Do adults need to play?

If you had asked me a decade ago what adults needed more of, I might have said time, leadership skills, personal development, maybe even purpose. But after the year we all had in 2020, and after years of coaching people through burnout, reinvention, and transition, I’ve realized something so much deeper.

We don’t need more time.
We need to develop our skills and have a purpose, but that can’t be our only focus.
And we don’t just need rest in order to live more fully.

We need play.

Yes, adults. Grown-ups with jobs, children,to-do lists and aching backs. We need to play—just as much as children do, maybe even more.

In 2021, I created a little summer project called Explore Laugh Play.  It was 30 days to invigorate one’s spirit through play. Explore Laugh Play was my attempt to help us all find our way back to joy after a year of so much uncertainty and grief. I thought we needed a break. We needed time to enjoy life. Be free.

What I didn’t realize was that we were also missing a fundamental part of our well-being.

What I Learned: Play Isn’t Optional. It’s Essential

That first year, I began to see it in myself, in Mark, and in the clients and friends who joined the program: play isn’t just a nice way to pass the time. It’s a lifeline to mental and emotional wellness.

I recall going to our local park in NJ to make a short video on my phone to promote the program and running into the wife of my son’s best friend. At first, I was a little embarrassed. An almost 60 year old woman recording herself on the slide and swings while blowing bubbles! She asked me what I was doing. I explained to her the program and she smiled! She seemed to think it was a great idea and something we all needed. It was then, I knew I was on  to something.

Play supports everything from mood to memory, from relationships to resilience.

🧠 Neuroscience tells us that play strengthens our prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, planning, and emotional regulation.

💛 Studies show that play reduces cortisol levels, improves social bonding, and even helps us recover from trauma.

📚 The National Institute for Play reports that regular play helps adults stay more optimistic, flexible, and emotionally connected. PsychCentral adds that it can foster better problem-solving skills and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In short: play makes us feel young. It ignites our curiosity and innocence.

But What Is Play for Adults?

Play isn’t just about toys or games. Play doesn’t have to be planned or intentional.

What is PLAY when you’re an adult?

Play is anything that brings joy, spontaneity, creativity, and lightness into your life.

It might be:

• Dancing while you cook
• Making up stories with your grandkids
• Hiking a trail with no destination in mind
• Singing loudly in the car
• Doing something just for the joy of it—not for achievement or approval

Play is any activity where the goal is the experience itself. Not productivity. Not performance. Just presence.

And that’s where the transformation happens.

Why Adults Resist Play—And Why We Shouldn’t

Somewhere along the line, we were taught that play is just for kids. That if we’re not being productive, we’re wasting time. Silliness and joy should be saved for vacations and earned after hard work.

But that’s not what the science says.

And that’s not what our hearts say either.

Adults who give themselves permission to play on a regular basis report feeling more connected to others, more creative in their work, and more emotionally resilient in the face of stress. They sleep better. Laugh more. When life throws a curveball, they bounce back faster. They are resilient and we know resiliency promotes better mental health and well-being.

Those who make time to play, live more fully.

Why I’m Bringing Explore Laugh Play Back Again For Year #5

Every summer since 2021, Mark and I have come back to this simple truth: when we make space for play, everything else in life feels lighter. Problems seem more manageable. Our connection deepens. Our perspective shifts. And joy becomes something we don’t have to chase—it’s right there in our ordinary moments.

That’s why this summer, we’re once again inviting you to join us in Explore Laugh Play.

But we’re making it even easier.

Instead of a daily commitment, we’ll send just one playful prompt every Saturday morning from the first day of summer—June 21—through August 30, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

Each email will give you something to try, reflect on, or enjoy—on your own or with someone you love. No pressure. No perfection. Just presence. Just play.

Because the truth is: the world needs more playful grown-ups.
And so do our families.
And so do our hearts.

What You Gain When You Choose to Play

It’s one thing to say “play is good for you,” but what does that actually mean? What happens when you intentionally bring more play into your daily life?

Let’s talk about the real benefits—because play is not just about feel-good fluff. The benefits are life-changing and science backed:

🧠 Sharper Thinking & Better Problem Solving:

Play stimulates the brain in a way that boosts creativity, curiosity, and flexible thinking. Studies show that playful adults are better at adapting to change and thinking outside the box—critical skills when facing life’s inevitable twists and turns.

💞 Stronger, Healthier Relationships:

Play is a powerful connector. Whether it’s sharing laughter with a partner, goofing off with a friend, or playing a silly game with your grandkids, these moments deepen intimacy and build trust. Play fosters emotional safety, improves communication, and helps resolve conflict with less tension.

💆 Less Anxiety, More Calm:

When we’re in a playful state, our stress hormones—especially cortisol—go down. Just a few minutes of joyful activity can shift your mood, relax your nervous system, and remind your brain that it’s safe to breathe again. In fact, incorporating playful practices has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and even help with mild depression.

🧓 Protects Cognitive Health & Reduces Dementia Risk:

Yes, really. Engaging regularly in playful, mentally stimulating activities helps preserve memory and executive functioning. Research cited by the American Journal of Play and NPR shows that adults who continue to play—especially socially—maintain better brain health and lower their risk of cognitive decline.

When you choose to play, you’re not stepping away from personal growth—you’re stepping into a version of it that’s more sustainable, joyful, and deeply effective.

This isn’t just about fun (though fun is part of it!).
It’s about living with more vitality, more ease, and more connection.

How to Join

If you’re ready to bring more lightness into your life, more laughter into your weekend, and more resilience into your routines, this program is for you.

It’s completely free. No catch. Just an open-hearted invitation.

👉 https://www.eclecticwellbeing.com/explorelaughplay2025

Let this summer be the one where you don’t just survive—you thrive.

You deserve joy. You deserve connection.
And yes—you absolutely deserve to play.

It starts this Saturday! Sign Up Now!

The post Why Adults Need to Play: Reclaiming Joy, One Moment at a Time appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

For me, that was my health.

As a young man, I was actually happy to be putting on weight. I was working out like mad, and attributed the gains to be my workout, working. I was ecstatic when I finally broke 200!

There was that beer gut that developed in the process… But when an older (probably in his 30’s at the time), male bartender told me, “A wise man builds a shed for his tools,” I accepted the gut as a normal part of manhood and pressed on.

It didn’t stop though. I increased the intensity of my workouts, and I got fairly strong, for a nerdy kid who weighed 135 throughout high school. Yet the gut kept growing.

Then it began to spread. Now it wasn’t just my gut that was expanding, fat was spreading into my face. My cheeks and neck began to swell. It got to the point where I felt like I didn’t really have “my” face anymore. There was now more of a generally round, “fat guy” face where mine used to be.

The legs and arms began to fill as well. It didn’t matter how much I worked out. I was still getting stronger, the muscles were still getting bigger; but, there were no “cuts,” no definition to anything. People started telling me, “you look like you used to work out.”

Ouch. No one who works out wants to hear that they look like they used to look good.

I decided that I had done enough bulking, it was time to cut.

So, how do I lose a bunch of fat, really fast? At the time, Dr. Atkins was all the rage, so I jumped on board. Zero-carb, high fat, all protein, all day. I made it about two weeks, but hey, I dropped 15 pounds!

And then 20 pounds crept back on throughout the rest of the year.

I kept thinking, “if only I could keep this up for longer…” so the next year I pushed harder, with about the same results.

I tried again the following year, same thing happened. Diet tech improvements came along. Now they have a powder that “gets you back into ketosis when you fall out of it.”

For the uninitiated, “ketosis” is the target state of the Atkins approach. This means that there will be “ketone bodies” present in the urine that can be detected by peeing on a special test strip. These ketone bodies only show up in the urine under special circumstances.

One of those situations is kidney failure, which we definitely want to avoid.

The other, is when we’ve exhausted our supply of available glucose for fuel to trick our body into thinking we’re starving so it switches to burning off our fat reserves.

If you’ve never done Atkins before, it takes a good 3 days for you to burn off your existing glucose stores before your body reluctantly switches into ketosis (fat-burning mode via simulated starvation). Once you’re in ketosis, your body is constantly burning up your fat reserves. But, any amount of carbs you ingest will throw you out of it, leaving you waiting for your body to burn those carbs off to get back into ketosis.

Ah! But now we have this Miracle Powder that will get you right back into ketosis! Of course I tried it. I don’t really know if it didn’t work, or if I used it as a means to sneak carbs in here and there, but the net result was that it was less effective than Atkins alone.

This is where the “low-carb” craze came from. The idea is that if you can just eat very low carbs, your body will choose to burn off fat. Except that, the body doesn’t work like that. If it has glucose to burn as fuel, it’s going to burn that glucose as fuel. And when it has an excess of glucose, it will store the balance as fat for later use.

Long story short: Atkins doesn’t work! Or rather, it is an effective tool at removing fat very quickly, for a short period of time. Which is exactly what Dr. Atkins intended! He pioneered this method as a means to reduce enough fat in people to allow them to safely undergo surgery.

Atkins was never meant to be used as a long-term approach to overall health.

Great 😧 now what? Looking for a more modern approach, I tried Intermittent Fasting.

Typically, this involves squeezing all of your eating for the day into a narrow window. For example, maybe only eating between the hours of 4 pm to 8 pm. If you’ve never tried this before, you’ll probably be cranky and hungry up until that four o’clock mark, then bloated as you try to compress 3000 calories into one reasonably healthy meal, after which you’ll probably go to bed hungry.

Now, I’m not saying Intermittent Fasting doesn’t work. There are many people who swear by it. And in fact, I found it an excellent means by which to maintain my body composition levels (meaning my lean mass to fat mass ratio.) It wasn’t very effective, for me though, at reducing my existing fat levels.

There are, of course, variations on this theme. I’ve described what many people call the OMAD method, or One Meal A Day. My mother uses this method effectively to maintain her health in her mid-70’s now.

You could also use a larger window and eat two meals a day. This is a great way to go for people who don’t feel hungry in the morning when they wake up. No problem! Skip breakfast and start with lunch.

I’ve done this before myself too, but not to effectively drop fat pounds.

Then there’s the complete opposite approach: Eating numerous, albeit small, meals throughout the day. I’ve done this one as well. The concept here is to not allow yourself to get hungry, keeping your body processing food all day long, and burning up the energy as you go so it won’t get stored as fat.

For me, this was eating small meals every three hours or so. When I say small, I mean a can of tuna fish and some crackers, or a pair of hard-boiled eggs and half a slice of bread. Just enough food to keep you going to your next eating window, spaced about three hours apart.

Basically, you’re eating all day long, maybe as much as seven times a day, depending on when you wake and sleep. It’s a LOT of eating. And if you work in an office, your coworkers may get annoyed with you and your stinky tuna cans. How effective was it? Well, I definitely bulked up, but still had a hard time cutting the fat.

And then I tried the “stupid” diets. You know the ones I mean. Where they sound way too stupid to actually work. Things like, “the all-cabbage diet,” or “the carnivore diet,” or even, the “paleo diet.” Did they work? Meh, they’re basically all variations of the Atkins theme. So yes, they worked in the short term, but were too hard to maintain to make a meaningful difference.

There I was, after literal decades of trying and failing every diet I could think of. My insurmountable task proving itself to be a formidable foe. What do you do when you’ve tried everything you can think of, and NOTHING has worked?

You get help.

In 2020, that’s exactly what I did. I decided to get to the bottom of what the heck I was doing wrong to my health. I paid money to learn how to get healthy.

And you know what? I found out it wasn’t a single really big mistake I was making. There were dozens of little ones. In fact, when I sat down and thought about all of the things that I’m doing now, that I wasn’t doing then, there were over 100 differences!

Now I’ve made it my mission to help as many people as possible to make these little changes in their lives, because it adds up to big results!

No more dieting! I have no need to go on a diet now, because I’m already at my ideal weight. All I need to do is eat and move, and my body composition takes care of itself.

Want to know if I can help you, too? Hit the link below and let’s find out!

Visit: https://www.eclecticwellbeing.com/Mark1-2-1

The post How do I get to Where I Want to Be? appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Have you ever let some small thing totally derail your day? This used to happen to me all the time when I would “try” to eat healthy. Like, when ordering breakfast, I’d absent-mindedly have grabbed, paid for, then consumed an entire chocolate chip muffin with my morning coffee.

It’s not the muffin that’s bad, it’s what happens after eating it. Guilt. Shame. Beating yourself up for being a “bad eater.” And then the absolute worst thing happens: “Well, now this whole day is shot. I might as well eat all of the stuff I know I’m not allowed to eat.”

It isn’t the all-or-nothing mindset. It’s believing that we must be 100% perfect all the time, or it means we’re bad.

No. Don’t do that to yourself.

Instead, make a game out of it.

See how many “good” meals you can get in a row before eating something “bad.”

When I started, it was 2 meals. Mainly because I was eating those chocolate chip muffins for breakfast every day. For lunch and dinner I did pretty good.

Once I decided to start making breakfast healthier, my “good” streak stretched to 5. Now I was eating the muffins every other day. Progress!

Over time, that streak got longer and longer. Now, I’ve stopped keeping track, but it’s probably around 30 healthy meals in a row before I have an ice cream sundae, or a candy bar, or heck, maybe even a chocolate chip muffin.

Thinking along these lines is a much healthier mindset to have.

We are not one meal; nor are we one day. We are the culmination of all the foods we’ve eaten over the course of months.

With that in mind, what do you want to become?

Will you be made from fresh fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat, legumes, mushrooms, and other whole foods? Or will it be from whatever the ingredients are in the factory processed entrees waiting in the freezer?

I decided to live on the healthy side. How about you?

Bear in mind, it wasn’t an overnight shift. I was living on freezer goodies for years. Burritos, supreme pizzas, taquitos, chicken wings, were all lunch staples. If I ran out for lunch, it was a double quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and a chocolate shake. Or maybe a Mexican pizza, two tacos supreme, and a chicken burrito supreme, with a large Baja Blast Mountain Dew. Quite frequently it was also the Chinese Buffett.

Every time I tried to 180° my diet into health, I failed miserably.

I thought I was the problem. What else could it have been?

Turns out, it’s basic human psychology. Our brains don’t like too much change all at once.

“Don’t like,” is probably too soft a term here. It’s more like “everything is crazy! Which way is up? How do I get out of here?”

And that’s exactly what happens. The brain feels like it’s been thrown into chaos, and the subconscious mind takes over.

You can’t fight the subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind will always drive you to do the things you’ve told it you want to do. And in this case, the drive is back to “normality.”

At my most unhealthy state, I was eating all of the unhealthy things I mentioned above, while snacking on chips with sour cream-based dip, and washing it down with soda, beer, or coffee, depending on time of day.

And I had the bloodwork to show for it! I was still in my 30’s when my doctor put me on blood pressure and cholesterol meds.

My first wake-up call was when my cousin Marty passed away from a sudden heart attack at 42.

Then Mom’s reaction was, “oh, the 40-year curse got him.” To which I immediately retorted, “the 40-year what now?”

As it happened, the men on my mother’s side of the family had a history of dropping dead from sudden heart attacks in their early 40’s(!)

One of the other things these men all had in common?

Horrible eating habits. Just like me.

Now I was at a point where I knew I needed to change, because not changing was likely to kill me. I was already on meds. My triglycerides were off the charts. (Seriously, the chart ended at 500 and mine were in the 800’s!) My cholesterol numbers were upside-down. My arteries were probably already starting to harden and choke off.

But every time I tried to get healthy, I failed right back to where I started.

What I wound up doing, just happened to be the correct thing to do. I decided to start small.

I switched to black coffee, then I stopped drinking soda. That’s at least two meals every day where I wasn’t drinking empty calories.

Holy cow, did that make a difference!

I went from 240 down to 220 in what seemed to be an instant, but in reality was several months.

My face started to look more like a face again, instead of the generic roundness I had become accustomed to. My 38 pants that I had been debating about taking up to 40’s were now more comfortable to wear.

That little change alone went a long way, but it wasn’t enough to get me down under 220.

I tried to weightlift my way into health, thinking I would burn off all of the extra calories I didn’t need. In this, I became stronger; but the scale didn’t seem to want to budge.

I cut way back on those frozen entrees I had been eating for lunch and got into the 205 range.

It wasn’t until I got serious and studied the nutritional principles that I now coach that I was able to get properly lean.

None of it is hard! In fact, I like to tell my clients that I help them fail their way to success.

Would you like to have a conversation with me to see if I might be able to help you?

This link will let you look at my calendar to see if there’s any time where our schedules align. If there is, go ahead and book the Can I Help You Call 😊 I’ll take it from there.

https://www.eclecticwellbeing.com/Mark1-2-1

The post Game Your Way Into Health appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Last week, one of our favorite networking events graced us with its presence once again. This particular monthly meet-up always fills us with joy and excitement. It’s casual, fun and we’ve come to know many of the other business owners.

As the evening unfolded, warmth permeated the air, mingling with the lively chatter and the melodious clinking of glasses. While I navigated through familiar faces and introduced myself to new faces, Mark found himself engrossed in conversation with a retired counselor. I recall sharing with him earlier in the evening the essence of what I do—helping individuals navigate life’s twists and turns, empowering them to embrace change and create a life they love. Later at home, Mark relayed to me, that amidst their conversation, the question emerged:

“What qualifies Kathi to provide counseling?”

As Mark recounted this exchange to me, we both found it disconcerting. How could someone ingrained in the realm of assisting others, still harbor misconceptions about our role as coaches? This question was a poignant reminder of the gap that often exists between the perceptions of coaching and counseling. So, let’s embark into the heart of coaching, and explore the facets that set it apart from counseling.

At its core, coaching is about propelling you forward. Igniting the fires of progress. And nurturing personal growth. Whereas, counseling often delves into past traumas and mental health diagnoses. In contrast, coaching is forward-focused. It’s about harnessing the power of the present moment to craft a brighter future.

As seasoned coaches, our mission is clear—to guide you toward clarity, purpose, and resilience amidst life’s challenges. We delve into your current mindset, thoughts, and emotions. And we ask probing questions that pave the way for self-discovery and empowerment. Through this process, you’re not just a passive participant. In contrast, you’re an active architect of your destiny. Equipped with the tools to navigate life’s complexities with confidence and grace.

Here’s where the magic of coaching truly comes alive.

Empowerment Through Self-Discovery

Coaching is a collaborative voyage of self-exploration and empowerment. It’s akin to setting sail on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery. A quest to unearth the treasure trove of your unique strengths, talents, and virtues. Through tools such as the VIA Character Strengths assessment, we shine a spotlight on the jewels within you. Illuminating the facets of your character that make you truly extraordinary.

As we navigate the vast expanse of your inner landscape, we clarify your aspirations. The threads of your dreams are untangled. We chart a course toward the horizon of your aspirations.

Imagine yourself adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Enveloped by the dense fog of indecision and ambiguity. Coaching serves as the guiding beacon that pierces through the mist. Casting light upon the hidden contours of your path. With newfound clarity, you’re no longer at the mercy of the turbulent tides. Instead, you stand poised at the helm, empowered to steer your ship toward the shores of your destiny.

As we navigate the seas of uncertainty, gone are the days of feeling adrift or directionless. We continue onward, harnessing the winds of change to propel you toward the shores of your dreams. With each step forward, you’re not merely chasing after your aspirations—you’re embodying them. Breathing life into your boldest visions, and sculpting a reality that mirrors the brilliance of your soul.

Mindset Mastery

The power of mindset is not just influential; it’s foundational. Mindset forms the bedrock upon which your reality is built. Every desire, aspiration, and every dream you harbor, they are all intricately intertwined with the landscape of your mindset.

As staunch advocates of its transformative potential, we recognize that mindset isn’t just a facet of your journey. It’s the very essence of it. Together, we embark on a profound exploration of the terrain of your thoughts and beliefs. This leads us to challenging the barriers of limiting beliefs, cultivating resilience, and nurturing a mindset of abundance and possibility.

With the right mindset, every goal becomes attainable. Every dream is within reach. Whether you’re striving to shed a few pounds, launch your own business, or embark on a meaningful and purposeful retirement, (I like to call this stage of life “inspirement”), mindset is the linchpin that propels you toward success.

One of our own coaches taught us, “The brain is a goal-achieving machine.” Napoleon Hill, author of the infamous book, Think and Grow Rich, said it another way, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Without a doubt, when you harness the mind’s formidable powers, the possibilities are limitless.

Tailored Support

Your journey through life is as unique as your fingerprint. Just as no two snowflakes are alike, no two paths toward fulfillment are identical. For the same reason, our coaching approach is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a bespoke tapestry woven to reflect your individual needs, desires, and aspirations. Like skilled artisans, we carefully craft each session to align with your personal journey, ensuring that every step you take is a deliberate stride toward your chosen destination.

As coaches, Mark and I are simply guides on this odyssey of self-discovery and growth. Think of us as the compass that points you in the direction of your dreams. The map that charts the course of your aspirations. But here’s the beauty of it all—you are the captain of your ship. Indeed, you are the master of your destiny. We’re only here to empower you to steer the helm. To navigate the waters of change with confidence and clarity.

Our role as coaches is not to dictate your path or impose our agenda upon you. Instead, we provide you with a toolbox filled with an array of potent instruments. Tools for self-reflection. Other tools for goal-setting. And still other tools for mindset mastery. It’s up to you how you wield these tools. How you integrate them into the fabric of your life. We honor your autonomy, your agency, your sovereignty over your own destiny.

Holistic Well-Being

When it comes to well-being, the conventional approach often focuses solely on the physical body—diet, exercise, and medical check-ups. But, while these aspects are undoubtedly important, true holistic well-being extends far beyond. It encompasses the intricate interplay of mind, body, and spirit. Holistic Well-Being is undeniably a delicate dance of harmony and balance that reverberates throughout every facet of our lives.

This holistic perspective is where coaching shines brightest, setting it apart from traditional counseling or therapy. Whereas counseling may primarily address mental or emotional challenges, and therapy may delve into the depths of past traumas, coaching takes a broader view. Coaching encompasses the entirety of your being. In fact, our role is not to mend broken wings or soothe wounded souls. It’s to uplift, inspire, and empower you to soar to new heights of well-being and fulfillment.

Thus, our coaching philosophy is grounded in this holistic approach. Recognizing that true well-being arises from alignment and synergy across mind, body, spirit, and beyond. Imagine these facets of your being as the interlocking gears of a finely-tuned machine. Each gear essential to the smooth functioning of the whole. When one gear falls out of sync, it can throw the entire system into disarray. Similarly, when one aspect of your well-being is neglected or unbalanced, it can have ripple effects that reverberate throughout your life.

That’s why our coaching process is designed to address each of these interconnected areas with equal care and attention. We work with you to cultivate  clarity and emotional resilience. To nourish your body with wholesome nutrition and invigorating movement. And to nurture your spirit with practices that resonate with your soul’s deepest yearnings. By fostering alignment and synergy in these areas, we lay the foundation for a life of profound meaning and purpose.

Everyone Needs a Coach

Finally, as we reflect on the essence of coaching and its transformative power, it’s essential to revisit the distinction between coaching and counseling. While counseling delves into past traumas and therapy may focus on mental health diagnoses, coaching takes a proactive, forward-looking approach. Unquestionably, coaching empowers you to consciously create the life you love.

Consider this: athletes have coaches to refine their skills and optimize performance. Singers have coaches to hone their talents and amplify their voices. Similarly, coaching provides the accountability, guidance, and support you need to navigate life’s twists and turns with clarity and confidence. Coaching offers a beacon of light in the midst of uncertainty. Furthermore, it keeps you focused on your goals. It empowers you to overcome obstacles, and celebrates your victories along the way.

So, as you embark on your journey toward holistic well-being and personal growth, remember, coaching is not just for the elite few. On the contrary, it’s for every single person who dares to dream. Every person who aspires and embraces change. Undeniably, coaching is the compass that guides you toward your North Star. The catalyst that propels you toward your fullest potential.

If you’re ready to unlock the extraordinary within you, I invite you to take the first step. Schedule a Breakthrough Call today, and let’s embark on this extraordinary journey together. Your best life awaits—let’s make it happen.

The post From Dreams to Reality: Why Coaching Is Essential for Creating a Life You Love appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we’ve all heard the elusive term “work-life balance” tossed around like a magical solution to our perpetual struggle. We envision a perfect equilibrium where our professional responsibilities seamlessly coexist with our personal lives, creating a serene and fulfilling existence. But let’s face it – that’s a myth.

Picture this: a tightrope walker, poised delicately atop a thin wire, attempting to maintain perfect balance. It’s an admirable feat, but one that’s ultimately unsustainable. Just like that walker, trying to achieve a static state of work-life balance is a futile endeavor. The scales will inevitably tip, leaving us feeling frazzled and frustrated. So, how do we navigate this precarious tightrope without plummeting into chaos?

Find Work-Life Balance Over a Longer Period of Time

Life is a dynamic journey. It’s not static waiting to be meticulously balanced. It’s a symphony of rhythms and cadences. Weaved together to create the beautiful tapestry of our existence. Instead of fixating on achieving perfect balance in every moment, zoom out and take a broader perspective.

Picture your life as a grand tapestry. Woven from the threads of your daily experiences. Instead of scrutinizing daily or weekly fluctuations, consider the ebbs and flows of your work-life harmony over the course of months or even years. Reflect on moments when work demanded extra hours, fueled by deadlines and high-pressure projects. In my experience in fashion merchandising, the weeks leading up to the buy being placed were always intense. Filled with demanding tasks and looming deadlines. But with each peak of intensity came moments of calmness and respite, offering a chance to recharge and regroup.

Similarly, there are times when personal commitments take precedence. These are the moments when we may need to step away from work, whether it’s leaving early to attend to a family emergencey or taking a mental health day to recharge our own batteries.

Embrace this dynamic approach to work-life balance. Acknowledge that balance is not achieved in every moment, but rather over time. Recognize that there will be seasons of imbalance, whether it’s when work demands more of our attention, or when personal priorities take center stage. Through it all, strive for a sustainable and realistic version of work-life balance – one that navigates the ebb and flow of life with grace and resilience.

True balance is found in the overarching rhythm of our journey. It’s found when we find harmony in the symphony of life. Knowing each note contributes to the beauty of the whole.

Create Work-Life Synergy

Rather than seeing work and personal life as opposing forces, consider how they can complement and enrich each other. How we can enhance overall fulfillment by finding synergy rather than balance.

When Work is not Work

Instead of viewing work as merely a means to earn a paycheck, can you align your career with your passions and interests?  Seek out opportunities that allow you to pursue what truly excites and motivates you.  Whether it’s a creative outlet, a cause you’re passionate about, or a field that aligns with your values. Choose a career path that resonates with you and create a sense of purpose and fulfillment that extends beyond the office walls.

Prioritize personal growth and development in addition to career advancement. Pursue hobbies, interests, or activities outside of work that nurture your creativity, intellect, or well-being. By investing in yourself, you not only enhance your overall quality of life, but also bring fresh perspectives and insights to your professional endeavors. Whether it’s taking up a new hobby, attending workshops or classes, or simply dedicating time to self-reflection and introspection, integrating personal growth into your routine can foster a greater sense of synergy between your work and personal life.

Friends in and out of the office

Cultivate meaningful relationships both within and outside of the workplace. Building strong connections with colleagues who share your values and interests can create a sense of camaraderie and support that extends beyond the confines of the office. I recall my tenure at Nautica, where the camaraderie among coworkers transformed a mundane job into a meaningful experience. Despite the challenges of the work itself, the bond forged with my colleagues created a sense of synergy between my professional and personal worlds. It’s these connections and shared experiences that nourish our souls and foster that synergy between work and personal lives.

Know Your Values

At the core of living a fulfilling life lies a deep understanding of who we are and what truly matters to us. Knowing your values is essential for achieving harmony in our lives. Take the time to reflect on your values – those guiding principles that shape your decisions and priorities. Consider what truly matters to you in life – whether it’s integrity, compassion, creativity, or personal growth. Reflect on past experiences, moments of joy and fulfillment, and times when you felt most aligned with your authentic self. By gaining clarity on your values, you establish a solid foundation upon which to base your decisions and actions. One of the best tools I have found to understand values is the VIA Character Strengths Assessment. VIA stands for Values In Action. It provides participants with a Character Strength Profile. What are Character Strengths? Well to me they are the 24 values that all civilizations regard as strengths. Your profile gives you insight as to not just what is important to you, but also what you use most frequently. Take it and find out yours.

Boundaries and Decisions

Armed with this self-awareness, establish clear boundaries that honor your values and priorities. Determine the extent to which you’re willing to invest in your career, balancing professional aspirations with personal fulfillment and well-being. Set boundaries around your work hours, workload, and commitments. Ensure they align with your values and contribute to a sense of balance and harmony in your life.

When faced with difficult decisions or competing priorities, use your values as a guiding compass to navigate the choices ahead. Consider how each option aligns with your core beliefs, then choose the path that resonates most deeply with your authentic self. Whether it’s prioritizing time with loved ones, pursuing a passion project, or advocating for a cause you believe in, let your values guide your decisions and actions.

In your professional life, seek out opportunities that align with your values and allow you to express your authentic self. Look for organizations and roles that prioritize values such as integrity, collaboration, and personal development. Cultivate a work environment that respects and honors your boundaries, allowing you to thrive professionally while maintaining a sense of balance and well-being.

Be You

Finally, embrace authenticity and self-expression in all aspects of your life. Be true to yourself and your values, even in the face of pressure to conform or compromise. I vividly recall a pivotal moment early in my career when a supervisor demanded unwavering dedication at the expense of everything else. While the prospect of advancement tantalized me, I refused to sacrifice my well-being and relationships on the altar of ambition. Fortunately, fate intervened, steering me towards a mentor who valued outcomes over hours logged. This pivotal experience reinforced the importance of aligning my professional pursuits with my personal values, ensuring a more authentic and sustainable path forward.

Celebrate your unique strengths, passions, and perspectives. Allow them to shine through in your work and relationships. By living in alignment with your values, you can create a life that is deeply fulfilling, meaningful, and true to who you are.

The pursuit of work-life balance is not a destination, but a journey filled with twists and turns. Rather than striving for an unattainable equilibrium, let’s embrace the inherent chaos of life and strive for harmony amidst the madness. By adopting a long-term perspective, cultivating synergy between work and personal life, and honoring our values, we can navigate this tumultuous tightrope with grace and resilience. After all, it’s not about achieving perfect balance – it’s about finding peace amidst the imbalance.

The post Navigating the Illusion: Unveiling the Myth of Work-Life Balance appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Kathi and I love hosting Thanksgiving! But it can be stressful since there’s so much food to cook.

One way to take the stress out of it is to think about what you’re going to make, what needs to be cooked in the oven and for how long, what needs to be prepared ahead of time, and in what order you’ll do everything.

Now this blog isn’t going to focus on everything, but it is a bit of a recap of what our Deliciously Healthy Thanksgiving, focusing on a few Deliciously Healthy side dishes:Savory Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels’ Sprouts, Baked Green Bean Casserole, and Healthy Mashed Potatoes, in that order.

Why that order? Because the Squash and Sprouts take the longest, then the Green Beans, and the Potatoes are relatively quick. Doing it this way, we should be able to plan it so everything is all done at the same time.

START WITH PREPPING

Before we start prepping, the most important thing you can have when making your own food is a very sharp knife. And you want that knife to be a “Chef’s Knife,” with a long, thin blade that’s taller towards the handle and curves down towards the tip. You can cook just about anything with a sharp one of these.

So we start earlier in the day with trimming the ends from the Brussels’ Sprouts and sliced them in halves; peeingl the Butternut Squash trimming the top and bottom and cutting into cubes; trimming the ends from the Green Beans and cutting them into roughly 2-inch segments; clean, trimming, and slicing the Mushrooms to roughly ¼ inch thickness; peeling and trimming our Garlic cloves; cutting our Cauliflower into florets; and peeling our Potatoes, cut them into chunks and placed them in a pot of salted water to keep them from turning purple.

Butternut Squash Tips

This is one veggie that I want to go into detail because so many make it harder than it is and so they buy the pre cubed version at the market. It’s fine, but what do you do when you get it fresh from your farmer? Here’s how to easily prep your butternut squash.

First off, I see a lot of people trying to cut these in half by placing the whole thing sideways down on the cutting board, then trying to sort-of saw it with the knife lengthwise. If you’re having to force the knife through, your knife isn’t sharp enough. This is how people cut themselves, trying to leverage their entire bodyweight down through the knife. Then the knife slips and all of the downward force is redirected laterally, usually into the hand that was holding the food you were trying to cut.

What I like to do instead is chop the ends nice and flat so that I can stand it up on its bottom without it falling over. Now, I place the knife dead-center across the top, perpendicular to the cutting board, angle the blade a bit, then simply slice the whole thing right into two equally sized halves.

Deseeding with ease 

Before we can cut it into cubes, we need to deseed it. I used to joke that you wanted to use the sharpest spoon in your drawer, but Kathi hit upon a brilliant alternative to make this job so easy! Use an Ice Cream Scooper!

Easy to grip handle, angled for digging, perfectly adapted for gouging the seeds from a Butternut Squash.

You can separate the seeds from the stringy mass, roast them and eat them like you would Pumpkin Seeds, set them aside for local wildlife to eat, or add them to your compost. Ours will most likely be consumed by our Chickens.

Cubing

When cubing something like this, I used to cut it into strips, then cut down each fat strip to size, then cut cubes out of each thin strip.

The easy way is to first cut lengthwise making one long strip, then rotate the Squash half so the side you just cut is flat down against the cutting board, then make lengthwise slices in this direction to the size you ultimately want your Cubes. Here we’re going somewhere between half an inch and one inch.

Rotate the Squash back so the original half line cut is back against the board, and reposition the slices you just made back into the Squash shape. Now, make lengthwise cuts again, then rotate 90° and make even side-to-side cuts. When you’re done, you’ll have a Squash half in cubes, but still in the shape of a Squash half. Take your knife and slide the whole thing into a bowl, and repeat with the other side.

COOKING MULTIPLE ITEMS

So looking at all our recipes here, the Green Beans need to cook at 375°F for about 25 minutes, the Squash for 25 minutes at 450°F, and the Sprouts at 450°F for 18 minutes.

We happen to be graced with multiple ovens. Trying to cook things that need different oven temps and times means you’d have to cook the Beans first, then the Squash and Sprouts, then reheat the Beans right before eating.

But since I have two ovens, I’m pre-heating the upper oven to 450 and the lower oven to 375.

Now that all of our Squash is cubed, we need to get it seasoned and, in the oven, to start cooking.

Savory Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels’ Sprouts

Into this bowl with our Squash, we drizzle some Olive Oil. Probably about a tablespoon or so. I don’t really measure. I use a big bottle and go by “glugs.” One glug is about a tablespoon. Then we shake some salt in there. And crack some fresh pepper. By the way if you’re looking for something simple to spice up your cooking, a Pepper Mill and some Rainbow Peppercorns. It’s still pepper, but you’ll taste a wider range than black pepper alone will give you.

I like to use a skinny spoon when stirring things up like this. I find that the wider, serving-spoon-size utensils make more of a mess. You want to ensure that all of that Olive Oil is absolutely covering each and every Squash Cube, and you should see pepper flecks evenly distributed throughout the bowl.

Here’s another trick: Wet the pan first.

We want to get some foil on this pan to make cleanup easier later, but we don’t want the foil to stick to the food. Just run some water over the pan, then let it mostly drip off. You don’t want to dry it completely. Take your foil and tear off enough to cover the pan while tucking the ends under the sides. Place it on the pan with the shiny side touching the pan, dull side toward the food. Press the foil down in the center and wipe to the outsides. The water on the pan helps it stick a bit so it won’t bunch up.

Give it one blast of cooking spray, then spread that spray everywhere with a cloth to create a non-stick surface. Add the Squash Cubes and spread them out into a single layer with none touching each other.

We’ll pop this tray into the oven and set the timer to 7 minutes.

The Brussels’ Sprouts

Now we’ll prep another tray the same as we did the first one because our Squash was on the larger side and we’re not going to fit the Sprouts on the same tray.

Take the bowl of Sprouts and dump them into the bowl in which you mixed the Squash Cubes. That bowl is already covered in the same seasonings we’re using, so why dirty two bowls with oil?

Repeat the same Olive Oil, Salt, and Peppering, and dump the Sprouts onto the prepared sheet.

Take the time to place each Sprout half cut-side-down on the sheet. This little step will add loads of flavor that you won’t get otherwise as that flat side browns in the oven.

When that timer goes off, we leave the Cubes in, and add the Sprouts on another rack, then set the timer to 18 minutes (giving the Cubes a full 25 minutes.)

A BIT OF MULTI TASKING

At this point we want to get some heat under the pot of potatoes. I’m setting it to max with the lid on, then I’ll lower it a bit and remove the lid when they start to boil.

We also want to get these beans pre-cooked a bit. The recipe calls for blanching them in boiling water, then transferring to an ice bath. I find it much easier to steam them on the stovetop, so that’s what we’re doing here. They’re done when they turn a Bright Green color; you’ll definitely notice the difference. Once they hit that point, remove from heat and set aside.

I’ve tried multiple methods to cook cauliflower when sneaking it into other things or pretending it’s rice. The trick here is to prevent it from getting watery. The fastest way I’ve found to do that is to microwave it on a plate with a little bit of water, under one of those plastic spatter guard domes. It makes the cauliflower come out cooked, but on the drier side. Super wet cauliflower makes soggy mashed potatoes. So we’re going to pop this in for 5 minutes and then check it.

Mushroom Sauce for the Green Beans

Now, let’s get started on the Mushroom Sauce for the Beans. The recipe we’re using calls for making your own crispy onion topping, but we’re not looking to rock tradition too much, and Kathi and Hana really like French-Fried Onions from a little red and white tub, so we’ll be using those.

For this sauce, melt the butter, then add those Mushrooms and spread them around, rolling them around to get them covered in butter. Let them sit and soak up that butter, stirring occasionally so they don’t burn or stick. After 5 minutes those Shrooms should be ready for the Garlic that I forgot to talk about having copped finely earlier. Again, stirring to get that garlic everywhere and all over those Mushrooms.

Dust the flour over the Shrooms so it’s not all in one big clump, then stir that all up so the flour is everywhere. The flour should cover the Mushrooms and get gummy and drier-looking. If it’s still powdery, you need more butter. If it’s still runny, you need more flour. Stir for about another minute to cook the flour taste out of the flour. Then add your stock.

This recipe calls for ½ cup of Veggie Stock. I made Chicken Stock instead, and I made a bit more, just in case. I’m going to add the stock slowly, stirring as I go, until it starts to look “saucy.” It should be bubbly, wet, and thick looking with no noticeable flour lumps.

Once you’ve hit the right consistency, stir in the Parmesan, then stir in the milk to loosen it back up. Once you’re happy with it, season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.

Place your beans in your casserole dish, pour the Mushroom Sauce over top, stir it all up, and cover with the Fried Onion Topping of your choice. This one goes into the preheated lower oven at 375 for 25 minutes.

Back to Multi Tasking

When the Potatoes are done we’ll drain off the water and keep the chunks in the same hot pot. I use real butter in my Potatoes. Margarine is a man-made concoction that does not form in the natural world. Butter is the healthier option, and I use about a stick of butter for every 5 pounds of potatoes, which I will now add to these hot potatoes so it melts and soaks in.

While that’s melting we’ll take a look at this cauliflower. Pretty close. We’ll give it another 3 minutes.

The timer is going off on the Squash and Sprouts. The recipe calls for drizzling 4 oz of Maple Syrup over the tray. What I’m doing instead, is dumping both of these trays into an extra-large aluminum bowl, drizzling the Maple Syrup into that, stirring it all up, then spreading it all onto one tray and popping back on the top rack of the oven for another 5 minutes or so to glaze up the Syrup.

Cauliflower Potatoes

Once the Cauliflower is ready, dump it right into the pot with the now melted butter and potatoes, and hand-mash with this hand-masher. You can use electric beaters if you want. I like having some lumps in my potatoes, which the hand-masher gives me nicely.

Mash it up until you can’t tell what’s potato and what’s cauliflower. Add some Greek Yogurt instead of Milk or Sour Cream and mash it until it’s the right consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and you’re done.

The Big Finish

Now each side dish should be done at almost the same time. The Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash get put in a bowl, where we will toss in some craisins and sunflower seeds. The Green Bean Casserole is served right in the baking dish on a hot pad.  Serve the mashed potatoes and the turkey, and we have our Deliciously Healthy Thanksgiving.

For the real Thanksgiving, don’t forget the gravy, stuffing and cranberries! And we forgot to mention that making home-made cranberries is quick and easy!  Kathi uses the recipe found right on the bag, but instead of processed sugar, she uses honey!  Mmm! It tastes delicious!

If after reading this, you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! Cooking and healthy eating are two topics I love to talk about! mark@eclecticwellbeing.com

The post Tips and Tricks For A Deliciously Healthy Thanksgiving! appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Six months have come and gone. In just another week, we will start the second half of 2023.

Did you make any goals for the year? Any New Year Intentions?

Summer is a perfect time to recommit to our Intentions, reimagine our goals, make any adjustments and reset!

As the seasons change, we do as well. But it’s important to take time to reflect. Change course or recommit. Maybe change our strategies. Or even change our mindset!

Take charge of the second half of the year. Weed and cultivate your garden! The garden that is the life you create!

Weed Your Garden

Have you ever noticed how all of a sudden your garden goes from having no weeds to having so many you don’t know how you’ll ever clear them all!  I can go for days without noticing the weeds and then all of a sudden, BAMB, they are just everywhere!

They were there all along. Popping up a little each day. I was just too busy to notice.

When one weed pops up through the soil, next to our beloved flowers or veggies, we don’t take the time to really notice it. But that weed runs underground and pops another weed. And another. And another. Our negative thoughts and limiting beliefs act in the same way. One pops in our mind, and we don’t notice its impact. But then it roots into our mind, and another appears. And another. And soon our mind is racing with negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, stopping us from following our intentions, living the life we truly desire. Giving up on our dreams and goals.

We can’t stop them until we notice them.

A while back during a call with our coach, (yes, coaches have coaches) Mark realized that the block he was having was the same limiting belief he thought he had cleared out long ago. But here it was, resurfacing.  His mind was getting weeds again, but he hadn’t noticed. It took our coach asking the right questions for him to notice. That’s what coaches do. Help you notice.

Many of our limiting beliefs are woven in so tight in our minds, they remain hidden, simply something we continue to think, like a bad habit. They remain until we stop and notice them. It is only when we notice them can we remove them from our minds, just like we weed the garden.

It’s all about the practice we call, the Power of Decision.

If you’ve been a part of any of our coaching programs, you’ll recall this being part of it. This concept completely changed our lives and continues to keep us moving forward, even when life throws us difficulties. A practice so life changing is worth sharing!

Our limiting beliefs are what hold us back. They stop us from fulfilling our intentions.

In order to live the life we truly desire, we have to make powerful decision. But to do that, we have to let go of limiting beliefs. But we can’t let go of them until we notice them.

Are any limiting beliefs stopping you right now from your intentions for 2023?

Have you stopped to acknowledge them? Have you made a new powerful decision? (Check out the 7-Day MindShift if you need help in making new powerful decisions. Or if you’re in SW Michigan, come to our event on Wednesday, June 28 at the South Shore Health & Racquet Club in St Joe, Get Happy Get Healthy)

Cultivate Your Garden

Once we weed the mind of our limiting beliefs and reset our intentions with powerful decisions, recommitting to our desires, it’s time to cultivate our garden.

Just as we cultivate our gardens in the summer, ensuring a bountiful harvest in the fall, now is the time to cultivate our dreams and desires. Fertilize your dreams with education and support. Water your garden of dreams by taking action each and every day.

Our dreams can have difficulty becoming reality when we don’t take the time to nurture them. We need to support them with action. This could be taking a class to learn more about what we want. Hiring a coach to help keep us accountable. Talking with others who can help us. If we do something every day that is aligned with our desires, we are walking the path and it will lead us to our dreams.

Taking action throughout the year, ensures the same bountiful harvest for our intentions as for our gardens.

Summer Kickstart

If you are feeling stuck and want to kickstart your intentions for 2023, here are few ideas to get you going!

1. Review your intentions. Are they still important to you? If no, let them go and define some new ones. If not recommit and move on. Take a moment and read my thoughts on maybe just utilizing a word for the rest of the year in last January blog post, LIFE IS AN ENDLESS PROGRESSION OF BECOMING.
2. Create or update your vision board. Vision Boards help our brain learn what is important to us. Summer is a great time to update it. If you don’t have a vision board, create one! Vision Boards are a great way to gain clarity of what we desire and provide focus each day by displaying it in a prominent place.
3. Weed out those limiting beliefs. Learn more abour limiting beliefs in another blog post, STEP 3 OF CONSCIOUSLY CREATING A LIFE YOU LOVE.
4. Cultivate your dreams by taking action. Decide what you are going to do to move yourself closer to your desires. They don’t have to be huge things, just small steps, small changes that are aligned with your intentions or your goals. A quick read that helped me see it’s all about doing just 3 simple things a day is THE POWER OF 3, by Lisa Dietlin.

Summer can be the perfect time for kickstarting the dreams and intention you had just 6 months ago. It’s a time for resetting and ensuring 2023 is the year we break free and move into becoming our best Self. Living our best life! Creating a life we love.

And if you want to spend the summer playing more, exploring more and laughing more, using play to invigorate your spirit, join me for our 30-day challenge, Explore Laugh Play! Play is not just for kids! It’s completely Free and completely Fun!

The post Kickstart Your 2023 Intentions appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

I love to travel! Who doesn’t? Challenging myself to do new things. Discovering beautiful places to renew my spirit. Savoring new flavors on my palette. Engaging with people different than me and understanding other cultures.

Travel improves our well-being in many ways.

Studies show that travel help reduces the risks of heart disease. Travel can increase your levels of dopamine, which helps to feel deeper levels of satisfaction and pleasure. We boost our creativity when traveling in a foreign country, not only finding ways to communicate when we don’t speak the language but also there are many ways to do activities we do every day and take for granted.

Traveling, whether abroad or to nearby destinations, is something many of us do, but without intention and without embracing all these well-being benefits.  We go on a trip. Explore the sites, usually with our phone in hand, taking picture after picture, posting selfies on social media, and missing half of what is in our site.

We dine at delicious restaurants. Perhaps even order a tasty dish that we’ve never tried before and may never eat again because we have no idea what is in it or how it was prepared.

But have you been on a retreat? Maybe it was a yoga retreat to deepen your practice or focus on a particular flavor of yoga. Or perhaps it was a spiritual retreat, filled with silence and prayer. Or maybe a day retreat, time spent away from the day-to-day to fill your cup!

Retreats are travel with a purpose. Intentionally embracing the well-being benefits we are blessed with when we explore new destinations, and cultures and partake in novel activities.

The World Is Your Backyard

How many plant species are in your yard? A hundred? Two hundred? Even if it’s 500, that’s less than 1% of all plant species in the world!

When we travel, we can explore nature. Allow our senses to notice the different sites, sounds, and smells of the landscape.

My favorite area of the worldwide backyard is beneath the ocean. No matter how hard you want to see coral, you can only see it in its living form underwater.  The beauty of the ocean and the life living there is remarkable. Filled with color. Vibrancy. And without much sound, it creates a different kind of peace and serenity.

My levels of well-being drastically increase when I dive or snorkel. Why?

First, when I dive, my breath is my guide. If you’ve ever scuba-dived, you know what I mean. You can’t help but hear your own breath. Your breath is calming.

Secondly, I am not distracted. I am simply observing. Noticing the plant life, the fish, and their interaction.

What does this sound like?

Mindfulness. Almost a form of meditation.

This is exactly why so many retreats are near breathtaking and exotic natural wonders, engaging our parasympathetic nervous system and improving our well-being.

If you can’t get away to an exotic place, explore the land beneath your feet. Take a Day Retreat and go Forest Bathing, which is much more than a mindful walk in the woods.  It’s embodying the forest, exploring it in new ways. Weather not cooperating? Bring the outdoors in. At last week’s Spring Into Health & Happiness Day Retreat, we did just that! We took a Forest Bath indoors, exploring the forest floor by bringing wood, rocks, moss, and more inside and experiencing it in a more mindful, embodied way.

Treat Your Body Well

Don’t our bodies deserve a change from day to day too?

Our tastebuds yearn for some new flavors. Our muscles want to move in different ways.

Many retreats incorporate exploring our Body Home in new ways. A yoga retreat provides daily Yoga practices that many don’t experience in their daily lives. These new daily retreat rituals, awaken our desires to perhaps practice more often when we get home.

Retreats intentionally provide physical activity to not strain the body, but to ignite it!

Eating differently when on a retreat, treats our body to nutrients and flavors we tend to overlook when eating on the run.

Years ago, on a Tony Robbins Retreat, I was introduced to wheatgrass and eating a plant-based diet. At first, I felt disappointed, like I was missing out by not eating meat or trying local cuisine. But the goal of this retreat was to master our life, including the health of our bodies. By being intentional, and allowing myself to observe the experience, I noticed that although I still enjoy meat, my body feels better when I eat less meat and more veggies and other plant-based foods like mushrooms. I was on retreat to master my health, and that week had a profound effect on how I view food.

I now see food as both fuel for my body and as enjoyment for my tastebuds. And many dishes satisfy both.  This leads me to…..

Discover Your Self in Other Cultures

Retreats not only expose us to other cultures they immerse us in those cultures. To provide us the opportunity to notice similarities and accept our differences, without judgment.

Years ago, Mark and I reunited with our daughter Hana, who was living in Colombia at the time, in Guatemala. We had ever been and were excited to see volcanos and stay on Lake Atitlán, a lake formed by a volcanic eruption 84,000 years ago. This vacation became a retreat of sorts, where we immersed ourselves in the Mayan culture.

Prime example, we took a cooking class. But this cooking class was not a fancy restaurant, let alone any restaurant. It was facilitated at a local Mayan woman’s home. We met her in town at the food market where we shopped with her. Allowing her to explain the intricacies of local vegetables and food.

The cooking class was held at her modest home. We climbed the stairs to the roof where there was an outdoor kitchen. We made a special Guatemalan dish together and sat at the table on the roof exploring the food we had just prepared.

As I look back, I still feel a sense of delight and a better understanding of the people of the area. I noticed how this woman was simply striving to make a better life for herself and her children, just like single moms do here in the US. I noticed that back home in the US, one would have to jump through permitting to allow such a business in their home.

But most importantly, I gained a better understanding of my Self. Gratitude for being able to be there with my daughter. And igniting a desire to leave the world better than I found it. This was travel with a purpose.

Reflection and Self-Care

I define a retreat as “intentionally withdrawing from everyday activities to a safe space in order to reflect on one’s Self and connect to one’s surroundings.”

Although I’ve mentioned some exotic places, some of the best retreats are local and can be as short as a day. They simply need to be intentional and bring us inward.

Retreats don’t have to be centered on Yoga. Journaling, mindfully walking, or even planting flowers and veggies can allow us to reflect on our lives and connect with the world around us.

Our Day Retreats are designed to connect you back to yourself, withdrawing from the everyday.

One of our guests from last week’s Day Retreat posted on Facebook, “It exceeded all of my expectations.  Mark and Kathi have created the ultimate oasis.  They bring so much experience and knowledge to this little corner of South West Michigan.  I left feeling refreshed, energized, and full of new ideas.”

And they can be personal, just for you or a small group of loved ones.

Starting this summer, Eclectic Well-Being will not only continue to offer our amazing destination retreats like our upcoming journey to Amorgos Greece, and our intimate Southwest Michigan Day Retreats like last week’s Spring Into Health & Happiness, but we will be offering personal retreats, where we intentionally plan activities that help you to reflect and connect with your Self. Time for true Self-Care.

Curious about what that could look like?

Maybe you want to explore meditation and learn how to cook healthy meals for your family.  A weekend retreat with us could include a few cooking classes with Mark, a meditation workshop with me, including experimenting with Yoga Nidra and Forest Bathing, and of course a day trip to Silver Beach in nearby St Joe.

Or maybe you’re contemplating a change in your life, a new job, or a relationship.  A weekend immersion in my coaching program, the Total MindShift, can help you explore the future while you relax and unwind on the farm.

Or maybe you want to jumpstart getting healthy! We can help you find physical activities you enjoy while Mark leads you through his Total HealthShift. Try hiking nearby dunes. Of do some gardening for exercise.

We plan this retreat experience with you, ensuring it’s consciously curated to help you create a life and body you love!

Sound interesting? Send me an email and let’s see what we can create for you! Kathi@eclecticwellbeing.com

The post Travel With Purpose – Make It More Than A Vacation appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

By Mark Szabo

Most people who decide to get healthy for New Year’s will have quit in disgust within two weeks.

Why does becoming healthy have such a high failure rate?

To answer that, let’s look at our friend Bob:

Now Bob lives a fairly sedentary life. He’s seated commuting to his 9-5 desk job. Seated again commuting home to his wife and two kids.

They typically pop some frozen meals into the oven after work then eat in front of the tv.

Spending a couple hours on the couch while having a few beers, they’re then off to bed.

Bob doesn’t feel like he has much free time with his daily commute, so he never gets to the gym.

The only walking he ever gets is between his car and his destination.

He knows he doesn’t feel good these days. He has these persistent pains that pop up here and there, in his gut, his back, and his shoulders.

And that darned dryer keeps shrinking his clothes, so he has to buy larger sizes.

Bob knows something needs to change, so he makes a New Year’s Resolution to make this the year he gets healthy.

Bob has always been a “go big or go home” kind of guy, so he wants to do something that feels drastic.

• He completely changes up his entire eating routine.
• He decides to go zero-carb on every meal.
• He’s switching to black coffee, no sugar.
• He decides he’s going to hit the gym at 4 am every day before work.
• Wanting to alleviate his back pain, he plans to attend Yoga class every day after his commute.
• He’s also committed himself to zero alcohol until he gets himself healthy again.

What do you think about Bob’s plan? Register for the 5-Day Health Shift to see my thoughts.

He is totally stoked to get started; he *KNOWS* this is going to work!

Day One goes great!

Bob is so excited he’s up before his alarm.

He cringes through the bitter adjustment to black coffee while convincing himself that a bowl of cottage cheese with a sprinkle of cinnamon actually tastes good.

Then he drives to the gym where perky, mid-20’s, New Member Coordinator, Lisa, gives him a whirlwind tour showing him absolutely everything the gym has to offer.

It’s a large gym with equipment everywhere. They have a running track, a swimming pool, and various activity rooms for spin classes, Yoga, self-defense, dance, and such.

Bob was overwhelmed when Lisa asked him if he had any questions at the conclusion of the tour.

He had tons of questions, but nothing could make it from his brain to his mouth before “uh… thanks, I’m good,” escaped his lips.

Lisa tells him that the Trainers will be happy to show him how to use any of the equipment properly and asks him if he’d like her to set up an appointment.

He declines her offer because he doesn’t want to get suckered into paying extra, and Lisa leaves him to start his workout.

“Where to begin?” thought Bob.

He hadn’t worked out since High School, and back then he did what his buddy Chris told him to do.

All they had was a bench, a bar, and some old York plates, so Bob was most familiar with the free weights.

But after viewing the free weight area of the gym with the very intimidating, well-muscled, extremely fit individuals, he feels unworthy and decides his flabby self needs some cardio.

Selecting an exercise bike from the array of available machines, Bob pedals his way through a sweaty, seat-chaffing, excruciating 10 minutes before his lungs convince him to stop by attempting to jump out of his chest.

Once his lungs have agreed that movement is again an option, Bob decides he needs to pump some iron like he did back in school.

But he’s too embarrassed to be seen with the sculpted people in the free weight section.

Instead, he finds the isolation equipment.

Bob then performs one warmup and one work set for every major muscle in his body that he can find a machine to work.

His efforts resulting in a full-body workout in just under an hour.

Bob was proud of himself!

Was that the right kind of workout for Bob to do? Sign up for the 5-Day Health Shift to get my take.

Riding that high all day, at lunch he avoided the all-you-can-eat buffet and opted for a salad with chicken and bacon smothered in zero-carb ranch dressing, and loved it!

He downloaded the gym app and found a Yoga class to take on his way home.

It wound up being a Gentle class that Bob found excruciatingly boring and he left feeling unfulfilled.

As part of his Health Transformation, Bob convinced his wife Beth to give cooking a try since she typically got home several hours before him.

When Bob got home that evening, instead of pre-cooked frozen instant meals, Beth had a steak covered in mushrooms and butter with sauteed broccoli on the side waiting for him.

He was in heaven, only slightly enviously watching his wife and kids chow down on loaded baked potatoes. Bob slept well that night.

The next morning slapped Bob awake with his 4 a.m. alarm.

He woke up sore from the day before which brought a “no pain, no gain” smile to his face, yet moving was challenging.

He got himself ready as he grimaced through his cottage cheese and black coffee breakfast.

Then headed off to the gym where he managed 12 minutes on the bike and a couple more reps on the work sets of the machines used in his full body workout.

At work he had the same salad again and booked his evening Yoga class, this time called “Vinyasa.”

Toward the end of the day Bob is feeling a bit “off” and “edgy.”

He doesn’t realize it but he’s feeling the effects of carb depletion with his no-carb diet.

By the time he gets to Yoga class he’s downright grumpy.

His body hasn’t transitioned over to fat-burning mode yet and Bob is experiencing carb withdrawal.

Hoping this class makes him feel better, he’s greeted by an instructor named John who tells him this class will be non-stop movement and to listen for alternative cues for adjustments with the blocks.

John’s class was much more challenging for Bob. He liked it better than that Gentle class because he felt like he had actually accomplished something.

At home that evening Bob was feeling drained and famished.

Beth had made pasta for herself and the kids and offered Bob a boiled chicken breast with some leftover broccoli.

Is Beth mad at Bob for something? Find out with the 5-Day Health Shift 😊

Dousing the breast in salt, pepper, and garlic powder, he ate it with a serious side of food envy; he was really craving that pasta.

Bob fell asleep on the couch and Beth had to wake him to come to bed.

There he then tossed and turned before finally falling asleep about 5 minutes before his alarm.

Bob woke exhausted, worn-out, and sore from head-to-toe, spending every ounce of motivation he had to get himself up and to the gym for Day 3, where things proceeded poorly.

He called it quits after only 5 minutes on the bike, declaring himself “warm enough.”

He struggled to get even the same number of reps out as he did on Day 1, but did finish and made it to work.

At lunch he broke down and had an Italian Sub, justifying it as salad on bread.

Looking at the Yoga schedule, he saw something called “Hot Yoga” in his preferred time slot and thought that might be good for his aching body.

Whoa! Hot Yoga was too hot for Bob,

and this class moved way too fast.

He tried to follow Katie’s cues, but was simply unable to keep up.

He did sweat a lot though, so he jumped in the shower as soon as he got home.

Beth made steak again, although this time with a medley of mixed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, along with loaded baked potatoes for herself and the kids.

Bob was beyond exhausted and could barely keep his eyes open on the couch, so he went to bed early, sleeping soundly even as Beth finally retired.

As the alarm sounds the beginning of Day 4 the first thing Bob notices is how awful he feels.

Everywhere hurt, every time he moved, in any direction; not only the muscles but his joints too.

Should Bob be going to the gym when in this much pain? The 5-Day Health Shift has the answers.

He didn’t remember pain like this when he worked out with Chris.

He chalked it up to getting older and trudged his way through his morning and into the gym.

Again, he managed a meager 5 minutes on the bike and faced a similar struggle with the rest of his workout.

Bob didn’t understand how he could be getting weaker instead of stronger.

When he got to work people could see his Grumpy Gus demeanor coming down the hallway and quickly turned to walk the other way to avoid him.

Bob knew he needed to get back on track with the diet so he ordered the salad again, dreaming of an Italian Sub while eating it and scrolling the app for a Yoga class.

“Yin” was in his slot tonight. Hopefully it wasn’t hot…

As Brooke the Yin instructor was explaining that Yin was about getting a deep, supported stretch into the tissues of the body, Bob was relieved that the studio was at a reasonable temperature.

The long, active lengthening Bob experienced felt amazingly good on his aching body. Bob absolutely loved this class!

Walking back to his car, Bob felt great, like he was actually walking taller, which he thought was weird.

Sitting down into his car, he realized for the first time how scrunched over a position his seat was contorting his body into.

He jacked the lower lumbar support as far up as it would go, raised the seat up a smidge, straightened the seat back to a more upright posture, then had to readjust the headrest to stop it from jutting his head forward.

The entire ride home he couldn’t believe how slouched he’d been this whole time.

For years!

How did he never notice?

Is it really possible to straighten your body out with Yoga? Sign up for the 5-Day Health Shift!

Beth made chicken breast for dinner again, this time roasted in the oven with some balsamic oil and vinegar drizzled over top, with a side of steamed carrots that she cut into 2” long chips.

She and the kids had pasta on the side.

The chicken was a bit dry, but Bob washed it down with some water.

Nothing could spoil his mood after that class.

After dinner as they sat on the couch the post-Yoga-class glow began to wane and the aching joints and muscles made themselves known again.

Not as badly as before class, but Bob was definitely feeling the pain creeping its way back in.

It wasn’t enough to keep him up though and Bob slept soundly through the night.

The next morning Bob had thought the pain would have diminished by now, but it was as bad if not worse than the day before.

He moved very slowly as he begrudgingly dragged himself through breakfast and on to the gym where his performance was as dismal as it was on Days 3 and 4, leaving him feeling drained and lousy at the outset.

Not realizing he was feeling the effects of carb depletion again,

moodiness was the theme of the day at work and Bob was not a pleasant fellow.

For lunch he *REALLY* wanted a big-ass burger with a side of fries, but opted instead for food envy as he scrolled the Yoga app, munching away on salad while watching others eat their carb-y deliciousness.

Bob booked a “Restorative” class for tonight.

At the studio Bob was again pleased to find a comfortable temperature as Jen explained the basics of a Restore class.

It was similar to Yin, but with the goal of letting the tissues of the body relax fully instead of actively stretch.

Bob counted an entire four poses for the whole hour, but they were so relaxing that he was almost asleep in each of them.

Beth cooked a frozen cauliflower crust pizza with chicken, peppers, and onions for Bob while she and the kids had takeout pizza from their local place.

Is cauliflower crust frozen pizza healthier than takeout? Register for the 5-Day Health Shift here.

Their pizza definitely looked better than his.

Bob found himself crashing on the couch, so he retired before Beth.

Not bothering to set his alarm for the weekend, he welcomed a rest from the morning gym routine.

He woke to the sun peering in through the windows around 7 a.m.

Still achy, he was hoping the weekend off would do him some good.

Following the scent of coffee to the kitchen, he found Beth making frozen toaster waffles for herself and the kids.

Bob watched jealously as they chowed down on their buttery syrup confections.

While he had another freaking bowl of cottage cheese with cinnamon.

Bob’s craving for carbs was palpable at this point, but he stuck to the diet.

The weekend was time for garage projects,

and though Bob had his hands full maintaining his winter equipment, his mind was free to dream of big, juicy burgers.

When he had worked up enough of an appetite he came back inside and shouted, “Who wants burgers?”

Even though it was only 20° outside, Bob grilled 5 burgers, two patties for himself and one each for Beth and the kids.

He used lettuce as a wrap instead of a bun to keep it low-carb.

After spending the rest of the afternoon in the garage and Beth not wanting to cook that night, they decided to go to their favorite Italian restaurant for dinner.

Beth and the kids each order their favorite dish: Chicken Marsala with penne, Vodka Rigatoni, and a Chicken Parm sandwich.

Bob struggled to find anything that didn’t have carbs in it.

What should Bob have done instead? Click here for the 5-Day Health Shift!

He settled on an antipasto platter.

It wasn’t really what he wanted.

His favorite was their Frutti di Mare over Linguini, but that was way too carb-y right now.

This. Was. Torture.

Later that evening as they’re watching TV, Bob thinks he feels like his body is starting to recover.

They both stay up a little bit later than they wanted to but manage not to crash on the couch.

Sleep comes quickly in the bedroom and Bob doesn’t wake until morning.

With the sun gently nudging Bob awake he begins to stir.

Moving his arms and legs, flexing and stretching, the muscles are feeling better, but those joints are still complaining.

In his quest for coffee he discovered Beth in the kitchen again, this time with microwave pancakes.

-_- This cottage cheese shit was getting really old.

How long would you last eating cottage cheese for breakfast every day? What should Bob have done instead?

Bob’s usual Sunday Football routine felt off without the beer to his left and a bowl of chips and cheese dip on his right.

Beth picked up some lunch meat and sliced cheese for lunch.

While she and the kids had sandwiches, Bob made some meaty roll-ups with lettuce to wrap it all together.

Beth made chili for dinner that night.

She had never made chili before, but she had a container of chili seasoning spices and could read the spice to water ratio on the label.

She browned the meat, then dumped in the spices, stirred it all in, added the water, then stirred it again.

Then served it with a package of microwave 90 second white rice, and a, “Boom! Chili 😊”

Bob skipped the rice and had the meat by itself.

It wasn’t bad, really.

I mean, it definitely wasn’t going to win any chili cook-offs, but it was decent for her first attempt.

They watched the night game and went to bed at halftime because it was a blowout.

He tossed around for a little while, but Bob finally managed to get back to sleep.

He woke the next morning to the sun shining in.

“Shit! I forgot to set my alarm!” he exclaimed as soon as he realized it was Monday.

“But, man these joints are still killing me. Maybe I should give it a rest until they feel better.”

Several weeks went by before he felt up to going back to the gym.

By then he had blown the diet and not tried to restart it, so he figured why bother.

He was still making it to Yoga three days a week, so he had that going for him.

He stuck with the black coffee, and Beth continued to cook at home.

But it would be another year before he attempted to diet again.

…

So, what did Bob do right, and what could he have done better?

How could Bob have approached this in a way that would have guaranteed his success?

To find out, sign up for my FREE 5-Day Health Shift, launching Sunday, Feb 5, and set yourself up for success! Simply Sign up with your email, and for 5 days, learn healthy strategies to feel better, live longer and enjoy life! Sign up today!

The post Bob’s Resolution Story appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.

Hanukkah has already started. Today is the Winter Solstice and the celebration of Yule.  Christmas is just 4 days away followed by Kwanzaa and then less than a week later there are New Year’s Eve Celebrations!

All these joyous occasions, yet many of us find ourselves stressed out. Feeling anxiety creeping in.

So how do we enjoy the end of the year? How do we stay calm when overwhelm starts to set in?

We make time for Self-Care.

I hear you. “Kathi, I simply don’t have time for self-care right now. I’ll get to it after I get through the next few weeks. I have to finish wrapping presents, run around getting all the special food for our traditional meals, send out holiday cards and that’s only half of my list! There is just no time for Self-Care!”

But it is times like this we need to prioritize Self-Care.

You see we are always in one of two states.  Our central nervous system only has two states of being, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic.  You may know these as fight, flight, or freeze as the sympathetic, and rest and digest as the parasympathetic.

But there is much more to these two states than simply that.

In one we are relaxed and joyful. We use more of our prefrontal cortex or the cognitive part of the brain..

Then other we are stressed and full of worry and anxiety. In the other, we are using the amygdala, the fear center of our brain. The part that looks for danger in order to keep us safe.

But much of what causes stress during the holidays is not dangerous, it is often a feeling of uneasiness caused by the uncertainty of the situation.

We start wondering things like “what will Uncle bill say”, or “what if so and so gets me a gift and I got them nothing?”

When we are in the sympathetic nervous system, our brains sense these thoughts as a potential danger. Our automatic response is to fight freeze or flee!  But we aren’t in danger. We are uncertain.

Tony Robbins has said, “The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty that you can comfortably live with.”

We can live with uncertainty when we engage the parasympathetic and we consciously and mindfully realize we are not in danger.

Self-Care activates the parasympathetic nervous system.  The rest and digest state.  When we are in this state, we rely more on the prefrontal cortex, we make rational decisions, and we can learn to be unattached to things not in our control. It’s no joke that we can wear ourselves out to the point of being sick. Sick with worry and anxiety.

But I’m not talking about indulgences, I’m talking about Radical Self-Care! Self-Care that has long-term benefits. It replenishes our well.

RADICAL SELF-CARE Is Caring For Our Well-Being

Just because something feels good, it doesn’t mean it’s Radical Self-Care. For example, a glass of wine is usually more of an indulgence, not radical self-care. A mani and pedi, nice to do, I highly recommend, but many times, more often than not, we are not experiencing it as Radical Self-Care!

Radical Self-Care is when we increase our levels of well-being.

This can be easier to understand when we think of well-being as a set of building blocks:

• Positive Emotions,
• Engagement in Life,
• Relationships,
• Meaning of our Life,
• Accomplishments,
• and lastly, our Health.

Activities that help us improve these 6 areas, that’s Radical Self-Care!

If we need more positive emotions, we should do self-care that makes us feel good.  If our need is to build stronger relationships with family and friends, maybe our self-care needs to be with others. Are you searching for meaning in your life, maybe your self-care is learning or serving others.  Want to get healthier, your self-care can be taking care of your physical body.

So, the first step in Radical Self-Care is to determine the current status of your well-being. What are you lacking and how are you feeling? For me, right now, less than a week before Christmas and a blizzard in the forecast, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, a little sad, and I’ve been working so hard on Eclectic Sanctuary, cleaning and decorating, my body feels bloated and achy.

Once I know what I need, I can choose what type of self-care activity suits me best at this time. It may be different depending on if it’s the holidays or not, or what is on our agenda for the day. But we can choose activities that are sensory, emotional, spiritual, physical, or social.

Five Ways to Practice Self-Care

Sensory activities calm the mind using our 5 senses. Allowing us to tune into our inner selves. This includes things like meditation, smelling flowers, forest bathing, or a hot bath. These activities correlate with the building blocks or positive emotions, engagement and even health.

Emotional activities allow us to feel. Emotions are neither good nor bad, they just are. Emotional activities help us release those emotions that do not lead to a calm feeling, and embrace those that do!  Sometimes a good cry is great self-care.  So is journaling, deciding to see a therapist, laughter, and singing. Emotional self-care helps in pretty much every building block, even our health.

Spiritual self-care is getting in touch with our values. Many times these activities build on the block of meaning, but also could be relationships, positive emotions, and engagement. These activities include things like attending a church service, having a gratitude journal, yoga, embracing our interests and creativity, and doing charity work.

Physical self-care is simply taking care of the vessel we have for our journey here on earth.  These activities are anything that is good for our bodies: sports, walking, a healthy meal, stretching, and resting.  Not only does this support the building block of health, it can also support Relationships, Accomplishment, and Engagement.

Social activities connect us with others. Who you do things with is most important. How do they make you feel? Choose those that fill your cup, not suck your energy! These activities can be dinner with family and friends, joining a support group, or even writing Holiday Cards! Social self-care builds the blocks of Relationships, Meaning, and Positive emotions.

Now that you have the foundations of Radical Self-Care, let’s figure out how to make the time so that you can truly enjoy the holiday and all of its festivities!

Making Time For Radical Self-Care

Can you take 15 minutes in the morning, before your day even gets started? I start my day with self-care before I even get out of bed! I do two things:  Meditation and moving my body! Yes I move my body before I even get out of bed. This started years ago when getting up and taking the first few steps in the morning was getting difficult. I realized if I just took a few minutes to roll my ankles, bend my knees, and point and flex, I felt so much better! These days I’ve added some core movement as well! What can you do every morning, not just during the holidays, that will help you start the day calm?

What about during the day? Can you find another 15 minutes or so just for you? Maybe take the dog for a walk and be in the moment with him. Make a cup of tea or for the holidays, a cup of Hot Cocoa! But don’t just drink it, savor it. Meaning, sit with it. Experience it! Write out a card or journal, for just a few minutes. What else can you do in just 15 minutes?

Always end the day with self-care. Again, it doesn’t have to be long. Mark ends the day with a forward fold. Every night before getting in bed, he stops and folds. This is self-care. And it takes less than a minute. But it signals to his body it’s time for rest because the body knows this habit and by doing this every day, he ensures he will always be able to do a forward fold! Yes, what you do consistently every day, you will always be able to do!

Radical Self-Care is a Habit

Radical Self-Care doesn’t take hours, but it does take making it a ritual or habit. We shouldn’t think of it only when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the holidays. When we prioritize Self-Care, when we prioritize ourselves, we find ourselves more relaxed and engaged with life, because we are engaging our parasympathetic nervous system and not allowing the sympathetic to respond with fear. We can only be in one state or the other. Why live in fear when we can live relaxed and in peace?

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, to support our well-being. But we must be in the right mindset to experience them in this way. When we prioritize Radical Self-Care and we take time for our higher Self, we are also more present, calmer, and engaged to truly be there for the ones we love.

Give your family and loved ones a gift this holiday season. Give yourself permission for Radical Self-Care!

And if you want to start the year off with some fabulous self-care, sign up for the FREE 7-Day MindShift! 7 Days of prioritizing you. Focusing on changing your thought patterns and shifting the mind to a more creative and empowered state! Embracing Radical Self-Care in new and powerful ways!

The post Keep Calm… It’s Just The Holidays! appeared first on Eclectic Well-Being.