Hey SOS Superstars!  

Who’s excited for the 2012 Academy Awards and all the red carpet glam this weekend?  If you’re on Twitter, connect with me and share your two-cents on the red carpet styles.  Follow me at www.twitter.com/sanctuarystyle

PLUS, I am learning Pinterest and slowly but surely creating boards! Like we have time for another Social Media account, but I totally get the obsession with this one!  I admit I’m getting addicted and and love the creativity.  If you’re like me and love Vision Boards, you have to join Pinterest and follow me at http://pinterest.com/sanctuarystyle . I created a board with my fave Oscar Moments.  I love this shot of Audrey Hepburn & Grace Kelly…

Ok, I’ve been brainstorming for this week’s blog and the topic of STAYING BALANCED has come up quite often among my friends.  It seems that everyone is feeling super crazy shifts and changes already this year.  We always start off the new year with a full tank of motivation, but can putter out quickly and start running on fumes from our busy day-to-day routine.  I don’t know about you, but I am not efficient, productive, creative or my happiest when I’m unbalanced.  I have learned the tools, the boundaries, the steps to keep myself from getting OFF KILTER.   If you’re tank is close to E (empty), here’s 10 ways we can keep our tank FULL and stay balanced & sane this year…

1. Nurture your spirit:  Think of those things you did as a child that made you giddy and all warm & fuzzy on the inside. I loved playing outside when I was little!  So as an adult, the things that feed my spirit are usually activities out in nature.  A hike. Walk on the beach. A drive with the top down in a convertible.  Make time every week for an activity that makes you feel free, giddy and all warm & fuzzy!
2. Prayer & Meditation:  I am a firm believer in starting your day with prayer & meditation. Taking the time to be still, get quiet and calm the inner chatter in your mind is one of THE MOST POWERFUL things you can do to stay balanced.  If you jump out of bed and immediately check your phone or emails, notice how easily “off kilter” the rest of your day will be.  Prayer is more than giving God a list of “to do’s”.  Focus on counting your blessings and giving gratitude!  This will bring you peace and an emotional state of well-being.
3. Journaling:  Getting the thoughts out of your head and down on paper is extremely cathartic.  I began journaling about 10 years ago and it was like opening the flood gates!  If you keep all those thoughts bottled up eventually you can implode.  Start simple by logging your hopes, dreams, fears and things you’re grateful for. There is no magic formula to journaling and the method you go about it is a personal thing.  It’s fun to go back and read your progress and growth!
4. Start a vision board.  Being an artist and a very visual person, I have been creating vision boards since I was a little girl and still do!  You are never too old to make a vision board.  This can be a super creative and fun way to keep your intentions, dreams and goals in plain site on a daily basis.  I prefer using a large cork board and clear tacks.  Cut out photos from magazines and newspapers of images that align with your goals and the vision for your life.  I also love to add powerful affirming words.  Make sure to hang it in a place you will see it on a regular basis.  As specific goals come to pass, remove them from the board and add new ones. This keeps it fresh and makes for a fun project all year long.
5. Get a mentor.  Sharing your thoughts, goals and dreams with a person you admire and who has your best interest at heart is a powerful way to stay accountable. The definition of mentor: a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person. If you have someone in mind, simply ask them if they would be your mentor.  Being a mentor is a serious responsibility and honor.
6. “Me” time:  This is especially important if you have children!  Do something ALONE every week that brings you joy.  It can be a simple as locking yourself in the bathroom and enjoying a long bubble bath.  I love to “flutter” around for an afternoon…go where ever I feel led to go- BY MYSELF!  I love to pop in one of my favorite shops, stop and grab lunch or get a mani/pedi.  For many, in order for this step to take place, you have to set boundaries with the people in your life that require much of your attention.  Mom’s you even need to set boundaries with your kids! This step is one of the most important ways to STAY SANE!
7. Move your bootie:  Finding an exercise you love and moving your body is another very important way to stay balanced.  Working out not only helps the size of your thighs, but it helps your mind stay sharp and keeps your emotions under control.  If you get bored with your workout routine, change it up!  Try a new class like this Zumba everyone is raving about.  Just move that butt!  Sitting around wallowing and being sedentary will only inflame any emotional instability or depressed feelings.
8. Be a giver:  One of the best natural anti-depressants is getting your mind off yourself and helping someone else.  This doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to find a non-profit org to support.  Maybe it’s as easy as calling your lonely widowed aunt and checking on her. Maybe it’s offering to babysit your girlfriends kids so she and her hubby can have a date night without paying for a babysitter.  There’s a million creative ways to give!  It’s a total win-win…you, the giver, feels joy and so does the receiver.
9. Girl Time:  On a regular basis, make time for special dinners, lunches, shopping dates or weekend trips with your girlfriends.  With the added responsibilities that come with being a wife and/or mother, making time for your girlfriends can be a challenge. BUT, it’s vital for women to connect.  It’s part of our lively-hood. Pick up the phone right now and plan a girlie lunch with a dear friend.  Girl Time does wonders for me…and for my hubby!  It makes me a much better wife!
10. Join or start a group/class.  Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is a wonderful way to give and receive support.  This can be a book club, a cycling group or runners group, a prayer circle or even taking a cooking or photography class.  I am part of an amazing Spiritual Empowerment Group of Spiritually conscious, intelligent, loving and powerful career women who want to make a difference in the world.  If you cannot find a group to join, think about starting one!  It will change your life!

Staying balanced & sane is possible- no matter what is going on around us.  It’s a choice!  Decide to TODAY that you will do whatever it takes, you will use the necessary tools and you will set boundaries in order to keep from running on fumes! Cheers to sanity:-)

FINAL THOUGHT:

I must share these words of wisdom from my bestie LeeAnne Locken,

With abundant love and appreciation,

Tiff