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Let us look back on the last episode from the Wellness Angel Channel. We’re now on the second part of our ‘Letting Go’ series. It focuses on letting go of toxic people, like unlikable friends and co-workers.
We have all experienced a toxic friend or a toxic colleague. Like everyone else, I had a couple of bad ones. It felt like someone pushed me into the mud and stepped on me. It was traumatizing. Such experiences took a toll on my whole well-being. Thankfully, I was able to manage by practicing mindfulness and breath work.
In this podcast episode, I gained insights from the American Psychology Association. I also found information from Heidi Lynne Kurter of Forbes Magazine. In this podcast, I discussed the warning signals of a toxic person and the effects of being around them. The APA emphasized the importance of social connections. It also stated that social disconnection is as harmful as smoking up to 50 cigarettes per day.
Yes, social connection is essential to our happiness. But we have to ensure these connections are healthy for us. How can we spot a toxic person?
Here are the ten signs we should watch for:
Playing-the-victim syndrome;
Taking more than they are giving;
Gossip mongering — this is deadly, especially in the workplace;
Fault-finding — they always seek and nitpick on our faults, making us feel we never do anything right;
Negaholic — If that person has so much negativity, their energy could affect us and drag us down;
I, Me, Myself — Building oneself is important but there is a limit. It’s difficult to deal with narcissists;
Refusal to accept and take responsibility for their mistakes;
Mr./Ms. Congeniality — Only acts nice when needed. In short, they’re a fraud.
Overly competitive;
Overly ambitious — There’s nothing wrong with working towards ambitions. But we shouldn’t step on others for the sake of our goals.
Now we know the signs of toxic people, let us find out the five ways they could affect our well-being
We doubt ourselves as they subconsciously demean us.
We feel manipulated.
We get short-changed.
We get stressed
We feel drained.
There are circumstances wherein we still have to spend our time around toxic people. For example, in the workplace. How can we protect our inner peace from them?
First, we must practice gratitude. Shift our focus on building ourselves. We must not let toxicity live inside our heads rent-free. Then next is self-affirmation. We must fuel ourselves through meaningful self-reminders about the good things in life. And last, surround yourself with your home team. Your home team is the people you know who got your back. May it be family, your partner, or your closest friends!
Sometimes, we need to realize that letting go of people can bring more good to us. It’s not our fault why others treat us badly. These toxic people are broken people who need help. Even so, we have to remember that we cannot heal others all the time.
If you want to watch this podcast, feel free to visit my Facebook page @wellnessangel. You can also join our Wellness Tribe if you are seeking guidance towards wellness and track your improvement!
Love and light!
Let us recall the last episode of Wellness Angel Channel’s fifth episode- How To Let Go. It’s a two-part series. Part one focuses on letting go of material things.
Are you a hoarder or a sentimental person? Are you a collector? What does your space look like? Do you have plans to declutter? If you do, this is for you.
Last Sunday, I celebrated my 53rd birthday. On my 50th birthday, I went on a self-discovery retreat and shaved my head bald. It was my prayer for my family members and friends battling cancer. As a woman, hair is our crowning glory. I admit it was difficult, and there were people against it. But I realized it was liberating to let go of the things I thought defined me.
That is why letting go adds value to our lives.
I gathered insights from reliable sources, like Catherine Roster and Princeton Study. I even got information from studies on MRI scans. From there, I tackled the effects of clutter and the perks of letting go of things. For starters, our brains are complex but quick to get overwhelmed. It means disorganized environments compromise our focus and drain our cognitive resources. Clutter reflects overabundance. Overabundance leads to chaos.
Excessive material possessions do less good than experience.
Here, I would like to share five reasons we need to let go (of things)!
We get to organize our living space. An organized space is pleasing to the eyes and relaxes our minds. We can pinpoint what we need quicker. We get to save time and be efficient with our work.
Clutter keeps us from moving forward. We have to gauge whether things from the past still add value to our lives. There is no harm in being sentimental. We have to balance it out and know which to keep.
We learn contentment. We have to know when enough is enough. Anything that is in excess is not good for us. Contentment is also applicable to other aspects of our lives. It makes us appreciate simple things even more.
Too many possessions can enslave us. Collecting and shopping can be addicting. But first, we have to plan out how to use our space to its full potential. This can prevent us from hoarding too much stuff.
Clutter doesn’t add value to our lives. Taking our cue from Marie Kondo, we have to ask ourselves “Does it spark joy?” No matter how small or insignificant an item is, ask that question. We don’t have to let go of many things in one go. We can do it little by little if that helps.
Here’s a bonus tip from me. When letting go, make sure that these things will also add value to the lives of others. Think of creative ways to declutter. Take advantage whenever there is an opportunity to bring more joy to the people around us.
Decluttering can be difficult to do. But it brings so much impact to our lives and to the environment! Who knows? There are always hidden treasures only visible to the eyes of others.
Want to catch up with last Monday’s podcast? Check it out on the @wellnessangel Facebook page! If you are in need of an accountability partner, you can also join our tribe!
Love and light. Till next time!
Let’s recall Wellness Angel Channel's fourth episode last night: How can we turn STRESS into our friend.
What’s your stress level these past few days? Are you stressing over something you did or something out of your control? Our stress levels can never remain constant as long as we live. It will keep fluctuating no matter what we do.
Stress is, well, a part of life. Our bodies are wired to experience stress and respond to it. Our stress levels had also increased due to the pandemic. According to statistics, one-third of the global population has experienced stress. We also have found out that the Philippines is the Top 2 most stressed country with a whopping percentage of 58%!
In this podcast episode, I tackled the top five sources of stress and ways to overcome them. I based my insights on studies published by experts in the American Psychological Association and Harvard Business Review. I also highlighted the definition of stress based on an article from Cleveland Clinic as a normal human reaction when we experience changes and challenges in life.
How can we spin stress into becoming our BFF? There are three ways to do it:
1. ) Acknowledge it exists. See it! We must be aware of our own stressors and triggers. Labeling our emotions during stressful situations is very important. Consider stress as a mindset-enhancer. It pushes us to seek long-term learning and growth. To do this you have to be mindful, not mind full!
2.) Say mine! Own it! Owning realization creates a positive motivation. Stress allows us to express how much we care. If we consider something or someone valuable, we stress over it. But it pushes us to do better and be better.
3.) Make it work to our advantage. Use it! Our bodies’ stress reaction is built not to destroy us. It is designed to make us stronger so we can beat the challenges in front of us. Think of the Caveman mindset: Stress makes us thrive and survive.
Can we be BFFs with stress and embrace it? Yes, we can! We can convert stress from weakness into strength. We are meant to overcome, learn, and evolve. If our forefathers face adversaries, mankind won't be able to continuously advance. That’s what makes us complex yet amazing!
If you need a quick fix when you feel stressed, do this easy breathing exercise. Do three counts as you inhale, then do more than three counts as you exhale. Repeat if needed. Pause and breathe.
Want to catch up with last Monday’s podcast? Check it out on the @wellnessangel Facebook page! If you are in need of an accountability partner, you can also join our tribe!
Love and light! See you!
