Health

When my husband and I turned to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for conception help, we were very hopeful. Because of our health history, we’d been told that it was nearly impossible to conceive naturally, so reproductive assistance gave us options that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.

We embarked on a journey we thought would be relatively manageable, but the process quickly took over our lives, both physically and emotionally. Then, after an egg retrieval procedure led to severe internal bleeding, I learned first-hand about the IVF risks that many doctors don’t disclose.

It’s impossible for even the most successful people to be motivated all the time. After all, we are only human. To stay motivated you need to be interested, on track and engaged.

Everyone needs a little push now and then, including myself. There are days I am super charged to eat healthy and get to the gym and work hard, and other days I feel like throwing in the towel and simply want to sleep all day. Most days I get up and put in the work because I know it yields results. When you see results from the work you put in, it’s much easier to stay motivated.

What impact has COVID and quarantine had on our self-confidence?

I recently read a research article stating there was an increased use of social media platforms during lockdown and an increase in the number of people reporting low self-esteem.

Why do we compare ourselves to others to determine our self-esteem or self-confidence? Do you believe that your self-confidence is in your control? It is.

Sweating, heart racing, feeling afraid for your life…have you woken up at 3am and felt this way? Our nightmares have a great way of activating our fight or flight stress response.

If this has happened to you recently, what is causing your nightmare? Maybe afraid to change careers or get out of a bad relationship? If the answer is "yes," then it’s time to adrenalize your mindset.

A change in mindset is the game changer in these situations. There are over 100 million Google search results for the keyword "mindset."

When I was a coach for an extra-curricular activity trying to plan practices, I was surprised how many children had commitments almost every day of the week! I could understand parents not wanting children who were couch potatoes with withered brain cells, but I saw the stress it caused both the parents and children.

Most parents would like their child to be involved in enriching activities, but it’s easy for schedules to quickly spin out of control. When it does, parents live in their cars and forget what their spouses looks like, while children try to manage their time like a corporate project manager.