We live in a culture that goes “full speed ahead” more often than not. Self-care is thrown around a lot as an idea and concept, but not used as a practice. When you don’t prioritize some of the most basic forms of care, your mind and body can both suffer. That includes getting regular exercise and getting enough sleep.

People pleasers tend to do whatever they can for others. While it’s often done out of genuine kindness, most people pleasers also really want to be well-liked. As a people pleaser, you might measure your value by what others think of you or how much they like you. So, you believe the more you do for them, the greater your odds.

Mindfulness is an important and effective practice in this busy, stressful world. More than ever, people are feeling overwhelmed. Schedules are full, there is a lot of uncertainty, and it can be hard to find rest, relaxation, and peace. That’s why mindfulness has become increasingly popular in recent years.

My Shaman teacher once shared this parable about a family, their cow and a monk. I'll summarize it....

A monk came upon a family living alone in a shack. They had one cow and used it for milk and cream and sold some to the other villagers. They were proud of the cow and their ability to survive on such humble means, and they were proud to share their meager helpings with their visitor.

Failing is something many of us fear. We think if we have failed at something, it means we should give up on that goal or dream or thing we attempted to be successful at. It was not ours to have.

Most humans seek comfort and routine over change. So anything outside the cozy comfort zone we create for ourselves is viewed as a threat by our brain. Our amygdala, that ancient part of the brain that determines our response to danger, will light up and tell us we need to fight (our perceived threat) or flee from it, or even make us freeze in place (stay stuck).

March 8th was International Women's Day, and the month of March is considered Women's History Month. While I don't think it comes with brisket and a pint, it still seems like something to celebrate!

It takes practice to be confident socially. Some of us feel like we don't know enough to have conversations with others, or we feel unworthy compared to others. This increases our anxiety.

If we define confidence as the willingness to try, then we know that building our confidence comes from taking action. It's not that we don't know what we need to do, it's that we don't do it. We puts things off, our inner critic tells us how useless and lazy we are and we develop self-doubt. This becomes a decision not to try. It's the opposite of confidence.

Carol Dweck, a psychologist and researcher, found that people fall into two categories of mindset. One group believes traits like our intelligence and abilities are innate and unchangeable and we only have a set amount of them or fixed mindset. The other group believes that we can change and grow depending upon the level of effort we put into things or growth mindset. These mindsets can play a huge role in how we behave and the level of success we feel in our lives.