It's a great day to think some healthy thoughts!
Join me for a quick eight-minute affirmation session to practice vibrating at the frequency of perfect health. You are welcome to find a comfortable seated position with your eyes closed and repeat the affirmations silently, stand in front of a mirror and make eye contact with yourself as you repeat the affirmations out loud, or just go about your business while listening, letting your subconscious retain the messages meant for you. If anything doesn't feel aligned for you, you can simply bless and release it before moving on. Here's to getting - and staying - healthy!
Affirmations for Perfect Health
Thank you, thank you, thank you. So it is and so it shall be. Thanks for being here with me today. I invite you to return to this recording anytime you want a refresher in attracting perfect health to you. Remember, energy flows where attention goes. I love you and I'll see you soon! xo, Coach Alex 
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Hello, friends!
Join me today for a quick eight-minute affirmation session to practice building inner confidence. You are welcome to find a comfortable seated position with your eyes closed and repeat the affirmations silently, stand in front of a mirror and make eye contact with yourself as you repeat the affirmations out loud, or just go about your business while listening, letting your subconscious retain the messages meant for you. If anything doesn't feel aligned for you, you can simply bless and release it before moving on. There is no wrong way to practice confidence!
Affirmations for Inner Confidence
Thank you, thank you, thank you. So it is and so it shall be. Thanks for being here with me today. You are welcome to return to this video anytime you want a reminder of just how magnificent your soul truly is. I love you and I'll see you soon! xo, Coach Alex 
 What a month! As Self-Care September draws to a close, my sincere hope is you feel equipped to move forward through the rest of this year (and beyond) with ideas of practices you can turn into habits that help you feel cared for on a daily basis. You deserve that - to be diligently and consistently cared for by your very own self in simple, loving ways. And you deserve to rest. In fact, resting is a fundamental cornerstone of being healthy in body, mind and spirit, and something I encourage you to do more often. Starting today. Today, our final self-care suggestion is to rest and reflect on all the possible tiny adjustments you could make to enhance your overall quality of life. As you rest, contemplate everything we've talked about this month. Check in with yourself around which self-care tips feel right for you to work with during these last three months of the year. Remember, small hinges swing big doors.
Just think about it today. Not all suggestions need to be taken. Not all actions make sense for all lives. This month hasn't been about doing self-care "right," it's been about recognizing how many different ways there are to love, respect, and yes, care for ourselves. Some of the ideas we talked about this month might feel so easy, like "how have I not tried that before?" and some may feel the opposite, giving you a strong "as if" reaction. Either way, it's okay. Because you are the boss of you, the captain of your ship, the master of your health, the decider of your fate. As they say, I'm not here to teach you, I'm here to love you. Love will teach you.  Self-Care September Day 30: Rest and Reflect That's it, that's all. Just rest and reflect. And if you decide to invest in yourself by hiring a coach to help you strengthen your health, empower your mindset, and organize your life, please keep me in mind! Thanks for following along with this year's Self-Care September! I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex   You may have heard the urban legend that a NASA study concluded having certain types of plants in your living space can purify your air. While the study, done in the late 1980's, is scientifically valid, the takeaway that putting a peace lily in your bedroom will create more oxygen at night isn't exactly right. (To create these kinds of results, you'd need close to 1,000 plants in a 10x10 room.) However! Bringing plants and greenery into your living space can still be considered self-care. Co-exisitng with other living things that you’re caring for can bring you joy, happiness, and a sense of purpose, which affect your mood in positive ways. I love accessorizing my house with houseplants - I love how they breathe life into a space and the way you can cultivate a loving relationship with them. And if you start small and pay attention, it's much easier to keep them alive than you might think. You can get the hang of learning the plant's language and the beauty they provide is worth the extra effort!  Benefits of Houseplants
 Houseplant Tips
 Troubleshooting
 Great Beginner Houseplants Philodendron
 Self-Care September Day 29: Nurture Your Green Thumb Pick a plant to welcome into your home. Love it and it will love you back. I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex   From the beginning of time, human beings have counted on one another for survival. Feeling supported, valued and connected helps us thrive, which makes reaching out to others an important act of self-care. Building a quality connection is key here, which happens in a number of ways, including when we exchange concrete help, offer emotional support, provide validation, give advice, and/or present perspective for one another. Research points to a number of benefits to creating and nurturing these types of interactions, such as:
All of this is encouraging news because caring involvement with others may be one of the easiest self-care strategies to access. It's inexpensive, it requires no special equipment or regimen, and we can engage in it in many ways.  Self-Care September Day 28: Reach Out to Someone You Love Today, you're encouraged to call, text, or send snail mail to someone in your life, near or far. (You can even send a card or letter to someone living in your house with you!) You can reach out just to say hi, or tell them that you're thinking of them. You can thank them for making a positive difference in your life, wish them a happy day, send them luck for something happening in their life, tell them you love them, or let them know why they matter to you. If you're not one for so many words, that's okay, too - you can simply share a funny meme, or take and send a picture of something that reminds you of them. The point is just to connect. You'll both be better for it. I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex   This year has been kind of wild, wouldn't you say? A global pandemic, growing societal unrest, severe destruction due to climate change, a dangerous lack of leadership around all of it...it's been an extra kind of difficult, and if you've had moments (days...weeks...) of feeling like you are swimming in uncharted territory, please know you are not alone. I'm here to remind you you are doing a much better job than you might think and today's self-care tip is to give yourself credit for it. The truth of the matter is that life is a constant series of ebbing and flowing. It's just not possible to always be at the top of your game even during the smoothest of years. There will be moments (or entire days, or whole weeks, or even stretches of months) when you feel like you are making one mistake after another in everything you do. But here's the thing - that feeling happens to everyone at one time or another, and it's a liar. As Miles Davis once said, "Do not fear mistakes. There are none." We are all doing the best we can with what we've got, and that includes you. Giving yourself a hard time doesn't increase your inclination to do better, it just makes you feel crappy. Some days, you might feel like you're shining in one department of your life at the expense of another. When this happens, don't use the sinking areas as measure of success, use the shining ones.
Here's another thing - you will always experience what you choose to believe, so it's necessary to acknowledge all the things you are doing right, even when - especially when! - it feels easier to identify where you're falling short. When you discount your efforts or belittle your accomplishments, you chip away at your self-confidence and erode your sense of trust in yourself. Not only that, but you squander the positive momentum self-recognition affords you, which can them make it harder to propel yourself forward in any arena. And don't confuse giving yourself credit with complacency - recognizing what we're doing right doesn't mean we're turning a blind eye to where there is room for improvement. It just means we're able to take responsibility for our own happiness and success. We're willing to plant our own garden instead of waiting for someone else to bring us flowers. From minor irritations to major hardships, remind yourself of all the things you've survived because you're brave, because you're scrappy, because you're resourceful, because you're smart, because you're resilient, because you're fierce, because you're tough, because you're amazing, because you're a fighter, because you're determined, because you're capable, because you're strong, because you're persistent, because you don't give up and you don't give in. You are doing such a good job.  Self-Care September Day 27: Give Yourself Credit Take a few moments today to reflect on the multitude of ways you've risen to an occasion throughout your life. Think of how many problems you've solved, how many obstacles you've overcome, how many people you've helped along the way. Your past has undoubtedly thrown you some curveballs, and you're still standing. Celebrate that! Be proud of yourself - you've gotten this far and you will continue to thrive as long as you keep believing you can. I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex   Whether or not you've ever stood in front of your jam-packed closet while woefully thinking, "But there's nothing to actually wear!", today's self-care tip is for you. Our clothes closets are spaces we tend to use every single day, which is why getting and keeping them organized is such an important step to approaching our days with confidence and ease. A jumbled closet sets a jumbled tone to our life. Think about how amazing it would be to open your closet door in the morning and know for an absolute fact that anything you grab from it:
This is the goal of today's tip. Let's acknowledge right off the bat that not everything will always check each box. For example, your work uniform may not jive with your sense of fashion, but it does serve a specific function so it stays. And you may not have the room or the need to tuck your winter clothes away elsewhere during the summer months, so there may be flannel shirts hanging there during 100 degree heat waves. That's okay. We work with what we have and make the best of it all. An organize closet will save you time and energy. No more trying to remember if this is the top you spend all day tugging back into place, or if these are pants with the pen marks up the left side, or if this is sweater with the moth holes in the sleeve, or if this is the dress that always reveals your bra straps. No more trying multiple things on each morning, weighing the pros and cons of the button up that bulges at the bust because it matches the least-wrinkled slacks, or searching through piles of shorts for that one pair you love, Whether you share a closet with someone else or have it all to yourself, there are lots of ways to organize it: by season (especially if everything stays in the space all year long,) by color (so you don't have to go through the whole thing looking for "that one blue shirt,") by sleeve length, by occasion...you get to determine which makes the most sense for you. If you're not sure, I suggest starting by season and then using color. Helpful closet tips:
 Self-Care September Day 26: Organize Your Closet I promise your life will get easier once you do. If you want help, hire an organizer who does virtual sessions. Like me. :) I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex   The act of giving is of obvious service to the receiver, but did you know there are proven benefits for the giver as well? While donating is largely considered a selfless act, research has shown that altruistic offerings activate the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, which means we experience higher levels of joy, stronger self-esteem, and personal satisfaction when we help other people. It's not just about feeling good, though. Studies have also shown that giving to others has health benefits like lower blood pressure, less depression, lower stress levels and can even promote a longer life. That's right - taking care of others can totally count as an act of self-care! There are lots of helpful ways to give:
*Donating blood comes with its own set of additional perks, like literally saving lives. Additionally, giving blood can reveal potential health concerns, reduce harmful iron stores, may lower your risk of having a heart attack or developing cancer, and can help your liver stay healthy. Learn more about becoming an organ donor HERE.  Self-Care September Day 25: Donate Time, Money, Food, Clothes, Stuff or Blood You should choose causes that are near and dear to your heart, for sure. If, however, you are open to ideas, here are some of my favorite places to give my money and time:
And here's where I donate my gently-used clothes and household items so they can get a well-deserved second lease on life: I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex  When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in 2019, I knew there was more I could do to hasten my healing beyond taking a daily prescription pill. I started scouring the internet and the library for resources regarding all the ways I could improve what I put in, on, and used around my body in an effort to support my health. One of those ways was to change the cleaning products we used. The Reasoning Have you seen the documentary "Stink" on Netflix? It's eye-opening (and a bit jarring) to realize the way toxic chemicals in our everyday cleaning products can cause (and are causing! and continue to cause!) major health problems. Environmental experts estimate the average household contains about 62 toxic chemicals, from the phthalates in synthetic fragrances to the noxious fumes in oven cleaners. Of course, we all want our homes to be sanitized and smell good, but here's the catch - most air fresheners and store-bought cleaning products are actually doing you a huge disservice when you use them in your home. In fact, a study by the University of California at Berkeley found that when used excessively or in a small, unventilated area, these products release toxic levels of pollutants. Let me say that again - people are cleaning their homes with toxic levels of pollutants. Ingredients in common household products have been linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone disruption and neurotoxicity. I absolutely encourage you to do your own research, but please make it a point to look into what you are cleaning with. You can check this website to get a sense of how toxic standard household cleaners are. We decided to engage in a gigantic "ditch and switch" from the toxic household cleaners we'd been using in our home to natural alternatives that I could make myself. I'd already been using doTerra essential oils since 2009 for the aromatic experience, but in 2019, I really dug into the ways I could combine them with natural cleaning agents like vinegar and castille soap to take full advantage of all their beneficial properties. Even when the pandemic hit in 2020, we stuck to our all-natural cleaners because we'd already witnessed the way they effectively and consistently got the job done, and we stayed healthy.  The Major Players
 The RecipesAll-Purpose 16oz glass spray bottle
Bathroom Counters/Surfaces 16oz glass spray bottle
Bathroom Tub/Tile Paste small glass container with snap-tight lid
(Note: to clean our toilet bowls, I sprinkle Bon Ami in the bowl, then spray the Bathroom Surface cleaner on it, too. I let it sit for about 10 minutes before scrubbing the bowl with a brush and flushing.) Carpet Refresh glass jar with small holes punched through lid
Furniture Polish 10oz glass bottle
Glass Cleaner 16oz glass spray bottle
Granite Countertops 16oz glass spray bottle
 This is what works for our home. Of course, your mileage may vary, and as I mentioned earlier, I encourage you to do your own research. There are lots of options out there! Don't feel overwhelmed if your current cleaners get a toxic score on the Environmental Working Group's website or like you're doomed if you don't make a zillion changes all at once. If you do want to do your own "ditch and switch," just start replacing your current cleaners as they run out with natural, safer solutions. Let me know if you have questions in the comments below. :) I love you and I'll see you soon! xo, Coach Alex P.S. Looking for more "ditch and switch" ideas? I invite you to check out my blog post 12 Changes We've Made to be a Healthier Home.   Like many of our self-care tips, this one has both physical and mental benefits. Cleaning is good for your mental health. This study showed how people who live in cluttered homes have higher levels of cortisol in their systems, indicating a direct link between your space and your stress. Visual clutter leads to mental clutter, even if you try to convince yourself this is just the way you are wired, and you've learned to live with it. Fortunately, this can be reverse engineered, meaning the more piles you get rid of, the calmer you will feel. Cleaning is good for your physical health, too. A study from Indiana University found that people with clean houses are healthier than people with messy houses. Participants who kept their homes clean were healthier and more active than those who didn’t. In fact, house cleanliness was even more of a predictor for physical health than neighborhood walkability. A clean home leaves fewer places for germs and bacteria to hide. It's true that some germs can be beneficial for strengthening our immune systems (this is why hand sanitizers should be used very, very sparingly,) but you'll want to pay regular attention to cleaning hot spots where too many germs put you and/or your family at risk for serious illness. Germ hot-spots include:
 Self-Care September Day 24: Deep Clean Something Pick one (or two or all) of the places listed above and spend some time today cleaning it completely and thoroughly. Repeat regularly for maximum health benefits. Just writing this article has me itching to go give my house a nice, solid cleaning, so I'm off to do just that. (Interested in making your own safe, natural cleaning products? Check out this blog post where I share the recipes I use!) I love you and will see you soon! xo, Coach Alex |
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