Joanne Hughes Coaching

Men's Breakthrough Coach

Stress Management

should companies incorporate a mindfulness practice into its daily culture?

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Mindfulness is something I’ve been practicing for over 10 years now. It was something that I had been guided to I guess you should say. It took a long time to actually get to it and now a days it is something that I am hearing about more often. Even Fortune 500 companies have implemented them and here is why you should to.

Harvard Scientists found that meditation conclusively and positively changes your brain structure. Harvard business reports that brain activity is redirected from the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex- basically from the reactionary part of the brain to the rational part of the brain. This changes how we “react” to things and helps us to rely more on our executive functioning rather than on impulses.

Being mindful can help employees take a step back and look at the big picture. It’s a way of being able to step back and notice how the world around us is effecting this moment or what is happening “right now” in our environment. This is called “reperceiving”. It is being receptive awareness and attention. An individual can reassess the experiences around them and see them as external happenings from more of an objective standpoint. I think it can also be explained as “viewing what is happening around you and experiencing the experience without any judgement.” At least that’s how I like to think of it as.

Here are some things that you can do to become more mindful:

1. Stop Multitasking – Studies have shown that when we multitask our focus and attention go down tremendously. It is very counterproductive and inefficient.

2. Everyday try to take a step back and observe your life in the “big picture” frame. Look at the flow, direction and how you are managing it, but with no judgement on whether it is good or bad. Also you may find when doing this there are many more teachable moments.

3. Meditate – of course this is the big one! Taking 30 mins a day to meditate will greatly improve your brain and body function, mental wellness, keep stress and anxiety down if not take it away completely.

4. Before you start work for the day, for me anyways, I find it helpful to place your right hand over your heart and say ” I am here, I am loved, I am safe, I am powerful” it just helps to bring presence to yourself, your being, it in some ways “anchors” your energy in the now.

If companies such as Google, Nike, and Apple can find ways to implement “Mindfulness” into their workplace for their employees then maybe you can to?

Are we really surprised that being outside shifts our perspective and wellbeing?

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I’ve been seeing a lot of articles lately that talk about being out in nature and the studies and such. I just find it funny is all! I mean, really people, do we not know this yet? Is it still newsworthy? From way back in the days when tribes travelled to lands that were abundant with animals, water and trees we have been outside! Yes people! Getting outside is good for your mental health and wellness in general!

Something I’m learning a little more every day is that human beings in general are not meant to be “alone”. If you knew me, you would be shocked to hear me say that! So, first let me tell you that being alone doesn’t mean being “lonely”, but according to researchers at a San Francisco aging and memory center along with the Global Brain Health Institute, loneliness is damaging to seniors and helps drive the onset of Alzheimer’s. Okay, follow me here folks, I know this may seem random, but its not! Studies show that a small intervention can improve our mental wellness just by shifting our focus from inward to our exterior world.

So, when we get out in nature, see the beauty and feel in awe, then we shift that focus, get out of our head, out of our worries and begin to look around to our external world and that little shift is what helps decrease the anxiety, depression and according to studies with seniors, this made them happier, less anxious, and gave them greater mental wellness all around. Lately, there are many reasons that keep us in the house more and more, isolated and lonely but if that is the case if you get outside and go for walks in nature you will start to feel so much better!

Oh, a word about the human beings in general thing. I really feel like nowadays people feel more compelled to be alone. I want to say to these people, “we all need connection! That’s instinctual to us and we should start to come out of our houses and gather again outside, in nature to be able to feel interconnection, strength and that heart-centered connection is what is going to make us feel like we are a part of something bigger, more meaningful, and bring us more mental wellness which in turn will change our physical health as well!

******Hey, Do you want to hear more ideas or suggestions for living a more meaningful, inspired life? Learn to have more energy, passion, and well-being? Keep watching and listening for updates for in November I will be starting up my Blog Talk Radio show again, and in the near future, I will do some Podcasts. ***********

Purpose, Passion, Mission In the Sunshine.

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I chose these three words when I began my path as a Men’s Breakthrough Coach because I saw these three words as a driving force behind an empowered man. I also think that after so many years we sometimes get “foggy” or “uncertain” to these three points. I feel that when we have Purpose, we work towards something, we have a focus and a path. The Passion is there when there is even more clarity on why we have that purpose, that focus and why we are doing the job that we are doing….a forward motion. The Mission is something that I have talked about with my clients as it helps us to get real clear on what it is that drives us, a commitment to ourselves that ignite that passion within and holds us accountable to the steps, thoughts and actions that we are taking.

Look, we all sometimes get lost in life and question whether or not we are on the right path and taking the right steps and doing things for the right reason. Mission “I’m Possible” is a program that helps you to get clear on your “right” path, understand why you might be projecting unconscious trauma’s into your current path, and how thoughts that you might be unaware of will dictate the outcomes of your current path, how they might “dull” the emotional body and your physical body which then all contribute to a lack of responsiveness and clarity to what your purpose and drive are. Figuring that out and writing a Mission statement for where your life is taking you and what commitments you want to set out for yourself helps to push us past the fog and “languishing” that you might be experiencing in your life now. Mission I’m Possible deals with the emotional body, the mind, and with a twist of Golf into the workshop for spiritual connection, community, and the great outdoors along with inserting movement and flow, you have a complete, well-rounded arena to create lasting change.

It’s hard to get out of the continual “rut” to gain enough clarity about our current feelings and bring about a more peaceful and balanced outcome when we are stuck in the office, the house and in the prison of our minds. Getting around others of like mindedness that want growth and fulfillment help to become aware and open up to greater opportunities, making lasting change and friendships. That’s what I want to create here.

You can sign up for the Mission I’m Possible Weekend here: https://joannehughescoaching.ca/product/mission-im-possible/

The early morn of my 54 year.

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I turn 54 this morning and it’s been an interesting year. I feel my energy closer to me this year, meaning that I have turned inward and have been contemplating many different things. It’s funny the things that hold meaning to you in your 20’s and then in your 50’s. This morning, looking at success and the next years ahead of me, I thought I’d share with you, as a women of 54, where my mind is this morning, and what I see for my future and the future in general.

The world is a very different place now of course, and contemplating how I saw my future in this new world, what I wanted for myself and for others. The interesting thing is a lot hasn’t changed in terms of what I want because mostly I love peace, harmony and growth. I spoke to a “Shaman” recently who told me that I walk into a new cycle in my life right now and letting go of everything from my past and beginning new is a very essential part of my journey. So as I did a lot of soul searching and contemplation of my life and the past and looked at things that might be stuck at a deep level the one thing I thought about for “my generation” was the phrase, “Kids should be seen not heard.” Wow, wasn’t that one a big part of life back in the day! So I thought of this!

So many of us from a time not to long ago who were raised as 60’s kids may have been told that they should just “go play” to stay quiet! This really did a number on us I’d say! Because we never then learned to speak up for ourselves and we the message that phrase gives to us is that we aren’t wanted. I know our parents never intended to instill such harsh “stories” into us, but the reality was that they did. So as I sit in meditation I realize why so many of us have struggled over the years. For those who have felt silenced for so long now can release that stagnation in their throat chakra to be able to speak their truth, their desires and wishes to the world.

An important exercise to do monthly I believe, is to sit quietly and think of all the messages that we have got over the years and begin to pull them out and to really look at them and then to get rid of the ones that no longer fit for our lives anymore. We always keep a part of that child within us but for some it’s about healing that piece and being able to stand up for that child within us that has been hurt or scared and walk into our next phase with a clear understanding of the past, to heal it or simply look at it and just leave it…walk on from it as it is just not who we are in this moment of our life. Soul healing, direction, stages of life are important and its good to spend time on your own, better if in nature to begin to look at pieces that make up who you are and to continually grow and re-evaluate. I think Telus said it best when they said “The future looks friendly”. I certainly think it looks friendly!

Shifting mindset and workplace in our changing world.

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This ever changing world seems to be on my mind a lot these days. Everything from where is the workforce going, watching businesses shut down rapidly, and watching the struggles of two parent homes where both parents are working while fears of children attending schools and daycares grow. I’m a Lifestyle Strategist/Writer, so I think a lot about this stuff.

I have a new client. He is an 85 year old gentleman that has retired recently from corporate America. I believe I mentioned him earlier on. Of course I have thought a lot about how I want to move forward with him and what are the most beneficial steps forward I can give him. The world is a very different place now from when he started. How do you begin to create change for someone who has lived in a world that is so different from the world we live in today? Millennials are very different and I for one am certainly not one. I was born in the late 60’s. I also think about my mindset and where I am currently in my life and look at where I want to be in a year and 5 years. This gentleman has lived in a world and workplace where we were managed and even at times micromanaged. A time where work is everything, we are working hard and grinding to produce results and money and sales for a company that really has never placed value on their employees but rather has seen people as machines that can produce, stay focused and plow through the work that is piled mile high on their desks.

I essentially retired from my career 10 years or more ago. I have done multiple different types of jobs and created many different paths of income for myself over the years. Always having enough for myself and my family. I have always wanted to build an online presence for myself and become virtual. I may not have been born in the 80’s but I do understand millennials. We have shifted our world and our workplaces are changing dramatically. In speaking to my client, I share ideas around this world that we are in today. For someone who is used to doing business face to face, interacting with people in person to a time where we social distance, buy our groceries online and try to stay home, it is a hard shift to try to wrap your head around.

Now, today, is more important than at any other time in our world for companies to shift their mindset. So what is it that they need to shift? The biggest way that I see as a needed shift is to move past a Managing mindset to a Leadership and open mindset. The solutions may take a little bit to change but in general, I believe that companies and businesses will thrive more with the shift. Here is a list of some of my thoughts and ideas on how people and companies big and small can shift mindset.

– Forget managing people instead become a leader. Trust in your employee to know that they are capable and allow some room for creative expression – this will ignite passion within them for their work and it will become something that they enjoy doing more of and therefore you will reap the rewards of their work.

– Have more employees working from home. I know a lot of people that are leaving their jobs because they have no choice. They may have made a decision to not send their children to school and they have made a decision that one parent is going to have to stay in the home. This will create stress as that means that the income will be cut in half.

– Build up more of a Social media image – If you don’t currently have any social media presence now is the time to do this. Millennials will know how to do this. We are moving in a more virtual world now anyways, this is the age of information and technology so but up your presence.

– Allow your employees to have work – life balance. At the beginning of the week giving them tasks that are to be completed by the end of the week and allowing them to decide their schedule allows for more balance in the workplace therefore encourages your employees to wake up when they need, go to the gym or appointments and work as many hours in a day that they feel they need to complete tasks. This allows for more creativity as well and may surprise you.

I know that for myself, I have to get really creative to be able to create flow of income from different avenues these days as I personally don’t really want to be in a 9-5 job where I am managed all day while stifling my creativity or having to be in a workplace wearing a mask all day struggling to breathe. The world is moving to being online and there are hundreds of ways to make money online, work from home, having meetings from home and build a company online.

***If you would like to sign up for my monthly newsletter that is jam packed with ideas, creativity, recipes and random tips then go here…www.joannehughescoaching.ca

Managing Type 2 diabetes and stress

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Dealing with any kind of health challenges can be hard but it’s even more challenging when you have restrictions, isolation, fear of getting ill, and dealing with the stress of no job or fear of being laid off.

Right now we need to be hypervigilant about our health because for the past two years we have been less active than any other time in history. Many people when they are stressed will engage in over-eating, smoking more, and drinking alcohol more. Gyms have closed down, many more have even closed their doors for good and that means that there are many people that are very sedentary and at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. So how do we get pro-active about it and make some changes before it becomes a risk to us?

First, what is diabetes? Diabetes is a condition where the level of sugar is too high in the body and the body is not able to produce enough insulin for cells to function. Diabetes can be hereditary and can also be a result of lifestyle. The lack of insulin triggers excess sugar production in the blood. And this is known as glycosuria and hyperglycemia. This means that your body has way too much glucose, and it can obstruct the regular functions of your nervous system, heart, eyes, blood vessels, and kidneys.

The good news is, that Type 2 Diabetes is about lifestyle, and therefore can be changed. Here are some things you need to know:

– Stress will trigger Diabetes more and so it’s important to reduce stress. Let’s look at ways to do that.

– Meditation is a good way to reduce stress, increase focus, enhances self-awareness, lengthens life span, increases and improves age-related memory loss, can generate kindness, and may help fight addictions.

– Yoga helps you to relax, helps improve sleep, can mean more energy and brighter moods, gives heart health, and connects you to a community of supportive people.

– Daily routine helps you to move through your day easily with more flow which then, in turn, helps you to know what to expect and be able to have certainty, which to some will help to alleviate anxiety.

– Get outside and walk – going for a daily walk can get you out in the sunshine and get fresh air. Walking and being outside reduces stress and has many other benefits.

Diet is important so eating good whole foods, good grains, legumes, and green foods. If you want to go even further with this then look into Ayurveda and your Dosha. You can find many dosha quizzes on the internet and Ayurveda is the oldest healing system on the planet, that makes so much sense once you understand it and deals with the person as a whole in terms of body, mind, and spirit. ( You can also do a “Dosha Quiz” on a discovery call when you book with me if that is something you would like to know more about.)

I have a program called “7 Days to A Healthy Mind and Body” that will be taking place in March of this year. I teach you foods that are beneficial to you specifically and also aids in weight loss, So head over to my website and check it out. joannehughescoaching.com Make sure to subscribe and enjoy the free ebook “Attracting Love into Your Life” while you are there! We all need love but we are Number one! So it starts with YOU!