Intentional Living

Intentional Living

 

Intentional living isn’t about having everything figured out or following a strict plan. It’s about choosing how you want to live—moment by moment—in a way that aligns with your values, needs, and well-being.

At The Messy Middle, I help midlife professionals move beyond stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion to create a life that feels fulfilling, not just functional. Intentional living isn’t about adding more pressure—it’s about learning to make choices that support the life you truly want to live.

In this post, we’ll explore how emotional healing, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and resilience all play a role in living with intention. Plus, I’ll share practical ways to start making more intentional choices today.

what is intentional living?

Living intentionally doesn’t mean always knowing the next step—it means choosing to be present, aware, and aligned in how you move forward.

Signs You’re Not Living Intentionally:

  • Feeling like you’re constantly reacting rather than choosing

  • Overcommitting to things that drain your energy

  • Struggling to make decisions or second-guessing yourself

  • Feeling disconnected from your own needs and desires

  • Operating on autopilot rather than being present in your life

Intentional living isn’t about control—it’s about clarity. When you live with intention, you stop letting stress, fear, or external expectations dictate your life.

how emotional healing creates space for intentional choices

Unprocessed emotions often lead to reactive decisions—ones based on fear, avoidance, or past wounds. Emotional healing clears the space needed for intentional choices.

When you heal emotionally, you:

✓ Recognise when you’re making choices from past pain instead of present truth

✓  Create space between feeling an emotion and reacting to it

✓  Develop self-trust to choose what’s right for you, even if it’s uncomfortable

Example: Instead of saying “yes” out of guilt or obligation, you pause and ask, “Is this aligned with what I actually want?”

 

how mindfulness & awareness support living with purpose

Intentional living requires awareness—without it, you’re just running on old habits. Mindfulness helps you pause, reflect, and choose rather than react.

Mindfulness supports intentional living by:

Helping you notice what drains and energises you

Creating a habit of pausing before making decisions

Allowing you to check in with what feels right in the moment

 

Small Mindfulness Practice for Intentional Choices:

Before saying yes or no to something, take a breath and check in:

  • Does this feel aligned or forced?
  • Am I choosing this out of fear, habit, or true desire?
  • What would I say if I fully trusted myself?
 

how nervous system regulation helps you make aligned decisions

When your nervous system is dysregulated, decisions often come from fear, urgency, or avoidance. Intentional living requires a regulated nervous system, so you can make choices from clarity, not survival mode.

How nervous system regulation supports intentionality:

 Keeps you from making fear-based or impulsive decisions

 Helps you feel safe enough to choose what’s right for you

 Creates a sense of stability, so you can focus on what really matters

Practice: The “Pause & Breathe” Technique for Decisions

  • Before making a big decision, place a hand on your heart and take 3 deep breaths.

  • Ask yourself: “What choice aligns with the life I want to create?”

  • Notice how your body feels—tension often signals misalignment, ease signals clarity.

moving beyond recovery: resilience, wellness & intentional living

Intentional living isn’t just about avoiding stress or burnout—it’s about creating a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.

True resilience means:

✨ Not just recovering from stress, but choosing what comes next

Prioritising wellness as a daily, intentional choice

Understanding that you get to define what your life looks like

Healing isn’t the end goal—it’s the foundation for the life you want to create.

simple ways to start living more intentionally today

💡1. Create a “Daily Check-In” Ritual

  • Each morning or evening, take 5 minutes to ask:

    • How do I feel?

    • What do I need today?

    • What’s one choice I can make that aligns with my well-being?

💡 2. Set Energy-Based Boundaries

  • Before committing to something, ask: “Does this give or take energy?”

  • Intentionally prioritise what nourishes you.

💡 3. Practice “One Intentional Moment a Day”

  • Choose one thing each day to do with full presence and intention.

  • Example: Drinking tea mindfully, writing a gratitude note, or walking without distractions.

    Intentional living isn’t about perfection or rigid rules – it’s about choosing, moment by moment, to create a life that feels aligned, fulfilling, and true to you.

    By integrating emotional healing, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and resilience, you can start making choices that feel right—not just reactive.

     

      💡Let’s create a life that feels right for YOU...

      If you’re ready to build a life that supports your wellness, I’m here to help. My Resilience & Wellness coaching programme programme is designed to help midlife professionals step into intentional, aligned living.

      Book a free clarity call today and take the first step toward intentional, meaningful living.

      LIFE AUDIT: Review Your Life & Redefine Your Midlife

      LIFE AUDIT: Review Your Life & Redefine Your Midlife

      How to do a life audit 
      & redefine your midlife  

       

      A Life Audit is a powerful tool of reflection and discovery for all of you midlife women (and increasingly more men) who are feeling lost and directionless.

      Midlife can be a time of transition. Life changes. Career changes. Health issues. More responsibilities. Or fewer responsibilities, leaving you with more time, that you don’t know what to do with it.

      Empty nesters. Change or end of career. Loss. It can all be very unsettling.

      And increasingly, it leaves us questioning how we’re living our life. And how we want to live the rest of our life.


      WHAT IS A LIFE AUDIT & WHY DO I NEED IT? 

      A Life Audit is a comprehensive life review that helps you gain clarity and direction in all the key areas of your life.

      “Intentional living is the deliberate effort to live with direction and meaning. It means making choices about how we use our time, energy, talents, and money.”
      ~ John C. Maxwell

      “Intentional living is the deliberate effort to live with direction and meaning. It means making choices about how we use our time, energy, talents, and money.” John C. Maxwell

      It’s a chance to review exactly where you currently are in life, how content or satisfied you are across each key area of life, how you’re currently spending your time, and how you can reprioritise and regain balance.

      It’s designed to be illuminating and empowering, evaluating your current life, helping you to identify what’s important to you in life, and letting go of what isn’t.

      If you’ve reached this point, you’re one of the lucky ones. You get to redefine your midlife. And choose to live with more purpose, energy, health and happiness.

       

      MY MESSY MIDDLE

      Hi, I’m Jules. I’m a Life & Wellness Coach, dedicated to helping midlife women build a life they love after midlife. I help them live with much less stress, and find more purpose, hope and happiness for this chapter of their lives.

      I’ve guided hundreds of midlife women to prioritise their wellness and happiness, and design a lifestyle that works for them.

      I’ve also redefined my own midlife. I work remotely from a Mediterranean island, doing a job I love. I’m a coffee lover, yogi, introvert and writer. I love nature, especially with my little rescue dog – a midlife woman living life on my terms.

      But how did I get here?

      I didn’t choose my career. It was never a dream of mine. But I was offered an opportunity, other opportunities followed and it became what I did. And I was good at it. I worked hard, did my best and I kept progressing in my career.

      But I never felt fulfilled. I was ‘successful’ but unhappy. And unwell. Stress, burnout, perimenopause, and I didn’t have a healthy lifestyle.

      Age 45, I did my very own life review. I’ve shared it later for you to see. Almost nothing in my life was healthy or satisfying. My life needed to change.

      I leapt.

      Maybe a little too soon as I hadn’t fully designed my new life or put practical steps in place to move forward. But I did have a very clear vision of how my life could be. So I followed my intuition.

      Fast-forward, through burnout and breakdown, I’ve become a life and wellness coach and writer, living a healthy, balanced life (mostly), in a beautiful location. Feeling very lucky to have found my purpose of helping other women find a healthier more fulfilled lifestyle that makes them excited about the possibilities of midlife.

      I’m glad you’re here. Let’s review and redefine your midlife…

      * download your Life Audit Workbook here

      LIFE AUDIT 

      This review is pretty comprehensive and you will need to set aside some time to work through it. I suggest you give yourself a few sessions to work through everything. That will make sure you don’t become overwhelmed, but it’s also helpful to take some time away to reflect and revisit what you’ve written. 

      Not all of the exercises are simple. Some might even be a little uncomfortable, but sometimes we need to be guided gently through that discomfort, so that we can allow ourselves to venture into new possibilities.

      I don’t believe there is one strategy, or a step-by-step blueprint that works for everyone. So you don’t need to do every exercise, and you definitely don’t need to answer every question. Consider them as guides. Take an intuitive approach and choose those that feel useful to you. Our heads and sensibilities have guided us to this point of our lives. Let’s invite our hearts and intuition to help redefine the next chapter.

       

      How to get started

      Create a nice space where you’re comfortable and not likely to be interrupted. You’ll need a notebook and pen. The space can be peaceful and quiet, or play music if it helps you feel more relaxed and inspired.

      Most importantly. Be honest, bold, genuine and even a little selfish. That’s how you’ll get the best insights.

       

      YOUR KEY LIFE AREAS

      I believe in a holistic approach to achieving balance and wellbeing in life.

      Every area of your life is important and they all impact on each other. If any aspect of your life is out of balance then it will put a strain on the others, affecting everything else and creating imbalance.

      10 Key Life Areas:

      • Health & Wellbeing (physical health, mental health & emotional wellbeing)
      • Career / Business
      • Connection & Belonging (relationship, friendships, family, community)
      • Personal Growth & Learning
      • Finances
      • Home
      • Purpose & meaning
      • Interests & creativity
      • Travel & Adventure
      • Spirituality
        (later, you’ll get a template to create your own list to make sure it’s right for you)

      My Key Life Areas Review:
      To demonstrate this step I’ve shared the life audit review of my key life areas that I did back when I was in my corporate career. 

      As you can see, this is a pretty strong visual that my life was completely out of balance.

      I was working 65-70 hours a week. I was at the height of my career, my finances were good, and I was very happy in my home. But I was starting to experience the physical symptoms of stress, I was in perimenopause, and I was on the edge of burnout.

      I didn’t have much time for personal growth and learning and I had zero energy for interests and creativity. I was at a point where I knew I needed more. I had no purpose, life was pretty meaningless, and I had no faith or spirituality.

      (For me health and wellbeing are so important that I separate physical health and mental health so that I can keep each separately under review and care.)

      Step 1: Identify Your Own Key Life Areas:

      Everyone’s key life areas are individual and personal to them. No two lives are the same so you’ll start by identifying your own Key Life Areas so that you can fully personalise this exercise for yourself.

      So I encourage you to take some time to consider these key life areas. Delete any that aren’t relevant to you and add those that are so important that they should be reviewed and planned for as part of this exercise.

      This the chance for you to personalise this to make it even more relevant and meaningful for you.

      Step 2: Assess your whole life as it is right now. 

      One by one, consider each Key Life Area and rate or score each area from 0-10
      – 0 is if you are completely dissatisfied, or its non-existent in your life
      -10 is if it simply couldn’t be any better

      This is your life, your exercise, your way. So get creative, be honest, and dream big!

      Once you’ve done this initial assessment, we’re going to use it as a foundation to fully explore and set goals for all areas of your life.

      Step 3. What’s not going so well?

      For each key life area, consider:

      – What’s working, what’s not?

      – What boosts your energy

      – What do you find draining?

      Step 4: How do I want this area my life to be?

      Think about how each key life area would be if you were living your ideal life.

      Describe this ideal in detail.

      Step 5: What’s holding me back from making changes?
      Fear, time, money, support, responsibilities, playing small, people pleasing, imposter syndrome, procrastination….

      Step 6: What’s the first step I could take to change this?

      Just one step for each key life area.

      You don’t need to think too far ahead right now. We’ll do more planning later. 

      MORE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU EXPLORE & CONSIDER

      • Are there any surprises for you?
      • How do you feel about your life as you look at your scores?
      • Where do you spend most of your time?  
      • How would you like to spend your time?
      • Which of these key life areas would you most like to improve?
      • How could you make time or space for these changes in your life?
      • What help and support might you need from others to make changes?
      • What change should you make first?
      • And what change do you want to make first?
      • Are you setting the right priorities?
      • What have you accomplished that makes you feel proud?
      • What do you want more of?
      • What do you want less of?
      • How do you feel about your relationships and friendships?
      • Can you do more to improve your health and wellbeing?
      • What’s impacting on your health and wellbeing?
      • Are you comfortable and confident in your own body?
      • How do you want to feel in your daily life?
      • How can you be more intentional with your time, energy, money or attention?
      • How can you give back?
      • If there was one key action you could take that would start bring your life into balance, what would that be?

      DEVELOPING YOUR LIFE PLAN

      A life plan is like a map that helps guide you towards a more meaningful life. Having one can keep you from drifting along with no direction, vision or purpose.

      • What is your vision for the future?
      • How can you get there?

      In your life audit review, you already started to imagine your vision for the future.

      Exercise: Picture Yourself…
      Imagine that it’s ten years from now.
      – Now, try to create an image in your mind of your future life.
      – What does your life and business look like on a day-to-day basis?
      – Try to imagine is as if you were living it right now.
      – Describe how it ‘IS’, as though you are in that moment.
      – How does it ‘FEEL’?
      – Hold this vision in your mind by contemplating it for a few moments, each and every day.
      This practice starts reprogramming your mind towards this new way of life.

      Exercise: Picture Yourself…

      Imagine that it’s ten years from now.
      – Now, try to create an image in your mind of your future life.
      – What does your life and business look like on a day-to-day basis?
      – Try to imagine is as if you were living it right now.
      – Describe how it ‘IS’, as though you are in that moment.
      – How does it ‘FEEL’?
      – Hold this vision in your mind by contemplating it for a few moments, each and every day.
      This practice starts reprogramming your mind towards this new way of life.

      Vision Board

      A Vision Board is a powerful tool to help daily visualisation and focus on your vision.

      You can be creative and add inspiration for all key areas of your life, creating an inspiring collage of images (and words) that will inspire and motivate you towards your goals and vision.

      But you need more than visualisation!

      Visualisation alone won’t get you to your future. You need to be taking practical steps to begin moving towards your goals.  

      Exercise: PLANNING


      Goals

      – Set at least one goal for each key life area

      Personal Development

      – What personal development & learning will help you develop the skills you need?

      Letting Go

      – In Step 5 above, you identified what was holding you back from making changes?
      How can you overcome these?
      – What / who is holding you back from the person you want to be and the goals and vision you want to live?

      Challenges

      – What  challenges or obstacles might you face?

      Planning Next Steps

      – In Step 6, you figured out your first step.
      – Consider your next steps and set monthly, weekly and quarterly goals and milestones
      – Do you need resources or support?
      – How and when will you evaluate and review your progress? 

      REVIEW REGULARLY

      It’s a good idea to get into the practice of doing this review regularly to understand each key life area at that point in time, how you would like to change those, and actions you can take to move towards your vision.

      I do a light Life Audit at least once every 6 months, and a full Life Audit every year. It’s a chance to review what’s working for me, what’s not and then I make plans for the months ahead. 

      Annual Review

      At the end of each year, or around your birthday, is a good time to look back on the past year, to capture achievements, memories and milestones.

      It’s important that we don’t forget to recognise and celebrate milestones and achievements. Capturing memories too, means you have something very special to look back on each year.

      Exercise: If this is something you don’t normally do, why not start right now, to capture all you’ve achieved in the past year?

      Here’s a simple template you can use to do that:

      REFLECTION


      Highlights

      What were your biggest achievements?
      What were your happiest memories?
      What are you most proud of?
      What were your best decisions this year

      Challenges

      What do you wish you had accomplished this year?
      What challenges did you face? How did you overcome those?
      What goals did you not meet? What did you learn from these?
      Did you take any risks?

      Personal Development

      Did you develop new skills?
      Any new healthy habits?
      What lessons did you learn?

      Letting Go

      Where did you spend too much time, energy or money
      Any bad habits?
      What bad decisions did you make?

      Community

      What people had the most positive impact or influence?
      What people had the most negative impact or influence?

      The Year In Review

      Write 5 words that describe this year.
      What are you most thankful for?

      Exercise: And if you need a little more inspiration… 


      7 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DISCOVER YOUR LIFE PURPOSE

      These questions can help you to discover your life purpose. As always, be completely honest with yourself:

      1. What do you LOVE to do?

      2. What do you love to LEARN and TALK about?

      3. What SPARKS your creativity?

      4. If money was no object, what would you do for FREE?

      5. If someone were able to look in your kindle/bookcase/audio library, what would they find?

      6. What is it you ALWAYS notice?

      7. What would you REGRET not trying?

      If you do all this, what results can you expect?

      Well done on taking the time to review, reflect, redefine and intentionally create your midlife!

      If you’re new to life review and planning, doing these exercises for the first time can seem like a lot. But even though I’ve intentionally kept a simplicity to the process and templates, you will find them to be incredibly insightful, empowering and inspirational.

      If you dedicate just a few hours initially, and commit time to regular reviews and a more in-depth annual review (all sounds very corporate, but I promise you its not!), you can:

      • Redefine the next chapter of your life
      • Feel empowered and excited about the future
      • Prioritise yourself and your self-care and wellbeing
      • Develop confidence and resilience
      • Enjoy huge health benefits including reduced stress, alleviating anxiety, emotional wellbeing and finding peace and calm
      • Live consciously and intentionally 
      • Live a happy, healthy, fulfilling, more meaningful life

      Hi, I’m Jules!

      I’m a Life & Wellness coach da Life & Wellness Coach, dedicated to helping midlife women create a life they love after midlife. I help them live with much less stress, and find more purpose, hope and happiness for this chapter of their lives.

      I’ve guided hundreds of midlife women to prioritise their wellness and happiness, and intentionally create a lifestyle that works for them.

      I’ve also redefined my own midlife. I work remotely from a Mediterranean island, doing a job I love – a midlife woman living life on my terms.

      I help you evaluate your life as it is now, design how you envision your dream life then put practical, realistic plans in place to achieve the goal of living life with wellness, energy, passion and purpose.

      For deeper exploration and personalised support to redefine your life and wellness in midlife, my coaching programme offers tailored guidance, support and accountability.

      Click below to schedule a free 30 minute call with me to start your journey to a wellness, peace and meaning. During our call, you’ll:

      • Create a clear vision for a healthy, happy, balanced life.
      • Uncover key stressors and hidden challenges sabotaging your goals.
      • Leave the session re-energised and inspired to make lasting changes. 

       

        Flip your Midlife Crisis into a catalyst for positive change

        Flip your Midlife Crisis into a catalyst for positive change

        Stop Worshipping Your Youth
        & Celebrate The Beauty of Ageing

         

        My fiftyish midlife body is like an old car. Things just keep breaking. At times I wish some bits would just fall off altogether.

        This week I got not one, but two unexpected health diagnoses. Unfortunately, it’s not physically possible for either of those bits to drop off. I’m stuck with them.

        But rather than wistfully pine for my younger body pre-rust and ailments, instead I’ll focus even more on my holistic health and wellness. A whole mind-body approach to wellness.

        But while my body continues to relentlessly age/stay alive, my mind is choosing to balance that out by sharing some of the positive parts of aging:

        * You’re alive
        I don’t need to prompt you to consider the alternative.

        * Life is hard
        “Life is a catastrophe.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn) Many of our struggles come from our resistance to this. But by midlife, you’ve learned that life will be hard at times. To expect life, is to expect chaos.

        “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.
        It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it.”

        ~ M. Scott Peck

        * But you also realise that life can be brilliant
        By transcending that truth, you can embrace full catastrophe living. And learn to thrive.

        * Life is short
        You’re probably over halfway through. Might as well make the most of the rest of it, huh?

        * Menopause
        Hear me out on this one, as I know it seems highly questionable that it’s on this list. Surely if there’s an opposite list, it belongs there, right?

        Okay, so you might already be through the menopause transition, or still in perimenopause, and in the depths of what might feel like truly horrendous symptoms and challenges.

        But what, (peri) menopause does do, is ‘force’ you to take the positive steps like, prioritizing your physical and mental health, letting go of unhealthy habits, patterns, behaviours and people. And it helps put other aspects of life into perspective.

        For women, menopause can be a catalyst for the unravelling, re-evaluation, reprioritizing, redefining, reframing, reinventing, that guides you more intentionally into the next phase of your life.

        * Midlife Crisis
        Men in particular are often cited as going through a midlife crisis. Others laugh at their choices, where they spend their money, how they try to youth-ify their looks. But this is their time for reevaluation and unravelling. A ‘Midlife Crisis’ can be a catalyst for positive change.

        Photo by Nathan Ayoola on Unsplash

         

        * Health & Wellness
        Sometimes because you’ve found yourself with more free time, but often due to necessity in response to health issues, you start to be more proactive in caring for your health.

        You often see that people seem to find their way to physical fitness in midlife. Hello to all the middle-aged men in lycra (MAMILs) who embrace cycling with zest here in Mallorca in their fifties!

        But increasingly, we’re becoming more aware and nurturing of our mental and emotional health too.

        * Awareness
        Midlife often ushers in a period of self-reflection and rediscovery, which in turn brings a much deeper awareness of self.

        * Acceptance
        You finally start to accept yourself, your life, your past, your character, your body, your flaws, everything. It is as it is. Accept what you can no longer change or control, choose what you’ll do about the rest.

        * Letting Go
        And you start to let go of everything you’ve been carrying around. Guilt, shame, resentment, beliefs, bad habits, choices, whatever. Time to let all of that go and move forward without carrying the weight of the past.

        * Wisdom
        There’s much sense in the common adage of ‘older and wiser’. A lifetime of knowledge and experience fosters greater wisdom. Although “sometimes older comes alone”! (Oscar Wilde)

        * Courage
        You’ve learned that much of what you used to fear, doesn’t have the power to hurt you. So you become braver, more willing to try.

        * Confidence
        Even long-held insecurities fade and while your confidence can still take a knock at times, you’re more resilient and bounce back quicker.

        * Resilience
        And with that, you have developed a resilience. Not the grit of perseverance and pushing through, rather knowing to care for yourself and developing yourself in a way that you have a nurtured ability to bounce back.

        * Freedom
        Some midlifers might find themselves with caring responsibilities, but more often, you find yourself with more time and freedom that allows you to explore new interests, hobbies, habits, experiences.

        * Gratitude
        You’re grateful for what you have, and realise what actually matters. Health, people, experiences, purpose, peace, add to list…

        * Living intentionally

        * Living authentically

        * Less stuff
        Life is not about stuff. In fact stuff clutters up life. Free yourself of stuff, free yourself to live.

        Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

         

          

        * You give fewer f*cks
        (See ‘letting go’ and also you just don’t care anymore.)

        * You become much more selective about where you give those f*cks
        I have a friend who’s word of the year is unf*ckwithable. I’m much too f*ckwithable for that. But I am getting better at choosing what/who I allow to deplete my ‘bank of f*cks’ (read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck ~ Mark Manson).

        * Happiness
        Studies show that happiness peaks at 70. The best is yet to come.

        Resilience & Wellness in Midlife

        Are you ready to take the first step towards strength, peace & wholeness?

        Book a free consultation call with me today, and let’s explore how the Resilience & Wellness coaching program can help you reclaim your health, rediscover your purpose, and create a life filled with meaning and possibility.

        Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery in Midlife

        Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery in Midlife

        How journaling can guide you to
        wellness & purpose in midlife

         

         

         

        Journaling in midlife

        It’s never too late to start journaling, and in midlife you’ll find it can be a powerful tool for reflection, self-discovery and personal growth.

        During midlife, our lives can become increasingly complex. Health, responsibilities, worries, changes, it can be easy to lose sight of your goals, values and purpose.

        Journaling can help you slow down and take the time to reflect on what is most important to you, and envision how you can live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.


        Why start journaling now? The benefits are plenty.

        Journaling creates a safe and private space, to explore your thoughts, feeling, experiences and plans. It’s liberating to have a space be able to express yourself without fear of judgment or criticism, and this can lead to a greater sense of freedom of expression, self-awareness and understanding.

        It can be a helpful tool for managing the many challenges that come with midlife. Journaling can be a way to process and make sense of challenging situations, and difficult emotions, such as grief, stress, or anxiety.

        It can also be a way to set goals and plan for the future, whether that be career, personal, or financial. You’ll find that you track your progress and growth over time. By looking back at past entries, you’ll see how far you have come and how much you’ve learned and grown. This can be especially helpful for those who may be feeling stuck or uncertain about their direction in life.

        It’s a great space to download negative thoughts too. Writing down any worries that you’re carrying, helps you set them aside, and free your mind.

        Journaling is amazingly insightful in helping you build Awareness. When writing regularly, you’ll start to spot patterns and repetitions. Writing about certain people, things or feeling on repeat. Each time you catch yourself in a repetitive thought or cycle, you can write about how you can process situations or emotions more effectively.

         

        How to start journaling

        To get started with journaling in midlife, all you need is a notebook and a pen. Some people prefer to journal in a traditional paper diary, while others may prefer to use a computer or phone app.

        Putting pen to paper does have some advantages though. Taking time to write, slows our cognitive processing, which help with perspective, and understanding your thoughts and feeling. The slower pace means we’re more intentional about what we write and think. There are also sensory elements which

        There are no hard and fast rules for how to journal, so feel free to experiment and find what works best for you.

        Some people like to set aside a specific time each day to journal, while others prefer to write as the mood strikes them. There are benefits to writing daily, and building this into your daily practice.

        Ultimately, the most important thing is to find a method of journaling that feels comfortable and meaningful to you. Whether you choose to write about your daily experiences, your long-term goals, or your deepest feelings, the act of journaling can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery in midlife.


        Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery in Midlife

        1. What am I grateful for today?

        2. What gives me great joy?

        3. What does happiness mean to me?

        4. What are my most important values?

        5. What things make me feel good while I’m doing them?

        6. What is my gift to the world?

        7. What feelings am I feeling right now?

        8. What is the most important thing for me in this moment?

        9. What is the bravest thing I’ve done?

        10. What do I avoid?

        11. If I didn’t feel fear or shame, what would I do now?

        12. What is my worst fear? How does it limit my possibilities in life?

        13. What recurring situations and people do I attract? What lessons might they have?

        14. What kinds of routines or habits limit my experience of everyday life?

        15. Is there something I should let go of to be able to move forward?

        16. What is my life like when it is in balance?

        17. Why am I doing the things that I’m doing right now?

        18. Where am I going and why?

        19. What was I intended to do in this life?

        20. What can I not help but do?

        21. What is my biggest dream? What can I do today to move closer to that dream?

        22. If this was my last day, would I be satisfied with my life? What would I have done differently?

        23. Am I focussing more on what my life looks like than on what it feels like?

        24. What is my instinct telling me to do?

        25. Who am I?

         

         

        Empowered Midlife Coaching

        Feeling overwhelmed by midlife? The Empowered Midlife coaching program is here to help you reclaim your health, find renewed purpose, and step into a life filled with meaning and possibility. 

        Explore how we can work together to create the life you deserve.

        From Chaos to Control: Simplify Your To-Do List and Boost Your Wellbeing

        From Chaos to Control: Simplify Your To-Do List and Boost Your Wellbeing

        Transforming Your To-Do List
        for Better Wellbeing


        Feeling overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list? Don’t worry — I won’t suggest you abandon it entirely. Instead, let’s transform that mental chaos into a streamlined system that promotes mindfulness and wellbeing.


        Creating Your ‘Second Brain’

        Start by decluttering your mind and transferring ALL your tasks, appointments and reminders onto a single, comprehensive list — your ‘Second Brain.’ This will hold all your tasks securely in one place, freeing up your mental space for creativity and relaxation.

        Choose a method that suits you best, whether it’s a digital app like Asana, Trello, or ToDoist, or the classic approach of pen and paper. The key is to find a system that you find intuitive and reliable.


        Capturing Everything

        Then set aside time where you can sit down and compile everything onto one list.

        Gather all your notes, reminders, and tasks from various sources and consolidate them into one place.
        – Grab that mail that you haven’t yet gotten around to sorting.
        – Find those little scraps of paper with notes and reminders.
        – If you’re like me and you use different notebooks, get them all and put all the lists together.

        Everything.

        Appointments you need to remember, calls you need to make, things you need to buy, jobs you want to get done around the house, projects you’d like to get started, trips you’re planning on making.

        Capture it ALL.

        I know this feels overwhelming, but now everything you think you need to do, is all in one place. You’ve already created some order.


        But I Have So Much To Do!

        How is this meant to help my wellbeing?! It’s just reminded me of all the things I haven’t done yet!

        In a way, yes. But the beauty is that now they won’t be ‘nagging’ you constantly, internally pecking at your head, causing a flurry of panic.

        They’re all in one place. They’re safe, you haven’t lost anything.

        You do need to start putting them in some sort of order. And even better, you should be able to wipe some out completely. But you’ll no longer need to overtax your brain worrying about remembering everything.

        Get Your List In Order

        There are lots of Productivity and Time Management Methods to choose from to help you prioritise and manage your To-Do List. But to get you started just ask yourself a few questions:

        * Do I really need to / have to do this? If not, DELETE.

        * Do I want to do this? If possible, DELETE. Or…

        * Can I give it to someone else to do?

        * It’s been on my list for months, am I really going to do this? If not, DELETE. Trust me, it will still be there in another 3 months, might as well delete it now.

        * Is there anything URGENT (that’s urgent to you, not something that is on somebody else’s urgent list but not so important to you)?

        If so, take a couple of those urgent tasks and put them on your Daily To-Do List for tomorrow.

        Towards the end of the day tomorrow, take one or two more tasks from the list at the end of the day tomorrow, and schedule them for the following day. Keep it small. Keep it achievable.

           

          And You’re Done!

          Take a well-deserved break — whether it’s with a cup of tea, a walk outside, or a moment of quiet reflection. You’ve taken a big step towards regaining control and enhancing your wellbeing.

          Empowered Midlife Coaching

          Feeling overwhelmed by midlife? The Empowered Midlife coaching program is here to help you reclaim your health, find renewed purpose, and step into a life filled with meaning and possibility. 

          Explore how we can work together to create the life you deserve.

          Walk Your Way to Mindfulness

          Walk Your Way to Mindfulness

          You don’t need to lie down in a darkened  room to practice mindfulness.

          You don’t even need any special equipment or gear. In fact, practicing mindfulness can be as simple as going out for a walk.


          Discovering Mindful Walking

          I didn’t immediately connect with any mindfulness practices. Even though I studied mindfulness, I struggled to find stillness during most of the practices.

          It wasn’t until a few years later, when I decided that I wouldn’t spoil my morning dog walks by thinking about the day ahead or worrying about anything going on in my life.

          Instead, I chose to be fully present, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Palma de Mallorca in the morning. Really feeling the sunrise starting to warm my skin. Being present with my dog, attentive to her and amused by her quirky character.

          I didn’t even realize that this was mindfulness!


          The Essence of Mindful Walking

          Mindful walking is simply the practice of walking while being fully present in the moment. There are many ways to help you walk your way to mindfulness:

          • Walking slowly and deliberately
          • Paying attention to the sensations in your feet and body as they move
          • Being fully present in each step
          • Noticing the contact of your feet with the ground
          • Observing the movement of your muscles
          • Focusing on the rhythm of your breath

          By bringing mindfulness into this everyday activity, we can create moments of peace and presence throughout our day.


          How to Practice Mindful Walking

          You don’t need any special equipment or a specific location to start mindful walking. Here’s how you can begin:

          1. Begin with Intention:
          Set an intention for your walk. It could be to clear your mind, connect with nature, or simply enjoy the movement.

          2. Find a Comfortable Pace:
          Start by walking at a pace that feels natural and comfortable for you. This isn’t about getting somewhere quickly; it’s about being present with each step.

          3. Focus on Your Breath:
          As you walk, pay attention to your breathing. Notice the rhythm of your inhale and exhale. Let your breath guide your steps, creating a harmonious flow between your breath and movement.

          4. Engage Your Senses:
          Bring your attention to the environment around you and observe your surroundings. Focus on what you see, hear, and feel. Notice the colors, sounds, and textures. Feel the ground beneath your feet and the air on your skin. Let yourself be fully present in the moment.

          5. Notice Your Thoughts:
          As you walk, thoughts will inevitably arise. If your mind wanders, that’s okay. Instead of getting caught up in your thoughts, simply observe them and let them pass by, just like watching clouds drift across the sky. Bring your focus back to your breath and your steps.

          6. Pay Attention to Your Body:
          Feel the ground beneath your feet, the movement of your muscles, and the rhythm of your breath.

          7. End with Reflection:
          After your walk, take a moment to reflect on the experience. Notice how you feel and any shifts in your mood or perspective.

          This practice can be done anywhere, turning an everyday activity into a meditation that helps cultivate awareness and presence. Walking really is one of the most accessible ways to practice mindfulness.

          The Benefits of Mindful Walking

          There are many ways adding mindful walking into your daily routine is good for you:

          • Reduces Stress: Helps lower cortisol levels and brings a sense of calm. By focusing on the present moment, you can reduce the mental clutter and stress that often accompanies daily life.
          • Improves Mood: Regular mindful walking can boost endorphins, improve your overall mood, and provide a sense of calm and well-being.
          • Enhances Physical Health: Walking itself is a great form of exercise that’s good for your cardiovascular health and overall fitness. When done mindfully, it can also support your mental and emotional health.
          • Increases Awareness: Mindful walking helps you become more aware of your body and surroundings, fostering a deeper connection to yourself and the world around you. This can help improve your focus, and sharpen mental clarity and concentration.

           

          The Science Bit

          Scientific research supports the benefits of walking for mental health. Studies have shown that regular walking can help lower the risk of depression, improve cognitive function, stimulate endorphins, and increase blood flow to the brain.

           

          Sharing the Journey

          As a life and wellness coach, I’ve seen the transformative power of mindful walking in my own life and in the lives of those I work with. It’s a simple practice that can make a big difference, especially during midlife when we often face new challenges and transitions.

          I invite you to give mindful walking a try and see how it can bring a sense of calm and clarity to your day. If you find it helpful, feel free to share your experiences with our community. Together, we can support each other in finding more moments of mindfulness and wellness in our busy lives.

           

           

          Empowered Midlife Coaching

          Feeling overwhelmed by midlife? The Empowered Midlife coaching program is here to help you reclaim your health, find renewed purpose, and step into a life filled with meaning and possibility. 

          Explore how we can work together to create the life you deserve.

          From Burnout to Balance & Wellness

          From Burnout to Balance & Wellness

          How overcoming burnout led to a journey of personal growth, healthier living, and finding balance in life. 

          When I first decided to face my burnout, things got much worse before they got better. My burnout became a breakdown. It’s a lonely and difficult time when you realize that you’re feeling stuck and your life isn’t working for you anymore.

          You’re still as busy as ever but somehow feeling like you’re busy with all the wrong things. You’re also becoming more and more drained physically and emotionally. It can be hard to believe that you can find your way out when:

          • You’re overwhelmed
          • Burnt out
          • Feeling like life is passing you by
          • You want to change, but what and how?
          • You don’t have time to stop and figure it out. You’ve got things to do and bills to pay.
          • You worked so hard to build your career. You can’t leave!
          • Everyone else thinks you’re crazy. Your life looks so good from the outside.

          That was me a few years ago. My journey to balance a career I love with a healthier lifestyle took a long time. I went on a mission to recover and become calmer, happier, and healthier. I’ve spent countless hours in therapy, read hundreds of books, studied, trained, and traveled. I’ve challenged and changed my old habits, beliefs, and behaviors. I even sought help from yogis and gurus in India.

          Before I got to that point, my burnout became a breakdown — twice! But I found my way and my why. So I know you can do this, because I’ve been there too.

          HOW TO MANAGE & RECOVER FROM BURNOUT

          1. Identify and Address Your Biggest Stressor

          I removed my biggest stressor — I left my job. That’s when my breakdown happened. Unlike my idol Brené Brown, this wasn’t my Breakdown/Spiritual Awakening. It was just a breakdown. I’d been running on adrenaline for years. Once I dropped the frenetic pace of life, the adrenaline switched off completely, and I found myself in an exhausted, emotional mess.

          Your burnout source could be something else entirely. Identify what’s causing it and make the necessary changes to address it.

          2. Take a Step Back

          I took some time out. Taking time off work isn’t a luxury everyone can afford. In my case, I sold my house, which gave me the financial freedom to take some time out. Take a step back and time away from the source of burnout to clear your head and calm your emotions.

          3. Slow Down

          I slowed down properly for the first time ever. This is the hardest part for most people, and it sounds counterintuitive. But you need to declutter that crazy to-do list in your mind. I took solo weekend breaks to a remote beach in Wales, walked, wrote, read, and rested.

          4. Journal

          I wrote and wrote. Journaling clears your head, helps you prioritize, and recognize repeating patterns of thought and behavior.

          5. Set Boundaries

          I learned to say no. I choose how I spend my time and no longer do things that affect my mental health negatively. Remember the changes you made to protect your mental and physical health and have the difficult conversations when necessary.

          6. Don’t Isolate. But Choose Your People.

          Isolation is a key symptom of burnout, so be as social as possible, but choose the right people. I distanced myself from negative people and surrounded myself with optimistic and positive individuals.

          7. Change Your Environment

          I spent time in nature. Walking along a local river, driving to the mountains, and staying by the sea helped me find stillness and balance.

          8. Don’t Self-Medicate

          It’s tempting to use substances to mask the feeling of overwhelm. I had to deal with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and emotional eating. Recognize when you’re self-medicating and address the underlying issues.

          9. Find Your Passion

          For me, that’s personal growth. I read extensively on spirituality, personal growth, psychology, neuroscience, and healing. I also studied various subjects like nutrition, mindfulness, yoga, and more. Keep learning and growing.

          10. Exercise

          Exercise is an effective way to blow off steam and act as a mental release valve. I found yoga, which helped me slow down and find balance.

          11. Find Your Community

          I discovered spirituality and found my tribe through yoga and spiritual practices. Surround yourself with a supportive community.

          12. Ask for Help

          Reach out to a trained professional for solutions, treatments, support, and coping tactics. Owning the fact you are overwhelmed is powerful. I faced a dark period of personal growth and sought medical support and counseling, which was transformative.

          13. Acknowledge Your Role

          Burnout doesn’t just happen to us. Acknowledge any potential unhealthy habits that could have led to your burnout. Let go of perfectionism and recognize when it’s taking over.

          14. Are You Ready to Move On?

          I relocated to a Mediterranean island. I always envisioned living by the sea and decided not to wait until retirement. In February 2020, I moved to Mallorca, enjoying a simpler, healthier lifestyle.

          15. Don’t Complicate Things

          Live more simply. I don’t have a car, buy less stuff, and enjoy simple social events. I became vegetarian and enjoy morning routines of coffee, writing, reading, and caring for plants.

          WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY?

          Everything worked out for me, but I had a lot of detours. If I had to do it again, I would seek help earlier and plan my exit strategy before leaving my job.

          I’m determined that no one needs to go through those toughest times alone. All my twists and turns helped me find a process that works, which I now share with my coaching clients. Now, I help others recover from burnout, restore their health, and live calm, happy, balanced lives. And you can too!

          Empowered Midlife Coaching

          Feeling overwhelmed by midlife? The Empowered Midlife coaching program is here to help you reclaim your health, find renewed purpose, and step into a life filled with meaning and possibility. 

          Click below to schedule a free 30 minute call with me to start your journey to a wellness, peace and meaning. During our call, you’ll:

          • Create a clear vision for a healthy, happy, balanced life.
          • Uncover key stressors and hidden challenges sabotaging your goals.
          • Leave the session re-energised and inspired to make lasting changes. 
          Mindfulness Saved My Life

          Mindfulness Saved My Life

          My life seemed successful but I was falling apart inside. My mindfulness practices guided me through burnout and perimenopause. This post shares how you find calm and clarity in your own life.

           

          Let’s briefly take a trip back to May 2018. I was at the peak of my career, working in an executive role, in the UK.

          From the outside, I guess my life looked pretty good. But inside I was struggling. I was burned out, on the verge of a breakdown, and I dealing with a challenging perimenopause, which I didn’t even realise at the time.

          Journey to mindfulness

          I knew something had to change, so I quit my career. There had to be more to life, I just hadn’t figured out what. That discovery took me on many twists and turns.

          During that time, I stumbled upon mindfulness and in 2019, I even studied mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). But I have to admit, I didn’t quite get it. Or maybe I wasn’t ready for it. Or it just wasn’t the right time.

          So my quest for answers, healing, and that elusive “one magic thing” continued. I studied Reiki, yoga, pranayama, NLP, life purpose coaching. I called myself a lifelong learner but really, I was desperately trying to find my own way.

          The gradual reveal

          Still searching, around a year ago, I found my way back to mindfulness and finally recognised just how powerful it can be. Even then it wasn’t a sudden epiphany, but a much more gradual revealing.

          Mindfulness became a lifeline for me. It helped me slow down, breathe, and truly be present in the moment. Whether it was through simple breathing exercises, mindful walks, or learning to observe my thoughts without judgment, these practices became moments of refuge amidst some pretty turbulent times.

          Sharing the gift of mindfulness

          I work as a life and wellness coach, dedicated to helping people navigate the challenges of midlife so that they can learn to live with health and happiness. I’ve always worked mostly with women, but I’ve been happy to see more men joining my community lately, highlighting that midlife can be a challenging, yet transformative time for them too.

          The benefits of mindfulness

          Recognising how mindfulness saved me, I dedicated myself to learning more and so I could share its benefits with others. Recently, I qualified as a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) and Certified Mindfulness-Informed Professional (CMIP). One of the most profound insights from this journey is the wealth of science-based research demonstrating that it is possible to rewire an anxious brain through neuroscience-informed treatment of anxiety, panic, and worry.

          So what can mindfulness help with?

          The benefits are both plentiful and impactful.

          Mindfulness can significantly reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance emotional regulation. By cultivating a greater awareness of your thoughts and feelings, mindfulness allows you to respond to life’s challenges with clarity and composure, rather than reacting impulsively.

          Mindfulness can also improve relationships, boost resilience, and enhance physical health by lowering blood pressure and improving sleep quality. In essence, mindfulness serves as a mental and emotional reset button, providing clarity and calm amidst the busyness and chaos of everyday life.

          A free mindfulness tip: Diaphragmatic breathing (Belly breathing)

          With each post (or most posts), I’d like to share a free tip. This time, let’s talk about diaphragmatic breathing. Most of us tend to breathe too shallowly, drawing breaths into our chest rather than our diaphragm. This type of chest breathing can actually keep our bodies in a state of stress.

          Diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing, teaches us to engage our diaphragm, allowing for deeper, more efficient breaths. This practice helps activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing stress and anxiety.

          Here’s a simple way to practice it:

          1. Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down with your shoulders relaxed and your body at ease.
          2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly: Gently close your eyes if you’re comfortable doing so. As you breathe in slowly through your nose, allow your belly to rise, feeling the hand on your belly move up while the hand on your chest remains relatively still.
          3. Exhale slowly through your mouth: Feel your belly fall as you gently release the air. Notice the sensation of the breath leaving your body and your hand on your belly moving back down.

          Practice this for just a few minutes each day, noticing how it feels to breathe this way. Over time, this simple practice can make a significant difference in how you feel, helping you cultivate a sense of calm and presence.

          What’s next?

          In future posts, I’ll go deeper into mindfulness practices and how you can easily integrate these, even into a busy life. I’ll share tips, personal stories, and exercises to help you cultivate mindfulness and improve your wellbeing.

          But for now, I just wanted to reintroduce myself and share a bit of my journey with you.

          Mindfulness probably saved my life, and my hope is that it can make a difference in yours too.

          Empowered Midlife Coaching

          Feeling overwhelmed by midlife? The Empowered Midlife coaching program is here to help you reclaim your health, find renewed purpose, and step into a life filled with meaning and possibility. 

          Explore how we can work together to create the life you deserve.

          Sort Your Life Out

          Sort Your Life Out

          Rediscovering Joy and Creating a Fulfilling Future

          In the messy middle of midlife, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or lacking the energy to envision a brighter future.

          The responsibilities, challenges, and transitions that come with this phase can take a toll on our wellbeing and leave us questioning our path.

          However, I’m here to assure you that change is possible, and happiness can be rediscovered. In this post, I’ll share headline tips to inspire you and guide you towards a life of fulfilment.

          But remember, the most transformative journey begins with investing in yourself, and that’s why I invite you to book a 75-minute Sort Your Life Out Holistic Life Audit Coaching Session, designed specifically for midlife women.

          1. Embrace Self-Reflection:
          To sort your life out and find the happiness you crave, start by embarking on a journey of self-reflection.
          Take the time to understand your values, desires, and aspirations.
          Ask yourself meaningful questions:
          What brings you joy?
          What are your passions?
          What do you envision for your future?
          By delving deep within, you can gain clarity and uncover the foundation for creating a fulfilling life.

          2. Identify Energy-Drainers:
          Midlife often comes with accumulated responsibilities, commitments, and obligations that drain our energy.
          Take a moment to identify the activities, relationships, or situations that no longer serve you.
          Are there tasks that can be delegated or let go?
          Are there toxic relationships that need boundaries or closure?
          By decluttering your life from energy-drainers, you create space for new possibilities and positive changes.

          3. Prioritise Self-Care:
          As midlife women, we tend to prioritise the needs of others above our own.
          It’s time to shift that mindset and embrace the importance of self-care. Nurturing your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing is essential for creating a fulfilling future.
          Incorporate self-care practices that resonate with you, whether it’s practicing mindfulness, engaging in physical activity, or indulging in activities that bring you joy.
          Remember, self-care is not selfish—it’s a vital investment in your overall happiness.

          4. Seek Support and Guidance:
          Sometimes, sorting your life out can feel overwhelming, and that’s when seeking support becomes crucial.
          A trusted confidant, a supportive community, or a professional coach can provide valuable insights and guidance.
          Consider booking a 90-minute Holistic Life Audit Coaching Session tailored for midlife women.
          This session will provide you with the support, accountability, and personalised strategies you need to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of this phase.

          5. Craft a Roadmap for the Future:
          A key component of sorting your life out is creating a roadmap for the future.
          During our coaching session, you will complete a Holistic Life Audit. Together, we will assess various aspects of your life, identify areas that need attention, and craft a personalised action plan.
          This roadmap will guide you in making intentional changes, setting goals, and taking steps towards a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

          Midlife doesn’t have to be a period of stagnation or despair. By taking the initiative to sort your life out, you can rediscover joy, create a fulfilling future, and find a renewed sense of purpose.

          Please do believe that change is possible, and happiness is within reach. As you implement the headline tips shared in this blog post, I encourage you to invest in yourself by booking a 75-minute Sort Your Life Out Holistic Life Audit Coaching Session designed specifically for midlife women. Together, we will navigate this transformative journey, guiding you towards a life filled with fulfilment, purpose, and happiness.

          Book your 75-Minute Sort Your Life Out Holistic Life Audit Coaching Session today and embark on a journey towards a fulfilling future!

          One Year Closer To Wisdom

          One Year Closer To Wisdom

          I recently celebrated another trip around the sun 🎈

          A year of challenge, self-discovery, healing and growth. But am I one year closer to wisdom?

          I’ve learned so much I’d need to write a book, not a blog post. So rather than sharing the very many lessons I’ve learned, instead here are the lessons I’m taking forward into my next year, as commitments to my future self.

          Ageing Positively: Age is a number, and my waistline doesn’t define my worth (hello birthday cake!). Embracing acceptance has been a game-changer for me and I hope to continue. I’m learning to celebrate every grey hair, (almost) every wrinkle / laughter line, and a few new curves. It’s about embracing the beauty of being a perfectly imperfect human being and remembering that confidence and authenticity are the most stunning accessories we can wear.

          Which leads me to Authenticity: I know it’s important. I’m reading, I’m learning, I’m shedding, I’m trying. I just haven’t nailed it yet. *see people pleaser

          Stop Lugging Around the Past: Most of us are hauling around emotional baggage. But guess what? You can’t change the past. Carrying it around only weighs us down and keeps us from experiencing the freedom and joy of the present. So, I’m learning to let go, release those old hurts, and make space for new experiences. It’s like Marie Kondo-ing my emotional closet!

          And speaking of Marie Kondo… Less is not more. But less is better. I’ve moved apartments 5 times in 3 years and each time I’ve shed more stuff. It’s liberating! The less I have, the less I want, the less I need and the less I use. Next step… I’m seriously considering a capsule wardrobe. Watch this space…

          Nothing is permanent. The only constant is change. If it’s difficult it will pass. If it’s positive, I can be sure that there will be more twists and turns up ahead. Accepting that change is inevitable, helps me adapt, grow, and stay open to new possibilities.

          Laughter really is the best medicine. Spend more time with the people you laugh with. Life has been tough, we need to balance it out with fun.

          Write. Things. Down. I wrote a post called I Lost My Way in Midlife. The follow-up post will be I Lost My Mind in Menopause! My mind is full. My memory is gone. Write. Things. Down.

          People pleasing. Stop. They don’t even realise you’re doing it. You’re the one who ends up unhappy. Learn to set and communicate healthy boundaries.

          People leave your life. Sometimes that’s for the best. Spend less time with candle-blower outers.

          Belong to yourself first: “The opposite of belonging is fitting in. Fitting in is assessing and acclimating. ‘Here is what I should say/be, here is what I shouldn’t say, here is what I should avoid talking about, here’s what I should dress like/look like,’ that’s fitting in. Belonging, is belonging to yourself first” ~ Brené Brown. As an introvert who protects my limited social energy, I already seek out genuine connections and meaningful relationships. I’ll keep trying to break free from the pressure to conform, celebrate my individuality and trust in being myself.

          Be you. Live your life. For you. I moved to Spain for a simpler and slower life. I’m living it. I’m loving it. Simplicity suits me. I don’t feel a need to do more. I’m happy doing less.

          Worry is a waste of time. Depression is a thief of time. Life is short. Try not to lose precious time on worry and overthinking. Prioritise health and self-care to optimise mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

          Go all in. If you decide to do something, don’t do it half-a*sed. In my personal life, once I say ‘yes’, I show up fully. But in business, I’m less ‘in’. I have a career Plan B (actually, I also have a Plan C!). But I spent most of last year on Plan B, which resulted in me investing a lot of my time in someone else’s business. That business has now pivoted in a different direction, which is incredible for them, but has left them with little requirement for me. A year wasted? No. A year of learning. But this year, I’m investing in building my own business. I’m all in!

          So there you have it, my fabulous friends – a glimpse into the lessons I’m learning while navigating through the messy middle of midlife.

          Here’s to another year of laughter, growth, and embracing the beauty of being!

          Conscious Living

          Conscious Living

          What is Conscious Living & how can it help you create a fulfilling life? 

          Are you tired of feeling like life is happening to you, instead of you actively creating it?

          Do you crave more purpose, joy, and fulfilment in your daily existence? If so, it may be time to start living more consciously.

          Conscious living is about making intentional choices and actions based on your values, desires, and goals.

          It means being present and aware of each moment, and taking responsibility for creating the life you truly want.

           

          sO, why is CONSCIOUS LIVING important, ESPECIALLY in midlife?

          Well, for one, it can help you avoid the common midlife crisis that comes from feeling like you’ve been living on autopilot for too long.

          By taking control of your life and living more consciously, you can avoid the regret that comes from not living up to your true potential.

          Conscious living can also help you live a more fulfilling life. When you’re intentional about your choices and actions, you’re more likely to create a life that aligns with your values and desires. This can lead to more joy, purpose, and meaning in your daily existence.

          On the other hand, if you don’t practice conscious living, life can feel aimless and unsatisfying. You may feel like you’re just going through the motions, without any real direction or purpose.

           

          hOW CAN YOU START LIVING MORE CONSCIOUSLY? 

          Here are six tips to get you started:

          1. Set intentions: Start each day with a clear intention of what you want to achieve and how you want to show up in the world.

          2. Practice mindfulness: Cultivate present moment awareness by focusing on your breath or your senses.

          3. Connect with your values: Identify your core values and use them as a guide for your choices and actions.

          4. Take responsibility: Recognize that you have the power to create your own life and take responsibility for your choices and actions.

          5. Practice gratitude: Focus on what you’re grateful for in your life, and cultivate a sense of appreciation and abundance.

          6. Take action: Once you have clarity on your values, goals, and desires, take action towards them with purpose and intention.

          By implementing these practices into your daily life, you can start living more consciously and create a more fulfilling life.

           

          what are the benefits of CONSCIOUS LIVING? 

          Well, for one, you’ll have more clarity and direction in your life. You’ll know what matters to you and how to create a life that aligns with your values and desires.

          You’ll also feel more empowered and in control of your life, which can lead to greater confidence and self-esteem.

          Living more consciously can also lead to greater joy and fulfillment. When you’re intentional about your choices and actions, you’re more likely to create a life that brings you happiness and satisfaction. You’ll be more present and engaged in your daily life, which can lead to more meaningful experiences and deeper connections with others.

           

          work with us! 

          At mind:body:life:soul we believe that conscious living is the key to creating a fulfilling and happy life.

          our Happiness Through The Messy Middle coaching programmes have a Conscious Living module is designed to help you integrate your new awareness, vision, and wellness practices into your daily life, and take action towards your goals with clarity, purpose, and joy. By becoming more conscious and intentional in your daily choices and actions, you’ll create positive momentum and make progress towards your vision for a more fulfilling and happy life.

          Are you ready to start living more consciously? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a life you truly love.

          Empowered Vision

          Empowered Vision

          As we reach midlife, it’s common to start feeling like we’re just going through the motions.

          We may have achieved some of our goals but still feel unfulfilled or uncertain about our future.

          That’s where an Empowered Vision comes in, to help you connect with your passion and purpose, and create a clear and inspiring vision for your future.

           

          what is an empowered vision?

          Having an Empowered Vision is about intentionally creating a future that excites and inspires you.

          It’s about tapping into your passions, purpose and potential, and using that to guide you towards a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

          why is it important, especially in midlife?

          At midlife, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and lose sight of what truly matters to us.

          We may have achieved some of our goals, but feel unfulfilled or uncertain about what’s next.

          An Empowered Vision helps us reconnect with our purpose and passions, and create a clear and inspiring vision for the future that aligns with our unique values and desires.

          how life could look without an empowered vision

          Without a clear vision for the future, we can feel lost or unfulfilled, unsure about our direction and purpose in life.

          We may drift from day to day without a sense of meaning or motivation, feeling stuck in a rut or trapped in a cycle of unfulfilling routines.

          practical tips to create an empowered vision

          Creating an Empowered Vision begins with exploring your passions, purpose and potential.

          Start by asking yourself what you truly love doing, what you’re naturally good at, and what impact you want to have on the world.

          From there, you can create a clear and inspiring vision for your future, and start taking action towards that vision.

          what will the benefits be?

          The benefits of Empowered Vision are endless.

          By connecting with your passion and purpose, you’ll gain clarity and direction in your life.

          You’ll feel more motivated and inspired to take action towards your goals, and more fulfilled as you live a life that aligns with your unique values and desires.

          how midlife could look after?  

          With a clear and inspiring vision for the future, you’ll be motivated and empowered to take action towards your goals.

          You’ll feel more energized and fulfilled as you live a life that aligns with your passions and purpose, and you’ll be better equipped to handle life’s challenges with resilience and grace.

           

          work with us! 

          At mind:body:life:soul we help you create a clear and inspiring vision for your future, and provide you with the support and guidance you need to turn that vision into reality.

          Our Happiness Through The Messy Middle coaching programmes have an entire module dedicated to Empowered Vision to help you identify your passions and purpose, create a clear and inspiring vision for your future, and take action towards your goals.

          Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

           

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