Self-care is essential

Self-care is essential to mental health wellness and overall productivity.

Self-care is so much more than a warm bath or spa day (as nice as those are!). Self-care is a unique routine and set of goals that encourages overall wellness, reduces stress, and promotes your unique balance and clarity.

Self-care is:

• Rest
• Organizing & prioritizing your schedule & responsibilities
• Nutrition that is best for you and your dietary needs
• Setting boundaries
• Enrichment
• Journaling
• Being creative
• Expressing gratitude
• Exercise & meditation
• Building healthy relationships
• Making time for what nourishes you
• And whatever brings you peace and balance

Setting a goal is a form of self-care that is unique for everyone. Your personalized goals should support your unique mental and physical health. Organizing a hectic schedule so you can incorporate goals & dedicated time for self-care is essential (and actually a form of self-care, especially if it reduces stress and helps you be more productive).

Please take care of yourself and commit to your goals and daily care regimen. Find your happiness.

How do you make time for self-care? What does your self-care goal-setting plan look like?

Thank you so much for following, reading my posts, commenting, and connecting via Instagram for additional tips, quotes and updates!

To encourage self-care, self-love and goal-setting I’ve expanded my love of the vintage typewriter and wax seals by creating unique gifts! Each creation is unique and can be displayed as a daily reminder to focus on your unique self-care and goal journey.

My creations are now available for sale! Please contact me with questions and/or personalized orders.

With Love stamp and unique quote

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Stress free self-care

Typically, a new year sparks new goals, resolutions, reflection and even being open to major changes. Self-care is more than a resolution topic. Yet, with the overwhelming quotes and articles on the subject it can feel like there is a right and wrong way to practice self-care. There isn’t. Self-care is self-health and practiced best in whatever way is healthy for your unique needs.

Since stress is extremely unhealthy and the contributor to several health concerns, self-care stress reducers are not only calming, but essential to our overall health.

Self-care is acknowledging anything that causes stress and either seeking a solution or discovering a way to partner with it. Stress free self-care is being in tuned with your joy; how to create it and intertwine it into your daily life. Sometimes being in tuned with your own needs isn’t so ‘simple’ though. When we look at self-care as a task on a long list of responsibilities, it can seem stressful.

Self-care doesn’t require a full day of meditation, expensive tools, costly retreats, or even set rules. Sure, any one of those things can be a form of self-care, but none are required to actually care for your wellbeing. Finding moments to pause and calm racing thoughts is one of the best forms of self-care (self-health).

Stress free self-care is finding balance between emotional, mental, and physical wellness.

Self-care intertwines with every part of our lives; healthy relationships, nutrition, mental wellbeing (reducing stress), finding creative outlets, learning, emotional balance, physical health/activity, career focus, etc. It’s about finding your calm or at the very least partnering calm and chaos to live harmoniously so you can focus on your stress free self-care.

Example of a day filled with stress free self-care:

• A stress free (or less stress) day begins the evening before. Write out your objectives for the day. Make the list as realistic as possible – focusing on tasks that are specific to that day. Create another goal list for the week and/or small steps that can be completed if time allows each day. Making this list (or lists) should not be stressful and take about five minutes each evening. Your unique lists are fluid and can be added to or adjusted as needed – it’s simply a starting point and a way to write out anything that might keep you up at night thinking about it or trying to remember everything that needs done the next day.
• Wake up and spend 60 seconds to take a deep breath, acknowledging joy and gratitude, staying focused on waking up – not allowing racing thoughts of all the tasks and responsibilities required of you (yet).
• Mindfully moving on to your next morning routine (or evening depending how your sleep cycle is) whether it’s showering, fixing yourself and/or family breakfast, preparing lunches, etc. Focus on the task at hand and breathe.
• Glance at your list(s) and adjust as needed or check off completed tasks.
• Before leaving the house or starting your day at home, practice pausing to breathe and acknowledge how you feel and what your body requires. If you are not feeling as well as you usually do, can you adjust your list before your day even starts and incorporate a bit more rest in place of certain tasks, or at the very least make a goal to be in bed a bit earlier than normal so you have a solution in mind to get you through the day and incorporate your rest as a priority, but also a reality with however busy your day may be.
• Incorporate movement throughout your day whether it’s getting up from a desk you work at as often as you can or incorporating movement into your home routine – listening to your limitations and unique ways you can challenge yourself while staying safe and mindful. Using a chair or couch and getting up and down while watching a favorite show on TV or listening to music, an online lecture, etc. and stretching or even walking around from kitchen to bedroom, to living room (I live in a small home and use the path from my bedroom through my living room into my kitchen as a walking track), even 15 minutes two to three times a day is beneficial to self-health!
• Get outside when you can. When weather permits get fresh air, feel the sun, take in the new scenery and if at all possible, move around while outside whether exercising by walking around your work building, your neighborhood, etc., or gardening, etc. Parking further away at work or the store, adds in a few minutes of activity and outdoor time. Again, 10 to 15 minutes a couple of times a day is so beneficial.
• Take a break. No matter what your typical day looks like take a lunch break. Please. Make time for nutritious food. Planning a meal list, getting the groceries, cooking or creating the meals…it’s all forms of self-care (health). Finding new recipes is a form of destress for me, I spend about 15 minutes and browse online or through my cookbooks for new ideas about once a week or so and then create a meal around that, sometimes I adjust ingredients to either what I can afford, what I have on hand, and/or what my diet limitations and likes/dislikes require. Swapping out certain foods or beverages is a form of nutrition awareness. Again, not stressful, simply acknowledging realistic changes you can start to incorporate into your existing routine. I love potato chips. I use to buy a big back and snack on them daily. Eventually, the portion size was less and less, I never just open the bag and start to eat them, I don’t use a big bowl to pour them out in…I use a lid from plastic container that is about the size of small tea cup saucer. This is a good amount for me and a realistic habit changer for me personally. Incorporate what you can, cut out what you can, reduce portions when you can, and drink plenty of water daily.
• Listen to your needs, when you need a connection and time with a friend, seek that – call a friend, go to lunch with a coworker, write a letter to a loved one explaining why you are grateful for them…take 15 minutes and connect. In the same breath, if you need some alone time, create that. Find a creative way, whatever is required for your unique self-care, find 15 minutes to embrace it and pause, be mindful during whatever works for you.
• Give yourself love and self-acknowledgement for all accomplishments (whether they seem minor or major).
• Create your calming down routine, even 15 minutes before you sleep to recap your day and acknowledge three moments you are grateful for. Write out your short list for the next day, and try to get in bed with enough hours to give you the sleep you require.

This is not medical advice and should not replace seeing a medical professional, but can be incorporated into your current health routine. Please see medical professionals when needed or with any new concerns you may have for your mental, emotional and/or physical wellbeing.

Self-care is necessary, but it should not be stressful. I will continue to share my tips and suggestions in the coming days, weeks, even months. Please share your self-care tips or questions below or contact me with your suggestions or questions!

Thank you for reading, thank you for following and thank you for sharing this space with me. Find me on Instagram @successencourager for quotes and more tips.

Please take care of you.

Creativity & self-care

Self-care has many forms. It is unique to each individual’s need/definition. It is equally important to us all though. Whenever I set a new goal or maintain an ongoing goal I always prioritize self-care and how my self-care needs play a role in goal-setting (and maintaining).

One form of self-care that I truly enjoy and that makes me feel recharged is creating. Whether it’s writing, cooking, knitting, sketching, or learning about a new craft! I just feel energized during the entire creative process. Creativity is mybstress-reducer.

There have been times in my life that creativity was ignored though. I got too busy with work and responsibilities or just wasn’t feeling completely healthy and put a hold on being creative. And I noticed as soon as focused on even a minor creative outlet I felt better, I felt more like myself, I calmed racing thoughts, and reduced stress. Creativity is self-care for me. Even if I am not so good at a creative outlet, sketching for one (of many) examples, I still enjoy the process.

How do you reduce stress? Does creativity play a role in your self-care routine? What is your favorite creative outlet?

Thank you so much for reading, following, and connecting! Please take care of yourself!

This is my current creative outlet…I recently re-discovered the love for my vintage typewriter and I have been typing quotes, mantras, zodiac sign traits…and adding a wax seal to my creations. I have had requests about how to purchase them…so I created an option via paypal! Click here for more info!

Unique job search tips

I’m often asked about unique job search tips – ways to search for jobs other than the most popular job search sites. Whether someone is feeling overwhelmed by all of the options on popular sites, not feeling like their skills are being recognized with so many other applicants applying for the same job via the same search site, or they are looking for a way to find new open positions rather than scanning through a handful of search sites that have the same job postings.

My first suggestion is always to search for specific company sites. Find companies within your location or decide you want to focus on remote options and search the sites of companies you are interested in working for. Several companies only post job openings on their own site instead of using other searchable forums so you have a fresh group of opportunities to search and typically larger companies post new jobs almost daily so keep checking back for new postings (several openings are listed at the bottom of this post).

Other unique tips I suggest – check career openings for companies you see commercials for while watching your favorite TV series and check out your favorite magazine publisher for job opportunities. Any company that has a commercial most likely hires employees and large publishers usually have several magazines they produce and need a variety of employees to do that. And just like larger companies, they typically only post job opportunities on their web site so you will have another fresh group of jobs to search.

Some publishers or companies you see commercials for have openings in several states and/or remote opportunities and they post new jobs often. There are a lot of opportunities available when you expand your job focus and search. Research companies that have products or services you enjoy and search their web site for career opportunities. Typically, a product site or publisher will have a career or employment tab at the bottom of their site or they have that option under the menu tab and the About Us section.

When you treat a job search like a job you increase your chances of finding the best match.

• I highly recommend dedicating time daily to research the most popular job search sites, but also make time to research specific companies you are interested in working for.
• Explore creative options that might be available through the products and services you enjoy.
• Spend time updating your resume for each position you apply for, making sure your skills and those in the job description match.
• Create a unique cover letter for each opening as well. Mention something specific about the company you are applying for in the cover letter – it can be a core value you connect with or congratulating them on a recent accomplishment. This will let the hiring manager/committee know you are familiar with the company and invested time to learn about them. Also, include at one accomplishment that ties in with the requirement(s) of the prospective job.

Typically, two to four hours a day are needed to dedicate to job search this includes the actual search, resume updating, cover letter creation, application process (might be separate from submitting a resume and cover letter), and track who you have applied with, what position, date, submission process, and any other specific notes so you can easily refer to them when called for an interview.

Put in the dedicated time and it will pay off – typically, the more time you put into a job search, the better chance you have at finding a job you truly want with a company you are interested in working for. Putting hours into a job search gives you more choice and control. You have skills and competencies that you should be proud of and a company should be excited about working with you.

Below, are a few companies that sell products and have commercials on prime time (or late night) TV and magazine publishers with current job opportunities in several states including some remote and work from home options. I have checked the sites personally and although I do not have any affiliation with them, I’ve checked each site to ensure they are hiring (as of today all of them have openings) and to confirm the career section and application process, which is noted by each site/link.

Good luck in your career search. Please contact me if you have a specific career, resume, cover letter or other job-related questions. Also, I am currently reviewing resumes for free and providing suggestions via email. If you would like me to review your resume please email me at successencourager@gmail.com .

Inogen.com – Scroll to the bottom of the web page and click on careers. You can search by location and/or job title. Hiring for Brooklyn, OH, Goleta, CA and Richardson, TX. Opportunities include Billing manager, Buyer/Planner, and Operations Supervisor in TX and Accounts Payable Specialist and Senior Staff Accountant in CA and Quality Assurance Specialist in OH and several other openings.

Careers.firstam.com – First American. Can search by location, keyword, or department. Hiring in several states for many positions. Current openings include – Executive Assistant in Santa Ana, CA, Receptionist openings in Katy, TX, Oroville, CA, Yukon, OK, and Orlando, FL, Seasonal Office Assistant in Flint, MI and in Brighton, MI, Authorization Representative in Phoenix and Escrow Assistant in Salem, OR and several other openings.

Independence.edu – Independence University. All positions are remote. Click on the ‘more’ button/tab, then About Us, About UI, and scroll down to job openings button and click it..scroll to another job openings button and click on it. Currently, there are 90 openings. Admission Consultant (sales), Web Design Tutor, Career Services Advisor, Admissions Assistant, Administrative Assistant, and several Adjunct Instructor positions.

Activstyle.com – Click menu, About, and scroll down to the bottom and Career Opportunities and click the list of current jobs. There are several locations and about 15 current job openings. Some positions include Outbound Call Center Rep in Reno, NV, Call Center Team Lead in Fresno, CA, Medical Call Center Rep in Minneapolis, MN and Medical Document Associate in Minneapolis, MN.

Jobs.cvshealth.com – CVS Pharmacy. Scroll about halfway and click on the search and apply red button. Several locations hiring including work from home opportunities.

meredith.com/careers – Meredith Corporation, publishes several magazines including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Food and Wine, Health, Wood and more. Currently, there are 245 openings in several states. Current openings include Account Executive in Nashville, TN, Sales Assistant in Los Angeles, Administrative Assistant in Des Moines, IA, Account Director in Chicago, SEO Content Strategist in NY and Production Designer in Shelburne, VT.

cricketmedia.com – Children’s magazine publisher (several magazines for different age groups). If you are interested in submitting a story for one of their publications you can click on submission guidelines. For other openings click on About and then Careers. Currently, one position open for a remote opportunity – US Based ESL/EFL teacher/tutor. Must have a Bachelor’s degree and experience as an ESL/EFL teacher.

Thank you for reading and following! Please contact me if you have a specific career, resume, cover letter or other job-related questions. Also, I am currently reviewing resumes for free and providing suggestions via email. If you would like me to review your resume please email me at successencourager@gmail.com .

Best to you on your job search journey! Thank you again for reading.

How do you show up?

Sometimes the most difficult step toward a goal is the first one. One important reminder is to show up…just as you are. You don’t have to wait for stars to align, timing to be perfect, or for your goal to be perfectly planned out. And you certainly don’t need to let someone else set the standard or give you permission before you start. Show up…as you are & take the first few steps in your action plan.

Allow yourself to evolve at your pace. Adapt when you acknowledge self-growth. Your routine may change, your growth may be quick or slow, your starting steps may be catalysts for new goals…show up today, as you are & embrace your discovery.

Please, show up for your goals, yourself, career choice, relationships, education, self-care, health, happiness, journey, self-growth…during your self-discovery one main focus is to show up as you are & welcome the discovery & growth you are so very capable of!

What are you currently focused on & showing up for?

Please follow me for future posts or connect on Instagram (successencourager) for daily inspirational tips!

Identifying your unique happiness

Your happiness is unique to you and so are the goals that encourage that happiness. Setting unique goals that put you closer to your positive future self without knowing every single outcome takes bravery. Be brave. Trust yourself. Make a commitment to your personal process and dedicate time to your goals and self-discovery.
Once committed, you will discover you are so much stronger than the limits you put upon yourself.
Identifying why a goal is important to you, the happiness it will bring, and the first few steps needed to get started will lead to your self-defined future. Identification of your happiness is a form of self-care and helps you create a goal-setting action plan unique to you.
Pause – Take a moment and think about actions in life that bring you the most joy.

Are your actions incorporated into your daily or weekly routine? What is keeping you from dedicating more time to those actions? How can you dedicate more time?

Set goals that challenge you and encourage you to define and identify your happiness.

Both professional and personal goals require commitment and dedicated time. Take a few moments to write out your typical daily and weekly schedule. Seeing your schedule in print will help you identify timeframes that work best for your unique situation and help you focus on your discovery.

What main goal focus will encourage more happiness and growth? I’d love to hear what you are focused on and how you stay focused. Connect via Instagram (successencourager), email me or comment below.

Thank you so much for reading and following!

Goals are not trends

Goals are personal action plans that celebrate your uniqueness! Goals may seem similar to others, but the reason you set your particular goal is unique to you.

The reason why you want to accomplish a goal is the force behind accomplishment tailored specifically to you.

Dedicate time to discovering why you want to accomplish a certain goal and the action plan will develop. You will set steps in motion to achieve your goal or develop your positive habits.

I’d love to hear what goal you are working on! Share below or email me successencourager@gmail.com

Today my journal planner is 40% OFF! Find more about it here.

The unique calendar journal (planner) will help guide you on your daily journey during this ‘year in the life of…’ YOU.

Keep goaling!

Goals are not complicated or stressful

Setting a goal should feel encouraging, empowering, renewing! A goal should not cause stress. Pushing your limits can feel a bit uncomfortable, but should not be so stressful that you dread doing it. A goal or positive habit should bring you closer to your self, promote self-care and self-love. Goal setting is not about searching out the most popular goal trend and following it. Goal setting is a form of soul searching!

Get excited and discover what truly makes you happy, brings you joy and fills your life with purpose. Then incorporate steps that are doable with your current lifestyle allowing those steps to evolve as you evolve. Listen and be in tune with your wellbeing and allow your goals to encourage that focus.

What goal are you setting to focus on your wellbeing?

Take action to create you

In another post, I defined the word empower and a few other words. I’ve been asked to give more details and focus on the actions needed to accomplish goals. Taking action toward a goal that will bring more joy to your life is how you create the future you truly want. Your goals create you. Taking action empowers you. As simple or grand as your goals may seem they are uniquely yours; uniquely you.

One form of action is to learn as much as you can about what your passion and what brings you joy. Ask yourself:

• What hobby or activity brings me the most joy and/or peace?
• Do you feel relaxed when you create? What is your favorite creative outlet (writing, drawing, baking, crafting, etc.)?
• Is there a class or online tutorial I can take to advance my skills even further toward this hobby or activity?
• Are there clubs or groups that I can join to help incorporate this into my daily routine and become even more comfortable with it?

Another form of action is to set goals that promote your own well-being. Questions to ask:

• What life category do you feel is the most important right now at this time your life? For example, if Spirit is the most important to you right now have you set aside time to meditate, journal, stretch or truly unwind at the end of each day? What goals can you set and easily fit into your current daily routine that promotes your own well-being? What time of day can you dedicate to accomplishing this goal or these goals?
• Do you have someone in your support circle to set this goal with that is encouraging?

Action empowers you to create the life you want to live. First defining your goal focus and then creating just one step daily that gets you closer to that focus gives you control to accomplish what is most important to you. Check out my week-long process in my previous post if you need to define your main goal focus.

I’m very excited about my newest project and I will be giving away a copy of my goal journal very soon!!!

Keep goaling and reach out and let me know what goal you are focused on right now!

 

Goals encourage self-love

Recently, I defined the words self-care, selfish and empowerment. Continuing with that theme I’d like to encourage more self-love through goal-setting. Why goal-setting? Because it’s the first step to encourage action toward what brings you joy! Once you set a goal you can start taking the steps to make that goal a reality. Focusing on your passion/dream/goal is the best way to create peace and empowerment. It allows a process to start in motion and brings opportunities for accountability and accomplishment. It’s got self-love written all over it 🙂

Goals typically fall in a few broad categories. My personal categories that I use are:

• Well-being – Mental and physical health; stretching, walking, meditation, conscious eating, plenty of water. Ask yourself – What are my health goals, what are my limits?
• Spirit – Self-care, gratitude journaling, positive affirmations, create, hobbies. Ask yourself – What brings joy and peace? What nourishes me?
• Circle – Mutual relationships that allow you to give and receive support; family, friends, work friendships, recovery groups, clubs or hobby groups. Ask yourself – Who balances with me? Who supports me and invites my support?
• Productivity – Daily routine; work, volunteering, caregiver, budgeting, learning. Ask yourself – What is my current daily schedule (define it). What do I want my future schedule or routine to look like and consist of?

Once you define your most important goal and research the first few steps needed to make it a reality, dedicate time to accomplishing it and celebrate each progress…life will change; you will change…you will be giving much self-love to yourself and trust me, you’ll thank yourself for doing so!

I personally benefit from keeping a journal/calendar to track my progress and keep my to-do lists organized. I’ve been working on a project slowly for a couple of years and look forward to sharing it with everyone very soon! Hint hint…it’ll be giveaway time worthy! I’ll announce that soon! (So excited and giddy, I can hardly hide it).

What goal are you focused on right now? Do you have time dedicated to it daily or maybe weekly? How empowered are you feeling right now?? Comment below or send me an email.