Are you ready to feel good more often?

If I only talked about nourishing our physical bodies, I would be doing you a dis-service. True wellness, holistic wellness, takes into account our whole beings.

By now I'm sure you've heard of the mind-body connection. I advocate that it goes one step further and is the mind-body-spirit connection.

If we want to be moving towards wellness on the illness-wellness continuum, we need to be nourishing all of these areas of our lives.

But what does this look like? Great question! And my answer is: Everyone is different!

That's right! There is no two identical paths, no set in stone manner in which you find your way. So where does one start?

I had a mentor once who would always say, "Your desires are safe guidance." You can trust your own inner guidance system. It's my job as a coach to help you tap into and strengthen your connection with your own inner guidance system.

While there is no set path, there are tools that can help us along the way. I'll be sharing a few of my favorites on this post and others in the future.

First one:

Emotions language. This one was a huge step for me in my late 20s. I grew up thinking there was no such thing as emotions. They were just things you made up in your head to be dramatic. And the only two "emotions" that were acceptable were happy and pissed.

Ahh!! I've come a long way since then, :) and you can too. If this is new territory for you, here are some great names for emotions:

-Elation-Relieved, Refreshed, Glad, Pleased, Alive, Delighted, Blissful, Proud, Bubbly, Tickled, etc.

-Depression-Flat, Bored, Blah, Rotten, Gloomy, Disappointed, Slighted, Hurt, Miserable, Abandoned, etc.

-Anger- Peeved, Bugged, Annoyed, Disgusted, Mad, Ticked-off, Spiteful, Destructive, Explosive, etc.

-Fear- Shy, Uneasy, Anxious, Timid, Uptight, Jittery, Alarmed, Cowed, Panicky, Horrified, Petrified, etc.

While these are just some of the many names for the wide range of emotions, this list can get you started on identifying how you're feeling in any given moment.

Remember, all emotions are part of the human experience. None is better than another. And your only job is to be a gentle observer with yourself. No judgement here. Just observe.

What does that emotion feel like in your body? Where do you feel it?

What can you do to regulate yourself?

Again, the solutions will be/are as unique as what feels good to you.

Some examples are crying, getting artsy, deep breaths, hugging a pillow/pet/loved one, or screaming into a pillow. Many of us (especially O-Blood types) store our emotions in our muscles as tension. It helps to get your body moving, walk, dance, rollerblade, and the list goes on.

Another favorite technique of mine is utilizing the sense of smell and regulating the body's biochemistry through the use of essential oils.

Did you know, one of the fastest ways to access our emotions is our sense of smell?

Think about how the smell of fresh baked bread can transport you to so many memories. Or even the smell of fresh cut grass. Our sense of smell is so powerful when it comes to emotions.

My favorites for the Elation emotions include the citrus and mint oils. These help anchor in these emotions and keep the bio-chemical pathways flowing.

For the Depression-type emotions I choose more of the citrus and spice based oils. These help uplift my emotions biochemically.

For the Fearful/Anxious emotions I reach for the floral and mint based oils. Working at the biochemical level, these help restore a sense of balance, peace, and presence.

Lastly for Anger type emotions, to help me process and do inner child work, I reach for the tree, herb, and grass based essential oils. These oils help ground me while healing and reparenting that inner child.

These ideas are just meant to get you started. I'm fully confident you will find your way and nourish your mind-body-spirit just the way you need to.

If you are looking for more support on this journey, I offer my signature S.E.E.D.S of Change coaching program where we spend a whole month on this area. Identifying your stressors, bringing awareness to your triggers, and ultimately filling your toolbelt with tools to help you feel better more often.

Click here to learn more.

"Heart Rock" Fish Creek, Juneau Alaska