Understanding Social Anxiety: What It Is and How to Manage It
Social anxiety is more than just feeling shy or nervous in social situations. It is a mental health condition that can deeply affect a person’s daily life, relationships, and sense of self. If you’ve ever found yourself dreading social gatherings, fearing judgment, or feeling physically unwell in public, you’re not alone. Millions of people experience social anxiety, but the good news is that it’s manageable with the right tools, support, and strategies.
The Quiet Power of Solitude: Rediscovering Yourself in Stillness
…Loneliness is the distress of disconnection while solitude is the restoration found in intentional aloneness.
Research shows that cultivating solitude can enhance creativity, emotional regulation, and even the quality of our relationships. As we move through different phases of life — whether redefining purpose, adjusting to transitions, or seeking greater fulfillment — solitude can serve as a powerful ally.
Streamline Your Day: Using Simple Process Mapping to Save Time and Get Closer to Your Ideal Schedule
We’ve all been there: staring at a to-do list that’s bursting at the seams, wondering how we’ll ever find the time or energy to get through it all. Whether in our professional or personal lives, it often feels like what we need to accomplish doesn’t line up with the resources we have to do it.
One way to be proactive is to elevate some of our processes for improvement. When you start looking at how you do something—not just what you do—it doesn’t take long to come up with ideas for improvement. This is where simple process mapping comes in.
Procrastination: What It Is, Causes, and Practical Solutions
We’ve all experienced procrastination at some point—putting off tasks that we know we should be working on. Procrastination can affect anyone, from students to professionals, and it can have a significant impact on productivity, stress levels, and overall well-being. But why do we procrastinate, and more importantly, how can we overcome it?
Balancing Structure and Flexibility: The Art of Effective Scheduling
Most of us wear many hats—professional, partner, caregiver, friend, volunteer—and it can feel like there’s never enough time or energy to do it all. Yet when we pause long enough to look at how we use our time, patterns emerge.
A well-designed schedule—one that’s revisited weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually—helps us give attention to what matters most, without losing the ability to be spontaneous and adaptable.
Mastering Delegation and Identifying Available Supports: Boosting Efficiency in Your Work
Effective delegation is a vital skill in modern life, whether you're leading a team, managing a personal or professional project, or running your own business and household…..
In this blog, we’ll explore what delegation is, how to identify and utilize supports, the benefits of effective delegation, and how to implement these strategies in your life.
Living in Alignment: Why Honoring Your Values, Strengths & Personality Changes Everything
Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why does this feel so off?” or “Why am I not excited about something I worked hard for?” These questions often surface when we’re out of alignment with our core values, innate strengths, or natural personality traits. Living in alignment doesn’t mean living a perfect life. It means living a life that feels right to you—a life that reflects who you are, what matters to you, and what you do best. It’s one of the most powerful ways to reduce burnout, increase satisfaction, and move with purpose.
This blog will dip into how to live in alignment with your values, strengths and personality, why it is important and provide some helpful resources for our own exploration.
The Power of Positivity: How It Transforms Energy, Projects, and Life
We’ve all heard the phrase “think positive,” but positivity is more than a motivational cliché. …Positivity doesn’t mean ignoring challenges or pretending everything is perfect—it means choosing to focus on strengths, solutions, and opportunities rather than getting stuck in negativity.
In this blog, we’ll explore why positivity makes life better, how it boosts energy and performance, what evidence says, and how you can begin neutralizing negativity. At the end, you’ll find a six-week challenge to help you put positivity into practice.
Rethinking Stress: A Powerful Tool in Burnout Recovery
If you’ve ever felt like stress is the enemy—something to be avoided, silenced, or fixed—you’re not alone. Most of us are conditioned to see stress as harmful, a sign that we’re failing or not coping well enough. But what if that story about stress is actually contributing to our burnout, rather than helping us recover from it?
Thriving with Time: How to Manage Your Energy, Tasks, and Focus with Intention
We all get the same 24 hours each day, yet some people seem to move through them with ease and momentum—while others feel like they’re barely treading water. If you’re a busy professional juggling competing demands, time management isn’t just about squeezing in more work. It’s about aligning your time with your values, reducing stress, and cultivating a flow that helps you thrive.
The Time Management Series: Thriving Through Clarity, Confidence, and Connection is designed to help you do just that. This four-part, interactive series provides the tools and hands-on practice to move from time-stressed to time-savvy. Let’s explore how.
Putting Your Ideas into Action: From Knowledge to Mastery
Ideas are powerful. They inspire, ignite hope, and open new possibilities. But without implementation, even the most brilliant idea fades into the background. Action is what transforms insight into impact, learning into mastery, and goals into reality…
Navigating Burnout: Reclaiming Energy, Purpose, and Control
Burnout doesn’t usually arrive all at once—it builds quietly. A missed lunch here, a restless night there. A creeping sense of dread before the workweek begins. A growing indifference to things that once brought joy. For many professionals, especially those who care deeply and work hard, burnout can feel like a slow unraveling. The Navigating Burnout series is a five-part virtual journey that helps professionals recognize burnout early, regulate stress, and realign their work and life with energy, purpose, and compassion.
Introducing Marcia & Deb’s Empower and Elevate PD Series 2025-2026: Tools for Thriving in Life and Work
In today’s world, professionals at every level face increasing pressure to meet demands, stay connected, and continue growing—all while maintaining their energy and wellbeing. It’s easy to get caught in cycles of burnout, disconnection, or simply feeling stuck. What if you had access to practical, proven tools that could help you feel more grounded, energized, and effective in both your professional and personal life?
The Empower and Elevate virtual professional development series is designed for exactly that.
Treat Yourself to Joy: The Power of Simple Pleasures from The Joy Diet by Martha Beck
In cultures that often glorify hustle and self-denial, joy can feel like an afterthought. But what if building a fulfilling life starts not with sacrifice—but with treats? In The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life, Martha Beck introduces “treats” not as indulgent rewards for being good, but as essential ingredients for living with courage, creativity, and joy.
The Power of a Reciprocity Ring: Creating Community Through Mutual Support
In a world that often emphasizes individual achievement and competition, the concept of a reciprocity ring offers a refreshing and powerful alternative—one rooted in generosity, collaboration, and mutual aid. Whether you're part of a workplace team, a coaching group, a learning community, or a circle of friends, a reciprocity ring can transform how you relate to others and how support flows within your community.
In this post, we’ll explore what a reciprocity ring is, why they work, what they look like, and tips to running an effective reciprocity ring, and extend an invitation to take part in one.
Access in Healthy Communities: Building Equity Through Opportunity
Healthy communities aren’t just about medical care—they’re about whether people can access what they need to thrive: nutritious food, safe housing, social support, education, green space, and meaningful work. Without access, even the most well-intentioned programs fall short.
In this final blog in my healthy community series, we explore the concept of access as a cornerstone of community health, why it matters, and what it takes to create environments where everyone can participate fully and fairly in life.
Navigating the Complex Landscape of Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is a prevalent phenomenon where individuals turn to food in response to their emotions rather than hunger. This complex behavior can have profound effects on both physical health and emotional well-being.
In this blog, we will explore the reasons behind emotional eating and strategies to overcome it.
Understanding Emotions: How to Connect to Your Inner World in Healthy Ways
Emotions are part of our everyday human experience. They guide our decisions, impact our relationships, and offer us information about our needs, values, and environment.
In this post, we’ll explore what emotions are, why they matter, how to connect with them in supportive ways, and offer some journal prompts and accessible resources for your emotional journey.
Barriers to Building Healthy Communities: Current Issues We Must Address
Healthy communities are the foundation for thriving individuals and societies. They are places where people feel safe, supported, connected, and empowered to meet their needs and contribute meaningfully. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most pressing issues that hinder the creation and maintenance of healthy communities
Living with Idealism: How to Harness Its Power Without Burning Out
Idealism is a powerful force. It fuels dreams, drives social change, and inspires people to imagine a better world.
In this blog, we’ll explore what it means to be idealistic, the benefits and challenges of living this way, and how to manage the emotional toll of holding high ideals in an imperfect world.