Hello, my beautiful people! Spring is here, and I am feeling the renewal energy all around me. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and I am reminded of the importance of taking care of ourselves, both inside and out. As we enter this new season, I want to share with you some signs that you might need to add a bit more self-care to your life.
Firstly, are you neglecting your basic personal needs? Are you struggling to get enough sleep because you don't have a relaxing nighttime routine? Or maybe you're neglecting your mental health? These are all signs that you need to start focusing on more self-care. Take a moment to really pay attention to your daily routine, not just with your regular job and other responsibilities, but how you spend your free time. Everyone has those blocks of time during the day between tasks; what are you doing with this time, and are you paying attention to your needs?
Secondly, if you feel more emotional stress and anxiety, but can't pinpoint a reason why, then you might need to do more for yourself in the form of self-care. I encourage you to try adding more to your self-care routine. This could be anything from going for a walk around the neighborhood, reading a book, listening to your favorite music, trying pilates, or taking a bath. The list is endless, so find what works best for you.
Thirdly, when was the last time you did anything just for yourself? Do you have such a full plate that you feel like everything you do is for your job, your family, or your friends, and never for yourself? This is a big sign that you need to practice more self-care. Try to sit down and list the last thing you did just for you, and if you have trouble thinking of more than a handful of things, then you definitely need more self-care in your life.
Lastly, self-care should not just be something you do when you're stressed or having a bad day. It should be part of your regular routine. When it is part of your routine, it becomes part of your daily life, and something you look forward to each and every day.
So, my loves, as we enter this new season of renewal and growth, I urge you to take time and practice self-care. You are worthy of love, care, and attention, so ensure you give that to yourself. Let's make this season the season of self-care and growth. I love you all!
Prompt Whisper Time:
What are some basic personal needs that you've been neglecting lately? How can you make time to prioritize these needs in your daily routine?
Reflect on when you felt overwhelmed or stressed but didn't know why. What self-care practices did you try to help alleviate those feelings? How did they make you feel?
List out five things that you can do just for yourself this week. How can you make sure to prioritize these activities in your schedule? How do you think they'll make you feel?
I just worked through another indie book, the Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself, by Marla J. Albertie, and I wanted to let you know my thoughts. I love reading and writing, and this book is a great way to prompt you to write and explore some avenues you may not have considered traveling down. If you like question-and-answer prompts, then this book might be for you. Be sure to listen to my review by clicking on the image, and let me know in the comments if you decide to give it some space in your collection of books.
About the Author
Marla J. Albertie has lived on board a United States carrier; therefore, she feels she is unstoppable. As a native of Jacksonville, Florida, she loves to read, travel, and shop. Her travels have been on cruises, as she has taken 16 thus far. Marla believes life is a journey, and we all can create the life we want, so why not; you only live this life once. She is passionate about seeing growth in peoples’ lives and wants others to pay it forward.
As an energetic visionary, she owns and founded the TruthSpeaksGroup LLC, a multi-media company that creates strategies and solutions for work-life integration/harmony (WLI/H). She is also the founder of MJA Notary Services LLC., MJA Publishing LLC., and JEMA Holdings LLC., and Being the founder of I/O for Teens Inc. is her greatest work yet!
Marla doesn’t believe in work-life balance as she believes all areas of our lives can be integrated and we can create harmony in our lives by means of I/O Psychology and Positive Psychology methodologies.
However, harmony cannot happen if we are not in tune with who we are. Therefore “The Ultimate Brag Book” was born.
Marla’s mantra is to #TeachTrainEducate working women who desire to understand their truth and live a life of success defined on their terms.
Marla's one-word philosophy is #Learn.
Marla is a certified professional career, executive, and life coach, trainer APTD (Associate Professional in Training and Development), Certified Chief Happiness Officer, Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner, Director of HR, Instructor, of Psychology, Amazon Best Selling author, and has over 25 years of business, coaching, and training experience.
Marla holds a Master of Education in Adult Education, Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management, and an Associates of Science in Financial Services. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Marla loves speaking, teaching, and writing. Among the many ventures she is involved in here are just a few: The founder of the Motivational Movement K.I.M. (Keep it Moving), Truth Speaks Academy, an annual Women’s Empowerment Conference. I.M.A.G.IN.E. (I’M Awesome Growing IN Excellence), YouTube Channel featuring the talk show Creating Your Career with Marla J. Albertie which has 36 episodes, and blog TheWorkingWoman.co. She has also published two books and co-authored a third.
Marla is an active member of the Junior League of Jacksonville, ATD, SIOP, SHRM, Blacks in I/O, APA, ICF, IPPA, and NAHSE. She is also a Well-being and Data Literacy champion at Mayo Clinic.
When she is not trying to save the world, Marla loves a good story and frequents the movies to eat her favorite snack, nachos. She loves cruising, shopping, and reading with her family and friends.
Purchase a copy of The Ultimate Brag Book About Yourself on Amazon or get a signed copy on the author's website. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
Here is where you can find her online:
Main Site: truthspeaksgroup.com
Follow her as a writer on Medium
Subscribe to her blog: www.theworkingwoman.co
Take a course at Truth Speaks Academy
Subscribe to my talk show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/faUFIqU8pHs
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tspeaksgroup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TSpeaksCoaching
I spend most of my time reading non-fiction or business books. When I do break away from those two genres and read a fiction book I am so happy that I did. I have always felt that most fiction books come from parts of somebody’s truth mixed with some spin from other pieces of imagination and collages of life’s mash-ups.
I was delighted to come across this book by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler. There were so many parts of the book that made me wonder if I had went to high school with her. As you will see on this interview I bring up many reasons why places and things were sparking so many memories of my days of living in rural Virginia.
So I… we… invite you to take a listen as we discuss the behind scenes of Rebecca Wenrich Wheelers novel “Whispering Through Water”, found on Amazon. Please leave us a comment and let us know what your thoughts.
Click on the title or the cover of the book for the video.
By: Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler
Becoming an eco-friendly household can be overwhelming when considering the magnitude of the
climate crisis. Instead of thinking about every possible lifestyle change, start small, and choose one or
two tasks and build from there. Yes, my family is now one with a composter, pollinator gardens, and
solar panels, but it’s not something we didn’t all at once. Whether your family is just beginning on this
journey or has incorporated some eco-friendly practices, reducing single-use plastic usage and
composting are inexpensive places to start.
Reducing single-use plastic
According to plasticocean.org 50% of all plastic produced is for single use. Individual families can make a
difference! First start by surveying your plastic usage and determine what can be cut. Start with one
item. For instance, you might ban plastic sandwich bags from lunchboxes and change to reusable
containers, ditch the plastic straws, or use refillable water bottles and coffee cups. You might also
commit to using reusable shopping bags, and if you do end up with plastic shopping bags, pledge to re-
use them.
To go a step further, you might try refillable soaps and cleaners in glass or aluminum containers. There
are many more options in the refillable soap market than just a few years ago. My personal favorite is
Blueland for hand soaps, laundry booster, and toilet cleaner. And the best part is over time you do save
money, because you are only buying the refill tablets and not paying for yet another disposable
container. I also use Grove Collaborative for dish detergent and laundry sheets, and I went back to old-
school powder dishwasher detergent in a cardboard box.
For those who love clothes, research clothing companies that use recycled plastics in their fabrics or
even shop consignment. Every little bit helps. Start small; ditch one plastic item, and then see how far
you go! Visit earthday.org for more tips on ending plastic pollution and even calculate your plastic
footprint to help you determine where to cut.
Home composting
Let’s talk about home composting. So why compost in the first place? According to the USDA, food
waste is estimated at 30-40% of the food supply. And most of that waste goes into landfills. Every 100
pounds of food waste sends 8.3 pounds of methane into the atmosphere. Yes, composting does create
methane, but at much lower levels. Landfill emissions are about ½ methane and ½ CO2, and compost
gas emissions are mainly CO2.
About 50% of what goes into landfills can be composted, and that’s where families come in. We’ve been
home composting for almost five years. We purchased a 37-gallon tumbling composter from Target for
about $90. We keep a small stainless steel compost bin on our counter, and when it’s full, we transfer to
the large composter.
The first step is to cut down on food waste and leave as little as possible uneaten. But if you do have
waste, most of it can transfer to home composting: coffee grounds, egg shells, bread scraps, fruit and
vegetable scraps, tea bags, nut shells (make sure to crush for quicker decomposition), paper, cardboard
tubes, cardboard take-out containers. Even some yard waste like grass clippings, crushed leaves and
sawdust can be composted. You do want a balance of greens and browns in your bin. Check out the EPA
website for more home composting tips: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
Animal fats and proteins should not go into home compost, as it takes a lot more heat than a home
composter can provide to break it down. You’ll get rot before compost, plus animal products attract
pests. If you have access to a commercial compost service, like Compost Now, they can take animal
byproducts as well as the cups, utensils, and bags marked for commercial compost. Also never put pet
waste or unused medicine in compost. Check with your local health department for proper disposal of
medicine.
I grew up on a peninsula, and water was a part of our town’s survival. Not only was it a source of beauty
and recreation it was also our livelihood. I remember being taught about pollution in elementary school
in the 1980s, and those lessons stuck with me. The natural world is infused in all my writing, and
sometimes not even intentionally! My pictures books: When Daddy Shows Me the Sky (released
November 2021) and When Mama Grows with Me (to be released Summer 2023), are about
astronomy, and gardening, respectfully. My novel YA Whispering Through Water is set in a
coastal Virginia town, and the book is filled with water and bird imagery. Whispering Through Water was
released January 4, 2023, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.
Spring is around the corner! If you are interested in watching the evolution of my pollinator gardens,
follow me on Instagram. Blooming will happen soon!
IG: @rebeccawwheeler_author
Twitter: @RWW_author
www.rebeccawwheeler.com
As I lay in bed, I couldn't resist the temptation to just quickly scroll through Instagram before turning off my phone for the night. I told myself it would only take a few minutes, but an hour and a half had passed before I knew it. My dry eyes were starting to feel heavy, and I realized that I had actually dozed off with my phone still in my hand. I shook my head at my lack of self-control and made a mental note to be more mindful of my screen time before bed. But I said that last night too, and the night before. Sounds familiar?
Overall, a nightly routine can help you feel more balanced, rested, and in control of your life. A small investment of time can benefit your overall health and well-being. Here are some suggestions to help you get the rest your body deserves.
1. Start by setting aside some time for yourself before bed. This might be as simple as taking a few minutes to breathe or read a book. What is currently on my nightly decompressing list is Sugar Jar.
2. Create a relaxing atmosphere by dimming the lights, lighting candles or incense, or playing calming music.
3. Consider incorporating some self-care practices into your routine, such as taking a warm bath or shower or doing gentle stretches.
4. Set some boundaries for yourself by turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime or limiting your time on your phone or computer.
5. Consider keeping a journal or a gratitude list to reflect on your day and focus on the positive things in your life.
6. Make sure your sleep environment is conducive to rest, with a comfortable bed, pillows, and a cool, dark room.
7. Try incorporating relaxation techniques into your routine, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization.
8. Avoid consuming caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime, as it can disrupt sleep.
9. If you have trouble falling asleep, try setting a consistent bedtime and sticking to it, even on the weekends.
It's normal to struggle to establish a consistent, relaxing nighttime routine, and it's important to be patient with yourself as you work to create this habit. Finding the right combination of activities that help you wind down and prepare for a good night's sleep may take some time. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results - it often takes time and effort to create lasting change. Remember to be kind to yourself as you work to build this routine, and know that the effort you put in will pay off in the long run in the form of better sleep, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being.
