Non-Toxic Minimalist Skincare

What you use for skin care makes a huge difference on your energy and health. Your skin, being the largest organ in your body, absorbs whatever you place on it, almost instantly. According to ewg.org, women on average, use about twelve skin care products per day exposing themselves to about 168 chemical ingredients per day. That excludes additional chemicals found in your foods, clothing, furniture, and atmosphere. When you think about it, that’s a lot of chemicals. 

Asking your body to filter out these chemicals regularly is not only stressful and taxing, it take a toll on your health. Taking the time to be conscious about the way you care for your skin can greatly reduce the number of these chemicals you’re exposed to and improve the way that you feel; your energy levels and mental clarity. So today I want to share with you how I’ve simplified my skin care approach to be non-toxic and minimalist, while sharing some of my most favorite, daily used products. 

The most important thing when it comes to skin care, specifically for better health and energy, is what you wash your sheets and clothes with. Bedsheets and clothes are touching your skin 24/7. Any chemicals ingrained in them are absorbed into your bloodstream 24/7... So it’s extremely important to know what you’re washing with. For my clothes I absolutely love TruEarth. What I love about their detergent is its simplicity and how sustainable it is. They are easy to travel with and, most importantly, they only have clean ingredients. Unlike so many of the other non-toxic detergents I’ve tried, this actually leaves your clothes smelling fresh and I love how I don’t have to buy special detergent for the baby clothes. (Get 10% percent off using my code “MJTRU” at this link HERE)

My daily skincare routine includes washing and moisturizing my face twice per day. I'm a big fan of regular exfoliation, both on my face and body). While I love face washes by John Masters Organics, Acure, and Mychelle, I’ve simplified this down to using extra fine grit sea salt, like the neti pot salt. Depending on your skin type, sea salt or sugar… and if you wish, some of your preferred essential oils, is often the simplest, most effective way to cleanse your skin. Oftentimes I will mix this, or infuse, with coconut oil and some essential oils.

As far as coconut oil goes… I use this for pretty much everything. Moisturizer, body cream, tanning oil, lube, hair oil and protectant, for shaving, on cuts, bug bites, skin burns… you name it. Coconut oil is extremely diverse, especially when mixing with different essential oils. Here are some essential oil mixes I use with coconut oil:

Face Moisturizer:
10 drops Lavender
3 drops Rosemary
5 drops Tea Tree
3 drops Helichrysum
Mixed into 4oz of Coconut Oil
* I researched the best types of oils for my skin type. I recommend you do the same. 

Muscle Aches:
10 drops Peppermint
5 drops Eucalyptus
5 drops Wintergreen
3 drops Cinnamon
Mixed into 2 oz of Coconut Oil
* Eucalyptus and peppermint are great also for rubbing on the chest or under the nose when you experience congestion.

Burns, Blisters, & Cuts Soothing Salve
10 drops Lavender
Mixed into 2 oz of Coconut Oil

Simple Sunscreen
1 Tbsp Zinc Oxide
Mixed into 2 oz of Coconut Oil

It’s amazing what you can do with essential oils. And as you can see, in conjunction with coconut oil, it can simplify and replace so much of the complicated, expensive, toxic things we buy off the store shelves.

Hair care has to be considered as part of skin care, because anything you put into your hair transfers directly to your scalp. When it comes to my hair, my go-to is Clever Yoga’s shampoo and conditioner bars. Their packaging is plastic free, they’re easy to travel with and the ingredients are solid. I love the smell of these bars, I love how long they last, I love that they actually work and I especially love how clean their ingredients are.

Let’s talk about makeup. Like many of these other products, make up goes directly on your skin.  I only wear it for filming and work, otherwise I’m make-up free. But I do have a few favorites. Emani, I’ve been using their cream shadows for years. I love that they are vegan and have clean ingredients, I also use the creams as an eyeshadow base and shades for contouring and blush. For more accessible brands I like Gabriel Cosmetics, Pacifica, and even brands such as Pixie or Elf. With Elf, be sure to check out ewg.org to see the cleanliness of each product because not all ingredients are totally non-toxic. 

While it is difficult to be 100% non-toxic, I don’t want you to feel guilty or feel like you can’t have certain things because you need to be perfect. By reducing the majority of your skin care to non-toxic ingredients, we can feel better about the few items that we CHOOSE to keep in our lives because we just love how it works, the result it has, and the value it brings. 

I hope you found this blog incredibly informative… If you enjoyed it, found value in it, or want more of it please be sure to let me know in the comments and share with anybody you feel would enjoy my content. I truly feel grateful and humbled to be here, I look forward to speaking with you next time!

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You Can't Afford to Neglect This

Hey friends, It’s MJ here! Let’s talk.

How are things? How are YOU feeling today? Take a second to just check in with yourself... How does your body feel? How sharp is your mind? Where’s your energy level at?

I’ve been talking to a lot of you for quite some time now and the prognosis remains the same: You’re exhausted, out of balance, and overwhelmed.

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. There is one common thing every single person I’ve talked to on social media, within my programs, as well as here, has done to get to this place. They’ve failed to prioritize and master the one thing that cannot be neglected: Sleep.

Now before you roll your eyes... hear me out. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that “Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting ENOUGH quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.” It goes on to elaborate on how sleep greatly impacts your brain function, emotional well being, your overall health, and daily performance.

The trust is my friend, people are not getting enough sleep. And it’s happening more and more. SleepAdvisor.org discloses a number of shocking sleep statistics such as: 30% percent of the U.S. population suffers from insomnia and about 38% percent have reported unintentionally falling asleep or nodding off in the middle of the day, within the last 30 days.

What’s more, is in my own personal experience as a health coach, over the last 15 years I’ve seen burn-out effect our younger population more and more. SleepAdvisor.org reports over 37% percent of people between the ages of 20-39 report the shortest sleep durations even though it’s recommended that they get a bit more sleep compared to their older peers.

I know our society glorifies hustle and grind, we hear it all the time: You have to work like you’ve never worked before, in order to live like you’ve never lived before... or some form of that adage. And while I respect you for your dreams, goals, and motivation (I’m rooting you on!) I have to again repeat this quote from my fellow friend Brendon Burchard “You simply can’t beat the norms, if you’ve driven yourself into the ground.”

It might work in the beginning and you might even last a while... but soon enough it will catch up to you, and you will crash. Because burn-out is a real thing. And no, you’re not too young to sleep more and to relax more. In fact, it’s exactly what you need to get your fire started again.

So what’s it take to get good sleep?

The first, which is stated in my Room Design video, but less obvious to the average go-getter... Wind Up before jumping to your day. If you look at anything high performance; professional athletes, race car drivers, stage performers.. They all warm up before gunning through the start. Neglecting this could put them at risk for serious injury. Similarly, your mind has a palpable period when you wake up, which is open to the subconscious, so in essence the way you wake up is how you’re setting the tone for your day. Do you wake up stressed, in a hurry, late? Or are you waking up intentional, taking time for clarity and to envision your day?

This creates a domino effect through, and to, the end of your day; where you start winding down to sleep. We’re only revving the engines if we rush to one last email or to-do before we hit the lights. The quality of our sleep depends on how we setup for sleep and is also greatly effect by the state of mind we’re in throughout the day. So if our heart is racing and our minds are running, we’ve been tense and anxious, it doesn’t matter if you hit the lights out early, it’s going to be tough to settle down. 

The next step is to be intentional with your sleep routine. I know some of you already implement a lot of the good sleep hygiene practices… But if you’re still not getting good quality sleep, it’s likely you’re not implementing the ones practical for you, or you don’t have a good before-bed routine. Likewise, if you have a good routine but are not implementing good sleep hygiene, you’re likely to experience some difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. 

So let’s say you have both… You have a great sleep routine and your sleep hygiene practices are thorough. But you still wake up feeling groggy and tired, and under slept. *With the exception of an actual medical issue, most of the time I find this is because your bedtime is set too late. So, I can hear it now, “But MJ... I get to sleep before midnight, EVERY night!” The quality of sleep prior to 10pm is exponentially better than the quality of sleep prior to midnight.

Getting to bed before midnight is a huge accomplishment. Trust me, that’s hard for most. But for those of you that are working on an energy deficit or looking to create more momentum in your daily performance, you absolutely - 100% percent, need to have an earlier bedtime... at least temporarily. Unfortunately, you will not be an exception to that rule until you are out of that deficit and getting out of that deficit takes a lot more effort than just sleeping in a few nights in a row.

This is why sleep is such a priority for high performers. All high performers I’ve know that have longevity and no issues of crash and burn, protect and honor their morning and evening routines, as well as the quality of their sleep. It’s non-negotiable. 

A couple tips in addition to these thoughts are to: Use a sleep app - I like apps not to obsess over sleep, but to train my awareness for what constitutes as better quality sleep. I now can accurately guess the quality of my sleep based on how restless I felt, the number of times I wake at night, and how I feel upon rising. It also highlights some key indicators or common factors that promote better rest. For example, When I fall asleep before 10pm I consistently have 98-100% percent sleep quality ratings, versus getting to bed between 11-12, I might get that type of quality 20% percent of the time. It’s reflected in my readiness and the way that I feel as well.

If you share a bed with a partner, think about ways to customize your individual comfort levels. Sleep number beds, specifically ones where both sides can be adjusted separately, or use separate blankets. The latter is my personal approach.

Last but not least, if you’re having a hard time getting settled, your mind might be running at a never ending pace. And I understand how it is, when you’re busy all day, and this time before bed - is the only space you have to take a moment and think. This is where I like to apply the principles of minimalism: Take inventory of what you’re thinking about and start removing all the things that don’t matter.

Now, some of these things truly need attended to, but not right now, when you’re trying to get to sleep. Scheduling regular, intentional time to actively think and plan is important, but doing this before bedtime just creates more clutter in our minds and will need to be addressed again later on. It also reduces our quality of sleep, then reducing our clarity and productivity during the day. So there’s really no benefit in doing this now.

Everything effects one another. So to make an overly simplified, dramatized point: You can’t have a crappy mindset, or crappy friends, and expect a good quality life perspective. Similarly, you can’t have crappy sleep, and expect exceptional energy and performance. Life doesn’t work that way.

This is not to say sleep it the most important, above of all else. Your mental wellbeing, physical health, relationships, quality of life, etc… it’s all important for energy. However, in our current situation, sleep is the most overlooked and undervalued factor when it comes to feeling your best and living your best. It also cannot be ignored.

Since I’ve been on a roll quoting Brendon Burchard lately, here’s another one: “Energy is critical to high performance. You can have all the other habits up and running in your life, but without mastering this one, you won’t feel good.” And I’ll add to that: “Sleep is critical to high energy. You can perfect everything else in your life, but without masking this one, you won’t have energy.”

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Designing Your Room for Better Sleep & Relaxation

Our personal spaces are sacred. It provides an environment that can really set a tone and effect our energy and mood. When our spaces are clustered and messy, it can leave us feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and unclear. When our spaces are clean and organized, it can generate a sense of calm, rejuvenation, and ease.

Most of us appreciate places like the spa or an upscale hotel because these places take the time to prioritize the experience a person feels in the space. Likewise, our bedroom is one of our most intimate places that should provide a supportive place for relaxation, restoration, and rest. It is the place you come to for space, solace, and comfort. It is the place you begin and end your day.

Personalizing or designing your bedroom in a way that promotes and enhances these effects is one of the best ways to trigger better sleep and relaxation, which in turn promotes more energy throughout each day. The beautiful thing is that it is easy and fun to do!

The first step to creating more peace in your bedroom is to designate the space for only restful, calming activities. Bringing work, problems, finances, and creative projects into your bedroom can activate your mind to start thinking and working when you walk in. So it’s important to be deliberate about the activities in your room.

Step two, think about self-care activities that you enjoy doing and make space for that in your bedroom. If it’s yoga and meditation, make sure you have intentional space for your yoga mat or meditation pillow. If you like doing face care or a foot spa, you might have a designated area for a vanity or comfortable seat. Regardless what you prefer, the space should be functional and intentionally designed to promote doing these activities with ease.

Next, take the time to heighten your senses and think about what elements encourage you to relax and feel more calm. Sometimes it helps to recreate a space you’re familiar with being relaxed in, like the spa; Use water features, candles and essential oils, lots of plants, soft music, and maybe even some decorations that enhance the authenticity of the experience. Try to trigger all five of your senses with sights, sounds, textures, smells, and even flavors, like bringing in a nice cup of tea.

The fourth step is to consider lighting. If your lights are bright and fluorescent, it’s hard for your mind to settle down in that space. Take note of light pollution as well, excess light that can creep in through door cracks or unshaded windows, or even lights that emit from LED screens or charging points. The ability to control the warmth, brightness, and amount of light in your room can set the mood when you’re ready to relax or fall asleep, and it can also help you stay asleep to remove any excess light.

The next thing you want to do is to be extremely intentional about the quality and comfort of your furniture. The design of the room is focused not only on making it look visually appealing, it should be a comforting and relaxing experience as well. Intentionally include items in your room that help support that and keep in mind spacing, prioritizing the most important furniture first and omitting what doesn’t fit well.

Another important thing to include is a side table or accessible unit that can store self care and relaxation tools. It’s convenient and helpful to be able to reach these items from the comfort of your bed, whether it be an eye mask, diffuser, or book. Keep them close to maintain your night time routine and help you get more relaxing sleep, or help soothe you to sleep.

Lastly, along with relaxation tools, keep beside you important necessities like a water bottle, a night light, some ear plugs, or nasal spray. Whatever you find yourself consistently addressing in the middle of the night, with the exception of using the restroom, find ways to keep yourself from having to get up out of bed.

Taking all these steps will help cultivate a more peaceful, energy-promoting environment along with boosting your quality of sleep. But another essential step to go along with designing your room is to make sure you establish a good sleep routine. Utilize the space to help train your mind and body to restore.. the benefits are life changing!

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The Pros & Cons of Not Using Toilet Paper

People thought I was nuts when I said goodbye to toilet paper nearly 3 years ago. But having a no-toilet paper system began just like all my other weird quirks: seeking to simplify and reduce what doesn’t add value.

Now I’m not saying toilet paper doesn’t add value, toilet paper is great! But what if I told you I found something better?

Some people may disagree, but I have found a forever love of using a bidet (once I got the hang of it). No more having to put my hands anywhere near poo, no more smearing with dry tissue, no more paper waste…

Ok, that might be a bit TMI - but you get what I mean…
There is so much magic in eliminating toilet paper when eliminating!

Here are some of the benefits, PROS:

• Fast cleaning - Forget wiping over and over and over again. The spray is efficient and effective.

• Super clean! - Just like stepping out of the shower every time.

• Avoid accidentally poking your fingers through dry, rough paper (you know you’ve done it).

• Reduce your grocery bill.

• Reduce paper and plastic waste.

And here are some of the downsides, CONS:

• Water mess - in the beginning you might be cleaning up some water sprays around the toilet. 😆

• Extra Towel Laundry - having single-use towel wipes adds about 20 minutes per week to my laundry routine for a family of four. Some people have personal hand towels they re-use and hang near their toilet. You can opt for this option if you prefer.

• Boil or Bleach - I’m a clean freak, so I prefer to boil or bleach these towels (just in case…) if you boil it adds another 20 minutes and additional spin/dry cycle to the routine, and if you bleach well - that’s not great for mother nature. But I believe the effects of either to be much less than the amount of resources and waste toilet paper takes and creates.

• Wakes you up at night - this is a weird one I didn’t expect… but if you don’t hook the bidet up to warm water (ours has the ability but isn’t hooked up) the cold splash on your rear can cause you to become alert in your sleepy state. 😳I simply used toilet paper as an exception for the midnight potty run. Eventually I was able to let go of the habit.

• Getting Spoiled! - The only other downside to the bidet is that you start to become a bidet snob. Going to public restrooms or restrooms in other people’s homes become a less favorable experience.

Hopefully you’ve got some idea of why I prefer having a no-toilet paper system. Try it out and you might find yourself equally surprised! I’d love to hear your thoughts and conversations about this topic.

Until next time,
~ MJ

3 STEP MEAL PREP

Love it or hate it, we ALL have to prepare meals at some point! Often, this task can seem tedious or maybe you don't feel like you have the energy after a long day. This will, typically, lead us to an alternative option, like eating out. 😬 Convenient, yes... healthy or sustainable, no.

Today I want to help you demystify healthy eating.

Here is my a three-step meal prep plan that is quick, easy, and flexible - so you can whip up tasty and nutritious meals in no time.

MJ's Simplified, Healthy Meals:

1. Pick Your Base: A mix of whole grains + fat proteins + veggies creates the perfect base for all my meals. My staples are quinoa and rice varieties, coupled with avocados or meat/meat substitutes, and then a good dose of veggies, beans, or any greens you love.

2. Add Complementary Flavors: Based on your palate, pick some tasty vegetables or herbs and spices to really bring out the flavor of the base you chose. Go for color – eat the rainbow to get all your minerals and vitamins! Peppers, mushrooms, basil, garlic, ginger, turmeric, etc. can really pack a delicious punch.

3. Add Spices / Sauces: The frosting on the cake, so to speak – jazz up your meal with lemon juice, salsa, hummus, a drizzle of sauce or a dressing that makes your mouth water.

Prepare a big batch of your favorites and you can mix and match for days.

TIP: Try it in a big bowl, on a bed of greens, or tucked inside a burrito. Using a mix of these simple ingredients really maxes out your flavor profiles so you don’t feel bored with your meals, plus it’s still so simple and nutritious.

We can eat healthy and it doesn't have to be an energy drain! We can feel better about ourselves and overall, have more energy when you choose to eat healthy home meals.

Use these easy-peasy methods to make your meal prep efficient and effective, without sacrificing taste and variety. You can find more inspo for energy-boosting meals here and additional energy-boosting resources on my website AND now on my Pinterest!

Bon appétit, my friends!

OUT OF ENERGY? 5 WAYS TO GET MORE.

Does this sound like you?

Pushing to the max, trying to get the most out of every aspect of life (health, wealth, love, happiness!), and feeling like you just can’t achieve balance with it all?

I totally get you!

You don’t have to be diagnosed with a chronic fatigue issue to be overwhelmed and exhausted – it happens to just about everyone!
 

If you're low on energy here are Five Tips to Create More When You’ve Run Out...

1. Water - So crucial yet so frequently forgotten. Make sure you’re getting plenty of high-quality, naturally alkaline water to up your energy. Trust me, it makes a difference!
    

2. Breathe - When you’re racing through your day, taking just 3-5 minutes to relax ultimately helps you be more productive and efficient; you perform best when you’re recharged.
    

3. Meal Prep - Utilizing a meal service or taking a day to meal-plan removes the stress not only of grocery shopping, but also of trying to ensure that all your meals are balanced, nutritious, and still delicious.
    

4. Take Inventory - Keeping inventory of where you spend your time and energy helps cut out energy-wasters while identifying energy restorers. Make a list of what serves you and what makes you feel good vs. what depletes your time and energy.
    

5. Time for YOU - Help yourself feel amazing by moving, restoring, breathing, reflecting, and adjusting your mindset. Taking a little time each day (as little as 5-minutes!) to pour into loving yourself can make a huge difference, keeping you positive and resilient.

We all want to feel like we're succeeding above and beyond the important areas of life! These simple actions will help level up your energy and create the balance you need to accomplish all your goals and grow.

HEALING CHRONIC FATIGUE

FATIGUE… the thing that robs us most of our time and energy. If you’re suffering, I totally feel you. I’ve been there myself – and I am committed to help guide you towards recovery.
After curing chronic adrenal fatigue, I compiled 5 crucial tipsto help you piece together your path to healing:

1. SEEK HELP. Asking for help isn’t always easy or obvious. Consulting experts is key to finding out what’s happening within your body so you can start healing effectively.

2. SIMPLIFY. Prioritizing your health is crucial to gaining long-term energy. Adjusting your schedule may mean cutting back on exercise, work projects, or social events – but letting go of energy robbers will allow us the space we need to heal.

3. BE KIND TO YOURSELF. This can be hard – we’re our own worst critic! Learning to be kind to yourself, having patience and grace as you navigate, goes a long way. In the end, taking time to create space for yourself means you gain capacity to help others more. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so fill yours up!

4. STEP BACK. Take a hiatus – 30 minutes everyday or a few days every month, it’s so important to simply rest. While keeping busy is healthy, it’s not healthy to be “always on.”

5. FEEL-GOOD CHANGES. Fatigue isn’t cured overnight. It takes time and consistent adjustments. Start small and easy – something as simple as going to bed 5-10 minutes earlier. Steady, incremental changes lead to big changes. Starting with the easy ones, the harder ones will *feel* easier as your energy increases!

My end goal is to help you feel better each step of your way to Unlimited Energy!

If there is any way I can help please let me know. And hey! I started collecting resources for you on my Pinterest. Check it out!

Love and Light,
-MJ

For more information on My Adrenal Fatigue Journey check out my YouTube playlist here.

MANAGING ENERGY

We all have 24 hours in a day, so why does it seem like some of us have more? No really... think about that for a moment. I know you're already doing a lot, but I also know you've got a whole lot more you want to be doing. So why do some people seem to excel, succeed, and experience more in their lives?

Here's the secret. Work-Life balance. 🤣

Okay - I'M JOKING!!!

But all jokes aside, the people who are able to do more and still have the energy to live life elevated and continue leveling up their lives are the people who know how to manage their energy.

Yep. You got it. If you can master your energy, you can master your time.

So I can hear you already, "But MJ... I already do SO MUCH! I'm spent by the end of each day! How can you expect me to add one more thing on my to-do list?!"

There's a great conflict happening in our society today and it is caused by the want for so much, while being expose to massive amounts of unsolicited information in addition to a fast paced competitive culture. The issue becomes extreme overwhelm, confusion, and a lack of fulfillment in our own lives.

Can you imagine how unmotivated you would be to exercise, start a business, and play with your kids if you didn't eat for 3 days straight? Well guess what, eating gives you energy! So when you do things to manage your energy, such as eating nutritiously, you feel better and more energized to tackle your day.

Now what if you can incorporate more simple, feel good habits that will only amplify your energized states? What if the energy you spent has a return of investment? Can you imagine how productive and efficient you would be?

Our minds and bodies are meant to expand and grow. Simply watch a weightlifting competition or a chess match and you will see how we can do incredible things when we challenge ourselves!

THIS is the secret to why some people have more energy in a day.

Some people may have a hard time keeping up with how you manage a household with kids and you might have a hard time keeping up with them on their daily run, or vice versa. The only difference is in where you've spent your time challenging yourself to expand and grow.

In the Unlimited Energy program we break down and fine tune each area of life, from lifestyle and health, to fitness and mindset, so you can truly maximizeyour energy potential!

Stay checked in, stay in touch
-MJ

HOW HYDRATION IMPACTS YOUR ENERGY

This simple thing that we use and need every single day can make the most powerful difference to your energy and health... water. Not all water is created equaland most of us live in a state of chronic dehydration.

Because our bodies are comprised of mostly of water our relationship with water has a massiveeffect on our energy and health.

Did you know the minimum amount of water to consume per day is about a half ounce per body weight? So... 120 lbs = 6 ounces of water.
That's about 1/2 gallon per day!

Water is not only the single most important resource we need to survive, following oxygen, living in the state of dehydration reduces our energy levels, immunity, and our body's ability to cleanse. Common symptoms of dehydration are weakness, headaches, impaired mood and concentration. Even mild dehydration can negatively effect brain function, physical performance and endurance.

How quickly can you upgrade your life by making sure you're drinking enough quality water each day?

TIPS
1. Set water reminders to sip 8 ounces every hour. Chugging water will not hydrate your cells properly.

2. Drink high quality water - avoid tap or bottled tap water. Natural spring or volcanic water is my favorite option, with alkalized distilled water following.

3. Keep in mind you may need more water if the weather is hotter or you're a fairly active or sweaty individual.

Remember to be good, be great, be grateful and drink plenty of water! 😉
-MJ

THE 5-MINUTE RECHARGE

Hi friend,

I know that sometimes the day gets hectic. And you know that we are better able to handle busy seasons and unplanned circumstances by keeping ourselves recharged.

It's easy to put ourselves off until the end of the week, if there's time at the end of the day, or after this situation passes but the truth is we need to touch home base regularly so we have the stamina to keep moving forward without a wall awaiting the end of the journey.

The best way I've found to do this when things are especially busy is to find short, quiet moments for myself.

I arm myself with some ear plugs, headphones, and a journal and I take time to close my eyes while listening to a relaxing song or meditation track, blocking out sound for a bit of silence, or unloading thoughts in my journal.

It's been sanctuary for me to have these tools to turn to and I hope you give them a try. I encourage you to take 5 minutes out of every hour to try this throughout your day. Allow yourself to get present with and enjoy the experience...

You'll be surprised.
It's like a portable power bank for the body.

Love and light to you,
-MJ

MOVE YOUR BODY - CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Okay, let’s get real for a moment… How many of you actually think working out is an actual waste of time, it’s a chore, you wish there was an easier or similar way? How many of you know the benefits of working out, you know its good for you but its still such a task, like its a hurdle to get over? Well, you’re not alone! I’ve been there; I didn’t like the idea of exercising or the idea that I was going to have to do this for the rest of my life! WHAT?!

Okay, so I am hoping by the end of this post I can shed some light on how to make this not seem so daunting how we can actually make working out Simple, Quick, Easy and Fun, but first lets recap all the benefits of exercise, incase you didn’t know. 😏

·      Health

·      Wellbeing

·      Emotional/Hormonal Regulation

·      Look/Feel Better

·      Sleep Better

·      Increased Strength

·      Immunity

·      Longevity

There are so many positives to exercising! You would think we would just naturally want to do it, right? Well, you know as well as I do that that’s not true! So, Why is it so hard if it’s so good for us?? 😫

Here are a few of those reasons:

#1 WE PUT IT IN A BOX

 We think it’s about exercise, about getting to the gym, about working out, it’s “cool.” We think things like “In order to work out we need those gym shoes or cute yoga pants.”

#2 IT’S TIME CONSUMING

We spend time planning, prepping, anticipating, getting in our car and going somewhere to exercise, when in reality it can be so much more efficient.

#3 NEGITIVE ANCHORING

It’s possible we’ve had a bad experience or pushed to hard, we are not understanding of our threshold and our own energetic balances within our body. All of these feelings negatively anchor our minds to not enjoy the process of working out!

#4 POOR BALANCE/DEFICIENT

 We don’t meet ourselves where we are at, we put so many expectations on ourselves, along with societal pressures of having to be “fit” and “thin.” Eek!

So, that’s why I developed the 5-minute MOVE concept! All it takes is 5-minutes a day, only 5-minutes to MOVE. NO hard-core weight lifting no burpees! You just simply meet yourself at a place where it is Fun, Energetic and Positive. Dancing, walking, playing with your dog/animals, playing with your kids, dancing with your kids, these are fun ways to MOVE your body and anchor Positive Movement. 

Try it out, set aside 5-minutes a day to MOVE in a way that your body love, that you love, make it positive by reinforcing it with positive emotions behind it, make it not feel like a chore!

MOVE your body and you will change your life!

Happy moving,
-MJ

AVOIDING VACATION SICKNESS

A couple of years ago, I noticed, every time I took time off of work, I’d be sick the whole time! Of course this stinks right? Your on vacation, you want to have fun, you want to have energy!

Now, this took a few times for me to realize the pattern of what was going on here. After a little bit of research I realized I was suffering from something called vacation sickness.

The body is brilliant! It knows when we are really busy it isn’t ale to stop and take a break, it hangs in there until it’s given the chance to process, cleanse, and detoxify.

When we take time off we finally have a chance to relax and destress. This then signals to the body “HEY! This is a great time to start processing!” Bring on the sickness symptoms! YUCK!

So how do we avoid this?

Tip #1 ACCESS YOUR LIFESTYLE

Access your lifestyle and the pace of your lifestyle. This gives you a chance to evaluate your stress levels and why your body is having trouble doing what it needs to do the it needs to do it. If you’re tied up with work and kids and obligations take time to see where you can cut back. Realize that all of us have just 24 hours in a day. All it takes is small steps towards redirecting or managing your energy to help bring more balance and harmony into your life.

It’s not about time management its about energy management.

Tip #2 KEEP YOUR HEALTH ROUTINES IN PLACE

I know its vacation, things typically go out the window right? But keeping your health routines in place during your vacation will really help you and your body stay balanced. When your lifestyle changes abruptly it will abruptly change your bodies response.

Tip #3 EASE OFF SLOW

How many of you have lost sleep over trying to pack for vacation the night before, hustled your work week trying to make sure you’ll be caught up on work and email before you head out 🙋🏽‍♀️ Now Imagine you are driving your car, you’re in 4th gear and you then downshift into 1st or 2nd gear! This is exactly what taking a vacation can sometimes feel like. Once you’re on vacation, there is nothing to do, no hustle no bustle. So to avoid the abrupt shift, ease in slow.

Tip #4 KEEP IT LOW KEY

I know it can be tempting to put all that fun exciting stuff up front, but if you can keep the first few days as low key as possible. Remember, ease in slow. Settle in and take it slow.

Tip #5 DO A LITTLE WORK

Just a little ;) If you feel like it and if you do be sure to keep it simple. Maybe some of the work that gets put on the back burner, like rebranding or emails. This is really helpful when it comes to keeping your body in it's routine.

Tip #6 EASE OUT SLOW

Coming off of vacation running back into a work week can be pretty stressful, at least for me. Similarly, how you want to ease into your vacation, same thing for easing out of it.

Tip #7 REST & HYDRATE

Nothing is going to cure you quicker than a sufficient amount of good clean water and good quality rest. This will insure your body has the recourses it needs to flush out toxins, detox your body and have the energy it needs to fight off or prevent anything that you might be facing.

Tip #8 MAINTAIN A VACATION PACE

This doesn’t mean you need to be on vocation your whole life, although that would be great ;) When I say maintain a vacation pace I’m just trying to say relax.

Hopefully this will help ease into your next vacation. May you be happy and healthy.

Until next time,
-MJ