Tag: selfgrowth

New Year, New Mindset

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels

“New year, new me”, the motto at the beginning of each year for the trend of setting our new year’s resolutions. However, the enthusiasm fades away and the resolutions are abandoned by mid-February. Some people even go as far as to say that this doesn’t work. But why is this happening and how can we change it to achieve our goals and get the results we are dreaming of?

The quick answer to this is that we need to make the necessary changes in our lives. Although the first step is to write down our resolutions, this doesn’t mean our goals will automatically manifest into reality if we don’t work towards them. Writing down our new year resolutions is more about intention setting which is different than goal setting. Indeed, the first step for making changes is the goal setting, but that’s only the beginning. There is a lot more work to be done which takes time, consistency and discipline.

Real change starts from within and self-responsibility is essential. In brief, we need to change our mindset, have healthier habits, and be consistent with our efforts and work towards our goals on a daily and weekly basis. Changing our mindset is number one on the list of success. The real catalyst to making effective changes in life is acquiring a growth mindset as opposed to the limited mindset. The latter keeps us in a circle of procrastination, victim mentality and self-pity. Once we acquire growth mindset, we have a powerful tool to achieve anything we put our mind into.

Growth mindset vs limited mindset

Growth mindset looks like this:

  • Learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge.
  • I can achieve anything I want.
  • There are no failures, only learning experiences.
  • When one way is not working, find another way.
  • Difficulties are catalysts that challenge us to help us grow.
  • Giving up is not an option, reset, pivot and keep trying is the only option.
  • Feedback is constructive and helps me grow and improve.
  • A positive attitude and constant effort determine the result.

The opposite of this is the limited mindset which is based on limiting beliefs, having a victim mentality and blaming external factors for our failures. It basically looks like this:

  • I don’t have time or want to learn new skills, I want fast and effortless results.
  • I can either be excellent in something or not good at all.
  • My abilities are predetermined by my genes, my age, my race, my size, my education.
  • Failure proves to me that I am not good at something and I should give up.
  • Feedback is criticism and feels uncomfortable.
  • I don’t like getting out of my comfort zone.

How to acquire a growth mindset

Acquiring a growth mindset is a totally new skill on its own and can be applied to anything you want to achieve. The first step to having a growth mindset is to have the will and enthusiasm to learn new things, to be willing to get out of your comfort zone, to not be afraid to change and progress. And afterwards working constantly with different techniques such as: visualisation, positive affirmations, reading positive news/information, following motivational speakers or social media pages, being surrounded by positive and encouraging people.

SMART goals

Now, how do we go from goal setting into manifesting our goals?

The third step after setting intentions and acquiring a growth mindset is goal setting by using the SMART model from life coaching. The SMART goals acronym stands for the qualities that each of your goals should have:

  • Specific: be specific and focused about what your goal is as well as how you will work towards it
  • Measurable: define what success is for you; how will you know whether you achieved your goal
  • Achievable: a goal should be challenging but reasonable and realistic to achieve.
  • Realistic/Relevant: be honest with yourself whether this goal is really what you want, aligned to your values, beliefs and a priority
  • Timebound: every goal should have a target time/date, so it gives your motivation, discipline and focus. However, you need to set a realistic time frame for each goal you set up.

For example, let’s choose a goal which is very common as a new year’s resolution: getting fit (or fitter if you already are exercising a bit). So being Specific is how fit you want to be: is a small change enough or do you want a big change? (This will also determine your Timebound quality). So let’s say you want to have visible results and also feel better and more confident.

Once you decide about your Specific goal, define the Measurable: what the success of your goal is, thus at what point you will be happy with achieving it. So in this case, have a vision of how you would like your body to look and how you imagine you will feel with your new image.

And then you need to define Achievable: find out what fitness styles and routines you need, how regularly and for how long you need to train for until you get to your goal. For noticing some changes, it can take 1-3 months, but for big transformation if can take 6-12 months. This is somehow challenging, but achievable, as long as your training and discipline are consistent.

However, be Realistic (aka Relevant) as to whether this goal is what you really want versus what others have made you believe you want. This could be peer pressure from your family, friends, workplace or even your exposure to social media to what society’s standards should be. If you don’t really believe in your goal but you are made to believe you need it, it’s not going to work on the long run and you will eventually give up.

And finally, your goal needs to be Timebound and have a target time. Depending on your previous choice in regards to Achievable, this target time could be anywhere from 3, 6 or 12 months. And now that you set up your Smart goal, get ready to see your desired goal manifesting!

Last but not least, don’t wait for January to set up new goals. Don’t wait for Monday to start a diet, don’t wait for any future date to change your life. The present moment is the most important, start here, now, today!

Self care is not selfish

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Photo by Madison Inouye from Pexels

With the dawn of the new year, we all start making resolutions and goals. Even if we don’t literally write them down, we all have hopes for a good year and our priority is a better quality of life, health, happiness, fulfillment and prosperity. Therefore, we make an effort and start investing in our wellbeing. And here is where the meaning of self care emerges and a deeper knowledge of the subject is needed in order to fully understand how we will successfully improve our wellbeing.

Nowadays, the meaning of self care is so misunderstood that there are different myths about it that, unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe. The most common beliefs are that self care is a time-consuming selfish indulgence and it is all about a superficial physical pampering. Although physical pampering is indeed one way to practice self care, it is however only one type of the different physical types which belong to one category in the list of the different self care categories that you can practice!

The big bold truth is that self care is a mindful and holistic daily practice that covers all aspects of our lives. Ideally, it should be a holistic lifestyle that, when done properly and with consistent effort, it nurtures all aspects of our wellbeing. Life is diverse and complicated and so are we and our health! Taking care of ourselves in a mindful way that covers all areas of our lives, not only is not selfish and a waste of time, but crucial for our existence, happiness and prosperity! Apart from our general and holistic wellbeing, self care leads to building resilience and replenishing us, both physically and emotionally. Most importantly, self care can even prevent a burn-out or a mental break down, which are so common in our modern society these days.

So what are the different categories of self-care and what types of practice does each category contain? Let’s have a look!

Social self care – healthy connections and healthy communication

  • making healthy connections, relationships and communicating in a healthy way with others
  • connecting with people with similar interests, views, beliefs (in person or online via social media)
  • spending quality time with friends and family
  • keeping in contact with people who lift you up and have a positive impact on your life (even if it is a short text or voice message)

Educational self care – self-growth through knowledge and life-long learning

Emotional & Mental self care – anything that contributes and affects our emotional & mental wellbeing; these 2 categories are so interwoven that most types of practices below are affecting both of them

  • journaling to express and release your thoughts and emotions
  • art therapy or dance therapy to express and release your emotions
  • meditation
  • good sleep
  • yoga
  • making time for fun and hobbies
  • solitude & introspection in silence; distance yourself from everything (not only physically but also digitally) to reconnect with yourself, find your inner balance, process your emotions, process thoughts and generally release what does not serve you
  • keeping up with your tasks, responsibilities, work, finances etc
  • Earthing, aka grounding
  • spending time in nature
  • Epsom salt baths; the combination of salt and water can release both muscular tension and negative emotions from your energetic field
  • mindfulness (either on your own or with a mindfulness coach)
  • positive affirmations
  • positive self-talk
  • talking therapies, such as councelling, CBT, psychology, psychotherapy etc
  • finding your purpose and manifest your dreams and goals (either on your own or with a coach)

Physical self care – anything that contributes to and affects our physical wellbeing

  • healthy and balanced meals
  • good sleep
  • drinking plenty of water
  • exercise (sports, gym,dance)
  • yoga
  • Epsom salt baths; the combination of salt and water can release both muscular tension and negative emotions from your energetic field
  • massage
  • dry brushing
  • keeping yourself groomed and presentable (the opposite is actually a sign of poor and declining mental health!)

Spiritual self care – a very personal practice that can be different for each one

  • having a faith (not necessarily religion but spiritual practice that connects us to the meaning of life and gives us purpose)
  • spiritual practices that make us better people, kinder, more compassionate and humble
  • unconditional helping/volunteering for others, community, animals, environment etc; offering services to contribute to others

The list is to be used as a suggestion and advice. There so much more types of self care and the list is endless. Please use the above list as a general guide for inspiration, start investing in your own self care and encourage others to do the same! Let’s create a better future starting from making changes in our lives!

How to keep your energy levels high and your immune system strong

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

As Nikola Tesla said, “everything in the universe is energy and vibration”. And those who are practicing energy healing, holistic therapies, yoga, meditation, dance and martial arts, have experienced it first hand.

All the above practices help us keep our energy levels and vibes high by unblocking our energy centres (chakras), releasing negative emotions and rebalancing our electromagnetic system (aura). Apart from these powerful healing practices, there are of course other ways that we can also keep our energy and vibes high. Anything positive really that raises our mood, it raises our energy levels and our system vibrates higher. And why is this so important? Because at this state, our immune system is very strong and can fight off both physical and mental illnesses. There has been cases of people healing themselves from terminal illnesses such as cancer because they made the conscious decision to keep their mood and energy high. Therefore they manifested health, they boosted their system to heal itself and get back to harmony.

On the contrary, having a low and negative mood, will lower the energy and vibes and can generally cause the immune system to lower and become susceptible to illnesses. On the long term, when a person tends to be negative, angry or toxic, this can even lead to serious illness such as autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis or even cancer. Fear, anger and stress are literally lethal for our lives and this is unfortunately what is happening with all the negative news we are being bombarded with. Being in a constant state of fear, terror, uncertainty and anxiety will break us down little by little. 

Taking action is vital and a personal responsibility. Just know that you are not alone and that you have the power inside you! The human body and mind are sacred and amazing systems that have the potential to do great. And when we unite in positive ways, we amplify our energy and power!

Tips and practices to keep your energy and vibes high:

  • Practice gratitude
  • Practice positive thinking and having a positive mindset
  • Practice positive affirmations
  • Exercise
  • Spend time in nature
  • Spend time with pets and animals
  • Connect with others in a positive way
  • Read books 
  • Watch positive news, videos
  • Listen to your favourite uplifting music
  • Dance
  • Receive energy healing and holistic therapies
  • Practice yoga
  • Meditate
  • Practice martial arts

Please note: if you suspect or know you have mental health issues, please seek professional help and you can choose a professional therapist that suits you and a therapy that you feel is working for you! There is no shame in asking for help.


Photo by Victor Freitas from Pexels

How to manifest new years resolutions into reality with effective results

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

At the beginning of every year, most people are enthusiastic and setting their intentions with a list of new years resolutions, most common ones being related to fitness and diet. But somehow, this enthusiasm fades away and the resolutions are abandoned by mid-February. Why is this happening and how can we change it to achieve our goals and get the results we are dreaming of?

The quick answer to this is that we need to make the necessary changes in our lives. Although the first step is to write down our resolutions, this doesn’t mean our goals will automatically manifest into reality if we don’t work towards them. Real change starts from within and self-responsibility is essential. In brief, we need to change our mindset, our habits, and be consistent with our efforts and work towards our goals. Changing our mindset is number one on the list of success. The real catalyst to making effective changes in life is acquiring a growth mindset as opposed to the limited mindset that keep us in a circle of procrastination and self-pity. Once we acquire this, we have a powerful tool to achieve anything we put our mind into.

Growth mindset vs limited mindset

Growth mindset looks like this:

  • Learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge.
  • I can achieve anything I want.
  • There are no failures, only learning experiences.
  • When one way is not working, find another way.
  • Difficulties are catalysts that challenge us to help us grow.
  • Giving up is not an option, reset, pivot and keep trying is the only option.
  • Feedback is constructive and helps me grow and improve.
  • A positive attitude and constant effort determine the result.

The opposite of this is the limited mindset which is based on limiting beliefs, having a victim-mentality and blaming external factors for our failures. It basically looks like this:

  • I don’t have time or want to learn new skills, I want fast and effortless results.
  • I can either be excellent in something or not good at all.
  • My abilities are predetermined by my genes, my age, my race, my size, my education.
  • Failure proves to me that I am not good at something and I should give up.
  • Feedback is criticism and feels uncomfortable.
  • I don’t like getting out of my comfort zone.

How to acquire a growth mindset

Acquiring a growth mindset is a totally new skill on its own and it can be applied to anything you want to achieve. The first step to having a growth mindset is to have the will and enthusiasm to change. And afterwards working with different techniques such as:

  • visualisation,
  • positive affirmations,
  • reading positive news/information,
  • following motivational speakers or social media pages,
  • being surrounded by positive and encouraging people.

However, for more integrated and long-lasting results, having a life coach is essential to guide you to make the changes you desire. Life coaching can help one discover their inner power and inspire them to new ways of attracting the life they want.

Photo credit by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

The benefits of Epsom salt baths

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Did you know about the benefits of Epsom salt baths?

Photos by Nono Bayar, Craig Adderley and Castorly Stock

Generally speaking, having a bath in warm water both relaxes you physically and emotionally. By adding 2 cups of Epsom salt and submerging yourself for at least 15 minutes, the process becomes even more healing. Firstly, on a physical level, the salts draw toxins from your body. Secondly, on an energetic level, their healing properties cleanse your entire energy system (your aura) and also they help you release stress and negative emotions.

 In case you don’t have a bath, there is also the alternative of a foot soak which is equally powerful. Just add warm water and epsom salts in a plastic container and immerse your tired feet while you sit on a chair. This therapeutic soak will both ground your energy and relieve your tiredness at the end of a long day.

You can add this healing ritual into your weekly self-care routine. Baths are both meditative and destressing so it is a perfect “me time” break. Apart from salts, you can also add essential oils and herbs such as lavender which has relaxing properties. In the end, remember to rinse away so nothing is left on the skin after the bath.

Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing!

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Photo by Ken Ozuna from Pexels

Most things in our lives are our choice. When we don’t like something or it makes us unhappy, then we have to change it. I know it sounds harsh and the truth is that for some things the decision to make the change is clearly much more difficult but again it is our choice whether to stay in that situation or not. There is no “I can’t do it”, there is “I don’t want to do it”. Either we do not want to accept a reality or we are comfortable with a situation and then we find thousands of excuses that we say to ourselves and others to convince ourselves that we are helpless and at the mercy of our fate. Many times it is easier to stay stagnant and just complain.

We have all been in a difficult situation, where we had to make a decision but we resisted. Our mind was telling us to go and our heart was telling us to stay and try harder: a dead-end relationship, a collapsed marriage, a job that we hate, living in a town/city where we were unhappy, a friendship that had betrayed and disappointed us, a home that had serious problems … The list is endless and we all have similar stories to share. 

The blunt truth is that, when we love, respect and value our lives, then we must take personal responsibility and decide how and when to make the necessary change. The longer we postpone it, the worse the situation will go. At some point things will become so bad that we will be forced to make the decision. 

On the bright side, once we take our decision, everything will magically start working on our favour. New people will enter our lives, new opportunities will appear out of nowhere, new doors will open. We just have to make a trust fall with the universe and believe in ourselves. Self-growth can be painful but it is a necessary process for a better quality of life and self-fulfillment. In the end of the day, it is better to look back and be proud of what we achieved than to look back resenting decisions we didn’t take.