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Category: Dream Big – Start Small

The Remedy for Burnout is Not Recreation but Sustainability

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Controlling Stress, Dream Big - Start Small, Health and Wellness, Life Skills, Somatic Coaching.

The traditional approach to burnout goes something like this: Push hard, reach exhaustion, take a break, repeat. It's a cycle that might seem manageable in the short term, but it's fundamentally unsustainable. Each cycle tends to require longer recovery periods and produces diminishing returns.“Exhausted. Totally drained.” “No motivation.” “Feeling disconnected.” “Can’t focus. Can’t keep up.” “Overwhelmed” “Don’t want to do it any more.” “I can’t do it any more!” Many of my clients are expressing sentiments like these when I ask how they’re feeling. Then our conversations center on finding a remedy for burnout. However, I’d like to share something profound that I’ve learned from this…

We live in times of great opportunities, but they come with monumental responsibilities and challenges. High achieving women manage the work/life juggling act for a while. But something has to give. And what usually gives is your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health. Then it’s a long, hard struggle to recover.

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Start the New Year Off Right — Chart Your Course & Follow Your Compass

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Dream Big - Start Small, Self-Leadership Skills.

Are you ready for 2021? The practical way mariners sail through stormy seas shows us the way to put 2020 behind us and start the new year off right. Starting a new year has great symbolic meaning for us. It’s a fresh start that usually energizes us. But if  the problems of the previous year are dragging on, you’re still sailing on troubled waters. Changing your calendar won’t ensure you start the new year off right. 

How do we start the new year off right, with enthusiasm and renewed energy?

If you’ve had a fairly good year, you can take stock of your year and make sense of your losses and victories. Look for what worked and what didn’t. See what you predicted and what you got. However, this process needs to be very different when you’ve experienced major life shifts or traumatic events.

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Setting Family Boundaries: The Somatic Approach to Staying Safe & Closely Connected

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Dream Big - Start Small, Healthy Relationships, Somatic Embodiment.

Your body knows when your boundaries with First comes the sudden tightness in your chest at the family dinner table  – before the thoughts, before the words. Your body knows. Even as your aunt reaches across the table, inches from crossing that invisible line with another well-meaning but invasive question, your stomach coils into familiar knots. These aren’t just random sensations; they’re your body’s wisdom alerting you to whether or not you’ve been setting family boundaries adequately.

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The Body Remembers: Surprising Ways Family Dynamics Affect You

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Controlling Stress, Dream Big - Start Small, Transform Your Life.

Because the body remembers, visiting relatives may flood you with emotions and physical reactions that you can release through somatic exercises.There’s something profound about returning to the places and people that shaped us. Recently, I went back to Italy to visit my family, spending time with my mom and my brother—who holds a special place in my heart. Being back in the home I grew up in was a comforting experience, but it also stirred up a mixture of memories, both joyful and challenging. I felt firsthand how deeply the body remembers, holding traces of these formative experiences even when we aren’t consciously aware of them.

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I invite you to learn more about me and my coaching and counseling services. Please contact me to schedule an “It starts with you!” 30-minute complimentary consultation with me, in-person, by phone or via video consultation, so we can explore our partnership.

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