by Angela Taffs | Oct 11, 2016 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
Are your mind and body in sync?
There is no separation of body and mind.
If you are physically unwell, your mind will not work effectively.
If you are having negative thoughts, your body will not work effectively.
To be most effective and productive in your work you need to have both your mind and body in sync so whenever one of them is adversely affecting the other, try these top tips to get back on track.
When your mind is out of sync
Someone has made a negative comment to you and you are now feeling drained and lethargic. You have no energy and your body does not want to move. In fact, all it wants to do is to curl up under the duvet and hide in the dark.
Then you get a phone call. Your child or loved one has been involved in a serious accident. Your mindset changes in a nanosecond. You now have a sense of urgency and a heightened awareness that springs your body into action. You have all the energy you need to run as far as you need to be with your child or loved one.
The phone call could be to tell you that you have won the lottery. You are suddenly full of excitement, surprise, happiness and anticipation and you can’t wait to jump up and tell your friends and family. Your mind is buzzing with ideas of what you are going to do and your body is literally jumping with joy.
But when we are stuck in a negative mindset, these physical scenarios rarely occur so it is up to us to create an environment to get us unstuck and back in the right frame of mind.
How to get back into a positive mindset
Turn negative thoughts into positives.
One effective way to do this is to use a self-talk diary. When you find yourself having negative thoughts, write them down. Now look at this statement and think about how you can turn it into a positive.
Let’s say someone has been negative to you about your business or has cancelled their contract with you. You could decide that is a good thing as you simply weren’t a right fit for each other and would have become emotionally drained by having to work with them in the future. Alternatively, you could use their comments to improve your business and make future clients happier which you would have failed to do without these comments.
If you would a FREE copy of my self-talk diary template to download and use, drop me an email at co*****@********fs.com
Use affirmations daily
Create a list of positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself regularly throughout the day. This will start to slowly create a positive mindset and help your self-belief.
Talk to your mentor or another positive person
Just the art of talking to someone about how you are feeling and sharing your feelings can help you feel a sense of relief and be ready to take on the world once again.
Meditate
Mediation can gently calm and relax the mind. There are many apps for meditation that focus on dealing with different feelings such as self-confidence, anxiety, depression etc so do your research ad find one that is good for you.
Listen to music
Music can uplift us, energise us, calm us and excite us. You can be feeling low and then an upbeat tune comes on the radio and your mood can lift instantly. Create a list of your favourite tunes to turn on when you need a boost.
When your body is out of sync
When you eat and drink unhealthily so your body becomes bloated, all your mind can focus on is the feeling of your clothes being too tight, the queasiness and the extra rolls of fat gathering on your body. Your body feels uncomfortable and so does your mind and you simply do not function so effectively on whatever you are working on.
If you have a broken bone, your mind will be distracted by the pain and discomfort. You may have reams of ideas and be raring to get going, but the distraction of the pain will constantly dull your thought process.
Obviously, if you have a broken bone or serious disease, you are going to need medical attention to help with the pain and until that is sorted it is going to be difficult to do anything else.
However, with other physical symptoms, where your body just doesn’t want to get going, there are a few things you can do to help get yourself up and about again.
Look after your body
The first thing is to look after your body in the first place. Eat healthily and get enough exercise. Just a 20-minute walk each day is better than slouching on the sofa without a break.
Get enough rest
Constantly working 16 hours a day and until the early hours of the morning is not going to help. You will simply end up both physically and mentally exhausted. Set yourself working hours and stick to them.
Change your working environment
Sometimes it can really be this simple. If you have backache, move to a more comfortable chair or buy a new ergonomic one. If you have a broken or sprained ankle, move somewhere where you can rest it comfortably whilst you work. If you are feeling nauseous, move outside if you can and work in the fresh air.
Self-care
Get regular medical check-ups and take time out to have a massage to keep aches and pains at bay. Just a little preventive care now can save long-term damage and illness further down the line.
The power of music
As mentioned previously, music is incredibly powerful on the mind which reflects our physical ability. If you run, you will already know how listening to music can make you feel stronger and hence run faster and with more ease. Music can distract us from our physical feelings of discomfort and can reduce stress, so find some uplifting songs and create a playlist for when your body is feeling lethargic.
Do you have any top tips of your own to get your mind and body in sync? Share them in the comments box below.
by Angela Taffs | Sep 6, 2016 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
Why it’s important to share feelings
Sometimes when we are feeling stressed, worried or overwhelmed it can help to write our feelings down. But it can also help if you share feelings with someone else. As the adage says, a problem shared is a problem halved.
It can also give you a boost to share your successes and steps forward no matter how large or small with someone else. Sometimes you may just want to vent your feelings with someone in complete confidence and privacy without being judged.
Did you ever use to do this as a child with a pen pal? Or do you still have a pen pal now?
I chat via email with a lady that I met and connected with through an online group. I have never met her in person or spoken to her via phone or Skype. I have no idea what her voice sounds like but somehow we seemed to click online. We now share our stories which have moved from just being about business to personal lives also. She is my safe person to turn to and talk to about just about anything.
Being able to share feelings is invaluable
Having this support is invaluable to me. There are times that I don’t want to speak to anyone face to face but I just want someone to know how I am feeling. There are times when I find the going tough and just want to share my anguish with someone who isn’t going to immediately come over for a cuppa and a chat or pick up the phone and call me. All I want is to get my feelings down on paper (or keypad) so that I can release them from my head.
Once your feelings are written down, it can feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Just the act of writing down how you are feeling can help you clarify your thoughts and it can be surprising how solutions suddenly appear to you that you hadn’t thought of before whilst going through this process.
When you are writing down these feelings and thoughts to share with someone else, it can also help you put things in perspective. You can start to see the situation more objectively, and as mentioned previously, start to see solutions that were hidden from view before.
Finding someone to share feelings with
If you don’t have anyone that you feel you can do this with already, how about finding that one person that you feel an affinity with? Who do you chat to in groups? Do you have a past colleague or associate that you could reconnect with? Do you know someone who has a business similar to yours that would be happy to share stories with you and listen to yours?
You need to feel comfortable with whoever you choose to share feelings with. You need to trust that they will retain confidentiality on whatever you tell them. It can sometimes be easier to use someone outside of your inner circle of friends or family as they won’t have a personal interest or judgement on how you should live your life.
If you are stuck and don’t know how to turn, take a look at The Small Business Kit member’s club. Enhanced members all get unlimited email access to me and many of them have signed up purely to be able to use me as a sounding board without judgement. Sometimes they want a response with advice and sometimes they say they just want to get things off their chest.
Whatever you choose to do, the important thing is not to try and go through your journey alone. Make sure you have someone to turn to in times of need. And you can always post in my private Facebook group and share your feelings if you wish
Much love
Angie x
by Angela Taffs | Jul 27, 2016 | Personal and Lifestyle
The scary moment when you realise you have no motivation left
Deep breath time as I am out of my comfort zone and have a confession to make.
Last month I had no motivation for my business. Phew – I said it!
I had a lot going on last month and was left both physically and emotionally drained. This created a downward spiral that I struggled to get out of. I am normally full of energy and motivation and the one who is keeping everyone else buoyed up. But suddenly I was the one needing help and I simply didn’t know where to turn.
I was having a mini-meltdown!
I didn’t want to get out of bed and when I did, I didn’t want to work. Everything I did was half-hearted and felt like I was wading through treacle. I had no motivation to carry on with my business. I was having a mini-meltdown!
I was afraid of admitting how I was feeling as people expected me to be the leader. If I wasn’t coping and asked for help, how would people view me, especially clients? I was scared of them losing faith in me and not wanting to work with me again. If I had no motivation, how could I motivate them?
I had been struggling alone with a major family issue that sprung up out of the blue. I started to feel ill and all I wanted to do was lie in a darkened room and cry. I actually felt like I was in mourning. I was mourning my old self that felt like it had died with no chance of being resurrected.
Missed opportunities
I missed a number of valuable opportunities that were right under my nose but that I either missed until it was too late, or quite simply, didn’t have the energy or inclination to take advantage of.
I felt desperate. I felt alone. Two weeks went by and then something happened. A video popped up in my inbox from the wonderful Sarah Marshall from Tapping Into Money Girl. I felt compelled to stop everything and watch. And it was as though she was talking to me personally.
I was self-sabotaging!
Self-sabotage
My business had been going so well that I had got scared. I had hit a money block of taking it to the next level. The self-doubt has started to creep in, who was I to be earning that level of money? What if I hit a level that I couldn’t sustain? Would people expect more of me if I took things to the next level?
Once I had taken a step back after watching Sarah’s video, I realised what I had been doing. I had been shortcutting tasks. I had been talking myself into a feeling of self-despair. I had stopped taking care of myself and as the two are so intricately entwined, my business was suffering.
This was such a huge admission to make to myself, but it had to be done.
Time to recharge
I took a couple of days out to recharge my batteries. I took a cold hard look at my business and knew things had to change. I had to stop giving so much of myself away for free. I had to practice what I preached and start charging my worth. I had to take this business to a whole new level. I owed it to myself and to my clients who needed what I had to offer.
And now, a month on, I am so much happier. I have taken on the support I needed to really move the business forward. I have had a brand refresh, I have had a price review and I have new packages to offer.
And wow! What a difference it has made. My business is now rocketing once again and I am in exactly the right mindset to enjoy it and make the most of it.
If you are feeling stuck and you have no motivation, please don’t do as I did for so long and suffer in silence. Speak to someone, get support, drop me a line if you like and use me as a sounding board. That first step of reaching out for help is the hardest but you will be so glad you did.
by Angela Taffs | Jul 19, 2016 | Personal and Lifestyle
Money or memories. Which is more important to you?
Today, we rely more and more on social media. We become a social recluse and base our success and popularity by how many followers we have and how many people we have on our mailing lists.
We while away hour after hour sat staring at a screen in a virtual world, feeling ecstatic when someone comments on one of our posts only to return to a feeling of despondency when someone then unsubscribes from our mailing list.
We spend so much time trying to be proactive in these virtual communities that we stand a very real and present danger of alienating ourselves from the real world. Scary, but true!
While we become a social recluse, we stop seeing what is going on around us. We stop being present with our friends and family. Even if we do tear ourselves away from our laptop to go for coffee with a friend, we don’t really hear what they are saying as we are so busy reacting to the ping of a notification on our mobiles just in case we miss something.
Well STOP!!
Life is for living. Yes, you may want to build a business through online marketing but for goodness sake, don’t miss out on the real life you have here and now. By the time your business is at the level you want it to be, you may well have lost what is truly priceless in your life – your health, your friends and your family.
Learn to switch off and make memories, not just money
From today, promise yourself to disconnect for at least an hour a day. Go meet a friend for coffee with your mobile turned off. Go visit a family member or give them a call and chat without interruption. See how much better you feel and how much more refreshed you are.
And once you have got the habit of disconnecting for an hour, try a little longer. Go for a whole evening once per week and if you can bear it, do a whole day at the weekend.
Your business will not suffer. If it is so fragile that it is in danger of collapse from not being present for an hour or so, you have much bigger problems to worry about. You are doing something seriously wrong!
Promise me you will take time out to disconnect. Stop being a social recluse and go take part in the real world once again. Go live life. Go build memories. Don’t wait until it is too late.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.
Angie x
by Angela Taffs | Jul 5, 2016 | Personal and Lifestyle
Top tips for making the most of a power nap
Do you find your mind drifting and your eyes getting heavier during an afternoon slump sat at your desk? Whether you’re nodding off at your desk or just feeling your energy levels dip and struggling to concentrate, taking a few minutes out for a power nap can make you more alert and productive and is something that I do on a regular basis.
But, powers naps only work if you do it correctly. Follow these tips to make the most of your power nap to wake feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world again.
- Turn off distractions
After finding a good place to nap, you need to make sure you will be free of all distractions. Turn off your mobile (yes, it’s ok – people will wait for you to respond for 20 minutes!). Put your laptop into sleep mode and turn off the volume on your tablet or iPad to stop the noise of notifications coming through.
If there is a lot of noise coming from outside or elsewhere, pop on some noise cancelling headphones or use earplugs. You can also pop on your headphones and listen to some calming, relaxing music or download a meditation app and listen to that.
- Grab a coffee
Really? Yes, as counter-productive as it sounds, by having a shot of caffeine you will wake up feeling more alert. The caffeine won’t kick in immediately as it takes a time to be absorbed but will help give you that kick when you awaken.
- Set an alarm
This is a power nap and not an afternoon siesta so set your alarm for 20 minutes. Without an alarm, you may end up sleeping for an hour or more which is not what a power nap is about. Place your alarm across the other side of the room so that you have to get up when it goes off and you are not tempted to hit the snooze button.
- Close your eyes and nap
You may find, particularly the first few times you try this, that you can’t fall asleep. That’s ok. Just relax your mind and let it wander. Give it some breathing space to do what it wants and take a break from forced thought. Don’t stress and worry that your 20 minutes is running out. Just appreciate that you are having some time out. As mentioned before, you can try a meditation app to help you calm your mind if you wish.
- Wake up
As soon as the alarm goes off, get up. If you sleep for longer than 20 minutes it becomes counterproductive and can lead to you feeling more tired and sluggish than ever.
- Get physical
To help you awaken and increase your energy, do some stretches followed by something to increase your heart rate such as jogging on the spot or a few jumping jacks.
And now you are ready to go. Give it a try and leave a comment in the box below as to how you get on with taking a power nap.
by Angela Taffs | Jun 28, 2016 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
What do you really want when you ask for advice or feedback?
As is the nature of my business, I am constantly asked for my feedback and opinions. But sometimes I wonder as to the motives of those asking.
Just this week, I was asked to review someone’s website. I gave them my critique which they promptly chose to ignore. Now of course, that is their prerogative but what pains me is when I give up my valuable time to someone who has no intention of listening to any advice or taking any feedback.
So what really are your intentions when asking for feedback or advice? Do you really want to hear the truth or are you fishing for compliments? If you ask for feedback are you really thick-skinned enough to take it? In business, we need to have a skin as thick as a rhinoceros at times!
It can be tough to accept critique on something that we have sweat blood and tears over. It hurts when we have put endless hours into creating something that another person suggests would be better if done in a different way.
It is so hard to accept honest criticism about our business, but is matters and it is vital to not put our fingers in our ears and not block it out. If all you are looking for is approval. It won’t work out well for anyone.
I know it is hard. I have been there. I spent months putting together a new website myself and when I asked for critique, the response I got wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I thought it was wonderful because I knew the effort that had gone into creating it. I knew what I wanted it to say and what I wanted it to achieve. And I thought everyone else would love it as much as I did. So when someone told me it was less than perfect, I put my head in my hands and cried. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that.
Once I had got over my upset, and then the inevitable ‘how dare they criticise me!!!’ moment of anger, I realised that this was their perception and I had to take note. If I didn’t, I was only fooling myself.
I could have ignored them and remained with my delusion that my site was wonderful, but I knew that I wouldn’t have lasted long without opening my ears and being prepared to listen to the feedback and take the comments on board.
Feedback, particularly from our ideal clients and from the experts who have been there and done it before us, is essential.
So please, if you really want to know the truth what people think, and to get valuable advice on how to improve your success, take a deep breath, pull up your big girl knickers and open your ears my darlings.
