How To Market Your Own Business

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How to Market Your Own Business

As a business owner, you're often strapped for time, but sometimes you're strapped for money, too. That means you need to take charge of many aspects of your business, including marketing. While this might seem a little overwhelming at times, you can actually be your own marketing department by following three steps. 

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Choose the Right Marketing Channels

Your first step is to choose the right marketing channels for your business. Marketing channels are simply the means you use to reach out to potential and current customers. You can determine these by considering your target market and the channels themselves.

First, think about your target market. This is one of the most important things you can do to set up your business's outreach. Ask yourself what kinds of people use your products or services. Are they generally younger or older? Do they use the internet frequently? What motivates them to make a purchase? Write out all this information so that you can determine what message to send and the channels you'll use to reach your customers.

Next, consider the channels themselves. It’s essential that you use social media as part of your marketing plan. Social media marketing is effective and inexpensive when you utilize tools like a free ads maker. This tool allows you to create Facebook ads for free. After selecting a template, include your own logo, branding, colors, and copy in your Facebook advertisement. 

Send the Right Messages

You must also be sure to send the right messages based on your target market and chosen channels. Start by creating an eye-catching logo to engage potential customers, increase brand awareness, and make your business stand out from the crowd. You can actually create your own logo using an online logo maker. Choose a template, and then customize it with your own color scheme and text. You can adjust fonts and icons as well.

A critical part of your marketing message is the words you use to describe your company and products or services. These include everything from slogans to website text to information on posters and flyers. Make sure your message fits its channel and its target audience. Slogans should be short and catchy. Website text should be concise yet descriptive. Information on posters and flyers should stick to the promotion being offered or should be an introduction to your business, depending on your purpose. Write to your target audience, too. Use the language your potential customers speak, whether that's more formal or filled with slang.

Evaluate the Results

Finally, periodically evaluate the results of your marketing. Closely follow your sales patterns, and see if your current marketing strategies are leading to more purchases. Also, ask for feedback from your customers. In a brief survey, or even orally, ask them how they heard about your business and what marketing they've seen. See what they think of it. Finally, determine whether particular strategies are worth the time and money you spend on them.

Market Effectively

With a little preparation and hard work, you can be your business's marketing department. Just determine your marketing channels, market through social media, perfect your message, and keep an eye on your results.

 

Written By: Courtney Rosenfeld

Tips for Reducing and Preventing Anxiety

Anxiety disorders have become the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting over 19% of the population every year. Some people with anxiety also suffer from panic disorder. About 2.7% of adults experience panic disorder, a type of anxiety that involves sudden attacks of fear or panic in regular, non-threatening situations or for no apparent reason. It’s no surprise that this disorder can interfere with daily life.

 

Learning to live with your feelings and finding ways to cope with overwhelm are key to overcoming panic disorder and reducing anxiety attacks. Here are some tips from Recovery Life Management to help you alleviate anxiety and start living the life you want!

 

Talk to a Professional

 

If you’re struggling with any type of mental health issue, it’s always a good idea to talk to a professional. A mental health professional will help you build specific skills to improve your symptoms. Your therapist will work with you to identify your anxiety triggers, come up with ways to manage general stress and anxiety, and create strategies to avoid anxiety attacks in the future. 

 

A licensed therapist can also recommend available medications for depression that may be able to improve your symptoms. Some types of antidepressants, such as SSRIs and SNRIs, can be very helpful for people with anxiety disorders. Antidepressants are not one-size-fits-all. Your therapist will consider your symptoms, pre-existing medical conditions, and other medications you may be taking to determine the best antidepressant for your individual situation. 

 

Try Radical Acceptance

 

Radical acceptance is a powerful skill taught during certain types of behavior therapy. According to Verywell Mind, radical acceptance is based on the idea that resisting pain causes more suffering than the pain itself. Fighting anxiety, for example, creates an endless internal struggle that only worsens feelings of anxiety and creates a feeling of hopelessness. Radical acceptance involves accepting reality as it is rather than getting caught up in your emotional reaction to that reality. Accepting your anxiety is about changing your relationship with it and adjusting how you respond to feelings of discomfort. 

 

Spend Time in Nature

 

Unfortunately, the modern world does not support our mental health. It’s hard to feel calm and relaxed while living in a culture that values overwork, individual achievements, perfectionism, and media content that aims to scare and enrage us. Try to get away from it all and spend time in nature as often as possible. Positive Psychology explains that a walk in the woods or a stroll through the park can enhance your sense of emotional wellbeing and reduce physical symptoms of stress. Being in nature is a wonderful practice in mindfulness and emotional resilience!

 

Exercise Regularly

 

Regular exercise is one of the best antidotes to anxiety. This is why exercise is so important for people facing recovery from addiction. Physical activity acts on several body systems to reduce stress naturally. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, which improve mood and suppress stress. At the same time, exercising is effective at reducing fatigue and improving concentration, which can be helpful if anxiety has depleted your energy.

 

Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and try to get moving every day. Don’t force your way through a workout that you hate—you’ll never keep it up! Instead, try different types of movement until you discover an activity that makes you feel great!

 

Living with a panic disorder is not easy. Thankfully, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Many people are able to reduce their symptoms after working with a therapist and developing the right coping skills. If you’re feeling limited by anxiety, get in touch with a professional today!

Are you ready to take your life to the next level? Recovery Life Management helps people recovering from addiction or mental health challenges get clear on what they want and build the life of their dreams. Check out our courses and coaching programs to learn more!

 

Written by Lauren McGee

4 Healthy Goals To Help You Through a Time of Grief

Finding motivation during times of grief can seem like an impossibility. You might feel as though there's a weight keeping you from moving past an unfortunate event in your life. Creating exciting and attainable goals for yourself could be the push you need to start taking steps toward healthful healing. When you give yourself something tangible to look forward to in the future, that goal can be a powerful source of comfort during difficult times. Some of the goals you might set for yourself are small tasks you can complete on a daily basis, while others are far-off objectives that you can work on in the long term.

 

  1. Do Something You Enjoy Each Day

When you are grieving, it can be hard to muster the willingness to seek joy. Perhaps you feel it would be wrong to have fun in the wake of a tragic event. Even so, you deserve to do something that makes you happy every single day.

 

Consider building constructive habits that bring you joy and help you clear your mind. Starting a new hobby can also help you find beauty all around you while providing an opportunity to work toward mastering a skill. Some examples of little things that can enjoy each day might include:

 

 

  1. Place a Priority on Companionship

People are often averse to sharing emotional burdens with others. However, your grief could also be taken as an indication that companionship is more important than ever. Spending time with friends and loved ones can bring you happiness and confidence during a period of uncertainty. Animals also make wonderful companions, so pet adoption is definitely worth your consideration.

 

Seeking out a new social group could also be just the thing you need. Finding people who share your background or your passions can help you break out of your shell and form meaningful connections. You can try searching online or in your local area for groups that can provide the sense of belonging you need.

 

  1. Advance Your Career

Experiencing grief may remind you just how short life is, and that feeling might spur you to seek a more fulfilling career. Business experts point out that a resume is your first introduction to a prospective employer, so it is important to create a stellar resume when seeking career advancement. There are free online resume-builders that you can use to create a professional-looking document. These tools provide a library of appealing design templates that you can customize with your own copy, photos, colors, and images.

 

  1. Further Your Education

Another possible path to personal fulfillment is education. Going back to school to earn a degree might be exactly what you need to move your dreams forward. Online degree programs make it easy to complete coursework in your desired field while still working full-time or tending to family obligations. When choosing the best online school for your circumstances, be sure to check for accreditation and competitive tuition rates.

 

While grief is a natural process after an unfortunate event, healing is also a natural phase that will come with time. You can set healthy goals to promote self-recovery, but keep in mind that you can not always rush the progression of such things. When the time comes, the goals you lay out for yourself can grant a renewed sense of purpose.

Recovery Life Management can help you embrace your recovery in order to advance your life. You can schedule a discovery call by clicking this link.

 

Written by Camille Johnson

The 4 Habits of Highly Successful Sobriety

Every day, people struggle with the challenges of sobriety. Some people find it easy to stay sober, while others find it difficult. The good news is that there are simple things that everyone can do to improve their chances of staying sober.

These simple habits can help you maintain sobriety and stay happy and healthy. If you’re ready to take your sobriety to the next level, then keep reading. In this article by Shirley Martin, you’re going to learn about the four habits of highly successful sobriety.

These are simple but powerful things you can start doing today to help you become a more self-aware, happier, and healthier person. Implementing these habits will not only improve your sobriety, but will also help you become a more self-aware, happier, and healthier person.

 

Habits of Highly Successful Sobriety

The first habit of highly successful sobriety is staying connected with people who help you stay sober. There are a lot of sober dating websites and groups out there. But if you’re interested in meeting someone who is interested in staying sober, you may want to consider meeting sober friends.

When you hang out with people who are in recovery, you have a better chance of learning about their recovery process and the challenges they face. It’s also important to remember that your friends may not be able to help you stay sober.

They may be in a similar place you are in right now. If you’re looking for tips to help you stay sober, you may want to consider meeting sober friends who are further along in their recovery journey.

 

1. Help Others Who Need It

If you’re interested in helping others who are struggling with addiction and alcohol use, there are a couple of ways you can go about it. First of all, you should never offer help in exchange for something.

This includes giving someone money, sex, drugs, or alcohol. Secondly, you should remember that helping others is about more than just what you get out of it. It’s about the experience you have and the lessons you learn. It’s about giving and not getting back.

 

2. Eat Healthy

Healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do if you want to stay sober. If you eat a healthy diet, you’re more likely to stay sober. A healthy diet can help reduce stress. It can also help prevent you from engaging in self-destructive behaviors like drinking or smoking.

 

3. Exercise Every Day

Physical activity is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your stress level and improve your quality of life. It can also help you stay sober by reducing your stress levels. A properly balanced exercise program can also help prevent you from engaging in harmful behaviors like drinking, smoking, or taking drugs. In that same vein, make sure to cultivate a home that supports a healthier outlook.

 

4. Learn Something New

Learning new things can improve your life in so many ways. It can help you become more self-aware, more creative, and even more productive. If you’re interested in learning new things, you can consider taking a new subject that interests you every day.

 

Final Thoughts

Having a substance abuse problem can have a huge impact on your life. It can make you feel stressed, sad, lonely, and disconnected. It can also make it harder for you to work and accomplish goals.

If you want to recover from substance use disorder, you need to make some changes. You need to make sure that you eat a healthy diet, exercise every day, stay connected with people who can help you stay sober, help others who need it, and learn something new every day.

 

Written by: Shirley Martin

How to Start Your Own Life Coaching Business

Business

If you’re driven to help others, becoming a life coach might be the perfect business move for you. Launching your own life coaching business will give you freedom over your professional life and greater control over your earning potential. Plus, you get to spend your days guiding other people towards their dreams!

Top-notch life coaches are equal parts good listeners, constructive advisors, and driven entrepreneurs. Starting a business means taking on a number of entrepreneurial roles, which can be overwhelming if you’re new to business ownership. To help you get started, we’ll outline your next steps below.

 

Learn Key Coaching Skills

What skills do you require to become a life coach? Although special certification is not required to work as a life coach, developing certain skills and professional qualities will help your business become successful. The main role of a life coach is to uncover solutions that clients cannot find on their own. Beyond that, great life coaches are passionate about helping others, non-judgmental, observant, and honest. They have solid listening skills, communication skills, and a positive attitude.

Life coaching classes can help you learn the skills you need to facilitate growth for your clients. Often, coaching classes will also teach you how to work as a professional and run your own coaching business. Certain coaching programs like the Holistic Coach Certification Program train and empower you to become a holistic coach which can boost your credibility and open up numerous opportunities for professional advancement.

 

Register Your Coaching Business

Registering your business is required in most locations, so your priority is to determine which type of business structure fits best. Many coaches choose an LLC over other types of business, since it can offer tax advantages and personal liability protection for your coaching company. If you form an LLC, for example, you won’t have to worry about putting your personal assets at risk in the event of a business-related lawsuit. Compared with corporations, LLCs are easier to form and involve much less paperwork. Learn how to start an LLC so you know what to expect! Once you establish a formal entity for your business, you can open a business bank account and get a business credit card.

 

Determine Your Target Market

The secret to building a successful coaching business is attracting the right clients. According to YourTango Experts, many first-time life coaches make the mistake of casting their nets too wide and trying to target a very general audience with their coaching services. However, narrowing your niche and targeting a specific audience group is much more effective.

Start by establishing the basic demographics of your desired audience, including their age, gender, income level, education level, and geographic location. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to identify ways your coaching service can meet the unique needs of your target market.

 

Brand Your Business

Building a recognizable brand around your coaching business is a great way to connect with your target audience and set yourself apart from your competitors. Come up with a brand voice, a tone of messaging, and a style guide that will direct all of your marketing pursuits and communications with clients. Don’t be afraid to let your personality direct your brand! Personalizing your business through approachable branding will help clients feel more comfortable reaching out for help.

 

Build Your Confidence

It may take some time to build your confidence when you first launch your coaching business. Professional life coaches often experience imposter syndrome, which describes a feeling of self-doubt and personal incompetence over one’s talent or qualifications. Acknowledge that this feeling is normal and your confidence will build over time. Look for ways to relieve stress such as exercising, meditating, and creating a calming home space. Life coach training can help build your confidence in yourself, in the coaching process, and in your client!

Working as a life coach is an incredibly fulfilling career path. Whether you decide to launch a local coaching business or connect with clients remotely, you’re bound to have a positive impact on countless people throughout your professional life. Start planning your coaching business today!

 

Are you looking for holistic coach training, resources, mentoring, or certification? The Holistic Coach Training Institute offers all this and more!

 

Article written by Courtney Rosenfeld

5 Burnout-Proof Self-Care Strategies by Susana Sierra, Holistic Coach

Is it possible to become burnout proof? Yes, it is! When we think about burnout, we often associate it with a job or workplace. It can also show up in other areas in our lives because at the core of a burnout situation is stress. If exposed to stressful situations for long period of time it can do significant harm and place us at risk of burnout and for someone in recovery this can mean relapse. To have a better understanding of how to manage stress and prevent burnout here are five strategies that can take you from being burnout to burnout proof.

Always Put Yourself First

You are the first strategy. A simple yet not easy strategy, to put yourself first. Focus on making the choice daily, multiple times a day even, to tend to your needs. It becomes easier as you practice and you will begin to say no to things that do not benefit your overall goal of remaining in balance and have a good healthy wellbeing. You will begin to depend less on others or things to meet your needs and more on yourself.

Check In with Your Body

We hold stress in our body. A body check in or a body scan is when you identify symptoms like tension or pain from your head down to your shoulders, to your heart, heart to hands, hands to hips and all the way down to your feet and ask yourself where I am holding tension or have pain. This tension can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Keep a list of those symptoms. This is pin pointing where

you hold your stress. Next to that list write how you can take care of it. It can be anything from a simple stretch, a massage, going to your primary care provider, talk to a friend, a therapist or a coach.

Create a Retreat Experience

Create for yourself a retreat state of mind or experience. This next strategy is to design a life where your stress management includes going away on a retreat daily, weekly or annually– as often as you need to remain in balance. It doesn’t always mean going away to a mountain or an island, but it can also mean a simple getaway in a room in your home, in a park or in your car. A simple formula for creating the retreat experience is to set an intention, pick a location and time, and fill it with 2-3 activities that you enjoy doing. Keep track of your retreat experiences and how you feel so that you can recreate them or make changes as needed. Make it fun!

Write Yourself Healthy in a Journal

Studies show the many benefits of journaling. Writing down stressful events can boost immune system by lessening the impact stress has on you at the cellular level. Cortisol is stress hormone that increases when stressed and lowers immune system can be decreased by writing in a journal. Writing helps you clear your mind of self-doubt and insecurities by putting things in perspective. Release the stress in your journal.

Repeat the Strategies to Make it Stick

The final strategy is to repeat strategies 1-4. It will help you make it a self-care practice that will have a long-lasting effect on your life. Helping you maintain a healthier more balanced YOU-a Burnout Proof YOU!

 

Bio:

Susana Sierra is a trained Certified Holistic Coach, Self-Care Strategist, Burnout Coach, and healthcare professional for 20 years as a Medical Social worker. Susana takes her personal journey-recovering from chronic burnout to balanced giving and living; and uses it to help others to develop a personalized self-care practice, using practical tools and strategies. Susana integrates personal experience along with years of teachings including, Positive Psychology, mindfulness practice, and holistic coaching to focus on the whole person- connecting the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual parts of the person to support well-being and overall better health.

Thriving from Home: Tips for a Better Home Office

Work From Home

What’s not to love about working from home? Quite a bit, as it turns out.

 

Remote work has long been heralded as the ultimate flexible work arrangement. But after more than a year of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are realizing that staying productive at home is harder than it seems.

 

If you’re tired of trudging through your workdays with an achy back and distracted mind, use this guide to optimize your home office and start working from home better.

What makes an ideal home office?

A great home office starts with the right space. Unfortunately, not everyone has a flex room ready to convert.

 

  • Privacy is a must for any workspace. If you don’t have a spare room, use room dividers to create a private office. Bookshelves, folding screens, and sliding barn doors are three creative ways to divide your space.
  • A drafty, cold office makes for an uncomfortable workday. If you have windows that need repair or replacement, consider making a change. A quick use of the search terms “vinyl window repair near me” will yield a lengthy list of potential contractors.
  • Last but not least, a home office needs adequate electrical wiring. Quick fixes like outlet taps and power strips work in a pinch when rewiring isn’t in the budget but use them correctly to avoid safety hazards.

Ergonomic home office must-haves

You spend long hours in your home office and you deserve to be comfortable. Here’s how to furnish your home office for all-day comfort and productivity.

 

  • An office chair with adjustable height, armrests, and tension offers the best support for your spine while sitting at a desk. Some remote workers prefer kneeling chairs to traditional desk chairs.
  • Alternate between sitting and standing with a height-adjustable workstation. Sit-stand platforms and manual crank desks are affordable alternatives to electric sit-stand desks.
  • Beyond the desk chair, accessories like ergonomic keyboards, mice, monitors, footrests, and floor mats contribute to a healthier home office.
  • Your back isn’t the only thing that hurts after a long day at work. Workspace lighting is also important for ergonomics. Employ a combination of overhead and task lighting to reduce eye strain.

Mood-boosting home office design tips

Now that the essentials are out of the way, it’s time to make your home office a space you want to work.

 

  • Paint offers an instant pop of inspiration in the home office. Consider the feeling you want to create when choosing paint colors. Warm, earthy colors reduce stress while vibrant hues boost creativity and concentration.
  • House plants add life and color to any space. Choose low-maintenance plants suited to your light conditions. Snake plants, bamboo, and ZZ plants thrive in low light, while succulents and cacti prefer bright natural light.
  • It doesn’t matter how great your office looks if it’s not functional. Use a combination of vertical storage, desktop organizers, and hidden file storage to keep your workspace tidy.

 

You don’t have to choose between all-day discomfort and the rigidity of office life. If you want to reap the full benefits of working from home, design a workspace that offers all the amenities of the office without the drawbacks. With a few adjustments, you can create a home office that keeps you comfortable, healthy, and productive for the long term.

Blog by: Alice Robertson

TRUSTING THE PROCESS – LIFE AFTER DIVORCE

Mary M

By Mary A. Markham, Spiritual Life Coach : May 2021

If you are feeling drained from the legalities of a divorce, separation, child support, divided or blended families, being controlled or abused for so long, it can be difficult to recognize what selfcare looks like, or how to trust any “what’s next” process. Heavy emotions and confusions set in and can easily cloud your thoughts as you may have gone from, “I’ll never get a divorce and be one of “them” to now, being one of “them.” No one goes into a marriage with the expectation of being divorced one day.

When looking back and longing to undo decisions or mistakes, it only steals your joy, precious time, energy and leads to frustration.

What’s next? Are you wondering, how do you even think about moving forward with a foggy brain, broken heart and no energy left to give, especially to yourself?

Recognizing that no matter how many years a person is married, or in a long term relationship, what took years or a lifetime to create may feel like someone just flipped a switch, you’re now in a dark tunnel, stuck, scared, frustrated, full of uncertainty and looking for that dim flickering light of hope as you travel through the unknown dark tunnel ahead.

Ask yourself, “Do I want to stay in this dark tunnel, or find a way out?

Finding the right way out is either by healing past trauma with the help of a therapist, or, if you’re looking to achieve clarity, challenge old ideas that may not be serving you, overcome obstacles, and find someone to support you along your journey, then a Spiritual Life Coach could help you.

Working with a Spiritual Life Coach is an opportunity to stretch yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, which can shine some light on your new path, help you see a future and serve your purpose, stronger than ever, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Although you may be thinking it would be nice if the healing process was like ripping off a bandaid, and all the past pain was instantly gone, it is a process that takes time.

Taking time to heal from the inside out, is different for everyone. And, a long term process keeps you moving forward, rather than a short term, like ripping off that bandaid, which keeps you heading back to being stuck, frustrated and in that dark tunnel with a flickering light.

As a Spiritual Life Coach, I not only help clients, because I am empathetic and passionate about what I do, but I have lived through those experiences. I grew up as a teenager in a blended family, and started over in midlife, with having a blended family.

Starting over and trusting the process can be exhausting, however, by working with me, I share my 5 Step Starting Over Process, which begins with having a strong foundation, seeing the gifts through those silent scars and discovering the beautiful design already created just for you. This process also teaches you to live in the present moment, discover endless possibilities and heals you from the inside out, while witnessing your own transformation.

If you are ready to start over, and strategize next steps with me, let’s talk! Contact me at mary@maryamarkham.com to see how we can work together and which of my offerings best fit your starting over journey.

Contact Information:
Website: maryamarkham.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-markham
Instagram: maryamarkhamlifecoach
FB: Mary A Markham Spiritual Life Coaching
Email: mary@maryamarkham.com

6 Secrets for Professional Success in Recovery

If you are currently in addiction recovery, you have already started a new chapter in your life, but you may be wondering where your career fits into your new narrative. Making ends meet can be a challenge when your primary focus is staying sober, but earning extra income does not have to cause you immense stress. From starting a side gig to polishing your resume, here are some simple steps to ensure your professional success during recovery.

Research Your Funding Options

If your dream is to start your own business, you may be looking at a longer ramp-up period than if you joined a full-time or gig-based team. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, though! The best way to ensure your success is to start planning as early as possible, especially when it comes to budgeting and your funding options. Research the market you plan to enter, identify the exact costs you’ll incur (purchasing equipment or wholesale materials, for example), and make a plan for getting them covered. If you don’t have the cash on hand to pay for them yourself, look at your loan options, and start making moves to improve your odds of securing the financing you need. For instance, if your credit score is low, take steps to boost it, and if you’ll need collateral to qualify for your prospective loan, know exactly what you’ll use.

Work on Your Resume

If your heart is set on a nine-to-five job, it’s important to take a long, hard look at your resume. You want to make sure it showcases your talents and experiences. If you haven’t done it already, refreshing your resume at least once or twice a year is always a good idea. Try using an online resume builder to make sure your new resume looks polished and professional. A resume builder is a great tool for those who are looking for guidance through the entire process, from choosing a template to listing your work experience.

Find a Gig That Fits You

One of the perks of the gig economy is that you can get paid to do or sell just about anything. Choosing work that you love is a great way to make ends meet while you are in recovery. If you love quilting and knitting, you could try selling your finished items on sites like Etsy. Not into arts and crafts? If you love animals, you could start a side business walking dogs or pet sitting. Whether you’re caring for dogs, selling crafts and vintage items online, or teaching music lessons, the side-gig possibilities are endless.

Just be sure to stay informed on any tax laws that may impact your earnings, and use productivity apps like ToDoist and Trello to stay on task and get your work done. If you’re going to be using a lot of apps, it’s crucial that your smartphone can handle the workload. If you’re still using an older phone, check in with your wireless provider to see if they’re offering any special trade-in deals for new-model phones.

Create a Calming Home Office

When you are in recovery for addiction, drinking coffee and working from a cafe may not always be your best option. That’s why it is so important to set up a space inside your home where you can really focus on your work. Your home office should be in an area of your home that is away from traffic and free of common distractions, such as televisions and windows looking out onto busy streets. If you are working on a budget, try looking for office furniture at a local thrift store or flea market to makeover into your own. Add some good lighting, a calendar, and some basic office equipment, and you have all you need to stay on task.

Update Your Work Wardrobe

No matter where your career is headed while you are in recovery, you’ll want to have some professional-looking attire to help get you there. Even with side gigs, you will be going to interviews, meeting with clients, and working in public, so make sure you make a good impression with your clothing. Dressing business casual should be okay for most of your client meetings, but it is especially important to dress in business attire for the initial appointment.
Stay Focused on Your Recovery

Your financial goals and responsibilities do not stop for your recovery. Making ends meet is important since money can be a big source of stress. However, if your gig starts to cause too much stress, which can be a trigger for addiction, then you may need to take a few steps back. Take some time off, set aside time for self-care, or try a new gig that is less demanding. At the end of the day, staying sober is the most important goal on your plate, and you have to do what’s needed to make that happen.

By beginning your recovery, you’ve already taken a huge step in changing your life for the better. Take your life even further by using these tips to tackle your financial success too.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

The Intersection of Compassion Fatigue, Moral Injury, and ACEs

 

Jim LaPierre LCSW CCS is the Executive Director of Higher Ground Services in Brewer, Maine. He is a mental health therapist and addictions counselor. Jim specializes in facilitating recovery (whether from addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, or past abuse). Jim is the cofounder of Sobernow.com an online addiction recovery program that is affordable and provides complete anonymity. He is also the founder of (coming soon) Thebesttherapy.com

 

The World Health Organization recently declared occupational burnout to be a medical condition. The treatment for which has yet to be conceptualized. It seems likely the suggested remedies will be as cliched as the advice most often given on avoiding burnout:

Eat well, hydrate, sleep well, take time off, self-care, connect with friends and family. Take up a hobby. Blah, blah, blah.

When I told my friends and colleagues that I wanted to create a program on how to transform after burning out; they all told me no one wants to identify as such and that I needed to come up with another name for what I’ve suffered.

That seems fair. So, I’m a wounded healer who has experienced vicarious and secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, toxic workplaces, and numerous moral injuries. The sum total of these experiences left me identifying as burned out.

In retrospect, labeling myself hasn’t necessarily opened doors for anyone. Acknowledging the pieces of my experience (listed above) and how I overcame them has.

What’s missing from our understanding of burnout:

  • The risk factors that leave us vulnerable in the first place
  • Realistic prevention strategies for those of us who are driven to succeed
  • Proven pathways back to ourselves when burnout occurs.
  • What it takes to ensure we don’t burn out again.

If we weren’t passionate, talented, and doing the work we were meant to do, we’d never experience burnout. The systems we work in are not manageable. They’re designed to use up good people (ever look closely at the term “human resources?”).

Yet, our greatest liability is one that we never hear people talking about:

People who work in the healing and helping professions tend to have less than optimal mental health.

As accomplished as we may be in understanding and serving of others, when it comes to ourselves, we’re slow learners with high pain tolerances.

We’re focused on achieving exceptional outcomes. We’re tenacious and want to be great at what we do. I used to be ten feet tall and bullet proof. I knew self-care was a good idea but I told myself I’d get to it right after I finished a never-ending list of incredibly important things to do for others.

It seems we can solve anyone’s problems but our own. We have blind spots – things we can’t see – and worse, things we aren’t willing to acknowledge, much less examine. We push our limits. Many of us work harder and longer than our colleagues. We’re highly regarded by everyone except the person we see in the mirror.

It took me a lot to come to terms with the disrespect I showed myself. It took multiple rounds of burnout before I overcame it. I didn’t get better because it was a good idea. I got better because I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.

It’s amusing to me that for all of my education and training, I most often quote Facebook memes like, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Well, if you’re like I was, you can.

Metaphorically, you cut yourself open and bleed into the cup. Now you have more fuel to run on and more to give. All you have to do is ignore the ongoing toll…until you hit the wall and wonder how you got there (again).

Developing a sustainable career path (and more importantly, lifestyle) requires a balance of doing great work in a manner that doesn’t drain us. The inescapable truth is that our effectiveness as healers is completely tied to the degree to which we’ve attended our own wounds, transformed our own lives, and maintain our holistic health in the present.

I often suggest to those in the healing and helping professions that they seek a new perspective on their lives. I’ll ask them to write up their current roles, duties, expectations, standards and struggles as though they were a case study. Then stretch your imagination – what would you say to this person if they were a client of yours? What would you recommend? What does this person need?

Accountability is everything. Left to our own devices, we will disappoint ourselves. We won’t make sufficient commitments to self-care, nor follow through. The greatest progress I’ve made professionally and personally are during the times that I’ve shared my fears, named my needs, and expressed my emotions with great vulnerability. I share with kindred spirits who will encourage and support me, but more importantly, hold my feet to the fire.

Nobody gets better alone. The simple truth is that those who work in the healing an helping professions tend to give away the very things we yearn to receive. I urge you to connect more fully with those who understand your work and your way of living. If you don’t have such folks or are too afraid to access them, please consider coaching or therapy as a first step.

I welcome all questions and concerns,
Jim LaPierre LCSW, CCS
Counseling@roadrunner.com