Love Yourself to Life

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Love Yourself to Life with Jacalyn Wilson

Love Yourself to Life presents The Elephant in the Room: The Topic that’s Often Avoided, but Necessary to Discuss.
Jacalyn Wilson is an Author, Awareness, and Empowerment Speaker, a member of the City of Chandler Domestic Violence Commission Committee, a Certified Life Recovery Coach, Certified Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocate and Certified in Mental Health First Aid. She is the Founder of R.I.T.E Connections & Recovery, a company established to support women from diverse backgrounds, who have been oppressed by domestic and sexual violence to find a safe place and resources to prevent going back to their abusive relationships.
Jacalyn has overcome the effects of domestic violence and an attempted suicide, which has given her first-hand knowledge of the crippling impact abuse can have on someone’s life. Her passion and drive to see women and families safe, healed, and on the path to self-sustainability, she believes is her life purpose. Through her inspiring messages and services offered, she believes it is all designed to serve a greater purpose – for women to move forward from feelings of shame, guilt, low self-esteem, low self-worth, and become confident and empowered… seeing themselves not only as a survivor but as a champion.

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Love Yourself to Life with Duquesa Dean

An amazing conversation with Duquesa Dean. Topic: “Taking Your Power Back and Changing the Game.”
Duquesa D. Dean is a certified public speaker, published author, and self-development mentor who has worked with leading businesses in the Bahamas and has spoken internationally in the United States of America. After a near-death experience and devastating hardships, she realized the powerful process of inner-evolution and the beauty of living authentically. Now, Duquesa is dedicated to helping women boldly claim their purpose and live a fulfilling life.

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A Willingness to Change

Written by Laura Carter and Monica Debro

Change, it’s going to happen whether we want it to or not. There are times that change is good and other times that we wish something better could’ve happened. We can plan dates, times, seasons, and reasons to make things different in our lives.

No matter what your present circumstances may be, they are subject to change.  Go outside and look at what you see, feel, and hear.  Then go back outside in six hours.  You will notice various changes.  It’s the same thing with our lives and the things around us.  The weather outside will continue its designed path no matter what the plan is for our daily routine.  The news announcer will report what the predicted weather will be for the next seven day and if happening, the path of a storm. We may adjust our outside activities according to the report. This may include putting on a jacket, rain boots, pants instead of shorts (or vice versa), a scarf, hat, or whatever adjustment we need to make based on the weather outside. If we are paying close attention, we take extra items based on how the weather may change while we are out and about during our day.

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2021 Goal Planning

I specifically remember being away from home for a workshop in November 2019. As I was packing to leave, I’d made plans to work on my 2020 vision book during the downtime in my hotel room. I gathered my vision book that I keep adding pages to each year and all the necessary supplies and magazines that I would need.  There was a level of excitement as I thought about what I wanted to accomplish in 2020 and all the great things that would happen. I was ready!

On the first evening of the workshop, I laid out the supplies and started cutting words and pictures from the magazine. I was strategic in making sure that I added goals that would be challenging. You may have heard the quote “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” Fred DeVito. I wanted to be challenged and changed. I didn’t want things to stay the same in my personal and professional lives. I wanted to be better, to feel better, to do better.

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Have You Made Your Self-Care List and Checked it Twice?

We all make lists for one reason or another. Shopping. Groceries. Errands. Home. Businesses. Work. Family. Friends. Packing. Cooking. Lists for the list—LOL.  And at the current moment—Christmas lists that go on and one into the late hours of the night. With these lists and more, have you made a self-care list?

Taking care of others and people-pleasing can easily cause burnout and deflate the ability to experience authentic happiness. There are many reasons why it is important to be consistent in practicing self-care.

  • Promotes positive feelings
  • Helps to focus on the future
  • Allows for quality reflection
  • Maintains self-confidence
  • Decrease stress
  • Increases resilience
  • Brings a level of happiness
  • Rejuvenates inner thoughts and well-being
  • Increases the ability to focus and complete tasks
  • Keeps you motivated
  • Improves happiness, thought process, and decision-making
  • Increases the ability to be patient with others
  • Demonstrates saying YES to YOU as you LOVE YOURSELF TO LIFE!

Self-care prevents us from pouring from “not enough” after we’ve given our all to others. When we don’t rejuvenate ourselves, it decreases our abilities to genuinely be available for others. When not genuinely available, one can find himself/herself simply going through the motions to make it through the moment and day.

A few examples to practice self-care include:

  • Getting enough rest
  • Healthy eating
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Positive self-talk and affirmations
  • Maintaining a manageable schedule
  • Delegating to others—you can’t do it all
  • Exercise
  • Annual physical exams
    • Men—Monthly Self-Breast Exam (yes, men should be doing this as well) and Annual Physical—including prostate exam if included depending on age and family history
  • Get dressed when you go out of the house. Please, please don’t go out in pajamas, wrinkled clothes, and hair not combed. Always be presentable because you never know who you’ll see.
  • Releasing yourself from toxic relationships. Toxic relationships are draining and will take away any excitement, energy, and effort to be around the person(s).
  • Develop and practice healthy boundaries.
  • Forgiving others—not for them, but for you.
  • Don’t lose yourself in a relationship. Maintain your own identity and continue doing things that bring happiness.
  • Take yourself out on a date. During COVID-19, that may be a stay-at-home date. Have food delivered, choose a movie or playlist, get dressed, and enjoy time alone.
  • When you feel it’s safe, take some time to go on a vacation. Whether it is driving somewhere or flying, travel, and go someplace new. A getaway for a few days is refreshing.
  • Take a day to just do nothing. No computer. No cleaning. No shopping. Just rest and relax. I’m still working on this myself.
  • Learning to use the short answer of “No.” By the way, a “no” answer doesn’t require an explanation.
  • Step away from difficult tasks to allow time to refocus.
  • Changing your environment when things get overwhelming or stressful. Examples include—turning off the television, playing calming music, burning candles, dimming the lights (if possible), going for a walk, aromatherapy, sitting quietly to meditate, or journaling.
  • Create a home spa for relaxation
  • Clean and declutter your home
  • Take a break from social media

Healthcare professionals, as we provide care to others, it is equally important that we take time to nourish our bodies and minds. When was the last time you had quality time for self-care? Do you practice self-care by taking the required lunch break? This will allow time for you to step away and recharge. The people we serve need us to be healthy, happy, and whole. Have you had a massage lately? If not, what excuses are you making? Not enough time. Forgetting to make an appointment. I guarantee someone reading this has a spa gift card that hasn’t been used. Wow! I just remembered that I have one tucked away that hasn’t been used for self-care. Making an appointment tomorrow!

If you’re an entrepreneur, have you made a self-care list to prevent yourself to keep from getting overloaded as you continue to grow your business? I’ll say it again, the people we’re serving need us to be healthy, happy, and whole.

All-in-all, self-care is necessary to keep a balance in all areas; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial. This may require not doing some things to focus on self-care.  Why? Because YOU ARE WORTH IT!