In today's episode we talk about Self-Care. In a day and age where looking after yourself is on trend... are we doing it the right way? Or are we mistaking it by talking about pampering and looking good? (self-indulgence).

The line between these two is blurry, and we hope today's episode will help you not only differentiate them but also give some ideas as to what's on offer when talking about self-care.

As a general rule, when we talk about CARE we talk about doing things that make you feel good from the inside, that help you develop and become a happier, more contented version of yourself. This is, of course, very personal, and what for some may be a must for other would be a luxury or something that hasn't even crossed their mind, and that is OK - We are all different and our differences also apply on self-care programs.

Let's start with yours! Happy listening!

In our last podcast we discussed dating yourself in preparation for dating. Today we are going to discuss how to develop a loving relationship.

All strong relationships have three things in common: trust, commitment and vulnerability. And we'd like to add connection.

We unveil 8 ways to create true intimacy and find true love, to live a long, happy relationship. But first, let us say: love is one of the most wonderful things in the world, fuels our lives - but it takes time, effort and resilience. It is, indeed, a plant that needs watering EVERY DAY.

So let's find out how to do so!

Love is a magnetic force, it attracts others, compels them to stay.

Thats why it is so important that, before we are ready to share this energy with others, we learn to share it with ourselves.

Quite frequently, in relationships, we look for the other to fill in the gaps; well, it should be the other way around: we should come to the relationship already feeling like a whole, ready to share this path and happiness with others rather than expecting the provide it.

Having the confidence that what you have to offer is more than enough will make your potential significant other feel at ease, safe and trusting.

And in today's episode we give you 5 tips to do so!

In this episode we cover Emotional Freedom: how to remove the negative emotion towards a situation or person so you can move on and move forward.

Being emotionally free doesn't mean you do not care, quite the contrary, it means adjusting your focus and attention and choosing how and what you care about.

Listen carefully as we give you a 5-step process to help you achieve it:

1. Practice mindfulness

2. Own the source of the emotion

3. Check your needs and desires

4. Shift your focus towards self-centred

5. Hope

There are also 2 books we mention, which can also help you alleviate the emotional baggage weight:

- The Ecstasy of Surrender by Dr. Judith Orloff

https://amzn.to/2WFTcd4

- Guilt, Shame, and Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming Negative Emotions by Peter R. Breggin

https://amzn.to/2vU9R0M

Happy listening and reading! ;)

Last week you heard us talking about the importance of getting a good night's sleep. This week we give you a few tips and tools to achieve it!

When talking about sleep it is important to pay attention to 2 factors: length and quality of it.

It is recommended to sleep 8h per day, so if you are getting less than this, can you spot what are the factors influencing this lack of sleep? OR maybe you are getting enough hours, but somehow you still feel tired when you wake up - in which case, can you see any conditions that can be influencing your sleep quality?

In today's episode we cover the above, and more!, and we give you some tips and tools to ensure you're well rested and ready to smash your day!

In this episode we talk about the importance of sleep.

We draw your attention to the physical and mental health effects that lack of sleep can have.

A poor sleep lifestyle can impact your nutrition, emotions, mood swings and cause sicknesses like depression, diabetes, increase your chances of a heart disease or stroke.

This is how serious it is!

Our aim is to convince to make sleep a priority moving forward and pay attention to this overseen health factor, to help you change your life, for the better!

Tune in next week as we will reveal a few tips and tools to have a better, and more qualitative, sleep!

Is it the cause or result of your problems? How can you deal with it?

It is important to make a differentiation between stress and challenge, being under pressure because a deadline is fast approaching is a different thing to being stressed, so learn to identify the signs of each and bring awareness to the situation.

Stress can manifest in many ways, whether this is physically (muscular tension, lack of lust…) or emotionally (being irritable, feeling blue or tired) so, again, it is important that we learn to identify our triggers and manifestations so we can plan ahead and put measures in place to avoid the burn out.

A great tool to implement to help you keep stress at bay is SENS (Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition and Silence) – if you tackle those 4 elements and know what you’re lacking / needing more of chances are your stress levels will decrease.

And if you throw an R to the mix (Respect) for you and for other, learn to put your boundaries in place and know your needs so you can manage your and others expectations.

Stepping away, physically, from the situation / environment causing the stress is also a good tip, as this will give you perspective and break the toxic pattern forming to avoid falling into this stressful spiral again.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to seek help, don’t let it spiral out of control and talk to people that can help - whether it is family or friends or specialist, there are people out there that can help and will be a great assistance.

The good news is that, when you know where you are and what to do, in a battle of stress vs you, YOU will always WIN!

everything starts as a thought: from the little things like what to eat to big decisions like moving or changing careers. It is important to choose them intentionally so you can focus on getting what you want.

Becoming more intentional is not an easy path, it requires re-training your mind, but, as everything in training, it can be done and it really is liberating. It gives you the control and ownership of your thoughts, which will shape your path and overall success.

See intentional thinking as a first step of a two-act formula: Think + Act = Success.

A thought creates a feeling, a feeling creates a motivational sensation that will help you take action and start walking in the direction of your dreams.

Now, we now saying be more intentional is easier said than done, so here are a couple of exercises that can help you achieve it:

1. Mindfulness and Meditation: the most powerful tool that you’ll find here. These help up us be in the present, bring the attention to the here and now and the thoughts appearing – by bringing awareness we are able to start selecting them. Realise not every thought is true, some are ideas we have of something, which can be made up or installed there by somebody else. Identify which are yours, which ones you believe in, as these are the ones that will help you move forward.

2. Chair exercise: when the inner critic and negative self-talk start, try this exercise: get 2 chairs and pretend the child version of yourself is sat next to you; then try talking to this child the way you’re talking to yourself, tell him / her how ugly, stupid, useless and uncapable of doing things he / she is…. Impossible right? Then why do you do it to yourself??

To sum it up, thoughts CAN create your reality and CHANGE your life, so select the ones you want to be part of it. Bring them from the unconscious level to the conscious, aware and present moment and select what you say to yourself, your spirit does not know the difference!

Toxic patterns - an unhealthy habit that silently stops you from living your best life.

They come in many shapes and forms: comparison, self-doubt, people pleasing, over achieving, catastrophising, loosing focus…. And they all sound intimidating, but, good news is, once you identify them, they can be changed and life can get so much easier and better!

Sometimes is not as easy, as these patterns develop at a subconscious level, but, they also give us clues so we can become aware of them. Listen to your body and look out for signs – do you feel achy? Always tired? Repeated headaches?... Pay attention to your words so you can transform your narrative – are you always saying negative things about you? Comparing yourself to others and missing the benchmark?... These may be signs of a forming toxic pattern.

Awareness is the trigger of action, and even thought working on ourselves is one of the hardest jobs, it also is the most rewarding.

So…Stop. Notice. Act. – and start living your best life!

We covered a lot in today’s episode but if we can leave you with one thought let it be this: Positive thinking is a learning process, and you can master it.

And as all learnings, it takes time, practice, patience....and a lot of falling forward! Because that's what we should do, fall and lift ourselves up - back on our feet and stronger than we were before.

Understanding that being kind to yourself, not living on absolutes (that is, nothing is permanent - the situation you are in is just a situation, and it will pass) and that you are not your thoughts, are key elements to master the art of positivity.

But, above it all, is the knowing that you are not alone - surround yourself with people that will cheer you on and cheer you up, absorb their energy and fill up your positive tanks!