Building a Habit

Do you want to start journaling, meditation and other mindfulness techniques but don’t have the motivation to keep it going? well let me share something with you?

Motivation is what gets you going

A habit is what will keep it going

Very few people, if anyone has motivation all of the time – or people find it difficult to fit in a change to their daily routine, to make time for journaling affirmations and meditations and it can be hard if your stuck in your daily routine.

What I found to be very beneficial is Habit stacking, you may or may not have heard of it before. many people talk about habit stacking such as Mel Robbins, James Clear and others. Habit stacking is adding a new behavior that you would like to become a habit to your daily routine and connecting it or ‘stacking’ it with a habit that already exists.

How might you do this? Below I have made a visual of different habits that we do everyday with an example of what you can do with these habits to incorporate mindful practices, it is totally up to you what you what to add to it, for my clients we are creating a more mindful day and these are the habits that want to build in to our day.

The trick is to start slowly and start small, you don’t want to add in loads of things all at once or you will get overwhelmed, so what you need to keep in the fore front of your mind is

1. Choose 1 behavior you want to make a part of your daily routine
2. Your why – why do you want to make this part of your daily routine, why is it important to you
3. Establish a clear plan – where are going to fit it in, and how?
4. Minimise distractions that will prevent you from doing it – maybe your need to set a social media limit on your phone, or a daily alarm reminder on you phone?

Remember the motivation will get you started but its knowing your why and building the habit that will keep you going.

I challenge you to try out this technique, pair your ‘want to’ with one of your every day ‘must do’s’ and watch the magic happen – Let me know on Facebook or Instagram what habits your stacking.

Below is a tracker for you to check off as you watch those new behaviors become habits.

Boost your Immune System with Reflexology

Did you know you could boost your immune system with reflexology? With everyone back having get together’s, play dates and being out and about, after being apart for so long its expected that many adults & children’s immune systems are feeling it – with so many colds/flu’s, sore throats and tummy bugs doing the rounds.

Your immune system is so important for protecting the body from outside invaders such as bacteria, viruses etc… The immune system is made up of different organs, cells and proteins that all work together.

Reflexology works for boosting your immune system in a couple of ways;

1) It helps with the production of endorphins that are needed by immune system cell receptors in order to function at their best.

2)Reflexology also works as it stimulates the lymphatic system – the lymphatic system is a subsystem of the circulatory system and it is a complex network of vessels, tissues and organs, these all work together to help to protect the body and fight against infections. It does so by carrying the immune cells throughout the body. When the lymphatic system isn’t working optimally it does not carry waste products away from the cells as it should and in turn the immune cells are not being delivered which then prevents the body from fighting infections. By gently stimulating the reflexes on the foot for the lymphatic system during a reflexology session it will help the body to keep the lymphatic system flowing and circulating to ensure the bodies natural defense stays working effectively

3) Stress also contributes greatly to the immune systems ability to function. When we are stressed it reduces the immune systems ability to fight of infections – Again coming back to that wonderful lymphatic system, when the body is in a state of stress it lowers the number of lymphocytes(white blood cells) in our system which are the bodies way of fighting infection. As i spoke about in another blog reflexology can help reduced stress and help bring the body back into balance.

It is beneficial for both adults children. Reflexology is a great treatment for children as it applies very gentle pressure to the feet it will in turn then stimulate the proper functioning of the bodies cells organs and glands which will benefits their immune system.

If you feel like you could benefit from a reflexology session to help boost your immune system reach out to me at solescentwellness@gmail.com

As the saying goes Prevention is better than the cure sometimes.

Fertility Reflexology

I am very excited to announce that I have teamed up with Sharon from Ledwith Wellness to bring you the ultimate Hypno – Reflexology fertility package,

It will include 6 reflexology sessions with myself Sinead and 2 hypnotherapy sessions with Sharon and a bonus recording.

It will work by having 6 reflexology over 6 consecutive weeks, 3 reflexology sessions to start and then a 1 hour hypnotherapy session and then 3 more reflexology session followed by a second 1 hour hypnotherapy session.

Fertility reflexology is a wonderful non invasive complementary therapy which works the feet to treat the whole body. It is suitable for both men and women. Fertility reflexology is becoming more and more popular as it helps individuals and couples with their fertility and overall well-being as it balances hormones Reduces stress and brings the body back to homeostasis.

The purpose of fertility reflexology is to

-help reduce and release stress & tension in the body.

– improves the flow of energy through the reproductive system.

-helps the body come back into its own natural balance (homeostasis) to allow for conception to take place.

-balance hormone levels

-regulate the menstrual cycle and reduce symptoms of PMS

-helps to calm and balance the nervous system.

-restores balance to the endocrine system.

Sineads reflexology sessions will focus on reducing stress, balancing the hormones and the whole endocrine system and working the whole body.

Sharon’s hypnosis will help you use the power of your mind to:

-Maximise your fertility

-Improve your ability to have a baby naturally or with IVF

-Carry your baby to full term

-Have an easy, happy birth.

Hypnotherapy is proven to be a safe and profoundly powerful way to overcome emotional blocks and deep-rooted issues. Different from other forms of therapy, hypnotherapy taps into the subconscious mind (where our emotional trauma and learned behaviour’s are stored). By accessing the subconscious, hypnotherapy rewires negative or destructive thought patterns using positive, helpful, and supportive suggestions to free you from your issues.

Hypnotherapy is 100% safe – you are always aware, you maintain complete control, and your mind will only let in suggestions it sees as helpful.

As registered therapists anyone with private health insurance may be able to claim back part or all of the cost of their reflexology/hypnotherapy sessions.

If you would like to include hypnosis and reflexology as part of your fertility journey or would like to know more please reach out to us

ledwithsole@gmail.com

At

Blessings & Love

What actually is Reflexology?

“What actually is Reflexology and what does it help with?”

The other day I was asked the above question, and I thought it was such a good question. It really got me thinking that I assumed that everyone would know what reflexology was and what it could help with.

Reflexology is a complimentary touch therapy where applying pressure to an area, either on the feet, hands, face, ears. For me I mostly work the feet and occasionally the hands. These points or reflexes are sectioned into what we call zones, The reflex areas or the sensors if you like is related to particular systems, glands or organ in the body . E.g – the digestive system, endocrine system, shoulders, elbows etc…

In doing this and working all systems of the body it will have an effect on related zones in the body. Working the nervous system for example will encourage the body to relax and by doing this stress can be reduced and in turn helps the body to come back into balance (homeostasis)

To get technical for a moment… The sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system plays a vital role in the bodies response to what going on around us. Our sympathetic nervous system would be our bodies fight or flight response and the parasympathetic nervous system is the rest and digest. When having reflexology the sympathetic nervous system is relaxed and the body is no longer in fight or flight which allows parasympathetic nervous system to take over and allow the body rest and come back into a natural balance.

If all those words were too technical as they can be let me tell you what many of my clients have reported.

They have reported:

– reduction in the feeling of stress and anxiety
– relief from pain.
– improved mood, feeling more energetic and positive
– reduced sinus issues
– improved sleep
– improved digestive complaints
– better focus
– relieved tension in back neck and shoulders
– reduction or improvement in sciatic pain

What to expect from a reflexology session?

At your first session your reflexologist will take a brief consultation a few details about yourself and a general medical history.
The sessions generally last 60 minutes. You will be comfortable lying on your back or seated position.

For the hour you can totally relax, most people will sleep, you may feel some tenderness in the area but it’s not painful. A few of my clients have tried reflexology stating that they have very ticklish feet or don’t like anyone touching their feet but gave it a go and loved the reflexology.

How to know if reflexology is for you?

If you’re looking for an alternative treatment for pain, stress or anxiety, reflexology might be worth a try. Reflexology is deemed safe and effect treatment for all ages.

If you are thinking of having reflexology – it would be best to check with your doctor before having reflexology if you have any of the following conditions:

– circulatory problems of the feet
– inflammation or blood clots in the leg veins
– gout
– foot ulcers
– fungal conditions of the feet

If you’re pregnant, have diabetes or have a pacemaker, you need to tell your reflexologist before the session as they’ll need to take this into account when treating you. If you have cancer, speak to your doctor before having reflexology treatment.

If you would like to try a reflexology session please reach out to me and we can arrange a time that suit you.

Sinead.

No more New Year’s resolutions – Tips to setting goals and how to achieve them.

Before you jump on the band wagon of new year’s resolutions or the new year new you attitude, think back on all the new year’s resolutions you have made before – did you achieve them or were you left feeling unmotivated and frustrated.

This year instead of setting or making new year’s resolutions, why not begin by setting measurable goals. To set goals that are achievable I suggest using the acronym; SMART.  I cover this in more detail in my 7 day journaling workshop.  When setting goals if you make them:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time Sensitive

…. you have more of a chance of achieving them.

“A Goal without a timeline is just a dream”

Robert Herjavec

We often write out our goals and too often they can be vague / unrealistic or we simply lose sight of them as they are written in a copy and pushed to one side and forgotten about. Does this sound familiar?

So you have it written down what next?

The secret to making your goals achievable in my opinion is to add in the emotions/feelings attached to this goal, how would feel if you achieved it? In order to do this we need to add in affirmations and do these daily. Affirmations are positive statements that can help you practice positive thinking and help you to believe that you can achieve anything.

 The third piece of the puzzle is an image, you need a clear image or vision of your goal –can you picture the end result? To help bring your vision to life I highly recommend doing a vision board – i  will be doing more on this very soon.

So for 2022, instead of resolutions set yourself realistic goals – I have created a goal planning journal on PDF that you can purchase and I can email if you wish. Your goals need to uplift you while also adding value to your physical, mental emotional and spiritual well-being leaving you feeling excited and empowered. An all or nothing approach will leave you feeling stressed, anxious or discouraged.

So to recap – forget the all or nothing approach – take a moment to sit and think about what it is you would like to achieve, write it out, break it down using SMART, then use your affirmations to support these goals while taking steps to achieve them and build the vision

“A dream written down becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed up by action becomes a reality”

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