Recovery Enthusiast/ Recovery for Women

Progress is the best motivator. Even if you need to lose 100 pounds, it’s pretty exciting to see that you’ve lost 10 pounds. However, progress isn’t always apparent. Some things are very subjective unless you take the time to measure them.   For example, it may be hard to see a 10-pound weight loss in the mirror, but it’s pretty easy to see your progress on a bathroom scale.   Some goals can take a long time to accomplish. If you only measure yourself by whether or not you’ve achieved the goal, you’re going to be displeased for months or even years. You’re also likely to lose interest. Measuring your progress makes long-term goals much more possible.   Try these methods to quantify your progress in different areas of focus:   Bodyweight. This is one we’re all familiar with. It’s pretty easy to step on the scale at regular intervals and see which way your weight is headed. Bodyweight can fluctuate considerably with hydration levels, hormone levels, and ...

Not a morning person? Would you like to get up earlier and feel more productive? Would you like to feel more in control of your day? Developing a morning routine that will boost your productivity can help you stay on top of your commitments for the day. I was never a morning person. For years I worked the second shift and my kids were grown and out of the house so I did have a need or the ambition to get up early let alone be productive in the morning. Then I switched to the first shift so I could go to school at night. So I not only needed to wake up earlier I needed to get a lot of stuff done in a day and had to plan my day wisely. So I started slowly and got into a routine. Then I decided to develop my own online course online.  Not to mention the time with family and self-care, both of which I feel are so important. Over time I became very good at time management and making good use of my time. I now wake up at 4 AM (I know, right?!) so I can fit in my meditation time and work...

 S.A.D. is a type of depression that is seasonal and is usually prevalent in areas that have less sunlight during certain times of the year. Here in New England, that season is fall and winter. Many suffer and in various degrees. Your symptoms may include a change in mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, loneliness, loss of interest, mood swings, or sadness—other symptoms such as excessive sleep or sleep deprivation, even insomnia. Body aches, fatigue, and appetite changes with weight gain often occur. Also common are irritability, social isolation, lack of concentration, and of course, depression. S.A.D. can be self-diagnosed,, and there are many treatments for it. If you suffer from these symptoms, you can see your doctor, and he/she will probably prescribe some medication, and sometimes that medication helps. I'm writing this today because I too suffer from S.A.D. I take that back. I used to SUFFER, now I take steps to help alliviate the symptoms and in a more holistic way....

 I was supposed to go for a walk this morning. My daughter called and asked if I wanted to go to her house for lunch. It's been a while since I went to visit her and I had been working very hard at work, school, and creating my online course. So I was happy for the break. I finished some homework in the morning and I figured I could go for a walk with her and my grandson. It was very chilly outside. We did go outside to play for a bit but no walk. I haven't' been getting my walks in after work because it gets dark early and by the time I get home it's too dark.  These are my top three excuses; lack of time, it's too dark, and my favorite             It's too cold out!!! I need to find a way. I need to change the plan. I know when things are not working and I'm not achieving my goal I need to change the plan not the goal!! change of plan 1. On my days off go in the morning before I do anything else and get distracted 2. Take a break at w...

 I've been studying stress a lot lately. I've studied it in the past, but my most recent course has brought me some new information and new ideas about where stress comes from and how we deal with it. Now I know what you're thinking, "Doreen, I already know what stresses me. It's my job, or it's my kids, my elderly parents, my S/O, and don't even get me started on traffic jams!" The truth of the matter that these external factors are not the root cause of stress.  But let me back up a bit. First of all, Why do we have "stress"? Well, we have an automatic response to danger. You've probably already have heard about the "fight or flight" response. Way back when a wooly mammoth was chasing us, our sympathetic nervous system responded by producing a hormone (really a group of hormones, but to keep it simple, we'll just say the primary one, cortisol). Our bodies would then temporarily shut down other non-essential organs or syst...

We all deal with being overwhelmed from time to time. I think once identified, the most important thing you can do is chunk it down. Most people become overwhelmed when they start thinking of all the things they need "to do." I have learned that when making goals if you focus on the end result and the feeling you will have with that end result, not only are you more likely to complete the task at hand, you will do it more enjoyably. For example, I want to buy my own home. The end result? I wish to have is a place for my children and grandchildren to come visit, sort of a home base. The feelings attached to that is I am very close to my children, and I want to keep that connection strong and have a place to come if they need a respite. I also enjoy their company and don't want to be alone (not all the time anyway). The more I connect to that feeling I want from buying a home, the more likely I will commit to doing the things I need to do to get there, like saying no to buy...

Good morning ⛾. I sit here at 4 am to start my day. Yes, it is by choice . I have made a commitment, and by golly, I'm going to follow through. Since COVID hit, I've had to rethink my approach to becoming a motivational speaker and life coach. You see, I was developing skills to do lectures and travel the world, helping people, particularly people with substance abuse issues. Like many of you, COVID changes that completely. But it's not all dome and gloom. Due to COVID, I've been forced to do my schooling online. And due to COVID , I've had to get created with how I was going to motivate and help people.  I've mentioned before that I am now part of a mastermind platform. I have been developing an online course to help addicts and alcoholics deal with life, particularly with being overwhelmed in this pandemic. While creating this course and taking several attempts and redo's, I have developed a liking not only for course development but also for writing in g...

 I've been listening to a lot of motivational audiobooks. The lastest one You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor, not a new release by any means. He talks about the saying " you   reap what you sow" . He explains it in a way I haven't heard before. He says "you sow in a season and you reap in a season but you don't do both in the same season". He goes on to say that most people give up too fast and that success has more to do with grit than anything else. I know for me when I've been working hard on something and get antsy for the reward and at times I feel I must not be doing something right or that it's not meant to be because nothing is happening (or at least not how or when I want it to). When I look back at all the things that I tried to do or become I notice a pattern. That pattern is I get so far and then stop, quit, maybe do something else .  How many of us have given up before the miracle? If we had just hanged in there a little bit longer...