I just returned from my morning segment on Canada’s national morning show, Canada AM. In 2001 I was close to burnout, and today I shared the warning signs of burnout, and how to avoid it. Many people are walking around burned out, and don’t even know it. I hope that you will LISTEN to your body, and RESPOND promptly.
Just before my alarm went off, I opened my eyes and rushed to the bathroom mirror. They were even darker and more pronounced than last night.
This wasn’t a dream.
I ignored my mother’s voice coming from downstairs and stayed with my reflection. Standing frozen, as witness to the aftermath, I stepped outside myself, in awe.
The year was 2001. I was 26. Newly and happily married. I had managed to turn my passion into my paycheck. My business was flourishing. I had just been featured on the cover of the Business section, and numerous other publications and tv shows. Life was rockin’. I had the world by the balls.
When it comes to our jobs, we sometimes feel like we’re on a never ending shift. We’re Registered Dietitians, so that means, we share our knowledge about food and the effects it has on the body. Since everyone has to eat, and more recently, food is at the forefront of everyone’s radars, the conversation of food seems to be a constant one.
It’s September- Back To School is in full gear. If you’re the mom of a teen, you know how tough the school year can be. Intensive AP classes. Mountains of homework. Sports practices that take hours. This seems to be the new normal, and that’s true whether your teens are headed for the local community college or a powerhouse university.
No wonder today’s kids say school has displaced family or peer problems as the greatest stressor in their lives.
Okay, today’s “On the fence” question: Do you sleep with your door open or closed?
Why I am asking, is because this weekend, I discovered one of the greatest sleep secrets known to man mom. It’s called… wait… here it comes…. I give you… SLEEPING WITH THE DOOR CLOSED. Winning!
There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. And my husband. And my mom. And my friends. So here goes…
I have been secretly and quietly meditating for the past few months. Most recently, I’ve been doing it before bed to relax. It all started when I returned home from Canyon Ranch with Dove a few months ago. I signed up for a meditation session simply out of curiosity while at Canyon Ranch. It changed my life.
Please don’t stop reading. This is not some voodoo, organic, spiritual, granola, blog post. This is something very real making a significant difference in my daily life, and it can be doing the same for you.
We tend to love ourselves from the outside in, using exterior forces such as weight, success and praise to determine our capacity for worthiness. We ask arbitrary questions like, “Did I avoid cookies today?” ” How much have I accomplished from my to-do list?” “Do you think he will ask me out again?” as gauges for self-love. These random means of measuring undoubtly shift and dare I say, fall short which keeps us asking, “Do I really deserve to love myself?”
When your alarm goes off in the morning, do you snooze or do you wake immediately? Or perhaps a more appropriate question… HOW MANY TIMES do you hit the snooze button? Truth.
Six years ago, I came out of a 12-year verbally abusive relationship not knowing what had happened.
First relief, then not understanding why I felt so bad, and kept feeling like the world would be a better place without me in it.
Then ANGER. No way was I going to let him continue to have that kind of power over me – I had to understand everything, not only for myself, but also for my three children. And so I started writing and observing.
I help busy women (like you!) prioritize self-care so you can experience less stress, more calm and greater joy every day!
