The IGNITE Peak Performance Blog
If you’re here, you’re probably looking to make meaningful and lasting change in your life. As a professional coach who specializes in working with women and mothers, I can help you.
The best way for us to get to know each other is for you to contact me! You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter below. In the meantime, keep an eye on this page for monthly blogs containing research-based tips, reading recommendations, and other resources that can help you IGNITE to reach your goals!
How Do You Make Your Life Meaningful?
“Once we know something needs to change, where do we start? As Morrie was dying, he lived in a way that enacted what I think is the cornerstone for each and every one of us… Albom writes, “[Morrie] had created a cocoon of human activities—conversation, interaction, affection—and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.” The task of “finding meaning” can feel overwhelming or, at times, even impossible. Morrie couldn’t change the fact that he was dying, but he continued to develop meaning in his life. We have a lot to learn from him.”
The Science of Headspace
“Overall, there’s a wealth of evidence indicating that meditation and mindfulness, even with a short-term app on your phone, might have positive effects. Of course, mindfulness is not a magic cure for all things nor does every single study find positive effects. (If anyone finds something like that, please tell me about it!) You can build a toolkit of potential strategies, including mindfulness, to test out in your own life. Only you will know what works best for your life and circumstances, and you have plenty of options to choose from!”
Gratitude and Lipid Profiles
“I always love reading about how gratitude practice can help support our health and wellness. There are all kinds of studies suggesting that gratitude is good for us (for more on that, check out this blog!) Recently, Hartanto and colleagues, all of Singapore Management University, recently published an article in Nature’s Scientific Reports about the relationship between gratitude and lipid profiles. Yes, you read that right!”
College Athletes Bill of Rights & Your College Athlete
“You might have seen that in 2021 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of student-athletes by allowing them to earn increased education-related benefits. Prior to this, the NCAA’s compliance rules limited how student-athletes could benefit from their athletic status and while still remaining eligible to compete under the required ‘amateur status’. The College Athletes Bill of Rights continues that conversation with a few key considerations for those playing or planning to play college athletics. A main area of concern is the Name, Image, and Likeness Policy (NIL) which the NCAA says is rapidly evolving.”
National Campus Safety Awareness Month
“September feels so bittersweet for moms of college students! We’ve just finished preparing for the big college move-in day. We’ve made sure our kids have all that they need when they arrive on campus. It feels like just yesterday that I dropped my own kids off at college, excited for them to start the next chapter of their lives. But are YOU prepared? As the first semester begins, it is a crucial time for moms to know the facts about college safety so they can best prepare themselves and their kids for college life. College campuses can be very unsafe. That is simply the truth.”
Wise Mind
“Have you ever heard of ‘dialectical behavior therapy’ (DBT)? Not enough people have! It is often used for individuals experiencing complex mental health problems, but the core tenants are things everyone can benefit from. There are plenty of DBT self-help resources that anyone can use. Overall, it can be described as a curricula-based therapy program that focuses on helping clients to build skills, particularly when it comes to emotional regulation. Throughout my extensive experience and advanced trainings, I find that integrating DBT techniques into your life is almost always helpful!”
Women Doing Office Housework
“You’ve done the schooling, put in the hours, and finally landed your dream job. All your hard work has paid off. Your ambitions have finally been realized. You walk straight into the office, head held high–until somebody shoves a stack of papers in your hand and says, “Welcome to the office, can you make copies of these, oh, and coffee…” The other new person, John, is standing right next to you, and no one asks him to do anything…”
Motherhood in the Pandemic
“Motherhood is hard, but motherhood during a worldwide pandemic must be at least 1000x harder! On a good day, moms are already overwhelmed with 754 things to do, 421 places to be, and about a million things to think about. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, a lot of people said that ‘the world stopped’. That’s true in some ways, but for moms all around the globe, kids stayed home from school and daycare, and life suddenly became much, much busier. Goodbye routine, hello uncertainty! It became so much harder to find a spare minute for yourself. Any space you may have had from your children likely disappeared overnight.”
Some Benefits of Space for Moms
“Often, mothers shrink themselves by no longer pursuing their hobbies, changing their career goals, eating the foods their kids will eat… In time they just disappear and become “mom” while they’re focused on raising their kids. And this is a fair coping mechanism given the craziness that ensues, especially in early motherhood. Though now I’d do anything to get it back, I think back to the days when my two girls were young and remember the complete exhaustion I often felt. There were so many workouts I missed and kid-friendly meals that I ate while racing around attending to them.”
Supporting Your College Student’s Mental Health
“In my experience, moms who focus only on the good stuff often leave their kids unprepared when the bad stuff happens. If you would like more information about the challenges college students face and how you can be prepared, you can go to my website to learn about my specialized coaching and on-demand webinar: “COLLEGE UNCOVERED: 10 Things Moms Need to Know about College Life.” You can also learn about services that I offer for your big kid!”