5 Tips to Keep Your Inner Glow A-Blazin’ in Your Soul

Have you been finding it difficult to stay positive with all that is going on around us in the world? Is your happiness dwindling and your worry increasing? I get it. When my business was shut down for 2 months, I was devastated. I’m not going to lie. For the first 3 days I cried, felt sorry for myself and wondered what was I going to do. How will I pay my bills, will my clients forget about me, what was going on in this crazy world of ours? But on the fourth day, I woke up, slapped myself in the face (not really, but you get the picture) and said, “Deb, wallowing in self-pity is not going to solve any of those problems. Pull yourself together and devise a plan.”

So, how did I remain positive and composed to tackle this plan? Here are a few tips that helped:

Make time in your day for self-care

• Self-care and being kind to yourself is not selfish. In fact, it’s entirely selfless because when you feel good, you are more inclined to help others feel good as well. If your practice of compassion doesn’t include yourself, then it is incomplete. There’s a quote that says, “Take rest – a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” Meaning if you give yourself permission for self-care, you are able to give a “bountiful crop” – or more of yourself to others.

Make time to relax

• To continue with the self-care practice, make time to RELAX! Make this a priority every day. Exactly how you can relax depends on the things you enjoy, but here are some common ideas: deep breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, 30 minutes of FUN activity – take a scenic walk, swimming, dancing, singing or any sport that makes you happy – this improves circulation and helps to relieve stress, spending time with family, friends or pets, journaling, reading, art, music or crafts.

Surround yourself with happy people

• There’s an old saying that we become like those we choose to hold closest. Look around your inner circle of friends – the ones you spend the most time with. Do you admire and respect them or are they bringing you down? Wouldn’t it be refreshing to spend time with people who don’t waste time and energy complaining? You can almost feel your spirits lifting around someone who is willing to see the good in things. Find those who know how to nurture and create their own happiness and share it freely. Spend time around these people and you’ll find yourself seeing the world differently.

Ground yourself

• Ground yourself – being fully present in your body, centering or feeling connected to the earth. Spend some time outdoors in nature, walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach. Once you learn how to ground yourself, it’s easier to find your Center. Grounding techniques are designed to redistribute the energy from your head or mind into your body. Doing so has an almost instant calming effect. Most of our stress and anxiety results from a disconnect from our bodies. The more rooted you are in your body, the less stress and anxiety you experience.

Positive thinking makes all the difference

• In today’s world, it is hard to be positive all the time but what you think about, you bring about. Think about that for a second…. “What you think about, you bring about.” How many times have we put ourselves down – that we couldn’t possibly do that or BE that – and you know what? You can’t and you won’t! But if you change your mindset, better things happen in your life. Use daily affirmations in the morning – look right in the mirror and say, “Good morning, gorgeous! I am beautiful, I am kind, I am strong and I’m ready to kick ass today!”

I think the last six months that the world stopped due to Covid made us realize what was important in life. Even if you feel like you are having the worst day of your life, remember that everything happens for a reason. There are no coincidences in life. God and the Universe will never throw a challenge at you that you can’t handle. If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, try to remember to breathe and be grateful.

Tony Robbins said, “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” I recommend starting your day by writing 3 things you are grateful for. Keep a journal by your bed. And really dig deep – sure it’s easy to say family, friends and beer (yes, I’m a huge craft beer lover!), but realize some of the small things to be grateful for – the dog hair in your bed means you have another living thing that loves you unconditionally; the coffee beans growing in Brazil because you can’t wait to have your first delicious cup of coffee that morning; instead of being aggravated that the birds woke you up with their chirping that morning, be grateful for God’s glorious sounds of each day.

I know it’s not easy – but by changing your mindset and following some of these simple tips, I’m hoping you wake up a better YOU tomorrow! Namaste!