Tag independence

Revitalize Your Routine: Wellness Hacks for the Modern Career Woman

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Image: Freepik

This fantastic post, written by Camille Johnson of Bereaver.com, highlights the most important steps which career women should take in order to maintain balance and optimal well-being.

In the hustle and bustle of professional life, working women often find themselves caught in a relentless grind, juggling multiple responsibilities while striving for success. However, prioritizing well-being amid this chaos is essential for sustainable growth and fulfillment. Here, Dr. Stacey Naito delves into empowering strategies tailored to help women transcend the grind and elevate their overall well-being.

Harness the Power of Reflection

Take time to introspect and evaluate your priorities, goals, and values. Reflection allows you to gain clarity on what truly matters to you, enabling you to make informed decisions aligned with your aspirations. Embracing moments of solitude provides an opportunity for self-discovery and introspection, fostering a deeper understanding of your emotions and motivations. Regularly assessing your progress empowers you to course-correct when necessary, ensuring that your actions remain congruent with your long-term objectives.

Pursue a Degree Online

Earning a degree online is a great option if you’re looking to change your job and advance in your career. For instance, pursuing a degree in psychology can provide insights into cognitive and affective processes, equipping you to better support those in need. Online degree programs offer the flexibility to study while working full-time, streamlining, well, everything, from managing your schedule to accessing course materials. This approach allows you to gain new skills and knowledge without disrupting your current responsibilities.

Build Power with Resistance Training

Resistance training offers numerous benefits, including increased muscle strength, improved bone density, and enhanced metabolic rate, which collectively contribute to better overall health and fitness. Additionally, it can aid in weight management and improve posture, reducing the risk of chronic conditions. To maximize these benefits, consider a monthly customized exercise plan from Dr. Stacey Naito. Her tailored approach ensures that each workout aligns with your personal fitness goals and abilities, providing expert guidance for optimal results.

Set Achievable Milestones

Define clear and attainable objectives that inspire progress and keep you focused. Setting specific and measurable goals provides a roadmap for success, guiding your actions and decisions along the way. Breaking down large goals into smaller, manageable tasks prevents overwhelm and enhances productivity. Celebrating milestones, no matter how small, reinforces your sense of accomplishment and motivates you to continue making strides toward your ultimate vision.

Nurture Positive Self-Talk

Cultivate a nurturing inner dialogue that uplifts and empowers you. Positive self-talk involves consciously replacing negative thoughts with affirmations of your capabilities and worthiness. By practicing self-compassion and kindness toward yourself, you cultivate a resilient mindset that enables you to bounce back from setbacks with grace and determination. Embracing optimism as a guiding principle empowers you to see challenges as opportunities for growth and development, fostering a sense of hope and possibility.

Embrace Forgiveness

Release yourself from the burden of resentment by embracing forgiveness. Forgiveness is not about condoning the actions of others but about freeing yourself from the emotional weight of past grievances. By extending compassion to yourself and others, you create space for healing and transformation to occur. Letting go of resentment opens the door to inner peace and liberation, allowing you to move forward with clarity and purpose. 

In the pursuit of professional success, prioritizing well-being is not a luxury but a necessity. By incorporating these empowering strategies into your daily life, you can transcend the grind and cultivate a sense of balance, purpose, and fulfillment. Remember, empowerment begins with a conscious choice to prioritize your well-being and invest in your growth. Embrace the journey, and watch yourself soar to new heights of success and happiness.

For customized nutrition and training plans, as well as contest prep coaching, contact Dr. Stacey Naito today!

Nope, I Really Don’t Want Kids

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I do not want kids
People are continually amazed when I reveal my utter lack of desire to have children. Though I have found myself pondering the concept of having children while in relationships (including my most recent one), I find that as a single woman, I truly don’t see myself ever pursuing an opportunity to have a child. I have felt this way my entire life, even when I was married, and knew in my heart that unless a man swept me off my feet and somehow convinced me that having a child would be a great idea, that I would never willingly sign up for motherhood. Yes, I have come very close to agreeing to the whole kid thing, and I think I am probably still at risk of being somehow convinced that the idea might fly, but I would never make such a decision on my own. I have NEVER been the kind of woman who has watched children playing, or has seen babies in a nursery, and thought, I want one! I don’t yearn for the mother-child connection, and I don’t feel the need to create a mini-me.

There are a multitude of reasons besides my general lack of interest in the concept of having children which support my decision to remain child-free, but the three main reasons are:

1. KIDS ARE EXPENSIVE: Raising a child is unbelievably expensive. Be prepared to spend $245,000 to raise a child in the United States from birth at 2013 up to age 18. Here is a reference article so you can see the breakdown of costs:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/08/18/raising-child-cost-2013/14236535/

This is insane to me. I can barely get by as it is, and cannot imagine dealing with the financial burden of raising a child. No thank you.

2. TOO MUCH ON MY PLATE: I have so many projects that demand all of my time and focus, and am well aware of the fact that ALL of that would crumble if I were to have a child. Since I have no intention of redirecting my attention, no children will come into the picture. I certainly would never want to be a neglectful mother, and that is why I would relinquish all of the activities (EXCEPT gym time and eating clean!) that consume the bulk of my time and energy. I am not selfish enough to rob a child of all that he or she should experience, and would make every sacrifice to send the child to the best schools and provide everything possible. That would mean the end of all that I have known in my life as an independent woman.

3. I VALUE MY FREEDOM: It is pretty liberating to be able to leave at a moment’s notice (provided it doesn’t conflict with my work schedule) to go out of town, pop over to a store to run an errand, go out with friends from time to time, or just take a rare nap in the middle of the day. If I had a child, I would have to plan EVERYTHING in advance, arrange for child care, or take the child with me, along with diaper bag, formula, etc. I would feel so incredibly encumbered that I know my spirit would suffer.

i-cant-wait-to-have-kids
For those of you who wonder if I feel any sadness over being childless, I can tell you without hesitation that I value my freedom far more, and as a result, couldn’t be happier about the fact that I have no children. People still seem so shocked by that, as if an adult is supposed to feel some type of longing for parenthood. Society often regards people who choose not to have children as somehow inadequate, which is ridiculous, since those of us without children often have schedule flexibility which people with children can usually only fantasize about, and we have just as much value despite the lack of progeny.

I also find it extremely irritating and condescending when a WOMAN asks me if I have any children, and upon my negative reply, says, “Oh, yeah, that’s why you look so good.” This only prompts me to bust out photos of women in the fitness industry who have borne as many as SIX children and who rock washboard abs and fantastic muscularity and conditioning throughout their bodies. The desire to keep my body in its best shape ever has been a minor factor in my decision to avoid having children, but it by no means has been a primary reason. Fit women have proven over and over again that it is possible to bounce back into great shape after having children.

If you’re worried about me being child-free, remember that I love the flexibility and freedom in my life. I have pets whom I love dearly, and I have incredible friends. I don’t perceive any hole in my life because I never bore a child.