Written by: Anna Krzysztoszek , Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. We are more alike than we think. In times of necessary or longed-for ch ange , we humans tend to stumble over similar hurdles that may slow down our professional transformation. Here are 4 examples of common misesteems and some helpful questions and thoughts on how to overcome them. 1. I do you We often assume there is one common recipe regarding how to be happy or successful in our lives or jobs. During group workshops, it becomes clear how different our definitions of success and happiness can be. Only you can decide what is best for you even though you may have a ton of friends who may have similar personality traits, and talents or live in similar life circumstances. Check the following topics before duplicating somebodies recipe for a successful career change: Personality traits Do you prefer to work alone or in a team? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Are you detail-oriented or a born strategist? You get the point. It is great to get some inspiration from others but it is even better to work out a customized career plan, which fits like a glove. It helps to avoid disappointment in the future. Obligations How much time do you have for a new course, training, or workshop? Which current obligations can be organized differently or downsized? Are there more similarities between the person you are inspired by or more differences as far as the number of obligations and must-have tasks are concerned? How could a daily, weekly, and monthly routine be organized to support your career change more effectively? External support Before being too demanding towards yourself, check what kind of support somebody has – from their spouse, family members, etc. How can you prepare the best possible support system for yourself while heading for a change? Do you need a weekly regular brainstorming with a friend or is it necessary to hire a nanny once a week so you can have more time for yourself? 2. I cannot imagine it, so it doesn’t exist The majority of us are experts in planning the future based on experience . What if we do not have all the necessary information related to a possibly interesting job profile? Instead of dropping an exciting idea, try to do some research first and collect some new experiences linked to it. For example, get in touch with professionals who are already doing this job. Before quitting a possibly good idea, get out of your head and do a reality check. 3. Painful what-ifs All possible catastrophic scenarios might be created in your head while planning a professional change. Are those horror scenarios realistic or are they an expression of fear related to leaving your comfort zone? Cross-check with a friend if they have a similar view on all the possible things which might go wrong. 4. Sense of urgency After some years of holding back, we might feel impatient. Pushing yourself too much may not lead to a positive change and be more stressful than fulfilling. Brake down your big vision into short-, mid-, and long-term goals and enjoy the ride. After all, the implementation of some changes might take years, so why not make a great adventure out of it? Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Anna! Anna Krzysztoszek, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Anna Krzysztoszek has more than 20 years of international experience in business ‒ from large corporations to start-ups. She is the owner of Green Butterfly ‒ Coaching & Recruiting. The completion of her German and Dutch studies, her pedagogical education, the certificate of a Psychological Advisor and various business degrees, such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), reflect Anna's main focus and passion: combining her economical expertise with the always present interest in people and the art of making the best of our lives. This especially applies to professional matters ‒ after all, we spend a third of our life at our workplace.

Written by: Joanna Ingram, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Ever since The Secret was published in 2006, the world has gone crazy for The Law of Attraction and manifesting, utilizing the power of thought and energy to create their desired reality. Except, a core group of high achievers feels excluded from this manifesting club. These driven individuals are super bright and motivated, dedicate themselves to hard work, and absorb copious volumes of Law Of Attraction literature. But, manifesting, in practice, still seems beyond their reach. Until now, that is. Read on for the critical secrets to manifesting when you are stuck in your head, even if you had tried before and failed. The most accepted definition of the Law of Attraction is 'like attracts like. Whatever you give your emotional energy and attention to is what will come back to you.' (Source: TheLawOfAttraction.com) This compelling and tantalizing promise has many people from all walks of life exploring spirituality and energy, often for the first time. The excitement around Manifesting reached a crescendo during the pandemic, as new audiences online were drawn into the promise of turning thought into reality. As a result, it became a significant trend on social media, as GQ Magazine explains, with the hashtag manifestation now topping over eight million posts. However, the trend has left many people feeling disenfranchised from the concept, as they try and fail to create dream lives following the much-touted visualization route, creating a backlash in the press calling the Law of Attraction 'grotesque' (Source: Daily Mail). Winning And Losing At Manifesting As a confessed over-thinker, I have been on both sides of the manifesting fence, creating almost impossible results that surprised and delighted me as well as struggling to understand why others were striving forward with their manifesting success while I watched from the sidelines, confused and frustrated. Even though I did not consciously subscribe to the Law of Attraction methods, in 2004, at the age of 29, I set about finding a route to having more children despite the traumatic delivery of my first daughter, which resulted in near-death and an emergency hysterectomy. Seven years later, in January 2011, despite having no previous knowledge, connections, or resources to draw on, we welcomed our twin daughters with the help of a Californian surrogate and traveled 11,000 from London to meet them for the first time. In retrospect, I had deployed the typical manifesting strategies to bring about that outcome, stepping forward with 100% trust and fervently visualizing the successful end result. I was living as though my vision were already true, and I bought two sets of booties before we even conceived the twins. 'I started my new business in complete trust that the universe had my back.' So when I lost my job at the start of the pandemic in 2020, I said goodbye to nearly two decades as an Advertising Agency Director in complete trust that the universe had my back and was leading me in the right direction. A few months later, I set up as a Business Coach and Brand Strategist and started signing my first clients. As a prolific reader, I dived into many books on The Law Of Attraction and Manifesting as a way to develop my nascent business. From classics like Think And Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) and Ask And It Is Given (Abraham Hicks) to more modern interpretations such as Get Rich Luck Bitch (Denise Duffield-Thomas) and You Are A Badass At Making Money (Jen Sincero), I lapped up the advice. Finally, I intellectually decided that I would 'do that!'. The 'Do That' Of Manifesting So what are the basic tenets of manifesting 101? The simplest form of following the Law of Attraction involves a few key steps: You create your reality, so you must vibrate at a matching high frequency to attract your desires. To attract specific results, you must visualize them frequently and passionately. Create a vision board or start journaling. Be specific about your goals (if you want money, how much?) Practice gratitude and meditate Now, while all these manifesting aspects hold true, anyone who has struggled to bring about their desired reality will attest that more than these steps alone is needed to create magic. And over-thinkers who are intent on achievement and prone to burnout frequently fall short of their manifestation goals. Although I duly journaled and was specific about what I wanted, the more I tried to elevate my business results this way, the more discouraged I became. Finally, never doubting the truth that we are all energy and everything is available to all of us, I concluded that I was the problem – I wasn't any good at manifesting. So I discovered how to align with the Law of Attraction as an over-thinker and found that there are specific ways to successfully unlock the much-lauded magnetic results. What Over-Thinkers Must Do To Manifest 1. Practice Unattachment High achievers are wedded to the idea of successful outcomes. And if the results are not met, feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy arise. To avoid this fear of failure, many high-achievers effort more with longer hours at their laptops and sacrifice time with their families and hobbies, believing that success will follow if they simply work harder. Unfortunately, they frequently hold on too tight and want it so much it hurts. This efforting is a big turn-off for the Law Of Attraction. The fear of it not working out creates an energetic repulsion that pushes the desired outcome further out of reach. 'The simple truth is that to manifest; you must first 'let it go.' It was made real for me during a summer of discontent in my marriage, where I would walk through the woods chewing on what had been said, stewing on my fears of what might happen. Finally, my anxiety got to an insufferable point where I had no choice but to surrender and let go, deciding that it was no longer my job to influence my partner. Instead, my job was to look after my own vibration and find ways to raise my energy, independent of the gritty reality around me. I was unattached from the outcome (making him change) and focused on enjoying the present; the warm summer sunshine, the sound of the breeze in the trees, and the smell of the dried grass. As a driven and type-A woman, this presence was a new experience, and incredibly, my dream result manifested. Our marriage grew stronger, and we moved forward together, with my husband crediting my change of approach to shifting his position in the conflict. By staying unattached, the energy of the situation aligned with my vision, and I created my desired reality. 2. Banish Obligation, Increase Joy High achievers believe in taking action. The problem is that not all actions are created equal and frequent actions born of obligation will send the wrong signals to the universe. As someone that experienced burnout only six months into my new business, I know firsthand how taking unaligned action can work against you. Up to my eyeballs in admin, marketing, copywriting, podcast creating, networking, and client meetings, I was forced to stop and reassess. 'Do tasks within your zone of genius to align with more of the same.' When you do tasks within your zone of genius that brings you joy, you emit a frequency that vibrates in alignment with more of the same. And when you do tasks out of obligation, whether helping a needy friend again the tenth time she asks or doing work admin for hours a day, you call in more, more, more. To manifest more of what you want, you need to DO more of what you desire NOW. So I started to shift my calendar away from obligation tasks towards more aligned uses of my time, including more yoga and woodland walks. Within my business, I started delegating tasks outside my zone of genius (for tips, see 'How To Delegate In 4 Steps'), and I increased the frequency of face-to-face meetings and presentations, situations that make me feel alive and add value to others. As a result, more opportunities opened up to me as if by magic, and I didn't have to rely on meditation to achieve them. 3. Re-Write Your Stories Intelligent and motivated over-thinkers tend to have a negativity bias, taking failure personally, worrying about the future, and not feeling proud of their accomplishments as they strive ever onward toward the next goal. Getting stuck in negative stories results from limiting beliefs such as 'I have not got enough time or 'it's too hard to do this,' which instantly block the vibration of manifesting. 'The first step is acknowledging your negative stories and allowing for a reframe to take place.' Start by acknowledging that the creation of negative stories is taking place, followed by playfully allowing new possibilities to emerge. Imagine if you could choose different thoughts, emotions, and beliefs to create different actions and choose to adopt them more frequently. For deep-grained limiting beliefs, subconscious reprogramming and trauma release work can be very effective. As a new entrepreneur, I thought I had to teach only what I had learned in my corporate marketing world instead of leaning into my growing passion for spirituality and energy work, even though I was certified as a Pranic Healer and Breathwork Facilitator. I grappled with negative stories like 'who am I to do that?', staying in the same frustrating pattern. When I faced those fears and asked better questions, my courage grew. I introduced energetics and manifesting into my work, creating success for myself and my newly-aligned clients. And vitally, my joy and passion grew as I incorporated my spiritual mission within my business. Ready To Manifest Results? Manifesting your vision is available to everyone, over-thinking high-achievers included. However, it's not enough to 'know' how to manifest; it needs to be actioned with ease. And ultimately, unlocking ease is the process that people who are most stuck in their heads need to focus on. Yes, do the meditations and the visioning. But back it up with vibrational actions that put the theory into practice by following the three steps in this article: When holding on too tight to an outcome, take a step back and practice non-attachment. When you get overwhelmed with all you must do, find the obligation points and replace as many as possible with joyful activities. When you go down a negativity spiral, take a peek at what limiting beliefs keep you stuck and change your story with playful curiosity. Know that it's normal to flow in and out of high vibrations, and sometimes you'll be a magnet for what you want, and other times you'll need to go back to the key steps to find what is blocking you. If you want to manifest your goals, the first step is to imagine you have already achieved the ability to bring your desires into reality. My work focuses on helping entrepreneurs, coaches, experts, and consultants to manifest their desires and express their most authentic purpose in their businesses. So if that's you, download this 'Future Self Activation' that helped me take BIG strides forward in unlocking my power to magnetize and join the club of happy manifesters. Download 'Future Self Activation' [Free Recorded Meditatation] HERE. Want to find out how I can help you with manifesting and soul-aligned messaging? Book a connection call on this link. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Joanna! Joanna Ingram, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Joanna Ingram is a former Advertising Agency Director turned Brand Messaging Activator and Business Coach from London, host of the leading podcast, Goals With Soul, and mum to 3 spirited girls. She helps visionary coaches find their true voice, embrace their unique brilliance and clarify their authentic messaging so they can sign soul clients, raise their prices and stand out from the crowd in their industry. Joanna's the trusted leader in activating unique messaging and blends proven brand strategy with energetics (she's a Breathwork Facilitator & Pranic Healer). As the creator of The Messaging Edge™️ Method, Joanna elevates messaging to magnetize your soul clients. This industry-defining program has been called "Business Therapy" and "Heart-Articulation" by clients who have overcome their fear of judgment and perfectionism to express their truth, increase their visibility and accelerate their impact and income growth. Joanna's group program, Time To Rise®️, supports female coaches to go from unseen to fully expressed messaging (and making money doing what they love!) within 30-90 days. Having helped over 200 coaches this year, Joanna is celebrating the joy of sharing her message, and Goals With Soul is now ranked in the top 3% of global podcasts, with listeners from over 55 countries! Her mission is to champion bold women to break the mold with their individuality and express their uniqueness in business. Joanna's here to guide and inspire you to join the dots between your unique brilliance, content, and offers so you can be paid for being yourself. Right now, Joanna is enjoying the freedom to choose how she spends her days (forest walks and creating TikToks with her twins), frequent travel and retreats in Portugal, supercharging her impact, speaking her truth, and coaching her high-vibe clients. Meet Joanna on Instagram here. Check out Joanna's Free Messaging Checklist For Coaches here. Listen To Goals With Soul here.

Written by: Marie Christine, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. One of the wisest things you can do is to be guided by intuition and not your feelings. Why? Because when you listen to your intuition, you tap into a higher level of awareness, while emotions are based on past experiences that may not be relevant to the present situation. Your emotions tell how you feel and are not necessarily the truth. Understanding this helps you regulate your feelings by not immediately acting on them. Instead of using your emotions, you can use intuition to help make decisions, leading to more creative and positive outcomes. What is intuition? Before we can see how being emotionally intelligent supports intuition, it helps to know what intuition is. Intuition is a sixth sense or extrasensory ability to connect with your inner wisdom. Intuition is often perceived as a quiet inner voice that gives helpful guidance – or an unexplainable accurate understanding of a circumstance or person. This inner knowing comes from a source that some would call a soul or higher self, which holds your inner truth. Intuitive intelligence can be helpful in all areas of our lives, from personal to professional. In relationships, for example, you might sense someone isn't being truthful. In your career, you might have a clear premonition that a certain project is doomed to fail. These can be examples of intuition at work. How can you tell the difference between your intuition and your emotions? Deciphering between feelings and intuition can be tricky as they are often likened, but they are not the same. Your emotions are one way of understanding yourself and the environment, and direct intuitive knowledge is another. You can have an intuitive understanding of something and an emotional reaction to it simultaneously, making the two experiences harder to differentiate. One thing to look out for when distinguishing between emotional input and intuitive understanding is that helpful, intuitive guidance is never panicked or gives ultimatums. If you are experiencing these circumstances, it is best to follow the old adage and "sleep on it," meaning give time for your emotions to subside before deciding or taking action. Intuitive knowledge is inherently neutral and will come without negative judgments. Intuitive understanding will feel expansive as you receive it. Look for these qualities when assessing whether something is a feeling or intuitive guidance. If you are experiencing stress and an internal contraction when looking at a situation, you are most likely making an assessment based on emotions alone. This can lead to rash decisions and poor outcomes, as feelings are often fickle and, therefore, not the most reliable sources of information. Emotional and intuitive intelligence support a thriving lifestyle. Emotionally intelligent people are able to regulate their emotions, set boundaries, and communicate effectively. They're also more self-aware, meaning they're more likely to be in touch with their inner truth. Not being driven by how you feel allows you to make better decisions based on what's happening in the present moment and can help you solve problems more inventively and effectively using intuitive understanding. Furthermore, the better you understand and manage your emotions, the more likely you will listen to your intuition. Strong and overwhelming feelings create a chaotic inner environment. And a loud internal headspace makes it harder to hear the still, small voice that guides you. It's worth investing time to become more emotionally and intuitively intelligent because having these life skills will help you become successful and navigate the world more easily. You will know how to read yourself and others, making you more adaptable and a better problem-solver. In conclusion, if you want to make sure that you're making the best decisions possible, it's essential to be able to distinguish between an intuitive understanding of something and how you feel about it. That's where being emotionally intelligent comes in – it helps with your emotional awareness. This self-awareness gives you a solid foundation to make supportive choices, including trusting your intuition. To learn how to develop and strengthen your intuition, download my Intuition Builder here. For a 15-minute complimentary 1-1 Intuitive Session, sign up here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Marie! Marie Christine, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Marie Christine, M.A. in Spiritual Psychology, is an Intuitive Coach and the creator of the Intuition Builder app. With over 12 years of intuitive experience, Marie helps her clients connect with their inner wisdom through powerful 1-1 online sessions. Marie is passionate about sharing her intuitive skill set so that others may learn how to use their intuition for guidance and support in everyday life. Expert in her field, Marie teaches her intuitive skill set in conscious-expanding courses found in her Intuition Builder app.

Kelsay is a professional author, artist and registered somatic movement educator with the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association. She helps creative individuals who are ready for transformation embody resources and integrate deep psychological material through her business, Dialogical Persona Healing Arts. Kelsay brings a decade’s worth of experience teaching, researching and collaborating in intepgrative somatic trauma therapy modalities, ways of understanding the self, what makes a meaningful life, and using the arts for trauma healing and wholeness. Kelsay Elizabeth Myers, Expressive Arts Coach & Somatic Movement Educator at Dialogical Persona Healing Arts Would you tell us some more about your areas of expertise and your own experiences in Expressive Arts and Somatic Movement Education, so we can get to know you better? I’ve been trying to learn about who I am and what my place in the world is through reading, writing, art, philosophy, psychology and spirituality from a very young age. That openness and curiosity for self-reflection led me to get dual M.F.A. degrees in Creative Nonfiction and Poetry from Saint Mary’s College of California and explore found object art installations and mixed media collage through the Asian American Women Artists Association and the healing arts exhibition, A Place of Her Own. But it wasn’t until I learned how to be in my body and move with what it has been holding for more than thirty years that I felt like a whole person. And by whole, I mean a person who is in touch with my somatic awareness and attuned to what I feel in addition to what I believe; a person who experiences sensations, tingles, warmth, numbness, coolness, bubbles, gooeyness, and energy shifts in different parts of my body, sometimes simultaneously, and sometimes still nothing at all. Having access to who I am at an embodied level opened up entirely new avenues for me which led me to become a Ph.D student in Transformative Studies at California Institute of Integral Studies where I use arts-based research methods to explore trauma integration. As an emerging scholar-practitioner, I have also trained and completed research in expressive arts with Tamalpa Institute in the Life/Art Process®, Clean Language facilitation, Presencing and Holding Space through The Academy for Soul-based Coaching and have experience in many integrative somatic trauma therapy modalities. While professional art and writing still are important to me, my focus now is on the ways the arts can serve healing and self-expression whatever that looks, sounds and feels like. I’m currently Editor for the international Transformative Power of Art Journal and co-hosting the third season of the podcast, What I Didn’t Tell My Therapist: REBOOT, which will be launching soon. What kind of services do you offer through your business, Dialogical Persona Healing Arts? I offer individual and group coaching programs and online courses that use transformational processes to help you discover and reclaim your creative flow, experience more joy in life, and feel more settled in your whole system. My coaching uses the variety of modalities and approaches I’ve studied and trained in to meet each client where you’re at in your own life experience. Our work allows you to meet, move, dialogue, release and grow different parts of yourself for trauma healing and wholeness. I have two 3 and 6 month coaching programs called Write Embody Heal and Mirrors of the Soul, as well as two self-paced online courses in expressive arts and embodied writing. I’m also offering monthly membership subscriptions through Subkit that are focused on nourishing the mind, body and soul, advanced communication skills, and being fiercely you. Tell us more about your business. What exactly is dialogical persona? I see my business as a site for creative change. I use cutting edge embodiment and dialogical practices to hold space for my clients to activate the change and growth they want to have happen in their lives. We can be feeling and experiencing multiple things in different body parts at different levels: emotionally, mentally, physically, soulfully—and all of it is true. Using the different mediums of writing, moving, drawing, or creating through art, bringing that back into the body, using a combination of Clean Language questions and transformative inquiry, and teaching my clients how to express themselves with more resources and skills, allows them a safe space and brave container to get to know what these voices and personas within them want to have happen on multiple levels as well. Then by enacting and embodying these dialogues of the soul, body, mind and feeling sensations, integration and a deeper trust in their own wisdom and voice naturally occur. I’m still developing, learning and living into what dialogical persona is exactly, but it comes out of the Dutch narrative therapy modality, Dialogical Self Theory founded by Hubert Hermans, integrative somatic movement traditions, and the transformative processes in Annemiek van Helsdingen’s Soul-based Coaching and Anna and Daria Halprin’s Tamalpa Institute Life/Art Process work. It’s important to me to live and embody what I teach and ask my clients to do, so while I see my business as site for creative change in others, it’s also a site of creative change in itself. In that way, it stays responsive to what my clients need and is constantly growing and dialoging with the times. That’s really interesting. Is there anything else you’d like to say about that? Trust and surrender were not easy concepts or qualities for me as a Korean adoptee relinquished at birth, but I know from firsthand experience that change is possible. I’ve learned that embodied multimodal arts are essential to the process of conversing and integrating the multifaceted parts of the self, and that integration is not linear. I’ve experienced the process as flowing in, out, and between ideas of solidarity, connection, empowerment, self-expression, and the many qualities they also contain. It’s been a journey, and all of it has been incredible in showing me the true depths and range of what human beings are capable of. It’s a real honor for me to witness and guide people in becoming who they have always been and wanted to be, but because of fear, doubt and traumatic experiences, maybe they haven’t felt safe or brave enough to be until doing this work together. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kelsey!

Janine Naman is a versatile, compassionate and intuitive guide. Helping clients understand their mind-body connection with transformational practices that empowers them to find balance and wholeness. Janine brings wellness to life with her embodied knowledge of anatomy and movement. Discover your true fundamental healing potential and understand ways to manage physical, mental and spiritual challenges. Learn practices that can alleviate suffering on all levels and restore your body’s natural balance through this holistic approach. Having studied since 2002, Janine has guided thousands of classes and private sessions. She holds multiple certifications along with the numerous accolades received throughout her career. Her mission is to help people elevate their life and master the relationship between mind, body, and spirit. Certified Yoga Therapist, Emotional Freedom Technique/Tapping Practitioner, Reiki Master, Spiritual Coach, Energy worker, Chi Gong instructor, Advanced Yoga Instructor and Author Janine Naman, Holistic Therapy Why did you get into the health and wellness field? Even though I was still young, I was unhealthy, had chronic pain, and suffered from complicated grief after a series of deaths in my family. My mind, body and spirit felt broken, and I fell into a deep depression. Deep inside, I knew I had to move my body to get better, but everything hurt and was too exhausting to perform. My husband suggested I try the yoga class at our local gym to see if that would work. Immediately after the first class, he said he saw a spark in my eye again, and I felt somehow lighter, like there was new space in my mind for something different than constant sadness. I kept going and fell in love with the practice and felt my life change. I didn't start to help people but realized that perhaps I could use my experiences to help others. I soon enrolled in an intense, six-week yoga instructor program in 2004, having no idea how much my life path would change. You hold multiple certificates in different modalities why? After teaching thousands of classes, I started noticing a pattern with my students; they often approached me seeking help with their injuries, mental health and other medical conditions. I felt limited in my abilities and knew I was not qualified to give advice or recommendations for specific concerns. By this time I had fallen in love with helping people, so I decided to expand my training to better my understanding of the body, mind and spirit to serve others. My experiences taught me that everyone connects with something different that makes them feel heard. Some people need more help with mental health, others physical or spiritual. Even though my modalities differ, I always think in terms of wholeness. My ultimate goal is to be a guide for the body, mind and spirit to find harmony and balance. I remind clients they are already whole, already enough and that their body, mind and spirit have wisdom, intelligence and healing potential, no matter where they are in their journey. You are trained in Yoga and Yoga Therapy; what is the difference? Let me start by saying all Yoga can improve our health and is a healing practice. The difference is in training, who the methods would be for, and what part of society we serve. Yoga Training: To become a yoga teacher, you must undergo at least 200 hours of certified training and can advance to 500-hour training to further your practice. The Yoga Alliance is the governing institute that upholds standards and ethics. The types of physical Yoga can widely vary from Hatha, Kundalini, Yin, Ashtanga, Iyengar Anusara, or Kripalu. Emphasis on postures, breath practices, and the mind-body connection can involve chanting, mantra, and meditation and are usually held in group classes. The practices are geared more towards the general public, who is comfortable with the movement and has some physical fitness. These styles of Yoga are transformative and have many health benefits but do not necessarily address individual needs or demographics. Yoga Therapy: All yoga therapists are yoga teachers; as a prerequisite to becoming a yoga therapist, a 200-hour certificate with a least 100 hours of teaching over a least a year. Training must be done with an accredited school and can vary from 800 to 1000 of training with submitted hours of contact for individuals and/or groups sessions. The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is the governing house by which certification strands of teaching and ethics are upheld. An understanding of Yoga philosophy and a thorough knowledge of Physiology, functional anatomy and pathologies is required. We use evidence-based yogic practices to treat specific health conditions, physical, mental or spiritual. Training includes an understanding of contraindications and modifications of postures to suit individuals. We learn how to create a therapeutic relationship with clients that provides personalized assessment and goal setting. Interaction with medical professionals: yoga therapists do not diagnose but are integral team players (practitioners) in a patient's healing journey. Who would benefit from Yoga Therapy? If you are struggling to move comfortably, fearful of getting hurt, unable to get on and off the floor easily, or suffer from pain or general malaise. You're stiff, recovering from an injury, suffering from dysfunction of the body's organ systems, stressed out, anxious, or depressed. If you want help connecting to your innate spiritual essence and your subtle body and want to expand vitality and self-awareness, then Yoga Therapy is right for you. We guide safe, effective movements to re-patterning dysfunction and pain through education and embodiment, to allow the body to find optimal alignment and physical balance for homeostasis. Easing the mind, conscious breath regulation, calming the nervous system, meditative practices, visualizations, mantra, increasing energy (prana) flow, vocal sounds, lifestyle changes, and home study. Learn to relax, slow down, and let go of what is no longer serving you. Create a sense of embodiment and wholeness—making the healing process comprehensive and specific to you and your transformation. Is Yoga Therapy proven? Yoga is not a cure-all for physical or mental problems. Still, a growing body of research confirms Yoga Therapy's promise to offer relief from the suffering of several chronic and debilitating conditions. Since 1989, the International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) has made significant strides in its mission to establish Yoga Therapy as a respected and recognized holistic therapy. A substantial body of clinical research now documents Yoga's proven benefits for various health conditions, with over 60 clinical studies done. Also, the IAYT hosts an annual research conference, the Symposium on Yoga Research, and publishes a peer-reviewed, Medline-indexed journal, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy." Currently, Yoga Therapy is being used in Hospital and clinical settings across the USA as a viable treatment. It is offered as higher education in university curricula, such as a master's program at the University of Maryland. Even here in Canada, the momentum is climbing; a growing number of healthcare practitioners are turning to ancient practices to help their patients feel better. What is a session like from the patient’s point of view? Comfortable, safe, feeling heard and not feeling judged is of the utmost importance to me. I want my clients to feel empowered. The interview process is extensive; not only do I assess the physical aspect of their primary health concern, but I also evaluate their emotional intelligence, prana levels (energy), and ways of moving and speaking. I ask about daily habits, what they eat/drink, bathroom habits, sleeping patterns, thought patterns (negative or positive thinking), and if they feel connected to something greater than themselves. It can be surprising to clients the different kinds of questions I ask. In my mind, I am painting a picture of the relationship of things, knowing everything affects everything, so I am trying to see the mind, body and spiritual aspects of their complaint. I base my question on the Koshic model, the states we humans have many, sheaths or aspects, each forming a different layer in human consciousness. The layers range from the soft and subtle emotional elements to the physical, dense system each affecting one another and interweaving to create a multidimensional human, Janine likens the Kosha system to a light bulb with five lamp shades over top of it. The bulb at the centre is the soul, while each shade represents the body, mind and emotions. While the divine light radiates through each shade, the different layers intermingle with each other to improve the quality and quantity of brightness shining through. The outermost layer is the physical layer called Annamaya Kosha, which is the gateway to a deeper understanding of self. Dietary and lifestyle habits and awareness of the physical self polishes this Kosha. Next is the prana (breath) layer called Pranamaya Kosha. It is made of prana energy, responsible for breathing, electrical impulses, hormone secretions, and our endocrine, digestive, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Manomaya Kosha is the layer that controls thoughts and emotions. It uses the five senses to govern perception, instinctual consciousness, and emotional responses to negative and positive experiences, behaviours and habits. Vijanamaya Kosha is the wisdom layer responsible for morals, ego, ethics, and inner growth. It controls our ability to look at ourselves and the big picture by stepping away from the conditioned responsive mind. The final layer closest to the soul is Anandamaya Kosha, the most subtle, blissful layer. It perceives unity and acknowledges that there is something great within you. The words “I understand” are used in this layer as the person recognizes that there is so much more than just a material world. Working with each Kosha creates a clear healing pathway for each individual's needs. It improves the person's total health and wellness by reducing symptoms, restoring balance, increasing vitality and enhancing thought patterns. No matter the aliment using the Koshic system brings a better understanding of self. What has been your favourite aspect of this work? I believe in a symbiotic relationship with my clients; after all, it is not me doing the healing; I am only a guide. I have seen remarkable transformations when we work together (the client steps up to the plate). I remain open to different concepts, ideas and lessons, knowing everyone has wisdom and expertise because of their life circumstances. It never ceases to amaze me how resilient we humans can be; given the right circumstance, we can bounce back from just about anything. I love witnessing people befriend their bodies, and feel wholeness and connection. What services do you currently offer? Online Yoga and Chi Gong classes Online private Yoga Therapy sessions Online private EFT (Tapping) session Online Energy Balancing sessions Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Janine!

Written by: Christine Luken, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Right now, we’re all searching for ways to save money on food. Go into any grocery store or restaurant, and you’ll see more than enough proof of inflation. Yesterday, I saw an organic whole chicken priced at $17! (Yes, for one.) According to the USDA, grocery prices are predicted to increase between 11% and 12% percent this year, and restaurant prices are predicted to increase between 7-8% percent. It might feel like food is a black hole in your budget! Thankfully, prices are forecasted to rise more slowly in 2023, but still at above-historical average rates. In 2023, you can plan on seeing another 3-4% rise in your family’s food bill. Even higher-income families, who previously didn’t sweat their grocery bills, are now begging me for tips to get their food costs under control. Here are seven simple ways to begin saving money now. 7 Simple Ways to Save Money on Food 1. Cook at home to trim 30% of your cost (and calories) The exact same dish cooked at home will save you both money and calories over the restaurant version. I’m not saying you should nix dining out altogether, but rather be more intentional with your dining out. Many times, we end up eating out due to a lack of planning and our wallets take the hit. 2. Plan your meals. Americans throw away about 30% of the food they buy. If your family spends $1,000 on groceries, that’s the equivalent of $300 in food wasted every month—$3,600 for the year! Next time you’re scraping food from your plate into the garbage, imagine those are dollars falling into the trash can. By planning your weekly meals, you’ll drastically reduce the amount of food your family throws away. This is also good for the environment because fewer plastic containers end up in landfill. Just like managing your time and money, when you manage your food resources on purpose, you’ll waste less and save your dollars. If you need guidance on getting started, download my free e-book, Mindful Meal Planning: Eat Healthy While Saving Time, Money & Stress. 3. Don’t turn up your nose at store brands. I have a friend who works for a packaging company. A few years ago, she told me that the store brand packaging is shipped directly to the factories of the national store brands! After running a batch of national brand cake mix, the store brand packages are set up on the exact same line, with the exact same ingredients inside. Most grocery stores offer money-back guarantees on their house brands, so don’t be afraid to try them. Why pay more just for the label? 4. Use cash for dining out. Typically, people spend 15% more money when they are spending on a credit card instead of cash. When you have a fixed amount of cash in your wallet for eating out, it automatically makes you mindful of what you’re ordering at the restaurant. Spending cash actually registers as pain in your brain, so you’re going to think twice about spending it so freely. Yes, it literally hurts to part with your cash which makes it a great budgeting tool! Some restaurants even offer a cash discount when paying your tab. 5. Take advantage of restaurant specials. You can still savor restaurant meals while saving major money by capitalizing on their special offers. Many establishments offer loyalty programs that reward you with free desserts, appetizers, or cash-off future meals. Most restaurants have some combo of daily specials, happy hour deals, or days when kids under 12 eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. 6. Easily cut your tab when dining out. Skip the soda or iced tea in favor of water. Drinks can add $2-$4 per person! If you really want a cocktail, choose the restaurant’s house wine, beer, and spirits, preferably during happy hour specials. And consider eating out for lunch instead of dinner. Most restaurant lunch entrees are 30-40% less expensive, and the portions are more reasonable, too. And speaking of those huge portions, you can save money by splitting an entrée with your honey! 7. Pick up, don’t do delivery! Sure, it’s convenient to use UberEats and Door Dash when you’re starving, but at what price? One of my clients recently told me her teenage son ordered a large chocolate milkshake for delivery late on a Friday night. She almost fainted when she saw the charge on her credit card: $15 with delivery fee and tip! My client could have hopped in the car and, five minutes and five dollars later, had the exact same milkshake for her son. By being more intentional with your food dollars, you can easily cut your expenses to take the bite out of inflation. If you want more tips on how to save money beyond the grocery store, check out my free 3-Day Master Your Spending Mini Course. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Christine! Christine Luken, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Ready for money to support your happiness, rather than stress you out? Then you need Christine Luken, Financial Dignity® Coach in your corner! As the Founder of the Financial Dignity® Movement, Christine has coached hundreds of high-earning professionals, business owners, and divorcing women to pay off staggering amounts of debt and massively increase their net worth. The author of several books, including Money is Emotional and Financial Dignity® After Divorce, Christine blends wise money management with emotional intelligence.

Written by: Tracey Sofra, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. Financial intimacy is where two people in a relationship are honest about their beliefs about money. That’s where both partners are in tune to create a healthy financial relationship with trust and honesty at its very core. Of course, all types of intimacy in a relationship are important but financial intimacy can either make or break your relationship and is, therefore, an essential component of any relationship. Issues from Lack of Financial Intimacy Secrets about debt or money problems Financial imbalance leads to resentment (when one partner earns more or has bigger financial obligations) Communication breakdowns Lack of trust and financial infidelity (If one partner has been caught lying about money) Improve Financial Intimacy in every stage of the relationship 1. When dating If you are just getting to know each other, it's a great time to ask questions: How does your partner value money? Do you share similar beliefs and financial aspirations? You may not want to ask as many questions as your accountant would. But you can find out if they’re keen to buy a home and save for the future. 2. Moving in together When things are more serious, you might decide to move in together. Sit down and discuss your money management plans. Ideally, this conversion should happen before you've officially moved in together. How will you split the bills? Will you have a joint account? Will you split the rent 50/50 or each pay a proportion based on your salaries? There are no right or wrong answers here. The point is to have an honest discussion to ensure you’re on the road to financial compatibility and that you're comfortable with the plan. 3. Getting married Newly engaged? Congratulations! This is a great chance to have a chat about your finances with your partner! Before you get carried away with looking at dresses and venues, have an open discussion about how much you plan to spend on your special day. You also want to discuss and establish your joint short- and long-term financial goals if you haven't already. 4. Buying a home together This is a big step in a relationship. Financial intimacy here means discussing how you'll afford a deposit on your first home. Will you each save 50%? Perhaps this isn't possible. In which case, will you choose a different split based on your earnings? Consider if you purchase the property in joint names or tenants in common. Don't forget to discuss how you’ll split the mortgage costs and repairs. 5. In a long-term relationship Set some time aside often to talk about goals, budgeting, paying off debt, investing, and other money goals. I call these Money Dates and simply put money dates are allocated time you spend budgeting, managing, and planning your finances. They allow you to check in with your money regularly and ensure you are showing it the love and attention it deserves. You don't need to have the entire conversation in one sitting instead, be intentional about bringing it up so you can both get on the same page financially. Financial Intimacy takes teamwork Don't feel like you need to go at achieving financial intimacy alone! Professionals are available to speak to you depending on your relationship stage and your specific concerns. For example, you might speak to a financial advisor, accountant, mortgage advisor, tax advisor, or relationship/marriage counselor. It’s never too late! Whatever relationship stage you’re at, financial intimacy is worth achieving. And this is a goal within reach. Begin by opening up to your partner about any concerns you have. Even if financial intimacy has been lacking, it’s never too late to get back on track. Begin with an open and honest discussion about how you both view money and create joint financial goals together. Don't forget to seek professional advice if you need it to help you stay on track. I'm Tracey Sofra and I believe women should take control of their money and create the financial independence they deserve to live a life of choice. If you are ready to take the next step in your journey to living a life of choice, take the Financial Confidence Quiz and find out how you score to move forward in your financial life. GET YOUR SCORE NOW! Tracey Sofra is Australia’s leading Financial Advisor specialising in Women’s Financial Confidence. As a Business Leader, Mentor, Financial Advisor, Author, Speaker, and Mum, for over three decades Tracey has shared her proven method for shifting mindsets and the limits to financial success for thousands of women. Her passion for financial freedom is infectious leaving you inspired to challenge the status quo, build confidence and create change. To enquire about her working with you or your organisation please contact us at info@wowwomen.com.au Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Tracey! Tracey Sofra, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Tracey Sofra, is Australia’s leading Financial Advisor specialising in Women’s Financial Confidence. As a Business Leader, Mentor, Financial Advisor, Author, Speaker and Mum, for over three decades Tracey has shared her proven method for shifting mindsets and the limits to financial success for thousands of women. Her passion around financial freedom is infectious leaving you inspired to challenge the status quo, build confidence and create change. Tracey is dedicated to Investing in Women's Empowerment across the globe as part of a greater social impact across the UN Sustainability Goals.

Written by: William Liu, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. I shared previously about ways to improve your own personal leadership. I discussed that the reason why leadership is so near and dear to me is the positive impact it has had on my life. I fully understand that I am a byproduct of the senior leaders that took the time to lead me well. While strong leadership is predicated on authenticity, trust, and honesty, that equally extends to the culture of your team and organization. It is a leader’s responsibility to shape the organizational environment around the people they lead and influence. Most importantly however, it is to have a healthy culture where everyone can thrive in. Before we dive further into the topic of culture, I would like to offer my interpretation and definition of organizational culture. Organizational culture is the “collective way that a group of people, bonded through shared mission and values (whether formal or informal), think, act, and interact with one another to accomplish a set vision and direction.” Another way to frame it, culture is the combined behaviors that are practiced day in and day out throughout the organization. These behaviors bleed into how you communicate, collaborate, plan, and ultimately perform. I firmly believe that leaders and managers set the cultural tone for their teams and organizations by setting the standard, communicating that standard, modeling that standard, and developing systems and processes to help their teams in enacting the spirit of the standard. As it relates to establishing healthy organization culture, I strongly feel that phrase from John Maxwell “that everything rises and falls with leadership” is so appropriate in this context. It starts from the top. Focus on organizational health is a necessity: Especially in this tight labor market along with the continued economic headwinds, senior leaders in a company must focus on organizational culture and its impact on organizational health. It is no longer just a competitive advantage; it is a necessity. This is paramount because at the end of the day, what is an organization without people? And with so much uncertainty permeating economically, geopolitically, and socially, focusing on this to reduce retention risk to a company as well as treating people well is a no-brainer. Another way to look at this is, what would you do now to prevent your best people from leaving your organization later? Would taking the appropriate measures, steps, and time to reduce that risk be worth it. I know for me the question is unequivocally yes. While that may sound extreme, it really is looking at it from a risk management standpoint. Employees are feeling uncertain, potentially burn-out, and even frustrated and dissatisfied. This is then leading them to either find other jobs and resign or engage in behavior like quiet quitting. Ultimately, it is a leader’s job and responsibility to act. Whether your organization is extremely healthy or not, there are still always ways to improve. Practical applications to start today: So, what are ways to start? I bucketed it into 3 general phases from what has helped in my own experience in recent years through the pandemic and even post-pandemic. 1. Assessment: Assess where your team is at using employee engagement surveys like Energage or even just create your own custom survey through Google Forms. It starts with asking the right type of questions based on what you observe going on at work and what you hear. Be curious and ask why? You could be experiencing communication challenges or seeing signs of burnout. In that case, you could ask questions such as the following: How would you rate the communication within your team? How would you rate the communication with other people in the organization? Are you noticing a disconnect between what is asked by management and what is being accomplished? How would you rate the general mood and sentiment feels like at work? Are you feeling signs of exhaustion, stress, or internal friction bubble up? Do you feel tasks and projects are behind? Is there a passion emanating from what your team members do regularly? 2. Action: From that survey, use the information collected and begin to work to address any of the concerns and issues raised from it. The important thing is to start the process of changing things for the better. It often will not be a short-term fix but starting now is a great first step. Depending on the results, it may be something to publicly acknowledge to your team and that can set the context for what is to come. Often just that willingness by a leader to bring up something hard and contextualize it for the team helps to remove ambiguity. You can also begin to engage in a bi-directional conversation with your teams in group settings. This could be doing anonymous focus groups in conjunction with your human resources team. It could even be spending time as a team monthly to get to know each other and establish that trust where you can open up more as a group. This can also be augmented by more informal practices like skip-level meetings, where a leader skips a level down to talk to more junior team members. Perhaps, even setting up a vehicle to practice appreciation and gratitude through writing a nice card, leveraging recognition tools, or setting up a slack channel to say something nice for everyone to see. 3. Involvement: This makes this a team effort. Get your managers and others involved. For there to be genuine transformation, it cannot just be on the leader. It really is about listening to what is being communicated back to you and setting an intentional plan to create new habits, new practices, and new rituals that ultimately tie back to the mission, vision, and values of your organization. You will be surprised how significant the change can be when people understand their purpose in a company and where the company is going. In addition, ask for new ideas to try out to make the organization healthier and improve adherence to the culture. Once you get that ball rolling, it is about continuous incremental improvement. Measure where you are quarterly, use the results to continue what is working well, make changes for those parts that are not, and continue to listen. Healthy organizational culture is a good investment: This may sound so elementary and simple, but that is the point. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The pandemic really accelerated the trend in this direction so there are so many resources (podcasts, books, audiobooks, etc.) that can help. If you are a manager or leader, there is no excuse not to focus on improving the health of your organizational culture. If you are not in those positions, please bring it up with your colleagues and managers. Things won’t improve overnight, and depending on the level of change needed, it may take a while to gain traction and take hold. But focusing on improving your organizational health through the culture is always a good investment. Another favorite starting point is the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team framework. I strongly recommend this book read to everyone. Follow me on LinkedIn, for more info! Read more from William! William Liu, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine William Liu is currently a higher education marketing executive at the American College of Education. He enjoys the challenge of identifying and solving mission-critical problems for organizations and has a wealth of experience tackling challenges around the world from his time in the Army as a psychological operations specialist to now. In his 20 years working in marketing, he has a strong history of transforming teams through his emphasis on organizational health and culture. His mission in life is to leverage his leadership to help solve problems in his community, at work, and in the world at large. He believes that every life he can impact professionally or personally can lead to a better world.

Written by: Chrysanthi Vazitari, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. If you know me, you’ll know I love a good music reference. Hence the title for this article. Even though I never stopped believing, there were times in my life that made my journey a bit difficult. But let’s take it from the start… During my 20s, I realized that I wasn’t anywhere near the “dream career” everyone was talking about. I was really unsatisfied with my career, even though I managed to accomplish a lot of things at a really young age. That led me to experience burnout, an experience that lasted almost a year. Imagine it as a year of many sleepless nights, a constant lack of energy and the permanent feeling of exhaustion. The prolongation of that feeling caused a great deficiency of vitamins, extremely high levels of cortisol, which led to health troubles. Imagine that… You might wonder… “Why didn’t you get some help?” Honestly, I don't know. Nobody told me that what I was experiencing was not normal or that it was burnout or it was due to the long dissatisfaction from my lifestyle. I was so overwhelmed with everything, I thought that giving time, till I somehow have an epiphany on what I want to do with my life, will be the solution. Of course any action, even applying for a job, felt like another element in my to-do list. My usual excuses were, among others: "There are things more important right now", "You can do this later", “But I don't want to change my job for another similar position” “This is all I have done for the past few years, I don't know if I can do anything else” and many more negative and no-cannot-do thoughts. But later was never coming, so I said f**k this Chrysa... just do something! So, in 2020, I took a leap and decided to study something, so I started a coaching training. I always loved psychology, I was always curious about people and I do love helping and boy, I fell in love with it. I said “that’s it”. Coaching gave me an opportunity to align my values with my needs and make them a priority. Of course, very soon the next new thing came up. As I am a free-spirited person, being an entrepreneur, was something that I had been desiring since I can remember myself. From my first sales of handmade paintings when I was 5 years old, to my small stress ball shop back in the elementary years. (yes you can imagine what they looked like). Therefore, I had to take some uncomfortable decisions and ofter work harder than before! I started saying no to gatherings or invitations and I channeled my focus on growing for once. Trust me... Many times I was tempted to just give up, still am sometimes, and get a job in the field of my comfort zone BUT my vision for the career identity I wanted to build was stronger than ever. Just a few months later after taking my certification, I quit my job and two months after that, I got my first big coaching job with a multinational company. The rush you get when you start something new, especially something that you wanted for so long, is truly indescribable. One and a half years later, since I decided to take an action, I have worked with more than 180 people from all over the world, delivered around 40 workshops/trainings, challenges and learned so many more new things than I ever did in the 5 years of my "corporate" life. My journey finally started to mean something. After all, it’s not the destination so much as the journey. Of course, all of these would have never happened if I didn’t ask for help. If “you can do this later” didn’t become “you need to do this now, for yourself”. My dream is happening because I stopped and grasped my needs for once. I invested in myself and decided to finally build the life that I wanted! I am still building it of course, but it all happened when I CONSCIOUSLY DECIDED to take a bet on myself and start becoming the Chrysa I always dreamed of. If you should take something from my journey, it is that you should start feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable and always know that you can ask for help. Because of that I now help other passionate professionals to Grow & Glow their careers with my unique and fun programmes. Maybe I can help you too! So, don’t stop believin’! If you are seeking clarity, career satisfaction or to pivot your career, I am your person. Book a discovery call here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Chrysanthi! Chrysanthi Vazitari, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Chrysanthi is a certified transformational coach working with multi-passionate and highly energetic professionals, who try to get career satisfaction, advancement or who want to completely pivot their careers. Chrysa has successfully pivoted her career three times already, from an educator to communications advisor in big corporations and is now an entrepreneur/coach. She is the founder of Career Grow & Glow and the co-founder of GrowthUP coaching. Her coaching method is the ACC: Awareness ‒ Clarity ‒ Choice (by CMA) in combination with somatic/embodied and cognitive-behavioral elements. Of course, there is constant change, as she doesn't rest and keep incorporating new methods along the way!

Written by: Erin Vogt, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. At one point, I knew I had found the answer. Something had to explain the inner confusion, relentless distraction, Rolodex of jobs, battling focus and sensory overloads. I was treated as a sad, burnt-out Mom, given anti-depressants, and the brain fog was ten times worse. Daily, I felt even-keeled and scarily numb. Even that tiny dose altered me. Not into the better person I wanted to be or the braver one. It had parked my keister into comfort and avoidance. I was an insomniac, dull, paranoid, felt a loss of sparkle, and was the queen of Mom-shame while I aced People Pleasing 101. (Cue the violin). Fidgety and showing fake smiles in pain, my counsellor inquired why I was so deflective and distracted. I had always laughed and said, "That is my ADD talking." Joking turned into a severe contemplation, and weeks later, my assessment returned: High Functioning ADHD. Combined with my psychiatrist's evaluation of Obsessive Compulsive Personality (not OCD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and prone to further bouts of Depression. My first response was, "Now, isn't that a fun bowl of alphabet soup?" To be followed by denial, frustration, and shame that eventually led to finding joy and self-acceptance. Through this diagnosis experience, I realized my mental health comorbidities had a semblance. A switch finally went off. I could understand why I was more susceptible to Depression and living with unknown anxiety could result from living with ADHD all those years. I discovered that nearly 50% of adults diagnosed with ADHD experience some anxiety disorder. [1] Even more disturbing was reading that only 20% of adults sought professional help. Tying the Pieces Together My behaviour patterns started to make sense, and I was in a more empowered position to make effective changes. Feeling as though I did not measure up to my peers or family members, I masked my true personality to fit in. The people with ADHD I meet while networking and coaching share the same tone: "I never feel like I truly fit in anywhere." I've come to understand that lacking this sense of belonging may be because we feel forced to adapt to fit in. Adaptability is one angle we, as ADHD'ers, shine (we love change and pressure) and also, we feel compelled to adapt to people and situations not even suitable for us. Wanting to feel the rush of dopamine, we switch around jobs, relationships, hobbies, and obsessions. Consistency is a struggle, and time either runs warp-speed where we are on the catch-up train, or it lags on and on, and a turtle appears to move faster than said tedious task. At the time of my diagnosis, I was mid 30's and had overcome four depressive episodes, including two bouts of post-partum Depression. I became fanatical in researching what I "had" and how I could improve my life. Books, podcasts, webinars, Ted Talks, interviewing friends, social media rabbit holes, and YouTube became my obsessions. Reading and hearing materials that normalized the chaos was constructive and heart-warming. Moving Forward Intentionally Years later, I dove into transformation and got clarity around my habits. I got quiet with my thoughts, lit up journals, Zoom rooms, learned to laugh, and eventually could love this part of myself. I'll never forget the first aha moment realizing I was not alone in my patterns. "You mean others lose track when setting the table, get lost in parking lots, forget to send cards, pay bills on time, smile and nod they live "present" yet struggle to focus on one topic? Not just teens? Adult life with ADHD exists. Seriously?" I like to call it ADDulting. It turns out it was not just me. Well, fancy that! There's a "name" for it—a label giving context to past disasters and victories dating back to preschool. Maybe I'm not destined to be the strange duck forever, and other fantastic duckies may join me in my homey sparkle pond, where you know there will be dancing. Fortunately, such magic has occurred. By the grace of God, I have received the most incredible opportunities and circles of friends since I learned how to accept and no longer deny my true authentic self. Adapting habits to suit a distracted mind and spontaneous attitude and calling 'squirrel' every 42 seconds is not the most straightforward task. And it is worth every effort. I remain grateful for the pitfalls and challenging lessons that allow me to live in the same headspace as my clients. Such accurate empathy is necessary within any coaching relationship. The past six years have been a whirlwind of emotions and creative zest. Finally, answering a decade-long calling of becoming a Coach for women who are overwhelmed and exhausted. Once I had this understanding, I knew that moving forward to establish my best level of health (i.e. mental, physical, social and emotional) was a necessary goal to be at my best in all areas of life. Habit change has been an arduous back-and-forth process, far from linear and also a beautiful journey. Growing Awareness of ADHD Today, the internet is ripe with reels, Tik Toks, Instagram carousels and videos to see that we are not alone in our ADHD challenges. It is refreshing to laugh at our quirks. Let's face it; our actions can be pretty ridiculous and hilarious. It's encouraging for those who are on their discovery path. It feels enlightening to be in the company of driven, creative and impactful entrepreneurs who desire to lead the world in transforming mindsets and old paradigms around understanding mental health, human behaviour and habit change. We must continue creating and expanding the conversations in this growing ADHD community so we can find our authentic voices and truly belong. This quote by ADHD and Executive Function Coach Anna Dafna beautifully summarizes what we, living with ADHD, get to focus on: "Be grateful for every test...and all its challenges, visualize how you want your life to be, focus on what you want to achieve, trust your abilities, take the difficult road and believe in yourself." Finding focus and calm in our day requires work; however, it doesn't have to cost anything but attention and time. Learning to manage stress and overwhelm is possible when intentionality is at play. Here are 8 Ways to Activate Calm in Stressful Times Get outside and move your body. Let nature offer answers to what overwhelms you. Leave your smartphone and smartwatch at home when outdoors for a walk or jog. Focus on what you hear in 10-second increments. Pause, reflect and repeat. Find one physical object in your home that has meaning. Create focus around its shape, colours, size and texture —zone in on the simplicity and memories of what this object represents. Grab your water and a snack. Adults with ADHD can forget to eat and hydrate properly. Hours of continuous work and hyper-focused activity can affect habits of daily living. Watch a child or animal play, and where possible, play with them. Remember that you once were a carefree child as well. There's no shame in reliving this curious, joyful part of you. Gather your thoughts in one place. Write whatever is on your mind now. Grab any loose piece of paper (i.e., a straggly receipt in your purse) and just let your pen move. Play music if you like, and feel the flow of what your emotions are telling you. Your thoughts dictate feelings, which inform your actions. Your actions dictate your behaviours, which inform your behaviours and carve your habits. Phone a friend. Old school, not texting or sending direct messages. Use voice exchange to share tone and context about what you're going through. You deserve such attention from a loving family member or friend. Offer yourself grace. What have you accomplished today that is worth celebrating? Go for ABC - (A) Always (B) Be (C) Celebrating. No matter what you crushed or flopped, consider the action as progress. After all, Nelson Mandela graced us with this quote: "I never lose. I either win or I learn". Create clarity around your racing thoughts by downloading Erin Vogt's Guidebook: 6 Essential Ways to Calm Your ADHD Mind, here. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Erin! Erin Vogt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Erin Vogt is a Transformation Coach focused on mental wellness for women. Overcoming years of extreme stress and depression, Vogt helps women create freedom from overwhelm and exhaustion by making lasting changes in their health habits. She shows women how to unshackle from guilt and shame to find their authentic voice and confidently own their life. Erin is the Founder of Beyond Mom Club and runs the Creating Freedom for Women Community. Source: [1] ADHD Statistics: Numbers, Facts, and Information About ADD (additudemag.com)

Roberto is an experienced business coach who applies neuroscientific paradigms in the programs created for his clients. Roberto has the passion to work with people and for people within companies, to ensure high levels of performance and a degree of job satisfaction that makes them accomplished and successful and improves the total productivity of the company. His vision is to see his country (Italy) better than it is now, through the success of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) which represent at least 70% of the national economy. He says, "'I want to leave our children and our grandchildren a better country". For this, he contributes in improving the success of companies through his business coaching program (“PerFormare”) and through his neuroscience expertise, working on the balance of four human beings variables: Mind, Body, Emotions, Relationships. ""PerFormare"", the innovative business coaching program proposed by Roberto, leverages an assessment based on neuroscience, done at the beginning and the end of the program; He can make the intervention with clients, who choose to work with him, very precise, accurate and effective. Roberto is an expert in NLP (Master Practitioner), Mindfulness, Personal Trainer, Nutrition, Neuroscience, Leadership and collaborates with different experts according to the needs of clientIf you want to know deeply how to best use the skills and talents of the people who are part of your team, if you want to know the relational modalities and behavioral patterns of your collaborators, if you want to know how to best organize your team and make it perform at its best please, take a look at https://robertopatricolo.com/ to learn more about Roberto his work and his innovative approach. Roberto Patricolo, Business and Performance COACH Introduce yourself. I am the father of three beautiful girls, now adults who are taking flight for their future autonomy, in work, in the family, and in their own choices. I live with my wife Letizia and Agnese one of my three daughters, trying in my little one not to let them miss anything and to the development of the future of everyone in the family. almost 3 years. My hobbies are music, listened to and playing as a blues guitarist, reading historical books and historical, adventure, and fantastic films. I am very passionate about the history of the mafia because they also tell about my adolescence and youth, as I was born in Sicily; and neuroscience, which excites me a lot to the point of being an integral part of my work and my proposal to clients. I have always done the work of consulting and supporting others, and in the last 12 years in coaching I have wanted to affirm my propensity to help, and I always find a way to lend a hand to those in need. What is the name of your business, and how do you help your customers? My activity, Wellness eXperience for the concept of well-being not only for health but, above all linked to the concept of satisfaction and happiness that each of us wants to achieve. My activity is in the field of coaching, and I can define it as performance and neuro coach in the commercial field; because I believe business is excellent when performance is excellent. Every person, in my opinion, can have a high performance if he understands how it works and what makes it work in the best way: the brain and the balance between mind, emotions and body. What kind of audience are you targeting your business? My business is aimed at all those who want to increase their satisfaction in life, especially entrepreneurs, professionals and managers and business teams. What are your goals for your business? My goal is to raise awareness in Italian entrepreneurs that people are the real engine of the economy and not procedures or strategies for their own sake. In this sense, I have already developed a project that incorporates neuroscience since last year. What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future? I would like to get entrepreneurs to understand what I can do for them and to seriously consider the idea of ​​collaborating with me for the growth of their businesses and the Italian economy. I'm talking about collaboration, not about the customer. For me, the relationship with the customer must be a partnership relationship. What is your work inspired by? My work is inspired by my desire to see my children live in a fairer, wiser, and more balanced world, and to do this everyone must do their part. I do my part, helping those who can and want to improve their way of approaching life and the situations that arise daily, in the private and personal sphere, as well as in the professional one. If everyone does their part, I believe we can become successful in creating a great future. Tell us about your biggest professional achievement so far. Helping people to change their lifestyle. I collaborate with medical studies; we have developed a path that integrates the nutritional medical part with mental coaching to create awareness in people of their value as people and improve their determination and strategies for weight control. To date, for the past 3 years, considering the pandemic period, over 200 people have benefited from this path. Another success refers to the certification as a professional in neuroagility, an innovative neuroscientific paradigm that helps people to greatly improve their skills in learning, development and use of talent and to better understand how to interact with others both from the point of view relational, and from a behavioral point of view especially in the context where very often, situations of conflict or friction or simple misunderstandings are created in teams not only because of misaligned values ​​but very often because the brain of one processes information in a way unlike another component that processes information in another way, returning completely inadequate answers. If you could change one thing in your industry, would it be and why? I have always avoided marketing to manipulate people and bring them into my business. What I would like is that so many coaching gurus would avoid advertising to hook clients and lead by example by truly helping them. I have never believed that in classrooms of 300 or 400 people you can really help each other. So I would like to change a marketing of my scope that is fairer and really useful to people. Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Roberto!

Written by: Kadena Tate, Executive Contributor Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise. When I started my business, I made several huge mistakes that lowered my self-confidence and cost huge amounts time, money, energy, and resources. The biggest mistake was creating a course that no one wanted. I spent months working on this new course and when I finally launched it, no one was even mildly interested. At the time, I didn't realize that I had made a lot of assumptions that ushered me straight into failure. My first mistake was not even considering the answer to four critical questions: (1) What is keeping my ideal client up at night filled with worry? (2) What are they currently doing to try and solve their problem? (3) What is the real reason they haven't been able to fix it on their own until now? (4) What solution would they willingly invest in? If I had known the answers to those questions, I would have realized that my solution didn't match their problem. For this reason, it's so important to make sure that you're creating something that people actually want. If you create something that nobody wants, then you're going to have a hard time making any money – and you might even go out of business. So before you create a new product, service or program for your association, membership program, or mastermind, make sure to do some research and find out what people are actually looking for. In today's article, I'd like to offer a solution. It's called the minimum viable product, or MVP. The MVP is a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for further development. The MVP approach allows startups to validate their business idea quickly and cheaply without expending too much time or money on developing a full-fledged product. Building an MVP doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, there are several simple ways you can get started. Here are nine of them: 1. Identify the core feature of your product. This is the one thing that your product must do in order for it to be considered successful. For example, the core feature of Kajabi is helping you turn your knowledge into an online course or membership program. The core feature of Stripe is providing a platform for people to accept payments online. The core feature of WhatsApp is messaging, and the core feature of Instagram is photo sharing. Figure out what the one thing is that your product must do in order for it to be successful. 2. Identify your target market. This is the group of people who are most likely to use and benefit from your product. For example, the target market for Kajabi is online entrepreneurs who want to create and sell courses or membership programs. The target market for Stripe is businesses of all sizes that need to accept payments online. The target market for WhatsApp is anyone who needs to communicate with others via text message. And the target market for Instagram is people who enjoy taking and sharing photos. 3. Identify your early adopters. These are the people who are most likely to try out your product in its early stages. Early adopters are usually willing to take on more risk than the average person, and they're also more likely to give you feedback that you can use to improve your product. For example, the early adopters for Kajabi were online entrepreneurs who were looking for a better way to create and sell courses or membership programs. The early adopters for Stripe were businesses of all sizes that needed a better way to accept payments online. The early adopters for WhatsApp were people who needed a better way to communicate with others via text message. And the early adopters for Instagram were people who enjoyed taking and sharing photos. 4. Identify your minimum viable product. This is the simplest version of your product that you can create that will still allow you to achieve your core feature. For example, the MVP for Kajabi was an online platform that allowed users to create and sell courses or membership programs. The MVP for Stripe was a simple payment processing system that allowed businesses to accept payments online. The MVP for WhatsApp was a messaging app that allowed users to communicate with each other via text message. And the MVP for Instagram was a photo-sharing app that allowed users to share photos with each other. 5. Create your MVP. This is the fun part! Once you've identified the core feature of your product and the minimum viable product, it's time to start building a prototype. A prototype is a basic version of your product that you can use to test your assumptions and get feedback from potential customers. You can create a prototype with just a few hours of work using tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, or InVision. Don't try to make your MVP look perfect. Remember, the goal is to get feedback from users, not impress them with your design skills. A basic design will suffice. 6. Test your MVP. Once you've built your MVP, it's time to put it to the test. Send it out to your early adopters and get their feedback. See if they can use it to achieve the core feature of your product. If not, figure out what needs to be tweaked or changed. 7. Launch as quickly as possible. The sooner you launch, the sooner you'll start receiving feedback. Try to launch in less than two months if possible. 8. Use existing platforms and tools. Unless your MVP requires a new platform or tool, there's no need to reinvent the wheel—just use what's already out there. For example, you can use Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to create surveys and collect user feedback easily and quickly. 9. Create a landing page. A landing page is a single web page that describes your product and includes a sign-up form for interested users. Creating a landing page is a quick and easy way to gauge user interest in your MVP without actually having to build anything. 10. Offer a free trial or discount. This will help you attract users and encourage them to sign up for your MVP. 11. Get feedback from potential customers. Once you have a prototype, it's time to get feedback from potential customers. Show them your prototype and see if they're actually interested in using your product. You can do this by conducting customer interviews, surveys, or demonstrate via webinar. 12. Keep it small and focused. An MVP should not be complex—it should be focused on one core feature only. Trying to do too much will only slow down your development process and hinder your ability to get user feedback effectively. As you can see, building an MVP is a great way to validate your business idea quickly and economically. By launching in less than two months with a focus on one core feature, you can get feedback from potential customers and make sure you're on the right track. So don't wait—get started on your MVP today! Do you have any other tips for building an MVP? Share them in the comments below! Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! Read more from Kadena! Kadena Tate, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Kadena Tate is the author of “Cultivating Courage: The Path to Reclaiming Your Power” and contributing author of the NY Times Bestseller “Business Model You,” published by Wiley Press. In addition to writing books, Kadena also works as a revenue strategist and business model designed for authors, coaches, and speakers who want to create movements, masterminds, and membership programs.