Morning Affirmations | #4
Affirmations can raise your confidence,
Improve your self-esteem,
Help concentrate on your goals,
Increase productivity,
Help overcome bad habits,
Influence your subconscious mind to access new beliefs,
Change negative thought patterns to more positive ones,
Help create a personal self-love relationship.
Cycle Planning and Why it’s Important
Cycle planning was something I never even considered starting doing in my own life, even though I have been a planner my whole life. Always thinking of the next thing to look forward to. Whether it’s a vacation, grocery list, or just what the next day will entail. Even my job as a hairdresser had me scheduled to the minute. I have lived the last nineteen years in the constant blur of not being truly present. What is cycle planning and why it is important Women have this potential to utilize their productivity to a whole other level when they begin to plan with their cycle. It sounds like it takes so much time and effort, but in the end, you will gain so much more energy and productivity when you honor your cyclical nature. It only takes a few minutes a day to begin, so what are you waiting for? Planning with your cycle takes patience and energy to start to understand your body and what it needs to thrive When we went into lockdown, I was already in the process of what I would call my awakening. It started in February 2020, and once I didn’t have a job to go to, I began to see and feel more clearly. My need to constantly plan was my version of numbing myself to not feel anything by taking myself out of the present moment. As of March 18th, 2020, my only job was to care for my family and myself. I decided that this was the time to do everything I “didn’t have time for.” Before then, I worked out, meditated, and journaled, but it wasn’t in my daily or even weekly practice. I finally showed up for me. All these things were for me and no one else, but my family got the benefits too. I became more present and was able to hold more space for those around me. I changed my mindset from “I SHOULD do this” to actually doing it. When you tell yourself you “should,” you are giving yourself the message that you aren’t important enough to take the time to do the things that are healthy for you. Each day I awoke with a commitment to show up in a way that was healthy for me. I told myself what I want to embody; I am healthy, strong, confident, and worthy. There is always time to invest in yourself and cycle planning should be apart of that investment Life can get hard to balance work and family. I’ve been there. Even when I was working, I still made sure I showed up for myself. Now that I see how much I can grown as a person and how I can show up for my kids. Going back to mindless living and just getting through the days is not how I want to live. I don’t just get through the days anymore. I show up and be present as much as I can. Don’t get me wrong sometimes my patience is thin, or things aren’t going my way. These are the days I spend a few extra minutes on myself. Here is a post about my burnout experience. It’s always easier to put on Netflix or scroll through social media, which numbs your mind. However, sitting with yourself in meditation or journaling will at least inspire growth, and to be honest, not engaging in electronics is so freakin hard! It takes practice to become comfortable with it. Once you see the growth and benefit that comes out of it, there is no turning back. So how do you show up for yourself? I can’t answer for you; only you can. I do know the key to success is growth. That means trying something new and investing in yourself, whether it’s free or it can cost money. It only works if you show up. Cycle planning is the secret to help women flourish in their life I started to educate myself on the different phases of our menstrual cycles and how we can best utilize our time and energy at each phase. My cycle is something I’ve had since I was a young tween but never knew the importance of how to use it to my advantage. A big part of my routine was journaling every night, and I began to track my cycle. I started to see I have times where I’m very creative, and other times I feel like superwoman because I’m so productive. My journal became my instruction manual. I saw the patterns and began to see how I could plan to make my life easier. If I didn’t watch for the signs to wind down before my menstrual phase starts, I would be down for the count with a pounding headache and no energy for anything. Paying attention to the subtle signs of your cycle can unlock the power within yourself I searched for the ultimate planner to help my planning/journaling needs, and I couldn’t find it. Finally, my husband recommended I get a digital planner. I started to look at digital planners and wasn’t sure what they were. So I researched. I found one helpful in my journey, but it wasn’t what I needed to thrive in cycle planning. The designer of the planner I bought released a course on making a digital planner from scratch. It was a bit more than I would spend on a course, but the idea of taking this passion I had and bring it to life brought so much excitement to me. After talking to my husband about the idea, we knew it was the next step in my new career. I started to create the planner I wish I had when I started to understand the importance of my cycle. I wanted a planner that made intentions and affirmations as a part of my planning. Resting my body when it needs rest and getting all the stuff done when my energy is
Self-Care Tips And How You Can Improve Your Practice
What is self-care? I guess it can be a topic for discussion. Some people think binging on Netflix while eating pizza is self-care. Some people think it’s going to an expensive spa. I’ve been guilty of thinking both are self-care. The spa can be a way to nourish your body, but it isn’t at all necessary to achieve self-care. I want to give you some self-care tips and how to improve your practice. The last year has opened my eyes to what caring for my body can do. It has also brought to light the habits I engage in that don’t do well for my body. Sometimes those pesky bad habits sneak back in, like scrolling on TikTok for hours or indulging in sugar. I’m only human and know that sometimes we need to shut out the world and indulge. Self-care is taking small steps every day to take on new healthy habits. So back to what self-care is…. it’s in the name, caring for the self. Do you think eating sugar while watching mindless media is caring for the body? It doesn’t sound like it, and my mind and body never feel good after the fact. I either overeat or waste too much time when I could be doing something that makes me feel good. Here are some great ways for self-care: Turn your phone off Sit and honor your feelings and emotions A nice warm bath with some candles and music Walk-in nature Meditation Yoga Massaging your body with oil Journaling (check out my free daily gratitude journal) A whole day of healthy eating We should do self-care as a part of our daily life, not something we resort to when we can’t give anymore. My husband, kids, and I took a trip to Hilton Head for a long weekend over Mother’s Day in 2019. It was just a few weeks after my son of four months had to have surgery, and I was ready for some R&R! We were out to dinner on Mother’s Day, and my daughter’s finger got caught in a door. After spending the night at the ER and my daughter having to have emergency surgery, it wasn’t the best way to spend Mother’s Day. To make up for this Mother’s Day gone wrong, I had booked a yoga retreat at the Art of Living Center in Boone, NC, for the fall of 2019. In my mind, I needed this yoga retreat away to get the relaxation and rest I desperately craved. I was to the point where I couldn’t care for others until I gave myself the care I needed. Self-care wasn’t daily practice in my life. It started great, and the idea of the place is impressive. It had yoga, a spa, and nature. It wasn’t the luxurious type of spa that I had been to a couple of times before, but it had the peaceful vibe I needed. The first morning I woke up not feeling the best. I was in denial; I was getting weaker as the day went on. I was on my way to being pretty sick, but I hadn’t allowed myself to process it. I still did most of the activities planned, but by evening I had excused myself to get to bed early. I barely slept and woke up feeling terrible. I went to the yoga class and breakfast, thinking that it would help get my body moving. I planned on going for a hike after checking out, but I had no energy for such an adventurous task. I felt so bad I wasn’t sure I could drive a few hours back home, but I kept on trucking. During the drive home, my husband informed me both kids were also pretty sick. I felt so guilty I had been away, and now I had to tend to the kids even though I felt horrible. My daughter had an ear infection, while my son and I both had double ear infections. They were so bad the infection was in our eyes. Looking back at this time of my life, I pushed myself so hard to do it all; my body was shutting down. Now let’s fast forward to February 2020. We were taking a family ski trip to visit my husband’s family. We were bringing my nephew for his Christmas and birthday present. I didn’t have any relaxation expectations for this trip since I don’t ski and would be hanging back with my son. We were all staying at a rental property in the cute little town about twenty minutes away from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law’s house. I was happy to get the family time in. One afternoon I had asked to use my brother-in-law’s infrared sauna since it is highly suggested when detoxing my body from the mold. They were happy for me to use it and said to take as long as I needed. I don’t think I had done anything for as long as I wanted without a time stamp on it for a very long time. I took the twenty-minute drive to their house and played my favorite music. I even stopped off to check out the gorgeous views of the New River Gorge. That time in the sauna was the most impactful self-care I have ever done. I sat, I journaled, and I listened to music at separate times. I cried, prayed, and gave gratitude for every moment I had experienced in my life. I sat on their front porch and stared at the snow-covered trees. I experienced the “NOW.” So my point of those very different trips is that giving your mind and body the attention it needs is self-care. You don’t need a fancy spa or a weekend retreat to provide yourself with the care you need. You need to set the boundaries, make the effort and turn your phone
Welcome to the Journey of Wellnest Reset
I want to welcome you to the journey of Wellnest Reset! It’s so hard to figure out the right post to jump-start my journey. I’ve attempted writing a few posts already, but none seem to be the right first post. So I thought the best first post would be to share with you why I created this space. Welcome to the Journey of Wellnest Reset I’m here to share the journey I started two years ago. The person I’ve become in the process is what has truly inspired me to inspire others. I’ve learned my journey is always evolving, so I’m not sure what this will be as it grows. The most important part for me is to make sure I stay true to myself along the way. Here is why I’m here: To spread inspiration for self-love, self-care, self-acknowledgment, self-investment for the most crucial person in your life, YOU! Share recipes along the way. I intend to show ways to keep things healthy, but I’m not sure I can resist sharing the indulgent ones too. I hope for more traveling experiences for my family and I. Photographing nature has become a love I’d like to share. Making life a bit easier along the way. I’m an organized planner so meal planning, cleaning schedules, and things of that sort are what makes my life easier. There might be some tough love since the biggest lessons I’ve learned have also been the hardest. For me to bring value to you, I need some favors from you: Please let me know when something I share is of use to you. That way, I can create more content that relates to you. Share if you would like me to bring something specific, whether it’s a recipe, meditation, or any resource you think I should share. I’ve had trouble making the jump on starting my blog because of social media. We are ingrained that you must have a certain level of presence on social media if you want to be successful. Unfortunately, a significant factor in my growth has been removing social media from my daily life. So for the start of this blog, you won’t find me active on social media. I do encourage you to reach out to my email at [email protected] Wellnest Reset is a safe space where you can gain insight and ways to encourage your journey in yourself. Let me know how I can support you in the journey. I encourage anything that will help us grow. I look forward to our journey! With Gratitude, WellNest Reset with Cara Dempsey Check out some of my other posts Sign Up For The Free Gratitude Journal Challenge HERE Wellness Retreat For Complete Rejuvenation Gratitude Journal with Prompts