Let the Clouds Clear

When you’re in pain or struggling with emotional burdens, your first instinct is to close off from the world.

You try not to let others see that you are struggling. You don’t want to be a burden to them, and you don’t want to appear weak, like a victim.

So you shrink back, shutter up your heart, shutter up your mind. You thoughtfully choose the words you speak so as to not give any indication that you are less than perfect.

Besides, you don’t need help. You’re an educated adult and you can handle your own problems, right?

Well…not exactly.

If you’re feeling and identifying with the thoughts above, you are not alone. In fact, most of my clients have these thoughts, as do I every once in a while.

There can be a fog – a cloud – that hangs around some days. On these days, you have to force yourself to get out of bed; to go to the gym; to go to work.

Sometimes you have to force yourself to smile and hold conversations. It. Is. Draining.

More than anything, you want to just feel better. To feel like you’re not treading water. To feel like you’re sitting beside the pool, no longer at the risk of drowning.

You want the pain and the shame to be gone. The guilt to be released. The heaviness to lift. You want life to feel easier. You want more time, more energy, and to feel something…

enjoyable.

You feel safest with your people, but many times you feel like you can’t totally be yourself with your people. Your family and friends are supposed to be your place of home, acceptance, and love, but these can also be the people that “keep you in line,” don’t understand the growth you are seeking, and judge you for the parts of you that they don’t understand.

If you are tired of feeling like this…

The truth is: you don’t have a totally safe space to work through all the stuff going on in your head, without judgement. You’re not that person who wants to dwell on the sadness, so you don’t share it with anyone.

Therapy might not be your thing. Maybe you don’t want to work through your past. You just want to move forward. You want to figure out how to get out of this space where things feel hard and forced. You know it’s possible – you see others living it every day – but how to get there is the question.

My friend, you are on the brink of a massive transformation.

As someone who spent a decade feeling like I was drowning, completely living under a cloud of self-hatred, I can personally attest to the feeling of being totally lost in your own life. And I know what it sounds like when you’re ready to leave the cloud behind.

This issue is pervasive in our post-2020 world, so I devoted my career to helping people like you overcome this mess.

Because, I care.

People who work with me are able to work through and defeat negative thought processes, develop new habits, and reshape their lives within three months. I designed the process like a transformative cab ride – I get you from point A to point B in a certain period of time, and then let you fly, a completely transformed version of you.

The results for my clients have been truly life-changing, and I am so honored to have played a role in their journeys: taking a leap of faith in their career, reconnecting with their spouses, developing a self-care and morning routine, un-learning anxiety, fear, stress, and people-pleasing.

The list goes on!

My dear, take this as your sign. It’s time to let the clouds clear and step into the new version of you.

What are you waiting for?

I’m ready when you are.

The Foundation to an Effortless Life

What if when you wake up tomorrow,
everything feels… effortless?

At the exact time you need to start your day, your eyes flutter open gracefully.

The perfect amount of morning sunlight streams into your bedroom, allowing your vision to awake seamlessly.

You take a full-body stretch and inhale deeply, with a smile on your face, before calmly stepping out of bed to start your morning routine. You feel no grogginess, no pain, no strife, no tension toward anything you encounter.

Your day is beginning perfectly – there is plenty of time to complete your morning to-dos. You don’t even feel like you need a coffee to get going! No reason to rush, no reason to hurry. No arguments or non-cooperation from those around you.

You wonder how it was never this easy before.

You boot up your laptop.
You open your email to a full inbox, but it doesn’t send you into panic mode today. Casually, you click through and recognize that everything is being handled by the appropriate team members.
Your body is relaxed and your mind is focused. Yesterday’s unresolved dilemmas are so much clearer today.

One at a time, you effortlessly tackle your highest priority items feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment.

You’re in the zone and have accomplished a great deal already today. Everything will be finalized on time and accurately, no doubt about it.
Your team is supportive, encouraging, and understanding. You are delighted to be a vital part of such a buzzing organization. You experience no frustration towards any interactions that would have previously set you off. You feel completely calm and in control. You are going to have an incredible day, no matter what. You know it and feel it.

Same thing tomorrow, and the day after.

Imagine if this is your experience every day.

Take a minute and jot some notes down – what tiny stressors set you off each day?
From the moment you wake up until you go to bed, write out all the hiccups, the malfunctions, the people, the tasks, that annoy you. Even if it is ever so slightly; you think, “ugh, here we go,” or maybe it’s big enough that you can’t help but exclaiming your distaste out loud.

This list – hang on to it. Tuck it away where you won’t forget about it. My goal is to help you re-train your mind until nothing on this list has any impact on you.

Do you think it’s possible?

Honestly, I know it is.

The exercise we completed above leveled the landscape of your mind to build a new, wise world of possibility. Every moment is a chance to become the person you want to be if you simply choose the right perspective.

Perspective shapes reality.

So, it’s time to adopt the outlook that you have all the resources needed to become the version of yourself from the vision above.

You are the catalyst to change in your own life. You can choose right now to approach every moment of your life with a new viewpoint and change your habits to support it.

What habits need to change?
Let’s explore three questions to identify some opportunities:

What is one thing you do for yourself every day that brings you joy?

If you’re struggling to name something, start by focusing on three things you are grateful for before going to sleep every night. Practicing gratitude helps us see and choose more positive things in our lives. These small moments can have the same effect on your emotions as a shot of espresso does for your energy.

Do you feel properly fueled?

If your natural energy does not last throughout the day, or you need more than one cup of coffee, then it’s time to start incorporating healthy fuels for your body. Caffeine is incredibly acidic and inflammatory – it can be the culprit to much of the pain, restlessness, and exhaustion you’re feeling.

Surely cutting it out cold turkey does not sound thrilling, so I offer the following alternative: you probably already know you should eat more vegetables, so how about you just do it already? Find one green or cruciferous vegetable that you enjoy and add small quantities to your diet 4 times per week. Get creative in the kitchen – instead of steaming, try roasting. Instead of sautéing, try air frying.

Is your body and brain getting enough rest?

If you find yourself struggling to keep your eyes open during the day, allow yourself to sit in a dark, quiet space for 5 minutes and breathe deeply. Settle into the space and get as comfy as you can. It can help to sit on the floor with your back against the wall.

You should not have your phone or laptop with you during this time, unless it is to keep a timer. Notifications, vibrations, and other sounds should be silenced, for obvious reasons. If your only dark space is a bathroom or a closet, that works just as well. Purposeful breaks can be just as effective as taking a nap and can provide sensational clarity and relaxation to power you through the rest of the day.

Print this page out, email yourself a screen shot, or take a picture with your phone and revisit these questions frequently! If you spend just ten minutes reflecting on these three questions each week, that practice will assist us as the first step in our journey to eliminate all of the stressors you listed earlier.

If you need support or hands-on help, I would be happy to get you set up with the right plan of action. When I started my journey 10 years ago, I suffered in silence.
But you have options – reach out to me.

I’m rooting for you!

Finding Grace Through Intelligence

Suggestions for Tomorrow

I’m guessing your eyes are going to quickly glance over this article, wondering if it is worth your time, before ultimately deciding to keep reading because I read your mind.

Possibly.

So many of us navigate incredibly overly-busy lives, driven by an organized chaos that we know and, dare I say, love. In order to survive, we’ve become experts at identifying what is and is not worth our time.

But are these snap judgements of worth made accurately? Are we investing our time in a way that will deliver lasting value to us?

Could it be that we feel so much insecurity and doubt about a bright future that we only deem tasks with immediate results worth our time?

Nobody can predict the future with 100% certainty, but we (the collective humanity) seem to live in a state of impending doom on the world. Of course, this mentality just adds to the organized chaos we seem to be addicted to.

In reality, Americans are living the most physically comfortable lives in history while dealing with the highest prolonged levels of clinical anxiety, stress, and depression in history.

Why is that?

Why is it that our most intelligent, logical, and scientific advancements are not able to produce our happiest, most peaceful lives ever?

I’ve contemplated this question for a long time, and I think the answer is simple:

We’ve lost our ability to live a wise life.

The majority of our day depends on our ability to operate our minds intelligently. A percentage of us engage our bodies intelligently through exercise, which we agree on an institutional level is necessary for longevity. But, we seem to have completely pushed out the fact that humans have a soul that also needs to be incorporated intelligently.

The mind, body, and soul together create a trio that, when properly balanced, enables us to live our most happy, most peaceful, most joyous lives.

So how do we find the proper balance?

And how do we even incorporate our souls “intelligently,” anyway?

This is where my answers start to get more complex.

As with many things, the proper execution and balance is completely different for everyone.

I know, I know, cliché response. We love one-size-fits-all solutions, don’t we?!

Your unique perspectives, habits, and preferences influence how successful you will be at anything in your life. So unfortunately, I cannot prescribe a blanket solution in the space on this page. But what I can do is use my space here to explore different perspectives which will, hopefully, assist you in making meaningful strides to living a wiser life.

Here are a couple ways my clients have engaged their souls:

Write letters to your Past Self and Future Self. These letters can have any tone you choose and are allowed to sound however you wish. No rules, no expectations.

Writing to your Past Self creates a degree of separation from your past experiences and creates the space to approach feelings of guilt, regret, pain, anger, longing, etc. with a fresh perspective.

Contrarily, writing to your Future Self cultivates a sense of peace as you set your intentions for what is to come and release the need to control. This is the space to dump anxieties, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, and well wishes.

Set your alarm for 5 minutes earlier tomorrow. There are two options here:

Sit in silence and focus on your breath. Breathe in slowly for 3-4 counts, pause at the top, and breathe out for 4-5 counts.
The goal is to push all the air out of your lungs and belly, so your next breath is crisp and fresh to boost circulation and power your morning.

Choose a song to start your day with. Sit comfortably, invite ease into your body, and either close your eyes or peer out a window. Allow this song to set the tone for your day. Allow your energy to build organically with the music.
Choose something you haven’t listened to in a while – something with natural instruments. Some of my favorites are: Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles; Hello, You Beautiful Thing by Jason Mraz; and Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson.

A wise life feels like peaceful, calm, graceful existence. It feels like trust, that things are working in your favor and the timing of your life is perfectly orchestrated.

The path to cultivating this experience, like I said, is unique to everyone, but within my masterclasses, I guide you on your way to attaining it using the same processes and prompts that I lead my 1:1 clients through.

Like I tell my clients, my job is to show up and teach but it is your job to implement what you learn. You are the catalyst to change in your own life. Nobody else can do this for you, but if you need more support and hands-on help, reach out and I would be happy to get you set up with the right plan of action.

I’m rooting for you!

How to hold the faith when you start to freak out (gracefully)

I recently moved into a new apartment.

The first time I saw my apartment, it felt so right. Everything was perfect. It felt easy, it felt natural. I felt supported and guided.

So, I went for it.

But as it came closer to the time to move in, I could feel myself falling out of the good vibes. I was losing the good energy and starting to spiral into a pit of:

what if I just made a huge mistake
how can I afford this? am I insane?
I don’t belong here
this is just a dream, it’s not real

I started to question everything in my life and my future. I leaned into fear, lack, doubt, and self-pity.

And that is simply not the vibe I enjoy.

Every morning that first week in my apartment, I woke up feeling extremely out-of-body.

Even still, my entire schedule and sense of time feels a bit… disorganized.

So, I decided to do what I know best: put myself first.

I started back at the basics. First thing in the morning.

I began the task of rebuilding my morning routine by putting myself first.

Not work, not cleaning, not my phone or notifications – me. I get dressed, brush my teeth, and pop in my headphones to listen to the morning’s guided meditation. (Right now I’m going through the Chopra Center’s 21 Days of Abundance – overall, not bad!)

After the 15 minutes of meditation, I jump into the gym for a workout. No matter if it’s 15 minutes or 45, I’m so pleased to get it done. It feels so good to move first thing in the morning and get that fresh blood flow.

Then it’s shower, tea, and on with my day.

Morning routine: re-established. Yay!

But putting yourself first goes so much deeper than just a time slot on your calendar.

Putting yourself first includes following through on your promises to yourself as the highest priority.

It includes talking to yourself, with your inner critic, in a way that builds you up rather than tears you down or makes you feel small.

Here you can embark on a whole journey of re-training your brain to run a new narrative. To speak a new story that inspires you. To see where you create your own limitations, if you’re open to it.

It also includes checking in with your body throughout the day to make sure you’re hydrated, breathing, and comfortable.

It’s creating space for yourself, first and foremost, so you feel supported and confident in creating space for others. So you don’t leave interactions feeling drained, derailed, or emotionally exasperated.

It’s times like these when I decide to leverage my own content. My IG posts, my masterclasses.

So I decided to take my own masterclass, again, to get back into the flow of putting myself first.

Truthfully, I’m still practicing it, still working it, and still getting it right in this season of my life.

As I continue moving through this season, I know that I can count on the content in my classes, because I know that ultimately, I am speaking to me.

I am speaking to anyone who needs support – because I know that feeling off your game can feel so lonely.

If you’re anything like me, you tend to close off when you’re struggling. Whether you want to work through it yourself or you just don’t feel like you have the support, or maybe you don’t even know how to express what you’re feeling…

Know that I am always here for you. I am always holding space for you.

And, I’ll see you in class.

LIVE Masterclass Announcement!

Why I preach “Put Yourself First”

Hint: it’s NOT selfish!

Being whole, happy, and aligned within yourself is the first step to achieving anything you want, especially if you want to do good for others.

One of the main principles I teach is to put yourself first. There are so many benefits to this, but many people see it as selfish or don’t see the link to how putting yourself first is a highly impactful way to serve other people in your life like your family, friends, and coworkers.

Believe it or not, it is also incredibly important to do as a parent!

If you’re interested in exploring this topic more, consider joining my
LIVE masterclass!

Join me this Sunday,
5/1 @ 9am PDT
for a LIVE class!

Watch out for the class link via email by Sunday 8am PDT.

SIGN ME UP!

Leaning Into Fear

So much of this life feels scary, right? It’s terrifying sometimes.

Joining a new social circle – terrifying.

Leaving your job to follow your passion – totally terrifying.

How do you feel about the phrase,
“leap and the net will appear” ?

Is that also terrifying?

We must not let the things that terrify us hold us back.

We’re focused on the worst-case scenario… but how do we feel about the best-case scenario?

If we spend our time focusing on our fear around the worst-case scenario, all we’re doing is ensuring, vibrationally, if you have a manifesting mentality, that the worst-case scenario is what happens.

However, when we allow ourselves to release the fear and focus on the good and the positive…

instead of shrinking away when we feel fear…

when we lean into it, try to crush it (lovingly), try to shed light into the depths of the darkness that create our fears, that is when we achieve true growth.

That is when we’re able to see the fruits of our labor…

All of the efforts that we’ve been sending out into the Universe, working to manifest a positive lifestyle and a healthy mind.
That’s when it all starts rushing back to shower upon us.

When we’re able to lean into our fear with courage and shine light into our darkness,
that is when we gain the true power of evolution of consciousness as human beings.

I have been living this motto,
Leap and the Net Will Appear,
for almost two years.

**What I have found is that fear is an illusion.**

Fear is a mechanism to shy away from things that are meant to expand us.

The True Price of $elf-Compromise

Everyone: “I had such a great time. Did you have fun at the bar last night?”

Me, to myself: Umm….. no? Have I ever had fun there? Barely.

Have you ever been in a situation where everyone around you seemed to really enjoy themselves, but you didn’t feel the excitement at all? You just, faked it? You were numb?

For so many of us, situations are incredibly uncomfortable or awkward until the alcohol starts flowing.

And so it goes:

“I’m just going to have one drink tonight, to take the edge off.”

Drink. Food. Dessert. Drink. Drink. Shots. Drinks.

Getting home late. Sleeping in way late. Dealing with hangover all day.

The effects of deciding to sip that first drink last much longer than “until the last drop.”

The next day, the energetic low you feel as a result of the events of the night before cuts your ability to focus by upwards of 75%, the physical capability of your body no less than 50%, and your desire to perform by at least 30%.

I’m just throwing out numbers here. But think about it, they’re not wrong.

Your diet gets thrown off, you reach for more caffeine, and sugar and carbs appear a million times more comforting than before.

^ That ^ is my honest account
(on a Sunday morning)
of the effects of my decision to have just one drink
(on a Wednesday evening).

It was supposed to be just one, but it snowballed over the following 2 nights and resulted in just two hours of sleep at the tail end of the weekend.

Now, I’m going to spend the next few days trying to ramp myself back up to optimal performance and I honestly can’t wait.

I’m going for a massage, a green juice, and to get my nails done. And tomorrow, I’m going to the gym.

Yes, you read that correctly.
I really do practice what I preach:
Put Yourself First.

It feels so much better to operate as a well-oiled machine in tip-top shape than it does to have “fun” going out, ending up hungover, and feeling like utter sh*t the next few days.

I put quotations around “fun” because the real question is – how do you define what is “fun”?

Is “fun” measured by the amount of alcohol I consume, or the amount I may or may not remember from the night before?

No, not to me and not anymore.

But it used to be. Heyyy, college!

To me, “fun” is measured by the energetic boost something gives me.
Fun is the depth of connection I am able to make with another human being.
Fun is that natural high that has no side effects. No crashes. No extreme low later on.
To me, fun is clean and healthy.

Fun is defined as: enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.

How do you define and measure “fun”?

What if everything in your life was fun?

Are you open to that possibility?

Why my clients don’t renew

When you’re in pain or struggling with emotional burdens, your first instinct is to close it off from the world.

You try not to let others see that you are struggling. You don’t want to be a burden to them, and you don’t want to appear weak, like a victim.

So you shrink back, shutter up your heart, shutter up your mind.

You thoughtfully choose the words you speak to paint the picture that you’re just fine.

You put more effort into making yourself seem like you have it all together than actually getting it together. But that’s the best you can do because you’re not sure how to move forward or actually find the right help.

Besides, you don’t need help. You’re an educated adult and can handle your own problems.

The way it is, is just the way it is. You will always be this way. This is the way it’s meant to be. This is just life. This is just the luck you were born with.

If you’re identifying with these thoughts, you are not alone.

In fact, most of my clients have these thoughts, as did I at one time.

There’s a fog – a cloud – that hangs around most of the days. We have to force ourselves to get out of bed; to go to the gym; to go to work. Sometimes we have to force ourselves to smile and hold conversations.

It. Is. Draining.

More than anything, we want to just feel better. To feel like we’re not treading water. To feel like we’re sitting beside the pool, no longer at the risk of drowning.

We want the pain, the shame, to be gone. The guilt. The heaviness. We want life to feel easier. We want more time, more energy, and to feel something.

We feel safest with our people, but many times we feel like we can’t totally be ourselves with our people. Our family and friends are our place of home, acceptance, and love, but these are also the people that “keep us in line,” don’t understand the way we desire to grow or expand our minds, and judge us for things they don’t understand about us.

You are tired of feeling like this. Tired of fighting the “reality” that doesn’t seem like it will ever change.

My friend, you are on the brink of a massive transformation.

The truth is: you lack the space to talk to someone openly, without judgement, about all the stuff going on in your head.

Therapists may or may not have helped you in the past, but you’re ready for something different. You’re not someone who wants to dwell on the sadness anymore.

You don’t want to work through your past. You just want to move forward. You want to figure out how to get out of this space where things feel hard and forced. You know it’s possible – you see others living it every day – but how to get there is the question.

Would you trust and believe me that you can find your way out of this foggy, convoluted headspace within three months?

As someone who spent a decade feeling like I was drowning, completely living under a cloud of self-hatred, and had only the energy to sit on the couch and eat cookie dough, I can personally attest to the feeling of being totally lost in your own life.

This issue does not impact only me, or you, or my clients – it’s pervasive. So many people around us feel this exact way. But it still feels so lonely. You probably don’t want anyone to feel bad for you, or to pity you, or to even try to help you.

I devoted my career to helping people like you overcome this mess.

People who work with me are able to work through and defeat negative thought processes, develop new habits, and reshape their lives within three months.

My process is like a transformative cab ride – I get you from point A to point B in a certain period of time, and then I leave you be.

Which brings up another point – I see an issue with the way we use therapy in this society.

It becomes another addiction. Another subscription that we begrudgingly show up to appointment after appointment without a clear “graduation” date on the calendar.

We spend all the time dwelling on the negative. Working through the past. Digging deeper and deeper into this hole that just keeps getting deeper. We swim in our own thoughts and feelings and decide we need the therapist more and more each time.

Working with me is not like that at all…

I don’t want you to renew your package at the end. I want to set you free as a completely transformed version of you.

People come to me when they’re ready to make real changes.

When you are ready, I’ll be here.

What got you here, won’t get you there

If you haven’t noticed, for the last 20+ years, the workforces of entire industries have been displaced due to automation.

You have been working harder, and harder, and harder – but you’re not a robot.

The future is dim for those who are employed in comfortable, mundane, repetitive jobs that can be easily automated in a year.

The accounting industry has been talking about this for years. The first step was outsourcing, the second step is automation. And automation is here.

So how are you going to THRIVE and truly enjoy your life if you’re constantly pushing to work harder and harder than you already have? It doesn’t look like it’s getting any easier following this path.

What got us to where we are today will not get us to where we are going tomorrow.

It’s a fact, plain and simple. The only constant in life is change.

You must be ready for change.

This change is going to be uncomfortable.

You’re going to feel resistance to it, naturally. It’s not an easy thing.

But if you have the proper resources, foundation, and help in your court, you are going to be just fine.

It’s time to get creative,
to become innovative,
to forge your own path.

Being a follower of the masses is no longer your path.

You’re about to embark on the best journey of your life. I tell you this because I (now) stand in the shoes of someone who was where you are 5 years ago…taking the first steps of my journey.

So what is your first step? How do you hit the ground running on the right foot to make sure you’re not headed toward a complete dead end?

Answer: You have to have the right coaches, advisors, and mentors surrounding you.

You may have heard this before – if you’re the smartest or most capable person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.

It’s time for you to choose a different room.

How do you choose?

–> Find someone who gets you. Find someone you admire that has been where you are and you feel comfortable telling them where you want to go.

–> Find someone who is an out of the box thinker, who follows their own path, creates their own reality, and literally does what they say they want to do.

–> It’s not necessarily important that these people have done exactly what you want to do. See, the job of a coach or mentor is not to tell you how to do the things, to give advice, or to hold your hand.

–> Their job is to help you unlock your inner genius. To remind you to believe in yourself and your dream every time you stumble.

–> They are a great leader who empowers their people.

^^ That is the criteria I consider ^^
when I choose my coaches and mentors.

But first and foremost, these people need to be aligned with my mindset.
I need to know and trust them to lift me up using language that I feel.

I need to feel like a powerful force after I spend time with them.

I need to be willing to get deep with them and trust
whatever insight they have to offer as divine guidance along my path.

If you don’t have anyone around you who fits this bill, I challenge you to consider me.

Totally serious. I know your struggle. I have been in your shoes.

I was falling apart, not sure how to move forward to the next step. I was having identity crises and mental breakdowns multiple times a week because I had no idea what steps to take to create momentum.

I had no idea where to start, but I knew I wanted to be somewhere else.

Someone else…

You’re sick of waiting for some magical solution.

You know it’s not coming.

You know it’s up to you to take action.

You will no longer
live in a state of stressful,
blatantly torturous misery.
(period.)

We get started immediately to
make true impact on your world.

Today.

Not tomorrow – change starts now.

Life is NOT meant to feel miserable or empty.

I’m reaching my hand into the well to pull you up, but it’s up to you to take it.

Go to Calendly.com/Kerstie to schedule your first session with me FOR FREE.
Try me – 30 minutes, totally free.

You won’t regret it.

GET MY FREE SESSION!

Self-Care vs. “Treat Yourself”

In honor of International Women’s Month, BLOOM magazine invited me to discuss the importance of Self-care for women in today’s world. It was an honor to be highlighted by such an impactful organization!

To the men out there, I would give you the same exact advice I shared below for women. xo

Self-care is important. We hear this all the time, but what does it really mean?

For Kerstie Blue, Life Coach / CEO of Her Own Life / CPA / Yogi, self-care is about taking care of herself first and foremost so that she can take care of others. It’s about creating a life that she loves and being intentional about her own happiness.

In honor of International Women’s Month, BLOOM Magazine (the community + magazine exclusively for claims, medical and risk professionals in the workers’ compensation sector) sat down with Kerstie to discuss the importance of self-care and how it has positively impacted her life and career.

What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important for Your Health?

KB: Self-care is the practice of treating ourselves with the same love and respect we have for others. It’s treating ourselves with care and compassion in all the ways we crave it. It’s the way we water our own roots so we can be fruitful for those we care about. Self-care activities involve things like caring for your physical appearance, understanding your emotions, and making sure you are having fun in life.

Why is Self-Care important, particularly for women?

KB: Women are constantly nurturing and taking care of others. The emotional toll of playing this role can also physically deplete us very quickly. If you can envision a faucet, it’s like leaving the tap water running hot and walking away. Eventually, the hot water runs cold. Self-care is the ability to turn the tap off so the water has a chance to get hot again. This happens to women when they’ve nurtured someone for too long without taking time to rebuild their own strength, emotionally and physically. The care they give begins to run out of the genuine warmth and love it was once filled with.

What part of your self-care routine is most important to you? And is there one vital to you even when you are having the worst day?

KB: The most important part of my self-care routine is my morning meditation. My body, mind, and soul need dedicated, tranquil time to come to a complete stop. This helps reset my mood, my nervous system, and completely calms me into a state of bliss. It sets the intention for my day to be filled with love, patience, kindness, and compassion for not only myself but also everyone around me.

What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions about self-care?

KB: I think our society has confused the idea of “treating yourself” with self-care. “Treat yourself” has been made into a rally cry for shopping sprees and unnecessary consumption of more “stuff” that we think will make us happy in the long term, but it’s a very short-term fix. Self-care is much deeper than a credit card swipe – it’s meant to fill your heart with love, your head with peace, and your body with joy.

What tips, resources, or advice can you share for anyone struggling with self-care?

KB: My number-one tip to help people figure out their best self-care activities is to think back to your teenage or college years. What was one thing you were always excited to do on your day off or with your free time? Whatever that was, find a way to incorporate even 15 minutes of doing that thing each week. Over time, increase the amount of time doing this thing you enjoy and see how it affects your mood the rest of the day.

Empowering Women through Self-Care , Kerstie Blue, Life Coach / CEO of Her Own Life / CPA / Yogi