by Carmen Ohling | Aug 9, 2019 | Live.
Do you have a morning routine? I get so many questions about my morning routine and the biggest challenge that I get from most people is time…..⠀
I am calling BS on that old-time excuse.
We all have the same amount of time in a day, it all comes down to how you prioritize your time and protect your energy. Yes, I said Protect Your Energy! The more energy you have in a day, the better you feel, the bigger you can show up and the more you can accomplish.
My own morning routine consists of –
- Waking up and drinking a full glass of warm lemon water
- Spending time reading
- Spending time journaling
- Meditating
- Moving
Why these four things?
It allows me to set my intentions for the day, start the day aligned with my highest self, prepare my body for nourishing foods and movement and gives me energy! Building your own personal morning routine can do the same for you.
It Might Be the Big Secret
If you currently don’t have a morning routine, I encourage you to give it a try. Morning routines just might be the secret to having an incredible day and the amazing thing about them is that they are extremely personal. Here’s how you can get started –
Pick 1 habit and start it tomorrow. You can add more in later, remove the ones that you aren’t loving and you can swap them out from time to time. This initial list does not have to be permanent!
Here are a few that you can try out – pick any that resonate with you –
- Drinking a cup of coffee or tea
- Practice yoga
- Meditate
- Take a hot or cold shower
- Go for a walk or a run
- Visualize your day
- Write/say your affirmations
- Read
- Journal
- Practice gratitude
- Deep breathing
- Stretching or walking
- Getting outside for a quick hit of Vitamin D!
If You Aren’t a Fan of Mornings
Some of you may be thinking that you hate mornings and are convinced that will never change. But here’s what I’ll tell you – from my own experience and that of many people I know who have chosen to have a morning routine as well – you can do anything you want, regardless of what you believe to be true of yourself.
Building a morning routine all starts with your mindset. It begins with making a conscious decision that you want to start having a freaking incredible day, that you want to be happier and healthier, that you want to be more productive and feel in control of your day. With that commitment, you can overcome the “I’m not a morning person” belief that you have been telling yourself for years.
With this practice, you’re on your way to learning that when you are in control of your mindset, you will become even more obsessed with your own dream life!
Ready to start?
I can’t wait to hear how your morning routine goes. Whether you’ve had one for years or are starting one tomorrow, I’d love to hear how you’ve built yours. And as always, if you need any help, feel free to reach out to me at carmen@carmenohling.com.
Here’s to a freaking awesome morning tomorrow and an even better day!
Carmen
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 23, 2019 | Eat., Live., Uncategorized
I do not find it fair to ask if you have struggled to stabilize your hunger because the truth is we all have at some point in our lives. The real question is, what are you doing to create those hunger cravings and what have you done to satisfy those cravings?
Below are some feelings that have probably crossed your mind:
- I am hungry but have no idea what the ”right” thing is to eat!⠀
- If I eat another boring, flavorless meal I’m going to explode!⠀
- I do great during the day with eating healthy foods, but when night time comes, I eat whatever I can get my hands on- healthy or not.
- I wish there was an easier way to eat healthily, lose weight and break free from food that makes me feel like shit.
Stop right here and let me tell you, I FEEL YOU! ⠀
And you know what? So do a ton of other women just like you!⠀
Look at the list below. What resonates most with you? What steps can you take to break these patterns? Keep reading below for my tips…
- STRESS – You will make the worst food decisions when you are stressed because you will reach for “comfort food.”
- BOREDOM – Simply reaching for food to pass the time even when you are not hungry.
- LACK OF SLEEP – Find the sweet spot when it comes to the amount of sleep your body needs to perform. Personally, this is where I have struggled in the past.⠀
- CUTTING FOOD GROUPS (without medical necessity) – Cutting food groups will lead to binge eating. Try not to do this! For example, if you are a sweets person, why would you take sweets from yourself? If you like chocolate, have a square now and then, shoot have one daily. Why? Because this will help keep you from having a whole bag of chocolate at the end of the week. It is important to eat the things you enjoy in moderation, this will lead to a healthier relationship with food. ⠀
Use my “make your plate” guide to be sure you have the following at each of your meals:
- Greens/Fiber (aka veggies- 2-4 cups)
- Quality protein (3-6oz)
- Healthy fats (1-2 tbsp) at each meal
This magic combo will help fill your stomach, keep you full longer, and minimize your cravings. If you focus on nourishing your body at each meal and stop the “eat less” mentality, you will find that it will be easier to finally be able to be free from food! If there are any other food challenges you are struggling with or have a question about certain food groups etc., reach out! Send me an email at carmen@carmenohling.com or find me on Instagram @carmenohling. Lastly, don’t be hard on yourself. This is a learning process for all of us (even me) and I am here to help you!
Carmen
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 19, 2019 | Live.
Starting today, I encourage you to keep your commitments that you have set for yourself.
What does this mean?
It means scheduling the time and doing the things that excite you and make you so damn proud of yourself. The commitments that you make for yourself may challenge you to get to that next level of personal growth or simply spark you to do something you have been wanting to do. Your personal commitments may look something like this:
* Setting a budget to achieve financial freedom
* Going to the gym 3 days a week
* Taking a leap of faith and starting your own business
* Taking a moment to self pamper and spend a few hours at the spa getting your glam on
It is SO important you make these commitments not only with yourself but for yourself. Often times, people feel guilty about taking the time to pursue things that are only for themselves because they feel selfish and aren’t sure if it will benefit other people. But here is the thing… Going after your own goals will become the driver of your day and will keep you on track with your own needs and happiness. And guess what? Listen up! The happier you are the better you are at being able to take care of your family’s needs, work needs, and everything else around you.
Let’s talk about what this feels like…⠀
When you actually keep your commitments to yourself on a daily basis, you will feel like one powerful woman, and you are! Being able to plan and successfully meet your mini goals during the day will build momentum in your life- leading to finally meeting your goals! SO, SET THEM & ACHIEVE THEM!
Is there something stopping you from being able to set your personal commitments?
⠀
No problem! Let’s dig deep within and look at the things you’re ignoring, look at the ways you are numbing out and self-sabotaging. Are you –
* Spending your evenings mindlessly watching television because you feel like it’s an escape?
* Ignoring warning signs that you need a break?
* Spending time reinventing the wheel?
* Deferring decision making to other people to avoid personal responsibility?
As you go through this mental check of what has been holding you back remember to be kind to yourself because feeling blocked generally occurs during times of stress, anxiety, and being overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and remember your feelings are valid! Being stressed and overwhelmed makes you 100% human.
What steps can you take today to stop numbing, to stop self-sabotaging, and stop giving up on yourself?
Start by being transparent with yourself and begin confronting all that is holding you back so you can press forward. Remember, you are an incredible woman who is capable of anything. I believe in you! You can and will hit this next level of personal growth as you stay true to your commitments.
Take it day by day. Start with a small list of personal commitments if needed to build your confidence. After you begin getting the hang of living for you again you will begin to radiate full self-love.
⠀
Make a commitment to start today. ⠀
I have several specific tips and tricks up my sleeve and would love to shed some light on you. If you need more insight or a little extra push to get there I am here for you. Reach out to me, I want to get to know you!
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 4, 2019 | Live., Movitation, Uncategorized
It’s amazing that as women, we all want to be seen. We all want to be seen for all that we are and all that we’ve done, but when given the opportunity, we tend to hide because it’s not perfect.
The environment is not perfect, our hair is not perfect, our thoughts are not perfect, the situation is not perfect, or our outfits not perfect… ⠀
The Back Story
I used to be so wrapped up in what others thought of me, I didn’t even know who I was anymore. “Who am I to do this?”, “There are people who are better than me”, “What if I fuck up and look dumb?” were thoughts that replayed in my head day after day and held me back in every way imaginable. They were on repeat in my head and there was no way I could stop them. But honestly, I didn’t even try.
I didn’t try because I was in fear of what I might uncover. Instead, I just filled every day with more and more. I thought that the more I did and the more external validation I received, the better I would feel. I lived every day so neutral, so “everything is fine”, that I didn’t even know what it was like to experience true joy. Until…. I was over it.⠀I became so sick of not achieving all that I wanted in life and knowing everything I was doing was based on one single emotion… fear.
Here is the thing – I knew that fear was not going to completely disappear from my life, so I needed to stop viewing it as a bad thing to get rid of. Instead, I needed to view it as something that was perfectly fine. What was not perfectly fine, was it running my life.
The Truth I Discovered
I became determined to have a healthy relationship with fear and here is what I learned.
What a healthy relationship with fear does consist of, is consciously knowing that fear will always be sitting right next to you… but also knowing you have the power to not let it take control. What the heck do I mean? Well, let’s say you are getting ready to take the leap and do your first Instagram live and of freaking course here comes that fear making you feel like you aren’t ready. Well, not allowing fear to take over means that you are going to tell your fear, “Thank you for stopping by, your timing couldn’t have been more perfect, but please take a seat and watch me rock this live video!”
Having a healthy relationship with fear does not consist of filling your day with more to-do’s. More to-dos that you take on simply to gain some external validation that will make you feel temporarily better about yourself. (Keyword: Temporarily.)
Not letting your life be run by fear means acknowledging the discomfort and choosing to lean into it anyway.
Not letting your life be run by fear means gracing yourself the permission to be the fullest expression of you.
What You Need To Know
As you begin to lean more into your power, know that when you authentically shine it does not diminish the light of others – it allows them to shine even brighter, too. With that comes more authentic and powerful relationships.
Know that when you authentically shine you will be noticed in the light you have always wanted to be seen in.
I’m here to tell you…
❌F**k perfection.
❌ F**k “everything is fine.”
I believe in you and I know that you are capable of doing so many great things. Creating a healthy relationship with fear is going to take a conscious effort and patience with yourself, but this is something you can do.
So tell me… What have you been after in life that fear has been holding you back from? What discomfort are you going to be leaning into this week? Shoot me an email, let’s chat about it, and if you have any questions on how to create a life you are so freaking pumped about it, reach me at: carmen@carmenohling.com
Sending you a ton of light and love,
Carmen
by Carmen Ohling | Jun 21, 2019 | Live.
Live Coaching Recap: Journaling
Welcome! This week on Instagram as part of my live coaching series, we talked all about morning rituals. If you missed it, I shared that my personal morning ritual is made up of several pieces, but the one that has had the most impact on me is journaling. I truly believe that journaling increases mindfulness, your ability to stay present and boosts self-awareness which are all things that can help you lead a very fulfilled life.
If we were to rewind back to when I first started journaling, you’d find me sitting down in the morning and staring at a blank piece of paper with no clue what to write. However, as I stuck to it, I found that I was able to prompt myself better and better (aka ask myself better questions). Then, I was able to create better responses which ultimately led to me having a clearer understanding of what I love and what I’m after in life.
If you’re thinking of starting a journaling practice, here are four prompts for you to start with! If you missed the live coaching this week, click directly on the prompts to watch the recordings.
4 Journaling Prompts for Starters
- How do you want to feel and what will help you feel this way?
Jotting down how you want to feel helps you stay focused on the life that you want. Keeping that top of mind will help you make conscientious decisions to ensure you get there! The follow-up question of “what will help you feel this way?” is where the rubber hits to the road. This prompts you to think of actionable steps you can take to create the life you want. For example, if you want to feel calm and relaxed in the mornings, you can think of ways to build your day around that goal, rather than waking up and immediately hopping on the treadmill of life.
- List 3 things that you are grateful for.
This does not have to be something big, fancy and profound! For example, yes, you can be grateful for your marriage or a big promotion. However, you can also be grateful for warm coffee in the morning or having one hour of free time.
- What are you proud of yourself for?
Often times as busy and ambitious women, we have many goals! Once we accomplish a goal, we immediately move on the next without acknowledging the work and commitment it took for us to complete the first one. Use this prompt to pause and acknowledge the things you’ve done – however big or small you think it might be!
- Write down 3 positive affirmations.
Affirmations have the power to be a guiding light throughout your day! Want my go-to list of affirmations? Please send me a message and I’ll personally send it over to you! You can also read my actual journal entries, by clicking here.
If you have any more questions at all about journaling, do not hesitate to reach out to me so that I can help. I’m so excited for you to start this practice and see what it reveals for you.
Sending you a ton of light and love,
Carmen
Questions? Email me at :
carmen@carmenohling.com
by Carmen Ohling | Feb 12, 2019 | Eat., Live., Recipes
Happy Valentines Day!!
I have created this menu with all real food ingredients, with the goal of more love. A handful of the ingredients are actually natural aphrodisiacs…
Do aphrodisiacs really work? Click below to try these these recipes that include aphrodisiac foods with your sweetie and see if these hold true!
More Love (real food) Valentines Day Menu
Here is a list of the aphrodisiacs that I included in your Valentines Day Menu:
Chili Powder: Chili peppers stimulate endorphins (the brain’s feel-good chemicals), speed up heart rate and make you sweat, which all mimic how you feel when you’re aroused.
Chocolate: Chocolate is sensual, from its taste to its aroma, but dark chocolate has also been shown to cause a spike in dopamine, which induces feelings of pleasure.
Honey: Did you know that the word ‘honeymoon’ originates from mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey given to the happy new bride and groom. It also contains boron, which helps regulate estrogen and testosterone levels and provides a natural energy boost.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are critical for a healthy heart, blood flow, and hormone production.
Strawberries: Feed them to each other for a healthy, vitamin C-packed dessert that helps keep blood flow to all regions of the body.
Enjoy,
Carmen
Questions?
Email me: carmen@carmenohling.com
