Avoiding Leadership Fatigue: A Woman’s Guide to Effective Energy Management

Are you constantly running on empty, finding yourself drained by the end of each workday? What if the answer isn't just better time management, but more effective energy management? Sure, you can reorganise your calendar or trim down your to-do list, but the real transformation happens when you pay attention to what fuels you at a deeper level.

The Pitfall of Ignoring Energy Management

Many women in leadership roles focus so much on time management that they overlook their energy levels. This often results in a work-life imbalance, and the first thing to be sacrificed is usually self-care. Sound familiar?

The Four Types of Energy

Let's delve into the four types of energy that we all possess: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Understanding these distinct energy types can help you balance your day effectively.

Mental Energy

This is the type of energy that we commonly associate with cognitive tasks. Meetings, problem-solving, and strategic planning all require mental energy.

Emotional Energy

Your relationships and your emotional well-being also demand energy. Emotional energy can both fill you up and deplete you, depending on the situation.

Physical Energy

Exercise, sleep, and nutrition are vital components for maintaining physical energy.

Spiritual Energy

This is perhaps the most neglected type of energy. Spiritual energy fuels us by connecting us to our deeper values and purpose.

Your Personal Energy Lifters

We all have activities that energise us—what I call 'Mini Lifters' and 'Big Lifters.' Mini Lifters are quick, five-minute activities, like taking a deep breath or stepping outside for fresh air. Big Lifters require more time, like a relaxing bath or a nature walk.

Red Flags and Energy Management

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to warning signs that your energy is running low. These 'Red Flags' are unique to each individual, serving as indicators that it's time to focus on rebalancing your energy. Often, those closest to you may recognise these warning signs before you do. Whether it's irritability, forgetfulness, or a change in your normal behaviour, your loved ones often hold the mirror up to your well-being.

So, be brave enough to ask for their observations. Acknowledging these external cues can be a valuable resource in managing your energy levels effectively. Understanding your personal red flags gives you the advantage of addressing them before they escalate into something more severe, like burnout.

Final Thoughts

Mastering energy management is essential for anyone, but it's crucial for women leaders juggling multiple roles. By paying attention to the different types of energy and incorporating Mini and Big Lifters into your routine, you can live a more balanced and fulfilling life. Are you ready to transform the way you manage your energy?

The journey from overwhelm to balance doesn't have to be a solo expedition. If you're ready to discover a more energised, fulfilling way of leading, let's explore how we can work together to make that a reality.

Take the Next Step: Explore Ways to Work with Me

Unlock a new way of living and leading. Dive into my RESTORE programme or discover personalised coaching solutions designed just for you. Take the first step to a more balanced, energised life today. Click here to explore ways to work with me.

How Women Leaders Can Conquer Stress, Overwhelm, and Burnout

Burnout isn't just an occupational hazard—it's a looming crisis that many senior women leaders face today. You might think that the solution lies solely in productivity tools or stress management techniques. While these tools have their place, and indeed are a part of what I offer, the real secret sauce lies in a deeper understanding of yourself.

Unmasking the Real Culprit Behind Stress and Burnout

Why are you on the brink of exhaustion? Many women leaders find themselves relentlessly driven by deeply embedded narratives about what success 'should' look like. I, too, had to peel back layers of misplaced responsibility and self-imposed pressures to understand my constant race towards burnout. This understanding is often the first crucial step in a longer, transformative journey. That's why one of the key modules in my RESTORE method focuses on self-inquiry and introspection. Identifying these unconscious stories isn't just liberating; it's often the first chapter in rewriting a life story centred on well-being and authentic success.

The Importance of Self-Care in Leadership

Caring for yourself isn't a luxury; it's a necessity, especially for those in leadership roles. Self-care is often dismissed as self-indulgent or secondary to the 'real work' of leading or building a business. Yet, neglecting self-care can have dire consequences, not just for you but for your team and your business as well. Prioritising self-care in your life is the backbone of sustainable leadership and a vital part of my RESTORE programme.

Testimonial:

"As someone who felt frazzled, mentally exhausted, and overwhelmed before entering the programme, I can attest to its transformative power. I left it feeling a sense of clarity and calm, and it was a joy to share this nurturing experience with other like-minded, strong, ambitious women." — Ruth, Business Owner

Creating Your Personal Toolkit for Well-being

You've identified the stories that keep you stuck, and you've begun the work of rewriting them. Now, what tangible steps can you take to ensure you're living a life that uplifts you rather than depletes you? This is where my 'Mini and Big Lifters' concept comes into play. These are personalised activities that boost your mood and energy. Mini Lifters are quick activities that take 5 minutes or less, like listening to a favourite song or stepping outside to breathe in some fresh air. Big Lifters require a bit more time but have a significantly greater impact on your well-being. For me, it's immersing myself in the sea—so much so that my husband jokes I must have a label somewhere that reads, "Just add water."

Your Path to a Sustainable, Fulfilled Life Awaits

So, if you find yourself on the brink of burnout, feeling like each day is a slog, it may be time to pause and rethink your approach. Not just with stress management tools and productivity hacks, although they are part of the equation, but by diving deeper. By unearthing the stories that have led you here and committing to your self-care with strategies tailored to you, a more sustainable, fulfilling version of leadership—and life—is within reach. You don't have to go it alone. The RESTORE method is designed to help women leaders like you not just survive, but truly thrive.

Are you ready to make the change? Find out more about Restore™ here

From Podcast to Airwaves: Elias and I Join BBC Radio Cornwall to Chat About ADHD!

Exciting times ahead! If you've been enjoying our sporadically released podcast, "Hyperfocus Positive Minds," you're in for a treat. Elias and I temporarily traded our home studio for a spot on BBC Radio Cornwall to talk about — you guessed it — ADHD!

You know me for my commitment to helping you navigate life's stresses and strains. Well, this time, we've taken the conversation to the Cornish airwaves. We were thrilled to have this chance, and Elias especially brought his A-game with youthful wisdom and insights.

Why should you listen? We go beyond the surface, giving you a multi-generational perspective on ADHD — all backed up with the kind of real talk and humour you've come to expect from our own podcast.

Click [here] to tune in for this special episode. Trust me, it's a conversation you won't want to miss.

Juggling life's many balls? Remember, you're doing more than just keeping them in the air. You're making it look good too! Keep on shining, women! 👑

Until next time,

How To Hold Your Boundaries

WANT TO KNOW THE SECRET TO SETTING AND HOLDING BOUNDARIES?

Watch as I unpack how to navigate the tricky concept of setting your boundaries so you don’t get taken advantage of.

Here are some of the topics :

• Why most people fail to create effective boundaries

• The 3 step process of setting boundaries and keeping them strong

• How this 3 step process will help you get more peace, feel less resentful and way more relaxed.
  
  Have you joined my community yet? Jump in

Why You Shouldn't Avoid Conflict and What To Do Instead

Conflict is part of life and when we consistently avoid it we create a lot more stress for ourselves than we need.

Burnout doesn’t just happen because we are working too hard. It often happens because we are doing and thinking way more than we need to because we are avoiding difficult stuff!
If you haven’t yet joined my community, Jump in today

How to Have Tricky Conversations

Laura guests on the BBC Mums Without Makeup Podcast with Anoushka Williams.

Listen here

The Importance of Cutting Toxic People Out

Surround yourself with people who lift you up rather than pull you down. If there’s anyone in your life right now who is a negative force, make the decision now to cut them out. It’s important to think of it as you being nice to you, rather than you being mean to them. Try not to fall into the trap of putting up with negative people out of a sense of obligation, or trying to be a kinder person－ your self care always comes first, and a difficult conversation with someone is worth it for the lifetime of freedom it provides you. 

If it feels daunting to face these people head on, try slowly phasing them out of your life－ stop replying so quickly to their texts and their emails, or share parts of your life with them. Start denying them the access to you that they have but don’t deserve. If they don’t take the hint, it may be time to have that difficult conversation. Here are some ways to deal with having the talk:

First, understand that it’s OK to walk away. You are the person who gets to decide who you spend your energy on－ no one is entitled to it, or allowed to make that decision for you. It’s OK to walk away from people who are bringing negativity into your life.

Don’t wait for an apology. It’s not coming. It’s important to take control and move forward with these difficult conversations regardless of how it may make the other person feel－ it’s about putting your needs first. 

Give yourself a deadline－ if you keep putting it off, you allow the toxic person to continue to have access to you and drain your energy. By giving yourself a deadline, you have something tangible to commit to, and this can help you actualise the conversation rather than keep coming up with excuses. 

Focus on the healthy relationships you have instead. It can be very helpful to allow your attention to centre around the people who bring you joy rather than those who don’t.

And finally－ let yourself be heartbroken. Even when people are bad to us, we can still grieve the loss of them in our lives. Allow yourself to feel this feeling, and sit with it until you can find closure. This will allow you to accept the past, and move on to the better things that lie waiting for you in your future.

What steps will you take to cut negativity out of your life?

Your Beliefs Are Holding You Back - Here's Why

Limiting beliefs are beliefs that hold us back from pursuing our dreams and desires. Many of us will have limiting beliefs that we aren’t even aware of– I used to believe that nobody would want to hear what I had to say, and that when I spoke I was taking up too much space. This limited the growth of my business hugely, finding myself turning opportunities to talk at events. Ultimately I believed that I had to be liked, and that if people didn’t like me I wasn’t worth anything. Now I know that part of being successful is realising that some people won’t like you– but that isn’t to do with me, it’s to do with them. 

There are 3 main types of limiting beliefs. These include beliefs about yourself, things like “I can’t do this because I’m too old/too young/too uneducated”, beliefs about the world– “they will think I’m stupid if I do that” “I can’t leave this relationship because no one will want me”, and beliefs about life, for example “I don’t have time” or “Someone has already done this business idea, I’ve missed the boat.” By holding onto these beliefs, we subconsciously allow ourselves to make excuses for not striving to achieve our goals. 

Personally, I know I have struggled with many limiting beliefs during my life. This has included things like thinking that no one would want to pay me for what I know, and that I didn’t have anything worthy to offer. 

So how can we nip these beliefs in the bud?

The first step is to identify the limiting belief. For example, this may be the belief that you will never meet somebody because of your age, or that you’ll never get your business off the ground because you’re not good enough. It’s important to face these beliefs head on in order to change the way we think about them. Mindset is everything!

The next step is to question the belief. We spend so much time looking for evidence to prove our beliefs as true, but never any time looking for proof that they aren’t. Think about alternative possibilities, and what your life would look like if your assumptions were incorrect. Think about the other side of the coin– there is so much proof out there that your limiting belief is incorrect, you just have to choose to see it. 

Ask yourself how this belief is serving you. Most of our limiting beliefs serve us by protecting us from things we see as scary, such as the prospect of struggling, or failure Is it worth it? Think about how much more we could get out of life if we just let go of those limiting beliefs and swapped them out for aspirational beliefs that will serve us so much more. 

The final step is to create alternative beliefs. Become that annoying friend who always has an answer! A helpful way to do this is to write down your assumption, and then flip it on its head. For example, “No one wants to go on a date with a woman over 40” becomes “Some people have their most meaningful relationships later in life”. I changed my belief that no one would like me to the belief that it doesn’t matter what people think about me! I know in myself that I am worthy of taking up space. Never forget that you have options! If we can just see beyond that limiting belief to the world of options beyond, we create much healthier thinking patterns and set ourselves up for success. 

What limiting belief do you want to overcome?

I sat on the doormat crying over a shoe.

Proper big tears.

My daughter, who was 4 at the time, clippity-clopped in my high heels into the bathroom and came back with a tissue. She started to dab my eyes as she squatted next to me with a confused face.

I was exhausted. Mornings at the time included getting 3 children out the door to various different schools or child facilities, with various different school uniforms, different packed lunches catering for various different likes, disikes, intolerances and fears— including the debilitating fear of tomatoes harboured by my middle son. The dog needed to be walked, tea prepped in the slow cooker, urgent emails were batted off at silly o’clock before the children woke. Just the responsibility of keeping a business financially afloat was stressful in itself, but especially with the added pressure of ensuring my vulnerable clients were getting the care I had promised. All of this among recruitment challenges.

I was frantically rummaging around in the cupboard, late for my first meeting already, but convincing myself I would somehow make it. There was no room for error. I had asked my daughter to put her shoes on— she had chosen my high heels. Ordinarily I would have just scooped her up and taken her to the childminders like that, but today was a big day— today she was going on a trip, and she needed sensible shoes. After an amount of frantic searching, I came across something— one sensible right shoe located. One more to go. As I looked underneath things, and in things, it became more and more apparent that the left shoe was nowhere to be found. The desperation was tangible as I started to throw things out the cupboard like I was in a cartoon, swearing under my breath and sending various shoes and items of clothing flying behind me. Looking at my watch I realised I was going to miss the most important meeting of the month. Maybe even the year.

I concluded in that moment that I was rubbish. I was a rubbish mother. A rubbish businesswoman. The tears flowed like a river. I was beyond stressed and I was living on the edge. Something had to change.

This was a moment that elicited massive change for me. I knew I couldn’t keep putting myself at the bottom of the pile or there would be many more days of tears to come.

I now work with people just like old me. I help them to create a self-care plan that will change the course of all their days. Have them feeling refreshed and full of energy rather than depleted and exhausted. If you want to self guard your future against burnout I can help. 

Journal Prompts

Quick Daily Journal Prompts.
(Do these daily morning and evening)

Morning questions:

• I am grateful for…

• What would make today great?

• Daily affirmation. I am…

• My intention for today is …

Evening questions:

• 3 amazing things that happened today...

• One thing you would like to improve on tomorrow

• Write about something that made you smile today.

Writing prompts for when you have more than 5 minutes…

• What brings you joy?

• Describe a place where you felt really happy.

• What was your greatest fear, and how did you conquer it?

• Write a letter to someone that you always want to thank but have never had the chance to do so.

• What is something that you would like to change about yourself?

• What's something you're good at? What makes you good at it?

• What keeps you up at night worrying? Are your worries realistic? Is there anything you can do about them?

• In what areas are you optimistic, and in what areas are you pessimistic?

• What's something you disagree with about the way you were raised?

• Who do you trust most? Why?

• How do you show compassion to others? How can you extend that same compassion to yourself?

• What about your work feels real, necessary, or important to you?

• What values do you consider most important in life (honesty, justice, altruism, loyalty, etc.)? How do your actions align with those values?

• What three changes can you make to live according to your personal values?

• Explore an opinion or two that you held in the past but have since questioned or changed. What led you to change that opinion?

• Describe one or two significant life events that helped shape you into who you are today.

• What parts of daily life cause stress, frustration, or sadness? What can you do to change those experiences?

• What go-to coping strategies help you get through moments of emotional or physical pain?

• What three ordinary things bring you the most joy?

• Write a short love letter to some object or place that makes you happy.

• List 10 things that inspire or motivate you.

• Make a list of people you admire

• What three things would you share with your teenage self? 

• What three questions would you want to ask an older version of yourself?

• What do you look forward to most in the future?

• List three obstacles lying in the way of your contentment or happiness. Then, list two potential solutions to begin overcoming each obstacle.

• What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?

• What does your dream house look like?  Describe it in detail

• How would you describe yourself to someone who had never met you?  Write your description as though you were a character in a book or a movie.

• Write about your most cherished memory of all time.

• Write 5 affirmations for when you are feeling low.

• What would you do if you were granted three wishes?

• What is the last dream you remember

• Add something to your bucket list. 

How Do you Deal with Disappointment?

One Puppy!

How do you deal with disappointment?

Those that know me well will know that I don’t hold back when it comes to getting excited about the future. I LOVE feeling excited. I love the energy it creates in my body. I love the conversations it produces when I’m engaging with others. I love the day dreaming that occurs when I envisage what it will be like to live with the thing I am excited most about.

I feel sad when people won’t let themselves experience the joy of the excitement, all those days of jumping out of bed with a spring in their step, just in case the thing they are looking forward to doesn’t come to fruition. I am often told not to get too excited. “it might not happen”

This picture is of my beautiful dog Olive. We decided to breed Olive for the second and last time a few months back. She is an amazing Mummy and we all loved the experienced last time when she had a litter of 10. I would be lying if the financial aspect of breeding her was not a factor. It really was. Puppies are sought after at the moment and we breed exceptionally cute ones! You could say that this journey was set to make me happy in many ways!

On Wednesday, quite unexpectedly she gave birth to her first puppy while I was on a Zoom call to a colleague. I hadn’t even known she was in labour. It just sort of happened behind me with very little fuss. My poor colleague has only been working with us for a few weeks and already he is experiencing the madness! After four hours of concern and various calls to the vets, we decided to take her in as nothing seemed to be progressing. We were all a bit stressed and worried by now, and although manipulating a labouring dog into a car for a drive seemed like an unfair pressure, we needed to know if she was ok. I held the tiny puppy in a hat warmed by my husbands head as we drove to the vets. I was worried about Olive.

We needn’t have worried, she bounced into the vets with all the excitement of a child at a birthday party.

To our surprise, after an x-ray, the vet was able to determine there were no more puppies. Very unusual for a springer spaniel, not completely unheard of but unusual all the same.

Disappointed much?

Yes of course I’m disappointed. I would have loved to have experienced the madness of a house full of puppies again. I would have loved to have paid off debts and maybe even have had a lovely holiday. (The things I had daydreamed about and discussed with friends with all the excitement that the thoughts brought.) But here’s the thing…

Disappointment happens anyway. The perception that it is far deeper if you dream harder is just not true. If I had not allowed myself to turn up in the world with the excitement that the future of a whole bunch of puppies created, I would have missed out on a lot of days of feeling awesome wrapped in my excitement.

Also, I have already had messages from friends asking me what I will do next to realise my vision. It seems I have created accountability by talking openly. So now I just need to make it happen. I could try breeding again but I wonder if the universe is telling me there are easier ways and Olive has been through enough.

I LOVE this puppy and the lesson he affirms.

Are you too scared to dream in case you feel disappointed if things don’t turn out quite as expected?

Live life unapologetically, enjoy your excitement for the future but remember to enjoy your present moment just as passionately. If your plans don’t happen and your disappointment is really deep, let yourself feel it, process it, grieve the future that didn’t happen and make new plans. There are many many different potential futures.

Watch out for more pictures of ‘Puppy Pants’ as he grows. I called him that because he looks like he’s wearing a brown pair of pants.

Burnout- What It's Really Like And How To Avoid it

Are you feeling stressed and exhausted?

Would you know if you were close to burnout?

In 2018 I was running so fast in my business, I was missing life. Technology is a wonderful tool and now more than ever, an integral part of our lives. We can check emails whilst in meetings, make calls whilst commuting, be in several conversations at once due to the power of text messaging... and is it me, or are zoom meetings getting closer and closer together? Working like this takes its toll, and that’s without living under a cloud of a global pandemic. We are all exhausted.

Burnout for me looked like many months of depression and anxiety spent laying on the sofa staring at the patio doors; day after day. Broken only by visits to see the young student doctor whose eyes communicated the deepest of care that her face would make me cry. The first months were spent either in a heavy blur thanks to the diazepam or jolting in terror; Panic attacks that would consume my body and I was sure I would die. Deep breaths are taken after the event as the wave of feeling sick engulfed my body created by the adrenalin. Other days my husband made a judgement that leaving me alone staring at the doors was not safe due to my very dark thoughts. Then he would drive me to my mother’s house where she would love me all day whilst I told her all the reasons why I was unlovable. 

Burn-out is real. Pushing hard every minute of each day makes us ill.

It was during my recovery from Burnout that I completely rebuilt how I work. The realisation that most of my working days were spent in one place physically whilst in another mentally didn't come until I stepped gingerly back into the workplace.  My recovery felt so slow and was peppered with guilt. Leaving my colleagues and team to lead themselves,(They were amazing) Being unable to support my co-founder and board with any decisions hurt. It's quite the moment when you realise everything functions pretty well without you. It also hammered something home...

We can't do it all forever and if we try there are huge consequences.

During my phased return to work, I discovered a secret. In my brain's "go slow'' mode, I discovered magic I would never have experienced.' had I been able to multi-task at speed like before.

Something extraordinary happens when we work in the same place mentally as we are inhabiting physically. When we are present in the moment thinking is clear, decisions come easily and I found I moved through tasks effortlessly. I got more done than I ever did before.

.Athletes call this place the Zone: Life happens in the moment. We do not have the power to change the past (depression), nor can we act in the future (anxiety).

It is in the moment; in the present, where our future is created and our dreams are achieved.

As things here ramped up over this pandemic year. I have found myself slipping into meeting after meeting,  with no time to follow up on actions. Communication tennis occurs from all directions on multiple devices, self-imposed targets and much sought after training attended with no time in my day to implement my learning. I noticed some overwhelm raise its head.

It was whilst weighing out spices into a pan, concentrating hard on reading the measurements in the recipe book next to the cooker, whilst a podcast played in my ears. The sound of the dogs play-fighting created a rumble and I reached for the dial on the hob as pans starting to hiss as they boiled over. As I tried to ignore the devastation of our tidy home left by homeschooling children I replied  “really?” to my eight-year-old daughter’s excited ramblings. In a second the lights dimmed and a spotlight lit up my daughter and I. Everything else blurred as her broken face sadly said "and that’s why I know you haven't been listening- again" Like a thunderbolt, it hit me as I sat on the floor and pulled her reluctantly into a hug. The moment- Being present to what matters.

This weekend I will be prioritising reconnecting with every moment.  I have adjusted my calendar with a day each week blocked out for follow-ups, thinking time, planning, actioning and learning. That day will take priority every week. It will not get booked with anything else.

The photo is of a sketch of my view of the patio doors from the sofa. I am no artist but drawing was my route to being in the Zone and is a tool I Still use when overwhelmed. A 10-minute sketch challenging my brain to focus on what I really see and not what I think I see is a great way to switch quickly back to the Zone. It’s in the zone where athletes win!

I want to know how you get in the zone?

From The Sofa

How To Tell Someone They Are Annoying You

3 Things To Do to Feel in Control in an Out of Control World

At the moment things can feel a little out of control and it is not uncommon to feel utter exhaustion as we grapple with this whole new world.

Watch the video or read the article.

Here I outline just 3 changes you can make today to feel more in control. Give it a go and let me know how you get on!

1. Switch an hour of social media for an hour of bliss.

Most people are surprised by the number of hours that social media gobbles up. On average internet users spend two hours and 22 minutes online. When we are on social media we are not as in control as we think we are. Algorithms are set to keep you online as long as possible so that companies can advertise to you. While you may think you are making choices about what you watch and spend time reading, you are not.

Social media, although important for keeping us connected, has a negative impact on our feelings, particularly if your feed is full of the current news, anger and disappointment. 

By committing to replacing an hour of social media with something you love, you are taking control of your happiness and putting yourself back in the driving seat.

For example, one of my clients used to love to draw but found she no longer had time to do it. She also felt it was indulgent to spend time doing it when there was so much else that needed doing. However, when she realised she was spending over two hours on social media a day she realised she had some time she could claim back and repurpose for her own mental health by getting in to blissful flow.

Flow is a state we get into when we do an activity that we love and are often quite good at; for some, it is sporting activities - for others, it is creative work. You know you have found flow when time feels as if it has stopped, and you are totally absorbed beyond the point of distraction. When was the last time that you were in flow? Whatever it was you were doing, do more of that.

When we are in this state our mind chatter melts away and gives us a high, leaving us fulfilled and motivated. 

1. Schedule in ‘me time’ every hour!

With so many of us working from home, you may think that we have become less productive. However, research is showing that we are actually doing more. I am sure I am not the only one who will put on a load of washing or start marinating my dinner during my working day. It has become easy for us to add more jobs to our list when home and work-life blend. While there are advantages to this, there are also many risks. Working from home can increase the pressure on us, and from talking to my own colleagues it is apparent that this can have a knock-on effect - for example, missing lunch breaks or eating at the screen.

Make sure you take screen breaks and walk around, outside if possible. I use the Pomodoro technique - set a timer for 25 minutes, and when the alarm goes off stop whatever you are working on (even if you are in flow). Make yourself get up and walk around, have a drink, change the scene and then sit back down setting the timer for another 25 minutes. After 4 sets of 25 minutes take a longer break - 20 minutes is good. This is your ‘me time’.

I was amazed at how much more productive I became when I started using this technique. It stops procrastination in its tracks and you will feel much more in control.

1. Trade feeling bad for feeling good

Not being in control is hard. When we are out of control we feel fearful. We have to accept that there are things that you can’t control. We must be willing to let that stuff go. For example during the pandemic you can’t stop other people having house parties, but you can influence how your household approaches things - you can take precautions, use hand gel, follow the guidelines.

Watching the news 24/7 does not help anyone and has a detrimental impact on us, as most of the time we are watching evidence of things outside of our control. Commit to watching something that lifts you up and makes you feel good. 

Tune in to how you are spending your time and use the feel-good filter. Ask yourself - does this activity drain me or replenish me? I find that watching the news will drain me, so I limit the time I spend watching it and actively find other activities to do instead that replenish me. 

In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown talks about the inhale and the exhale. The exhale is when we give something of ourselves, through working, teaching or supporting others. She says that we can feel that we must exhale all the time. But we must remember to inhale. We have to have an equal balance - if you have been doing something which uses up your resources, you must then choose to do something that is replenishing.

If you fancy investing in your future happiness, I can help you.

What to do when you feel anxious and you don't know why

Sometimes our bodies still run old patterns that we consciously got rid of long ago. This can leave us feeling anxious even though we don’t consciously feel there is anything to be anxious about. Do this to calm your parasympathetic nervous system so you don’t feel dread out of anywhere!