Heart and Soul Wellness

Give yourself a gift by increasing safe self-nuturing.

Some ways to do this:

Replace unsafe activities with safe activities.

Set a structure (ex – at least 2 hours a day of safe self-nurturing)

“Play around” – try a variety of safe, new activities to see what you like.

Work on it in therapy or with someone who can help.

Write yourself a letter giving yourself “permission” to improve self-nuturing.

Explore the emotions that arise when you change your self-nuturing.

Listen to your deepest needs.

Get back to activities that you enjoyed “way back when” but gave up along the way.

Now do it! Create a plan, focusing on the week ahead. Be very specific to make it work! Include any details that are important for you, for example, what activities, how often, during what time frame, how you will make it happen, who you will get help from, how you will remember to do it.

By taking the time to increase safe self-nurturing activities, your overall wellbeing will improve!

Self-nurturing activities are important for our well-being. But there are safe and unsafe ways to self-nurture. It is important to know the difference so that we can effectively use these activities to the best benefit possible.

Safe self-nuturing means seeking fun, joy, and pleasure in healthy ways and without excess.

Unsafe self-nurturing means seeking pleasure in an activity that causes you harm (legal, financial, social, personal, or physical) and/or doing the activity to excess.

Stay tuned of ways to find healthy, safe self-nurturing activities!

In our day-to-day lives, we have so much to deal with - busyness, stress, responsibilities, and more. And that is on top of any things that we are healing from or dealing with long term. In all of this, it is so important to nurture ourselves. We need to take time to not only tend to our needs and care, but to do those things that renew our energy, build our self-worth and develop growth.

Take time to love yourself. Consider what your needs are, what your inner desires are, what makes you happy to do. And if you feel like you don't deserve to spend time doing those things, do it anyway. Doing them will help you develop a deeper sense of self-worth, discovery and peace. And in doing so, we will have a deeper capacity to handle all the things we need to do and process in our daily lives.

Stay tuned for more information about self-nurturing!

"It is only when the mind is open and receptive that learning and seeing and change can occur." -Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction has many benefits, which is one of the reasons Sarah loves teaching her clients the techniques in the program. MBSR can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression; manage emotions; create a sense of balance through challenges, manage feelings of overwhelm, and even help assist in managing symptoms of some medical conditions.

How could these skills help your daily life? Let us know below!

"Mindfulness is a practice of stillness, being present in each moment with intention and meaning."

Sometimes we can get "stuck" in an emotion or experience. Starting a daily mindfulness practice can help us can benefit our overall wellbeing.

Start with just 5 minutes a day. Find a space in your home that is comfortable and begin by breathing in and breathing out. Take in deep slow breaths and notice emotions, body sensations that come up for you. When you find your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the present moment. If you find yourself in a moment of judgment or frustration, anchor yourself to your breath. Remember to be compassionate and non-judgmental with your emotions as you feel them. You can pair this will an affirmation or intention for the day and return to that affirmation throughout the day.

Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts and emotions at any given moment during the day. It is about paying attention and being present. In those moments, we take time to notice our thoughts and feelings, and the sensations in our bodies. And then we accept those things with non-judgement. For example, if we feel sad we don't assign judgement to the feeling, such as "I feel sad so I am weak." Instead, mindfulness allows us to be an objective observer and consciously listen in and intentionally acknowledge what we are feeling and choose the path that aligns with the direction that we would like to take.

Intentionally practicing mindfulness can be part of our daily lives. We can take a moment to slow down, focus on our breathing and acknowledge what we are feeling. Throughout the moment, stay anchored to your breathing. In those moments of non-judgement, we develop self-compassion.

The journey to discover who you are and who you are meant to be is a very worthwhile endeavor, but it can be a little overwhelming at times. Sarah loves guiding women through this process, that is why she provides the Embracing Your Authentic Self group. The group will last four weeks starting February 15th. The group is held virtually this time to allow anyone access to the program!

Follow the link in the comments to sign up or call or text (801) 866-3924.

Sometimes our past can hold us back from moving forward. We may have experienced trauma, fear, anxiety, unhealthy relationships and more. But we don't have to stay trapped in those experiences. They can be used to learn from and move towards a healthy future where we have a clear vision of who we are and who we want to become.

We have shared some tips and tricks, but Sarah has even more to teach! She is so excited to be able to share all this information in a virtual format so that anyone can join.

The Embracing Your Authentic Self group is a great opportunity to learn and grow in a safe space with someone who is passionate about helping women.

If you would like more information or would like to sign up, call or text (801) 866-3924.

You are not defined by your painful experiences. They are teaching you about your growth, potential and path.