Hair care

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Why You Should Commit to the Carry-On and Tips for Making it Easy

Why You Should Commit to the Carry-On and Tips for Making it Easy

The world is divided into two different kinds of people: overpackers and underpackers. If you fall into the first category, don’t turn away yet! Give me a few minutes to try and convince you that there is a better way to travel.

As you might already suspect, I am an underpacker. My measure of a packing fail: Coming home with even one thing in my suitcase that I did not need, use or wear during my trip. I do fail sometimes, but not often anymore.

Here’s how to pack lighter – all lessons I learned the hard way.

Start with an Attitude Change

It helps that I don’t really care how I look. I don’t mean I would travel in ripped or dirty clothes. But I don’t need to be the glammed up center of attention. In fact, when you’re traveling, the more you can blend in, the better. You’re less likely to be targeted by pickpockets and local scammers.

Spend a little time researching what the locals wear and try to pack like that. This is the lesson I learned when I wore my electric blue winter coat to Romania, a former Soviet block country where there were two colors of winter coat: grey and black.

So if you simply must be a fashion plate, try to pare down the clothes to a capsule wardrobe of items you can mix and match and pieces that will do double duty.

Use a Packing List

These printable packing lists will give you a feel for the things you’ll need. If the list includes something you don’t think you’ll need, don’t pack it. If there is something missing, make a note on the printed sheet so you don’t forget it.

Check the Weather Forecast

I make this recommendation because I live in Chicago. We like to say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” Here, the calendar might say May, but the thermometer might say March. Or July.

So check the forecast for your destination. It will tell you whether to pack a raincoat, sunhat, shorts, or sweaters.

Start Packing Early

If you have a spare bed, room, couch or some other spot to hold the things you want to pack, start a week early and put everything on the bed that you think you might want on your trip.

Then walk away.

Come back the next day and look it over. Is there anything missing? Is there anything you think you might not need on the trip? Make adjustments accordingly.

Then walk away.

Come back the next day with the intention of making choices. If you have two pairs of pants on the bed, take away one pair. If you have four shirts, take away two. And so on, until you have cut in half the things on the bed.

Then walk away.

The next day, it’s time to pack. Start with the pieces of clothing you absolutely MUST have with you.

If you run out of suitcase before you run out of clothes to pack, you get to make a choice: Leave something else behind or pay $40 or more to check a bag.

Buy Packing Cubes

I resisted buying this travel essential for years. Now I can’t believe I ever traveled without them.

Packing cubes are flexible pouches with a brilliant zipper system. You pack them with the clothes you want to take, and zip them shut. Then – this is the brilliant part – you zip a second zipper to compress the insides flat. (Think of it like your expandable suitcase, when you open that second zipper, it gives you an extra inch or two of suitcase space. When you zip it shut, everything inside is compressed.)

As a bonus, the clothes you lay inside the packing cube are much more likely to stay wrinkle free. I don’t know why. But it’s true.

Stick with One Basic Color

When I head to a Caribbean resort, that color will be white. But most of the time, it’s black – black pants, a black skirt, a black dress. Then I add color in the tops I will wear with the pants and skirt. Finally, I pack a few scarves and funky costume jewelry to dress everything up or down and add more color.

Wear the Heavy Stuff on the Plane

There are plenty of TikTokers and travel hacker influencers who will tell you to wear layers and layers on the plane to save suitcase space. Or to pack a pillowcase with your stuff and pretend it’s a pillow, not a suitcase, so it doesn’t count as a carryon.

While that might be useful info for travelers on uber-budget airlines that charge for anything that doesn’t fit under your seat, you really don’t have to go that crazy. Just use a little common sense.

If, for example, you’re flying from Florida to Colorado, you know you’ll need your winter coat, hat, gloves, hiking boots and heavy jeans. Wear the jeans and hiking boots on the plane, stuff the hat and gloves in the coat pockets and carry the coat on the plane rather than packing it in a suitcase.

I do this anyway because I’m always chilly on a plane. I’m always surprised when I see someone boarding a flight in shorts and flip flops. I would be blue by the time I landed!

Think Layers, Not Bulk

Thin layers are always the right answer, no matter where you are. Even a Caribbean vacation requires preparing for chilly evenings or overly air-conditioned restaurants. Layers are the answer to staying warm and packing light.

Make the Best Use of Your Under-Seat Bag

Finally, remember that you get not one, but two things to carry onto the plane – a bag that goes into the overhead and a smaller bag that fits under the seat in front of you.

Don’t waste the space in that second bag!

My go-to is a roomy backpack because I travel with a lot of electronics – laptop, Kindle, phone, ear buds and all of the cords and accessories they require. But those only take up two zippered compartments. That leaves two more compartments for other things – makeup bag, an extra pair of shoes, etc.

The other thing that works for me is a big striped bag that is super flexible. I can cram a lot into it and still stuff it under the seat. The downside of that is it is heavy to carry, unlike my backpack which easily distributes the weight across my shoulders.

Practice, Practice, Practice

I know. This isn’t easy. Especially if you’ve always been an overpacker. But practice will make perfect. Try it on your next quick weekend trip. That will give you a chance to see how it feels to only pack what you’ll need for 2-3 days, how much you like being able to lift that light carry-on bag and how happy you are not worrying about whether your suitcase will show up at the other end of your flight.

Just remember to pack one more thing: a credit card. That way, if you find you truly can’t live without something for a few days, you can head to the store to buy it.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you an overpacker or an underpacker? What’s your favorite packing hack? Share with us in the comment section below.

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Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

After what seems like a long wait, the Real Housewives of Potomac season 10 reunion is FINALLY here. The ladies all nailed the red theme with looks that are giving Hollywood glam while adding their own edge with hints of their personal style that are each unique. And since many of them are custom, we handpicked additional bold styles for your below so you can easily create your own red-carpet moment too❤.

Best In Blonde,

Amanda


Photos + Info: Bravo TV

Wendy Osefo’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Wendy Osefo's Season 10 Reunion Look

Stacey Rusch’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Shenell Welch


Gizelle Bryant’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Gizelle Bryant's Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Angel Massie’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Angel Massie's Gizelle Bryant's Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Ashley Darby’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Ashley Darby's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Corey Sims


Keiarna Stewart’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Keiarna Stewart's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Harrison Crite


Tia Glover’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Tia Glover's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Karen Huger’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Karen Huger's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Shenell Welch


Monique Samuels’ Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Monique Samuels Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Jassi Rideaux’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Jassi Rideaux's Season 10 Reunion Look

Shop Similar Styles

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Originally posted at: Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

Skin Care

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How to Make Your Own Essential Oil Blend for Mature Skin (Recipe)

A Basic Essential Oil Blend for Everyday Mature Skin Care

With all the wonderful natural facial serums on the market today, it can be a little overwhelming choosing the correct formula with safe, non-toxic ingredients, all at a reasonable price. The good news is that it’s easy and fun to make a quality product on your own using the miracle of nature – essential oils. 

When I started working with skincare formulas in 2003, one of the first products I was excited about making was an essential oil-based facial serum. My skin needs were changing, and a moisturizing oil made perfect sense for dry, maturing skin.

I decided to work with four wonderful healthy aging essential oils I had discovered: Lavender, Frankincense, Rose Geranium, and Carrot Seed.

The natural and highly effective nature of essential oils makes them perfect for skincare. When blended for their various properties and used with a carrier oil that matches your skin type, you can create a serum tailor-made for your skin.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the essence of plants. Hidden away in many parts of the plant, like the flowers, seeds, and roots, they are very potent chemical compounds. They can give the plant its scent, protect it from harsh conditions, and help with pollination.

The benefits of essential oils on humans are diverse and amazing. Lavender flower oil, for example, contains compounds that help soothe skin irritation and redness, while the scent reduces feelings of anxiety and stress.

The beautiful Rose essential oil is hydrating to the skin and sometimes used to treat scarring, while the scent is known to help lift depression. 

There are many essential oils to choose from for specific skincare needs. I have used a myriad of different combinations but keep coming back to the tried and true blend from my very first serum.

The four essential oils used are the workhorses of skincare for mature skin, as well as being wonderfully uplifting for mind, body, and spirit. 

The Base Oil Blend Formula

Here’s what you’ll need:

Bottle

1 oz. amber dropper bottle. You can find those in pharmacies or online.

Base (Carrier) Oil

As a base, you can use one of the oils below or a combination of several that meet your skin’s needs:

  • Jojoba oil is my base oil of choice. It’s incredible for most skin types: it’s extremely gentle and non-irritating for sensitive skin, moisturizing for dry skin, balancing for oily skin, ideal for combination skin, and offers a barrier of protection from environmental stressors. It also helps skin glow as it delivers deep hydration.
  • Rosehip oil smooths the skin’s texture and calms redness and irritation.
  • Argan oil contains high levels of vitamin E and absorbs thoroughly into the skin leaving little oily residue.
  • Avocado oil is effective at treating age spots and sun damage, as well as helping to soothe inflammatory conditions such as blemishes and eczema.
  • Olive oil is a heavier oil and the perfect choice if your skin needs a mega-dose of hydration. Just be aware that olive oil takes longer to absorb and leaves the skin with an oily feeling. This may be desirable for extremely dry, red, itchy skin.

Essential Oils

  • Lavender essential oil is very versatile and healing. It helps reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and clear pores. Its scent is also calming and soothing.
  • Frankincense essential oil helps to tone and strengthen mature skin in addition to fighting bacteria and balancing oil production.
  • Rose Geranium essential oil helps tighten the skin by reducing the appearance of fine lines, helps reduce inflammation and fight redness, and offers anti-bacterial benefits to help fight the occasional breakout. The scent is also known to be soothing and balancing.
  • Carrot seed oil is a fantastic essential oil for combination skin. It helps even the skin tone while reducing inflammation and increasing water retention.

The Recipe

Let’s start with a simple recipe:

  • 1 oz. Jojoba oil (or carrier oil of your choice)
  • 10 drops Lavender
  • 10 drops Frankincense
  • 10 drops Rose Geranium
  • 10 drops Carrot seed oil 

Place the essential oil drops in the amber dropper bottle then fill with Jojoba/carrier oil. It’s that simple!

Applying Your Homemade Serum

Use this serum morning and evening as part of your regular skincare routine. Serums work best when applied after cleansing your face. You can cleanse with Coconut Oil or a mixture of oils for enhanced hydration (we will cover this in the next article) or use your regular facial cleanser.

Essential oils will not interfere in any way with your normal skincare products.

Keep in mind that the serum is concentrated. Use only a pea-sized amount, work it into your fingertips, and apply evenly over the face without tugging or pulling.

If your skin feels tacky, reduce the amount on the next application. Your skin should feel soft, not oily. Follow with your regular moisturizer if you like. 

Making your own facial serum is fun and rewarding! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on essential oils and making personalized serums and skincare.

What facial serum do you use? Have you made one yourself? What is your favorite essential oil for skin care? Please share your thoughts with our community!

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

After what seems like a long wait, the Real Housewives of Potomac season 10 reunion is FINALLY here. The ladies all nailed the red theme with looks that are giving Hollywood glam while adding their own edge with hints of their personal style that are each unique. And since many of them are custom, we handpicked additional bold styles for your below so you can easily create your own red-carpet moment too❤.

Best In Blonde,

Amanda


Photos + Info: Bravo TV

Wendy Osefo’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Wendy Osefo's Season 10 Reunion Look

Stacey Rusch’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Shenell Welch


Gizelle Bryant’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Gizelle Bryant's Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Angel Massie’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Angel Massie's Gizelle Bryant's Stacey Rusch's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Ashley Darby’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Ashley Darby's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Corey Sims


Keiarna Stewart’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Keiarna Stewart's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Harrison Crite


Tia Glover’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Tia Glover's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Karen Huger’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Karen Huger's Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Stylist: Shenell Welch


Monique Samuels’ Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Monique Samuels Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Jassi Rideaux’s Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Look

Jassi Rideaux's Season 10 Reunion Look

Shop Similar Styles

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Originally posted at: Real Housewives of Potomac Season 10 Reunion Looks

Read More

Long Hair Over 60: Breaking Old Beauty Rules

Growing Long Hair After Chemotherapy Reclaiming Femininity

My mom never stopped asking me when I was going to have my long hair cut short. Even at 96 years old, she felt compelled to warn me that long hair on women of a certain age looked “inappropriate,” her word for attention-seeking.

With an adorable, curly pomp that got a “wash and set” every Friday, my mom was understandably a product of a generation where women, once married and maternal, were expected to do the sensible thing with their hair.

Old cultural norms told us that long hair belonged to the young, the carefree and the delightfully flirtatious. Once you had children, wanted to be taken seriously in your career, or passed some invisible expiration date on desirability, a short crop or a chin-grazing bob was just another rite of passage.

And yet, here we are in 2026, watching women over 60 go to great lengths to do exactly the opposite.

Scroll social media, flip through fashion coverage, or simply pay attention in the real world, and you’ll see it everywhere: silver hair worn long and loose, glossy ponytails swinging with confidence or peeking out from the backs of baseball caps, soft waves framing faces rich with experience. Later-life women are no longer quietly editing themselves out of the style conversation. They’re embracing every opportunity to dress their authentic selves, and long hair has become one of its most visible signatures.

Style-Makers Over 60 Prove Long Hair Has No Age Limit

Celebrities and style-makers have helped normalize this shift. Actress Demi Moore has made long, dark hair part of her enduring visual identity, well into her 60s. She even locked in an endorsement contract as Global Brand Ambassador for the Kérastase line of hair care – a deal usually reserved for 20-year-old stars.

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, also in her 60s and more powerful than ever, often wears her hair long and flowing, pairing elegance with authority on red carpets around the world. Trinny Woodall, a popular midlife style rule-breaker, regularly shows up online with long, undone hair that reinforces her message: wear what works for you. And actress, singer and songwriter Rita Wilson continues to favor long, feminine styles that feel relaxed, confident, and unmistakably modern.

What’s striking is that none of this feels like clinging to youth. It feels like living authentically and claiming visibility.

For decades, women were subtly told that long hair signaled a desire for male attention, or worse, an unwillingness to look or grow “old.” Thank goodness today’s later-life women are outliving those stereotypes. Many are single, dating again, or simply enjoying a renewed relationship with their own concept of what it means to look and feel beautiful. Long hair, for some, seems playful, while for others it feels powerful. For many, it’s just who they are.

The Beauty Industry Responds to Women Over 60 Embracing Long Hair

The beauty industry is fully on board with the later-life, long hair movement. According to industry analysts, the global hair care market has ballooned into an annual $80+ billion category, with particularly strong growth in premium products, serums, masks, and scalp treatments. These are exactly the kinds of tools that support longer, healthier hair at every age.

Hair color, too, has become more nuanced and sophisticated, with gray-blending techniques, dimensional color, and gentler formulations making it easier than ever to maintain long, lush locks without sacrificing hair health. Long hair is no longer reserved for the young or genetically lucky. It’s accessible because it’s supported by better technology, smarter formulations, and a broader understanding that great hair doesn’t have an age limit.

Recently, I had this conversation with my hair stylist, John Vega of Salon Del Mar in Santa Fe, New Mexico. John began cutting hair in the 1980s and says he has seen every trend from shaved heads to Cher hair. He notes that well-groomed, below-the-shoulders hair has become entirely acceptable for women in their later years.

“I wouldn’t say that the women I see are focused on sex appeal,” Vega explains. “It’s more about feeling independent and being able to look how they want. Women see older celebrities with long hair looking great and really owning their identity. They don’t feel like they have to give that up simply because of the age on their driver’s license.”

Growing Long Hair After Chemotherapy: Reclaiming Femininity

For some women, growing hair long later in life carries even deeper meaning. After chemotherapy and cancer treatment, hair loss can feel like a public stripping away of femininity and control. Growing hair long again becomes an act of rebellion and reclamation and a visible declaration of survival. For these cancer warriors, it’s not about vanity. It’s about agency and choosing to look and feel “womanly” after a period of devastating trauma.

Reinventing Yourself After 60: Freedom, Visibility and Choice

And then there’s freedom. Many women in their 60s and beyond are no longer living by anyone else’s rules. Children leave the house, careers shift, partnerships change, and body image evolves. What’s left is a wide-open space ready to be filled with something new – or perhaps the return of something from long ago.

What’s most powerful is how unforced this movement feels. No manifesto. No trend forecast required. Just women choosing what feels expressive, authentic, and joyful for themselves.

Going to great lengths, it turns out, has very little to do with hair. It’s about the refusal to believe there’s an expiration date on anything that makes you feel good.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you wear your hair? What have you been told about keeping your hair long?

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When Your Doctor Dismisses You – And How to Reclaim Your Voice

When Your Doctor Dismisses You – And How to Reclaim Your Voice

You did everything right.

You noticed something in your body. You researched it. You came prepared with questions.

And your doctor shut you down in under a minute.

“That’s just normal aging.” “There’s no evidence for that.” “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

If you felt the flush of shame – the tightening in your chest, the urge to apologize, the sudden doubt about everything you thought you knew – you’re not alone.

And there’s nothing wrong with you.

Why Dismissal Hurts So Much

Being dismissed by a doctor isn’t just frustrating. It’s destabilizing.

For women especially, we’ve often been taught to defer. To trust the expert over our own knowing. To be “good patients” – which usually means quiet ones.

When a doctor dismisses us, it activates old wiring:

  • Shame: “I shouldn’t have asked.”
  • Self-doubt: “Maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
  • The urge to retreat: “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

This isn’t weakness. It’s your nervous system responding to a perceived threat – the threat of being seen as difficult or wrong. And for many of us, it echoes every other time we were made small for speaking up.

Linda’s Story

Imagine a woman – let’s call her Linda. She’s 64. For months, she’d dealt with fatigue and brain fog that didn’t match her healthy lifestyle.

She researched. She brought questions to her doctor of 12 years. Her doctor glanced at the chart: “Your labs are normal. This is just part of getting older.”

Linda felt her face flush. Her first instinct was to apologize and leave quietly. But she paused. She noticed the familiar pull to abandon her own knowing. And she made a different choice.

“I hear you,” she said. “But this doesn’t feel normal to me. Can we dig deeper?”

Her doctor didn’t have time that day. But Linda didn’t stop. She found a practitioner who listened. She got comprehensive testing. She discovered treatable imbalances her original doctor never looked for.

Six months later, her energy was back. She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t “just aging.” She had been right to ask.

Feel, Pause, Act

The moment of dismissal is not the moment to react. It’s the moment to regulate.

Feel the sensation. Notice it. Name it. “There’s that shame again.” Don’t push it away – just let it exist.

Pause. Take a breath. Feel your feet on the floor. You’re not in danger. You’re in discomfort.

Act from a grounded place. Not reactive. Not collapsed. Clear.

That might sound like:

  • “I’d like to explore this further.”
  • “Can you help me understand why?”
  • “This matters to me. I’d like to find a way forward.”

You don’t have to win the argument. You just have to stay with yourself.

Why Doctors Dismiss

Most doctors aren’t trying to hurt you. They’re working within a system that gives them 12-15 minutes per patient – a system that trains them to trust certain kinds of evidence and dismiss others.

When your doctor says “there’s no evidence,” she often means no large-scale FDA-approved trials. But those trials cost billions and only happen when someone expects to profit.

Many promising approaches will never have that evidence – not because they don’t work, but because proving it isn’t profitable. Your doctor isn’t lying. She’s operating within real limits – limits she may not fully see.

That’s not a reason to abandon her. But it is a reason to understand what you’re navigating.

From Chains to Wings

I wrote a book with that title because I believe this is the work of our lives. We internalized messages early: Don’t be difficult. Don’t question authority. Don’t trust yourself more than the experts.

Those messages became chains.

Health advocacy is one of the most powerful places to break them.

Every time you ask a question and stay grounded when it’s dismissed – you’re practicing freedom. Every time you say “I’d like to understand more” instead of “Never mind” – you’re reclaiming your voice. Every time you trust your body even when a lab says “normal” – you’re honoring your own knowing.

What You Can Do

  1. Prepare before appointments – Write down questions and concerns. You’re less likely to be dismissed if you’re organized.
  2. Notice your nervous system – When dismissed, pause before reacting. Breathe. Then respond from a grounded place.
  3. Use clear language – “This matters to me.” “Can you help me understand?” These keep the conversation open.
  4. Find practitioners who listen – You don’t have to fire your doctor. But you can add to your team.
  5. Trust yourself – You’ve lived in your body for decades. That knowledge matters.

You’ve Earned the Right to Be Heard

We’re told to advocate for ourselves. But when we do, we’re often shut down.

What we deserve is different. We deserve to be partners in our care – not inconveniences. We deserve our questions to be met with curiosity, not condescension.

We’re not asking doctors to agree with everything. We’re asking to be heard.

We’ve earned that. We’ve earned the right to feel what we feel, pause when we need to, and act from clarity.

We’ve earned our wings.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your experience with your doctor? Do you feel your concerns are heard – or do you feel dismissed?

Read More

Get These Southern Charm Looks for Much Less from Amazon

Get These Southern Charm Looks for Much Less from Amazon

We love when our Bravolebs show up in affordable, relatable pieces that we can afford to shop. And some of the Southern Charm girls are really serving this up on a platter this season. But what if I said I can show you these looks for even LESS with virtually identical pieces from Amazon? Which you know I’m about to because I can’t help but be totally charming when it comes to shopping their style.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair










Originally posted at: Get These Southern Charm Looks for Much Less from Amazon

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How to Reprogram Your Mind to Become Anxiety-Free

How to Reprogram Your Mind to Become Anxiety-Free

Is your mind filled with anxiety? Maybe you’re suffering from sleepless nights and feeling nervous and upset all day. Perhaps you worry all the time, imagining the worst-case scenarios.

Maybe having an anxiety-free mind sounds impossible. Maybe you think anxiety is helpful and necessary. That it helps you solve your problems. But if you’re honest, what you really want is to relax and calm down.

You want to be free of anxiety.

It is truly possible to become anxiety-free – no matter what your situation is.

A few years ago, I was an anxious mess. A family situation had me in knots. I hardly ate, couldn’t sleep, and was consumed with worry all day. In the midst of my misery, I decided to do something about my anxiety. The journey to become anxiety-free was worth it!

Here’s what I discovered…

Your Mind Can Fabricate Things That Aren’t Actually True

It’s true! You can’t believe everything your mind tells you. Thoughts are just thoughts! You don’t need to trust every one of them. Not all thoughts are equal.

What to do: Examine your thoughts carefully.

Awareness of Your Thoughts Is Key

It’s important to be aware of your thoughts. This means pausing long enough to become mindful of the thoughts rolling around in your mind. Take a break from your whirlwind of thoughts. Stop long enough to sort out your thoughts and feelings. Identify the ones causing your anxiety.

What to do: Pause and identify the thoughts that cause anxiety.

It’s Important to Analyze Where Your Thoughts Come From

This is a reflective process that takes a bit of time but helps you understand the root of your thoughts. Thoughts come from a lifetime of experiences that have formed impressions or unconscious ideas about how life works and your place in the world. For example, individuals with anxiety might have unconscious thoughts like:

  • I will always be a worrier.
  • Life is unsafe and scary.
  • I’ll never be able to calm down.
  • Something must be wrong with me.

What to do: Figure out where your thoughts originate.

Core Beliefs Affect All Areas of Your Life

Unconscious thoughts affect everything you do. They influence your thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions. Why? Because they form the foundational system of beliefs by which you live.

They are called CORE BELIEFS. For instance, someone living with the core belief that anxiety is the way to cope with problems, experiences a mind automatically filled with anxious thoughts and feelings when something happens.

An event could even be neutral but those of us with anxiety will interpret it as being negative and dangerous. While someone else operating from a different set of beliefs might interpret the event as a positive opportunity.

What to do: Consider how your core beliefs affect your current situation/mindset.

Limiting Beliefs Cripple Us, and We Must Change Them

Core beliefs become LIMITING BELIEFS when you trust and act on them. Hanging on to the core belief, for instance, that life is unsafe and scary, holds you back in life. Fear and anxiety control your thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions.

The key to reducing limiting beliefs that cause anxiety is to allow and accept them. Be aware of your limiting beliefs and decide to do something about the ones that cause anxious thoughts.

What to do: Identify your limiting beliefs and actively eliminate them.

Remember: You don’t have to believe everything your mind tells you!

Change Is in Your Hands

You always have a choice to change negative thoughts and limiting beliefs into positive thoughts and empowering beliefs. Here’s how.

Replace old beliefs with new beliefs. For instance, someone with the old belief, “I will never be able to calm down,” could change it to the new belief, “I can calm down. I can do what it takes to calm down.”

Repeat the new belief to yourself every day! Even several times a day. Make it a habit. This will start to reprogram your mind and create new neural pathways in your brain.

You can reprogram your mind and become anxiety-free!

I hope you follow these 5 steps to become aware of your limiting beliefs, change them to new empowering beliefs and repeat the new beliefs often.

If you need some help on your path to becoming anxiety-free, check out this video.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What limiting beliefs cause you anxiety? Where do they originate? Have you taken a pause to analyze your thoughts?

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Life is a Head Game but Mindset Is Your Superpower

Life is a Head Game but Mindset Is Your Superpower

Do you ever feel like the universe, or God, or whatever your belief, is trying to tell you something? I’m having that moment right now. First, I listened to a podcast by Dr. Leaf about 5 steps to align your conscious mind with your subconscious mind. Then I had lunch with friends and part of our discussion was around how short life is and acknowledging how important it is to choose to be happy in the moment.

And then came my pastor’s most recent sermon about how life is a series of mountaintops and valleys and how to handle that. My favorite line was a quote he shared from a football quarterback who said, “You’re always either in the penthouse or the outhouse.”

Life can be a rollercoaster of happiness extremes so what should you do about it? Let’s break down these three messages a little more closely.

Conscious vs Subconscious Mind

Dr. Leaf is a neuroscientist and Mind Management expert. In books, podcasts, speaking and coaching she shares science-backed strategies to take control of your thoughts in order to live your happiest life. I find her research to be fascinating and helpful in my own life. She talks about what she calls “thinker moments” which I call a “forced pause.”

Our brains are wired for survival which doesn’t really apply to our lives today. We don’t have wild animals and hunting our own food to contend with yet our brains tend to react quickly without pausing to “think” unless we force a pause to allow the conscious mind to engage and our brains to reboot and heal. That would’ve gotten you eaten in the past but not today.

I encourage you to listen to her words of wisdom, sign up for her enlightening newsletter, and treat yourself to her free download on her five tips for switching on your brain. And spoiler alert, she also has a recent podcast about the new GLP-1 drugs and what they actually do to our brains – worth a listen!

Happy in the Moment

My lunch discussion with girlfriends was maybe similar to conversations you have had as well. After sharing stories and supporting each other with ideas, we often nudge each other to take that new step, go on that next trip, enjoy an opportunity, or just appreciate today… while we can.

It seems every time we turn around, someone we know has just lost… a brother, a friend, a parent, a spouse. What are we waiting for? Those losses are our reminder that today is a gift that we, too, often take for granted. The minute our feet hit the ground as we get out of bed each morning, are we grateful for this new day?

Mountains and Valleys

Lastly, the pastor talking about peaks and valleys wasn’t just talking about faith. He noted how extreme life can feel, with highs and lows, almost as if there seems to be nothing in between (hence the quarterback quote). And he too encouraged a “head game” to consider.

When you are on the mountain top, “look out in gratitude,” he said. When you are in the lowest valley, “look up with hope,” he encouraged. No matter the circumstance, there is a positive framework our mind can focus on. But we have to choose it.

Life by Design

I have come to believe that awareness is a superpower, but only if you choose to act on it. I know my Health and Financial Wellness for Women group probably gets tired of me reminding them that the speakers and topics I bring to the group have an ulterior motive: actionable education. Education is NOT helpful, unless we put it into practice. So, my challenge to them is to write down three interesting or new things they learned at each meeting. And then circle the one they will take action on.

We can choose to break the cycle of learning and not doing, of reacting and not pausing first, or of going through our days without gratitude. I have seen women and couples choose a positive head game after loss, career curveballs, upending life events, and toxic people in their lives.

It sounds so simple to remind ourselves how moving forward in life is a choice. But it’s actually good news, that our minds are the ONE and ONLY thing we really can control in life. So it behooves us to become more aware, learn about our most amazing organ (our brains), and choose positivity in this head game of life.

Let’s Reflect:

Have you experienced a mindset shift in your life? How do you deal with mountains and valleys? Any tips that you have found helpful to “force a pause” to engage your conscious mind rather than habitually just reacting? Let’s share our thoughts.

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