too. Bodies need time to rest in between periods of jumping up to grab the phone for every notification. Powering down on a regular basis is the only way to give the body that chance at renewal.

7. Do Some Energy Exercises

I, too, was a skeptic, but have grown in my understanding of the body’s energy system, and it’s importance in maintaining good health. Using energy exercises, one can actually impact the body’s energy system, improving mood, movement, health, and the general timbre of the rest of the day. What I love about this method is there are dozens of different exercises that take just a few minutes and make a huge impact. I encourage anyone interested in this topic to grab a book about energy medicine or to contact me for information on how to get started.

8. Set Triggers

This is a great one to learn for our own health and well-being, and is also a valuable trick to teach children, too. Triggers work to set a reminder to a particular place in the home or office, like a doorway or fixture we walk past throughout the day. Just seeing these triggers is an easy, automatic way to remember to do something important in that moment. I have used triggers my whole life, for simple things like remembering to turn off the coffee pot, taking out the trash, or making an important phone call; to more significant things like taking a few deep breaths, doing my daily exercises, or relaxing the tension in my face. Triggers can also be used to remind ourselves to calm down, to breathe, to take a break, or just to center ourselves for a moment before carrying on with our day.

9. Water/Vitamin/Health Food Break

I joked earlier about the cinnamon danish because it’s common for people to reach for carbs and sugars when they’re stressed. And while it’s true that a temporary fix feels great for a few minutes, it’s the long-term effects of doing that stuff we need to worry about. When extraordinarily busy, perhaps one of the best gifts we can give ourselves is pausing for a glass or two of filtered water, for a vitamin/mineral supplement of something we’re lacking, or for a plate of healthy food. That simple act of self-love sends the message of “I care” to your brain and “I know what you need” to your body. Interrupting a cycle of unhealthy eating with some conscious nourishment is a great way to add value to an otherwise very busy day.

10. Repeat Affirmations

Because bullying is so widespread, most of us understand the impact of experiencing terrible things over and over. But, on the flip side, few people actually realize the importance of filling their minds with positive messages instead. Silly as this may seem, it really works. Hanging notes on the bathroom mirror and repeating positive affirmations throughout the day can literally turn people’s lives and health around. If it takes only a few minutes a day, why not try it for yourself?

Bottom line is, it doesn’t take hours and hours each day to protect against the negative effects of living a crazy life. Just one or two of these tips, performed maybe 3 times a day, is a great prescription for protecting good health.

To yours,

 

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Women's Mind Body & Spirit · Tagged: burnout, organization, stress, support, time management

May 13 2016

Beliefs and their impact on well-being

There’s something so powerful about beliefs.  Guiding and empowering, our belief system follows us throughout our lives. Quietly, subtly, it’s always in the background, like an invisible coach both cheering for us and advising what to do at any given moment.

In simple terms — our belief system tells us what to do.

When beliefs are positive ones, we experience desirable effects. Think of a little girl raised to believe there are no limits to what women can accomplish. Or a young boy filled with unshakable confidence in his abilities throughout his childhood.

Beliefs fuel us. They make us unstoppable.

Positive beliefs can propel us to do big things.

When beliefs go wrong, however, is when they’re troubling.  Whenever false beliefs — really just inaccurate, limiting stories – become lodged in the mind and body, life takes an entirely different turn. Though limiting beliefs don’t have to impact negatively, very often they do. Scarier still, these lies have the potential to impact most anything, from self-image to health to physical capabilities to relationships to finances and so much more.

No aspect of human life is immune to the effects of the lies we tell ourselves, and constantly reinforce, via limiting beliefs.

No aspect of life is immune to the effects of the lies we tell ourselves, and constantly reinforce.

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False beliefs can potentially cause a range of symptoms and behaviors. Acting nervously, fearful, sickly, loud, timid, stupid, incapable, or unworthy, are just examples.  They can lead us to stay small, feel inadequate, resist change, or refrain from speaking up in life, too. Imagine the lifelong impact of our thoughts! As they remain stuck in the subconscious, they literally have the power to keep us stuck and unable to move past them as adults.

Insidious in nature, perhaps the most dangerous characteristic of limiting beliefs is we usually don’t know they’re there. True or untrue, they can impact lives profoundly, causing behaviors that continually validate the beliefs themselves! How? Like the silent cheer leader I described, our inner coaches utilize beliefs as the basis for giving advice. Thus, if our coaches have nothing but limiting advice on which to draw from, they dole it out as truths. False truths lead to bad coaching. And bad coaching reinforces limiting truths. Thus, the cycle continues.

Unless it is interrupted.

That’s where looking inward is crucial and clearing is essential.

Often, limiting beliefs take root during childhood. Sometimes, depending upon your openness to looking beyond the present life, one can even begin looking in the womb, or at beliefs carried forth from past lives, if this feels right to you.

False truths lead to bad coaching. Bad coaching reinforces limiting truths.

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Regardless of their origin, clearing limiting beliefs is essential to well-being. Clearing can lead to a greater sense of freedom, greater successes, and greater fulfillment as we move toward becoming our true selves. For without clearing the lies, we continue living within their restrictions, never fully expressing ourselves as we are meant to be.

Different practitioners advise different methods for clearing these lies. Energy movement, emotional clearing, and guided meditation, are just a few of the ways one can begin recognizing and removing (clearing) blocks and limitations. Other ways include daily affirmations, hypno kinds of therapies, and positive self-talk.

In my own life and research, and in helping other women, some techniques tend to delve deeper, and seem to be more successful than others. But like anything else, what works well for one may not work as well for another. It can take many attempts and exploring many different modalities before finding one that feels right.

Bottom line, it may be time to begin recognizing it’s the inner subconscious (your silent coach) who is really in charge of what’s happening in your life. Only by noticing the power of past experiences can we even begin to understand our daily challenges, behaviors and frustrations.  Taking steps to begin clearing these beliefs can help pave the path to freedom.

Standing with you as you reflect on the possibilities!

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Women's Mind Body & Spirit · Tagged: me, moms, relaxed, scheduling, time management, work-at-home

Feb 05 2016

Saying YES to rest and play (and a challenge!)

If you’re like most women, you  cram more than your share of projects and deadlines into every day. With a list a mile long, you live life focused on completion, meeting (ridiculously high) standards, covering all the bases, and making sure you never neglect anyone or anything along the way.

You’re focused, hard-working, and forever the person in charge. You step up to the plate. Every. Single. Time.

You have to, amiright? That stuff won’t get done by itself.

Listen, I understand. I was that woman, too. Forever the list-maker, the achiever, the over-doer, I was always the volunteer and person in charge. I loved it. On the surface, it actually felt really, really good. In fact I wouldn’t have experienced much of my early success without those early behaviors. Chances are, your focus on production and over-achievement probably serves you well, too.  

But The Problem

While chronic busy-ness serves a useful purpose, it doesn’t come without a heavy price. We’re talking sleep, weight, relationships, happiness, and all of it.

You know what I’m talking about.

I meet women every day who do way too much.

Do you?

Perhaps you know you’re too busy and admit your suffering out loud. Or, maybe you don’t know it, but your busy-ness shows up in the form of sickness or pain. I meet high-achieving women going through all kinds of things in my my practice every week.

A Simple Solution

There is a solution, and it’s a lot simpler than you might think.

It’s down time— however you define that for yourself.

Down time refers to time for yourself, doing things that bring pleasure. This isn’t a luxury, by the way. It’s necessary for a healthy, stress-free life.

Regular time off isn’t a luxury. It’s necessary for a healthy, stress-free life.
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If you were to ask me 10 or 20 years ago when was the last time I sat around doing nothing, I’d have laughed at you out loud. Back then, I couldn’t even recall a time when I allowed myself time to just sit and be. I believed it was a huge weakness to goof off, so I never allowed myself the indulgence, for it would destroy my production for the whole day.

Boy, was I wrong.

Looking back at the wisdom of people who counseled, “Go for a walk, read a book, or take a nap”, I see now that I had a lot to learn about health and happiness. My lack of this kind of awareness didn’t allow me to see past the flurry of activity and endless stream of things on my schedule.

If I’d allowed myself regular time off, I wouldn’t have developed my illness, nor the painful symptoms that plagued me for many years.

Say YES to rest and play

Fast forward many years, much research,  and many experiences and I see the things that stole big chunks of my life away. I am now called to counsel women and spread the important message about the value of self-care.

Often, I’m met with resistance — those familiar excuses I used for many years, too. Despite them, we work together on prioritizing, eliminating distractions, and discarding time-sucking activities. We rework schedules and find blocks of necessary time for the rest and peace they so richly deserve. Plus, I teach how to accept self-care without guilt, otherwise it isn’t self-care at all. 

The 7-Day Challenge

Ready to try something better in your life?

Will you commit to making time for rest & play daily for a week?

I’d like to see you take an hour daily, for one week. But, if you can’t, 30 minutes will do.

You can keep a journal about how you feel if that’s your jazz. Or, just reflect on the experience before you go to bed at night to notice if you feel any different.

If, after a week, you don’t feel the challenge has been worth it, I understand…it just might not be your time to receive this message. But, if you’ve enjoyed it, keep going. You’ll grow in knowing the importance of down time for your mind, body and spirit. 

To your evolution,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!.

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Women's Mind Body & Spirit · Tagged: calendars, chores, large families, play time, relaxed, scheduling, stress, time management, work-at-home, working moms

Dec 31 2015

Daily practice: 5 things to do before getting out of bed

 

I should probably tell you I’m writing this on the eve of a new year. This is always a serious day, isn’t it? Though it can be filled with fun and anticipation — maybe sparkling plans for the evening – it’s also a solemn time, too. Most use it as a time of reflection and resolve for the new year to come, right? If you check your news feeds, I’m sure they’re ripe with advice and counsel, full of quotes and inspiration, lists and schedules, plus offers of programs and products to help tackle your new year.

I’m just here with one simple goal — to provide you something easy you can do every day. My offer is completely customizable to your life, your goals, your capabilities, and the new year you’re trying to create, too. It’s yours and yours to keep — my gift to you as it were (but, really, this is a gift you give yourself).

If you’re like a lot of people, you use this day to reflect on the year that passed. Maybe there was a new baby, a promotion, or a wonderful vacation; so you’re happy about that.  But, a lot of what you remember can make you melancholy, negative, or full of sorrow, too.  You review events and people, those who entered your life and under what circumstances, and the stories about those who departed the Earth.  You think of places you went and places you wished you’d seen, but did not. You think of developing illnesses, persistent or puzzling situations, and unresolved problems that will follow you into the new year. Perhaps you remember goals met, but mainly you think about those that failed, and how you failed, too.

On some level, I think we all do that. I know I used to. We all want what’s coming to be better than what just happened.

We all want what’s coming to be better than what just happened.

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I think many of us dwell on sadness, the grief, or the bad. This makes it hard to look forward to a new day or a new year. For all it’s worries, problems and regrets, we become attached to the bad, making it hard for us to let yesterday go. For all the failures and how we feel about them, it makes letting go of last year much harder, too. Not consciously, friends, but emotionally.

It came to me recently that many of us create a story on the eve of every new day. We recite our story when falling asleep. The story tells us:

I failed today, so I need to do better tomorrow.

By the end of the year, we’ve written a longer story.  It’s the one we recite on the eve of a new year:

This year was really bad, so next year had better be really great to make up for it.

Such a bummer, right? And, talk about pressure for the new year!

How would it be if you could begin to turn that around? What would it look like if you could look forward to every new day? Can you imagine how life would change if you anticipate the gifts of every new year?

before getting out of bed

Try the daily practice I use every morning. This simple strategy will change your new year (and could quite possibly change your whole life).

Begin by breathing and finding your roots into the ground. Smile and feel grateful. Instead of hitting the floor in a rush and panic over everything waiting on your calendar, remind yourself how grateful you are for the lessons of yesterday. Forgive (remember when Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you’ll do better”?). Then, cultivate a rising sense curiosity over what the new day will contribute to your life, and get ready to enjoy the ride.

I do this practice daily myself. I also sometimes do it throughout the day. My favorite part is to set an intention to fully notice and participate in my day. I fill myself with a sense of excitement and eagerness about what may happen. And, by the time I get out of bed, I honestly look forward to going along for the ride.

After doing this for a while, it should come more and more naturally. Whereas I used to rise with some confusion as to how my day might go, I now wake with great curiosity over what’s to come. I’m happy with whatever happened the day before, and I literally cannot wait to see what the new day will show me.  For those worried about excellence and productivity, you should know that you’ll still rise with plans to make and goals to meet, but you’ll have a different level of energy and eagerness than you did before.

In a nutshell, this daily practice has taught me that each day doesn’t happen to me, it happens for me, for my learning, and for my life evolution. It’s exciting!

Instead of each day happening TO YOU, notice that each day is happening FOR YOU.

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If you already have a daily practice, add this into it. If you don’t already have a practice, this might be just the one you’re looking for. Let me know either way — I look forward to hearing about your practice in the COMMENTS, below.

With much love,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Women's Mind Body & Spirit · Tagged: calendars, mind-body-spirit, organization, relaxed, schedule, scheduling, time management

Dec 16 2015

Freaking out? Lighten your load and create holidays that count

christmas_tree_9-wallpaper-1680x1050

Are you freaking out about now? Maybe you’re reading this during the winter holidays (when I’m writing it). Or maybe you’re reading during some other busy time of year. No matter what’s happening in your world right now, I’m about to help you win back your time and create a season that counts. We’re talking holidays that matter. And events that don’t steal your time, your sanity or perhaps worst of all — your long-term health.

Believe me when I say this: I’ve been there. For years, I crossed off every single item and checked off every single box. I kept up with all the things I thought I was supposed to do, even adding new things to my list each year.  As my list increased, so did my resolve to celebrate with greater gusto and perfection. I didn’t miss a beat, cramming in more “special treats”, a longer list of “family outings” and even more of those picture-perfect “homemade crafts” (new traditions, so I thought) with each and every year. I loved doing it all, don’t get me wrong — holidays were (still are) my favorite times of year. But, on the flip side, holidays always left me exhausted, depleted and in need of weeks of recovery.  Sometimes, I became terribly sick.  And, in later years, holidays began leaving me pretty blue — darn near depressed now that I look back – when everything was finally over.

Crazy, right?

Are you affected by events and holidays in a similar way?

As a mom, and a homeschooling work-at-home mom at that, I was very needy in many ways back then. I was lacking nutrients and minerals, lacking emotionally, and lacking in — apparently – common sense. Even as I learned to adjust my diet, supplement my body, practice mindfulness and meditation, and nourish myself in other ways, I continued over-doing the holidays for another several years.

And then it happened.

I saw it.

I realized what I was doing, and finally ended my quest for the perfect holidays. Like so many other women (usually) I meet who do EXACTLY the same thing, I quit those mad behaviors and let up on myself.

Forgave myself, too.

You see, I recognized the image I had of celebrating holidays “right” was grander than anything I could ever really achieve. My standards were too high for what my body and mind could realistically handle. I came to understand that much of what I had been doing was unnecessary for achieving the joyous, satisfying, meaningful holiday with my family I so desperately wanted. I finally understood how holidays were stealing my health, happiness, and (ironic, I know) time away from the very people I was trying to spend time with — my family and friends. And stealing their time with me, too.

So, today, I want you to learn from my experience and understand what’s really important. I don’t want you freaking out about things that should be relaxing, joyous and fun. I want to spare you the ridiculous levels of preparation and craziness you may be creating over the holidays or other important events in your life.

Bottom line, I don’t want you missing the lesson that doing LESS means getting MORE. I wish someone had told me back then. That’s why I’m telling you now.

Don’t miss the lesson that doing LESS means getting MORE this holiday season.

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Trimming Your To-Do List

Let’s start by tackling your to-do list. (Er, do you even have one? If you don’t, take a step backwards and make a list. Successful people make lists and check stuff off.  You should, too.) I want you to scrutinize everything on your list. Cross out anything that doesn’t make you or your family happy. I mean, really happy, not happy in your mind. Remember, you’re just one person and you can’t possibly do it all. Even with help, it may be impossible (not to mention, unnecessary) to get it all done. So, be ruthless. Start chopping everything that doesn’t belong on your holiday list any more.

Now, when I teach this skill to clients, some find it really hard to decide what to keep and what to trim off their to-do lists. I explain that if something on your list doesn’t: a) make you really happy, or b) directly benefit someone you deeply care about, off it goes. Period.

When in doubt, however, it can be helpful to lump items on your to-do list into 3 categories so you can see things a little clearer. Let’s call these categories:

  • Your MUST DO’s
  • Your WANT TO DO’s
  • Your FEEL THE NEED TO DO’s

Your MUST DO’s are things that cannot under any circumstances be eliminated from your list, lest someone may starve, get stranded, get fired, miss a dose of medication, be left unsupervised, or could die. No kidding. And if those things aren’t on your list, they should be, since they’re the anchors by which you should be living your life already. MUST DO’s always come first, and everything else comes later.  Make sure to identify which of the items on your to-do list are MUST DO’s, and keep them on the list, so you’ll have an obvious framework for accomplishing everything else in between. Remember: these are things that need to get done or ain’t nobody gonna have any holidays anyway — like grocery shopping, doctor visits, prescription refills, airport pickups, going to work, paying bills, and the things of daily life, because these are always prioritized over anything else you want or “feel the need” to do.

Your WANT TO DO’s are the things you want to do, hope to do, like to do, or plan to do during the holidays or other busy times. These are the things that aren’t especially crucial to every day life, but make life a whole lot more fun, meaningful or enjoyable as compared to ordinary days. For many of you, this is that part of the list that includes baking special treats, selecting coordinating outfits for your children, planning lavish meals, selecting just the right gifts, taking perfect photos, traveling all over the place, attending every holiday event in town, and creating all the wonderful projects you see in pictures. For others, this section might also include writing holiday-themed blog posts, planning large holiday events, appearing at live events, or participating in virtual projects with like-minded teams and groups. In general, your WANT TO DO’s are the things you’d love to do if you had all the time in the world, but aren’t necessary for basic survival.  Make up that list, too. Then, strike a few.  Seriously. Pick some you can do without this year — ones that won’t ruin the holidays and probably won’t be noticed anyway – and cross them out. Done!

Your FEEL THE NEED TO DO‘s are the things I recommend crossing out altogether. Right now. Without even batting an eyelash. You might not even want to bother writing them down. That’s because these are things you feel you should do, sometimes things you’ve been doing for years, but really get no enjoyment from.  Or, they’re for other people, but not your special people, you know?  Or, maybe you’re doing them because you think everyone expects you to. Because here’s a news flash: nobody really cares about that special pie, or that special ham, or those special movies, or those special place settings.  At least, not that much. You don’t have to send that giant cookie platter to the office party any more. You can stop sending greeting cards to people you never even talk to. You don’t have to attend every single gathering just because you always do. And, for gosh sakes, you don’t have to throw elaborate parties for people you never see throughout the year, hardly talk to at the party anyway, and don’t really care if you ever see again. That stuff needs to go. And quick.

Make Substitutions

The next strategy is about making substitutions. It’s also about being okay with them. Because, when it’s crunch time, making a decent substitution (or even a crummy one) is the best that you can do. Which is fine, because usually, you’ll be the only one who notices and the only person who really even cares. And even if someone else does notice, which is unlikely, it’s okay to be slightly less than perfect when you have lots of other things to do. You’re only human. People understand.

Substitutions will be different for different people in different situations. But, what I’m talking about is not sacrificing the act or gesture, just making things easier on yourself. We’re talking using the fake tree instead of cutting down the real tree. Buying cookies instead of making them. Wearing last year’s holiday pajamas instead of getting new ones. Using prepared products instead of cooking them from scratch. Choosing disposable dishes over fine china. Watching movies at home with cups of hot chocolate instead of dragging kids into uncomfortable situations, or visit people and places they’d rather not, and you don’t care for either.

Let me give you another example:

For years, our family held a neighborhood party in our home, for the holidays. It was a tradition I started when my kids were very young, and one we continued for many years. The whole neighborhood would come to our home, where we served delicious foods, signature beverages and homemade desserts. I would even make homemade egg nog — both adult and kid’s versions, too.

Though our party was enormously successful, it was a tremendous amount of work to pull off, taking weeks of planning and several days of execution before the big day. In addition to preparing the spread of food and alcohol, I’d heartlessly put my family through what I can only imagine was a hellish experience of scrubbing our home from top to bottom, cleaning the drive and yard, decorating the gates, lighting our trees, other various jobs I deemed crucial for a successful get together. It’s no wonder that after the party, I’d be left flat and exhausted for days, my husband scratching his head wondering what it was all for.

Fast forward some years later, and it finally hit me I needed to make substitutions. Instead of the party  at our home, for example, we changed it to a progressive theme, where neighbors moved from home to home, enjoying a small treat (appetizer, beverage or dessert) at each one. Some years, we skipped the party altogether, choosing ugly sweaters and caroling around the neighborhood instead. Still other years, my husband and I would host the party outdoors (remember, I’m in Florida) making serving and cleanup easier (plus we only had to clean the bathrooms!). I began skipping the egg nog, and served only one beverage per year.  We used fresh fruit instead of flower arrangements, party platters from warehouse clubs, or held dessert-only parties, instead of serving a full meal.  The party was a blast, and didn’t level me like it did before.

Take Frequent Breaks

The third strategy is about taking breaks. Sounds counter-productive, right? That’s what everybody thinks. But the logic is this: you can’t be productive if you’re a mess. Taking frequent breaks to recharge  actually makes you more productive, not less.

Taking frequent breaks actually makes you more productive, not less.

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Think of it this way. When preparing for holidays, you’re pulling late nights, using weekends, and cramming as much into every day as you can. You’re multi-tasking, too, darting from one task to another, scarcely focusing your attention on any one thing for very long (therefore hardly completing anything, either). Plus, during many of those hours, you’re tired. Exhausted even. You’re lacking sleep, grabbing meals on the go, forgetting your vitamins or exercise, and possibly even catching a virus as your system becomes less immune. If you’d take frequent breaks — for rest, for play, to hydrate, or to nap – your daytime hours become multiplied.  Why? Because you’re heightened. In better shape to handle it all. So, you’re super productive. I didn’t make this up. Productivity experts agree — this really works!

These 3 simple strategies — and they really are simple to do – will absolutely transform your holidays this year, and for years to come. Do me a favor and try one.  Or better yet — try all three.

I’d love for you to COMMENT about which of these tips you plan to implement this year.  Make the commitment. Put it in writing as a COMMENT.  You’ll be so glad you did.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Be well,

As a coach, writer, recovered over-doer and busyness addict, I understand the challenges of creating a balanced, healthy lifestyle while the mind tries to sabotage your success. In my journey to vibrant health, I created a personalized health system of nutrition and supplementation, lifestyle changes, and I retrained my mind and the energy of my body. I view my success as the formula to my happy, healthy life. I now empower other women to create their own personalized formulas, including the tools and strategies just right for them! Amazing life shifts come from our relationships. I look forward to helping you, too!

 

Written by Marie-Claire · Categorized: Women's Mind Body & Spirit · Tagged: household, me, mind-body-spirit, planning, time management, work-at-home

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