The Truth about Storms

Storms.
We’ve seen them before, we’ll see them again.

When I say "storm", I'm referring to something that has the potential to cause a whirlwind of stress in our lives. 

Sometimes, huge storms roll in-- devastating events that are hard to make sense of. 
Sometimes, the storms are quick and relatively painless.
Other times, they last a really long time; the length and severity are always variable.
One thing all storms have in common is that they all pass.

When we are caught in these storms, it's easy to keep our focus and attention on the negative.. the fear, the worry, the sadness…
but there are often moments in these storms where we can find things we might not expect, things that have the potential to evoke gratitude.

We know that by focusing on the things that make us feel gratitude in our lives, we can re-wire our brain to become a happier one— this is proven in science.

So, even though at times we may feel enveloped in darkness, we must seek the cracks where light shines through
and yup, sometimes we will have to look really hard (and if you don’t have to look really hard, that in itself is a blessing)
but in any case, there are always cracks… there is always SOMETHING.
You just have to WANT to find them... and that can be hard.. especially if we are really upset.

Aside from the importance of finding things to be grateful for, even when it's hard, 
I don't want you to feel like you have to deny your natural emotions. 

You are allowed to upset! You are allowed to be pissed off!
You are allowed to feel all the feelings FULLY... in fact we encourage it,
but I want to remind you that ruminating and obsessing over the feelings hour after hour, day after day is only going to keep you stuck feeling those feelings LONGER.

For instance, if your body is telling you something repeatedly such as….
"I'm worried, I'm worried, I'm worried" or "I'm angry, I'm angry, I'm angry",
start by simply acknowledging the presence of this thought. 
"Okay body, you are worried, you are angry. I hear you.
I understand why you are feeling that way.”

Once you acknowledge the feeling, consider some healthy ways you can make yourself feel better.  If you are feeling extremely angry, is there an exercise you could do to help you release some of it? Maybe boxing, jogging, power yoga, deep breathing, journaling… the list goes on.
If you are feeling sad, what can you do to make yourself feel better?
These days, we can use services like BETTER HELP to get therapy and emotional support without ever leaving our homes.

The goal is to acknowledge the feelings and process them appropriately.
If you continue to let the thought ruminate and repeat over and over, your body will remain stuck in a perpetual state of stress and this can lead to not only discomfort but also disease!

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A simplified summary:

• Seek out the cracks of light in every storm and be grateful for them..even if they are hard to find. There is always something!
  

• Acknowledge your stress and find healthy ways to self soothe and process the emotion instead of ruminating over it long term.

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All storms will pass, and trust that you will come outside the other side. perhaps a little weathered and weary..but all the more resilient and wise.

If you are in a storm right now, you are a fierce warrior and you can get through this.
Click here to download the free recovery starter guide.

When self-care seems like a waste of time

So there I was floating on a calm river, alone, no kids, no distractions...something I love to do, not a care in the world.

Oh wait! That’s not true. Shoot!

Guess what I found myself thinking about?

My to-do list, how to handle my 3-year-old son’s recent bits of anger, how I wanted more intimate time with my husband.

And I thought to myself, I’m FRICKIN' wasting my time.

Keep reading the blog or watch this video...

Self-care is sacred time

As a mother and an entrepreneur, my self-care is very limited, so I consider it sacred. I didn't want to be thinking about my worries during this precious time.

And I preach self-care to my clients so I wanted to honor this awareness I was having, work through it personally and then share what came of it, with you, because I know I'm not the only one who deals with this.

And as a side-note, I’m not saying that taking time to process these life issues isn’t important, but it can also be a trap.
Self-care is about nourishing yourself completely, filling up your cup so you can come back to your responsibilities; your family, your work with more love in your heart, more patience and a sense of peace.

Otherwise, frankly you’re wasting your time.

So, what came out of this recent aha moment I experienced on the river? A desire to create this self-care formula.

I like formulas, a step-by-step plan to follow, so I can be more in control of my life rather than just going through the motions.

With a self-care formula, I don’t have to find myself wasting my precious, self-care time again.  When I’m aware I’m caught in the trap of processing my “problems” and wasting my scared self-care time, I use this formula.

THE SELF-CARE FORMULA

1.Choose Wisely

Instead of spending your self-care time doing what you think you “should” do.  Make an informed and conscious decision. Ask your body for what it needs. Yes, ask yourself.

“Self, what care do you need most today”?

Do you need silence? If so, take a walk in the woods.

Do you need comfort of a friend? If so, ask a friend to join you for a walk or coffee.

Do you need to laugh? If so, watch a funny movie or listen to a comedian.

Do you need movement? If so, go to a fitness or yoga class.

Listen to what comes up, you know you’ve found the right answer when you try different ideas on for size and one feels easy and light in your body. That’s the one!

2. Be Prepared

Make sure you line up a babysitter, have work responsibilities passed along or delegate so you don’t have to think about work while you're gone. If you need comfort from a loved one/friend, call them in advance. 

3. Set an intention

What do want to get out of your self-care time? Create an intention or a mantra that declares it. For example:

“I am peace”

“I am fun”

“I am joy” 

“I am confident”

“I am calm”  

Why? Because it will help you come back to nourishing yourself, when reality tries to creeps in. (I’ll explain right now in step #4.)

4. Forget the rest

Make a decision to forget everything else that doesn’t serve you recharging your batteries. This is a practice. The more you practice the easier it gets.

You start to become more aware of what you're choosing to think about and therefore what you’re creating in your reality.

So, when you find your mind shifting to your problems and you don’t want to be in the trap, repeat your mantra from above to yourself.

I am peace.

I am joy.

Keep repeating it till you feel a letting go. 

So there you go, my self-care formula.

The truth is, it’s hard to turn our brilliant minds off, but that’s not what I’m asking you to do.

I’m just asking you to focus your thoughts on what it is you want to create rather than what you don’t want (your worries/problems). Remember that famous quote "I think, therefore I am" by Descartes. He was right on!

I just want you to think in alignment with what you want to create in your life. 

Self-care will give you the time and space to be more in alignment.

Not to mention, it's key to reducing stress and anxiety and healing your sweet, precious adrenals.

So, next time you find yourself wasting your precious self-care time, use my self-care formula and make each minute of your self-care count.

Here’s to you and your sweet adrenals,
Angela

P.S. Tell me what is your favorite self-care activity?

Holidays with Adrenal Fatigue: 5 Tips to Survive and Thrive

Why is it that when we are supposed to be celebrating tradition and spending quality time with family and friends we find ourselves ridiculously busy, stress and on the verge of burnout? The holidays can be a challenging time even for the healthiest of people. When you have adrenal fatigue the added stress that the holiday season brings can lead to major adrenal burnout and flare-ups. Here are 5 secrets to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue (and make sure you stay till the end, we want to give you a special holiday gift. It's a lifesaver).

Tip #1 byof

Bring Your Own Food. The holidays are filled with get-togethers focused around food. If you are suffering from food intolerances or allergies as a result of your adrenal fatigue, you most likely have had to give some foods up along the way. If so, you know how frustrating it can be to go to these gatherings. Bringing your own food means that you can still enjoy food and you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out the entire time.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that on my adrenal fatigue healing journey I gave up many foods. Actually, the only thing I never gave up eating is vegetables. I gave up dairy, meat, sugar, gluten, grains, you name it I tried it. Not just for a couple weeks, but for months and sometimes even years at a time. And just for the record I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through and that’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

I am not suggesting that or believe you need to give up a bunch of foods in order to heal your adrenal fatigue. But I get what you’re going through. That’s why I always bring food with me, wherever I go.

What are your favorite alternative food choices that you don’t want to live without during the holidays? Do you have a good or funny story about sharing your specialty foods with your loved ones?

Tip #2 Boost Your Immune System

During the holiday we do more traveling to the mall, to the supermarket, to events and get-togethers which all bring opportunities to come into contact with germs and other icky bugs that might be lurking around. And because as adrenal fatigue sufferers we already have compromised immune systems, we might be more susceptible and find ourselves constantly “under the weather” at this time of year.  Not good! Getting sick would put a huge damper on our capacity to celebrate.

Be pro-active about your health this season.  Keep yourself healthy by doing a few things to boost the immune system. Go to sleep just a bit earlier than usual each night. Cut down on the sugar intake when you aren’t out celebrating and (this is one of my favorites) use essential oils to protect yourself. Personally, I use the Doterra Oil called Onguard. This oil can be used internally to support the immune and respiratory system and can also be used externally as a non-toxic cleaner to protect against environmental threats. I use it at the first sign of the sniffles or as a preventive by diffusing it in the house or adding a few drops of distilled water and spraying down germ-infested areas like the airplane seat or grocery cart. I am not saying to walk around being a germaphobe to the point where you create anxiety for yourself or others, but simply being prepared can reduce your risk AND make you feel more in control and empowered.

My other favorite immune boosting ritual is drinking Echinacea tea or taking an Echinacea extract, which you can find at a health food store. Some people like Emergen-C or Airborne which are also great options. What essential vitamins and supplements support your immune system? Make sure you don’t forget to take them.

Tip #3 Don’t Fall Into the Crazy Trap

When everyone around you is running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done it’s easy to feel like that is what you are supposed to do too. Just because our society buys into the belief that this time of year has to be crazy, doesn’t mean that it’s true, or that it has to be true for you—no matter what the people around you are doing.   I am telling you that it is possible to avoid that trap. What if you could be that person in line at the supermarket or at the mall while everyone else is huffing and puffing, saying rude things to the checker or just acting annoyed, who is stays cool, calm and collected? You can be an example of what else is possible. And as Gandhi would say “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Tip # 4 Do Your Shopping Online

We have such a luxury now that didn’t exist even 10 –years-ago where you can pretty much buy anything online that you need. So unless you enjoy being out and about this time of year or you have a great deal of patience consider doing all your shopping this year from the convenience of your own cozy couch. Get yourself a cup of your favorite tea, put on some calming music and shop away.  There are lots of options for online shopping these days—it’s not Amazon or nothing. So if you like to shop small or local, check to see if your favorite physical shops have websites…these days you’d be surprised at how many do!

Tip #5 Emotionally Prepare for Your Loved Ones

No matter how close we are to our loved ones or how much we love seeing them during the holidays, it doesn’t negate the fact that family has the ability to bring up a lot of our old “stuff” including limiting beliefs about ourselves, insecurities, failures, etc.

Prepare yourself emotionally by taking some time before you see them to center yourself. Say positive affirmations to yourself. Remind yourself how amazing you are and that your old choices no longer define who you are. Get plenty of sleep and visualize yourself having positive and loving interactions with these people.

I have just given you 5 easy tips to surviving the holidays with adrenal fatigue.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What things do you do to guarantee more fun and less stress during the holidays? How do you avoid flair up during the holidays? What has been the most helpful piece of information shared here?

Please share this blog with friends, family and/or colleagues you feel could benefit from this information.

All my best,

Angela

How Adrenal Fatigue Changed My Life

My struggle with adrenal fatigue was a big wake up call for me, one that I needed so desperately. Adrenal fatigue saved me from the mediocre and unconscious life I was living. By saying this, I don’t mean to undermine the struggle that you are going through right now; because, I get it. It sucks! I remember the sleepless nights, the debilitating exhaustion, the fear that I wouldn’t get better, the digestion issues, the food sensitivities, the mood swings, the dry skin, not being able to eat anything but vegetables, having to pee every 20 minutes…

But I also know my suffering was a true awakening for me. Without this illness I would not have gotten so low and hit rock bottom. It was hitting rock bottom that really made it clear that I had two choices; I could let this condition take over my body and my life or I could choose to keep fighting and believe in my healing.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApRsP8F19g0

I didn’t exactly like life I was leading before adrenal fatigue or the person I was becoming.

Let me give you a glimpse of my old life. Ever since I can remember I loved getting things done. I loved accomplishing things and as a result I learned at an early age to never slowed down. I started working when I was 14 and never stopped. I was putting myself through college working 2 jobs with a full load of classes. When I wasn’t working or going to school I was filling my time with working out, trying to finish my to-do list, trying to do everything and be everywhere. This incessant doing followed me into adulthood and I continued this same pattern. I would never take time out for lunch breaks, self-care and always chose to fill my free time with busy-ness.

I know now that me, my A-type personality and addiction to incessant doing is what got me sick in the first place. And all the things I was doing to be “happy” wasn’t making me happy at all infact, I was miserable. Even when I was doing something I should “enjoy”, I was constantly focused on the next thing really missing out on being in the moment and being “in joy”. I didn’t want to keep living that existence.

So once I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, it all started to make sense. The root cause of my condition was my chronic stress and addictive to incessant doing. It made me really stop and think about the choices I had made. I realized that if I kept on living like this, I would miss out on my life completely. Does this sound familiar? If so, I want to give you a great tool that helped me break the vicious cycle of busyness so I could finally LIVE more and heal my adrenals for good.

I didn’t get this realization overnight, but it was a process.

I started to work with a spiritual mentor. With her guidance, I started incorporating a simple gratitude exercise which little did I know at the time was going to transform my life.

Every night before bed I would write down 3 things I was grateful for from the day. It didn’t take long for me to recognize that this simple practice was not only changing my perspective, but had a positive impact on my body’s ability to heal as well. This practice quickly started to trickle into more of my day. I started to think about gratitude more often, not just at night.

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I began to recognize in the moment when something magical happened, even something really small and felt grateful. Also, with this shift in perspective, I started to notice I had more energy throughout the day. I started to look at life through a more positive and healthy lens.

So for me it was such an important lesson in life, that my health crisis was an opportunity for me to make a have more awareness, fill my life with gratitude and that all I needed to do was choose healing and happiness. I chose to believe in my healing and trust my process and my body.

So now you know my story and how adrenal fatigue changes my life -  for the better.

Now we'd love to hear from you in the comments below. How has your struggle with adrenal fatigue shaped your life? What are the biggest lessons you have learned? You are part of our healing community and your comments could be just what someone else needs to hear. So take a moment to drop us a line below.

Image Copyright: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_sifotography'>sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Treating Adrenal Fatigue Naturally with Meditation

What if I told you there was something you could do for just a few minutes every day that is proven to decrease your stress and anxiety, reduce pain, cure insomnia and boost your energy. Would you do it? I’m talking about meditation. And in this blog, I'm going to tell you exactly how meditation works for treating adrenal fatigue naturally. Why is only 8% of the population meditating despite all the great research of its health benefits?

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gPLrnnEaEc 

When I mention meditation to my clients they say “I can’t meditate, I have a hard time sitting still” And to be honest, I felt the same way and for years I was trying to meditate like a monk. Then I realized I was doing it all “wrong”. Mediation is fairly new to the western world so no wonder there is some misconceptions out there. Well, I want to help set the record straight because these myths are causing most people to give up after the first try.

We are going to debunk 4 myths about meditation and give you 5 easy steps to start meditating right away, even if you’re never meditated before.

Now let me explain how meditation is effective in treating adrenal fatigue naturally.

#1 Meditation Decreases Stress and Anxiety

When we are anxious our minds constantly race. Most often we are lamenting about experiences of the past or fearfully anticipating the future. As a result, we become prisoners to these thoughts and feelings. And we replay them over and over in our minds. Meditation, on the other hand, teaches us how to slow down our “monkey” mind and connect to the present moment. When we focus on the present moment we have less time to be anxious. Also, through meditation, we learn how to observe what is happening in the moment rather than judging ourselves, others or fearing everyone or everything.

#2 Meditation Reduces Pain

It is important we first make the distinction between physical pain and emotional pain, known as suffering. A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discovered 2 fascinating effects of meditation. Meditation allows us to 1) activate higher-order brain regions associated with attention control and enhanced cognitive control and 2) deactivate the thalamus, which acts as the gatekeeper for pain to enter the brain. So when we meditate we learn how to feel less pain and suffering.  How does it get any better?

#3 Meditation Cures Insomnia

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Research shows that an overly stimulated sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) is a major contributing factor in chronic insomnia. A fast-paced and overstimulating lifestyles can be part to blame: staying up late, the overuse of TVs and computers, especially before bed, along with our dietary vices of too many stimulants, coffee, sweets, etc.  or maybe it’s more so that your current life situations are stressing you out and keeping you up at night. Although meditation can’t directly change the issues you are having at work or troubles in your relationships, or having to take care of a sick relative, meditation CAN definitely help you change how you react to these various stressors. Meditation gives us the time and space in our busy lives to get a fresh perspective on tough situations and allow us to have new insights to solve these issues.

#4 Meditation Boosts Energy

Many of us want more energy to get through the day. Unfortunately, we turn to stimulants that give us quick energy which then leads to an energy crash. Calming and focusing the mind with meditation is a highly effective way to increase energy and with no negative side effects.

Also, it’s important to realize that when it comes to energy, our reaction to stress can drain us much faster than even an intense workout. It less about how much you do in a day and more about HOW you do it.

And chemically, DHEA a steroid hormone made by the adrenals in charge of energy levels. If you suffer from adrenal fatigue you might have low levels of DHEA. If so, it feels like you’re operating from rock bottom each day. Meditation luckily is a very healthy and natural way to stimulates the production of DHEA.

Now we’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you tried meditation? What was your experience? And what was most helpful piece of information shared here? We are a healing community and your comments could be just what someone else needs to hear. So take a moment to drop us a line below.