It was afternoon and my energy was dipping. I stepped outside, tea in hand, to take in some fresh air and immediately felt distracted from my busy thoughts. A  light rain was dripping, playing a rhythmic melody on the leafy iron plants below the roof’s edge.

I took in the sounds, smell and beautiful green hues surrounding me and felt myself start to reboot.

We often wonder how we can carve out more time to recharge when some simple ways can take no real time at all. I’ve been having fun experimenting with restoring my own energy in new ways as I’m writing the Effortless Life Series– a new program that’s coming out in June.

While writing the “Effortless Energy” piece, I seemed to dive more deeply into how my own personal energy gets directed from moment to moment. I came to realize that I have a favorite effortless refresher, one I never need to find time for. It works with a type of “invisible time” that already exists for all of us.

I refer to this time as the “spaces in between.” They’re those miss-them-if-you-blink periods between completing a task, activity or appointment, before going on to something else. Most of us never give that space a second look. But some true magic can be had if we stop ignoring them.

Take a moment after checking something off your to-do list, and instead of completing your emails for the day, then jumping up to run your child to piano and pick up milk, allow yourself a moment to breeeeathe. Notice what you have accomplished. Focus on what you DID get done. Feel what you feel. Then, give yourself a little “atta-girl” (or if it was a big day, some woohoo-style appreciation) before moving to the next thing calling to you.

This pause is such an uncomplicated way to practice presence. And while it may seem too simple– or even silly– I can tell you that it helps many of us insert the missing ingredient we need to effortlessly rejuvenate during the day.

Try this favorite reboot of mine for yourself, then come back and share a favorite of your own…

“Step right up and get your Daily Do-ables!”

In honor of my mother, and all the other resilient moms out there, I’m giving away the digital “Daily Do-ables: Creative Stress Solutions for Busy Women.” This unique subscription ebook will arrive each wee in your inbox for 52 weeks!

Can you use a little effortless stress relief and self-care? Just click the book cover on the sidebar to get yours. Then tell every busy woman you know, because this giveaway ends at the end of Mother’s Day week  (May 16th)…

I’ve been busy celebrating spring with loads of photography (an addiction of mine), more time painting and gardening, and planning a Mother’s Day giveaway! This month, mothers who overcome are at the top of my mind as friends, clients, and especially my own mother, continue to inspire me.

The hard part…
After a frightening diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Disease, my mother was given about four months to live.
The inspiring part…
That was almost ten years ago.

Her journey is her own, yet all who love her share it. Today, she’s still beautifully battling cancer as she plans to enjoy another Mother’s Day this month.

I believe that her amazing resiliency is due in part to changes she made in her self-care. For many women– even healthy women– this is not a simple thing to do.

Watch for a special giveaway this week that can help changes around your self-care feel almost effortless…

Imagine all of your goals and desires as the seeds you have planted in a garden. These have now sprouted with the spring rains and it’s time to tend to their needs. When the temperatures dip, they may need cover; or when the skies remain cloud-free for too long, they’ll need you to water them. If left untended, they will show signs of stress. They may stop growing, start to wither, struggle to stay strong and upright, and eventually become unable to bear their beautiful flowers and fruit.

Just like lack of rain or extreme temperatures in a garden, our life is full of things that can cause us strain. Left untended, this stress will require us to point more of our energies in the direction of trying to stay strong and survive. On the other hand, if we tend our inner garden, adding the things that will meet the needs of what we plant in our lives, we support our ability to thrive.

When you help yourself feel happier and healthier, you can not only accomplish more, you also feel great along the way!

Can you see yourself standing over a patch of little garden plants withholding water while insisting that they still grow and produce? Tending to their needs isn’t selfish, is it? Well, the same goes for your needs. Holding back what you genuinely need holds you back. It’s the opposite of what works.

Instead, give yourself more of what you love, what feels simply delicious to you so you can tend to and restore yourself.

Then why not share some of your favorite self-nurturing ideas here on the blog to inspire other women…

Stephen Covey once said, “One word expresses the pathway to greatness: voice. Those on this path find their voice and inspire others to find theirs.”

In my experience, solo-flying women need to find two voices: their outer voice and their inner voice. The outer voice seems to get the most attention, but it’s the inner voice that’s often the missing piece to both balancing their stress, and to making their life come true.

Think of your outer voice as the commonly understood one used to name the message you want to share with the world. Your inner voice is the one that comes from your knowing. This voice could easily be re-named the forgotten voice.

As you zip through your day, everything from recent profits to parenting can stay at the forefront of your mind, muffling your inner voice. The voice can get pushed back even further when the message isn’t what your mind wants to hear. When this happens, an almost inaudible “I’m getting pretty hungry,” or “I need more fun,” can get completely drowned out by the mind’s chosen message. “I really need to stop now,”  then disappears under, “I still have time to get a few more calls in,” causing our self-care to take another hit.

After a while, this weaker volume can become the norm and the inner voice may slip away entirely. You’re left feeling disconnected and tired. If this sounds familiar, why not try an baby step to turn up the volume?
Start to notice when you over-ride your own inner voice. Think about how much better you could feel if you began honoring even a few of your true needs, then practice taking action the moment: when you feel hungry, thirsty or ready for a break, listen to your inner voice. Doing this a few times each day helps you to reconnect to yourself, and to your greater possibilities.