We’re so pleased to present a guest blogger this month! Leanne Hennessy completed our Self Employment Training program this year as she was working away at her yoga instructor training. She recently became a certified yoga instructor and officially started her business, Live Love Breath Yoga & Wellness. We know that December is such a hectic time for many small business owners. We asked Leanne if she could share some tips for helping small business owners stay calm and grounded through the hustle of the holiday season. Enjoy!
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With the busy holiday season in full swing and the big day fast approaching, here are some tips to keep you grounded, along with a daily mantra you can repeat, to remind you to be mindful and fully present in each moment of this wondrous holiday season.
As the season’s festivities intensify, know that you don’t have to say Yes to everything that you are invited to or asked to do. When our schedule is packed full of activities and demands on our time, we may begin to feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, and even resentful. These negative feelings do not serve us, or those we love, well. When we are constantly in busy mode, we may lose sight of the little joys that can be found in each moment. It is okay to say No. It is okay to change your mind. It is okay to take a day off. It is okay to want to be alone. It is okay to slow down and do nothing. We need to stop the glorification of BUSY. Our emotional and physical health depends on it.
Daily Mantra for Protecting Your Energy:
I HAVE enough; I DO enough; I AM enough – just as I am.
Self-care may look different to each person. Maybe you enjoy long, luxurious bubble baths. Maybe you Netflix and chill with a glass of wine. Maybe you curl up with a blanket and good book. Maybe you hit the gym or go for a walk or meditate or come to your mat and practice yoga. Whatever it is that brings you to that place of calm and stillness and enables you to re-connect with yourself, should become a top priority in your schedule, equal in importance to that meeting or party or networking event. This relationship with yourself should be paramount; the most important one of all. If we don’t do things to keep our own cup full, we have nothing left to give or share with others.
Daily Mantra for Practicing Self Care:
I take care of myself so that I may care for others and do great things.
Scientific studies have shown that people who express gratitude are more optimistic, feel happier, and are more connected to the world. Gratitude is also linked to resilience and the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks. It reduces toxic emotions, depression, and aggression, and enhances empathy. A daily habit of gratitude can be as simple as mentally listing 3 things for which you are thankful; even better if you can write these down in a journal. Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
Daily Mantra for Expressing Gratitude:
I start each day with a grateful heart; I clearly see all there is to be grateful for in my life.
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Leanne teaches yoga at Kure Fit & Flow Studio in Ingersoll, Indigo Lounge & Wellness Centre in Tillsonburg, and the Mt. Elgin United Church in Mt. Elgin.
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