Peace

Today and every day, no matter who you are, I wish you peace in your life. It’s worth its weight in gold.

So, if you’re dealing with narcissists over the holidays and stress is taking its toll, or you’re alone and feeling down, look for peace within yourself. That could mean deep breathing to relax your body and mind, taking a few moments to escape from someone who is causing drama, watching your favourite sitcom or movie, listening to (or playing some) music, taking your dog for a walk or hanging out with your cat. Whatever you need to do to simply relax and find some peace, go for it. Wellness (physical, mental, emotional) comes from within, and it typically grows together with peace, no matter how much or how little.

On this day, regardless of your surroundings, find your inner peace. It may be fleeting or you may be fortunate enough to hang onto it indefinitely, but the key is to find it in the first place and enjoy it while you can. And always remember, corny as it sounds, your life matters – you matter – so be kind to yourself.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, TGIF!!

Until next time,

Heather ~Natural Clarity Coaching~ http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com Natural Clarity Coaching on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep – The Big 3

Nutrition.  Exercise.  Sleep.  These three items are integral to our overall health and wellbeing.  Making them part of a daily routine helps to ensure that we regularly include them in our lives in positive ways.

One thing I have found to be very true is that moderation is key when it comes to eating.  Quantity and quality are meaningful here.  Try to eat three adequately-portioned meals per day with a couple of snacks mixed in.  Check out food/calorie guides to determine your best options in your circumstances.  Keep vegetables, fruits and nuts in your daily regimen because they typically pack in plenty of nutritional benefits.  From my experience, it’s preferable to allow for occasional ‘cheats’ because, for many of us, restricting ourselves from a certain item almost always leads to a greater desire for it.

Exercise is another big area.  Try to get yourself moving as much as possible, especially in this time of more sedentary work-from-home situations.  Walking, biking, hiking, dancing, swimming, yoga, sports, skiing, working out, and so on – whatever you like and can manage to do regularly, make it a solid routine.  Do what you enjoy and it will never feel like a chore.

Sleep, although it may seem like something we can do without at times, is integral to our mental and physical wellbeing.  Sleep gives our bodies and minds time to repair and recharge.  Without proper amounts of slumber, we will inevitably begin to decrease in our functionality on both mental and physical levels.

What it all boils down to when it comes to overall wellness is that MODERATION is key.  Someone very close to me who aged gracefully and healthfully, both physically and mentally, into their 100’s, lived life by that very motto.

Nutrition, exercise, sleep – the Big 3!  Maintaining this trio can create huge benefits that will make for a more enjoyable, fulfilling, healthful and possibly long life.

Until next time,

Heather ~Natural Clarity Coaching~  http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com  naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com  Natural Clarity Coaching on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Support system rooted in experience, knowledge and compassion

As a survivor of many things, including narcissistic abuse, C-PTSD and anxiety, to name just a few, I have chosen to dedicate my journey to supporting others who are going through similar experiences.  My belief is that someone who has “been there and done that” through times of adversity, gains wisdom and tools to help themselves, together with the opportunity to share that knowledge in an effort to help others who could use a support system.

When you work with me, my purpose is solely to support you in your healing and recovery journey.  Beyond my personal experiences, I have studied various areas of life coaching, psychology (with a focus on narcissism and narcissistic abuse recovery), health and wellness, women’s health, music therapy, Reiki and other relevant topics.

Narcissistic abuse recovery support is my primary focus.  I am not a mental health professional and, as such, do not offer those services; however, my support work with clients can be viewed as a complementary facet, in conjunction with treatment by mental health professionals, of their recovery or a stand-alone system where no mental health issues are to be treated.

If you are working your way through challenging times and could use the support of someone who knows on a personal level what you are experiencing and can help to ease the stress and complexity of everything in your healing journey, consider touching base for further information.  My standard rate is $25/hr (Cdn).  Lower rates available on a case-by-case basis.

Until next time,

Heather   ~Natural Clarity Coaching~    naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com  http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com  Natural Clarity Coaching on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

 

Strength arises out of Challenges

Strength arises most often from the challenging times in our lives.  It is often born out of our survival instinct or the need to protect ourselves and those around us.  It grows in those moments when we feel as though we can’t take one more step but somehow continue to put one foot in front of the other.

Those difficult times can also be viewed as opportunities for learning, growth and healing.  They can make us stronger and wiser.  Moments of hardship force us to adapt.  They also allow us the opportunity to share our experiences with others and possibly help someone else through a tough time.

Find and grow your strength in the ups and downs of every day.  It’s there for you and continues to grow.  You just need to trust in it and in yourself.  Reaching out to a support system is also very important in some parts of our journeys.  Sometimes that is family, friends, support groups or an organization such as Natural Clarity Coaching, for example.

Heather ~Natural Clarity Coaching~  http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com  naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com  Natural Clarity Coaching on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

 

Breathing Technique for Anxiety and Sleep – 4-7-8 “Relaxed Breath”

Here is a great way to reduce stress.  It can also help with falling asleep.

It’s called the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique (“Relaxed Breath”).  This is how it works:

Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold breath for 7 seconds, exhale forcefully through pursed lips for 8 seconds.  This cycle can be repeated up to four times in a row, two or more times daily.

You can also pair this exercise with guided imagery or meditation for an even more therapeutic experience.

Just breathe, my friends.

Heather ~Natural Clarity Coaching~ http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com  naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com  Natural Clarity Coaching on FB, Instagram and Twitter

 

International Self-Care Day

Celebrate self-care today and every day. 🙂

Heather – Natural Clarity Coaching naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com  Natural Clarity Coaching on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Perspective – A Skill (Superpower?) Well Worth Developing

Perspective is a significant part of our day-to-day lives.  As the saying goes, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” (Wayne Dyer).  Negative, positive or neutral, our perspective is our choice.

It’s worth mentioning that we all have struggles, some of which can be incredibly challenging.  No matter how difficult, though, we always have the option to change our perspective in terms of how we choose to view any situation.  Sure, life can throw us really rotten curve balls, but viewing something as a learning experience, for example, can take the edge off of the situation and possibly open the mind to solutions.  The school of hard knocks can literally make us stronger people if we rise to the challenge.  We can also opt for changing our perspective in order to reduce stress levels and keep up our momentum for moving forward.

At the end of the day, perspective is a choice.  And that choice can literally change our lives if we actively engage in awareness of our ongoing perspectives and then opening our minds to other views.  It can be quite an empowering skill (maybe even a superpower!) once we develop it and learn to put it into practice regularly.

Until next time,

Heather  Natural Clarity Coaching  naturalclaritycoaching@gmail.com  http://www.naturalclaritycoaching.com   Natural Clarity Coaching on FB, Instagram, Twitter