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women’s life changes and transitions

10 reasons for women to get out of overwhelm, juggling and imbalance

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Are you a woman who’s experiencing overwhelm, juggling, exhaustion and imbalance? Here’s 10 reasons for YOU to get out of stress, overwhelm and heartache and get YOUR spark back.

Why join the somebody beautiful movement of women?
1. Because you deserve to be up your priority list.
2. Because being busy “superwoman” is exhausting and often unfulfilling.
3. Because being a vibrant woman is highly attractive.
4. Because it’s no point or fun “doing it all on your own.”
5. Because hating your body is draining. In fact it’s downright painful and harmful.
6. Because going at someone’s speed or trying to be like them isn’t helpful.
7. Because holding onto old pain and secrets keeps you stuck, unwell and unhappy.
8. Because indulging in your real desires gives you energy.
9. Because self-love, body confidence and intimate love energises you to go out and love life.
10. Because you get back your sense of purpose and can make your difference in the world.

Which 3 of these 10 ideas resonate with you the most? Share on the somebody beautiful community facebook page.

Want some help to do that or know of women who could really do with a good dose of self-love and body confidence, putting themselves up the list, being less busy , less stressed and being happier and more “in love”?

Here are 3 free ways you can be part of the somebody beautiful movement.
1. Share this post with your women friends and family members today and invite them to head to www.somebodybeautiful.com  and put in their details to be in the draw to win a free somebody beautiful way of living retreat.  While you’re there, check out the success stories / praise from other women!
2. Join our somebody beautiful facebook community for free inspiration and support.
3. Email me  at janelle@janellefletcher.com to book a free 20 minute skype coaching session if you want some help to get your spark back! You will go away from this with a new idea, action step, tip or even answer to what’s up.

Are you emotionally curvy or a flat-liner?

By | body love & body image, health & well-being, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, Uncategorized, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

We are being told to embrace our womanly curves, but when it comes to emotions, we are expected to be constant – or I call it a “straight line” or perhaps a better word is “flat-lined”.

Our partners may get confronted by our curvy emotional ups and downs and our kids may not understand us when we swing from the chandalier of occasional mood outbursts. (usually pre-empted by dampening our emotions or personal needs, ignoring them or blocking their expression!)  Our workplace reminds us to “keep everything together” and get on with the job at hand and society tells us to dampen our “curvy” menstrual cycle (yes it’s a cycle, not a straight line!) with contraceptives, medical treatments or other means to get rid of the “problem”.

Why would we deny us and our lives of our curves and cycles?  How boring is life when we are flat-lined?   What would joy look like if we hadn’t experienced the enormity of grief and change?  What would happen to our relationships should we stay on “mediocre heat” rather than burn with a little passion and teeter in a little non-passion now and then?  And I know for sure, that many women’s health complaints – particularly related to fertility, menopause, depression, unhappiness, exhaustion….and the list goes on – there is often an imbalance created by trying to be constantly driving, striving, achieving, in control and all with a constant smile on our face, even when we are quietly seething underneath, feeling less than productive, less than successful or with no juice in the tank.

Take nature, for example.  We enjoy summer even more following a cold winter.  We can’t go surfing if there is only an in-rush of the tide and not an out-going one.  We have a day and a night for a reason. One to get us out there “making hay while the sun shines” and another to not be so out there, unless of course you’re doing a great night out dancing or celebrating!

Our menstrual cycle is in two phases too. And by crikey, why are we not listening to this gorgeous natural guidance?  After our period, it’s time to get out there, meet people and get things done.(very oestrogen dominant – in my mind the more masculine of the two key hormones oestrogen and progesterone.)  The second phase is after ovulation (your fertile time) and this phase offers you the time to go back into the “nest” a little, be a little less giving to others and more receptive ourselves and it’s the time to really take notice of those heightened, and some might say out of control emotions!  They may feel out of control, but jeepers they are giving you such clarity about what is and isn’t going well in your life.  What better life coach can you get?  Take notice of what those emotions are saying for you to act upon, let go of, start, finish or heal…and they will come up less next time round to “bite you in the bum,” and life will feel a whole lot happier when you use those monthly wake-up calls to guide you into what to do/not do.  And for many women, their PMT, menstrual, menopausal and women’s health issues also start to wane.

So 4 more observations I have had lately about emotional curves.

  1. If we are someone with really high and low emotions and we are in partnership with someone who is flat-lined, we don’t often “meet” / connect.  Food for thought.
  2. High and low emotional states need not be scary, if you reframe them as a great guidance system.
  3. Emotions get let out/expressed somehow even if you are a flat-liner.  Non-expression of emotions is like shaking up a bottle of coke and not taking the lid off.  One day it will spew over everyone, or otherwise stay under wraps by being dampened down by some mind-numbing, body-numbing and probably soul-numbing substance or activity.
  4. People don’t spend enough time in the heightened and very natural emotions of joy, exhilaration, burning passion, ecstasy, desire, pride…

So here’s to embracing my curves!  And you?

 

 

 

How to beat exhaustion and walk to the beat of your own rhythms

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Having sat in traffic for 2 hours yesterday and also noticed my ϋber-full diary especially in the past couple of weeks with packing boxes for a house-move and kids sports practices and social commitments revving up, I went to bed last night exhausted and woke up feeling the same – unrested, tired and not really up to completing another day like yesterday.
Yes I have been known to play superwoman much of my life – tearing around at great speed filling up my diary, goal planner and “caring-for-others-responsibility-list”. Yes some of that has made me happy – let’s call that being fulfilled. But in all honesty, much of it has simply filled my life, not fulfilled it, nor has it left me feeling consistently energised – even though I usually look very “got-it-together”, energetic and extremely capable. The adrenaline has kicked in when I’ve needed it, but my adrenals have suffered, and running my “engine” with little oil, water and petrol and still trying to get somewhere in this body of mine has become my modus operandi – and not a good one I might add!
So what I get is this. We each have a personal drum that we beat our stick on, and it pays to listen to that beat and ask ourselves, “Is it one that feels good in my body, or not?
When out of sync with our natural rhythms – our natural personality type, (not an identity we’ve assumed along the way!) body type, personal menstrual cycle and even the cycle of the moon, as examples) we are prone to certain things. Here’s what springs to mind.
• Exhaustion and burnout
• That “stressed out feeling” and all the physical ills that come from that
• Menstrual problems and women’s health issues
• Ranting and raving at the kids, husband or the dog
• Insomnia – yes I am a good one at this!
• And loads of other ills that I know you will recognise!
But most importantly I am learning that when I am not walking to the beat of my own natural rhythms and instead living to the beat of my own “sergeant major” or to someone else’s beat, I feel unhappy, restless and unfulfilled, and sometimes even a little depressed.
So what am I personally doing at the moment to beat exhaustion, up my energy and create a good feeling in my soul?
• Saying “no” to things that are killing my spirit, even if that means I look less responsible, reliable or loyal even. I ask myself, “Is what I am doing simply filling up my diary, or fulfilling my soul?” If it is a step in the direction of me feeling more fulfilled, I do it. If not, it gets left by the wayside – even if others who have depended on me in the past feel let down and my identity as “super-woman” gets squashed.

• Lifestyle change  Yes, one morning recently I spontaneously decided to leave urban life and head to the country. The moment I set foot up the driveway in the new place, I knew this would be a place for healing and “re-charging” my batteries and creating a simpler life that my soul has been craving for.
• Taking moments each day to do nothing. Amidst the packing boxes, I choose to stop now and then. Amidst the busy work schedule, I choose to sit when I get home before getting into the next task at hand. And I banish the belief, that I am only “something” when I am doing something!
• I honour my menstrual cycle. When I feel the pain in my belly, I remember to sit and nurture myself. When I feel the emotions arising in my pre-menstrual body, I gently allow those emotions to express themselves. When I feel energised in my new cycle, I use this to be creative and productive. And I bring my body back to an “at peace with myself” beat by sitting still, breathing deeply, letting out a sigh and letting in a smile.
What’s your step today to walk more to the beat of your own natural rhythms?

The 5 top diseases of modern women and how to heal them

By | body love & body image, health & well-being, manifesting & abundance, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, spirituality, Uncategorized, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

I may be wrong in calling them diseases, especially in the sense of medical terminology, but here are what I consider the top diseases (as in not at ease!) of modern women.

1.  Lack of self love

2.  Poor body confidence and trust in their bodies

3.   Forgetting their beautiful inner feminine gifts and instead, living what I call the “masculine way of being”

4.   Soul malnourishment – in favour of filling up with an over-stressed, busy schedule

5.   Spiritual disconnection

Again and again in my work with women dealing with eating, weight, fertility, miscarriage loss, relationship, intimacy and no-passion-in-life issues, these 5 diseases tend to underlie all of their woes.

Imagine instead of dieting, racing off for some more medication or “treatment”, starting yet another “soon to fail” exercise regime, finding yet another bloke on find someone or trying to resurrect a relationship by mentally working out what needs working on….there might just be another answer or way of being that will heal things from the core, not just band-aid the difficult situation.

Here are what have been my answers and what has helped a lot of women get through their health, body and life challenges and to refind their mojo.  They also just happen to be the 5 foundations of my somebody beautiful way of living 12 week retreat programme and also what forms the basis of my one-on-one VIP coaching/healing programme.   More to come on that at www.janellefletcher.com

1.   Reigniting self love, self belief, self value and self care through your thoughts, words and actions.

2.   Getting to the core of where you lost trust in your body and rediscovering your personal power to know  what you and your body needs, and knowing that it is self-healing and self-revealing.

3.   Learning to slow down, simplify, use your intuition and rediscover compassion, gentleness and a softly powerful way of relating to yourself, your body and all aspects of your life.

4.  Soul Nourishment – this is about activities, people and pleasures that fill your soul, not just your diary!  Learning to say yes to things that light you up, and no to things that kill your spirit.

5.  Connecting within to your greatness – that could be with Spirit, God, your Higher self, someone in soul or what I call your “inner marvellousness”.  It is with Spirit and in stillness that you will find your answers and experience the peace in yourself, in your body and in your life situation and things WILL begin to look brighter!the foundations of a confident woman

 

Hot secrets for you to reignite your inner sexy even if you are single or feel like you are

By | body love & body image, health & well-being, manifesting & abundance, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

Has it been a while since you felt sexy, sassy and loving the lusciousness of an intimate relationship? Want your spark back, whether you are single or feel like you are in a bit of a drab relationship?

For many women, their fire has gone out and only the ashes remain following separation, divorce, death of their partner, a string of bad relationships, bad internet dating experiences or still finding themselves single. So how can we reignite our inner sexy, sensuality, and sassiness whether we have a loving partner or not and why should we even bother?

First let’s start with the why! We love it, we feel good, we feel hot, we love romance, we yearn for the closeness of good sex, we are sensual, touchy-feely people, the feel good hormones respond to some good loving, and we feel more alive. Great reasons! So now how about the how?

Sexiness is an outside job as well as an inside job. Don’t keep your best clothes, or your favourite perfume, for a special occasion. Why not wear your best dress to work or your favourite sexiest jeans to the dentist or your most colourful top and most gorgeous perfume to the school show? Ban black and wear more colour. Wear textures that feel and look good. Attend to your personal care and appearance. You don’t have to be donning over-the-top make-up or spend hours in front of the mirror, but why not attire and adorn yourself in things that make you feel gorgeously feminine? Stop hiding beneath your layers, and start emerging out of your cocoon into a more colourful you and a more colourful life!

discover your sexy

Use your body.  When we feel unsexy, our body shows it in the way we hold ourselves, move and groove. The “mind-set” way of thinking would have us mantra-ing “I am beautiful, sexy and all the rest”, but I’m afraid that doesn’t work for me on its own. When I experiment with the way I move, groove, dance, make love and all that good stuff, I know that emBODYing sexiness is the key. I don’t mean learning the latest Beyonce moves. I do mean “feeling sexiness” in my body by deliberately choosing stances, postures and movements that have me feeling hot! This also gets us out of that “frozen stuckness” (some would call it frigidity) in our body, which can happen when we simply don’t feel attractive.

Light more candles.  I don’t know about you but candles make me feel hot. In my single days, I lit them every night making the mood in my house feel lighter and brighter. Make a tasty candle-lit meal with aromatic spices and invite someone round. Picnic more on the floor. Sleep next to the fire. For most of us women, we enjoy warmth. Find great textures to snuggle up with. Feel the sun on your skin. Enjoy a spa, sauna, massage or pleasurable pamper. No it doesn’t need to cost the earth. Invite a friend to give you a hand-rub or back massage in the comfort of your own home. Share the love!

Throw away some sexual taboos.  Much of our beliefs have come from other influences like our parents, the school we went to, the church, our peers and others we have mixed with. Perhaps it’s time now to decide for yourself what is kosha or not when it comes to sexual and sensual things. Start having some conversations on topics once thought of as hush-hush. Give yourself permission to explore the unknown. Uncover your real inner secret desires and go for it. Why tie up your desires that can’t wait to be unleashed?

Sexual and intimacy experiences of past relationships need not be the same this time round. It would be easy to assume that future experiences of relationship, sex and love will be based on what has occurred in the past. Dangerous thinking! Every new person in your life is different and offer you different opportunities for your growth and learning, and theirs! It does however pay to recognise what worked and what didn’t work in the past, and what part you played in that. No blaming here! It is also worth noticing the patterns you have created when it comes to love, passion and intimacy – in other words what pushes your buttons – hot ones and not so hot ones. It takes courage to respond differently this time round…so grab some courage, take a “leap of faith” and make a commitment to having great sexual and intimate experiences beyond what you have experienced before by responding differently.

SEX – is not just about love-making. It is about Self EXpression. Don’t try and mould yourself into something you are not. Find your inner sexy – what turns you on creatively, what turns you on socially, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, politically, financially….and everything else –ly! When you Self Express yourself –showing your real juicy self, your world changes and suddenly you will find yourself with the person of your dreams, or rev up your current relationship, or ditch the old outworn one or find yourself quite contentedly doing life single-ly.

 

Are you nibbling the crumbs or having your cake and eating it?

By | health & well-being, manifesting & abundance, self esteem & self confidence, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

Are you nibbling the crumbs or ‘having your cake and eating it’ in life?  How often do you accept less than what you can have on your plate – literally and figuratively?

half eaten cake

Here are some examples of how nibbling the crumbs rather than cake-indulging may look in YOUR life!

  • Your kids, husband, family members or people you live with spend hours each week doing stuff they love.  You slot “me time”  in only after you have driven the others somewhere, attended their activity or done the housework!
  • You serve everyone at the table before yourself, buy something at the cafe for the others but don’t have anything yourself, you calorie count everything rather than giving your body the nourishment it needs, or you order the least expensive plate on the menu while others choose exactly what they want.
  • Money goes on the bills first, then on others and lastly on you.  Others have new clothes, for example, and you are still wearing your stock-standard classics from years back.
  • Everyone else in the house has an interest or two. You don’t think it’s possible to head out mid-week to attend a class, have a social night out or pursue an interest or sport.  After all who would look after everyone and how would you fit everything in?
  • You wait for ” Mr Right” or “Mrs Right”  to come along and miss the opportunities of what “people in the meantime” might offer you.  Or you settle for second, third or even 100th best in the “relationship” department.
  • You are waiting for something in the future to occur  (eg kids leaving home, retirement, enough money, lotto win, better health…) before you “indulge” in some of your pleasures.
  • Think of your own examples…A clue here is thinking about the things you feel that you are “missing out on”  (crumbs) while others have it all, or appear to!  (the cake)

Here is some food for thought for us generous, giving, selfless, motherly, hard-working and often martyr-like women.  Yes I too am often guilty of nibbling on crumbs!

  • Guilt creates ill-feeling – literally and figuratively.  We don’t feel content, and we don’t get what we want.  We also get ‘sick”.  The predominant emotion of martyrdom is resentment.  Both guilt and resentment eat away at our spirit and energy levels and we become not fun to be around!
  • Nourishing ourselves with good food and drink is important for our energy levels.  Stop restricting, denying, overindulging, calorie counting or being excessive.  Listen to your body’s cues for hunger, thirst, rest, sleep, sex, pleasure, creative urge…
  • Money is about flow.  When we learn to spend money on ourselves and things we love, we naturally “light up” and attract all sorts of things, people and experiences into our lives.  We become like a magnet.
  • Denying ourselves of pleasurable things, interests, experiences or  avenues for creativity and self expression is like a slow death of our spirit.
  • Be Mrs (or Mr) Right for someone.  This comes easily when your own pleasure needs are met because you are not waiting for the other person to make you happy.  You are happy anyway!
  • You can’t go back in time, but you can determine how your time now and in the future is spent.  Regrets are never positive.  Instead of regrets, how about a good dose of selfish indulgence? (better labelled as self-giving indulgence.)
  • Doing everything for everybody but yourself is poor tithing!  As my partner’s t-shirt reads, “I give 110% to everything. 100% to myself.  10% to others.”  Perhaps this is more effective and happiness-making tithing!

“Let us eat cake.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your “running away” or ending something may not be an act of cowardice

By | health & well-being, manifesting & abundance, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, Uncategorized, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

Running away from something or someone is not necessarily an act of cowardice. It may in fact be your greatest act of courage.

“My relationship finished and I ended up travelling to the other side of the world.  My friends told me I was “running away”.

“I felt like my soul was dying in my marriage, so instead of going to counselling, I told him I was leaving.”

“I worked for 10 years towards creating some kind of success in my self-employment.  I’ve tried all sorts of things, nothing really worked that well and I’m about to call it quits.”

I have given up hope in the medical system.  I’ve decided I’m not going through with more invasive treatment for my cancer, and I know there’s something else out there better for me.”

“I’ve spent all this money on my training, but do you know what?  It just doesn’t feel like me and I’ve decided to go do a different course.”

walls you build

Any of these sound familiar?  Something has come to an end and people’s reactions, and perhaps your own logical point of view, say that you’re running away – as if you have done something wrong, you have no “stickability” or that you are a downright failure!

A woman shared with me recently that her relationship ended and she decided to go travelling to the opposite side of the world. As she landed in this country, she stepped out of the plane and onto the tarmac.  Her immediate reaction was she felt like she had “come home”.  She had experienced the condemnation of well-meaning people back home that she was running from  her recent split and that she was somehow abandoning her post-loss-and-grief “responsibilities” back home.  My reaction to her comment when she arrived here feeling so “at home”, was that was she had indeed run towards her soul’s calling of “home” and that she would find what she needed here, not there!

When after numbers of years of marriage I had this internal soul-ache and in fact, soul-death feeling about my marriage, I honoured that ache, and  left my husband.  His attempts to “mend” the relationship issues by suggesting we go to counselling felt empty to  me, for my soul was asking for healing and honouring of its calling, no matter how illogical and unreasonable it felt to break apart a family with six children and no matter how logical it felt to get some “tangible” help.  It was in the healing once I had honoured that decision when I received very clear images of why I had been put in that marriage and why I had left.  My role had been completed – having taken on my husband’s three children following the death of his first wife, having been visited by her in spirit asking me to “take her girls on as my own”, having birthed another three children together and with the older girls having become independent women.  I was put in that marriage to bring those three oldest girls into adulthood following the death of their mum, more than be “partner” to my husband. (Mother rather than lover, I called it!) My subsequent grief from my broken marriage was healed by knowing I had done my role and I had done it well and to completion.  The next part of my soul and ‘going solo’ journey was to begin a new chapter for me and the remaining three children (and the chance of a new lover, more than mother relationship!)

For those of you who have been through training or worked towards a career or self-employment path and feel like it’s coming or has come to an end – whether by choice or not – leaving it is not necessarily “running away”.  It may well be the final straw that is required for you to really find your passion, a new niche or find a better means of contributing to the world and to make your mark.  No “apprenticeship” is ever wasted.  Your inner desire to leave is probably your important direction post!

For those of you who have been struggling with unwellness and feel there are other means of “treating” your health, this is not “running away.”  It may be your body’s inherent wisdom and the calling of your soul to “venture towards” other alternative avenues – ones that will open up very different possibilities and opportunities to you.

Running away is not always cowardice.  In my experience, such an act can be the most courageous feat you have ever done and such an act of honouring your internal calling rather than blindly following what the external world thinks you should do.

For those of you who have come to an end of something – be that friendships, family relationships, commitments to clubs or organisations, or whatever, ask yourself “is this a cowardice running away?” or is this a courageous running towards something for your greater good and that of others?  I choose to focus on the second, because it helps relieve the grief that naturally occurs with stopping, ending, dying, relinquishing, transitioning, changing or leaving behind something or someone…and it helps me gain from the benefits of honouring that inner calling, whisper or shout that says “Run!” “It’s OK and you’ll be OK!”

 

 

 

 

 

Run from grief or love it?

By | body love & body image, health & well-being, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

well of grief

When we are sitting in the “well of loss” – otherwise known as grief – we feel it, not just in our bodies, but in our souls. For some, it feels like an intense darkness and heaviness. For others it feels like paralysis. For some, it may feel like a gnawing or intense pain and often an intense loneliness and a feeling that we have become untouchable or unapproachable. Our pain may distance others who notice or even feel our pain, but who don’t know how to engage with us or who don’t want to be drawn into the “entanglement” or even unfamiliarity of such grief. Grief can be incredibly isolating. It may be we need our “own space” to heal and find life’s meaning again, or maybe we feel we have become someone “different” who even we may not recognise. We feel like we are strange or strangers to ourselves. At a soul level, we feel like we have died, or at least that we may never recover from such intensity of feelings and experience. We may be angry with questions – “Why me? Why this? Why now? What next?” and most of all “Who am I now?”
Grief could be from the loss of child or loved ones, infertility, miscarriage, abortion, loss associated with aging and ill-health, the loss of work, change in significant relationships or empty nest, changes in the family situation, disability, the loss of hope and in fact, anything that involves change – whether completely “out of the blue” or even planned or desired.
Grief creates change within our body, its systems and its ability to function and heal. It can “depress” our system – not just in the form of “depression”, but in the form of making our “system” sluggish. Take for example, our digestive system, when we don’t want to “digest” what has occurred in our life, or changes to our reproductive or hormonal system that can occur when we grieve. Our suppressed emotions can sit within our bodies as pain, discomfort and “stagnancy”. Grief can cause havoc on our mental clarity and can also be “shed” and even expelled through our body’s elimination system, perhaps in the form of irritations, outbreaks, diarrhoea or change in menstrual flow.
It makes sense therefore that we might want to run from grief, rather than love it! Society tells us we should dampen it with medication or numbing substances, we should “get over it” and we should suppress it rather than express it. Does this suppression however not create more un-wellness – physically, emotionally, mentally, creatively, socially, sexually and spiritually?  How would it be if we:

  • saw grief as the healing agent rather than a “sickness”? If we expressed it, raged at it, got mad with it, sat in the agony of it, embraced it and even loved it, our body would be “naturally” releasing its feeling of loss, and perhaps even heal what preceded some of our pre-grief un-wellness, ill-health and stress-related stuff.
  • thanked grief for its opportunity to slow us down at times and give us the rest we need, and to propel us forward more quickly at other times?
  • used such an emotional roller-coaster to fuel our creativity and ignite our real life purpose?
  • saw grief as a chance to be more in touch with the heights and depths of our senses, sensuality and even sexuality?
  • recognised that it might be our soul’s purpose and intention that we go through what we are going through to be the “best we can be,” and to see our life as more “full and complete” having experienced such extremes of joy and despair.  Maybe we may even throw more caution to the wind and live life with more excitement and adventure!

So here’s to loving our grief and not running from it!

Perhaps grief is our biggest opportunity when we embrace its expression, desire and intention.

Is life too hectic? 5 ways to find your own rhythm in life

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own rhythms

A real party stopper is when someone asks you what you have done this week and your answer is “Not much!”  Why is it that we measure our success on how busy we are, how much we get done and whether or how fast we are climbing our own “personal ladder of success”?  Yet many people are feeling stressed, over-committed or exhausted, in need of a jolly good holiday and actually wishing they had less in their diary, rather than more.  Our bodies too are taking the toll of constant, what I call “straight line pressure” rather than allowing some fluctuation and therefore balance in our lives.

There’s no incoming tide without an outgoing tide. There’s no new moon without a full moon.  There’s no night without a day.  We simply need to learn to find our natural rhythms again.  Here are some tips for finding a rhythm that suits you.  A masculine way of being is straight line stuff.  Achieve, work hard, plan those goals and go headstrong to reach them.  Work out a plan and commit to A + B = C.  Put in the hours.  Stick to your responsibilities and make sure you have something to tell someone when they ask “What have you been doing this week?”

A feminine (more in rhythm) way of being might look more like this.

  1. Have an intention and ask for directions and signs to get you where you want to be.  Listen to your intuition to guide you what to do, when to do it and how.  It will also tell you “what not to do.”  You will save a lot of time and energy this way.
  2. Rest time (or “still time”) allows our creativity to flow better.   10 minutes away from “work” and responsibilities can save you hours.  It also allows your body to rest and therefore resume better health and healing ability, not to mention more mental clarity and focus.
  3. Ditch some responsibilities you have assumed because you either want to “busy up your life” or feel like you have to do them for some reason. Start saying “no” more often to stuff that actually doesn’t light your boat.  Someone else will be in the wings to step up into that role.
  4. Use the natural cycles of life to guide you when to act and when to rest.  Your menstrual cycle is perfect with the first half being a very outward, energized, “get stuff done” focus versus the second half of your cycle being one that is more inward, reflective and more of a planning phase.  Use winter to rest, recover, recuperate and put “fire into your belly” and use the warmer seasons to be out there doing your thing.
  5. Spend more time “approving” of yourself versus trying to “prove yourself.”   A lot of “busy-ness” is about proving yourself especially in the arena of work and family life, but if you come from a place of loving and accepting yourself as you  are, you don’t need to be adding to your repertoire of “busy-ness” but will look for more ways of loving and being of service in simple ways.

Find the rhythm that pulsates within your soul.

Feeling at peace is a sure sign that you are riding the right rhythm for you.

Are you superwoman doing WE time, more than ME time?

By | body love & body image, health & well-being, manifesting & abundance, relationships, intimacy & sex, self esteem & self confidence, women's life changes and transitions, Written Articles | No Comments

me time

Imagine if having “me time” were the “cure-all” for your health, women’s issues, sanity, family life, relationships and even your career.  In fact, the more I think about this notion, the more excited I am about that “cure-all” possibility!

The problem is many women struggle with taking “me time” because they consider it selfish, the kids or family needs are “more important”, they would feel embarrassed or uncomfortable saying that they had some time off rather than basking in the admiration of others for being “really busy,” or they are simply ingrained in the habit of prioritising work or “other jobs” before “a life”. Here are a few “me time” thoughts, which for me too are a new concept having played, and sometimes still do, superwoman doing WE time, more than ME time.

  • Our physical energy is being stretched more and more.  “Me time” will re-energise you!
  • Resentment and regret are two key emotions that women feel when playing “super-woman”.  We are not fun to be around when we are in these emotional states!  And if we hide these emotions (which we often do!) this starts to show up in other ways.  eg. relationship tension, family disharmony, depression, lack of creativity…
  • Intimacy within a partnership requires two people to “turn up”.  “Me time” allows you to be more fully present and desiring such warmth, affection and sex, rather than running for cover to “catch your breath” on life.
  • We aren’t doing our kids (and others) a favour when we “spoil them” or  “drop everything” and attend to their situation now as if it were an emergency. When we took on being a mother, lover or girl-Friday, we didn’t sign an agreement that says we forsake all!  Sometimes we just simply have to say “no” and put a zip on our mouths!
  • We complain that others are “taking us for granted” or asking too much of us, or that we constantly feel tired or have no time for ourselves.  We, in fact, teach others how to treat us.  When we continue to put others’ needs first, that becomes the norm. Change this norm to honouring YOUR time and YOUR needs, as much as you do theirs.  You will be a much better parent, lover, worker…
  • Selfish is not the same as self-giving.  Self-giving honours everyone.
  • Women’s health issues come from  not honouring the natural curves and fluctuations of our menstrual cycle, which teaches us there are times to be out there doing, creating, socialising or being active in a cause, versus the second part of our cycle which asks us to rest more, recover, re-breathe, re-vitalise, re-store, re-generate and be more emotional!  Both can be “me time”, but they must be in balance.
  • Many women go on a retreat once a year or do the “odd pamper day with the girlfriends” now and then.  This is not “me time.”  “Me time”, needs to be a way of living, much like we learn in our someBODY BEAUTIFUL way of living retreat.

So today I take a leaf out of my partner’s book – a man who is teaching me to honour me, my needs and my time more fully.  On his t-shirt it says this.  “I give 110% everyday.  10% to others.  100% to myself.”

Which of the above points did you most like or relate to?  Leave your valuable comment below.