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Julie Leonard Life Coach

Helping you live to your full potential.

Mindfulness –  How to Turn the School Run in to a Happiness Moment

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Getting out of the house in the morning can be a challenge! Most of you will have seen this but it makes me laugh so much every time!

I will soon be getting myself and my toddler out the door to get to the Tagesmutter. It isn’t always going to be easy to stay calm and present. Children don’t always want to go with our schedule! But how we handle these minutes at the start of the day sets the tone not only for our day but for our child’s too.

I have been practicing Mindfulness for over 10 years and can’t emphasise enough the benefits of it. Being mindful is being fully present in the moment, paying attention. I often describe it as seeing the world through the eyes of the child. They are fully present and engaged and find wonder and joy in all that surrounds them.

Once out of the house, Mindful Walking can change our mornings and our moods from stressed and harassed to calm and happy.

Mindful walking is a simple way of being mindful every day. Most of us do some walking in our day. Whether it is from the house to the bus stop or from the u-bahn to the office or a walk to the shops, we can all find ways to incorporate mindful walking in to our day. And you will find huge benefits if you are more mindful with your child on the way to kindergarten/school as well as on the return journey alone.

So, on the way to school, take a deep breath and with your child draw awareness to all the sensations around you – the warm sun on your skin, the breeze on your face, the sound of birds, the smell of flowers, the colour of the leaves….Try to be more like your child and see the joy in all that is around you. You will then arrive at kindergarten/school with a happy child who will interact and learn much better.

Now, it’s time for you to walk mindfully back home or wherever your next stop is. When our minds are busy, stressed or going too fast bringing awareness to our body helps counteract that. Walking mindfully is walking normally but with more attention to our walking. To help you walk more mindfully:

  • Bring your awareness in to your body and to its movements as you walk – Each time you get distracted, simply bring your awareness back to your body and its movements.
  • Bring your attention to the soles of your feet – This is especially good if you are rushing or are feeling anxious. Notice the weight of your body down through your feet, and be aware of the ground supporting your feet.
  • Use a counting technique – This is very good if you are distracted or stressed. Count after each step – 1,2,3….until 8 and then count backwards to 1.
  • Use words or phrases – Adding phrases can help you stay in the experience. Try something like ‘walking mindfully’ or pick your own.
  • Let go – Pay attention to any feelings of stress or tension and walk and let go of them.
  • Have awareness of the nice sensations – Your body moving, the warm sun on your skin, the breeze on your face, the sound of birds, the smell of flowers, the colour of the leaves….

Over the coming days, pay attention to how walking more mindfully makes you feel. Do you feel calmer, happier, more relaxed, focused? In a matter of days you will begin to see a change in how you feel. So whether you walk to school, walk to the car or walk to the bus or train, say goodbye stressful mornings, hello quality time with your children and more happiness.

Interested in learning more about Mindfulness and how to make it part of your daily life? Let’s start working together to help you achieve a happier life. More details are here

Tips on How to Embrace Hygge

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate about happiness and I have been fascinated with Denmark and why year after year they are voted the happiest people. I highly recommend A Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell for  a fun insight in to Danish happiness. And I am now reading The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking which has inspired me to go one step further than de-cluttering and to embrace the Danish art of Hygge.

It’s been a long dark winter and we still have a while to go. So now is the time to sort, organise and de-clutter in preparation for Spring coming whilst enjoying those cozy nights in.

hygge

Here are My Top Tips to a Warm and Happy Winter:

Take up the challenge! 
I regularly complete the The Minimalists 30 day de-cluttering challenge. On day 1 get rid of 1 thing, day 2 get rid of 2 things and so on until 30 things on day 30. Almost 500 items de-cluttered. Sounds like a lot? Well the average family home has 27000 items so this is just a drop in the ocean. So give it a go. Ask friend sand family to join you and have fun!

Donate, sell and recycle the stuff you don’t need and help charities in the process. Feel lighter, fresher, happier and less stressed. Clear space and get organised. The Minimalists 30 day challenge

Embrace the Joy Konmari Style
Marie Kondo in her book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying encourages us to de-clutter and to only keep the things that bring us joy. We all have stuff that we don’t like but feel we need to keep- that candleholder from a friend,a cardigan from your mother in law, the wedding presents that aren’t your style. Now is the time, guilt free, to say thank you for being in my life, now I give you to someone else.

Keep only the things that fit in with your vision of who you are and the lifestyle you want to have and most of all surround yourself with the things that bring you joy.

Style your home with the Danish art of Hygge 
‘Danes do ‘cosy’ like no other nation. Your average home will look like something out of an ideal home supplement: lots of natural materials like wood and leather, lamps artfully positioned to create soothing pools of light’ Helen Russell A Year of Living Danishly
​
Even though they are submerged in long dark winters the Danes have been voted the happiest people for the past 30 years. Hygge doesn’t really translate as one word but rather a way of life but it is a lot about creating a warm and cosy atmosphere with real fires, lots and lots of candles and time together as a family or with friends.

So whether it is snuggling up with your partner and some gluhwein after the kids are in bed or having a family day on the sofa watching a movie or inviting friends to dinner, make your house warm and cosy and inviting and embrace the hygge.

Julie Leonard is  a Life Coach, De-Cluttering Expert and Aromatherapist who is passionate about Happiness and supporting women to transform their lives and live to their potential.

A version of this article was previously featured in the Über Moms Newsletter last year.

30 Day De-cluttering challenge Part 2

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de-cluttering challengeSo my 30 days of The De-cluttering Challenge are up!

Wow, it has been so much fun and motivating. I got a little buzz off the challenge of increasing the number of items every day. And I feel that I have achieved a lot. There are areas that seem less cluttered. Large toys are now gone. And I feel mentally lighter and not crowded by stuff we don’t need any more.

How many items out of the target 465 did I remove? 448! Not quite the target but a considerable amount of stuff no longer in our apartment.

I found that most of the things that I was able to remove were from my little one’s room. Having a young toddler means that they outgrow clothes and toys so quickly, almost week to week. I had bags and bags of clothes, some never worn that were now too small. I worked through the summer clothes and posted a lot for sale. I have still to go through the winter clothes so there are still plenty of items to de-clutter!

Also being a full time mum and running my own business meant there was not much time to devote to de-cluttering. I really wanted to get stuck in to our cellar but with a little one on the go most of the day, it wasn’t always easy to do large clear outs.

However, I already feel the impact of having less things and I made some money too. And I know there is still so much to go through. Maybe I need another 30 day challenge………!

Check out the game here: http://www.theminimalists.com/

Happy de-cluttering!

And if you feel that you need some help check out my de-cluttering service.

The 30 Day De-Cluttering Challenge

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As a De-cluttering Expert I spend much of my day supporting people to get order in their homes and lives and gain more time and energy. I often tell them about the health benefits to de-cluttering. The emotional and physical impact of clutter. And how it is much much more than just having a tidy house. It is about gaining order, having less stuff and creating more time and space for the really important stuff. And ultimately how it can lead to much more happiness in your life.

De-Cluttering Challenge

And I often direct them to The Minimalists website as well as this fantastic TedTalk. One of the fun things The Minimialist’s do is the 30 Day Minimalism Game. Over 30 days you clear out 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2, 3 items on day 3 and so on until you clear 30 items on day 30. In total, you will clear out 465 items! I know what you are thinking, I don’t have that much stuff to throw away! Wrong! With the average family home having around 27,000 items in it, 465 is but a mere fraction.

I recently ran a workshop on de-cluttering and mentioned this game as a fun way to de-clutter. And I thought to myself, I would love to do this. The thing is, 2 years ago I did an extreme de-clutter as I packed up my life to move from Scotland to Munich and reduced 40 years of belongings to 9 boxes. Then at the beginning of this year we moved house again and we did a major de-clutter of clothes and furniture. And as a de-cluttering Expert I know that de-cluttering is an ongoing process and believe I do this regularly. But as June was coming up I felt it was a perfect 30 day month to try the game.

So what does a de-cluttering Expert de-clutter?

Well, I am halfway through the De-Cluttering Challenge. 15 days means 120 items out. And I have, so far, found it surprisingly easy. Last month I participated in a Make -up workshop with the wonderful Noleen Sliney and realized that I still needed to throw out some of my make-up – things that had been open more than 6 months, things I barely used but were expensive, make-up I will never use. Well there was 20 items straight away! And although I have a small amount of clothes I found that there were still some items I could donate that, if I was honest, I will never wear again. I also still had my pregnancy and breastfeeding clothes so I was able to donate some to the refugee accommodation near me and sell the rest.

Now, the second half of the De-Cluttering Challenge. As a working mother, I have many obstacles to de-cluttering and staying de-cluttered. The main one being time! But this challenge is motivating and fun and it feels good to clear and be organized. So watch this space for how I get on as I increase the amount of items I get rid of. Will I get rid of the target 465 items?

For more fun tips on De-Cluttering take a look at this post.

Forget Your New Year Resolutions!

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Did you make some New Year Resolutions? Have you managed to stick to them or, like many of us, have they slipped and not really become a habit or produced the results you hoped for?

The problem with making New Year Resolutions is that they are for the most part too vague. Typically we say things like ‘I want to lose weight’, ‘I want to eat healthily’, ‘I want to get fit’, ‘I want a new job’, ‘I want to find love’. These are the ultimate goals but there is no real plan of action.

And if there is no plan then we often give up quickly. Research tells us that it takes at least 21 days to make something a habit, longer if it is something big.

new year resolutions

So what can you do?

  1. Be specific – eg how much weight do you want to lose, how exactly will you do it.
  2. Accountability – tell someone your plans and ask them to be your accountability partner
  3. Set goals – Break it down and set small achievable goals
  4. Ask for help – Get the right support, advice and motivation from a professional. There are excellent Personal Trainers, Life Coaches and Nutritionists all trained to support you reach your goals.
  5. Tackle one goal at a time – trying to change everything at once is less likely to work.

So, what are your goals for 2016?

Need support? I now have appointments available, including baby friendly sessions and flexible sessions for busy mums.

Blue Monday – What It Is and How To Beat It

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Do you know that today is known as Blue Monday? Blue Monday traditionally falls on the third Monday of January every year marking the saddest day of the year. For 2018 it is going to happen on January 15. But do you know what it is all about?

There is no science behind it, in fact, it was a term created years ago by an advertising agency for a travel company to encourage people to book more trips after the holidays. However, many people still use the term, some came up with an idea to make it a positive thing.

Why is it the saddest day of the year? It happens supposedly due to a combination of factors – the cold weather, less money after the Christmas shopping spree or indeed debt, low motivation, the return to work or school after ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, abandoned new year resolutions, feeling alone…….

That’s why I was happy to find that there is now a Blue Monday Awareness Day. It comes at a time when people might need cheering up. It’s a special day, for people to focus on doing good for each other. But note that it is not necessarily about giving presents, just doing little acts of kindness.

A couple of years ago the organizers of the day had a thought. Wouldn’t it be good to start a new tradition that encouraged people to do nice things for each other? This inspiration then lead to the formulation of a wider day of happiness, and so Blue Monday was born.

Let’s spread the word on this awesome initiative and start celebrating this. So, what small act of kindness could you do today for someone? I am definitely going to participate of it this year.

Have some fun and beat Blue Monday!

Blue monday - day of kindness

Happy New Year to Everyone!

How to Find Your Passion

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So I just completed the Passion Profile Quiz by Clarity on Fire. They say there are 4 possible outcomes and if you work out which you are it will guide you towards your passion. Turns out I’m a Thriver, meaning I’m the kind of person who is all about creating a balanced, low-stressed lifestyle that gives me the freedom and energy to pursue what I love in my free time. It was spot on!

Luckily for me I have known for a long time what my passion is being a Life Coach and fulfils that whilst creating a work-life balance that I desire. But what do you, if like many people, you don’t know what your passion is?

Find Your Passion

Most people I work with need my support to help them work out their passions and therefore their goals. Usually it is connected with deciding on a career or setting up their own business. But it can also relate to other areas of your life such as finding hobbies and activities.

So why do we find it so hard to know what our passion is? Well, if you think about it, from childhood our passions and dreams are often not supported by our education system or nurtured by family. Think of jobs that are creative and popular today. There are no courses at school for blogging, creating Apps or computer games or being a writer or a personal trainer. And often our family and friends want us to secure something reliable, steady and with a good income so you will hear comments such as ‘you can’t make a living from Art’ or ‘blogging is fun but it’s not a real job’ and so we push our passions to the side and grow up without much passion for anything. Or, you may find that you are interested in many things but don’t know where your true passion lies.

The good news is:

  • Passion can be created. Many successful people such as Richard Branson dropped out of school early and created their own passions and success.
  • Passion comes from success. Doing something we are good at makes us passionate about it. If you constantly struggle with something you will never become passionate about it.
  • Passion doesn’t always come from being good at only 1 thing. Success is usually combining many skills into one passion. eg. You might not be a degree level artist but pretty good at drawing and with a great sense of humour so you become a cartoonist.

Steps to Find Your Passion

So what next? Ask yourself:

  1. What have I been consistently interested in for months, years or from childhood? There are clues here to help clarify your passion.
  2. How do you want you passion to be expressed? Be honest. Do you need to be part of a team? Does it need to be part of your day-to-day work life? How well do you respond to authority? Are you motivated to work for yourself?

Then:

  • Create something that fits for you. Even better if it is something new with not so many people doing it yet. Less competition means more success and more passion!
  • Don’t be scared to lead a new trend. Got a great idea? Don’t be put off that not many are doing it yet. Be bold and go for it!
  • Think creatively and combine your skills. The most successful people are almost never defined by a single skill. Find your passion by combining your skills in to something more valuable.

Finding your passion in life will make you not only successful but happy too. Don’t stop looking for it!

Essential Oils for Winter – 9 of the Best

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Incorporating essential oils into your daily routine can help keep your immune system stronger, speed up your recovery time from illness and uplift your spirits when the winter blues strike, helping to energize and motivate during the cold and dark winter months.

Best Essential oils for Winter:

  • Tea Tree,  Eucalyptus, Lavender, Frankincense for immunity
  • Bergamot and Orange for mood uplift
  • Orange, Cinnamon, Clove and Ginger for Christmas smells
  • Lemon and Grapefruit- for air cleansing

essential oils for winter

Essential oils can be so easily used at home over the winter in baths (add a few drops and mix well), oil burners, inhalations (add a few drops to hot water) and rubs (add 4 drops to 10mls sweet almond oil). Always choose 100% pure essential oils.

Bergamot 

(Citrus aurantium bergamia)
Uplifting and fruity, this is calming for the emotions and also a good ‘pick-me-up’. Use in bath oils, massage oils and inhalations.

Cinnamon

(Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Warming and strengthening, this is stimulating for the digestion and the natural antiseptic properties make it good for treating colds and flu. Don’t use it on the skin but great in an oil burner or for inhalations.

Eucalyptus 

(Eucalyptus globulus)
Stimulating and expansive, this is anti-viral and decongesting for the head and sinuses. Eucalyptus has a refreshing effect on the nervous system and may be used to treat tiredness, poor concentration or headaches. Excellent when added to a base oil for use as a chest rub or in inhalations.

Frankincense

(Boswellia carterii)
Calms and uplifts the spirits when feeling stressed, tired or overwhelmed, whilst increasing energy. Also great for chesty coughs. Use in a massage blend, lotions and balms or as an inhalation.

Lavender 

(Lavandula angustifolia)
Balancing and relaxing, Lavender is the most versatile and well-used of all essential oils, a valuable remedy for everyday use. The only essential oil that can be used neat (undiluted) on the skin – dab a drop on pulse points or use in massage and bath blends, or inhalations.

Mandarin 

(Citrus nobilis)
Calming and soothing for restless children, this essential oils is also beneficial in helping to treat nervous tension or insomnia. Dilute and use in a massage oil or in a diffuser.

Rosemary

(Rosmarinus officinalis)
Warming and stimulating, rosemary helps to stimulate the circulation and is good for aching muscles. Mix into a massage oil or salve and rub into aching areas or use in inhalations.

Tea Tree

(Melaleuca alternifolia)
A fantastic winter oil. Antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Careful topical use is highly effective on spots, cold sores and my top tip- when you feel a sore throat coming on, place one drop of tea tree at the back of your tongue. Tastes horrible but will catch those early bugs!

A winter wellness tip

As a  great immune-boosting blend to use in a diffuser when coughs and colds are in the air combine 2 or 3 drops each of Cinnamon, Rosemary and Lemon – so simple and very effective. Alternatively sprinkle these oils onto a cotton handkerchief, carry in a plastic bag in your handbag for when you need a quick lift during the day.

Christmas blend

Add 2 drops each of Orange, Cinnamon and Clove to a diffuser for a  gorgeous Christmas blend.

Room cleaning 

Add 2 drops each of Lemon and Grapefruit to a diffuser to clean the air of colds and bugs.