Happy New Year!
I love new beginnings and that’s how I choose to think of the New Year! The New Year brings the opportunity to create new habits, new routines, and new ways of thinking- this week a new positive mindset.
Today is a great time to reflect on what we did this past year and what we hope to accomplish this next year. One way I have found helpful is to choose a word for the year. A WORD is an easy way to organize and focus my thoughts on what I would like to accomplish. Helps keep me motivated when things become overwhelming.
New Year! New Word!
Peace.
In December I did several masterclasses with the word peace in them. I had no idea at the time that I would end up picking the word PEACE for 2023.
There was something about this quote I found: Peace is a stress-free state of security and calmness that comes when there's no fighting or war, everything coexisting in perfect harmony and freedom that really tugged at my heart. I knew this is where I wanted to put my focus in 2023.
I believe we are spiritual, emotional, and physical beings and when all 3 are connected - in sync - we have that perfect harmony- peace.
Spiritual
I know spiritually that Jesus is my peace. He lives within me and the Holy Spirit leads me when I listen. There it is. How often do I have spiritual war within because I am resisting the Holy Spirit rather than allowing Him to lead me?
The WORD peace this year will help remind me that for my spiritual health I am committed to starting my morning in prayer with He who is the Prince of Peace and meditate on His Word- (I started The Jesus Bible 365-Day Devotional Reading Plan inside my YouVersion App this morning- if you would like to join me click here.)
Emotional
As an emotional being- our emotions is what I believe connects our spirit with our physical body. So often I find myself in a more emotionally stressed state than the stress-free state of peace and calmness.
The WORD peace this year will help remind me that for my emotional health I am committed to becoming aware of my emotional state- am I in the Blue Zone: Thriving, Yellow Zone: Fight, Green Zone: Flight, Red Zone: Overwhelmed or Blue Zone: Trauma/Freeze. (If you would like to know your default stressed state you can take the How Stressed Are You? Quiz by clicking here.)
Once I know how I am feeling emotionally I can ask myself how can I best support myself today to feel more safe, more calm, more peace?
Physical
Our physical body is amazing. It is the vessel, the temple that holds our spiritual and emotional beings within. We ask so much of it and often we find that it feels like a war has occurred. Our spiritual and emotional states affect our physical state as much as the physical activities we do, the food we eat and the years of wear and tear on our physical bodies.
The WORD peace this year will help remind me that for my physical health I am committed to finding the balance between physical activity and physical rest. Supporting my physical body with exercise, sleep, hydration, nutrition - as well as living out my purpose, investing my time in my family, my clients and my community and having fun by choosing new experiences and healthy habits.
I am excited for 2023! I am excited to live a life of more peace and less stress.
Do you have a WORD for the Year?
I would love for you to share your WORD of the year with me.
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
Stress Expert
A colonel in the British army once shared that in his work with prisoners of war he found it was not the physically strong who were most likely to survive the stress of their experiences. What he discovered was that survivors tend to have not one but three positive mindsets in common.
3 Positive Mindsets
#1 Positive Attitude
A positive attitude is when you can accept that every circumstance no matter how challenging has a higher purpose. Knowing this leads to a positive attitude, which impacts your perception, your body chemistry, your immune response, and even the capacity to live a life of less stress and more energy.
#2 Positive response
A positive response is an ability to control your responses even when you don't have control over life events, circumstances, or the people around you. How you respond is the difference between moving into a more stressed state and moving toward a more calm and relaxed state, which makes you receptive to new ways of perceiving and dealing with difficult situations.
#3 Positive concept of time
A positive concept of time is when you understand that every experience has a beginning, middle, and end. Often, when you are dealing with a stressful situation it feels like there is no end in sight and this leads to the feeling of hopelessness, lack of action, and depression. You only see the negative and your mind and body begin to shut down to what is possible. When you have a positive concept of time- this too will end- your immune system gets a boost and your inner resources of hope and resilience increase to a level that allows you to handle the most difficult situations.
If you are ready to adopt these 3 Positive Mindsets in 2023 grab your FREE 7 Days To A More Positive YOU! Workbook and join me inside the Fill My Cup FB Group January 1st-7th, 2023 where I will share a short video on the Positivity topic of the day so together we can live a more positive lifestyle.
If you are ready to adopt these 3 Positive Mindsets in 2023 grab your FREE 7 Days To A More Positive YOU! Workbook and join me inside the Fill My Cup FB Group January 1st-7th, 2023 where I will share a short video on the Positivity topic of the day so together we can live a more positive lifestyle.
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
Stress Expert
How much stress are you under?
It's hard to tell sometimes, but I've got some signs that can help you figure out whether you're feeling overwhelmed.
5 Signs You Are Overwhelmed
Sign #1
The first sign is the feeling of being overwhelmed. If you're having trouble focusing on your work, or if it feels like there are too many things coming at you at once, your brain might be telling you that it's time to take a breather.
Sign #2
The second sign is difficulty sleeping or eating well. This goes hand-in-hand with the first sign—if your brain is overloaded, it's going to have trouble processing other things like what foods are good for you and how much sleep you need.
Sign #3
The third sign is feeling depressed or anxious about the future. If things seem bleak and hopeless, this could be because your brain doesn't know how else to cope with all of its stressors.
Sign #4
The fourth sign is feeling physically ill from lack of sleep or poor nutrition—or just feeling generally worn down because your body isn't getting what it needs in order to function optimally.
Sign #5
The fifth sign is physical symptoms like headaches or stomachaches that can't be explained by something else (like an infection). These symptoms might be related to stress itself rather than any specific.
If you are feeling overwhelmed - your body is overstressed and it's asking for help. It can only stay in this highly stressed state for so long before your system either shuts down- Blue Zone: Trauma/Freeze or you use a self-care tool to bring your stress down.
If you are still not sure how stressed you are- take my free quiz.
#1 Self-Care Tool To Help YOU Move Out of Overwhelm
Looking for the #1 self-care tool to help you move out of overwhelm?
Take a deep breath!
And then do it again and again.
I know it seems too simple to work, but it works. If you would like to learn how you can take the breath and magnify it with an essential oil and release the depleting emotion- overwhelm join me in the Fill My Cup FB group where I just did a video, showing you how.
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
Stress Expert
What is an addiction?
An addiction is when one is physically or mentally dependent on a particular substance, thing, or activity. One cannot stop without adverse effects- withdrawal symptoms, physical or mental changes, cravings, and being dependent on it is causing some type of negative effect- spiritual, emotional, and/or physical.
top 10 addictions
1. Coffee
2. Sugar
3. Food
4. Tobacco and Nicotine
5. Alcohol
6. Illegal and Prescription Drugs
7. Sex
8. Gambling
9. Screens- TV, Internet, Social Media, Video Games
10. Work
Holiday Statistics?
The most common roots of addiction are chronic stress, trauma, and a family history of addiction. According to the Center for Disease Control, 80% of Americans report having more overwhelming stress during the holidays, over 25% of Americans report feeling more depressed, and 62% moderately anxious during the season. Both depression and anxiety directly contribute to increased addictive behaviors. Studies have shown alcohol alone to increase by 29% during the holidays and sugary treats and food become the focal point with an increase of 440 calories per day. Studies show that addictive behaviors started during the holiday season continue the first 3 months of the year - for example increase in calorie average goes up another 450 calories with a total increase of almost 900 calories compared to the July to November average.
What is a Coping Mechanism?
Difficult experiences from our past can leave an impact on the way we perceive and react today. In response to these stressful situations, we may have learned to behave in ways that “protect” us from pain. These are known as coping mechanisms and happen automatically through our Autonomic Nervous System- specifically the sympathetic side. Coping mechanisms are often helpful in the short term to lower stress - a cigarette, an alcoholic drink, or a piece of chocolate but can become unhealthy patterns that cause more stress, pain, and suffering (aka: addiction). Even though addiction is usually not good for us, we become attached to the coping mechanism as part of who we are and our own personal worldview and rarely see it as an addiction.
If you are struggling with an addiction, it’s important to know that recovery and healing are possible, and with it comes greater freedom, joy, and well-being.
Below I share resources to help you on your journey from addiction to freedom.
Releasing Addiction with Peace & Calming Essential Oil Video
21-Day Journey Trauma to Safety
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
21-Day Journey Trauma to Safety
❤️Shawna Cale, PT, LCTI, CHHWC
Stress Expert
P.S. In January the theme of the Exceptional Holistic Health Masterclasses is Freedom From Emotional Eating and Addiction.*
*Become an Exceptional Holistic Health Member today by starting with the 21-Day Journey Trauma to Safety course and receive all January Masterclasses for FREE. Go here to learn more: https://shawnacale.com/21-day-journey
Do you ever feel like your body is at war with you? It's more common than you think. We live in a world where our bodies are the first thing we look at when we wake up and the last thing we see before going to bed. Through social media and advertising, it's easy to get caught up that there is only one way for our bodies to look or be. You may even obsess over your body size or appearance as a way of taking care of yourself, but doing so can sabotage your efforts to feel good about yourself—especially if you're comparing yourself (unfairly) against others.
Our bodies are not the enemy.
Your body is not your enemy. Your body is a gift, a sanctuary, a safe place - it wants what's best for you. Sometimes we don't like what our bodies are telling us because society has taught us that our bodies aren't good enough. But your body is good enough. Your body is an incredible and powerful thing, and it deserves all the love in the world.
We are more than just our external body.
So often we just look at our body from an external perspective. We are much more than just our external appearance- we have an internal physical body and we are spiritual and emotional beings too. When we can look at ourselves from a broader perspective - what our body has done for us, what it allows us to do daily on this earth, how it houses our spiritual being and emotional being and connects us with ourselves, others, and God we can see who we truly are.
Peace with our bodies.
If we want to live in peace and not at war with our bodies we need to start by making peace with ourselves. The first step is awareness- asking our body questions like, "How do you feel?", "What do you need?" And then listening to what it tells us. When we make peace with our bodies, we can see we are a beautiful creation of God. We can appreciate the way it moves and feels, and how it enables us to do all that we need to do in this world. When we are at peace with ourselves and others around us, then true love will flow freely.
Regardless of what your relationship with your body is like today, you can change it. Start with small steps like teaching your body that it is safe and supported with somatic exercises and then move into self-care activities to show your body how much you truly care and love it.
❤️Shawna
If you are ready to take the next step and have more PEACE IN YOUR BODY.
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Join me in this masterclass to learn the #1 reason you are not at peace with your body. How this one reason increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease and it’s not a lack of exercise or your diet. You will leave with a clear path on how to feel more peace in your body after this experiential session.
Cost: $10
Cost: $10
*Free to all Exceptional Holistic Health Members
Become an Exceptional Holistic Health Member today by starting with the 21-Day Journey Trauma to Safety course and receive all 6 December Masterclasses for FREE. Go here to learn more: https://shawnacale.com/21-day-journey
