The Care Factor Coach

07/09/2025

Throwbacks are reminders when we forget … fitness is about your health .

06/09/2025

So true - ready is rational

💜

17/08/2025

Great advice. How will you spend your energy and who gets your energy this week?

08/08/2025

Friday fun for everyone with a “mum bun”

03/08/2025

SELF CARE RITUAL #5

Celebration is very important in our self care because celebration causes you to focus on what is good and what we pay attention to grows.
However many of us reading this post don’t stop to celebrate ourselves.

Why don’t we celebrate our amazing selves?

Here are three thoughts that talk us down from celebrating:
1. We are already onto the next thing on the todo list.
2. It’s not good enough or big enough to celebrate or “that’s just what i do” scenario
3. No one is around to see it and tell us. We do it in secret - after hours or on the weekend.

When we don't celebrate, we tell ourselves that we are not important and so we subconsciously lower our self esteem.

Shift these thought patterns and recognise the value you bring to this world every day!

1. Shift from absence to attention. Stopping to recognise your achievement rather than move on to the next thing will end up giving you more energy overall.
2. Shift from comparison to compassion. If you are always comparing yourself to someone else, then you will never truly celebrate because it will never be big enough. “Comparison is the thief of joy” said one president. Have compassion for yourself and realise that “what you just do” is amazing!
3. Shift from engulfed to empowered. When we are drowning in our self despair or mountains of laundry, celebrating the little things can give us that spark to keep going. No one will ever see all the amazing things that you do and if you wait for someone else to tell you you are good enough to celebrate, you will always tend to be wanting. I am not suggesting that you become a show-off rather I wish that you empower yourself by recognising your own achievements to yourself first. That simple act will boost your self-esteeem.

Celebrating releases those "feel good" emotions in the left prefrontal cortex of the brain. The more we activate this part of the brain and those neuron pathways become more and more myelinated, the easier it becomes to feel genuinely happy.
When we celebrate, we also unconsciously tell ourselves to keep doing these things so we can celebrate again and release more of those “feel good” hormones. Celebrating feels good!

�In this way, celebrating boosts our wellbeing - mentally, emotionally and physically.
You, more than anyone else, deserve to shower yourself with sparkles!

Celebrate in a way that is meaningful for you... a massage, buy yourself flowers, facial at home, special treat, night out, favourite food or simply do a happy dance.

This is the 5th in a 5 part series on self-care so this ends here however there are many other ways to take care and appreciate your wonderful self so stay tuned to your wellbeing and there will be more to come.

02/08/2025

SELFCARE RITUAL #4 - PAUSE

Life can become so busy and as high achievers we are pretty good at keeping up - even on the weekends we are running around wearing the many hats of chauffeur, cook, confidante, cheerleader and a bunch of the "c" roles that don't make the "c suite". lol!

“Maintaining the basic day-to-day with NO extraordinary circumstances, keeping all those balls in the air, is a really demanding endeavor, and it leaves very little time for moms to be able to have fun, relax, rest and have downtime,” says Aimee Danielson, director of the Women’s Mental Health Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in the District.

We need to press the PAUSE button for a few minutes some days to “power down to power up” or we run the risk of burnout.

Pressing "pause" can leave you feeling:
1 less resentful toward others who demand your energy and time.
2 validated about your own worth, which builds your self-esteem.
3 replenished so you are able to function at your best.
4 more present and compassionate to yourself and thus others

This self care ritual is about finding some time for you. We all talk about changing our habits but that is hard because habits are mostly extrinsically motivated and subject to change.

When we make self-care a ritual instead of a habit then it is easier to keep going because rituals are habits with meaning and connect us to our inner truth and the now.

Do something (anything can be a ritual) that fills you up as a person. (this is not the time to catch up on laundry). 5 minutes is all you need to start.

My self-care ritual is that I do “tea time”.

I like to use tea for hitting "pause" because it is difficult to prepare in a rush and gulp. It forces me to slow down.
The Japanese are known for their tea ritual so I thought I would share that with you and how to make it your own.
Japanese tea rituals (known as “sado”) use matcha tea but use your favourite as it is the ritual that is important.

Japanese Tea Ritual

Preparation - Set a specific time and place for your tea time. Make it meaningful to you.
1. On the day/at the time - Traditionally, guests would enter through a small door that forced them to bow to show respect. I like to choose a special spot by a window or somewhere with a view. (standing at the kitchen counter swilling tea is not restful!) Choose a comfy chair...
2. Wash your hands to represent a symbolic cleansing of the outside world.
3. Cleaning the tool - Take out your tea pot and tea cup that you reserve just for this ritual. Appreciate its form and be mindful with all 5 senses.
4. Mind your words - Keep it quiet. Unnecessary words and movements are considered contrary to the harmonious aim of the event. Time to slow down.
5. Making the tea - As the water flows, a little water at a time, over the tea, be mindful of how it changes colour and the smells that rise up.
6. Serving the tea - Sit in your special spot with your tea and take a sip. Appreciate the warmth and the flavour as it travels down your throat. Let your mind be still. The traditional pairing of matcha with Japanese sweets ask you to consider the full spectrum of the universe via your tastebuds. It is all about balance.
7. Closing the tea ceremony- Take deep breath of contentment and a moment to bow your head slightly to show your respect and gratitude to yourself for this time.
8. Leave the tea ceremony - Set an intention for how you will enter back into your daily life.

Make it meaningful and make it yours.

Sometimes you go all out like in this photo when i was on holiday in a little bed and breakfast. This tea cup and pot reminded me of my mum and as I sat and sipped tea my heart was full thinking about her.

Press pause for a moment this weekend.

01/08/2025

SELF CARE RITUAL #3

Everyone says “just practice gratitude and it will be ok.” It’s is a bit more than that…

Gratitude is about being thankful and having a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. When you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, remembering what you are grateful for can trigger positive, calming reactions.

Gratitude can put things in perspective.

Research reveals gratitude can benefit you in many ways, including these 5:

1. Better relationships.
Deepening current relationships and making new ones is founded on appreciating others. One of the first “manners” we teach our children is to say “thank you”. Saying “thank you” shows appreciation that makes a new acquaintance more likely to seek an ongoing relationship according to a 2014 study published in Emotion.

2.Improving psychological health and mental strength.
Gratitude reduces toxic emotions by shifting your mindset from comparison to compassion. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being and confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. Gratitude also increases mental strength by playing a major role in overcoming trauma. A 2003 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that gratitude was a major contributor to resilience following the terrorist attacks on September 11.

3. Better sleep!
Everyone would enjoy better sleep. A 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being showed that spending 15 minutes before bed to write down a few grateful sentiments led to sleeping better and longer. Your brain is in a relaxed state of mind which fosters deeper sleep. Keep that gratitude journal more than anything else next to your bed.

4. Improved self-esteem.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that gratitude increased athlete’s self-esteem. Other studies have shown that gratitude reduces social comparisons. A major factor in reduced self-esteem is the constant comparison with others and this “the people pleasing mum” and “the super duper mum” do so well. What a gratitude practice does is shift the mindset so that people are able to appreciate other people’s accomplishments rather than resent them.

5. Get more stuff done! You probably don’t realise how much you get done in a day and so you feel less motivated to get more stuff done. Participants in a study by Emmons & McCullough, 2003, who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health- based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions. Success breeds success as you recognise that with gratitude.

BONUS: If you have no words to express your gratitude for someone else or yourself - a hug will do the trick every time.

We all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Take a few moments to focus on all that you have – rather than complain about all the things you think you deserve instead.

31/07/2025

SELFCARE RITUAL #2 - MINDFUL EATING

This self care ritual is about EATING. Eating with mindfulness is not about deprivation or rules, it is about APPRECIATING the food in front of you.

It is about noticing the different aspects of your experience, using one sense at a time. Eating mindfully isn’t always about eating slowly, but it’s helpful at first to slow down in order to be as mindful as possible.

During the past 20 years, studies have found that mindful eating can help you to
1. reduce overeating and binge eating
2. lose weight and reduce your body mass index (BMI)
3. cope with chronic eating problems such as anorexia and bulimia, and reduce anxious thoughts about food and your body
4. improve the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.

More than these, taking the time to be mindful when you eat can help you express gratitude for the food you are eating, where it came from, who cooked it, and how it satiates your senses…and gratitude is showing we care about ourselves and others.

MINDFUL EATING PRACTICE
The following exercise is simple and will only take a few minutes.

First, look at the food. Notice its shape, its colour. Appreciate the beauty of the nourishment in front of you. Always good when you fill your plate with a "rainbow of nutrients".
Before you eat, explore this food with your sense of smell. Allow the scent to fill your nose all the way down to your stomach. What do you notice?
Now, begin eating. No maatter how small the portion, take at least two bites to finish it.
Take your first bite. Please chew very slowly, noticing the actual sensory experience of chewing and tasting. Closing your eyes can focus your attention on the sensations of chewing and tasting. Mmmmmm...
Notice the way the treat feels in your mouth.
Notice if the flavour changes, moment to moment.
Take about 20 more seconds to very slowly finish this first bite of food.
Now, take your second bite (and so on)
As before, chew very slowly, while paying close attention to the actual sensory experience of eating: the sensations and movements of chewing, the flavour of the food as it changes, and the sensations of swallowing.
Continue this until your treat has vanished

Notice how you feel and reflect after the experience of fully enjoying that treat.
What thoughts or images did it bring to mind?
What feelings did it evoke in you?
What do I feel about this food? Guilty? Pleasure? Joy? Disappointment? Regret?

One last point ... Mindful eating is doubled when done in the company of those you enjoy.

30/07/2025

SELFCARE RITUAL #1 - SLEEP

Have you ever been so tired you can’t walk in a straight line? I have and now i see it as a warning sign...

This self care ritual is about SLEEP and sleep is essential to your wellbeing.

YOU NEED SLEEP so your brain can process the day and your body can rejuvenate. Unfortunately as high achieving women, we often do not give ourselves permission to get enough sleep. This is either due to demands from work, family or due to an inability to relax enough so you can fall asleep.

Nowadays, "I'm so tired" is becoming so commonplace people aren't even paying attention or worse - they wear it as a badge of honour!

Lack of sleep hurts your mind and body. There is a reason why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture - it works! If you don’t get enough sleep (less than 5 hours), you can have the cognitive impairment equivalent of a 0.05 percent blood alcohol level. That’s just under being legally drunk!

GET SOME ZZZZs to be the BEST YOU that you can.

SELF CARE RITUAL FOR BETTER SLEEP - CANDLE MEDITATION

One way to quiet the mind in preparation for sleep is to do a candle meditation. Candle light meditation is referred to as Trataka in yoga. This type of meditation can be easier than using a mantra as it is easier to let go of thoughts when concentrating on a physical “thing”.

A regular practice of candle meditation for just a few minutes about an hour before bed, assists you to
relax your nervous system
improve your sleep quality - i.e. have a deeper sleep
improve your neuroplasticity

How to practice TRATAKA

NOTE: THIS IS IMPORTANT! Epileptics should not do this meditation. Persons who are prone to tension headaches should not try hard to focus on the candle light as this may aggravate the pain.

1. Turn down the lights so the room is dimly lit.
2. Light your candle and place it at eye level, or slightly below, about a meter away (otherwise it may appear too bright)
3. Make sure that your head is not tilted too far forward and you are sitting up straight naturally.
4. Relax your gaze and stare at the candle.
5. Keep your eyes fixed on the candle flame, and breathe naturally for a few minutes.
6. Gradually your peripheral vision will fade away until you have no visual awareness of anything but the candle flame.
7. Close your eyes and see what you see behind your eyelids. Rest for a few minutes.
8. Open your eyes, blink and feel a sense of calm.

SLEEP WELL - take care, hugs and namaste.

28/07/2025

Much needed Down time - do you take it?

In a busy workf that spins relentlessly around fast fashion, instant gratification and fake news, it’s important to pause from time to time - to rest, recharge and reset

Science agrees - “Mindfulness retreat participants showed a significant reduction in perceived stress and anxiety levels, as well as an improved balance of some key mediators of inflammatory states. Our data provide evidence that a mindfulness retreat may be effective in improving physical and mental health. “ (sciencedirect.com)

When was the last time you took time out for yourself?

One new mum had this to say of our weekend retreat

"The weekend encompassed the perfect blend of relaxation (through yoga, meditation and an amazing massage) and productivity (through sessions, one-to-one coaching and group conversations). " FM

🙏 Invest in you - priceless.
🙏 This day retreat - $45

ScienceDirect is the world's leading source for scientific, technical, and medical research. Explore journals, books and articles.

25/03/2025

I’m back, baby
A good coach tells you how to achieve your goal a great coach knows many ways to get there.

Everybody is unique. Everybody has a different set of life experiences and these need to be respected and built into any development plan and tweaked along the way.

That is what I believe that is what I practice and that is who I work with…
trainers are great coaches
And I have been able to continually improve despite the niggles along the way. They keep me motivated and coming back.

Just yesterday when I felt a twinge doing one set of squats, stopped me, changed the exercise to work the same muscles in a different way without aggravating the twinge.

Today I feel amazing and am back in the gym for the “pick me up” to start my day.

Thanks to great coaches. ❤️

20/02/2025

Everyone has good advice on TED LASSO

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/188FM7ripn/?mibextid=wwXIfr