When You Can’t Focus

"I've got so much going on. When I have time to get something done, I can't focus."

When I’m feeling this way, you’ll find me scrolling my IG feed. I’ll start watching cat or baby videos or better yet, football hype reels. Or, I’ll mindlessly window shop. 

I get how frustrating this is. You think that if you could be more productive, you’d feel less overwhelmed. You want to work your way out of it, check a few things off your to-do list and feel a sense of accomplishment. 

But you don’t seem to have the bandwidth or energy to focus. What’s going on? 

There is a good chance you're fried. It’s an odd way to describe it, but when our nervous system is working overtime, our circuits go haywire. 

• Are you jumpy and get startled easily? 

• Is it hard to fall or stay asleep? 

• Have you lost your patience and do you lose your temper easily? 

• Does everything, even the small things, feel like a big deal?

These are signs that you need to hit the reset button. 

Working harder won’t help you through the overwhelm (at least in a sustainable way). I know. I said it again. You need to tend to yourself.  

The more you have on your plate, the more downtime you need.  

Giving yourself some space in your day will be worth it. Take time for lunch away from your computer. Go for a short walk. Take 5 minutes and step outside with a cup of tea. 

You can’t be your most creative self if you're feeling depleted. 

Consider some bigger questions... 

• Are you expecting yourself to be all things to all people? 

• Do you have reasonable and sustainable expectations for yourself?  

• Are you able to set boundaries to protect your energy? 

Your struggle with focusing isn’t the real problem, it’s a symptom. As you navigate through this, you’ll see that there is a large part of you that’s asking for more support and a mindset change. 

If you’d like to partner with me to help you through this, set up a time with me to chat.

Earning vs. Deserving

the mindset shift that will heal your relationship with food and your body

My high school softball coach had a sign in her office; “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” These words became my mantra. And then I made them true.  In all areas of my life but one. When I worked hard, I was rewarded. I worked hard and got lucky on the field, at school and in the office. 

I tried for decades to apply this “work hard and good luck will come” mentality to my body and weight loss.  And diet culture agreed and cheered me on.  I believed I just needed more discipline to stay away from forbidden foods, better time management skills to prep meals for the week, and energy to exercise and work out to burn calories. 

Yet, it never worked for me. And it probably isn’t working for you either. Here’s why: 

Diet culture markets their products by telling us that a thinner body will make them feel confident and happy. We see pictures of people that have tried and “been successful” using their product in a slim body, nice clothes with an attractive friend or partner.  

We’ve been sold and told that the only way to be happy is to earn it by achieving a thin body. 

It’s okay to earn our accomplishments. But we don’t need to earn happiness, confidence and peace. 

Yet, what breaks my heart is the underlying belief I hear in my clients stories over and over again. They feel like they need to earn fundament things like: 

Rest

Nourishment

Peace

Ease

Relaxation

Contentment

Because we live in a culture that tells us that if our body isn’t acceptable, we need to:

1. Work hard to achieve one that is with sacrifice and hard work. 

2. Forgo basic needs until it is acceptable. 

When we need to earn our happiness because of our body size, we are just sacrificing the quality of our lives. Again and again. 

The only person that can give you what you desire is you. We don’t need to earn a happy life. 

What are you waiting for? When you retire? When you’ve finally lost those 10 lbs that you’ve been trying to lose for the past 15 years? When you have a perfect food day? When you’ve burned enough calories? 

The earning mentality has been instilled in us and we need to shift it to knowing we deserve care and respect. We deserve love. Simply because we exist. 

You deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin no matter what. You deserve rest. You deserve to feel satiated. You deserve to enjoy the food you eat. You deserve to feel safe.

Your Business Needs a Morning Routine That Works for You

It’s never about doing what you’re supposed to do

Your morning routine is more than just starting your day right — it’s about aligning yourself with your business.

We all know that successful people have a morning routine. Oprah. Brene Brown. Michelle Obama. They meditate. They walk in nature.

This may inspire you to follow suit. I know that thinking. “If I do what they do, maybe I’ll get more of what they have.”

Hal Elrod’s Morning Miracle introduced me to start my day with an intentional daily practice. Before then, I was doing some of the right things. You know those things — meditate, yoga, workout.

I was fairly consistent, sitting on my meditation cushion for the minimal amount of time I thought was acceptable. I got to a yoga class a few times a week. I’d squeeze in a workout. I’d keep a journal on my bedside table, and would connect the pen to paper before I’d fall asleep at night if I wasn’t too exhausted.

These felt like a chore. It took a lot of effort for me to do these things. I felt bad when I conveniently forgot to meditate. Or skipped a workout.

I Started Letting Go…

And then something happened. I gave myself permission to stop doing what I thought I was supposed to do.

I stopped practicing yoga. Which is funny to admit since I’m a yoga teacher. I couldn’t force myself to unroll my mat and do one more Downward-Facing Dog pose.

I stopped working out to just get a sweat in. I’ve run marathons, loved intense, dripping sweat workouts. But my body was achy and tired. Forcing it to move fast and hard wasn’t fun. So I slowed down.

I did keep meditating. But only for 5 minutes. Long gone were the days when I sat for 20, 30, or even 40 minutes (this was a brief period, by the way). 5 minutes was all I could take. So I did do that.

And I did it as guilt-free as I possibly could.

And Realigned With My Business and Me

I was letting myself discover who I was as a human being if I wasn’t an accountant or a yoga teacher.

It’s not surprising that these behind-the-scenes shifts were happening in parallel with the transition of my businesses. I was letting go of my accounting business so I could spend 100% of my time and energy in my intuitive eating and transformational coaching business.

I wasn’t just letting my yoga practice and my accounting business go, I was letting myself discover who I was as a human being if I wasn’t an accountant or a yoga teacher.

When I stopped ‘shoulding’ myself, I was embarking on a process of discovering something new. All of this felt uncomfortable and uncertain. And necessary.

Like a new friend, I was getting to know myself. Something new was emerging inside of me.

I started to align with my business and discovered a morning practice that worked for me.

Here Are Some Ways To Try This Out for Yourself

This process took some time. As a business owner, I invite you to consider a few things I did.

1. I got clear around how I wanted to feel every day. I want to feel energized and connected to my creativity. I want to feel light and present.

2. I understood why feeling this way was so important to me. When I feel grounded, I’m available to my clients in the best way I can be. When I’m energized, I write my best content and create programs that I’m excited about offering.

3. I noticed how each practice made my body feel before, during, and after I did it. I feel so calm after my new yoga routine. I love walking and so does my body.

4. I dedicated myself to my morning routine. I schedule the time in my calendar so that it doesn’t get tossed aside in the busyness of my day.

5. I’m open to changing my routine when it no longer works for me. I know that my needs change over time and I expect my morning routine to change too.

The more personal our business is to us, the more our business needs our presence and energy.

It doesn’t take discipline to follow through with a routine that feels warm and welcoming.

Closing Notes

Create a daily morning practice that includes stillness, reflection, movement, and fresh air, and notice how the more you’re connected with yourself, the more you will thrive in your business.

I encourage you to dive in and enjoy this magical process of letting go and self-discovery!