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Self help against virus infect, flu and breathing complaints

Self help against virus infect, flu and breathing complaints

CORONAVIRUS – WHAT TO DO IF SUSPECTED?

The corona virus has already spread massively in many countries all over the world and many people are affected.

What can you do yourself to deal with this viral infection if symptoms appear?

This includes:
Runny nose
Sore throat
Cough
Fever
Shortness of breath
Difficulty breathing (severe cases)

Typical course of COVID-19

  • 5 days before the onset of the disease: After infection, primarily via droplet infection (smear infection rare), it takes about 5-6 days before the first symptoms appear, the range is currently 1-14 days.
  • Onset of illness: 88% of those affected develop a fever, if the illness is mild, the fever is rather low. With severe gradients it rises to over 39 degrees.
  • From day 1-3: dry cough (68%), body aches (17%), sore throat (16%), headache (16%), nausea / vomiting (4%), nasal congestion (4%), diarrhea (3% )
  • Day 4: 20% of those affected now experience shortness of breath
  • Day 4-8: If COVID-19 is difficult, you need to stay in hospital
  • Day 7: With a mild course, the symptoms subside. This is the case for 80% of patients outside of China.
  • Day 7-18: The virus can be detected in the upper respiratory tract. The longer the disease has progressed, the longer this is possible.
You can protect yourself and help prevent spreading the virus to others if you:
Do
  • Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze
  • Avoid close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell
  • Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell
Don’t
  • Touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean

 

Below are two more recommendations from Uwe Sujata on how to use colloidal silver and curcumin.

Application: Against viruses, bacteria and fungal infections

In an emergency

Recommended use of colloidal silver (10ppm) in acute cases:

Use intensively even with mild symptoms

  • Leave 20 sprays in the mouth for 2 minutes every hour or even every half hour. Is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth.
  • Ideally, when spraying, breathe in through the mouth at the same time, then it also goes directly into the bronchi, bronchioles, lungs or respiratory system.
  • After about 2 minutes of action in the mouth, swallow and ideally rinse with a little water, then it can continue to work in the intestine.

Find a report about it Colloidal Silver here. – in German

Also recommended:

Curcumin, high dose, approx. 6-8 capsules of 500mg each day.

Find also a report about Curcumin here (in German).

Since most viruses mainly accumulate in the throat, drinking water frequently also helps flush the viruses through the esophagus into the stomach, where they are made harmless by the stomach acid.

Thank you Uwe Sujata for providing us with these recommendations.

For more interesting information on the scientific research of colloidal silver in english go here.

Scary times require Focus

Scary times require Focus

I think now more than ever we need to FOCUS.

There is soo much fear out in the world at the moment and only focusing on trying to survive through these difficult times may not be pro-active.

As a therapist, coach and mentor I want to be there for my family, friends and clients and support in any way possible so that we can all thrive.

Here are 10 tips that will help us keep the focus on opportunities for growth and progress as the world around is in turbulence.

 

1. Forget about yourself, focus on others.

2. Forget about your commodity, focus on your relationships.

3. Forget about the sale, focus on creating value.

4. Forget about your losses, focus on your opportunities.

5. Forget about your difficulties, focus on your progress.

6. Forget about the “future”, focus on your today.

7. Forget about who you were, focus on who you can be.

8. Forget about events, focus on your responses.

9. Forget about what’s missing, focus on what’s available.

10.Forget about your complaints, focus on your gratitude.

Original article from Dan Sullivan can be found here

Trouble falling asleep – the Alphabet Game

Trouble falling asleep – the Alphabet Game

Have you ever had trouble falling asleep – or waking in the middle of the night and struggled to get back to sleep?


We all know the importance of sleep and what lack of sleep does to our body and mind.

Sleep disturbances are usually due to stress, travel, illness, or other temporary interruptions to normal routine. However, if sleep problems occur regularly and interfere with daily life, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder. In which case this technique might not be enough…

Maybe you remember as a kid being told to count sheep if you couldn’t fall asleep.
It appears that for most it is mainly a myth (Myth = widely held but false belief or idea). 

I had never heard of the alphabet game, but started a few months ago just doing it – Weird, maybe or maybe not –  and just an intuition or some divine intervention? 

In this sleeping exercise, I am going to show you how I use the alphabet to think up words to apply to each letter.

Before we get started, there are a couple of things you need to do.

You obviously want to get bed ready, which would mean turning off lights in the room and removing any noise distractions.

Make sure the temperature is optimal – more on sleep hygiene here (tbd)

Lie down in bed and close your eyes.

Here we go:

Step 1:

Choose a subject for the list you’ll be creating (e.g. cars, plants, fruits, vegetables, animals, etc).
For the purposes of this step-by-step, I’ll use “positive adjectives” as a category.

Step 2: 

Beginning with the letter A, think up a word that begins with that letter.
In this case, we might begin with “Amazing”.

Step 3:

Now think up 3 or 4 more words beginning with A” that are positive and that you might like to achieve or experience everyday. E.g. awesome, active, accepted etc.

Step 4:

Next choose a word for the next letter B, such as “Beautiful”.
Continue with the remaining letters of the alphabet, thinking up words that begin with each letter until you reach the final letter Z.

If you get to the end of the alphabet and you have still not fallen asleep – well heck, I think we have another issue here. Otherwise simply repeat the process, but choose a different category.

To be totally honest, I don’t think I’ve ever got past F in the alphabet – these are only a few examples of words I would use. 

I obviously have NOT learned them by heart, but when doing this “exercise” allow whatever comes up. As long as it is positive – if anything negative comes up – I immediately go back to the word before and try and come up with a positive attribute (or adjective/noun/verb – whatever – you get the gist)

Here are a couple of words that often come up during this *exercise”

A – awesome, ambitious, abundant, authentic

B – bold, brave, beautiful, bright

C – calm, creative, cheerful, curious

D – daring, dedicated, dependable, devoted

E – energetic, efficient, empathic, entertaining

F – fair, free, faithful, flexible

G – generous, genuine, grounded, grateful

H – happy, healthy, harmony, humour

I – independent, imaginative, intuitive, innovative

By creatively thinking up words we are essentially allowing our minds to wander, which will help to induce the sleeping state. And nothing creates a better foundation for a list than the standard alphabet.

The alphabet works so well, because it’s something that the majority of us have learned to a point that it’s become ingrained in our minds from a young age. We are able to use this knowledge as a tool to apply to any list of items or materials. Whether it’s falling asleep or going back to sleep. 

Sleep ABC

The ideas of lists are endless:

Famous people (e.g. celebrities, athletes, artists, musicians) with the same initials  e.g. Anne Archer, Boris Becker, Charlie Chaplin, Danny DeVito, Emilio Estevez, Farrah Fawcett, Gloria Gaynor, and so on… 

Don’t want to do double initials? Go through the alphabet dog breeds, cereal brands, cities you’ve been to, or spices or herbs. 

Counting down backwards (and slowly) from 100 and visualizing each number as you come to it, can also be effective. Maybe also imagining erasing it from blackboard.

I have other interesting “hacks” or daily habits that I will share with you in future articles.

Let me know in the comments if you have any interests that you want covered.

My word for 2020 – PEACE!

My word for 2020 – PEACE!

I haven’t been living under a rock – but I’ve never “done” a word of the year thing. So I decided to jump on the train/boat/plane and do it this year.

 

This isn’t like a New Years resolution – because, honestly, I don’t think those work. And it’s probably been statistically proven somewhere.

My word of the year is: Peace – which includes gratitude and accepting. Even letting go and decluttering

Peace is defined as mental calmness; serenity. It also means freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.

To have peace (for me) means to be confident in my decisions and to have no fear – and I am striving for those two things in my life this year. Anxiety and stress come from fear and worry.

One of my biggest challenges over the last year (or two) has been that of dealing with both fear and worry. 

Fear of failure, fear of success. Fear of rejection and criticism. Fear of not being good enough and this whole imposter syndrome stuff.

Worry – about the future and things that probably won’t come to pass, my kids, my health, finances, relationships – and the list goes on.

I’ve decided I no longer want to be the biggest obstacle in my own path. I no longer want to keep myself from taking the necessary steps to achieving my goals.

I think part of the reason most of us struggle with being “in peace” or having peace is because we struggle to love ourselves. Not accepting who we are and just trying to fit in in the world and society. 

I just want to be ok with not being ok all the time. At the same time be grateful, accept and let go of what is not serving me (or others)  and have more self-compassion.

So how, now, am I going to go about this?

Peace and Gratitude 

I’m not really a journalling kind of person. I’d start and stop (for a couple of years) and then start again.

But… I started off the year with a gratitude journal that was gifted to me by one of my awesome coaches Esther de Charon.

Easy  peasy – just three things every day that I’m grateful for.

Good days start with a gratitude journal

Another gift from my dear coach Sigrun is slightly different but also definitely worth doing. Becoming – A guided journal for discovering your voice by Michelle Obama. This will take a little longer and deeper look inside.

A guided journal for discovering your voice

The interesting thing is that I had already decided before the end of the year what my WOTY (word of the year) was going to be – and these two journals only came much later. So there must be something to this.

 

Peace and Accepting and letting go

Now this ain’t an easy task.

Letting go of expectations and learning to accept that I can’t control everything and everyone around me. Especially my kids – you know that mother hen syndrome. 

Also letting go of “what will so and so think of me” and just worry about what I think of myself. Not taking myself too seriously, but having fun in the process

Leaving room for mistakes, meaning, that we all learn from our mistakes – and Rome was not built in a day.

“To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.” –Jack Kornfield

 

Peace and Compassion

Self compassion first. Giving myself room to be human, flawed and sensitive, maybe even unproductive without judging myself harshly. Generally just being kind to myself. Cultivate acceptance so as not to shut myself down and not lose faith in my own potential.

 

Peace and Clearing the clutter

This clearing clutter thing has been around for almost a year now. And I STILL have not got my sh!t together and sorted out what needs to stay or go. We’re talking about physical stuff – like in my office and the cellar.

There’s also the mental decluttering that needs attention. I feel my brain is on overload – so many thoughts and ideas floating around my brain. 

I want to think clearly and make decisions easily. Not have too much to do and not enough time to do it in.

I want to free up some headspace to be able to feel calmer, stay focused on what needs to get done in the business and think more clearly. 

I want more peace in my life. I want financial peace. I want peace within my heart. I want peace in my mind. I want peace at home. I want peace in my business. 

I want peace – PERIOD

On a final note I’ll leave you with this quote:  “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

Flashback 2019 – the year of Masterminding (mostly)

Flashback 2019 – the year of Masterminding (mostly)

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Some say it’s an African proverb, I’m not sure about that. But that’s not the point – the point is what does it mean or how does it apply in our lives?

For me, personally, this meant that if I wanted to grow my business and get further, I had to change the way I thought about it. I decided at the end of 2018 that I needed more support to achieve what I had envisioned.

Initially my outlook for 2019 was

  • Keep on, keep on blogging – and with a little help from my friend’s and content coach, Judith “Sympatexter” Peters, I’m sure I’ll manage – mostly on track, although have not written nearly as much as I could have or wanted to. 
  • A four-week online course for women struggling in midlife – let the rebel out – not quite, but I did run an online course – more later
  • Find a new hobby – maybe take up swimming again.. Ähm, nooo. So I guess that is on the books for the new decade – 2020 here I come
  • Vacation to some exotic islandit’s amazing how time flies, and so, no, this didn’t happen either

My vision for the next 3 – 5 years was to support menopausal women to unearth a new side of themselves or re-invent for the better.

What I discovered along the way was that I wasn’t attracting menopausal women, but younger women under 30 who were suffering from all sorts of symptoms: from bulimia to panic attacks to self-worth issues. Most of them were severely traumatized – and had a LOT of suppressed ANGER.

This meant either my messaging wasn’t clear enough, or I wasn’t clear on what I was offering. Or maybe they saw me as a mother-figure. I felt honored to be able to support and inspire them, so I took on that challenge or adventure.

And then I was unsure of what language I should operate in. English? German?

All these questions resulted in me having to make a decision. 

I decided I was going to work in English – as having two languages means updating two websites – which if you didn’t know, is a crap load of work on your own – unless you have a team.

Without realizing it, my year turned out to be about growing my confidence, visibility and learning to “trust the process”. It was filled with Masterminding and group coaching – almost to the extent that that’s almost all that happened. Well, not really, but you get my drift.

The first of many to come started off in March where my buddies and I all met in Berlin for a 3 day weekend.

Next up was Zürich, then Hamburg and last but not least Bern (which was very special – as we spoke to a horse and got some insights to our business).

Other highlights of the year were:
  • 51st Birthday – Duh, why not 50th? and our Crappy Christmas Party
  • Painting Workshop offline – to the 5 Chinese elements
  • Online painting course – also to the 5 chinese elements
  • Sigrun Live
  • Hypnosis convention in Zürich
  • Attract your dream client workshop in Drent with Esther

The year of masterminding started in Berlin.

As everyone was arriving at different times we had the chance to do a little sightseeing and window shopping.

Some of the highlights were La Fayette – a wonderful shopping Gallery – if not for shopping (as I was travelling with only hand-luggage) at least a feast for the eye.

We even experienced the first international “Fridays for Future” that took place in Berlin on March 15th, 2019  which was attended by more than 2000 towns and cities in 125 countries. Well over a million young people worldwide took to the streets together to demonstrate for consistent climate protection.

We also had the pleasure of visiting Rausch’s Schokoladenhaus – another feast for the eyes (and stomach) – except I’m not a chocoholic so I didn’t indulge in those sweet temptations. And their chocolate sculptures are impressive to say the least.

Over the course of the weekend we did several vision exercises and it became clear in which direction I wanted to go. Women, intuitive painting, lightness, fun and transformation. My mastermind friends literally forced me into planning an offline workshop on intuitive painting.

Said and done – well not quite, because May was just around the corner and I needed to get my shit together i.e. organise all the materials needed and get the meditation ready – and not to forget work on my mindset of offering this course.

Berlin Mastermind

Mastermind Berlin

And so, the first workshop of many to come had been birthed.

Expressing emotions and discovering a healthy outlet for suppressed feelings.

The idea behind Connect Artfully was to connect with the heart using art. It’s an Intuitive, intentional and creative practice. It allows to identify and transform negative emotions into positive on a deeper level. Finding inner peace through creativity, rediscovering satisfaction and joy in everyday life and nurturing a long-forgotten side of oneself that is essential to wholeness, happiness and personal fulfillment.

We started with a guided meditation based on the 5 Chinese elements. During the workshop, the participants were taken on a journey through a relaxing meditation and visualisation technique to activate their thought awareness as well as their emotions and any other physical sensations. 

After the meditation they were then free to express whatever came up first using a dominant colour for a while to stay in a relaxed, meditative state. This was then followed by whatever colours called them.

Being in this meditative state allowed them to go with the flow. To not be in their heads and just allow what needed to come out. They described it as a peaceful, rewarding and satisfying time.

Some went deeper and deeper not being able to stop, others were done quickly. Some tweaked their paintings more and more not wanting it to end.

This workshop was a journey designed to help clear out obstacles and bring balance. Their inner dialogue became obvious and they had the opportunity to allow themselves to change it. It empowered some of them to shift emotional trauma, feelings of insecurity and process emotions for insightful value rather than avoid them as uncomfortable. Everyone felt a sense of release and also commented on how painting a wonderful medium is to get things flowing.

What a wonderful successful workshop and the feedback was amazing.

Releasing emotions through art Workshop

After the great success of the offline workshop the idea was borne to take it online – enter Somba Summer School. 

Luckily this was just around the corner and the perfect opportunity to test the waters and do a beta round.

The outcome blew my socks off – this was WAY more exciting and transforming than I could ever have imagined.

The participants were so engaged and motivated and joined our weekly calls from all over the world – India, Seychelles, UK, Germany, Italy, Ireland to mention just a few. 

The transformation was also incredible.

Anger, fear, deep hurt were all acknowledged and allowed to be expressed on canvas. Although this course was like an “anti-art” some of the participants made extraordinary paintings – so much talent – even though it was not about that…

Summer School 2019

And as one thing leads to another in life the next mastermind was on the cards – this time in Hamburg.

I seriously can’t remember what profound insights we had, but obviously food was at the centre… – check mastermind buddies…

Mastermind Hamburg

Somba – Be inspired, think big, take action

When you finish a training or further education as an adult, most often you are not given the tools to build a business. Yes, you’re now self-employed or an entrepreneur, but most often have no idea what the next steps are. Where was I going, what I was doing and most importantly what did I want to achieve?

I was clueless! I had a website, was on facebook and instagram – but apparently that was not what was needed to get me any traction.

I am forever grateful to have discovered this amazing coach. Without her I would have given up my business as a Kinesiologist and Hypnotherapist 2 years ago. 

Not only having discovered Sigrun and her group coaching, it has opened my world to so many amazing people, whether entrepreneurs or therapists. 

I can highly recommend a mastermind or a coach for anyone in business. The added value is simply priceless.

To top it all,  I was accepted to be a mentor in her online course. This was a sign of trust in my capabilities and potential.

Sigrun Live 2019

Hypnosis Convention November 2019

Seriously peeps (I know of someone who hates this word – and maybe you do too – but I don’t really like to say guys or girls/gals – so this is kind of gender neutral – and people, well, that also sucks…)

If you have done any kind of further education in whatever area it is – I can only recommend attending workshops or conventions or training days that they offer for further motivation, insights or inspiration!

This was soo aaaamazzzing. Thank you Hansruedi Wipf and your team for facilitating such an awesome, well organised thought through conference!

I attended some really inspiring classes with

Tanja KlausHypnose und ätherische Öle
Bruno ErniJenseits der Logik? – Ja logisch
Eva ReichTrauma Klienten noch besser unterstützen und begleiten

amongst others – and met many new aspiring hypnotists as well as seasoned therapists.

Hypnosis Convention Zürich 2019

Mastermind Bern was really a turnaround.

The interesting part about this weekend was the coaching

One of my mastermind partners, Selen, has a special gift. She can communicate with animals. Now if your imagination is running wild and you’re seeing pictures of talking horses or dogs, it is not. 😉 What she does is more on a subliminal level. I think there are different terms for it depending on how you express yourself. Some call it telepathy, others call it reading body language and micro-expressions, for some it is communication with the subconscious … I’ll leave it up to you what you call it.

As a teenager I had ridden horses, BUT then one day we went on a trip with a couple of families and horse riding was on the agenda. Well F*ck this took the adventure or experience to another level.

We were set up with horse on a farm/stable thingi. My horse decided he needed to put his hoof on my foot – and that was it folks – it was deemed for catastrophe. HE STOOD ON MY FOOT! and wouldn’t lift his leg or give way. Have you ever had a horse stand on your foot? 

You can imagine what happened next. As I obviously had no more control and he knew it – he ran away with me in the woods – and seriously peeps – i had a friggin fit. That was it – get that “monster” away from me!

So now our mastermind in Bern was coming up and I was nervous about meeting the horse. How would I react, how would he react? Turned out he was quite chilled – check him out having a laugh (or was it a yawn?)

We each had the chance to present a question and lead the horse around an obstacle course. The horse gave signals through his behaviour and attitude, reflecting how we felt about the situation. Selen helped interpret his behaviour into something we could understand.

Mastermind Bern

Other highlights of the year

Self hypnosis at the vocational school for Dental Assistants

As part of her exams my daughter did her final assignment on hypnosis. And as a kind of joke I asked her if her teacher and class would be interested in a group self-hypnosis demonstration.

I never for the life of me thought that the response would be positive. I nearly shat myself, and was soo nervous to present in front of a class of 22 young ladies. Would they laugh at me, be rude or indifferent?

The outcome was not at all what I expected! They were friendly (if not a little shy), interested and totally game.

Thank you ladies for being so open and being part of a wonderful workshop!

Self-hypnosis workshop

Omni hypnosis turns 40

You know you’re part of a great stable institution when they get to celebrate their 40th birthday and you get party with them. OMNI stands for solid hypnotherapy.

Gerald F. Kein founded the OMNI Hypnosis Training Center in Florida, USA in 1979.  In 2012 this process was also further refined by Hansruedi Wipf and was certified according to ISO 9001 as the worldwide first hypnosis process ever in March 2015.

No matter where in the world you take part in an OMNI training, you get the same learning contents of highest quality. Each trainer has his/her own style but we are united by a joint identification with OMNI as brand and its philosophy.

Omni Hypnosis turns 40!

Organisation operation – Digitalisation and more

Theoretically – I love structure, organisation and planning – implementing is another thing..⁣
In my life as a back-office manager I was used to planning, organising and structuring everything for the business and everyone else.⁣

Practically – since becoming self-employed it has kind of gotten out of hand.⁣
Having said that, I still haven’t found the perfect tool where everything fits into one spot. I guess there isn’t.⁣

Sharing a calendar with the whole family and one for clients and other private events can be quite a daunting challenge. I use google calendar, outlook calendar, an online booking tool for client’s appointments (connected with gmail).⁣

Client dossiers old fashion on paper and then filed in a cabinet for vertical hanging files. Need a solution there – like a CRM where the docs are digital and invoices/receipts, contacts etc are all in one place⁣

Social media planning: excel for blog articles, sometimes later.com for Instagram posts that are not spontaneous or longer, facebook posts are a bit on the back burner.⁣

Trello for daily/monthly project to-do’s⁣

Projects on the to-do-list:⁣
Digitalisation of office docs/invoices etc – getting all the relevant (important) docs scanned and saved in the cloud – and really only keeping the most crucial docs in files.⁣

Decluttering all the thousands of notes that I take on mastermind calls and other interesting podcasts or videos. I’m thinking of investing in a rocketbook and making all my notes digital on evernote.⁣

Overwhelmed? Me too!⁣

I bought new bookshelves with doors as the old ones were over 20 years old and showing their age – so all of the files that were kept are hidden “behind closed doors”.

As for going digital – I was way too optimistic and instead of doing things parallel I went straight to eliminating the paper docs which resulted in total chaos and many unpaid bills. Well, I didn’t really eliminate the paperwork because a little voice in the back of my head was telling me to “maybe” save them for just incase..

Thank goodness – I was almost up shit creek without a paddle. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had shredded all those invoices? Yeah, reminders and inevitably dunning letters.

Survived – but, that is a HUGE project that I will need to tackle next year.

Organisation operation

Organisation operation

Live workshop in Eext with Esther

It’s wonderful when you can meet up with people that you’ve only met online in real life. It just makes the relationship that you’ve established so much stronger.

I met Esther at Sigrun live in 2018 and as part of our mini mastermind session, she really spoke to my heart. Being or becoming the rebel that was deep inside. Getting out there with my message. It’s only taken me like a year to kind of let that sink in and appreciate what that means for me and my business.

This workshop was about being a brave entrepreneur. Learning about personal branding: what components are important – and maybe already present, or what still needs to be implemented. And not just about having a website or a logo. How do we show up daily and how do we consciously differentiate ourselves from our peers. What is our zone of genius and

Esther is the Founder of Brave Branding. She’s famous for co-creating unapologetically authentic unique Brave Brands for her clients as an international Personal Brave Branding Queen, business soul whisperer and author.

To quote her: “Do you fear that people see you as different, weird, loud, too soft, too outspoken too colorful! Congratulations 🎊 When you have something Important to say being different is the best thing that can happen to you! Personal Branding is all about differentiation. To stand out amongst your peers.⠀So, please show up! Not when you’re perfect (cause perfect is boooring) but right now! TODAY!!⠀Feeling ‘Weird’ – the real you – is the best, most effective marketing material you’ve got!⠀⁣⁣You are way to awesome to hide”

Bravo Esther for being the real deal, originally authentically wonderfully weird! Love you the way you are.

Live day at Restaurant Rikus in Eext with Esther

Paper and digital notebooks – a game changer

Well heck, I’m a note-taker. And so I have post-its all over the place, notes written on blocks, filed in files, in notebooks and on the computer or wherever – and the thing is, they all get jumbled together somewhere and never looked at again.

SOOOOO, I decided to invest in a Rocketbook which I mentioned in my operation organisation post.

OMG I’m stoked! Amazing how small things can change your “life”…

So now I can write to my heart’s content, decide where it’s going and scan it to my drive – whichever one for whichever content.. I guess not for everyone that wants to go digital.

But otherwise, I can only recommend this. Even if you never look at your notes or scribbles again – it still helps to keep the environment a little friendly and green.

my absolute favourite small gift to myself this year – Rocketbook

My conclusions from 2019

The year just seemed to race by. They say that time flies when you’re having fun.

I spent soo much time on my business. Learning, researching, masterminding and planning – and less on really executing and working in the business.

I had the courage to invest in myself, was part (and still am) of an awesome mastermind group. Learned to become more visible despite the love/hate relationship with social media. Learning to #trusttheprocess and that I am worthy and capable.

Outlook for 2020

  • What I want for 2020 amongst other things.

Time – to do the things I love – whether it’s running a business or exploring new hobbies e.g. pottery or painting.
Home – a place to live wherever I chose to – in a moderate climate, at the sea or in the mountains – I’m dreaming BEACHES.
Money  – to be able to support families that might need health care support or are struggling financially and need a kickstart.

At the end of the day may there be more sales… because without sales we have no money and without money we cannot live. We can only give in abundance if we have an abundance ourselves. 

  • Selfmade Summit with Sigrun – the conference of the year 2020 for female online entrepreneurs. This is going to be EPIC!
    Want to join me and hundreds of other female entrepreneurs? Sign up here

Self made summit with Sigrun in Iceland 2020

My word for 2020 – PEACE

Inner peace – peace of mind, freedom from fear, less stress and anxiety, less worry, harmony in personal relationships.

 

Peace

 

You want more?

Here are more year reviews 2019 from other women entrepreneurs! Women who dare to dream big and take action!

English:

Sigrun: 2019, A Year in Review
Michelle Petit: 2019 You have made me been seen!

German:

Judith “Sympatexter” Peters: Mein Jahresrückblick 2019: the minor fall(s), the major lift
Anne Retter: Schöpfergeists Jahresrückblick 2019: Mein Online-Business aufbauen
Michaela Schächner: Mein Jahr 2019, Das Aufdecken meines eigenen WARUM hat mir Flügel verliehen
Ingrid Angehrn Dewulf: 2019, du warst eine Achterbahnfahrt!
Daniela Persike: 2010 bis 2019. Menschenskinders, ihr wart vielleicht aufregend. Der Dekadenrücklick einer Jobreisenden.
Maria Busque: Mein Jahresrückblick 2019: ein einziges Experiment
Marta Thut: Körbechliebe: 2019 – Ein Jahresrückblick

How was your year? Do you want to featured here? You are also welcome to link to your own review of the year 2019 in the comments. 🙂

Anger – How to keep your sh*t together – without throwing forks, or so…

Anger – How to keep your sh*t together – without throwing forks, or so…

Have you ever felt the need to throw a fork at someone, bang a frying pan on their head, throw a TV out the window or something equally absurd?

 

Have you ever just “lost it” or are you just chilled and in Zen and don’t experience those emotions? I don’t know about you, but I am definitely not Zen YET, maybe I’m human…
And Yes, I have thrown forks in a state of rage – twice – nothing to be proud of. No-one was physically damaged and talking about it in the aftermath was essential for clearing up what had caused the explosion.

I guess we all feel anger at different times in our lives and most often don’t want to… And we’ve been taught to be nice people, and most often for women, it is an emotion that is avoided at all costs, and considered as bad, undesirable or unacceptable.

So instead of listening to it we suppress, deny, bury it, block it, medicate or numb it or just plain try and ignore it.

BUT, we are meant to listen to our anger. It is a voice, a plea, a demand to look at what is really going on. If we don’t address anger, fear or other strong negative emotions they can build up over time and cause havoc in our personal lives and bodies. Anger is a powerful emotion and can cause total chaos.

However, even though anger is just an emotion, and like any emotion, it’s not really right or wrong. What we do with it is relevant – it can be used positively and negatively / good or bad.

For good (or positive) anger can:

  • be activating and mobilising – it can get us results – If we learn to channel anger into action to achieve something we might have procrastinated on e.g. cleaning out the cellar, or getting the ironing done, . DUH – who still irons clothes today? I don’t… or maybe we’ll get our frigging cellar cleaned out, the wardrobe sorted, the tax declaration done…
  • give a feeling of power – It enables us to express ourselves in a way we would not usually. And in the world of negotiation anger can sometimes be a very effective tactic. A salary increase or change of position, or even banal tasks like what gets done at home (or not) e.g. emptying the dishwasher after having asked like 30 times, or putting the washing away after it lying around for 3 weeks
  • increase our self-worth or self-confidence –  standing up for ourselves and not letting others take advantage of us. It could be labeled as assertive, strong or confident. And imagine telling an energy vampire to get the heck out of our lives…
  • be a motivation for a bigger cause – to take a stand against injustice, discrimination or oppression e.g. child abuse or human trafficking, lack of rights for women (and much more)

For bad (or negative), and maybe this should come before the advantages as it can:

  • make us really sick – when we’re really angry, our body reacts the same way when in stress. It triggers our body to take a defensive stance, readying ourselves for any danger that may come our way. When it’s intense and happens often, the physiological effects can be so harmful. It can trigger a whole lot of physical reactions that can have long term effects on the body e.g. high blood pressure, mental conditions, cardiac arrest or stroke.
  • “break our hearts” – whenever we get angry our cardiovascular system becomes vulnerable. Anger increases blood flow to our muscles, it spikes levels of adrenaline and cortisol, Here’s a great article on The Science of how your heart can break
  • cause pain to those around us – physical pain is bad enough but emotional and psychological damage can destroy relationships maybe irreparably. It is most likely to cause problems in relationships in the family, at work and with friends. People with long term anger problems tend to be poor at making decisions, take more risks than other people and are more likely to have a substance misuse problem.

It takes a lot of courage to look honestly and deeply at the difficult emotions in our lives and to be prepared to make real change from within. Nothing is a quick fix. It’s a process or journey to help ourselves heal, process difficult emotions and create real, lasting change.

Next time you find yourself getting angry at someone, stop and take a moment to check in and ask yourself:

  • Why am I angry?
  • Who made me angry?
  • If I take a closer look, what am I feeling beneath the anger?
  • What is really going on?
  • Can I change the situation or change my response to it?
  • Do I need to set better boundaries?

With these insights we can make a more informed (read: less knee-jerk) decision on how we want to respond. This will help prevent us from verbally assaulting our (often unaware) “wrongdoer” with our anger, thereby prevent injury to the relationship.  AND this could save us from having to deal with the emotional mess of our own guilt and shame.

Can I express myself immediately in a calm, assertive, and non-aggressive way, or do I need some time to cool off before I can talk about how I’m really feeling? Often, the latter works much better.

It can be really challenging to creating change from within at times. But it is so worth it.

Easy to say, not so easy to do. And like most things worth anything:

it takes patience, practice, and persistence.

 

Serious shit, peeps – life is not for sissies – so we need support!

 

We either get help in form of therapy, or we find an alternative through dancing, meditating, getting a massage, going for walks in the forest, just sweating it out aka exercise or painting..

From personal experience, and experience from some of my clients intuitive painting has been extremely therapeutic. The insights and observations were immensely beneficial to releasing emotions and finding balance again.

 

Stay in touch with me on Facebook and Instagram, or read more of my blogs here.

What is Kinesiology?

What is Kinesiology?

The term kinesiology comes from the Greek words “kinesis” (movement) and “logos” (teaching) – the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.

 

Translated, this means “the doctrine of the movement”. Not only body movement is meant, but above all the movement of life energy. Kinesiology combines the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (meridian teaching, acupressure, teaching of the 5 elements) with Western holistic medicine (Touch for Health, Brain Gym).

The discovery of kinesiology goes back to the experiences and examinations of the American chiropractor dr. George Goodheart. In the early sixties he observed that physical and psychological processes in humans are also reflected in the functional state of their muscles. He then developed a simple test procedure that detects this muscle function without the aid of apparatus: the muscle test.

Different forms of Kinesiology and their scope of application

Integrative Kinesiology was founded in the 80s in Switzerland by Rosmarie Sonderegger, IKAMED, Zurich.

Integrative Kinesiology combines kinesiology with talk therapy, an approach of humanistic psychology according to C. Rogers. It assumes that there are three steps to positive change:

  • the realization of the current situation in relation to the cause
  • the reorientation into which one wants to move in the future
  • kinesiological energy balancing to reduce stress and build a solid foundation for new, successful behavior

Kinesiology activates our self-healing powers and supports the recognition and dissolution of the energy patterns, which maintain an energetic imbalance in our body. By balancing the body in the energy system, we learn to access our physical, emotional, intellectual and energetic sources and to utilize all our potential.

With the kinesiological muscle test, a feedback device of the body, it is possible to detect stress factors and thus compensate for these energy imbalances. Compensation techniques such as adjustment exercises, colors, essences, sounds or acupressure are used to achieve and maintain the balance between the body, the soul and the mind.

In a consultation, the situation, needs and goals of the client are determined. By means of simple muscle tests, blockages are detected, and impulses are given for a reorientation by appropriate techniques. Kinesiology combines the latest scientific knowledge with elements of the Far Eastern healing procedures.

Brain-Gym®

Brain-Gym® is a part of the IK Kinesiology, although integrated it can also be used on it’s own. It is  a very effective method for activating and improving your learning, concentration and brain performance.

Brain-Gym®, was founded in the 80’s by Dr. Paul Dennison, developed together with his wife Gail. They researched the connection between consciously targeted movement and learning, and observed how physical exercise positively affects the collaboration, which means affecting the understanding, the communication and organization of the individual parts of the brain.

It is made up of 26 activities, along with several other movement-based techniques which help address posture, balance, and coordination skills associated with daily life success. It supports in helping to synchronize your body system to focus better on comprehension, focus, organisation, communication, and emotional health. Brain Gym® is often used in schools, companies, old age homes (or retirement villages), athletic training programs, as well as for personal and professional growth.

Brain-Gym® is an ideal method for children and adults of all ages to learn more easily and to improve physical and mental flexibility.

The muscle test

The muscle test is the working instrument of kinesiology and is used as an energy meter. It indicates where the energy flows and where there is a blockage.

It is a guide to the subconscious. Because the body has stored everything we have ever seen, experienced and heard.

The test provides information on the support the body needs in order to regain its energy balance.

The muscle test can also be viewed as an intermediary between the head (thinking) and feeling (abdomen, heart). With the knowledge that the client receives during a session, he better learns about his reactions and can get rid of old patterns and beliefs.

In kinesiology, we work with 42 muscles. The individual muscles are again associated with the meridians. With the test of the individual muscles it can be determined, in which meridian the energy flows and which strengthening exercises are to be made to restore the balance.

Scope of application

IK Kinesiology can be applied to a variety of complaints, as well as for prevention and personal development, which in turn contributes to a better quality of life such as:

  • Reduce stress (tension, fatigue)
  • Increase wellbeing and enjoyment of life
  • Development of personality and potential
  • Physical and mental balance
  • Strengthen the immune system
  • Activate self-healing powers
  • Supporting the healing processes of diseases and accidents
  • Sleep disorders, Insomnia
  • Depressions
  • Migraine and stress-induced tension headaches
  • Dealing with fears, e.g. Test anxiety, or phobias

Amongst others…

Stay in touch with ME here on Facebook and Instagram

What are suppressed emotions – and how do we detect them

Usually, it is any negative emotion we tend to suppress. And whatever the negative emotion is, we can categorize it in one of those three sentiments:

 Anger
 Rage
 Hate

If we suppress an emotion, we might feel some relief in the first moment. But then, later, if we think of the anger driven situation again, it all comes back at us.

Often with greater strength than the original emotion. The unexpressed emotion is sitting in our subconscious mind, eating away on us, waiting for the next bad excuse explode again.
Can you already see what I am trying to tell you? Unexpressed emotions are an unmerry-go-round. They slumber under the surface but will remind you that they are still there. That they are still waiting for you to give them a voice. And basically, that is all your negative emotions want. Like physical pain is telling you that there is something wrong with your body, negative emotions are the messengers of your mind, of your soul, of your emotional wellbeing. There is something not right. We need to talk to you. We need you to take action; take another approach.

Don’t shoot the messenger and don’t wait until your bodily pains become the voice of your unexpressed emotions.

It does not matter how deep you bury those emotions you do not want to feel. As soon as a similar situation arises, they will be right back. Asking you the same thing over and over again – To be mindful and see what is happening in your life.
Unexpressed emotions can even follow you in your sleep. You might encounter them as sleep disturbances, restless, unrefreshing sleep and not even your dreams are safe from unexpressed emotions.
If at this stage, if you still do not pay any attention to your emotions, they will “metastasize”. By the time your unexpressed feelings have settled in the physical realm, you start to show symptoms. We speak of psychosomatic illnesses. – That is when your doctor cannot find anything wrong with your body, but you feel the pain nonetheless. Those pains are in courtesy of your unfelt emotions. By now, your entire being is so affected that you cannot overlook the pain any longer. You know you must do something.
Every feeling you have decided not to feel, not to express, will be stored in your body until it finds a way to the surface. Don’t wait until you are too ill to do something about it!

What to do, if your suppressed feelings have already made you sick.

In most instances, before your body presents you with an illness like cancer or any of the autoimmune diseases, you will experience a whole range of other unpleasant symptoms.
For example, tension caused by anger or anxiety might manifest itself in increased muscle tone. It is noteworthy to say that muscles play an essential role in the fight-or-flight response. If we suppress this response, it is turned inwardly. We might experience those unfelt feelings through chronic tension, headaches, neck and back pain, cramps, stomach and intestinal disorders and even liver ailments.

Other people might engage in addictions. This could be anything from alcohol over drugs to overeating, gambling, watching TV, reading and of course any kind of social media engagement.
Maybe you even develop a self-loathing habit, telling yourself non stop, nobody else’s life is just as unlivable as yours.
Please note, depression is a serious mental illness and should be treated by a professional.
Internalized emotions will always seek for a solution. That is the very nature of emotions. They are here to be felt.

My point is, you do not have to wait until you have stage four cancer to realize it is time to do something about the unfelt pain you are carrying with you your entire life. If your physical and/or mental symptoms are not spiralling out of control, you can start to take care yourself of the issues you have avoided all your life.

Find a quiet place and some time for you only. For this little exercise, you don’t even need to be familiar with meditation. Quietly go within yourself. Become your own Sherlock Holmes. Do some cool detective work. Get a piece of paper and write down the feelings you encounter. What are they telling you? Why are they here? Where are they hurting? If you really don’t know what those unfelt feelings are trying to say, just guess. Chances are you will be right!
If truly nothing will come to your mind and you travelled already so far into denial that you are telling yourself, unfelt feelings? Me? Then pay attention to your thoughts when you wake up at 3 am, when there is no one to talk to and nothing to do!

Something to think about: Never having time for yourself or always having to take care of somebody else could be another symptom, that you are covering up unpleasant feelings.

Whatever you do, do it with moderation. Do it like mother nature would do. Always seeking an equilibrium. – And yes, you are part of nature, even if you spend your entire life watching TV!
Again, there is no bad emotion but the unexpressed one. This is the emotion, which, over time, will make you sick. It is the emotion, which will lead you down a path you would not consciously choose for yourself. It is the emotion, which makes you lash out at your loved ones and drive away everyone you hold dear.

The reality is, it is much more hard work to suppress what you don’t want in your life, than to give your feelings a voice. Once you have acknowledged your emotions, you can find a safe way to express them. After that, they will not bother you again. Even if you have to revisit the one or other emotion over time, their stronghold over you will lessen every time you do so.

Disclaimer: Please be aware that this piece of writing is not intended to replace a doctor or other health professional.

Suppressing emotions – is there more to it than not feeling the pain?

Hiding your emotions is probably something you often do. It’s something most of us do.

You silence the pain and stoke your fear and anger in the process. However, if you hide your emotions, bit by bit, it soon becomes a dysfunctional habit.

It causes mental blockages that keep you from good health, spontaneity and personal growth. And there is even more. It is not only your mental health, which suffers from your suppressed emotions. Over a long time, suppressed emotions will affect your physical health as well.

Why do we suppress our emotions in the first place?

For most people suppressing emotions begins already in their childhood. There is a difference between what seems to be hurtful to an adult, compared to what is hurtful to a child. We might be told, “what does not kill you makes you stronger”. Over time the child will learn that expressing emotions is not safe. It might feel misunderstood, maybe even ridiculed. It might learn, showing emotions is a sign of weakness.

However, it needs to be said, if a child experiences intensive and ongoing abuse, suppressing and not feeling the pain can become a survival strategy. If that is true for you, please seek help from a skilled and experienced therapist to help you integrate this part of your life. You don’t need to forget what happened to you, but you need to give your emotions a voice. You need to accept what happened to you.

Anger seems to take a special place among the full range of possible emotions. Silently most people agree, anger is an emotion best not shown. Little do they know; the only ugly emotion is the unexpressed emotion!

“When we grow up becoming adults ourselves, things do not get much better.”

Particular in western societies we are told for decades, there is nothing beyond reason. Cognito ergo sum. – I think, therefore, I am. This builds the general platform on how we think about emotions and everything we associate with them. We wrongly came to assume that emotions are holding us up from progress.

Maybe it is this wrong belief, which leads us to teach our children that crying is immature and weak. That it is better to hide our sadness. We teach them that it was unfair and impolite to respond with anger if we do not like something. We also teaching them, to be quiet; that laughing out loud shows of poor behaviour. If you want to get somewhere in life, you better show no emotion and pretend to be strong, no matter how you feel.

However, children should know, that emotions have great potential. That it is essential to understand our emotions so that we can make the most out of them. The paradigm “I think; therefore, I am” needs to shift to “I feel because I am existing”. Emotions give us life. They make us who we are.

Your emotional makeup is unique to us, and no other person has quite a psychological composition like you.

If we do not wake up sometime soon but keep on suppressing our emotions, they will take our lives little by little. Hiding your feelings hurts not only your mind. It hurts your entire being and all the people you hold dear.

What happens to our feelings when we decide not to feel them?

For most of us, feelings of anger, hate, rage, etc. are incredibly unpleasant. So unpleasant, indeed, that we suppress those feelings rather than make them conscious. Maybe we even feel shame, because of all what we have learned about those “negative and inconvenient” feelings. Suppressing them, however, comes with a high price!

Suppressed feelings do not just go away. They sit somewhere in our subconscious and slowly plot their coup on our health, our happiness, our relationships – our entire life. They start to rule our decisions making without us noticing it. Not to feel becomes an expensive habit.

This is only one of many examples:

Most people are familiar with the term “comfort food”. The name already gives away its purpose. That is not food which nourishes our bodies. This is food, which only purpose is to make us feel better. Stuffing down those emotions, we so desperately do not want to feel. Comfort food brings you more than just comfort. It brings you overweight and obesity. Now you not only have to work hard to keep your emotions at bay, but your heart also needs to work harder, and the entire skeletal frame will suffer from the extra kilos as well.

By the time there is no way to fit into your favourite jeans, we are not thinking highly about ourselves anymore either. Most likely, we will look into the mirror and loathe what we see.

If it is so unhealthy, why do we suppress feelings

We are suppressing emotions always then; when we decide, there is no room to express what we feel safely. As I have already explained, much of why we suppress feelings as an adult has its foundation in our early years. Whatever the programs, regarding negative emotions, we have learned back then, we execute today.

If you are angry because your partner says something, which touches a raw nerve, you could hurl all your anger at him. You could also go for a run around the block, calm down and then say what you have to say appropriately. Most of us, however, suppress the anger, trying to get on with life the best way we know. – We eat a piece of chocolate, tell ourselves it’s not as bad as it seems, trying to convince ourselves to find something positive about the situation or we plot revenge.

None of those solutions are healthy. Emotions are given to us, to be felt. Negative emotions are a  marker of what is wrong in our lives, where we are hurting, where we need more healing. Where we need so much more self-love!

My point here is, we made a habit of suppressing our deepest feelings, we now need to turn the rudder around and make a habit of expressing our feelings.

What you need to know about imposter syndrome and how to combat it.

What you need to know about imposter syndrome and how to combat it.

Do you ever feel you need to be 100% perfect 100% of the time? Or that you haven’t earned your accomplishments? That it was all just luck or a mistake? 

Or that you feel well out of your depth or like a fraud and are just guessing or bullshitting your way through a situation, and terrified that someone’s going to catch you out?

Yes! Welcome imposter syndrome! Also known as imposter phenomenon or impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience.

“The “Impostor Phenomenon” was first described by Dr Pauline Clance, from her observations in a clinical setting (Clance, 1985).

Individuals with the Impostor Phenomenon experience intense feelings that their achievements are undeserved and worry that they are likely to be exposed as a fraud.”

 

Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome

According to the “Journal of Behavioural Science” it was estimated that 70 percent (or more) of the general population has experienced the impostor phenomenon at some point, and it’s a concept that seems to resonate with many. It has has been shown to affect both men and women.

The imposter syndrome struggle, according to Phil McKinney, it seems, does not care about career title, socio-economic identity or history. It is universal.

Symptoms of imposter syndrome include anxiety, stress or depression;  shame and low self-confidence

So now we know a little about this, what do we do about it? How do we deal with it, move through it and get past it?

Below are a couple of things that I took from a selection of talks and articles that I found super helpful to deal with it. I would not say I have combated imposter syndrome, but with every day in every way I’m working on it.
This is not all inclusive, as there are a thousand articles out there that might resonate with you too.

My takeaways are:

The first step is to hear the voice and understand it.

What voice? Well, the voice inside my head that says things like: you did it this time, let’s see if you can manage it next time. Or, you don’t deserve to be here – the others are way smarter than you are. The voice of inadequacy, that compares me to others or gives me the feeling of not belonging.

Acknowledge my thoughts and put them into perspective.

How? Ask myself whether these thoughts are going to help or hinder me. 

Or better – Am I:
Contributing value? Are my clients benefiting from my products or services.
Getting the job done? Am I sharing what they need to know to get further?
Being authentic? Am I living in alignment with my truth and beliefs?

Reframe my thoughts

Valerie Young says that feelings are the last to change when we want to stop feeling like an imposter. So if we want to stop feeling like an imposter we have to stop thinking like an imposter. Logical, no?

Our bodies don’t know the difference between fear and excitement, which means if we are about to do something we are really nervous about, or where our self confidence is shaky, all we have to do is say. I’m excited, I’m excited.

Even if we don’t believe it, that’s ok. We don’t have to feel confident to act confidently. Over time we, with repetition or practice, we will begin to believe our new thoughts and, when we do, we can stop trying to overcome the imposter syndrome. We just need to use reframing to talk ourselves out of that moment.

Affirmations for everyday

What are affirmations? Affirmations are sentences (formulated positively) that you repeat to yourself over and over again to build up self-belief in the subconscious mind.

When you first start saying these phrases, they might not necessarily be true. They should, however, be designed to reflect what you want to be true. They need to be unique and powerful to you and what you want to become. Same as reframing.

Over time, with consistent repetition, the daily positive affirmations will help to reshape your inner beliefs about yourself. 

Some examples of positive affirmations are:

I know I can do this
If I can do this, I will be able to help others in the future
The only approval I need is my own
I am excellent at what I do
I accept myself unconditionally and chose to be proud of myself

Part of the process of letting go of imposter syndrome is believing in oneself and being visible – despite doubting accomplishments or a persistent feeling of lack of courage to go after new opportunities, explore potential areas of interest, and put ourselves out there in a meaningful way. 

One of my paintings from Release your emotions – or Heartful Healing / Connect Artfully course.

Fire element - Heart

Fire element – Heart

And last but not least, here are a few famous women who also suffered from imposter syndrome:

Maya Angelou

Michelle Obama

J.K. Rowling

Oprah Winfrey

At the end of the day we need to remember – We are: 

Here for a reason – in this life, in this family, in this job or business – anywhere.
Worthy – worthy of success, worthy of love and worthy of opportunities to shine.
Better than we think we are and probably know a lot more than we give ourselves credit for.

Remember this as we need to remind ourselves as often as we need to.

 

Newsletter – NewsBetter!

Newsletter – NewsBetter!

…HHm, so as an entrepreneur you need a website, a blog, a Facebook page, an Instagram account AND a NEWSLETTER …and and and…I know, i keep bitching about it…

 

So this NEWSLETTER thing.. I have like 3 million newsletters in my inbox, half of which never get read – because, like, there are 3 million of them, right? And then there’s the other thing – getting spammed with SH*T everyday with all sorts of sales pitches from cosmetics, to courses, to health products or supplements, or whatever.

Before we begin, what does Wikipedia say about newsletters? Basically a newsletter is like a modern magazine containing, among other things, news and activities of a business that is sent out regularly to all its clients, members, or people who are interested in the latest ongoings.. .

Ok, what’s the point of my newsletter anyway and why would anybody else want to sign up for mine?

WELL, as newsletters can be informative, fun, inspiring, motivating, teaching and much much more and maybe not everyone has as many as I do, maybe they’re interested in what I have to say, and I might even have some profound information tips or tricks to share.

Getting back to the point of the 3 million newsletters and why I still subscribe to them – I don’t know about you, but ever so often there are some really interesting offers or articles, and often just getting a reminder that something is about to expire or disappear might just arouse my interest. And in reality, I do read a lot of them – because I love to stay informed.

As it happens, (NOTHING is coincidence, by the way) I have a friend and text coach who’s doing a free online course as part of the Somba Summer School. Some call her the newsletter midwife, …. but she goes by the name Judith “Sympatexter” Peters.

We’re already into week 4 of the course, and I’m still plodding along trying to catch up BUT, I do have an excuse. I was also facilitating my own online course in the Somba Summer School: Heartful Healing – Connect Artfully – A journey through the 5 chinese elements using art as a medium to express emotions and discover a healthy outlet for your feelings

Let’s get back to “Newsbetter” – which is what the course is all about with Judith.

“NewsBetter” was for both participants who already had a newsletter and those who wanted to start with it.

Let’s start at the very beginning.

During WEEK 1 we learned to research other newsletters – and come up with answers to the following questions:

What do I think makes up a good newsletter – and what doesn’t?
Which newsletters do I like to read and why?
Which newsletter do I not like at all? What makes me unsubscribe from a list?

It’s such a personal thing, but I love topics all around health, wellness and wellbeing – a little geeky. As I mentioned, I do read many of them and do have my favourites. I really try to only subscribe to those that interest me, but as it is in life, we sometimes go overboard with the “liking”.. This was a great moment for me to reflect on what I really read, need and want to keep being informed about. So, the clean up began. I now only have 2 million HAHA

What is the goal of my newsletter? Who do I want to inform/inspire, and how often?

The plan is:
Informative, personal, entertaining, enlightening and maybe educating
Short and sweet and sexy (maybe juicy is more appropriate)
GOOD QUESTION… Monthly…

WEEK 2 was the whole setup
Here we covered GDPR, finding a good provider, learning to setup forms and lists, attaching it to the website as well the content and design.

WEEK 3 covered content

Then there’s another issue – what do you call your newsletter? What title do you create that catches and makes it readworthy?
And then, what do you write about that captivates the reader? Interesting, informative, fun and …

So now the tech stuff was covered, where to start?
What is better suited for a blog article, and what in a newsletter?
Single newsletter or automated series?
What content do I already have that can be “re-purposed” from Facebook posts or Instagram articles?
Are there presently any hot topics on the press?i
What can I write about that doesn’t take me a year to get done, or feel like it’s a huge burden to get done?

Week 4 – THE NEWSLETTER
Thank goodness week 4 isn’t over yet, because, well, you guessed it – I didn’t get finished. Well, it is now, because it only took me like – however long – to get this written, edited and whatever…

If you want to read more on how this whole thing ended – well then, sign up here

And you may have noticed… I like putting triple dots like next to each thing that I find 1. either important 2. worthy of mentioning 3. just because that’s me

 

Somba Summer School courses 2019 – that I am IN or would like to participate in.

Somba Summer School courses 2019 – that I am IN or would like to participate in.

It’s summer here in the northern hemisphere! And Somba’s are doing it again with their Summer School.

 

Even if you live in the southern hemisphere where winter has moved in, there is no excuse not to participate in one or more of these exciting, innovative, free beta courses.

 

This is an implementation sprint in the context of the online business coaching SOMBA. It is about designing, promoting and implementing your own online course in little to no time.  This year I’m participating in the Somba Summer School for the second time (I have been in SOMBA since 2018).

In 2018, my Somba Summer School course was about balancing your menopause dragon. A course for women in peri-menopause or menopause who wanted to regain their energy and vitality with an easy to follow, side effect free, effective, natural way to relieve menopause symptoms. 

This year my topic is : Connect Artfully or heARTfully.

 

connect artfully

CONNECT ARTFULLY

 

Express your emotions and discover a healthy outlet for your feelings. Connect Artfully is connecting with your heart using art.
It is an Intuitive, intentional and creative practice. It will allow you to connect with your emotions on a deeper level and transform negative emotions into positive. More on the course and sign up here.

This year there are no fewer than 263 courses (here an overview of all of them). They focus on business, creativity, content, nutrition, partnership, mindset, animal training, dance, crafts, music, health, etc.

 

Despite this diversity, all courses have a few points in common:

  • They all start on 15 July 2019
  • They last exactly 4 weeks
  • They are free for the participants
  • These are new courses that have never been offered before in this format, and the first time on the market

 

Below is a list of the courses I’m either participating in, or would love to. Some are english and some german – in no specific order – the choice is endless…

  1. 8 Powerful Mudras by Marna Schauten-Kruijt
  2. Personal Branding for Modern Entrepreneurs by Katherine Suarez
  3. Get more clients using Messenger Bots by Vala Vincent
  4. Efficiency in Zen & Effective Self-Leadership by Barbara Bartczak
  5. Embrace Change by Sharon Roemmel
  6. Free Space Less Clutter by Christina Påhlman
  7. GO GO GO for your goals by Selina Man Karlsson
  8. How to Create Your Personal Style by Monika Mueller
  9. Journal Your Way to Clarity & Courageous Freedom by Lauren Scalf
  10. LEAD YOUR MIND by Merilyn Beretta
  11. Pinterest for Business Launchpad by Mary Lumley
  12. Selling Made Easy by Michelle Seaton
  13. The Art of Taking Action by Susanna Reay
  14. Undress the Feminine Guilt of Saying NO by Elif Tepebasi
  15. NewsBetter by Judith Peters
  16. Bewerbung 7.0 by Isa Hiemann
  17. Bleiben oder Gehen by Olaf Schwantes
  18. Der Content-Effekt by Marlis Schorcht
  19. Endlich mehr Platz! by Claudia Jainz
  20. Festplatten Fengshui by Elisabeth Köller
  21. Gelassen durch die Pubertät by Katharina Lettich
  22. Herzinfarkt! – was tun? by Birgit Nora Schaefer
  23. Lebe fantastisch kreativ by Susanne Höhne

 

My recommendation for the course selection during the SOMBA Summer School

Pick 2 to max. 5 courses that you would like to join:
5 is really the absolute maximum that I would recommend – otherwise the SOMBA Summer School will be a full time job for you 😀

Mix your topics:
I do not recommend, for example, choosing 3 different blog courses. Best is a mix of different topics and genre’s to get the most out of it.

Plan enough time per course:
Calculate roughly one day of implementation per week per course.

Please remember to give course instructors feedback on their courses.

Somba Summer School is a fair give and take: you can try the beta round of classes for free and in return give feedback on how the course makers can improve their course.
You can filter on the overview page for topics, but my suggestion: go to the page and just search with CTRL or command + F for a keyword that interests you.

And now: Happy selecting! 😀

Releasing emotions through ART – Meditative Painting Workshop

It was time for our mastermind group to meet up again. The highlight of this mastermind weekend was the “Releasing Emotions through Art” workshop that I facilitated in my practice in Oerlikon.

We (the painting workshop participants aka my mastermind group) started off with a guided meditation to the 5 Chinese elements.
Exploring these helped us understand how each of the elements related to our daily experiences, emotions and relationships.

The participants were taken on a journey through a relaxing meditation and visualisation techniques to activate awareness of their thoughts, emotions and any other physical sensations.

After the meditation they were then free to express whatever came up first using a dominant colour for a while to stay in the relaxed, meditative state. This was then followed by whatever colours called them.

Being in this meditative state allowed them to go with the flow. To not be in their heads and just allow what needed to come out. They described it as a peaceful, rewarding and satisfying time.

Some went deeper and deeper not being able to stop, others were done quickly. Some tweaked their paintings more and more not wanting the experience to end.

For some the dominant colour was important and symbolic, for others it was the colours that followed. Some started with white, went through all the whole palette and later came back white to start all over but with a rich underground. Others started with bolder colours and kept tweaking until they felt a sense of satisfaction.

Some just used paint brushes, from the biggest to smallest. Others experimented with sponges, their fingers and even the back of the paint tubes for more depth and structure.

This workshop was a journey designed to help clear out obstacles and bring balance. Their inner dialogue became obvious and they had the opportunity to allow themselves to change it. It empowered some of them to shift emotional trauma, feelings of insecurity and process emotions for insightful value rather than avoid them as uncomfortable. Everyone felt a sense of release and also commented on how painting a wonderful medium is to get things flowing.

 

We spend most of our time thinking about events in the past or planning for the future. True peace, however, is right here, right now, in this present moment.

5 ways to use essential oils in every day

5 ways to use essential oils in every day

Following up from my last post I thought I would give you a few insights on how to use essential oils in your everyday. 

 

When using essential oils it’s important to use therapeutic-grade oils. It is also key to dilute the oils because if administered improperly, side effects like rashes or an allergic reaction can occur.

Inhaling

The oldest and easiest method. Drip a drop or two of your chosen oil onto the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and breathe in deeply – be careful not to cover your eyes.

You could even inhale directly from the bottle, or add a few drops to a handkerchief and inhale whenever you want or need to.

Diffusing

Place as few as 2-3 and as many as 6-10 total drops in your diffuser and let it spread throughout the room.

Essential oil diffusers are a much safer and healthier alternative to scented candles, and are a fraction of the cost of scented candles.

My favourite is an ultrasonic diffuser because it does not use heat in the production of vapor.
These are the ones I use:

Young Living Dew Drop Diffuser
Stadler Form Jasmine Diffuser

You can buy many diffusers on Amazon or from any of the essential oil distributors. A review of the best diffusers.

Topical

Blend your favourite oil with a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, almond oil or jojoba. As mentioned before, essential oils are pretty potent, always dilute them one way or another. Add a few drops of your chosen essential oil to the carrier oil and apply to the part of your body you want to “treat”. You can also make your own 

Best locations to apply are on the nape of your neck, wrists, temple, abdomen, chest and the soles of your feet. e.g. Applying Lavender on the soles of the feet is great for a restful sleep.

Never apply near your eyes or ear canals. If you accidentally get an oil in your eye or another area where it feels as if it is burning, flush with olive oil, NOT water!

More great info on topical use here.

Massage

Aroma massages (or Aromatherapy) are a wonderful way to treat yourself. They can also be used for various reasons e.g. correcting health issues, deep relaxation, pain management or as a complementary treatment with other therapies.

Make your own massage oil by adding 10 – 15 drops to a carrier oil or find an aroma massage therapist to treat you.

Is aromatherapy massage safe during pregnancy? Maybe not…

Bath

To assist the absorption of the oils to your skin, add a few drops to a carrier oil or epsom salts and add to the warm (not hot) bath water.

Foot bath –  Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a large bowl of warm water (Lavender is great for this).

 

5 ways to use essential oils in every day

5 ways to use essential oils in every day

 

More tips on Essential Oils.

 

Essential oils NOT to put in your bath

Ingesting essential oils is not recommended unless you are working with a certified health practitioner or under medical supervision. It has become quite a controversial subject.

More on essential oil safety here

Many more ways to enjoy the benefits of essential oils here.

A great article on where to buy and what to consider when buying essential oils.

Best Essential Oils for Autism and ADHD – The Ultimate Guide

Essential oil mistakes

Is Tea Tree Oil safe during pregnancy? A great insight from Mom Loves Best

When misused, essential oils can be poisonous.

If I hope you enjoyed some insights on the uses of essential oils. Have a happy sweet smelling day!

10 Signs of a mild depression and why you should NOT ignore them

10 Signs of a mild depression and why you should NOT ignore them

Symptoms, causes and alternative solutions

 

Feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life and the human experience.

 

Reaction to specific events in our lives — like losing a promotion at work, a relationship breakup or even worse, a death in the family. These events can cause us to feel blue, extremely sad and maybe even helpless.

The emotions experienced may not be something to be too worried about initially. HOWEVER, if the symptoms are persistent for longer than a couple of weeks and you have been feeling miserable and down most of the time, have had anxiety or have lost pleasure (or interest) in your usual activities then you could be suffering from a mild depression.

Having depression makes it difficult to function and enjoy life like you once did. Trying to get through each day can be totally overwhelming.

Mild depression can hit you when doing nothing in particular or you are just living your life. Almost suddenly you can’t seem to function anymore. Everything seems to be a struggle and you feel like you’re in a black hole that just gets deeper and deeper and you can’t get out of it.

Below are only a few sign and symptoms:

  • feeling hopeless – you ask yourself questions like “where the hell am I going, what is important?”
  • having difficulty focusing, remembering things or making decisions
  • feeling unmotivated – things that took you once 30 minutes now take forever
  • changes in appetite or weight – most often decreased, but sometimes increased
  • lack of energy, feeling unusually tired – do you have the feeling you could sleep 14 hours a day?
  • disturbed sleep – e.g. having difficulty falling asleep at night, not sleeping through the night or waking up early in the morning
  • wanting to be left alone – and not
  • avoiding contact with friends and family or taking part in fewer social activities
  • irritability – everything and everyone just gets on your nerves
  • negative thoughts
  • self-loathing
  • having unexplained, minor aches and pains
  • suicidal thoughts

Causes of depression are varied and include:

  • Stress or stressful life events
  • Lack of sunlight
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Neurotransmitter imbalances
  • Side effects of medication
  • Genetics

To mention just a few.

Four solutions or treatments:

Lifestyle changes

Often simple lifestyle changes can help treat mild depression.

Enough sleep, light exercise and a healthy diet and supplements can help a lot. These are probably the most important changes to be made! Simple, not necessarily easy. It requires information, dedication, perseverance, inspiration and motivation.

Alternative methods of treatment can significantly help improve symptoms.

Don’t try to treat depression on your own and do not replace conventional care for these alternatives.

Herbs and Supplements a short overview

St. John’s Wort is probably the best known herb used to treat both anxiety and depression. It works as a natural remedy for that can be compared to the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRI’s are a common type of antidepressant that’s prescribed today. Research shows that St. John’s wort has fewer side effects than standard antidepressants. Dr Axe has an in depth article on the herb here.

Vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body and affects brain function.  Deficiency is linked to an increased risk for mood disorders, including depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression. Research has not yet shown clearly whether low vitamin D levels cause depression, or whether low vitamin D levels develop because someone is depressed. It might be a good idea to get levels checked before embarking on taking high doses of vitamin D3. It is also recommended here and here to take vitamin K2 in conjunction with D3.

B vitamins are involved in neurotransmitter function and research shows that low levels of both folate and vitamin B12 levels, in particular, are linked to depressive symptoms. Vitamin B12 supports the nervous system and boosts energy levels. Folate supports nutrient absorption and helps to reduce irritability and fights fatigue. Taking a B-complex vitamin will help to produce serotonin naturally and relieve depressant symptoms.

Ashwagandha is one of the most important herbs in the Indian Ayurveda. It is also an adaptogenic herb which means it is a substance that helps the body adapt to stressors. It is an excellent choice if you have depression with anxiety, insomnia and stress.  Another great thing about ashwagandha is its ability to reduce cortisol levels.

Rhodiola rosea (Arctic Root) is a top-rated adaptogen, a natural substance that increases your resilience to physical and emotional stress. It works by increasing the activity of brain chemicals that impact mood like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.These neurotransmitters help to increase focus and memory, and improve mood. It has been shown to reduce depression symptoms faster than antidepressant medications. It’s particularly useful for depression accompanied by anxiety and fatigue, depression caused by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or when you need results quickly.

There are many more adaptogens that can support during depression – more information here.

But the best part about these natural remedies for depression is that there are no adverse side effects, as opposed to most antidepressant medications.

It’s best to do some research before starting any dietary supplement. Because some herbal and dietary supplements can interfere with prescription medications or cause dangerous interactions, talk to your doctor about potential risks or possible complications with pre-existing conditions.

Also remember, natural remedies are similar to prescription medications in that not everything works the same way for everyone. It can be a lot of trial and error.

supplements depression

Supplements for depression

Essential oils

Although essential oils aren’t a cure for depression, they’re a drug-free option that may help relieve some symptoms and help manage the condition. Essential oils, in most cases, are safe and free of side effects.
When purchasing essential oils make sure you purchase a 100 percent pure essential oil and not a synthetic “fragrance.”

Lavender is known as one of the most versatile and popular essential oils. Its floral yet earthy scent is often valued for its calming effects. It is an excellent treatment for anxiety and does not make you tired. Lavender is a calming oil which can help to treat headaches, insomnia, aches and pains.

Wild Orange helps to reduce anxiety, lowers the heart rate, improves mood, calms the mind and body and last but not least helps increase serotonin (a neurotransmitter that is often low in people suffering from depression.) It is an uplifting and stimulating essential oil.

Bergamot can help to relieve anxiety, depression, stress and other mood disorders. Benefits include communicating signals to the olfactory system (sense of smell), stimulating the brain to exert neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) to regulate mood.

Ylang Ylang has a sweet and spicy aroma which has both calming and uplifting effects. It can also help release anger, improve self-esteem and bring positivity. Inhaling ylang ylang straight from the bottle can help in a moment when you’re feeling tired or low.

Sandalwood essential oil has a woody, warm, calming aroma. It is great to diffuse as it helps increase mental clarity and focus. Most often it is found in incense. Sandalwood scent has a powerful therapeutic effect on the brain’s limbic system (where emotional behaviour is controlled) which is why it is an excellent emotional balancer. It has soothing properties which allows it to increase sleep quality and reduce depression.

More interesting herbal remedies here

Essentialoils-collage

Essential Oils

 

Alternative therapies

Hypnotherapy is a technique that is used to reprogram the subconscious mind. In hypnosis the mind and body are in a heightened state of awareness where we are relaxed, perceptive and focused. It is a completely natural state and we usually experience it several times a day without really realizing it e.g. zoning out on our daily commute, being immersed in the book or movie we are reading or watching. In hypnosis we are susceptible to suggestions for self-improvement or behavior modification.

Meditation The difference between meditation and hypnosis is that hypnosis has a goal. Meditation is great for noticing thoughts and feelings while understanding that we don’t have to act on them. Meditation is as easy as closing your eyes, breathing intentionally (or counting breathes) and repeating a single phrase or word. The thing about meditation is not to stop negative thoughts, but to pause and notice them, then return focus to your breathing.

Integrative Kinesiology combines methods from Chinese acupuncture theory with Western medicine, pedagogy and psychology. It is a client-centered approach that uses a muscle test to find stressors and blockages to then compensate for these energy imbalances. It combines strengthening techniques from western and eastern healing arts to activate self-healing and to support personal development. By balancing the body in the energy system, we learn to access our physical, emotional, intellectual and energetic sources and to utilise all our potential.
Compensation techniques such as adjustment exercises, colors, essences, sounds or acupressure are used to achieve and maintain the balance between the body, the soul and the mind.

Acupuncture is a technique that aims to restore the balance in the body using acupoints located on each individual’s body. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treats depression as a disorder that stems from imbalances of energy. In TCM, “qi” is the flow of energy through the body. Qi flows through the body on energy channels known as meridians. It is believed to stimulate the nervous systems resulting in biochemical changes influencing the bodies internal stability promoting emotional and physical wellbeing, helping remove blockages and restore energy flow. A licensed acupuncture practitioner works with very fine, sterilized needles and gently places them atop specific points on the skin to stimulate particular points within the body.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that treats the whole person, taking into account mental and bodily types as well as the symptoms of the disease. One of its main principles is that ‘like cures like’, in other words the symptoms of an illness caused by a substance will be cured by the same substance given in homoeopathic form. The medicines are not prescribed based on a person’s diagnosed disease but on the unique way a person experiences his or her disease. In other words, homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the SYNDROME of various physical and psychological symptoms, not just a single symptom or disease label.

Final Thoughts

These tips are not all encompassing. There are many many other treatments and solutions e.g. Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Group therapies to mention just a few.

While medical treatment may often not be needed, mild depression won’t necessarily go away on its own. In fact, if left alone, mild depression can progress to more severe forms e.g.  moderate or severe depression.

Something else to consider is, that all these natural solutions could very well be combined with conventional treatment.

Get professional help if needed.

Disclaimer: All information provided on this website does not replace a doctor’s visit! Under no circumstances should the information be regarded as an invitation to self-diagnosis. All texts are created for informal purposes only.

In case of emergency or specific suicidal thoughts, please contact your nearest psychiatric clinic or the emergency number at 112.