Category: Taking time

Finding Joy in Little Things

Finding Joy in Little things

I’ve come to realize that finding joy in the smallest of things is one of those gems of life. The problem is, because we have our blinkers on we haven’t realized how precious they are. Yes, there is great joy in the proposal on the beach and the first words uttered by your child, but are we missing the details? Are we missing out on a whole other level of joy that could fill our lives? Joyous moments abound if we pay closer attention!

I’d like to look at a list of pure, simple joys that I think are often overlooked and undervalued (Please add to the list in the comments, I’d love to see it grow!). Simple pleasures that elevate our life experience if we will only stop to notice them.

I want you to take a moment to really put yourself into the feeling and experience of these joyful moments that I’ve listed. Re-create them if you can, even better! The idea is to really wake up to the fact that these small, often unnoticed, experiences can actually bring great joy. This is personal, of course, but there is something on the list for all of us to ponder on. Have you stopped to enjoy these moments or do you let them slip by you?

March 6, 2021

Defining Boundaries as a Mum

I’ve been thinking about my boundaries lately. This isn’t something I’ve given much thought to if I’m honest. I have been ‘Mum’ for almost 13yrs now and with that comes a lot of blurred lines! There was more Mum than Stephanie for many years. It is only recently that I began to realize that these blurred lines exist, and that they can be damaging. Defining my boundaries has been the starting point for my entire Personal Growth journey.

It’s the old ‘Self-Care isn’t Selfish’ scenario. We lose sight of our own well-being because we are too busy being the perfect Mum. Waking up to the reality that we aren’t doing ourselves any favours is the turning point. You start to set up your boundaries because you understand that they are friends, not foes.

February 26, 2021

5 Eco Friendly Brands I Love

I am no Eco Warrior but there are ways that we all can make a difference, so when I come across companies like the ones I’ve listed below that are eco friendly brands, I really want to support them. The waste that we go through just in my little family is quite simply heartbreaking, so finding plastic free products is a win! Then you get the companies that make an effort to put clean, natural ingredients into their products instead of chemicals the average person doesn’t even understand! I want to support them the way that they are supporting us and our planet. So, with that said, here are just a few of the brands that I love and use every day that deserve a mention.

Ethique

Ethique is a New Zealand company dedicated to making a difference in the cosmetic industry. All their products are plastic free and so is their shipping! They are an eco friendly brand all the way!

Ethique are focused on sustainability and their ingredients are cruelty free, vegan, palm oil free. On top of all of this they donate 20% of their profits to charity. Definitely a company I am happy to support! Oh, and did I mention their products are amazing too! With a great range for face, body and hair, all in bar format. They have great natural fragrances too, which I love.

February 9, 2021

Create a Vision Board

Vision Boards

I’ve created a few vision boards over the years. I find them so inspiring and the whole process is charged with positive energy. Whether you believe in the power of vision boards or not doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you find a way to believe in yourself, in your dreams and in your future successes. And, find a way to get yourself into a positive frame of mind! Mindset is everything! Use your Vision Board as a tool to motivate you.

The same way writing down goals is better than keeping them in our heads, seeing your goals visually is way more inspiring. We feel an emotional connection to the images. If you have always wanted a particular type of house, car, boat, etc. you will get that emotional high from seeing the visuals every day. Keep seeing it and you will feel more driven to chase that dream.

December 9, 2020

10 Reasons I Love Summer!

What do you love about Summer?

For me Summer is all about family, the great outdoors, relaxation and, because I’m in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas! Down here we strangely dress Santa in swimming trunks, stick sunglasses on him and then still have him climbing down chimneys in a velvet suit! Lol! Some traditions are so endearing you will hold on to them for all you’re worth!

Summer is also about sharing, friendship, sunlight and sunburn! It is a great big melting pot of deliciously enjoyable moments, AND deliciously enjoyable foods! From picnics on the beach to roasts on the Christmas table, this is a season of indulgence.

November 29, 2020

Self Talk: A Thank You Letter To Myself

We all go through our internal struggles with ourselves. Our self-doubt. Questioning everything that we do. Whether we are good enough, pretty enough, brave enough. We are in a constant state of ‘talking ourselves down from a ledge’. Trying, from a place of concern for our own best interest, to keep ourselves ‘safe’. For this reason it has become so important that we ask ourselves the question ‘What is Self Talk?’. And, am I using it to empower myself?

November 19, 2020

Live In The Moment

Have we been focusing on the wrong things?

What if we have been living with blinkers on? What if we have been so preoccupied with what we are looking forward to that we actually spend most of our time feeling unhappy instead of learning to live in the moment? We all go out every day, to work, to put food on the table. Then we count down the days until the weekend. We even have a hump day, a beacon to signal that we are halfway there. It’s almost over! What a way to live!

I understand that people carry many reasons why they have this unhealthy mindset. Reasons like not being happy in your job or feeling like you’re missing out on family time. But that’s not the reason I’m writing this blog. The reason I’m writing this is because I believe that we need to change our mindset on our daily life. Find reasons to be happy in the NOW!

I believe that whatever the current situation, we can choose to Be Happy, or Not to Be Happy.

There are lots of different ways that you can inject a bit of positivity into your life. Learning to live in the moment might mean you have to change your mindset. You might find that changing your mindset leads you on to better things in life, and that’s great, but don’t let that be the purpose of the exercise. The point is to recognize joy in any moment, or essentially what you’re doing is wishing your life away. In case you’re wondering, yes, I believe that living life with a more positive mindset brings with it a whole new range of possibilities! Maybe another blog post?!

October 19, 2020

Being Alone: Is It a Good Thing?

Does being alone equal being lonely?

There is a vast difference between being alone and being lonely. Loneliness is a feeling of separateness, a feeling of emptiness that can be overwhelming. Being alone doesn’t need to feel like this. In fact, being alone should be a time to reconnect with yourself and reassess your priorities. A time spent entirely on your own life questions, goals and aspirations.

I love spending time alone because I find life can become too ‘noisy’. There is so much going on around us every day, in society and in our own homes, that we sometimes need to take a break from it all. We forget that we are more than the 9-5. More than the School Lunch Prep and the Birthday Party planning. Spending time alone gives us an opportunity to remember our own wants and needs. It’s self-care at it’s finest.

What if you don’t like being alone?

For many people being alone brings on negative emotions. When this happens you need to ask yourself why that is. Why are you afraid to be alone with your own thoughts and emotions? To me this is an indicator that there is something that you need to work through. There is a reason why you don’t want to hear the thoughts in your own head.

Let me ask you this. Do you find your own self talk often turns towards the negative? Do you rip yourself to pieces because of the way you spoke to your in-laws or the fact that you just can’t seem to give up the junkfood? Or, are there things from your past that are troubling you, that flood into your consciousness when you are left alone? Does time alone leave you thinking about all the reasons your life isn’t what it should be? Do you come down hard for all your shortcomings?

October 15, 2020

Self-Care Ideas: What I’m Crushing On!

Let’s talk Self-Care Ideas I’m crushing on!

For me there are layers of self-care that make up a good day. On the top of the list of self-care ideas is sleep. It all starts with good sleep! So, a good bed and a good headspace is your foundation for your day. If you wake up feeling grumpy you’re off to a bad start. If you wake up feeling rested you’re doing well. So, make sure you’ve ticked all your sleepy time boxes the night before. Have a relaxing shower before bed, make sure you’re snug and comfy, wear your favourite pj’s and don’t drink caffeine too close to bedtime. For me these are the best tips for getting a good nights sleep, and staying sane, because without sleep we are basically useless!

Mindset first

Mindset can make or break a day. I like to ease into my day. It starts me off in the right mindset. Hitting snooze repeatedly and dragging yourself out of bed is a sure fire way to a bad day. Give yourself time to ease into it. Take the time to sit in bed with a cup of coffee and a good book. If you have kids, this is the best time to just be quiet. I love this time, when all I can hear is the birds singing outside. It is peaceful and my quality ‘me time’.

The next thing I do is set my intentions for the day. This follows on from choosing your mindset. Setting your intention is like making a decision to be happy. It’s a conscious choice when you wake up in the morning to say thank you for being alive and well. Wriggle your toes, stretch out your limbs and remember the blessing of a new day. Set an intention to have a productive day, a joyful day, a healthy day etc. When you step into your day making a conscious choice you are much more likely to achieve your goal.

Next, let’s look at the resources and products that I use to set up my self-care routine.

September 13, 2020

Manage Your Emotions in 5 Easy Ways

I’ve been thinking a lot about our emotions lately.

Our emotions are there in every waking moment. But, they are so much a part of you, do you ever stop to consider how you manage your emotions? Or, do you tend to shrug them off if they don’t suit you?

Our emotions, or our feelings, are our ‘guiding light’ through this life. They warn us when we might be about to get hurt and they excite us when something major is happening for the positive. Although they are super reliable, they are not always convenient. They force us to sit up and pay attention. In a world full of ups and downs this is often not welcome and we tend to close ourselves off from our emotions.

Do you hide from your emotions?

You might have seen a post I put up recently on Instagram asking this question. I think that too often we just ‘don’t want to go there’. We don’t want to discuss the suggestion to move to another city. We avoid making that appointment with the Doctor to check out a niggle. Or, we would rather walk away than have another argument with the kids over who gets to sit in the front seat! Emotions can be overwhelming and exhausting and sometimes we’d rather just walk away.

Is walking away the best way to manage the situation?

In some situations it might be the best thing to do, to walk away. It could be the difference between letting something blow over and having things go so far that there’s no coming back. Sometimes walking away is the right thing to do. But, what you need to avoid is letting your emotions stew inside you. That is unhealthy. That turns to bitterness, resentment and anger and can start to work like a poison on your heart and soul. There is a fine line that we need to learn to recognize. We need to learn to assess our emotional state and reel ourselves in when necessary. Let’s look at some ways to manage our emotions.