The Mind Shift

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7 Fast Fixes to Help You Unwind When Overwhelmed 🙌 Sometimes it feels as though everything in the world is coming at you at once. Between work, relationships, kids, and a dozen other responsibilities, it’s no wonder it feels like there’s never time to unwind. The problem? If you never give yourself a break, you very quickly become overwhelmed.

 

Ask a Question

When something new comes at you, the first question to ask yourself is a simple one: is this my problem? This might instead be an opportunity to set a boundary. You'll find much of your tension unwinding every time you say 'No.'

 

Bring Nature Indoors

Numerous studies have shown just a hint of fresh greenery or natural elements can create a calmer atmosphere. Try adding a plant, a collection of seashells, or a small Zen Garden or Buddha board to your space. Make a point of focusing on these elements when you’re feeling stressed to help you unwind.

 

Grab a Tune

Find a song on your playlist that always leaves you feeling calm and peaceful. Play it when you need a quick moment to unwind.

 

Try a Pleasing Scent

Aromatherapy has a lot of science behind it. Some smells are especially conducive toward easing anxiety. Just a sniff of bergamot, lavender, or frankincense will help you feel calmer almost immediately.

 

Step Outside

A short walk can build a lot of perspective and help you unwind even if you don't go far. Make sure to take some deep breaths of fresh air while you're out there.

Put on a Happy Face

When we smile, we change more than the shape of our faces. A smile quickly changes mood and even gives you a burst of endorphins in your brain, which are responsible for making us feel happy. The best part? A smile can help you unwind even if you're not feeling it initially. This is because even fake smiles tend to become real ones very quickly.

 

Set an Alarm

Sometimes, we need a reminder to adopt a change of attitude to unwind. Try setting the alarm on your phone several specific times every day. When one of the alarms goes off, either take a 'mindfulness moment' for a quick meditation or take a moment to read an affirmation. If you're strapped for time when the alarm goes off, use this moment to take a few deep breaths to give yourself a taste of unwinding before continuing with whatever you were doing.

 

While not every tip is going to work, be patient with yourself. Keep trying until you find the methods which give you the space to breathe. After all, unwinding is crucial to your mental health.

 

Are Your Priorities Holding You Back from Becoming the Best You Ever? What does the best version of you look like? Seriously, think about that for a minute. You're reading this right now because you want to grow and improve. Your current reality might be good, but you know it can still improve. You want to do something to change in some way so that your experiences change. You realize your relationships, financial picture, or health can improve.

 

So you're taking action. For people like you that are driven to create significant and positive change, effort or desire is never in low supply. You've probably tried to do things in the past to create change. Maybe you succeeded at some level. Many of us who attempt to create better versions of ourselves will find early success, only to eventually return to the undesired reality where we started.

 

This can happen when priorities are out of place.

 

You know what you want. You consciously desire to become better. You gather the knowledge. You take action and are determined to create the desired result.

 

That can't happen if your priorities aren't in line with what you tell yourself you want to accomplish.

 

Change Your Priorities, and You Can Change Your Experience

 

If you want better, more fulfilling, and healthier relationships, what are you doing to make that happen? Do you have a detailed game plan? Or do you work on strengthening your relationship whenever you think about it?

 

What we're talking about are priorities. You may desire a wonderful relationship more than just about anything else. That will not happen if your actions reveal that you prioritize other activities ahead of strengthening your relationship.

 

You might be working too much. Your idea is that the more money you can make, the better reality you can give your significant other. So you pour yourself into your job and have very little time to spend with the person that's so important to you.

 

In this situation, you need to prioritize more time working on your relationship and less time on your job.

 

Look at what you do habitually. You might not consciously prioritize activities and habits that deliver a negative experience. It may be happening unconsciously. If the things you do regularly aren't creating the best version of yourself, change your priorities. When you prioritize making changes that relate to your core values and beliefs, you'll see more success in creating that reality.

Thanks for listening!

There are two major types of content creators in the world. There are those who make their content for fun - fun for themselves and fun for their audiences. Then there are those who make content to make money. The more they create, the more money in their bank accounts.

Being part of the second category is a lot harder than you would think. While it might be easy for some to come up with content, it’s not easy to make money off of that content. But there are many ways for content creators to start generating income, based on their creations. Today, let’s take a deep look at the ways that you can make money as a content creator, even if you never have before.

Become a consultant. This is a great way to make money as a content creator. Now, this doesn’t just happen right away. You first have to build an audience and build a brand. You need people to believe that you are listened to, and that you have a group of loyal followers. Once you have done that, you can consult businesses and other content creators and give them advice on expanding their audiences.

You can also consider a brand partnership if you are trying to make money as a content creator. Brands will hire influencers to talk about their products. Make no mistake, you will be advertising with this approach but there is nothing wrong with that, especially since it will allow you to keep making your content.

You can sell items too! Don’t forget that when you have your audience’s attention, you can then sell them things. Maybe you are selling your art, clothing, or something else. Whatever it is, content creators often make money by pitching sales to their viewers.

Another way to make money as a content creator is to turn your content into a subscription service. Subscriptions are paid memberships for those willing to spend the money. They will see your content free of ads and might get bonuses.

Speaking of bonuses, this is another way to make money with your content. If you offer special items that are only available to those willing to pay a recurring membership fee, you will garner some good funds as more and more people see the value in turning out money every month.

If your website is thriving, you would be smart to consider direct advertising if you wish to make money off your content. By installing ads onto your site, you will start to see the income trickle in as more and more people view the ad. Setting up ads on a website is actually quite easy now, too, so it will not take much time either!

Listen to this episode to learn more.

Grab a copy of my latest eBook, "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" https://bit.ly/3FD2le5 

For helpful digital resources: https://www.etsy.com/shop/selfhelp411 

Need to talk? Call me! Lets-talk-today.com  

SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com 

SelfHelp411.com

It doesn’t matter what you are posting in your creative endeavors, and it doesn’t really matter what you are talking about, the most important thing about your content is that it engages your audience. If you create content and no one cares about it, it’s pretty much worthless and a waste of your time, energy, and money.

But how do you make the content that is going to work best and really find people to connect with? How do you make something engaging? How do you engage the people watching your content? How do you make something that can connect with others outside of  your usual audience  and find new viewers and fans?

In this tutorial, we will talk about the tips you should keep in mind when you are choosing the content you will create. Keep these ideas in mind as you attempt to forge forward on your path of being a content creator.

Firstly, you need to always understand your audience. Do not create content that will not work well with the people who have been loyal to you. How did you first get your start as a content creator? What initially drew people to you? Don’t rock the boat too quickly or change the type of content you create. You want to always engage with the audience that first found you.

Make your content timely! Do not create content that is about a fad or trend that is about to be out of date. In fact, try to only make content that revolves around ideas and products and items that are “evergreen” and always going to be popular.

You should also make sure that you always focus on your audience and not yourself. Of course your own personality will shine through in your videos and that’s a good thing, but you should always remember you are making your content for them and not for yourself. You are pitching to these people and that means you should speak directly to them and also talk about their needs and lives.

An important tip is to update often. Do not just create content once a month. You are going to find more success with a strict, up-to-date, constantly  updated schedule of content. You should often be releasing something new, and always thinking of the next thing you will release.

Continuing listening to learn more.

Grab a copy of my latest eBook, "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" https://bit.ly/3FD2le5 

For helpful digital resources: https://www.etsy.com/shop/selfhelp411 

Need to talk? Call me! Lets-talk-today.com  

SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com 

SelfHelp411.com

5 Tips For Using Social Media Advertising

If you wish to really reach an audience and create a strong, reliable following, you need to use social media. That is just a modern truth that cannot be avoided nor denied. Without social media, most of the content creators we know would not have the legion of fans - or the bank accounts - they do.

Social media is a great way to find people who are interested in what you offer and also a wonderful way to advertise and sell yourself, products, services, and so much more. This is something that the most successful companies and content creators have figured out but the world of social media advertising has changed a lot over the years. Only a few years ago, the only way to advertise on social media was through Facebook or Twitter. Nowadays, there is Instagram, TikTok, and a slew of other social media apps and sites that will allow you to reach out and speak directly to your audience and base of support.

But what’s the best way to use utilize your social media for advertising? What are the tips to keep in mind and what are the ideas and things best avoided? Today, we are going to go over the smartest concepts to hold close when you are finally turning your social media presence into one full of great, effective advertising.

First and foremost, you need to have a strategy before you begin advertising on social media. You wouldn’t throw a party without a plan, you wouldn’t write a book without a treatment, and you wouldn’t film a movie without a script. Along those lines, you shouldn’t start advertising on social media without a solid plan.

You need to create something that is consistent and reliable with goals. What are you hoping to achieve? How do you plan to do that? What sort of tone and attitude do you want your advertisements to have? Before you craft your first ad, you should come up with a definitive plan that you can turn to again and again.

You also need to always know your audience and who you are talking to. You’re not going to create good ads if you have no clue about the people receiving them. Make sure you know the ins and outs of your audience. You should be aware of what they are interested in, their age group, their demographic, the things that will call out to them. Don’t just blindly make ads that could appeal to everyone. Instead, you should be laser-focused on speaking directly to your audience - and the audience you want to have too. If you want to expand your reach and create a stronger base of supporters, you can do that via ads. But you must know what sort of audience you are hoping to attract and figure out the best way to do that.

Don’t change your brand! When you are making an ad, you shouldn’t become someone you are not. Don’t let your audience down by changing your tone, attitude, atmosphere, sense of humor, personality, and more. This will be the best and fastest way to not only lose a chance at bringing in new viewers and fans but also lose the ones you already have.

Another tip to always keep in mind is that you should monitor your results but also always be realistic. You may have created a kill ad and distributed it across all your social media platforms, but don’t expect overnight success. This sometimes takes time. But if a good amount of time has gone by and you’re not seeing the results you want, you should be pragmatic about that, tweak your ad campaign, and try to forge a new path forward. Be open to change!

Finally, do not just post an add on one social media account. Whenever you are trying to find an audience, you should reach out across all of your platforms, from Facebook to Instagram to Twitter to TikTok to YouTube and more. If you have created a great ad, it should play well on every form of social media so don’t be afraid to use every avenue of social media.

Making it in the digital world isn’t easy. Finding an audience that will remain loyal to you is no small feat. But, in this day and age, really finding success for yourself on the internet is something that could make you a lot of money and, more importantly, an entire career.  If you want to take this lifestyle seriously then you need to become a real content creator who can compete with all the others. But before you can do that, you need to know what a content creator is, and you need to know which ones you can learn from and be inspired by. By listening to and following the path of these popular content creators, you can carve a path for yourself that is both unique and proven to be successful.   The digital world is always changing, evolving, and presenting more opportunities. But that is only true if you are willing to do the work and put in the effort as well. Today, we are going to look at some content creators who have found great success on the web, talk about what has made them a hit and what they can teach you about finding great success on the internet.   A content creator is simply someone who is responsible for the creation of content on the web. Perhaps they are doing makeup tutorials, maybe they are talking about current events, maybe they are reviewing movies or music or TV shows. It doesn’t matter what a content creator does. What matters is that they have found an audience, they keep them engaged, and they have also manufactured a personal brand for themselves.   There are literally millions of content creators throughout the web, all specializing in different things. But who are some that you should pay attention to?  When it comes to content creators, few are bigger or better than PewDiePie. The man, who had a name that can sometimes be a mouthful, is actually named Felix and he has created an entire empire for himself. His path to fame has been pretty straightforward. He plays video games and makes personal video blogs about himself and his life.   The thing that makes PewDiePie so special and so popular is that he lets his real personality shine. He is 100% authentic and the audience can tell that. They stick around because PewDiePie not only makes fun content - who doesn’t like watching video games - but he also shows off his colorful, fun personality.

To learn more content creators, listen to this episode. 

Grab a copy of my latest eBook, "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" https://bit.ly/3FD2le5  For helpful digital resources: https://www.etsy.com/shop/selfhelp411  Need to talk? Call me! Lets-talk-today.com  SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com SelfHelp411.com

If you want to be a successful content creator  then you have to actually, well, create content. You can’t just find success and an audience in your field if you don’t continue to put out creations that will catch the attention of your audience and then build a bigger one.  But sometimes it is hard to stay on the ball and keep putting out new stuff on a regular schedule. There are many reasons for this. Perhaps your day job gets in the way or life throws you a few curve balls. Maybe you just feel like you are drained of ideas or you’re face writer’s block. Whatever the reason, being consistent isn’t always easy when you are a content creator.  But it is always essential because you cannot build success by not staying consistent, especially in this day and age when certain creators are communicating with their audiences every single day via their website, vlog, Twitter account, Facebook page, and more. It seems that they are always active - and always making new content for their audience.  There are ways to get more consistent and better about staying on a regular schedule. Sometimes you just need to hit the books and take the advice of the experts. Today’s tutorials will take a good look at some literature that you should add to your library if you wish to be a constituent content creator.   Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley is a terrific book that will teach you a lot about consistently creating entertaining content for your fans that they will love. The author also goes to great lengths to teach the reader about storytelling, something that is crucial for successful online personalities. Without storytelling, whatever your content is won’t be engaging and it won’t hook your viewers or readers.  Handley’s writing is easy to follow and her tips are easy to implement too.   How To Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck by Steve Stockman is another book you should keep with you. The title says it all, doesn’t it? With Stockman’s book, you will learn how to create videos and streams that captivate the audience. There are so many bone-headed, simple mistakes that content creators make again and again - and they don’t even notice them. A book like this will break down the basics.  Born To Blog: Building Your Blog for Personal and Business Success One Post At A Time by Mark Schaefer and Stanford Smith will help you craft the best written word for your site. Blogging is still very essential, even though many content creators have pivoted to videos. Once you know how to make eye-catching, fun, entertaining blogs, you will see that your audience will return again and again.  A successful blog will be both personal and professional. It will be fun to read, with strong personality in every paragraph. But it will also serve a purpose: it will create a loyal audience and it will also successfully pitch your goods and services in an attractive and enjoyable way.   Whatever sort of content you are creating, you will not find the right audience unless you are able to master SEO. That is why the book The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization from Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, and Jessie Stricchiola is another must-have book. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never touched SEO or if you have a decent amount of experience with it, this book will teach you so much of what you need to know to make your content really thrive online and pop up on multiple search engine results. If you don’t know how to pump up your SEO, your content doesn’t stand a chance.   

Grab a copy of my latest eBook, "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" https://bit.ly/3FD2le5

When a business starts out and gets going, many owners believe that they can go about things on their own without the help of many others. This is how many new businesses are run, especially in the first few years. People want to forge their own path, do their own things, create a brand and personality for a company that feels completely their own. Plus, it’s also not always easy to find a brand partner in those early days. Most other brands and businesses aren’t eager to sign on with another that hasn’t proven itself yet.  However, at a certain level, creating branded partnerships isn’t just easier, it’s downright essential for the growth of a company. By making a strong partnership with others, a company can grow and find a bigger audience, a more loyal fanbase, and more ways to improve their bottom line and expand their reach.   In this tutorial, we are going to focus on a few tips to keep in mind when you are attempting to bond a partnership between your business and another. It doesn’t matter what you are selling or how many loyal customers you have, a branded partnership can go a long way to making a good company great.  A branded partnership is the act of two parties coming together to make their own business success even stronger. You might not be aware of it but you have seen plenty of branded partnerships throughout the years. That’s because they work. When two companies come together in an intelligent way, they can reach new levels of financial flourishment.  The first tip to remember when creating your branded partnership is to find ways where the audiences of both parties come together and combine. Where do they align? What commonalities do they share? You can imagine how this will come in handy when it comes to attracting your customers and marketing. If you can find the overlap between both customer bases, you can really craft a campaign that will speak to all of them at once.   If your customers don’t care about the products provided by your partner then you will quickly see that the partnership isn’t working and you should rework your plans. Rely on research to figure out how you can speak to both customer bases at the same time and really improve the bottom line for everyone involved.

To learn more, grab a copy of my latest eBook "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" here:

https://bit.ly/3FD2le5

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https://www.etsy.com/shop/selfhelp411 

Need to talk? Call me! Lets-talk-today.com

3 Challenges To Expect As A Content Creator  

If you wish to become a content creator then you need to come up with a plan that will work for you. This plan needs to focus on many things, of course, such as the sort of content you will make, the scripts you will perform, and the ways that you will attract and keep your audiences engaged for years.   If you play your cards right, creating content can become your full time career and can quite literally change your life. But if you don’t do things the right way, the idea of being a content creator will remain a pipe dream that is always just out of reach for you.  When you begin making your videos or online content, you need to keep in mind that there will be some serious challenges that present themselves and attempt to get in your way. It won’t always be an easy path. Today, let’s take a look at three of the biggest challenges that will make your life as a content creator a bit more difficult. These are not impossible to overcome but they will certainly require some hard work and ingenuity.  Firstly, you need to always remember this challenging aspect about being a content creator: this profession takes a lot of time. You will spend hundreds on hundreds of hours coming up with content, writing it, filming it, editing it, advertising it, and continuing to pitch it to people long after it has been released into the world. This is a big challenge, especially for people who have full time jobs. Sometimes it’s very hard to come home from your 9 to 5 job to only spend several more hours working on your content. But this is something that needs to be done. You need to devote so much time to your content and there will be times when you feel drained and completely exhausted. But without setting aside so much of your personal life for your content, you can’t expect for it to succeed.  You should also keep in mind that staying original and creative isn’t easy either. You are going to tax your brain, sometimes to the limit, to always create something that is inventive, fresh, different, and fun. It doesn’t matter what sort of content you are making, you need to put a lot of energy into ensuring that it is attractive to your audience. You need to always be on the cutting edge of what is modern, what is fun, what is engaging, what is going to bring in your regular audience as well as new people.   Finally, you should know that actually making money from your content is challenging because it will take time. In fact, there is a good chance that you may never make money because of your content. You will need to secure so many views from all over the world before you are able to start seeing some money come in from your content. Now, there are other ways to make money via your content. Perhaps you create a partnership with a company. That is a great way to generate income from your content. However, that also will take a lot of time and doesn’t happen overnight. To make money off your content, you need to have an audience and that often takes time. Do not expect to see your bank account flourish the morning after you release content. You need to commit to your content and strap in for the long haul. Accruing money because of your content can happen but it certainly won’t happen quickly and you should not expect it to.   

Grab a copy of "The Creator Economy:  How to Build an Audience & Monetize Your Skills, Passions & Hobbies from Content Creation" eBook here - https://bit.ly/3FD2le5 

-Sarah  

Need someone to talk to? Call me! Lets-talk-today.com 

SarahSevenfoldlifecoaching.com 

SelfHelp411.com  

Helpful digital resources:   https://www.etsy.com/shop/selfhelp411

Heal Your Loneliness with This Guided Meditation

You Don’t Have to Live with Loneliness: How to Tell if Loneliness Is a Serious Issue for You 

Everyone experiences loneliness from time to time. Loneliness is a part of the very wide, vast spectrum of human emotions. However, if your loneliness seems to last for a long period of time, you may be suffering with loneliness on a more serious level.

Find a quiet relaxing space then listen to this guided meditation on how to heal feeling lonely. Listen to this meditation often and as many times as needed on a daily basis so you start to feel inspired and uplifted. 

Grab a copy of my latest guide on loneliness today! "Heal Your Loneliness:  The Complete Guide to Loneliness and How to Reconnect with the World" by copying/pasting this link into your search bar. https://bit.ly/3UgcEuT

Thanks for listening!

-Sarah

5 Things to Remember to Improve Your Self-Esteem

Are you overly concerned about what other people think about you? Do you find yourself worrying about what others say about you? While it is natural to seek the approval of others, those who have a high self-esteem, and are self-confident, are able to discount the negative opinions of others and to remain assured of their own self-worth.

Focusing on building your self-confidence can be made easier when you keep these five things in mind the next time you find yourself worried about what someone else believes about you.

1. Never guess what others might be thinking

You cause yourself much unnecessary suffering when you waste your energy imagining that others may intend you harm. You truly have no idea what anyone else is thinking. Train yourself to avoid making any assumptions about what others may be thinking - and train yourself to avoid making any assumptions about why other people choose to do or to say something - or to not do or to not say anything.

2. Live your own life

There is no way your life is "supposed" to be lived. There are no "authorities" appointed to judge the worthiness of your life. You have no responsibility to please anyone other than yourself. Be of service to humanity, but never be anyone's doormat. Live your own life full out. Live boldly with vision, purpose, and commitment. Establish your own life purpose, and live your own life.

3. Make your own choices

Your plan for your life is the only plan that matters. Your parents and your family, perhaps your church and your friends, have plans for your life, but those people are mere spectators of your life - the life you get to live every day.

4. Value your own opinions

Why would you consider someone else's opinions, or wishes, to be more important than your own? In fact, why should anyone else's opinions carry any weight whatsoever in how you live your life? Make your life choices sincerely and deliberately. Then never second-guess your own values and choices simply because they may not be approved of by those around you.

5. Choose to associate mostly with positive people who support you

You can't completely avoid negative people - there are probably a few negative people in your extended family and where you work. However, you can make the choice to limit your exposure to negative people, and to cultivate friends and acquaintances who have a positive outlook on life, who share many of your essential values, and who value you as a person.

Thank you for listening!

selfhelp411.com

sarahsevenfoldlifecoaching.com

5 Reasons You Should Practice Mindfulness Today

As more people are becoming aware of the importance of mental health, mindfulness is becoming an increasingly popular topic, and for good reason. Mindfulness positively impacts the mind, body, and soul dramatically, allowing you to be happier and healthier. Let's look at 5 specific reasons why you should practice mindfulness today.

5 Reasons To Practice Mindfulness Today 1. Benefits Your Mind

Whether you are in school or in retirement, it is important to keep your mind in tiptop shape. If not, you will not feel or perform as efficiently as you could. This could negatively impact your career, hobbies, or relationships with other people.

Mindfulness has wonderful benefits for your mind. Studies have found that mindfulness increases the density of gray matter in brain regions associated with learning and memory. What this means is that mindfulness makes you a better learner.

2. Increases Focus

Focus is an incredibly integral aspect of our minds. It affects all aspects of life, from driving your car to getting coffee with a friend. If we cannot focus, then we will have trouble learning, improving our skills, or connecting with those around us.

Luckily, mindfulness increases focus. Several studies have found that mindfulness helps you tune out distractions. As a result, this improves your attention skills, which then allows you to learn and recall information better.

3. Benefits of The Body

In addition to improving your mind, mindfulness greatly benefits the body. From boosting your immune system to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, mindfulness is one of the best ways, besides regular exercise and eating healthily, to improve your physical health and fitness.

Research has found that mindfulness boosts the immune system, making it easier for your body to fight off illness. Additionally, studies have found that mindfulness also encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight and helps them savor the food they eat. As a result, mindfulness helps to prevent obesity.

4. Regulates Emotions And Improves Mental Illness

Emotions and mental illness are difficult topics to improve and regulate simply because they are more difficult to detect and diagnose. Mindfulness is a simple way to both regulate emotions and improve the effects of mental illness.

Countless studies have shown that mindfulness decreases emotional reactivity and increases cognitive focus. This will allow you to better regulate your emotions since you have fewer negative ones to start with.

Additionally, mindfulness has been thought to help with the effects of mental illness. For example, there have been studies that show mindfulness reduces the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, in veterans. An important note to make about this is that mindfulness will not cure the mental illness, but it will help you better cope with it.

5. Fosters Compassion

Compassion and altruism are two characteristics that most people strive to have. They allow us to connect with other people and help those in need. Though some people seem to be more compassionate than others, there are ways to increase your compassion, such as through mindfulness.

Research suggests that mindfulness increases activity in the regions of the brain associated with compassion and emotion regulation. As a result, it improves your compassion for others, making it more likely that you will help someone in need, as well as boosting self-compassion.

Final Thoughts

To recap, everyone wants to be the best version of themselves, and mindfulness is one of the best ways to accomplish this. It will allow you to have a healthier mind, a healthier body, and a more giving spirit. For these reasons, you should start mindfulness today.

3 Ways To Be Mindful During A Chaotic Day At Work

Work can be one of the most stressful parts of a person's life, and chaotic days at work are even worse. To both be productive at work and enjoy your life, it is important to learn how to be mindful amidst the work chaos. Here are 3 ways to be mindful during a chaotic day at work.

3 Ways To Be Mindful At Work 1. Use Your Breaks Wisely

Although it can be tempting to pull out your phone and mindlessly scroll through social media, one of the best ways to be mindful at work is to use your breaks wisely and intentionally.

Try to use your break time to recharge and reset physically, mentally, and emotionally. For example, try meditative breathing, gratitude journals, or journaling, in general, to try to be mindful during your work break. If none of those ideas work for you, then simply find a way to recharge your batteries while still being present in the moment.

If you use your work breaks more wisely, you will be more energized and level-headed when you get back to work. As a result, you will be able to be more productive, handle your projects better, and connect with your coworkers.

2. Learn How To Say “No”

At work, it can be tempting to agree to nearly every project that gets placed on your desk. Obviously, you want to do your best and put your best foot forward for getting a bonus or promotion. However, saying “yes” to all tasks is not always in your or your company’s best interest.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed or overworked, you need to learn how to say “no.” If you agree to all projects, especially when you feel overwhelmed, both you and the work will suffer, which is not the best strategy for being an efficient and functional worker.

When you say “no” to a project, make sure you remain professional and respectful. Simply explain that you have too much work on your plate already, ask if someone else can handle the job, or ask if you can accomplish the task at a later date. Chances are, expressing your stress and inability to properly perform the function will be the better option in the long run.

3. Be A Single-Tasker

Everyone likes to think of themselves as a multitasker, which is when you try to do two or more tasks at the same time or switch back and forth between them. Even if you think you are a great multitasker, our brains are best at operating on one task at a time. For this reason, it is wise to be a single-tasker, meaning someone who focuses on one task at a time, at work.

When you focus all your efforts on one project or task, your mind is able to fully process and comprehend the challenges in front of you. As a result, you perform better, are more productive, and feel more connected with the work.

To become a single-tasker, try to keep a time journal because it can be difficult to know when you are multitasking. In your journal, write down exactly what you achieved in a certain block of time. This will tell you when you are single-tasking or multitasking. Adjust your habits accordingly.

Final Thoughts

To recap, work can be extremely stressful, making it important to be mindful throughout the day. Using your breaks wisely, learning when to say “no,” and becoming a single-tasker are the best ways for becoming mindful at work.

Grab my latest eBook on mindfulness to learn more here https://etsy.me/3y2D7lM

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Thanks for listening!

-Sarah

3 Reasons Mindfulness Helps You Grow As A Person

Everyone is familiar with the physical cycle of life: you are born, grow, and eventually die. During the growth stage, you grow mentally and emotionally, not just physically. Mindfulness is one of the best ways to help you in all parts of the growth phase. Here are 3 specific reasons that mindfulness helps you grow as a person.

3 Reasons Mindfulness Helps You Grow 1. Makes You A Better Learner

Many people assume that learning is done in a classroom when you're young. Although this is a form of learning, we as humans are designed to learn throughout our entire lives. From the time we are two years old until the day we die, we are constantly learning about our world, ourselves, and those around us.

To get the most out of life, we must enhance our learning abilities. By doing so, we can have better careers, more fulfilling personal lives, and better understand our loved ones and the world in general. Many people assume that learning capabilities are something you’re born with. This is not true; there are things you can do to make yourself a better learner.

Studies show that mindfulness increases the density of gray matter in the brain regions associated with learning, memory, and focus. As a result, it allows you to better focus on topics, comprehend the material, and recall it at a later date, thereby making you a better learner.

2. Increases Compassion

As humans, we are naturally driven to care for those we love, as well as other humans in general. One sign of immaturity is the lack of compassion and empathy for other people. As we get older, our compassion often increases since we learn that life is not as straightforward as it once appeared in our youth. For this reason, increasing compassion is a way to help you grow.

Luckily, mindfulness is one way that you can actively increase your compassion and altruism. Studies show that mindfulness increases activity in the brain regions associated with compassion and emotion regulation. As you become more compassionate and able to regulate your emotions, you can help those around you better. This allows you to grow into a human being that is more helpful to society.

More so, studies also suggest that mindfulness increases self-compassion. Self-compassion is important for factors such as resilience and satisfaction with life. The more self-compassionate you are, the more you are able to grow, learn from your mistakes, and enjoy your life.

3. Increases Resilience

Resilience is one’s ability to bounce back from tough and difficult situations. This is something that is not easy by nature. To grow into the best version of yourself, you must learn how to become resilient.

Mindfulness increases your resilience because it increases self-compassion and promotes optimistic thinking. As you become more self-compassionate, you are able to give yourself a break and understand that you are only human. As a result, you're gentler with yourself, allowing you to overcome adverse situations more easily.

Similarly, optimistic thinking allows you to not be bogged down by negative thoughts and feelings about your life and self. As you become more optimistic, you'll become more resilient to any challenge that you might face.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, growth is a necessary but difficult aspect of life. Mindfulness is a great way to grow your mental and emotional abilities since it makes you a better learner, increases compassion, and increases resilience. As a result, the more mindful you are, the more you will grow into the person you are supposed to be.

To grab a copy of my latest Mindfulness eBook click here https://etsy.me/3y2D7lM

The Largest Info-Product Store SelfHelp411.com

Thanks for listening! 

-Sarah

Change Your Life Listening To These Affirmations Everyday:  Achieve Wealth, Health, Fortune, and Success

Achieve Your Dreams By Declaring to Yourself that You Already Have It! 

Affirmations and positive thinking work by drawing in energy and focusing it with the subconscious to bring about change. 

I strongly think this and we have limitless power to alter the world around us, to produce the life we wish, to draw toward us positive and advantageous events, experiences and individuals.

Similarly, we may also draw toward us damaging destructive events, experiences and individuals. This is the basis of the Law of Attraction. Listen to these affirmations daily to change your life and achieve your dreams!

To grab a bundle of affirmation eBooks click https://etsy.me/3N0zJNn

Thanks for listening! :)

-Sarah

SelfHelp411.com

5 Consequences of Unrealistic Expectations

Without even realizing it, we may be setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others. They may not have been unrealistic at the time, but circumstances constantly change, and what was realistic at one moment may not be the following day. When we stick to unrealistic expectations, there are a number of consequences that follow. Today, we’re going to tell you exactly what those consequences are.

Unrealistic Expectations Breed Frustration and Disappointment

Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself and others leads to disappointment and frustration on both ends. On one end, the person who created the expectation will feel disappointed and frustrated when the other party fails to complete what was expected. On the other end, the person completing the expectation will have the same feelings with themselves and possibly with the other person for expecting too much.

Unrealistic Expectations Lower Self-Confidence

Trying to live up to an expectation that is unrealistic can also mess with a person’s self-confidence. When a person feels like they’re failing something, it’s extremely easy to attack our self-confidence and self-esteem. When our self-confidence takes a hit, it becomes exceedingly more difficult to complete tasks and live up to the expectations set for us.

Unrealistic Expectations Lead to Burnout

Another common consequence of unrealistic expectations is experiencing burnout. If we’re constantly trying to reach high expectations, eventually we’re going to feel numb to the task at hand. That numbness turns into burnout, which then causes a variety of other issues. These issues may include mental health struggles and physical health issues due to excessive stress.

To avoid burnout, it’s essential to take breaks when needed and know your limits in terms of what you’re capable of, and willing to do.

Unrealistic Expectations Result in Rush Jobs

When we set unrealistic expectations for ourselves or others, it may cause whoever is responsible to rush, in order to meet a deadline. While reaching a deadline is ideal, this sometimes means quality is sacrificed as not as much time can be spent on the assignment. Instead, it’s important to create expectations that are doable for whoever is tasked with taking them on.

In this case, it’s always best to allow ample time for someone to complete a certain task for you to avoid being stuck with a rushed and half-done task when a deadline rolls around.

Unrealistic Expectations Contribute to Overwhelm

Unrealistic expectations are a common cause of overwhelm in the person responsible for living up to them. If an expectation is set too high, that person may spend all of their time and energy focusing on that one expectation, while ignoring other obligations. By ignoring these obligations, they mount up and that person is left with a huge pile of responsibilities after completing the high expectation. As a result, overwhelm kicks in and stress levels rise.

Conclusion

Although high expectations aren’t necessarily unrealistic, it’s always important to adapt your expectations to an individual person’s skill level and capability. This way, you can set reasonable expectations that a person can complete in a timely manner without sacrificing the quality of the task. In turn, you gain a reliable comrade and they gain a sense of trust from you for the future.

To grab a copy of Life of Contentment eBook click https://etsy.me/3NU1Cbc

SelfHelp411.com for the largest info-product store!

-Sarah

The Science Behind the Power of Affirmations  

Lots of people are using positive affirmations in their daily life to help them reach their goals. But affirmations are more than motivational slogans. There is plenty of scientific evidence to show how and why affirmations work on your subconscious mind. There are even health benefits to using affirmations!  The research that supports the use of affirmations tends to fall into two camps: psychological theory and neuroscience.   

Affirmations and Your Identity - Self-affirmation Theory 

Most forms of psychological therapy or counseling are based on the idea that you can improve your mental health by changing your view of yourself. You can change the script about who you are and bolster your self-esteem by acknowledging and focusing on your positive aspects to become more confident about your capabilities.  Self-affirmation theory asserts that your self-identity is flexible and that you can change your view of yourself as a person. This means you can choose to see yourself as strong, smart, and capable of doing whatever you want. And this is where affirmations that align with your personal values can be particularly powerful.   

Affirmations and Your Brain  

There is increasing research that shows the physical impact of affirmations on the structure of your brain. When you practice positive affirmations, you are introducing new concepts to your brain and opening up new neural pathways. This is what helps to change your mindset from negative self-doubt to positive confidence. Scientists have mapped the changes that occur in the brain when we choose to move to a more optimistic frame of mind, building, and reinforcing those neural pathways.   When you think about your own personal values, you are activating the part of your prefrontal cortex that is involved in self-related processing of information and positive valuation. Repeating your affirmations regularly throughout your day keeps activating this part of your brain, reinforcing positive self-identity.  

Affirmations and Your Health 

Science has also proved some surprising physical health benefits of practicing positive affirmations.   Daily practice of affirmations has a measurable impact on your resilience and how well you deal with stress. As well as having a positive effect on depression and anxiety, regular and consistent use of affirmations can help lower your levels of cortisol and adrenaline, both harmful stress hormones. As your stress response declines, your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease, reducing your risk of stroke and heart attack. People who use affirmations are also more likely to lead healthier lifestyles, exercise more, and eat a healthy diet.    

Science shows us that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain by using positive affirmations daily.  

If you ever need someone to talk to contact me - you are not alone.  

SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com  

Thanks for watching!  

~Sarah

#science #affirmationscience #powerfulaffirmations #affirmations #positiveaffirmations #powerofaffirmations #sciencebehindaffirmations #abundance

The Power Of Guided Meditation

Meditation as a practice is possible for all people and can help to ease stress, increase peacefulness, and can lead to greater overall happiness. Learning how to meditate is easy enough, but the practice is lifelong and will go through phases if we continuously practice throughout our lives. The purpose of meditation is to create a space within the mind where thoughts cease and we can experience relaxation, a sense of oneness, and deep breathing.

During meditation, the thoughts may come back and the mind may wander. Some days and moments, the mind is more active than others. Sometimes sensations will arise in the body or there can be a distraction from events occurring around you and outside of your control. You might have a thought pop in or get lost in a daydream or other ideation.

This is normal for the active mind and our thoughts come and go just like our breath does. Yet, we do have control and choice over both if we choose to make it so. Meditation is a practice of conditioning the mind to recognize thoughts and slow them down or eliminate them and come to a place of peace where we can have a clearer mind to move forward.

When a thought comes in to distract us during meditation, we can take notice of it and pause and then return to the breath and the present moment and not allow us to be taken on a ride.

Mindfulness Guided Meditations

Meditation is a practice that can be done by anyone at any time. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of the practice. Yet sometimes we are feeling distracted and have trouble quieting our minds. When we are highly stressed or overwhelmed it can be difficult to bring ourselves back to a balance and sit silently in inaction.

Sometimes we feel like our minds are moving too fast to even get a handle on, and the outside world is distracting and overwhelming. If and when this happens, we can look to guided meditations to help set us on the path to empowerment with meditation. While meditation is often done sitting silently, there are also other meaningful ways to adapt the practice to our lives.

Guided meditations can be very helpful when first beginning a meditation practice. When we listen to a guided meditation we are led by a professional who can remind us to come back to the breath and to be gentle with ourselves throughout the process.

This is a great practice for people who are self-critical, disempowered, or for anyone who needs accountability. It can be difficult for many of us to sit in silence for 10-20 minutes but listening to a 10-20-minute guided meditation can be relaxing and more directed and engaging. Guided meditations help us to direct our energies in a particular direction or on a chosen area of focus.

Insomnia

Insomnia often goes hand and hand. Having the right mental tools is essential when dealing with stress. Insomnia and anxiety affect everyone in different ways and can come on at any time. Guided meditation is a great tool to help ease anxiety. Insomnia and anxiety is the overwhelming feeling of panic or worry that can happen for many different reasons. It can come as a normal reaction to stress, but it can also come from overthinking or fear of the unknown for people with an anxiety disorder.

Guided meditation is a start to a way to a calmer and less anxious life allowing you to get the sleep your body needs. Please, always consult your medical practitioner.

-Sarah

The Power Of Guided Meditation

Meditation as a practice is possible for all people and can help to ease stress, increase peacefulness, and can lead to greater overall happiness. Learning how to meditate is easy enough, but the practice is lifelong and will go through phases if we continuously practice throughout our lives. The purpose of meditation is to create a space within the mind where thoughts cease and we can experience relaxation, a sense of oneness, and deep breathing.

During meditation, the thoughts may come back and the mind may wander. Some days and moments, the mind is more active than others. Sometimes sensations will arise in the body or there can be a distraction from events occurring around you and outside of your control. You might have a thought pop in or get lost in a daydream or other ideation.

This is normal for the active mind and our thoughts come and go just like our breath does. Yet, we do have control and choice over both if we choose to make it so. Meditation is a practice of conditioning the mind to recognize thoughts and slow them down or eliminate them and come to a place of peace where we can have a clearer mind to move forward.

When a thought comes in to distract us during meditation, we can take notice of it and pause and then return to the breath and the present moment and not allow us to be taken on a ride.

Mindfulness Guided Meditations

Meditation is a practice that can be done by anyone at any time. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of the practice. Yet sometimes we are feeling distracted and have trouble quieting our minds. When we are highly stressed or overwhelmed it can be difficult to bring ourselves back to a balance and sit silently in inaction.

Sometimes we feel like our minds are moving too fast to even get a handle on, and the outside world is distracting and overwhelming. If and when this happens, we can look to guided meditations to help set us on the path to empowerment with meditation. While meditation is often done sitting silently, there are also other meaningful ways to adapt the practice to our lives.

Guided meditations can be very helpful when first beginning a meditation practice. When we listen to a guided meditation we are led by a professional who can remind us to come back to the breath and to be gentle with ourselves throughout the process.

This is a great practice for people who are self-critical, disempowered, or for anyone who needs accountability. It can be difficult for many of us to sit in silence for 10-20 minutes but listening to a 10-20-minute guided meditation can be relaxing and more directed and engaging. Guided meditations help us to direct our energies in a particular direction or on a chosen area of focus.

Insomnia

Insomnia often goes hand and hand. Having the right mental tools is essential when dealing with stress. Insomnia and anxiety affect everyone in different ways and can come on at any time. Guided meditation is a great tool to help ease anxiety. Insomnia and anxiety is the overwhelming feeling of panic or worry that can happen for many different reasons. It can come as a normal reaction to stress, but it can also come from overthinking or fear of the unknown for people with an anxiety disorder.

Guided meditation is a start to a way to a calmer and less anxious life allowing you to get the sleep your body needs. Please, always consult your medical practitioner. 

-Sarah

The Power Of Guided Meditation

Meditation as a practice is possible for all people and can help to ease stress, increase peacefulness, and can lead to greater overall happiness. Learning how to meditate is easy enough, but the practice is lifelong and will go through phases if we continuously practice throughout our lives. The purpose of meditation is to create a space within the mind where thoughts cease and we can experience relaxation, a sense of oneness, and deep breathing.

During meditation, the thoughts may come back and the mind may wander. Some days and moments, the mind is more active than others. Sometimes sensations will arise in the body or there can be a distraction from events occurring around you and outside of your control. You might have a thought pop in or get lost in a daydream or other ideation.

This is normal for the active mind and our thoughts come and go just like our breath does. Yet, we do have control and choice over both if we choose to make it so. Meditation is a practice of conditioning the mind to recognize thoughts and slow them down or eliminate them and come to a place of peace where we can have a clearer mind to move forward.

When a thought comes in to distract us during meditation, we can take notice of it and pause and then return to the breath and the present moment and not allow us to be taken on a ride.

Mindfulness Guided Meditations

Meditation is a practice that can be done by anyone at any time. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of the practice. Yet sometimes we are feeling distracted and have trouble quieting our minds. When we are highly stressed or overwhelmed it can be difficult to bring ourselves back to a balance and sit silently in inaction.

Sometimes we feel like our minds are moving too fast to even get a handle on, and the outside world is distracting and overwhelming. If and when this happens, we can look to guided meditations to help set us on the path to empowerment with meditation. While meditation is often done sitting silently, there are also other meaningful ways to adapt the practice to our lives.

Guided meditations can be very helpful when first beginning a meditation practice. When we listen to a guided meditation we are led by a professional who can remind us to come back to the breath and to be gentle with ourselves throughout the process.

This is a great practice for people who are self-critical, disempowered, or for anyone who needs accountability. It can be difficult for many of us to sit in silence for 10-20 minutes but listening to a 10-20-minute guided meditation can be relaxing and more directed and engaging. Guided meditations help us to direct our energies in a particular direction or on a chosen area of focus.

Anxiety

Living with anxiety can be challenging, especially if you don’t know good techniques to help alleviate it. Having the right mental tools is essential when dealing with stress. Anxiety affects everyone in different ways and can come on at any time. Guided meditation is a great tool to help ease anxiety. Anxiety is the overwhelming feeling of panic or worry that can happen for many different reasons. It can come as a normal reaction to stress, but it can also come from overthinking or fear of the unknown for people with an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can interfere with daily activities like work,  school, and social interactions. For someone without an anxiety disorder, short periods of mild anxiety can cause a boost of energy and help focus. Anxiety disorders can cause daily activities to feel impossible and eventually deteriorate your quality of life. Anxiety is different for everyone, but most people experience similar symptoms. Guided meditation is a start to a way to a calmer and less anxious life. Please, always consult your medical practitioner.

-Sarah

The Power Of Guided Meditation

Meditation as a practice is possible for all people and can help to ease stress, increase peacefulness, and can lead to greater overall happiness. Learning how to meditate is easy enough, but the practice is lifelong and will go through phases if we continuously practice throughout our lives. The purpose of meditation is to create a space within the mind where thoughts cease and we can experience relaxation, a sense of oneness, and deep breathing.

During meditation, the thoughts may come back and the mind may wander. Some days and moments, the mind is more active than others. Sometimes sensations will arise in the body or there can be a distraction from events occurring around you and outside of your control. You might have a thought pop in or get lost in a daydream or other ideation.

This is normal for the active mind and our thoughts come and go just like our breath does. Yet, we do have control and choice over both if we choose to make it so. Meditation is a practice of conditioning the mind to recognize thoughts and slow them down or eliminate them and come to a place of peace where we can have a clearer mind to move forward.

When a thought comes in to distract us during meditation, we can take notice of it and pause and then return to the breath and the present moment and not allow us to be taken on a ride.

Mindfulness Guided Meditations

Meditation is a practice that can be done by anyone at any time. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of the practice. Yet sometimes we are feeling distracted and have trouble quieting our minds. When we are highly stressed or overwhelmed it can be difficult to bring ourselves back to a balance and sit silently in inaction.

Sometimes we feel like our minds are moving too fast to even get a handle on, and the outside world is distracting and overwhelming. If and when this happens, we can look to guided meditations to help set us on the path to empowerment with meditation. While meditation is often done sitting silently, there are also other meaningful ways to adapt the practice to our lives.

Guided meditations can be very helpful when first beginning a meditation practice. When we listen to a guided meditation we are led by a professional who can remind us to come back to the breath and to be gentle with ourselves throughout the process.

This is a great practice for people who are self-critical, disempowered, or for anyone who needs accountability. It can be difficult for many of us to sit in silence for 10-20 minutes but listening to a 10-20-minute guided meditation can be relaxing and more directed and engaging. Guided meditations help us to direct our energies in a particular direction or on a chosen area of focus.

Anxiety

Living with anxiety can be challenging, especially if you don’t know good techniques to help alleviate it. Having the right mental tools is essential when dealing with stress. Anxiety affects everyone in different ways and can come on at any time. Guided meditation is a great tool to help ease anxiety. Anxiety is the overwhelming feeling of panic or worry that can happen for many different reasons. It can come as a normal reaction to stress, but it can also come from overthinking or fear of the unknown for people with an anxiety disorder. 

Anxiety can interfere with daily activities like work,  school, and social interactions. For someone without an anxiety disorder, short periods of mild anxiety can cause a boost of energy and help focus. Anxiety disorders can cause daily activities to feel impossible and eventually deteriorate your quality of life. Anxiety is different for everyone, but most people experience similar symptoms. Guided meditation is a start to a way to a calmer and less anxious life. Please, always consult your medical practitioner. 

-Sarah

Everyone puts off tasks now and then, but if you find yourself constantly putting off things you need to do, it's probably time to make some changes in your life. There are several simple ways to help get yourself motivated and stop putting off tasks you've been avoiding.

Don't Make It A Big Deal

When people put off tasks frequently, it's because they are making the task out to be something much bigger or much more serious in their minds than it is. It's time to put a stop to this practice in your mind. Tell yourself that the task isn't that big, and put it back into proportion. It may help to develop a mantra to remind you that the task isn't so bad and repeat it to motivate yourself.

Focus On Long Term Gains

When you procrastinate, it's often because you are focusing on short-term annoyances. Such as that you don't want to get up off the couch right now. Instead, it's time to focus on the long-term gains of what completing that task will do to benefit you. It may also help to visualize how you will feel after you've completed the task and all the benefits you will experience.

Break It Up

If you are putting off a massive task, it may be because it just seems too big to handle all at once. Do yourself a favor and break the task up into smaller, more manageable tasks. You'll find that you'll feel less overwhelmed and can conquer the task much easier than you could before.

Set A Deadline

If you constantly tell yourself that you will do something "someday" or "when I have free time," you will only continue to put off that task. Now is the time to make a schedule and set a deadline for yourself. Schedule a time to complete each of the tasks you need to get done or each part of the more significant tasks you broke down, as mentioned previously. And if you finish on time, consider rewarding yourself as motivation to keep you on task.

Becoming and staying motivated can be very difficult, especially when it is a task you don't necessarily want to do. But with a slight change of mindset and breaking it down into more manageable pieces, you can accomplish anything, so set a deadline for your tasks and get moving today!

-Sarah

Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but if you find that procrastination is a constant problem for you, it’s time to make a few changes in your life. Below are several tactics you can use to help yourself stop your procrastination habit.

Divide Up The Task

Often, when you procrastinate, you may feel you are facing a massive task that you don’t believe you will be able to finish. Put a stop to this thinking by breaking up the task into more manageable pieces. For example, if you were supposed to clean your basement, resolve to clean one of the four corners each day instead of trying to tackle it all at once. This tactic can help make any task more manageable and feel less overwhelming.

Make A Deadline

Now is not the time to tell yourself you will do something “later.” Instead, set a strict timeline for yourself, with sections of your goal having deadlines. This way, you know when you will be completing something. It may also help to have a small reward for yourself along the way. An example of this would be a student needing to write a four-page paper. And for each page the student completes, they would reward themselves with fifteen minutes of phone time.

Stop Your Common Distractions

Usually, when someone procrastinates, it’s for the same reasons each time. Like when you were going to clean the kitchen, but then you just had to watch a new TV show instead. Put a stop to this by eliminating common distractions or procrastination tactics for yourself. If the TV is a distraction for you, maybe it’s time to work in another room.

Spend Time With Motivated People

There is nothing quite like hanging out with someone motivated to boost your motivation. Find a friend or colleague whose motivation you admire, and resolve to spend more time with them. Or get a buddy in on your plans and decide to help keep each other motivated regularly. Either way, it’s much easier to stop procrastinating when you’ve got others around you accomplishing remarkable things!

Overall, discontinuing your procrastination habit can be extremely difficult, but it can be done just by changing some minor things in your life. Start by dividing up the task, making deadlines, and getting rid of your most common distractions. Then surround yourself with other positive people, and you will soon find you procrastinate tasks less than ever before!

-Sarah

Do you often struggle to finish the projects you start, even when you have every intention of finishing them?

Believe it or not, this is a common problem that most people face. Luckily, you can follow a few steps to ensure that you can become the type of person who finishes a project once you start it.

1. Make A Plan

The first step to finishing a task is making sure you have a plan at the beginning. It needs to be a plan which you write down. A mental note isn't worth the piece of paper it is written on. You may want to jump in and start something in your excitement, but you might not realize all the work and challenges you will face. When you take the time to make a plan, this will better prepare you for the task at hand, and you'll be able to spot problems much more easily.

2. Take A Break

If you find yourself getting overly frustrated or beginning to loathe the project because you've been working on it for so long, it's okay to take a short break. This break will help reset your mind and focus. You might even be able to solve some of the problems you are facing while you take this little breather. Just make sure that when you set an endpoint to your break, this way you can hold yourself to it and not just abandon the project.

3. Make Small Goals and Rewards For Yourself

As you plan how you will conquer your task or project, break your goal into smaller mini-goals. Then, cross them off and reward yourself as you complete them. It will help keep you on task, and you'll be able to feel as if you are making progress, even if it's small. This progress will do wonders to keep your spirits high while working on the project. The little rewards you are giving yourself will probably help too.

So next time you get excited about a new project or goal in your life, slow down a bit and make a plan, complete with smaller goals and rewards for yourself. Then, as you pursue the project, don't be afraid to take small breaks if you need to recuperate. Chances are, thanks to these three steps, you will be much more likely to finish your new goal than leave it abandoned.

-Sarah

We want to be productive. In fact, you might even wake up in the morning with all kinds of enthusiasm for the projects you’re going to get done during the day.

Now fast forward a few hours, and suddenly you’re dragging yourself home at nightfall wondering where the day went, feeling like you never accomplished anything at all.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most people feel this way at least sometimes. The trick is to realize that this isn’t something entirely outside of your control. Sure, things are going to happen, which derail you, but more often than not, you’re reaping the fruits of self-sabotage. You’ve derailed yourself, through your own negative self-talk.

How to get past this? Simple! Start with these easy tips:

Listen to Music

It’s hard to get yourself going if your mood is what’s dragging. Thankfully this is a quick fix. Put on some music you love, something fast-paced and catchy for a quick pick-me-up, and watch your productivity soar.

Get up and Move

Like listening to music, putting your body in motion will build your energy levels (so long as you’re not trying to run a marathon). Dance around the room, take a brisk walk, or try a few jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. Then tackle your task again, wide-awake and energized.

Look Inward

Conversely, sometimes what you need is some quiet time. If you find your mind racing and yourself unable to concentrate on what you’re going, try meditation to slow things down. Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths, nice and slow, and focus yourself on the present until you feel calm again.

Reassess What’s Important

It might be you’re not getting things done because you no longer find value in your goal. If this seems to be the case, take some time to ask yourself some very crucial questions about why you’re on this journey. It might be you either need to shift your goal to something else entirely or, at the very least, adjust the outcome to serve your present needs.

Contribute

When all else fails, if you do not feel your work has value, offer to help someone else. Mentoring is one of those win-win situations where you bring your life skills and experience to help someone else who truly needs it. At the same time, you rediscover your passion through the act of teaching others what you know.

Do all this, and it’s good-bye self-sabotage, hello accomplishment. Soon you’ll be more productive than ever!

-Sarah

You’re caught up in a cycle. You know the one. You’ve been talking down to yourself for a while. Every word in your mind points out your flaws and mistakes to where you think you’re going to go crazy from listening to it if you haven’t already.

Negative self-talk can be just this insidious. It gets in your head, courtesy of previous experiences, and negative input from people who don’t always mean well. Once there, it plays the same song on repeat, growing somehow worse with every retelling until you quit trying. Your dreams stall out, and you find yourself doing very little at all.

Finally, you need to take your life back and put an end to the negative self-talk once and for all.

Easier said than done? Not necessarily. Try these things:

Find the Calm

First of all, you can’t combat anything when you’re overly emotional and overwhelmed mentally. Find a quiet place and sit down to take a few deep breaths. If you can, meditate or try a mindfulness exercise until you can reach a peaceful place internally.

Take Note of What You’re Thinking

Don’t avoid negative thoughts. Listen to it. What is it saying? Whose voice does it sound like?

Dig into the Roots

Now ask yourself what the thought represents. Where did this come from? Is this from an expectation you put on yourself at some point, or does it come from someone else entirely?

Drop the Unreasonable Expectation

Are you trying too hard to be perfect in some regard? Is there a more reasonable expectation you can put on yourself in the place of this thought?

Turn It Around

What is the positive counterpoint to this thought? For example, if you’re worried about how bad you are with money, remind yourself of a time when you saved up for something you wanted, or think about a time when you paid off a debt and how good it felt afterward.

Create a Habit

If this thought is one which comes around often, what is the new thought you want to replace it with? How can you make this thought a habit? Consider this: the more you react in a new way to an old stimulus, the quicker a new habit is formed, and the old reaction disappears.

Just Stop

In the end, the only way to get rid of a negative thought is to consciously put a halt to it. Once you’ve gone through these steps, tell yourself to stop when the idea comes up again, and keep telling it to stop until it goes away completely.

Please note: You don’t have to listen to negativity but sometimes it becomes so firmly entrenched you might have trouble dislodging it by yourself. When this happens, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talking to a trusted friend or counselor can help you lay this negative chatter to rest once and for all.

Thanks for listening!

-Sarah

Everyone has dreams, but not everyone makes their dreams into goals. You may have a few of these too. What are the reasons you tell yourself late at night to put the shutdown on making them a reality? These reasons are beliefs that you have, but that doesn’t mean they are valid reasons.

1. Not Enough Time

Everyone is busy these days. When someone asks how you are doing, you probably respond with “Busy.” But that might not be the truth. Everyone has the same twenty-four hours in the day. For a week or maybe two, keep a time ladder of how you spent your time. This includes sleeping, preparing and eating meals, social media, getting ready for work, cleaning your house. Take a good look at how your time is spent, and you might realize you have more time than you realize.

2. I Don’t Have ‘X’ Talent

It doesn’t matter if you want to write a book or paint a picture, you have as much talent as you are willing to work for. You may not have been born with the natural ability to paint, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn and practice.

3. After ‘X’ I Will Do It

“Once I get through this (insert tough project at work), I will start training for that marathon.” “After I lose twenty pounds, I will take a salsa dancing class.” Why are you waiting? Maybe that marathon training will help you work through the stress of that project at work. Perhaps salsa dancing lessons will allow you realize that no matter your weight, your body is worthy of fun and sexy movement. If you have a goal, go for it now.

4. I’m Not Good Enough

What ruler are you using to measure your “good enough”? You are always good enough to go after your own dreams and goals. If this is an internal dialogue, then you need to work on liking and loving yourself first. If this belief is coming from external sources, then consider those sources and if they are holding you back.

5. ‘X’ Person Has it Easier

The grass is greener where you water it. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. There are many sayings that sum up that you really don’t know what someone else is going through. So do not assume that someone has it easier, and therefore can achieve their goals while you cannot. That person may think you have it easier or better.

Self-limiting beliefs can be a slippery slope. They can also keep you from even trying to reach your goals. Take time to examine your reasoning and come up with better beliefs to counter the negative ones.

When is a rule, not a rule?

We grow up thinking many things are set in stone. There are rules all around us. Some for fire safety. Some to protect our possessions. Some to keep things the way they've always been.

What becomes more complicated is the idea of societal norms. A societal norm is a way people behave, which has become so familiar people think of them as rules when in truth, they are not.

So, while we're toeing the line, and there might be a time and place for this, sometimes it can do more harm than good, especially when it comes to doing what's right for the sake of your mental health and emotional well-being.

How do you know which societal norms you must break to be true to yourself? Think about these things:

This is the Way It's Always Been Done

It seems no matter what you're talking about, trying to convince someone they should do something different is always an uphill battle. After all, it's always easier to keep things exactly as they are. Change is difficult. This is why it's hard to convince ourselves sometimes just how much success relies on change. You can't get anywhere at all if you're always doing the same thing over and over.

It's Expected

Everyone has expectations. Our parents might put certain educational expectations on us. Our friends expect us to do what they're doing, especially when it comes to marrying or having kids. Even our significant other expects us to behave in specific ways sometimes. The problem? When we live to others' expectations, we forget to stay true to ourselves. Maybe we don't want college or kids. Or our picture of success is entirely different from someone else's.

Mirror Images

We should all be exactly alike. Right? Sometimes it seems this way. We discourage those who are different from the norm and even make fun of them for being odd or eccentric. How does this make you feel when you want to do something a little 'different' from everyone else? It takes courage to stop being a mirror image of those around you.

It's What You See

We love movies, tv; the internet…we also love to listen to what media tells us about absolutely everything. We make celebrities our role models and take for gospel truth information from the sketchiest of sources sometimes. Isn't it better to think for yourself and decide what's right and wrong?

Forget societal norms. They were created by people like you who got tired of whatever the old status quo used to be. Life isn't supposed to be this hard. Keep things simple by staying true to yourself, and your life will be so much happier.

Stop by my blog at www.sarahsevenfoldlifecoaching.com

Thanks for listening!

Sarah

We all have boundaries. Maybe you don’t feel like you do, because of many times past when people have overrun you. Somewhere around the umpteenth time of being taken advantage of, of being ignored about your own needs, and treated as though your time is not valuable, you start to believe that you’ve lost whatever boundaries you had.

The good news is, you can re-create your boundaries, and make them stronger and healthier than ever before. How? Read on for a quick list of five tips to jumpstart your life and put it on track for a happier you.

1. Permit yourself to start over. While this step seems obvious, there are quite a few reasons for it. First, by telling yourself it’s ok to set boundaries, you’re declaring that you’re important enough even to have them. But also, in acknowledging that it’s ok to start over, you’re not getting hung up on the past. Thatis you, taking control. Embrace it!

2. Pay attention. Here’s where you start getting into the details of who you are and who you want to be. How have people taken advantage of you in the past? Where have you wished there were boundaries? What do you need to do to establish them now? Be mindful of your feelings. Look for the disappointment and anger. What has set those off? Chances are those are places where the boundaries need the most work. You’ll find that self-awareness is key to your success so don’t be afraid to dig into your emotions.

3. Where have you been? And where are you now? Chances are a lot of what you feel about boundaries came from your wiring as a child. If no one respected your space growing up, it’s hard to ask people to respect it now. Examine the boundaries of your childhood and compare them to the boundaries of today. What’s lacking? What needs work? It might be that some of the things you find make boundary setting particularly difficult in some situations. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either with a counselor or therapist to work through some of that old baggage.

4. Take care of yourself. When you’re not feeling well, it’s nearly impossible to be firm in your boundaries. Being strong and healthy gives you the energy needed to put your foot down when you need to. With that in mind, taking care of yourself not only makes sense, but it is also necessary forfuture success. Remember the basics: Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep every night.

5. Speak up. There’s going to be pushback when you set boundaries. Having healthy boundaries means that you put the work in to maintain them. That means saying ‘no’ when you need to. By being assertive you not only protect those boundaries, but you also tell the world that you have something to say. Need help? Enlist a support team who can cheer you on when you’re flagging – and who aren’t afraid to point out when you’re starting to slip. Sometimes we all need some tough love, especially when we’re pushing for better, healthier boundaries.

By following these steps, you’re not only drawing a line in the sand; you’re taking control of your life. Healthy boundaries are meant to protect youso that you have room to grow and become the person you always knew you could be. But first, you have to begin. So, why are you waiting? Aren’t you ready for that new improved you?

You are different from everyone else. Celebrate that. You offer a unique perspective in this game called life. We should all be thanking you. If you are constantly comparing yourself, it means you aren’t happy with who you are. Why is that?

People are brought up to conform to society. If you don’t fit within society’s norms, you are looked upon disapprovingly. However, most people aren’t normal in the truest sense of the word. Everyone has quirks and idiosyncrasies. It’s these differences that allow us to find solutions to problems. It also keeps us from getting bored. Imagine if everyone were truly the same. There would be nothing new to discover about one another.

There are some reasons to conform. For instance, you need to follow the rules and laws of your country and community. Otherwise, you will suffer consequences for not doing so. Also, you want to treat others with respect so that they will hopefully return that respect. However, if you try to act in ways in which others believe you should, you aren’t going to live your life to the fullest.

That’s why you should get out of the habit of comparing yourself to others. When you do this, you are likely setting unrealistic expectations and will lead you to be disappointed. Comparing yourself to others will result in you resenting those people. They have their reasons for being the way they are, and it has nothing to do with you.

There are qualities you admire in others. There is nothing wrong with trying to adopt some of those admirable qualities for yourself. However, it shouldn’t get to the point where you are trying to redefine who you are to be like those people you admire. You aren’t them, and you never will be.

You have but a short time on this planet. If you spend most of that time trying to be like someone else, you are in for a rough ride. If you stick to who you are and find others willing to accept you for that, you are going to be more satisfied for most of that time you live. Others will be happier with the real you as well. You won’t be a pretender. People see right through that kind of behavior. Just think about others who are not true to themselves. How long does it take you to see through that disguise?

Need to talk? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until next time!
~Sarah

Networking Skills

We live in an interconnected world with the internet. People can send a message and get an instant connection. Because of this, it seems that traditional networking has gone by the wayside. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

Social media is a great avenue for people to exchange ideas and meet new contacts. But, it never will have the same power as a face-to-face meetup with someone. Communication is at its strongest when two people can see each other. People learn more about others in a few seconds of in-person contact than they ever could with a strictly online one.

Another point to remember is that online people may not be who they say they are. Think about how easy it is to create an online persona. People are capable of being anyone they want online. That means the connections you make could be phony, which won’t help you when asking people to help you. Networking is about engaging with others and a certain give-and-take involved in the exchange.

Online connections do have their place. They can be a great starting point in the networking hierarchy of events. They can be a great way to hook up with people who you would never have using traditional means. However, as specified, you need to take the exchange further and try to arrange an in-person meeting. The contact gives people confirmation that the people you connected with are real. It’s the reason why people often use the phrase, “it’s nice to put a face with the name.”

If you don’t believe that in-person meetups are important, ask yourself how many online-only connections have become your friends. It’s likely to be a small number and even more likely to be none. While you won’t become friends with everyone you meet face-to-face, the number will most likely be larger than online-only connections.

It’s not practical to meet face-to-face with every person you connect with online. Some people live far from you. However, people should not treat the internet as the only way to connect with others. A great way to use the internet for networking is to use websites like Meetup.com. You can find people that have similar interests to your own and attend meetings. You can even create meetups yourself if a group doesn’t currently exist on the website.

There is no magic formula for networking, although some techniques may work better than others. Using face-to-face connections is one technique that should yield better results than a purely cyber strategy.

Need to talk? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until Next Time!
~Sarah

Strategies For Surviving Small Talk With Anyone

When meeting new people for the first time, you’re bound to get bogged down in small talk. When you take charge of the conversation and turn it into something more interesting, you quickly become the savior of the situation and leave a much better first impression. Read on for some quick tips on how to survive small talk with anyone.

Research Beforehand

Know who you’re going to be meeting? If so, find out a couple of details about them beforehand, then use those details to ask a question designed to get people talking. For example, “I hear you enjoy playing golf. Tell me, what’s your favorite course to play?”

Give an Awesome Introduction

When introducing people, make sure to say the name slowly so people can hear. Also, be sure to give some interesting fact or tidbit about the person you’re introducing, so they have something they can talk about immediately.

Remember Names

In social situations, most people don’t even make an effort. The very fact you do ensures that you stand out from the crowd. To remember a name, use it right away, and then try to use it another one or two times in the course of conversation. Forgot it already? Be honest and just ask again.

Give Long Answers

If you’re asked a simple question that can be answered in one word, or even a yes/no sort of thing, give an answer more detailed than they asked for, just to provide them with something more to work with in case they’d like to ask follow-up questions. Such as, “Yes, I did see that movie. We took the kids when we were on vacation in Florida.”

Ask about Them

People love talking about themselves. Ask questions designed to draw them out.

Restart the Conversation

If you hit a lull, throw out a question or conversation starter to get it going again. Most of the time, this happens when people run out of small talk, so having some comments or questions prepared will get things turned around, with the awkward pause quickly forgotten.

Know How to Get Out

Still trapped? Have an escape plan in place. Start with “I need…” statements such as “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom” or “I need to talk to the host.” Be sure to thank the person for the conversation, adding onto the thanks something about the conversation itself such as, “I really enjoyed talking about the stock market with you” before you go. This leaves a favorable impression and proves you were listening.

Need to talk to someone? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until Next Time!
~Sarah

4 Tricks For Talking To Anyone

Why is it so hard to talk to people?

Oddly enough, we’re communicating all the time. But living in the era of direct messages, tweets, emails, and texts, it’s becoming harder and harder to just talk to each other. The sad thing is, conversation is an art that’s needed more than ever.

To truly get ahead in business or your personal life, at some point, you need to know how to talk to other people using something more than text on a screen. If making conversation is intimidating to you, then use these tips to master the art of being able to talk to anyone, anywhere.

Ask More Interesting Questions

Rather than asking questions that can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ try asking questions requiring more complicated answers. For example, if you’re in a networking situation, learn something about the people you’re going to meet. Being able to ask specifically about a new project they’re developing leads to better and more interesting answers than a question along the lines of, “What’s new in your company” which is too broad to answer well.

Forget the Weather

The tendency of falling back on the weather as a topic of conversation is both tedious and a death knell to the interaction. Turn weather talks back around by asking a related question but also redirect the conversation at the same time, such as, “You’re right, it’s been pretty hot out. It makes me think of heading somewhere cooler. Tell me, where did you go on the best vacation you’ve ever had?”

Learn the Power of Adding On

This is a pretty simple technique where you take what someone else has said and add something to it, adding a question at the end. This helps keep things rolling even if someone else has stopped the conversation cold with a yes/no question or something about the weather. For example, if you’re asked if you saw the game last night, you might say, “Yes, that play at the end was really something. It reminded me of a time when I went to see them play in person. Tell me, what’s the best game you ever saw?”

Pay Attention to the Details

Become the person who notices when the situation is going south. Be ready to jump in with a question or a new topic when you see people are getting uncomfortable with the situation. For a quick fix, pay a compliment. It puts the focus on someone else entirely and provides a handy distraction.

Becoming a great conversationalist will become more natural with practice. Remember, the important thing is to relax, and be your friendly, personable self. By paying attention to the discussion and taking some care in choosing your words, you’ll find yourself having great conversation in no time.

Need to talk to someone? Reach out to me today! SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until Next Time!
~Sarah

Ways To Talk To Strangers Comfortably

We spend our childhoods being told to never speak to strangers but then discover as we grow up, we need to do just that, repeatedly. Some strangers are more comfortable to talk to, such as shop clerks or servers in restaurants.

Others though, are often more complicated, such as the strangers you meet in social situations. These are the people who have the potential of being your future friends and coworkers. These are the strangers who matter. To some, meeting this type of stranger can be quite intimidating.

How do you get past the initial trepidation and talk to even strangers comfortably?

Throw Yourself into the Deep End

If you always have someone to fall back on, you’re never going to truly take the plunge. Go to new places alone, so you’re not tempted to stick with who you already know.

Make the First Move

If you’re going to wait around hoping to be noticed, you might have a very long wait. Be bold! Start a conversation! Get up and join the fun rather than waiting to be invited.

Learn the Give and Take of Conversation

Ask questions. Get the ball rolling by discovering new facts about the people you meet. But also, be prepared to talk about yourself (but not excessively). Good conversation should have an ebb and flow. Don’t let it get too heavy in any one direction.

Learn How to Be Friendly

While initiating conversation, know when to back off before you become too aggressive. Not everyone is going to want to talk. If this is the case, let them go. There’s plenty of other people to talk to. Move on to someone else.

Be You

There is nothing more compelling than someone who comes across as genuine. Being authentic is a hundred times better than any role you could ever play. This means being you without pretense. If you’re nervous, it’s ok. You can even say something about it or make it into a joke. You’d be amazed at how many people can identify with these feelings.

Know When – and How – to Quit

If the conversation has died out or the interaction isn’t going well, know how to escape. An “I need” comment is a big help (as in “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom” or “I need to talk to that man over there about something, please excuse me.” Or just simply thank them for the interaction and move on. “It was a pleasure talking to you about Hawaii. Thank you for the conversation.” If you really like the person you’re talking to, get their card, or make plans to get together again before you go.

William Butler Yeats perhaps said it best. “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.”

With that thought in mind, wouldn’t you say it’s time to set forth and make some new friends?

Need to talk to someone? Reach out to me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until next time!
~Sarah

A recent study has discovered 88% of people are unhappy in their job. The other 12% experience joy and passion for what they do.

Are you in this 12%?

If not, you’re not alone. Sadly, a lack of passion does more than make the day drag. When you’re not enthusiastic about what you do, you’re simply not going to be as productive or even as successful at what you do compared to the individual who gets excited about their job.

Don’t believe it? Consider these ideas on how passion at work will help you get ahead.

Passionate People Focus
You can’t help but be intrigued by the things you’re passionate about. You can’t wait to dive in and see what makes things tick. This kind of focus enables you to see all the moving parts easily. It also keeps you more on task, and less likely to allow interruption as you hate to be pulled away from what you love.

Passionate People Experience Less Stress

When you’re passionate, you’re just more relaxed overall. Why would you be stressing about doing something you love? Instead, you’re more likely to feel the satisfaction of doing what you love as you get stuff done.

Passionate People are Creative

When you love what you do, you can’t wait to learn more about it. This interest in your work makes you more knowledgeable and more likely to notice things. This leads to more creativity in the course of your day.

Passionate People Get More Done

Passion is what wakes up a competitive spirit. You can’t wait to get things done just to see what comes next. All these things mean you’re putting out more work, and are much more likely to finish tasks over someone who isn’t passionate.

Passionate People Do Better

When you’re passionate, you’re going to be more interested in the details and will push more to ‘get it right’ just because you can. Being passionate means you’re doing a better quality of work, which is, in turn, noticed by those around you. Hey, think about it. When promotion time comes, who would you rather move up, someone who hates their job and drags through the day or someone enthusiastic, quick to action, and gets the work done?

Passionate People Have Fun

Work doesn’t have to be drudgery. When you’re passionate, you’re interested in what you do. This interest makes the day just go faster.

Passionate People Hate to Go Home at the End of the Day

This one should sort of speak for itself. When you find yourself wanting to stay and keep going with what you’re doing, you’re definitely in the right place doing the right thing.

Do you feel along and need someone to talk to? Please reach out to me today at https://www.SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until next time!

~Sarah

When you’re not managing your energy properly, you’re likely to experience emotions such as anger, frustration, exhaustion and other emotions that can compromise your health.

When you know how to manage your energy and enjoy an abundance of it your emotions will be connected, passionate, peaceful and positive. The outlook you get when you have energy to be productive and enjoy life can make a world of difference in your present and future health.

There never seems to be enough time to get things done, so we exist by multi-tasking on the run. For example, you may be eating a sandwich, driving a car and talking on the telephone all at once at any given time of the day. You may have gotten done what you had on your ‘list’, but you’re probably exhausted at the end of the day.

Personal energy management techniques can help produce a more natural energy and one that’s healthier for you. When you focus on the physical ways to produce energy, it serves you better than trying to get things done using ways that leave you mentally and physically depleted.

Here are some simple ways to enjoy better health by managing your personal energy:

1. Get rid of energy drainers. An energy drainer might be in the form of a person or a task. Assess the people around you and distance yourself from those who leave you exhausted when you leave their presence.

2. Dance. Take a lesion from children -- move your body to some funky rhythms and reenergize your body and mind. Just a few minutes of dancing around the room will give you some much needed positive energy.

3. Learn and practice a ‘healing’ art. Energy healing sessions such as Tai Chi and Reiki are especially great for renewing the energy levels of your mind, body and spirit so that you feel better and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

4. Discover what makes you happy. You may not be able to do what makes you happy 24/7, but you can rejuvenate your body and mind by engaging in those activities on a regular basis. You may enjoy crafts, cooking, reading, watching or playing sports. Do what makes you happy and enjoy better health.

5. Nourish your spiritual side. Take some time out of every day to nourish your spirit by a number of ways. You can commune with nature by gardening or walking or even just sitting in a garden listening to the sounds of nature. Take time to meditate and search through your soul until you feel rejuvenated.

Many times we forget that keeping healthy isn’t just about diet and exercise. A positive outlook and surrounding ourselves with positive energy by managing our energy wisely can do wonders for our health.

Need to talk? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Thanks for listening!

~Sarah

Using Positive Affirmations To Combat Stress

Listen to this brief podcast that will share how and why you should use positive affirmations to combat stress.

Need to talk? Contact me at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until Next Time!

~Sarah

Communication Skills

The word communication is a general word in its meaning. It could take on many roles, depending on the use and context. It also has many formats as its delivery mechanism. You can listen to music or watch videos, or you can read a book. Conversations are forms of communications as well.

Because of the general aspects of communication, it’s difficult to imagine formulating it into a skill. But, it is possible, and many colleges offer majors in communication, which elevates the field. It’s not necessary to study at a four-year college to enhance your skills of communication. It takes basic knowledge and some practice.

The biggest skill you can use to communicate better is to listen. People are not natural listeners as they are focused on themselves. It’s how we are wired. We will always put ourselves first. Part of that is a survival mechanism. But, because of our self-serving nature, listening to others is secondary and requires us to put effort into being better listeners.

To increase your ability to listen to others, the next time you are speaking with someone, repeat back everything they say. That may be a little unnerving to them, at first. But, if they look at you with a bewildered look, explain that you are just making sure you understood what they said. Once they get past the awkwardness, they will welcome the exchange.

The next step towards better communication is to use simple language. When you want others to understand your meaning, you need to make sure everyone will understand the words. People have different levels of education. Therefore, you want to use the lowest common denominator when speaking to everyone. You should not view this as a means of looking down at others. Your goal is to make sure you are understood. Speaking and writing in basic language is the best way to accomplish this.

You must consider the feelings of the people with who you're communicating. Even if you are a manager, barking orders at people is one of the least effective ways. Consider everyone’s opinions and needs. Keep people engaged in the communication platform. This way they take ownership in the process. That is a massive benefit for excellent communication. You will get more out of people when this happens than merely rattling off commands as if they are robots. There are some instances, such as the military, where shouting out orders is necessary. But, these are the exception, not the rule.

Need to talk? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until next time!

~Sarah

The varying degrees of your energy level can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Sometimes you have to have the energy to complete a task or activity and other times you seem to have the most energy when you’re trying to relax. If you can learn how to manage your energy levels effectively, you can move ahead rather than lag behind.

Here are some tips about how to manage your energy levels so that you’re ready for anything – any time.

1. Determine the times you’re most energetic. Some people are more energetic in the mornings and others are night owls. You should be able to determine from past experience which time of day you get more done. Those are the times you should schedule the most harrowing or mind bending of tasks.

2. Identify what drains you of your energy. Be honest about this assessment. When you know which obstacles and situations keep you from being the best you can be, you can do what it takes to minimize them or eradicate them from your life.

3. When you do have energy is it negative or positive? If you have lots of energy, but your output is all about negativity, you are likely in a constant reactive mode rather than a positive, active mode. Negative, but energetic people never seem to have enough time to get things done.

4. Use your energy to make headway, not merely survive. We all have increasing demands on our time. The way that we meet it determines whether we go through life just barely getting by or having the energy to advance. Quit rushing through in survival mode simply to get things done. Choose performance over immediate solutions.

5. Be consistent in the way you handle situations. When you experience energy highs and lows, you may find yourself reacting to situations according to your energy level. If you’re energetic, you can be positive, but if you’re lethargic you could react in a totally negative manner. Try to be consistent in your reactions and it will help your energy levels to be consistent.

Thomas Leonard, a highly successful financial planner and business entrepreneur says that time is an illusion – “There’s no such thing as time management. There’s only activity management in the time we’re given.” How much activity you get done in that allotted time is directly responsible for how energetic you are.

Make your activities into priorities according to your energy level. Performing low-energy tasks at times when you’re least energetic and high-energy tasks at times when you energy level is highest can help you meet all the demands and expectations and still have time to relax and enjoy life.

Need to talk? Contact me today at SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Thanks for listening!

~Sarah

You’ve likely heard the old adage, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” If you’re trying to manage your time effectively without paying attention to your energy management, you may end up with sprints rather than finishing the marathon of life.

Experts are now saying that productivity and success have more to do with how you manage your energy than it does with time management. As business entrepreneurs, we often try to do everything that gives us more time.

Eating healthy, staying fit, spending time with our children and connecting with others all take time and we do have to schedule some of our pursuits. Whether we have the energy for those pursuits is a problem that’s often overlooked.

Trying to adhere to certain times to manage everything can leave us all exhausted so that we’re not even able to relax and enjoy ourselves when we’ve “scheduled the time” for it.

The alternative to managing your time is to manage your energy effectively. It works by taking time for recovering from those lengthy sprints you take so you can finish the marathon with ease rather than anguish.

Here are some tips for managing your energy effectively:

· List how you like to rejuvenate yourself. Make a list of what makes you feel refreshed, more creative and lifts your mood. Writing them down will help to remind you about the benefits of these uplifting activities. For example, watching a great series or show you’re following on television, sipping a cup of tea and listening to music can be very rejuvenating to your energy levels.

· Double the time you usually take for breaks. Don’t stick to a time table when it comes to reviving your energy level. Take an hour rather than half an hour and have fun with whatever you’re doing.

· Reward yourself for every goal reached. Do you have lots of projects and it seems you’ll never finish them to be able to relax and enjoy yourself. Break those projects down into parts and reward yourself after you complete each one – rather than waiting until the entire project is finished.

· Make frequent recovery stops. While you’re on that mile-long sprint, you may feel the need to stop and renew your spirits and your energy. Do it! You’ll feel so much more like completing the marathon and you’ll be happier at the finish line.

Managing your energy is a much more effective way to get through life rather than putting time limits and making schedules for everything. Your inner energy thermostat doesn’t pay any attention to the time table you’ve created. Instead, make your energy the most important factor in the long marathon you’re up against.

Until next time!

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Thanks!
~Sarah

Intuitively, many believe that men and women handle their emotions in different ways. But, there are certainly men who are more emotional and women who are not. It could be a societal aspect where men are taught to “man up” and keep their emotions in check while women are told they are the nurturers in a relationship and should express emotions more readily.

The book, “Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus,” lays out why we are different from each other. It could be that these differences complement each other and help to round out a family. Of course, men and women will continue to complain to their friends about the opposite sex. It makes you wonder if this is simple posturing. There are plenty of stories that play off these differences.

While women may believe man are callous and cold, the truth is men do experience emotions. They just do it in a different manner than women. Many men do get choked up when they see an emotional movie. They just try to keep it from coming to the forefront. Some men have no problems with expressing those emotions.

There are women who don’t want their men to be too emotional. They view them as being weak and even when overdone, as being effeminate. It’s a delicate balance as they don’t want their men completely emotionless.

Hollywood movies often reinforce the stereotypes between men and women. People who grew up watching John Wayne movies saw the Duke as being a tough guy. Men would model themselves based on his characters. It’s not much different with the movies shown today.

Another factor that may explain the differences between how men and woman express emotions is one of biology. Women have different hormones than men. These hormones can affect how people feel those emotions.

It’s important to note that many studies on the differences between men and women are centered around the study of the brain. While science has come a long way in the past 50 years or so with these studies, the brain is still a highly complex organ. In the grand scheme of things, we know very little about it. Therefore, how much do we know about emotions in either sex? What will we know 50 years from now about the brain? No one can say for sure, but it is likely to be very different than what is known now.

Stop by my website to grab a few free goodies or to just talk SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until next time!

-Sarah

People are wired with emotions. Therefore, when you suppress your emotions, you are going against your design. That can cause harm to you physically and emotionally.

There is a time and place for everything, including expressing emotions. It’s probably not the best idea to shout in the middle of a busy location. In this day and age, people could mistake your actions when doing this.

Keeping your emotions bottled up will eventually lead to stress and other adverse mental conditions. If this continues for too long, it can cause you to become depressed and can lead to problems with alcohol or drug abuse. For instance, many people turn to sleep aids or worse, like Oxycontin and other opioid-type drugs. These are highly addictive and only mask the symptoms. They are seldom used to cure conditions.

Many people are taught to suppress emotions by their parents and grandparents. These generations were taught to do the same and felt it was a true sign of character to be able to keep your emotions in check. During their time as kids, there was less information about the effects of emotions than there are currently.

Some people still adhere to the old ways of not expressing emotions. Expressing emotions is similar to complaining, and no one wants to hear it. However, modern studies are pointing to suppressing emotions as damaging.

There are classes that allow you to let off some steam. People have different ways to accomplish this. Some will play sports like basketball while others will work out at the gym. Meditation is another, more tranquil way to reduce your stress.

Sometimes all you need is to talk to someone about what you are feeling. You are letting your guard down when you do this so make sure you find someone you can trust. If you choose a coworker, make sure you don’t disclose so much to leave you vulnerable should that person tell what you said to others in the workplace. If it gets back to your boss or another person who you may be talking about, it could have negative consequences.

Keeping your emotions inside is never healthy. However, you need to try and find the right time to express those emotions. But finding that time is crucial to your mental and physical wellbeing. It is not worth getting sick because you aren’t willing to express yourself. The benefits of letting it out will lead you to a better life.

Stop by my website to grab a few freebies or to just talk SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until next time!

-Sarah

Are you truly satisfied with your life? If not, you aren’t alone, as being satisfied with your life isn’t always an easy task for anyone. Below are the top three things you should do if you want to feel more satisfied with your life.

1. Exercise

Exercise is great for you both physically and mentally. Exercise helps to keep you in your best shape while also releasing endorphins that make you feel happy. And if you do manage to exercise enough, you will be able to transform your body into the physically fit shape you’ve always wanted to be—which will also help you in the happiness department. Don't be afraid to start small. Just try to get your body moving in some small way each and every day!

2. Be Grateful

One of the best ways to feel more satisfied with your life is by practicing gratefulness for all the amazing things you have already. If you spend all your time wanting for the things you don't have or being jealous of others for the things they do have, this will make you unhappy with your life. To efficiently practice gratefulness, you should make a daily list. Take some time to brainstorm all the amazing skills, people, and things that you have in your life. Then when you find a moment that you are feeling down, look back at this list and remind yourself how good you have it.

3. Release Stress

You have probably already realized that stress is a major hindrance to feeling satisfied with your life. This fact is why you should do everything in your power to lower the stress you feel daily. Start each morning with some relaxing yoga or mindful meditation. Then make sure you are allowing yourself enough time for self-care each day. Ensure you regularly engage in practices that help you to release stress. When you are faced with an especially stressful moment at work or your home, don’t underestimate the power of a deep breath, taking a break, or even reaching out to a friend for some help.

Feeling more satisfied in life is no easy task, and it will take you some time to accomplish it truly. If you exercise, practice gratefulness, and work to release stress every day, you may find that satisfaction with your life is right around the corner and well within your reach.

Grab a few freebies or reach out to just talk SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until next time!

-Sarah

You have probably heard the term laughter is the best medicine. It may even be a bit cliché at this point. However, it still holds quite true. If you are feeling down, forcing yourself to smile or laugh can turn your mood around.

If you are in need of a pick-me-up, make sure you hang out with people who are upbeat. If you are with others who are down as well, it’s going to be difficult for each of you to get out of your funk.

No one can truly be happy 100% of the time. If you are unhappy more than you are happy, it could be time to seek some help. But, part of your therapy could very well be to use laughter.

There are clinics that promote laughing as part of the group. It entails gathering in a circle and forcibly laughing while the group participates. Depending on who is running the event, each person may take a turn laughing and then the group joins after the last person completes the exercise. It seems strange to outsiders, but participants are proponents of the methods. They get a good feeling after the sessions, and many say they make great friends in the process.

Laughter can help lower stress as well. It releases endorphins in your brain which are responsible for you feeling good. It is even believed to help in producing antibodies which can fight disease. This could be how the phrase, laughter makes the best medicine, came about.

You may feel strange yourself early on when incorporating laughter into your routine. But, even if it is forced, as you do more you'll get more used to it, and it will stop feeling strange over time. You will have the tools you need to change your mood. After a while, you will find yourself laughing for real rather than forcing it.

It will improve your general outlook on life. People you associate with will also take notice and want to hang out with you more. Give it a try for a consistent period. Notice the changes that you experience in your feelings. It is likely you will never go back to the way it was. While no one can guarantee using laughter will make you live longer, it won’t hurt you in any manner. The question is, why wouldn’t you use it if you’ve got nothing to lose?

Stop by my website to grab a few free goodies or if you'd like to arrange to talk! SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com

Until next time!

-Sarah

Regret happens. What doesn’t have to happen is you holding on to it forever. Releasing regret is a process, one that is different for every person and every situation. However, you can give various forms of releasing regret a try and learn about yourself in the process.

1. Practice Daily Gratitude

Practicing daily gratitude is a great way to consistently remind yourself of all that you have. Family, friends, a home, food to eat, maybe even a cute puppy to come home to. Whatever your gratitude is toward, reminding yourself of it is a great way to reflect on the good in your life and make the regrets seem less important in the grand scheme of life.

2. Trust the Journey

Reminding yourself that even the adverse events in life are part of a bigger journey allows you to look at the larger picture. Yes, you regret this one mistake. But, did that one mistake lead you down a different path that had good outcomes? Everything happens for a reason, trust that in time you will find out why that mistake or loss occurred.

3. Learn to Release Emotions

Emotions in the grand scheme of life (once again; are you seeing the bigger picture yet?) are fleeting. Learning to release your feelings when they are not serving you will aid you now and in the future. Stop beating yourself up for something that happened in the past and learn to move on with a clear mind and focus.

4. Accept the Lesson Learned

Situations or actions we regret typically offer us a lesson—if we are open to learning it. Accept that you learned a lesson and move on with it. Living through a challenging event means nothing if you don’t continue living and implement what you learned into your future life.

5. “What If-ing” the Past Doesn’t Change the Future

Living in the land of “what ifs” is tempting. However, “what ifs” literally mean nothing in the practice of daily life. You can spend hours or even days guessing at a different outcome, but it doesn’t matter. Those what-ifs will never directly impact your future other than to steal from it. Stop reliving it and move on.

If you are living your life being swallowed alive by your regret, start exploring ways to release it and move on. You deserve a life that is fulfilled and happy, not a life that leaves you stuck in the past and wallowing in disappointment.

Stop by website to grab a few freebies or to just talk. SarahSevenfoldLifeCoaching.com.

Until next time!

-Sarah