Clients are contacting me, friends and family as well, saying, what should we do, because the overwhelm is real and our stress levels are higher than they’ve ever been? PLUS, we’re managing more than our typical daily tasks. I’m here to share some tips and tools and strategies with you because I know life looks different right now.

You might have kids at home that you’re trying to manage the homeschooling for as well as your own full time job. The demands of work look a little different working through this shift and change. Maybe you’re working excess hours. And on top of that you have a spouse potentially working from home who thinks it’s wonderful to just pop into your office at any given time. And your furry friends at home, dogs, cats. Well, they just think it’s fantastic that the whole family is here just to love on them 24/7.

There are a lot of demands. There are a lot of different activities and needs pulling at our attention from different places and it’s time to get sound in your decision making and stay healthy through it all by following these simple strategies:

1. Build Awareness:  Demands are great, time is limited, and competition is fierce.  As a result, we run at a fast pace and rarely stop to consider the needs of the body.  The body speaks to us every day and the beautiful thing is that never over-exaggerates or lies; it just tells us like it is.  One morning you might have the sniffles, another a sore neck, and maybe in the afternoon you feel like you could use a nap.  These are all situations where the body is speaking.  If we take time to stop and listen to the body, we’ll be more aware of its needs and be able to respond accordingly.  This however takes practice!  Pause in the morning and do a little scan of the body, check in to see how it’s feeling, and decide how you’d like to navigate to best support it’s needs.  We call on the body to care for us every day and perform at it’s best; we need to care for it in return.
2. Create supportive, healthy boundaries: We must create a supportive environment in order to achieve health and fulfillment.  Take inventory of your daily activities and decide if adjustments are needed to alleviate stress in your life and achieve your goals.  Create buffers in the day so you can move in a fluid way without the anxiousness and stress of being overscheduled.  Carve out blocks of time to focus solely on a project and to answer emails and voicemails.  In the evening allow space for the activities you enjoy such as light exercise, connection with friends, and quiet time to read.
3. Say no.  This can be a challenging but necessary assignment if you want to increase health and happiness.  Before making any decision, ask yourself “What will this provide me?”.  This one simple question will help you decide whether your participation will cause you angst or move you in a supportive, healthy direction.  By pausing and asking yourself this question, you will be able to make a conscious choice instead of one out of convenience, haste, or guilt.  Kindly express thanks and gratitude for the opportunity and say no.  It really is as easy as that.
4. Focus on Fulfillment:  Instead of trying to achieve work/life balance, focus on fulfillment.  Balance is difficult to achieve and leaves us feeling unsettled and dissatisfied. It’s simply not possible to work 8 to 10 hours a day, and then spend the same amount of time with your loved ones.  However, when we are present in our communication with others and focus on the people, activities, and the things we’re most passionate about in life, we will experience fulfillment which then creates a feeling of balance.  Fulfillment can be defined as a feeling of satisfaction at having achieved your desires.  This is very different from success, which is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.  A young child will feel fulfilled by having your sole attention for 10 minutes versus having an hour of your time while you multitask, answ

It’s always an honor and joy to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Believe it can be!

XO,

Stress is viewed as a bad thing, something that feels uneasy, unwelcome and difficult .  It fosters hardship in the body and in the long run can cause a lot of health complications.  While all of this may ring true, I’d like to shift your perspective and shed new light on this subject of stress.  I’m guessing with all the shifts that have taken place in the past couple of weeks you may be feeling overwhelmed and desire a little calm in your life.

Here’s the thing we need to remember; stress is a very healthy and necessary response in the body.  It helps us address difficult situations and can aid the body in healing.  Stressful situations will always be present in life.  It is our responsibility to manage them in a healthy manner.  That, my friend, is the real challenge; its our inability to respond appropriately to the multitude of stressful situations, big and small, that we encounter on a daily basis that causes hardship in the body.  If we can choose to participate in a new way and provide the body adequate time to rest, repair and rejuvenate we can stay healthy through times of change.

Here are 5 things you can do today to create calm in the midst of it all:

1.  Do your best.  And know that your best is going to look different every day.
Life is full of expectations.  The expectations that others have of us, and those we have of ourselves.  Especially in times of change, it is easy to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders.  We tend to want to control the outcome, and worry when we can’t.  This cycle leads us right into sleeplessness, fatigue and irritability.  Make a commitment every day to show up in your best manner possible and offer others permission to do the same.  Celebrate small success and big moments and when someone’s “best” isn’t as solid as it usually is, offer grace.  Learn from it.  Have conversations about it.  Provide space for “best” to look different day to day, and be a positive guide and support to yourself and others.

2.  Create structure.
Working from home, managing the needs of the kids and getting used to life during a quarantine is a new experience for all of us.  Sit down with the family and together, create a daily schedule for everyone to follow.  Set healthy boundaries for work and play time by sharing your needs and inviting your family to do the same.  This will create ease throughout the day and provide a foundation for healthy communication.  Take time over dinner to discuss what’s working well and explore any shifts you may need to make.  We’ll all need to be a little flexible and open in the days ahead.

3.   Practice gratitude.
Many miracles have happened because of the power of positive thinking.  Even in the most challenging situations there is something to be grateful for.  It may take a little time to see the positive, but it’s there.  Strive every day to give thanks for 5-10 things in the morning upon waking, and again in the evening before going to sleep.  You may express all your grateful for by writing your thoughts down in a journal, or reciting them silently or aloud.  Do what works best for you, the most important part of practicing gratitude is making it a practice.  I promise, you’ll feel amazing!

4.  Anything that is mentionable is manageable.
This is a quote from Mr. Fred Rogers and it is a favorite of mine.  We cannot keep our worry, concern and overwhelm to ourselves or we’ll find that we continue to feed the worrisome thoughts.  Please talk to someone.  Share with your spouse, call a friend, reach out to a colleague or ask your boss for a few minutes of time.  When we can voice our worry, needs, expectations, and concerns it provides space for solution-based ideas.  The only caution I would provide is that your confidant must be willing and able to shed a positive light on the situation, share a laugh or two and be supportive.  There is no room for others to fuel your worrisome thoughts either, it’s all about forward motion.

5.  Please breathe.
If you’ve followed my work, you know I mention this a LOT.  But it’s for good reason; breathing can reduce cortisol (stress hormone), provide calm to the body, refresh your mindset, and provide new perspective.  Please take slow, deep belly breaths often.  At a minimum, set your timer for 10 slow abdominal breaths every hour, on the hour.  By the time you leave your work space you will have taken 80 deep breaths.  While breathing, close your eyes and focus only on your breath.  Practice this daily, and observe the change you feel take place in your body and mind.  Your worries will lessen and the stress your body feels will subside.  It’s powerful.  It’s free, portable and accessible anytime, anywhere.  Use it well.

It’s always an honor and joy to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Believe it can be!

XO,

With each new day, the sun rises.

I’ve not shared this story yet, but I feel it on my heart to do so today. Crisis can happen at any moment, in moments of great joy, in challenging times, in the quiet of the night. It’s not often we have the opportunity to prepare for it.

On December 28th, my family was enjoying all the wonders of Maui; it’s one of our favorite places on earth. At exactly 4 p.m. crisis hit our family. We were playing in the ocean when my son was picked up by a 4-ft swell. The swell carried him up, and then curled under itself, crashing him to the ocean floor. He landed on his chin and neck and his legs and back were carried over his body like a scorpion. He was immediately transported to the hospital and then airlifted to Oahu for care. He broke two vertebrae and had fluid and edema on two more. The surgeon shared it is one of the most painful injuries to endure.

The blessing in all of it is that he isn’t paralyzed. We were told by every paramedic and every medical professional that they “never see this happy ending.” This accident usually results in paralysis or death due to drowning.

We are grateful for the blessing in all of this.

Our son is 13 years old, he’s healing up beautifully and will be fantastic.

The reason I share this with you today is because of an experience I had in the grocery store this morning. With my cart overflowing with everything needed for a possible quarantine (except for toilet paper of course, we’re down to 7 roles and the shelves are still empty) I sat in the check out line with everyone else for about 30 minutes. During that time, a woman was talking with me and asking if I was worried about the virus. I responded that I wasn’t. She then asked if I was worried about supply problems with food, toilet paper, wipes, etc. I responded again that I wasn’t worried about any of it. I shared that I really love to focus on the positive. She said “well all these people are buying up shelves and shelves of food, what’s going to happen when we need more?” I responded that I guess that is good for us, because when ours runs out, they’ll still have plenty which means there will be supply for our families. She paused and said, “that is so true!” She seemed more calm after our conversation. And in the end, she smiled.

I am hopeful and I pray that COVID-19 dies off soon, that no more lives are taken as a result of it’s attack and that you, your loved ones and friends remain safe and healthy.

Worry does not take away the troubles of tomorrow, it takes away the joy of today.

We all must navigate a bit differently, life will be interesting, business may struggle, and my family can either enjoy the days to come of all being in our home together 24/7 for two weeks, or we can choose not to.

It’s all a choice.

This life is all a privilege.

The way we choose to interact with others can include joy, love and respect.

We can honor our differences and offer support.

Crisis is going to happen, it’s not often we get to prepare for what might come.

Take deep breaths, do everything you can to support your body in health and happiness. Know that we have a choice in every single matter, and that the quality of every choice we make, matters!

I will not worry. I will enjoy people and life, I’ll spread love, share kindness and believe in the beauty and grace of each new day. Just as I’ve aimed to do with every crisis we’ve gone through (when we didn’t have the opportunity to prepare).

I hope you’ll join me in all of it. 

Here’s to each new day and beautiful sunrises ahead.

It’s my great pleasure to serve and support you in health and happiness.  I’d love to hear from you; feel free to connect with me: connect@angelagaffney.com

Cheers to your health and happiness!

XO,

Recipe:
Roasted Turkey Soup with Harvest Vegetables

Broth Ingredients:

• Leftover roasted turkey carcass *see note
• 1 onion, crudely chopped 2 carrots, crudely chopped 2 whole garlic cloves
• 6 quarts of water
• Broth Directions
• Bring all ingredients to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook until it reduces down to approximately four quarts of broth.
• Run the broth through a strainer and discard bones and vegetables.
• Set broth aside and rinse the stock pot to make the soup.
• *Note:
• If you do not have a full roasted turkey carcass, you can purchase turkey breast pieces, roast it and then use the carcass.

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 4 quarts turkey broth
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, diced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 can kidney beans
• 4 leaves of fresh sage, minced

Directions:

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic to sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery, sauté 2 more minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are cooked through. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Recipe compliments of “The Daily Essentials Cookbook Collection: Lunch” by Angela Gaffney & Janielle Hultberg

Thanksgiving has been celebrated in the United States since 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World.  It wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens” in 1863 that it became a Federal Holiday.  It’s since been a major holiday in the United States, alongside Christmas and New Year; it marks the beginning of the “holiday season.” 

For many, this time of year feels chaotic with increased responsibilities, travel, and stress resulting in fatigue and feelings of overwhelm.  If you find yourself in this situation, there are a few things you can do to experience more joy, love and fulfillment in your life.   

Giving thanks allows you to tune into your life, and celebrate all the blessings in it.  It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it does take effort and consistency.  One place you can begin is to be present in your daily life, and see the good in all things.  Especially during times of chaos when feeling overwhelmed, you can change your mindset and movement in life and enter into a place of calm and grace.   

Let me give you an example; let’s say you have more projects on your plate than seems possible to take care of.  You’re stressed, the deadline is quickly approaching and it’s keeping you awake at night.  On top of it all, your in-laws are arriving in two days and your house isn’t quite in the shape you’d like it to be.  First, take a deep breath.  There’s good in all things, and life consistently provides us opportunities to learn and grow.  By being present with the chaos, you can pause, breathe it all in, acknowledge that it’s there, give thanks for working in an environment where business is growing, providing you stability in your job and in life.  Know that your in-laws are there to spend time with you and will enjoy doing so even if the house isn’t in perfect condition.   

After acknowledging all this, you prioritize, create your task list, delegate if necessary and know in the end that it’ll all work out.  Life is not consistently in balance and never will be.  It’s most important to feel fulfilled and function in a manner that serves you; when you work from this place, life feels good and things seem a bit easier to handle.  

Even in times of stress, hardship and chaos it is much healthier to come at life from a place of calm, grace and gratitude than feeling and functioning like a complete spaz.  Here are a few steps to follow so your Thanksgiving holiday may be filled with calm, grace and gratitude: 

1. Enter each morning by giving thanks for 5 things in your life. 
2. Challenge yourself to find 10 “gifts” in your day.  These “gifts” are things that may otherwise go unseen if you weren’t paying attention.  The yummy flavors in the salad you packed for lunch, the smile of a co-worker, your child’s laughter, even the pile of dishes waiting for you in the sink.  Yes, those dirty dishes…how grateful you are to have been able to eat a home-cooked meal in your warm home.  There is good in all things. 
3. When feeling stressed, take a moment to pause, breathe, speak words of gratitude for the situation and connect with what it’s teaching you.  Speaking words of gratitude means you acknowledge the situation.  For instance, if you wake up with a massive headache you can acknowledge it by saying, “Thank you body, I hear you speaking to me and I’ll do well to care for you today.” As a result of the headache, you may increase hydration or even take a supplement to help it out, but the acknowledgement of the situation will allow you to move forward with your day in a positive way and not dwell on it anymore.  Your mindset and movement in life will be positive.   
4. Close the day by writing down 10 things you’re grateful for in your gratitude journal.  You’ll fall asleep feeling incredibly blessed and wake in a positive state.   

Giving thanks and living a life of gratitude doesn’t mean everything is going to go your way, it means that you’ll be able to be present, connect with the good in all things, and in turn experience greater love, joy and fulfillment in life.  These being some of the best gifts you could grant yourself. 

Start your day of Thanksgiving with family outdoor fun, a hike, a Turkey Trot, or even some snowshoeing if weather allows.  Notice all the small gifts you’re granted throughout the day, be present in your life, enjoy the people in your life, and give thanks and gratitude for these blessings. 

May you feel joy, love and be incredibly fulfilled as you enter into the holiday season. 

It’s a pleasure to serve you!  Feel free to email me with comments or questions: connect@AngelaGaffney.com. 

XO, 

RECIPE: 

Loaded Sweet Potato 

Ingredients: 

1 organic sweet potato 

1 tsp EVOO 

2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (select only nitrite-free and nitrate-free bacon) 

1 tbsp butter 

¼ cup spinach, chopped 

2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled 

2 tsp pepitas 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Carefully puncture the potato with a sharp knife tip in 6-8 places.  Rub sweet potato with olive oil and place into a glass baking dish.  Bake until liquid oozes from the puncture spots and potato is cooked through, approximately 25-35 minutes.  While potato is baking, cook bacon strips, and cool.   

Cut potato in half, cut a pocket lengthwise down the center of the potato.  Place ½ tbsp of butter into the pocket.  Top with spinach, goat cheese, bacon crumbles and pepitas.  Enjoy! 

Recipe compliments of The Daily Essentials Cookbook Collection: Lunch by Angela Gaffney and Janielle Hultberg 

A morning routine is necessary for focus and productivity, but what if your routine is stifling you instead of supporting you?

Too often I hear of a morning routine that includes hitting the snooze button three times, groggily sitting up in bed and then looking at email or social media before starting the day.  ACK!  Not only does this immediately set you up for stress, comparison and long daydreams, it doesn’t allow you to focus on what’s most important and pulls you away from consciously choosing how you’ll start the day.

There’s one morning habit that can change your life, and it takes only five minutes upon waking!  Of course, if you’d like to spend a little more time on this one habit, I certainly invite you to do so, but simply setting your alarm for five minutes earlier will shift your entire day.

The practice is quiet gratitude and affirmation.  The power of positive words has been researched for years and the health benefits are robust; they include decreased stress, increased happiness, increased self-esteem and optimism. While it would be nice if we could just automatically feel this way every morning, it’s not going to happen unless we intentionally choose to thrive this way. Every day can start with quiet gratitude, celebration and intention.

Here’s a quick recipe for success:

1. Set your alarm to wake five minutes earlier than normal (if you’d like to set a long-term goal of waking earlier than this, just move your alarm up by 5 minutes every 7 days.  In a few shorts weeks you’ll have an additional 20 minutes on your hands!)
2. Do not compromise your time; no snoozing allowed.  Once the alarm goes off, you slide the button to the off position and get up.
3. Select a quiet, comfortable area to practice gratitude.  This can be sitting up in bed if you choose or making your way to a quiet corner in the house with a cup of tea. It’s your choice, but do not allow any distractions along the way.
4. Have a designated journal for your gratitude practice. (Feel free to take a peek at the Feel Good, Look Good Journal at www.AngelaGaffney.com if you’d like.)
5. Begin your practice by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, placing your feet flat on the floor, and palms facing the sky, resting peacefully on your legs.  Take one deep breath in through the nose, filling the abdomen with air, pause and then exhale through the mouth as if a thin silk ribbon of air is leaving the body. Repeat this cycle for a total of 3-5 breaths.
6. Open your eyes, open your journal and write down 5-10 things you’re grateful for; they can be big or small in nature.
7. Close the practice by writing an intention for the day in your journal. The intention is a positive affirmation that is stated in the present tense, as if you’re living it today.  “I am strong,” “I am loved,” “I am capable,” “I am healthy,” are all great examples.  Go with whatever you need for this day.  The biggest rule to remember is that it is to be said in the present tense, as if you’re living it already.  Recite this affirmation throughout the day.
8. Lastly, I invite you to close your practice with a prayer or devotion.

This simple routine will change how you show up for your family, for your team, your colleagues and in life, simply because you’re consciously and intentionally choosing how to show up for the day!  Enjoy and let us know how this practice enhances your health and happiness.