It's OK To Change Your Mind

We live in this world of black and white thinking. Left or right, good or bad, right or wrong. No grays allowed. Living in this world can cause a lot of anxiety when it comes to making decisions about things like career, relationships, and artwork. Because in this world, one decision is right and the other is wrong. So, when you make a decision you'd better commit to it! Otherwise someone might say you were wrong. You might have to say you were wrong.

But how is a decision wrong? How do you measure that?

By success or failure? Ask someone, "How do you measure success?" You'll probably get varying answers. They'll differ even more when it comes to relationships. And even more so when it comes to creative work. To some, success is simply completing a song. To others, it's releasing an album that goes double platinum. So how can we measure whether a decision is right or wrong?

What if you held the decision a little more lightly? "This is what I believe, as far as I know, to be the best thing for me right now." No relationship is fool-proof. You will never achieve creative perfection. So when you decide, it doesn't have to be set in stone. You may find at some point that the decision you made didn't turn out like you thought it would or simply no longer suits you.

Maybe you want to ditch oil painting and start making felt anime characters. Maybe you want to quit your punk band and join a barber shop quartet. Go for it! (Or even, GASP, do BOTH!)

Sure, some things are easier to change than others. Getting a different sandwich is easier than getting a divorce. One requires much more careful consideration than the other. But both are equally valid things to change your mind about.

You are not defined by your relationship, your job,
the people you know, or even your art.

You are you and you have the choice and the power to decide what's best for you. And then, you can change your mind.

Considering changing your career, but feeling exhausted, scared, and really struggling to figure out what's next? Check out my coaching program, Permission to Move On.

Self-Care Success Story!

My friend, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Barone recently shared some thoughts with his followers after he read one of my blog posts. I was so thrilled by his progress that I asked him if I could share his success with you. I hope you find it helpful and inspiring as you implement your own routine to help you stay focused on your creations.

Here's Geoff's story:

My friend, Lauren Aycock Anderson recently blogged that you should "Resolve To Be Good To Yourself". Starting by GETTING OFF OF YOUR PHONE! In her post, she says instead of rushing to your phone in the morning, go do 10 – 20 minutes of exercise.

So, earlier this month I began an experiment. I didn't check my phone, especially Facebook, for many hours after I woke up. As the days progressed, 1 hour turned into 3, then to 6 and so on. Slowly, the urge to constantly check my phone dissappated.  I didn't exercise tho. :P

This "urge" has been called "FoMo", or The Fear Of Missing Out, meaning if you're not on, then you may missing out something important. Always on edge, waiting for that new post or new pic that you can comment on or get a shot of dopamine when someone "likes" your comment, all the while "real life" is happening around you. Real things like your daughter wanting to play toys but you're too busy with your face buried in a screen.

I recognized that I could easily sit on the couch for 30 minutes to an hour, thumbing through my FB feed, getting increasingly annoyed & irritated. So I'd switch over to Instagram or Twitter...only to end up back on FB getting stuck in some weird loop of irritability. Where did that time go? What did I get accomplished? So, to start out my day pissed off, and cluttering my mind up with other peoples BS was not conducive to a happy day for myself, nor should it be for you! That wasted time could've been used for something more productive like writing a new song, cleaning the garage, working on your rock opera...or simply living in the now.

With all this being writ, social media is a necessity for anyone who wants to promote their art or wares, but I think being able to discipline yourself to set aside specific time each day to social media is a nice compromise.

Put down your phone and live your life. Be in the moment. The here. The now.  Go and DO SOMETHING.

I love Geoff's note about the necessity of being on social media in order to market yourself, coupled with the understanding that it doesn't require you to be on your phone all day long.

Geoff just released an 80's inspired concept album called "Somewhere in the Near Future." I encourage you check his stuff out - he's a seriously incredible musician and composer.

Do you have a self-care success story you'd like to share?

I'd love to hear all about it! Share it in the comments below or

send me an email

. And let me know if you want me to share it with my followers.

THE MISUNDERSTOOD GIFT OF SENSITIVITY

A couple of months ago, I met this vibrant young woman, Julia. She contacted me to have coffee and pick my brain about being a helper person here in Baltimore. We hit it off right away - I was so impressed by her knowledge, her understanding, and her vulnerability. Immediately, I proposed we do a workshop together. Before we do that, though, I wanted to introduce you to her so you could get to know her a little better. I'm so excited to share this guest post from Life and Wellness Coach, Julia Flaccavento!

<3 Lauren

'You're so sensitive.'

I can't begin to count how many times I've heard this phrase before. I've heard it from friends, family members, significant others, you name it. Just about everyone in my life has called me sensitive at one point or another. And more often than not, it's said critically, as to describe a subtle [or major] flaw in my personality. 

Since my early childhood, I have been intensely aware. I have heard every sound, I have seen every color, I have felt every word. I have even heard, seen and felt what others didn't. A sound too loud could make me lose my balance. A color too bright could make my eyes burn. A word too harsh could make me cry. I used to feel very fragile, unusual and alone in my way of relating to the world. 

By the time I got to high school, I made a vow to myself. I would do whatever it took to make my sensitivity disappear; or at least disappear to those around me. That way, I could blend in and merely exist, unaffected, like everyone else.

With time, I successfully [so I thought] managed to bury my sensitivity far below the surface, hidden from the world. I finally felt like a functioning 'everyone.' I could laugh at others' expense. I could brush off a person's rude remark, even throw back a crueler rebuttal. I could stand in the middle of a pulsing, crowded concert venue, surrounded by flashing lights and screaming fans, and feel completely numb. Finally, I was living. 

However, something strange happened. Despite my newly hardened emotional exterior, my body felt weaker. I was highly anxious and had trouble sleeping. And suddenly, it seemed like I was contracting every passing virus. Over the span of about 4 years, I had Mono, Swine Flu, Shingles, Pneumonia (twice), neuropathic pain, and various bouts of crippling stomach upset, just to name a few. One illness trailed into the next, and I was sick far more often than I was healthy. In the [joking] words of a dear friend, "If I get a cold, you will catch it and somehow end up in the hospital." 

At first, I didn't make the connection between my emotional state and my ailing physical health. I just hated myself and my body more because I thought it was ‘failing’ me; as if, somehow, my mind and my body were separate entities. It took a 6 month bout of debilitating migraines to finally kick my butt into self-reflection mode. 

And once I was really paying attention, I started to put the pieces together. By burying my emotions for so long, I had managed to cripple my once strong immune system. My innate sensitivity was still there, just deeply repressed and trapped within me.

Since then, I have been on a journey to live my truth. I am finding the balance everyday between freely expressing my sensitivity (without absorbing or getting overwhelmed by everything around me) and listening to the reminders of my physical body to be stronger, healthier and more self-aware. 

I have been able to shift my thinking to see that my symptoms and my sensitivities are my teachers. They are not something to fear. My pain is merely my body communicating with me that something is trapped, and my ‘sensitivity’ is actually my source of power; creative, intuitive, empathic, etc. Now, when I feel a pain in my body, I know it is a reminder to express my creativity (by playing music or painting, for example), to connect with a loved one, or just to take a deep breath and relax.  

I have also learned to recognize that the way I relate to stress is aggravated, and controlled, by my thinking. With awareness, deep breathing, and a great deal of practice, I have started to harness my own power and control my anxiety. When things feel overwhelming or don’t go my way, I can get upset. But I also don't have to. It’s my choice. And that’s pretty damn awesome.

Since I’ve been practicing mindfulness with diligence and honoring my body instead of loathing it, I hardly get sick anymore and I cannot remember the last time I had a migraine. But if/when I do feel something physical flaring up, I don't hesitate to listen because I know now it’s leading me somewhere. 

Through this journey, I have come to be a proud, sensitive person. So for all of my fellow feelers struggling to find their place in this often stoic world, I want to offer some kind words. I want to create a space to embrace and empower the amazing gifts unique to highly sensitive people. 

Here are just a few things that make the ‘sensitive’ folks some of the most vibrant, wise and compassionate beings on earth.

Sensitive People...

-Pick up on nuances in meaning

-Feel everything more deeply

-Have higher levels of emotional intelligence

-Are more creative

-Have a greater capacity for empathy

-Are basically superheroes <3

Oh man, I can so relate to a lot of what Julia said here about being super sensitive. How have you dealt with being an empathic, creative, sensitive person throughout your life?

If you want to learn more about Julia's techniques for feeling balanced as a sensitive person in an ever-changing world, join us for our workshop, Self-Care for Empathic Creatives, next Saturday, February 4th!

RESOLVE TO BE GOOD TO YOURSELF

Resolutions don't work because they're usually based on some external, nebulous, often unattainable goal. "I will lose 15 pounds." "I will eat only salad." "I will paint every day." We usually start off well, but when one day goes by that we don't do what we said we would, we say "screw it, I'll never change" and go back to our old ways.

But what if your resolution is to simply do your best to take care of yourself, so you can handle what life throws your way? What if the idea is just to try and feel your best, more days than not? Because feeling better helps you make tough decisions, move through difficult feelings, and create more. Here are some tried and true ways to help you take good care of you this year, and beyond.

Get off of your phone

More and more studies are showing us how addicted we are to our phones. We now know for a fact that checking your email or social media first thing in the morning is one of the worst things you can do for your emotional health. First, it sets you up to keep checking and checking your phone all day long. Second, it contributes to ongoing depression, anxiety, and stress.

How do you break this habit? First, try charging your phone somewhere other than your bedroom. Get an alarm clock so you don't use your phone as one. (You can get one for under $10 at pretty much any general store or second-hand shop). Then, instead of rushing to your phone in the morning, go do 10 - 20 minutes of exercise (see below), mindfully make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, or take a longer, more rejuvenating shower. Your brain will thank you for the slow wake up.

Other ways to break the phone habit include leaving your phone at home when you go out to dinner, removing social media apps from your phone (you can check Facebook on your desktop or even just on the browser), or turning off notifications to your social media apps so they don't ding or vibrate at you constantly. Is the comment on that Instagram photo of your food really so important that you must see it RIGHT NOW? Probably not.

Last, because you're charging your phone somewhere else, you won't be looking at your phone right before bed. This can seriously disturb your sleep. Try reading a physical book instead or, if you must have your phone nearby, set up one of those guided meditations I mentioned earlier and put your phone on the other side of the room to listen and help you drift off to sleep.

Move your body every day

Seriously. Every. Day. It helps with a myriad of physical and emotional issues, including depression and anxiety. Preferably first thing in the morning. While this might not give you the biggest muscle building benefit, when you're done, you're done and it sets you on a path to all-day productivity. Now, does this mean getting up at 6 am to hit the gym every day? Absolutely not.

Twenty minutes, even as little as 10 minutes of exercise, will give you a big boost in mood and energy.

Any movement is good. Whatever your body will allow you to do. I love the rock'n'roll yogi, Sadie Nardini. She has a ton of yoga routines out there in cyberspace. Her 21-day Yoga Body course on DailyOm (where you pay what you want!) is a fabulous way to start doing 10 - 20 minutes of yoga each day. It also includes recipes and journaling prompts to help you transform from the inside, out. I've now moved on to her 21-day Yoga Shred, which involves more intense yoga workouts, including High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I've now been working out every morning for the past 30 days using these programs. I have NEVER worked out every day before. And no, I'm not making any money off of Sadie's programs. I just love her stuff!

Of course, if you miss a day, IT'S OK. Don't beat yourself up about it. Get moving the next day. And you don't have to do double the workout - just start right back up again.

Meditate

Do I really need to show you how meditation is good for the brain? Alright, alright, I'll give you this: Meditation can literally, physically change your brain. A recent study on 155 adults showed that after eight weeks of meditating, the amygdala - the fight or flight center of the brain that gets overworked and causes anxiety - actually shrunk. At the same time, the pre-frontal cortex got thicker, which helps in concentration, focus, and decision-making.

Yes, meditation can be hard. No, it does not require hours of meditating every day. Just like exercise, as little as 10 minutes a day can be beneficial. I highly recommend guided meditations. Sit comfortably, put your headphones in, and just listen. Check out some of my favorite meditations on YouTube. I also love the Relax Melodies app that contains guided meditations and lets you create your own soundscapes for relaxation and sleep (again, I'm not affiliated with these guys, I just use and love their app).

Plan your big and small creative moves

I know, it can be difficult and overwhelming to plan. But living with intention, which is what is required to truly move forward and get things done, requires planning. You need to know what you want and make a plan to get it. Start out with a list of your goals for the year. Write down at least three. This can be an ongoing list - you don't have to finish it now. From there, break it down into smaller goals that will help you accomplish your bigger ones. Want to be part of a gallery show some time this year? Ok, then you'll need smaller goals that include researching and contacting galleries, organizing your work, and planning for any new pieces you might create. If you feel stuck and are worried about how you can get your creative process moving again, try my DIY coaching e-course, Creative Lightning (it's also pay what you want!)

Even when I put things in my google and iPhone calendars, I tend to sometimes forget things I should know are going on - until I write them down. The act of writing things down helps to solidify them into your memory. I love Danielle Laporte's Desire Map Planners. I use the weekly version to just get a good grip on my appointments at the start of each week. This planner goes along with Danielle's Desire Map process that asks you to define exactly how you want to feel and then set your goals based on finding that feeling. You can find that book and so much more of her cool, conscious stuff here. (Disclaimer: I AM an affiliate for Danielle Laporte. I love her stuff so much and recommend her so often that I decided to sign up for her affiliate program!)

Write down your thoughts

Journaling is an age old practice that many of you may have left behind in your high school years. But studies show that it is beneficial to your mental and emotional health, helping you to process thoughts and emotions, and better solve difficult problems. I find often that many of my more visually and performance-oriented clients can express themselves very well through their mediums, but have difficulty defining and communicating their emotions verbally, which can be a strain on relationships. Journaling can help you to sort through your feelings and help you to see helpful and not-so-helpful patterns that may be holding you back. Try to journal without judgment. Just write and read it afterwards, even days later. Write knowing that this is not about how you want to present yourself to others, it's just how you are, right now. You can journal on your computer or phone, but the act of writing (and getting your eyes off of a screen) can hold even more benefits. Personally, I can't resist a blank sketchbook with some good, heavy paper and a quality pen.

Say "NO."

If the last year was filled with a bunch of things you wish you hadn't agreed to do, and left you exhausted and filled with resentment, then you may want to add this one to your list. When should you say no? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Does it feel like an obligation, rather than enthusiastic yes?
2. Do I feel like you couldn't possibly say no because of what the other person might think of me or how they might feel, but the idea of doing the thing makes me feel down, overwhelmed, overworked, or under-appreciated?
3. Do I want to yes to just to get someone off my back rather than deal with conflict or set a healthy boundary?
4. Do I realistically have enough time in my schedule to do this?
5. If I do this, what are my expectations about what I'm going to receive in return? If I'm to receive nothing, perhaps not even a "thank you", am I ok with that?

Now, if it's difficult to answer these questions, I want to let you in on a little secret: WAIT. You have every right to say, "Let me think about it and get back to you." Give yourself time to think it over. Journal about it. Then decide how you'll answer.

Connect and share IRL

Technology is awesome for connecting and sharing stories with people and about things we may never encounter personally, but it won't give our brains the same benefit as physically sitting and talking with someone. Emotional growth and development comes from authentically connecting with others. This means sharing the light and the dark with someone you trust. It means talking about your struggles, as well as your triumphs. I know, it can be hard to admit when you're having a hard time - you don't want to bum someone out; you don't want to look like a mess - but doing so will help you heal from those hard times faster and better. You'll probably find that you're not alone in your experiences, your feelings and thoughts aren't weird or wrong, and that another perspective can really help you move forward. This also means truly listening to others and not just trying to fix things for them by giving advice (unless they ask for it). BONUS: Your relationships will deepen and become more meaningful.

Banish negative self-talk

You know that voice in your head that says, "You're not good enough. You'll never get it done. You don't deserve that."? That's not you. It's messages that you've received, probably from a loved one, that have wormed their way in and wired your brain to think this way. Because it's not really you, you can talk back to this voice. When it shows up, respond to it with evidence to the contrary. Or simply say "I AM good enough." I don't care if you don't believe it at first, just try it. It will feel wrong and weird. But over time, you'll start to believe the new messages more and more and be able to stop the negative ones a lot faster. If you find you're struggling or stuck, maybe it's time to find a therapist to talk to.

Start with these practices to take good care of yourself this year. Try one or all of them.

Most importantly - BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF. Believe it or not, discipline can be achieved with compassion and without brute force.

If you want even more help, consider taking my workshop this February. I've teamed up with awesome Life + Wellness Coach, Julia Flaccavento, BCC, CCC and created a three-hour workshop to help creative empaths like you beat overwhelm and burnout with tried and true self-care strategies. Check it out!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the suggestions above and hear about any other ways you've resolved to take care of yourself this year. Scroll on down and leave a comment!

THE EMPATH'S GUIDE TO MANAGING FEELINGS

When you're an empath, feelings, even other people's feelings, can be so powerful they become overwhelming.

Empaths are notorious for feeling ALL THE THINGS. Which is both a blessing and a curse. For some, emotions can get so overwhelming that they become frightening. When negative feelings show up, there's often a fear of going out of a control and feeling that way forever. When loved ones are in pain, there's this need to fix it because you're feeling it, too. Trying to fix things for people gets exhausting and can eventually lead to really restrictive ways of interacting with people. Emotions you perceive as negative, both within yourself and others, become intolerable. You might try to control your feelings, and maybe even other people's feelings. You try to block out the bad and embrace the good. Unfortunately, you can't banish pain and get only joy. So with this avoidance of the bad feelings, you tend to lose the full impact of the good feelings, too. And so the tension builds. Your shoulders get tight. Your stomach hurts. Your head aches. You might be able to express your emotions when you paint, write, or sing, but you find it hard to be truly vulnerable with those you love.

Think about a time, probably when you were a kid, when you felt you could express yourself freely. Remember how loose you were? How easily you could move between utter devastation and vibrating joy? How you could ache with someone else and then move on to gleefully play with another? You just naturally knew that feelings were nothing to be afraid of because feelings were temporary.

As you got older, you started to learn that adults had to "keep it under control" or "suck it up". You got messages about certain feelings being appropriate only at certain times. Or maybe you saw first hand how destructive anger, sadness, or fear can be when they aren't handled well. Maybe you've been stuck in your own depression or anxiety before and you're terrified of going back there. So you try to move away from the bad feelings and try to make sure others don't have bad feelings either.

But here's the irony of it all: Feelings only become dangerous if we try to change or deny them. 

Sadness, anger, and fear are not inherently bad and in fact, are necessary to our wellbeing. Pain tells us when we need to take care of ourselves. Or when we need to change something. We prolong our suffering when we avoid our pain.

feelings-are-fleeting

You can learn to feel negative feelings without letting them take over your life.

You already have many, many times. You really can handle the full range of emotions from yourself and from those around you. Here are a few tips to help you through the process:

1. When a negative feeling arises, take a deep breath, feel it, and allow yourself to just be. If you get scared or anxious that you might get stuck there or go off the deep end, tell yourself, "This is only temporary."

2. Empaths in particular tend to have a lot of guilt around feelings like anger and frustration. You can see the other person's perspective, so you know why they're being the way they are. But just because someone has been hurt before or has learned to cope in a certain way, doesn't mean they have a right to treat you badly. If you feel guilty, remind yourself that you have the right to feel whatever it is you feel. Try to remove the judgment and self-talk about what you should be feeling. Instead, think about how you can take care of yourself. Do you need 10 deep breaths? Do you need to talk a walk? Do you need to engage in your art? Do you need to call a friend for support? Sharing your guilt over your feelings to the right friend can help alleviate the pressure.

3. When you have trouble knowing what's your feeling and what isn't, take a moment, breathe, and assess. Ask yourself, "Is this mine?" If you find that you're feeling something that isn't yours, remind yourself, "I am not responsible for other people's feelings." Then do something physical. Go for a walk or run or do some yoga. One trick I like is to rub my hands on my arms and legs in a sweeping motion, like I'm dusting the bad feelings off of me. Like this!

Feelings are fleeting. Thoughts are temporary. If you get anxious about something, it doesn't make you an anxious person. If you get angry at someone, it doesn't make you an angry person. If you're sad, you're not automatically a depressed person. The same goes for the people around you. It's ok to feel however you feel at this moment. It's what you do with your feelings that matters.