In these first 3 episodes of season 6, you will learn my transformational wellness methods! You’ve heard these over the past few years on the podcast, in our Facebook community and our Zoom group sessions, on the email list… but today you’re getting it ALL in one short and sweet summary! These episodes will be jam-packed with everything you need to know to start shifting your mindset AND your habits and begin seeing the changes that you want and deserve when it comes to your health and happiness.
In today and the next 2 intention episodes, you’ll learn the F.I.L.L. Your Cup Method, the daily intentional T.E.N., and the third and final ingredient in my secret sauce method that I know will blow your mind when you start to implement it.
If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.
-Anonymous
Imagine a life where you:
You get to enjoy your kids' milestones
The days feel short and the years feel long
You AREN'T drowning in your schedule or to-dos
You have the tools you need to stay calm when chaos erupts
You find spark or joy in each day no matter what
You're present and connected with your spouse or partner
Your kids learn to exhibit mindfulness and healthy habits on their own
You might find yourself rolling your eyes and saying yea sounds nice, but there’s absolutely no way to make this happen. And I want you to know that those are the stories we tell ourselves when we don’t have the support or help we need, not because we are failing. The methods I’m going to share with you are not just like a fluffy self-help book or dream big TED talk, these methods are Simple, Actionable, and Practical. Because ain’t nobody got time for anything idealistic or complex, am I right?My methods and systems all have 10 essential components of health taken into consideration, almost like a spider web that holds everything up, because everything is tangled and interconnected, rather than linear. Those elements are nutrition, movement, rest, work/life balance, spirituality, mind-body connection, personal development, financial stability, environment, and relationships. We put these into bigger overarching buckets, and when we start to get intentional with our time, our healthy habits, and our relationships, that’s when we can start to breathe, feel like things get simple, and notice more health and happiness creeping in.
So let’s dive right into the recipe with part 1, FILL YOUR CUP. Learn how we put on our oxygen masks first so we can be here to take care of other people or other things/work/projects that are important to us. To do that we F.I.L.L.
Practice “F”, Functional Mindfulness Toolbox. Meaning you have access to some habits or tools that help you stay focused, keep you grounded, or even lift you up when you’re feeling low. It could be journaling, it could be meditation, it could be reading a devotional or spiritual guide, taking a bath, or a ten-minute walk, but something that allows you to pause and really be present and aware of the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, each and every day. I’m going to share the secret functional mindfulness hack that I keep in my toolbox- I have three daily alerts on my calendar that pop up as a notification and when they do I force myself to stop whatever I’m doing, take 3 deep breaths, and ask myself, “How am I doing? What do I need right now?”
The “I” is for Intentional Time Mgmt. It doesn’t matter if you have all these wonderful intentions, if you don’t take the time for them, they will either get pushed to the back burner or forgotten about until the day is over or even the year is over and you didn’t accomplish anything you planned to. And while no, you don’t have to be a strict planner, you do have to be smart and intentional with your time. It is literally our most precious asset in life and we often treat it the most haphazardly, right? Hint hint, if you want some help with this I have spent years designing and fine-tuning my own journal+planner combination to make intentional time mgmt efficient, effective, and honestly pretty fun! (This might be a good segway to tell you more about it… www.intentionalten.com/planner. During the month of March, all planners are 20% off with coupon PODCAST. )
The first “L” is for a Life of Health and Happiness. This doesn’t mean you have to be an ironman/ironwoman or be smiling 24/7. But it does mean saying yes to the things that bring health and happiness and saying no to the things that don’t. And if this feels awkward, I often recommend that clients scale things. How is X activity going to promote health and happiness on a scale of 0 to 10. Anything less than a 5 gets nixed if it’s not mandatory. This one isn’t easy, it is is something that I often spend weeks sorting out with my individual clients, but when they make progress here it is POWERFUL.
And the last “L” is Living in line with Your Intentions. This means having a regular practice where you check in on your goals. In the Intention Club, we do this together as a group in January and September each year, the Intention Planner has it built in a daily reminder and a weekly reminder, and for other people having quotes, mantras, affirmations posted around them in notes, art, cell phone backgrounds, etc might be the way to stay focused. My hack here is a mantra on my phone - it says “this is my beautiful chaos.” Because right now my biggest intention is to be present at the moment and sit with all the beauty, including the chaos, and just let it be, and let it be mine.
Okay, so that is the FILL your cup method. Four tips for taking care of yourself, simplifying your days and prioritizing your own self-care, so you can take care of others. We’re going to talk about the next 2 ingredients in the following two weeks so be sure to come back Monday mornings to hear all about it!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear more about what you thought on the FILL your cup method and the hacks you use in your life to fill your own cup. So be sure to join our Intentional Wellness Community and our Facebook group to continue the conversation. You can find the link in the show notes! www.intentionalten.com/community.
So remember, wellness is a journey and it starts with intention. We’re going to spend this season deep diving into these areas and more so you can build the tools and strategies you need to ride the waves of life and have a little more fun! Less drowning, more surfing out there in the ocean of life! Doesn’t that sound better?!
Talk to you soon!
-Christina