Rooted Living Wellness Coaching

Self Compassion

2011-09-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

In your journey, please accept where you are at now! Each step in your journey is meant to be there as a teacher for now, and for things to come. Take the time to both accept where you are now while you also thwart yourself into your beautiful picture of the place you would like to be.

While on your life path, be kind to yourself and know that you are doing the best you can with what you have in front of you now. Know that your intentions are good and full of the vision of that which you are creating now. Let go of guilt related to your imperfections. Let go of the guilt related to your roller coaster of commitment. Forgive yourself for your imperfections, embrace your consistencies and your inconsistencies.

Be here now while you envision the beautiful self you are creating with the steps you are taking right here and now.

Liz

Trial & Error

2011-08-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Trial and Error

So, you've decided to make a change in your life. Congratulations on taking that first step to challenge yourself to new ways of being! As you take those initial steps towards change or what I like to call, "new beginnings", it is essential to understand you may have to try out a few plans until you figure out what works best for you.

There's a little thing we call, "trial and error" in the process to create lasting change. When you are creating your plan for change, take your time to look at all the potentials for success and failure. Being ready to "fail" with your plan is something we all have to face. One of the most important components in being able to be successful with your overall goal relies on your ability to accept that your first attempts to create a successful plan may be fraught with errors. I mean seriously, were you able to ride a bike the first time you hopped on? Did you come out of the womb speaking full sentences?! When taking steps towards a new or even familiar endeavor, please be kind, patient and dedicated to yourself.

People who are successful are those who are willing to LEARN FROM THEIR ERRORS SO THEY CAN GET BACK OUT THERE AND CREATE A BETTER MORE SUCCESSFUL PLAN!!! It simply doesn't matter if you get things right on the first try or the last try. It simply matters that you COMMIT FULLY to each plan and you are willing to FACE FAILURE so you will be able to FIND SUCCESS.

I encourage all of you to get out there and and don't be afraid to fail today so you can succeed tomorrow!!

My dog Buddy is tired from his excursion but he's still hanging in there :-)

Coach Liz

Systems of Belief

2011-08-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Whether you believe you can or you believe you can't, either way you are right! Our beliefs about our own capabilities have a profound effect on the decisions we make and the directions we take in our lives.

Whether you are in the midst of challenging yourself to make a change or you simply want to take a moment to reflect on the decisions you make in your life, it's imperative to understand that the roots of the decisions that you make, not only take root in your personal values (as we discussed yesterday) but also in your beliefs.

For today, I would like to highlight a nasty little bug in our brains that we call "limiting beliefs". In my most recent workshop, we discussed "limiting beliefs" and how these beliefs about ourselves (and sometimes others) can limit our ability to move forward and thrive.

Our "limiting beliefs" are often false beliefs that accentuate our inner fears, worries and past traumas. These beliefs hold us back and keep us down. These are those beliefs that say, "I am not good enough, I do not deserve that, I am not strong enough, I am not smart enough...". You may or may not be aware that these nasty little beliefs are swimming around in your brain and in your heart, but if you find yourself continuously struggling to overcome a certain obstacle, you may need to take a closer look at your current set of beliefs to see if there is one that continues to hold you back.

If you could imagine that your beliefs act like the driver for your life, where would your "life car" go? Do they drive you up to the top of the mountain or do they drag you down to swirl in the mud? I'm sure you will notice that your beliefs will varies in the different parts of your life, as we have a tendency to compartmentalize different components of our lives.

I invite you to take 10 minutes of your time right now to explore the different beliefs that both drive you up to the top of the mountain and the ones that drag you down. Then ask yourself, "Is there anything you believe now that you would like to change? Is there a belief that drives you up the mountain that you need to write down and post up in front of your face each day to keep you motivated?!

I hope you will take a moment to check your beliefs and start eliminating the ones that bring you down while you highlight the ones that bring you up.

Coach Liz

A Picture of Commitment

2011-08-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

A Picture of Commitment

So, what does it take to commit once you have established a goal? I have found one of the greatest tools to creating commitment is to clearly identify your values. For example, when I was embarking on the journey to lose weight (like I had many times before), I decided to do something a little different and figure out the values behind my motivation for this change. I began the process by finding a quiet space to gather my thoughts. I then started drawing a picture of the self I would like to see once I have lost the weight. This helped me to really visualize the goal and the feelings associated with the end result. I then placed descriptive feelings around the picture of how I believe I would feel once I have obtained this goal. Some of the words I discovered;

"Joy, accomplishment, beauty, healthy, lighter, comfortable, confident, stronger, etc"

The next step was to place these into values. I believe our values (family, friendship, etc) really drive our actions and behaviors and these values can really get your goals done! I started to think about what the reasons were behind losing this weight; it's not just about looking good, its also because I value......

1) Health; I will honor my body.

2) Family; I will be able to play with my cousins and hopefully live longer.

3) Friends; I can go to a social gathering and feel more comfortable.

If you notice, I took an extra step and added "I can" and "I will" statements along with the values. This is not necessary but it can be very helpful as well.
I have found these tools to really support one of the hardest parts to life change; commitment.

Coach Liz

A Great Challenge vs. Poor Me

2011-08-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

When faced with adversity, what thoughts come to mind for you? Do you find yourself motivated to take on the fight of this new challenge or do you find yourself entering into a victim stance with thoughts of, "oh, poor me"?!

As you know, the only real constant in life is change. And along with that change, adversity is sure to come. What matters most is how you respond to that adversity in your life. You can choose to let the difficult times chew you up and spit you out to be left withering helplessly on the ground or you can choose to withstand the storm and discover all the strength you surely hold within.

When faced with adversity, now matter how difficult it may seem, I encourage you to embrace the challenge with courage and excitement, yes I said excitement! When difficult challenges arise, it is the perfect time to rediscover your strengths and abilities. It is a time to fight for what you need and want. As you know, it can be easy to retreat to a place of fear and worry which will only act as a debilitator with your ability to persevere through these challenging times.

No matter what you are faced with today, remember to embrace your adversity and know that it is there simply to make you even stronger then you were before.

Cheers to courage, strength and embrace!

Coach Liz

Quick Tips for Stress!

2011-08-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

In these challenging times, the stress factor is high for many folks. I've met countless people who were used to living quite comfortably but now are faced with which bill to pay on time. I have seen the devastating effects that this constant stress and strain can have on the mind, body and spirit.

As you may know, the definition of stress hinges upon how in control we feel at any moment. When you feel a certain perceived threat to your existence, you can feel out of control. This feeling then turns on your body's natural stress response of "flight or fight". At that moment, you either have an innate drive to run away from the threatening/stressful response or you will feel the need to fight!

For example, I am a Vermonter and as such we do not have much traffic. I'm used to slowly moving along on the two-lane highways of the slow paced life. However, since living in San Diego California, I've had to get used to the high traffic and sometimes not so kind drivers.

When I get "cut-off" on the road, it sends a signal that I may be in danger and thus my stress response of flight or fight kicks in. I will then naturally have a response of wanting to "fight" (flipping them off, yelling, etc) or I may experience a feeling of "flight" (getting away from that driver as quickly as possible).

In order to gain a sense of control over this body's natural stress response, you must be open to implementing certain strategies to cope. In my most recent workshop, Stress Management 101, we discussed the following quick tips. Please review them, try them out and let us know how it works for you!

1) Change Your Response: Keep in mind that your first reaction may not always be the best.

2) Ask yourself, “What is to be gained by my response”?

3) Learn to Cope- Engage in “Stress Inoculation”. This concept focuses on assessing the stress in your life, assessing your current coping skills, and making plans to practice what helps you to minimize your negative stress responses.

4) Assess and Simply- eliminate unnecessary obligations, prioritize, and learn to say no

5) Get Support- reach out to friends and family. Join a support group, therapy group, etc.

6) Practice Mindfulness- stop multi-tasking at least 5 minutes of every hour!

7) Incorporate more Eustress (positive stress) into your life. Eustress helps us to accomplish our goals.

8)Move Your Body - when your mind is stressed, it needs a place to go.

9) Get to the top of a hierarchy that matters to you- Having a sense of mastery and control in an area of your life that is important to you will do wonders for your blood pressure!

10) Breathe- practice deep breathing. When you become stress, you tend to naturally shorten your breath. Take a moment to engage in deep abdominal breathing daily.

11) Take Action- If you know you need to make some changes to improve your ability to handle stress in your life, then make a plan and follow it! Contact Rooted Living for more support to accomplish your goals.

Be Well,

Liz Myers
Founder Rooted Living Wellness Coaching
www.rootedliving.com
Rootedliving@gmail.com

Success!

2010-01-31T08:48:00.001-08:00

My 30 challenge has nearly come and gone and I can say it has been a great SUCCESS! Dedicating myself to an alcohol free lifestyle for the past 30 days has been a refreshing and interesting challenge.

Here were the keys to my success:

1) Staying committed: It is essential to identify the key motivators and inspirations for you goal before you begin. If you feel this might be a particularly difficult challenge for you, please display these motivations and inspirations somewhere amongst your house for support. Some of my motivators and inspirations on this challenge were: "having a healthier mind and body, having a cleaner soul, experiencing the satisfaction of following something through successfully, being able to break through a negative family pattern, etc."
2) Keep it Small and Measurable: For me, a 30 day challenge is somewhat small and it is certainly measurable. I set this goal for this time period as I was fairly certain I could be successful with its completion. Some people make the grave mistake of pushing their limits too far. It is better to accomplish small achievable goals where you set yourself up for success! When you do this, you automatically instill newfound confidence and you are able to assess the strengths you used to get you through this small goal, which you can then use to accomplish future goals.
3) Accountability: You must be ready and willing to get real! Accountability is centered around your honesty with yourself and others. You must be willing to admit if you take an action which is not congruent with your goal and you must be able to take pride in your successes every day. You must ask yourself how you will monitor and check in with this honesty meter along the way. During my challenge, I used my blog, my partner and myself to remain accountable and successful.
4) Supports: Having supports in place when you are about to challenge yourself with a new goal is always essential. If it were not for the support of my partner's little reminders of why I started the goal in the first place, I'm sure I would have been more likely to get off track. So, reach out to friends, family, co-workers, a life coach :-), counselor, a motivational book, etc for support!
5) Focus on Action not Reaction: Setting and accomplishing goals takes consistent planning and action. When you are faced with a new challenge, it takes time and effort to practice new habits and set boundaries. You will inevitably be faced with support from friends and family as well as opposition from them. Some people like to have consistency in their life and they may balk at your thoughts to make change. People like to count on you as a friend just as you are, however when you are focusing on making a change for a brighter, better, authentic you, then you must be able to stand up to others who may not be willing to accept these changes. Again, some may react positively to your change and others will express negativity and indifference. It is vital you are able to set boundaries with yourself and with others during these times in order to accomplish goals. If others are not willing to support you are your new journey to a lighter, brighter authentically shining you, then you must be prepared to set boundaries with them and move on. During my journey, I had many opportunities to join in with friends for a drink. However, my ability to set boundaries and let them know about my personal challenge helped me to stay on track. And when you tell others about your goal, say it with confidence and an unwavering conviction so they know you mean business!
6) Reward: Don't forget to reward yourself for your accomplishments! All of those gold stars you earned in class when you were in elementary school were simply part of a psychological reinforcer to keep you happy and on track! As we get older, that need to receive gifts for our accomplishments does not disappear. For me, the money I saved from not drinking will allow me to get the beautiful purple shirt from Levis I've been eyeing.....ahhhhhh rewards :-)

Good luck with your challenges.........YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Coach Liz

Seven days In

2010-01-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

My 30 day challenge began just one week ago so I thought I would let you in on the happenings! As you remember, I challenged myself to go 30 days without any alcohol and almost 7 days have passed so far. You would think 7 days is nothing but try throwing in your birthday and a trip to Vegas and it turns the heat up a bit. You may be wondering, have I been successful?!

YES, I have been successful so far.....

So, What's kept me on track while the waitress screams at the top of lungs, "cocktails" while the betting machines "chaching" all over the place? For one, having a travel partner who doesn't care to drink certainly makes things easier. Being around others who want to drink is one of the quickest ways to crash and burn. If you are taking a break from the drink, you will also have to tell your drinking buddies you can communicate over ichat instead for awhile!

Another positive reinforcer comes with accountability. This comes from being honest with myself and knowing I will be reporting to others about my goal. If you are serious about your challenge, you will find it essential to tell others what you plan to do. We are naturally built to want to look good in front of others so jump in and tell the world your plans.

The last positive reinforcer towards my success is that all powerful word, "NO". How lovely it is to get to say "no" as much as I want and know it is only doing something positive for me. It gave me clarity to have the same answer every time my mind triggered the question, "should I have a drink now"? I once was told if you repeat something 19 times it is committed to memory and it becomes habit. It makes me wonder how many times I said "no" during those 5 day stay in Vegas. Should I bet on 19?!

More to come, but please consider your 30 day challenge. If you need support and accountability, send me an email and we can get you started on some wellness coaching for success!

Coach Liz :-)
liz@rootedliving.com

A 30 Day Challenge

2010-01-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

So New Years has come and gone. What is your resolution?? It seems to be the most popular question these days! Do you have an answer yet? Do you believe in making a New Years resolution?

As a Wellness Coach and Fitness Consultant, I tend to have a little more added pressure to continuously make efforts to evolve as a "well" person. I considered cutting out coffee, gasp! I love my coffee and not all the reviews are bad so I'm sticking to my one cup in the morning for now.

My actual resolution lies upon the next 30 days....starting today! I have long considered the idea of cutting alcohol out of my life for good. I have a long family history of alcoholics which predisposes me to the same dangers. When I consider my responsibilities as a Wellness Coach, I believe my next step it to take the plunge and go without alcohol for at least 30 days and see how it feels. I don't drink too often these days but holidays definitely make me reach for the bottle opener.

Oh and did I mention my birthday is in two days? And I am leaving on a business trip to Vegas today! I can't wait to deny free drinks.......Cheers to the 30 day challenge! What's yours?

Don't forget to check back on my progress......

Coach Liz :-)