Blog
The Seasonal Slow Living Way to Welcome Autumn
Do you ever wonder why everyone seems to go crazy with fall vibes? People love decorating for fall. People love sharing videos on social media that try to capture the look and feel of fall.
Easy Almond Milk - Slow Living in the Kitchen
Let's explore how simple it can be to make almond milk as we discuss why the kitchen might not be the ideal area to focus on when aiming to save time. Now, don't get me wrong—I’m all for finding ways to simplify and streamline tasks. However, I believe there are compelling reasons to concentrate most of your time-saving efforts in other areas of your home and life. My hope is that with these thoughts, you'll come away with a fresh perspective on your meals and meal preparation.
Things I QUIT doing for a SLOW living lifestyle
There were habits I needed to quit and others I needed to change. If you're feeling the strain of a fast-paced lifestyle, I hope that by sharing my story today, I can inspire you to make some changes in your own life too.
Save Money Now with these Frugal Living Tips
Last week I shared how you can spend less but still feel like you're living luxuriously. Today I'd like to take that a step further and share with you some more ways that you can spend less money and feel really good about it. I'm going to challenge you to think differently and save in the process.
Frugal Living while feeling Luxurious
In this blog post, you'll read about a number of things you can do to feel luxurious without spending much money to do so. It is often the simple comforts that can make the biggest impact and here I'll share some of my favorites.
Create a SOFT LIFE for Retirement!
Many people struggle to adjust to a relaxed lifestyle after years of work, with some even returning to part-time jobs for fulfillment. The author finds this disheartening and suggests that retirement should be a time to prioritize oneself after years of caring for others. The proposed solution is a "soft life," focusing on creating a low-stress lifestyle that allows for truly savoring and enjoying life.
Making Affirmations a Part of Your Morning Routine
This blog post (which is essentially the transcript of one of Julie's YouTube videos) will likely make a huge difference in how you work with affirmations. It will change them from being simply something positive that you say, to an actual tool you can use to make the changes you want in your life. 01 Affirmations can become powerful tools for personal transformationin your life, as opposed to just positive statements. By incorporating affirmations into your morning routine, you can set a positive tone for the day, enhancing your mood, motivation, and focus. This post will help get you started and explain how to make them effective.
Mid-year Intentions Reset
We are a little more than midway through the year and at a great time to revisit the intentions you had when the year started. Are you happy with where you are today or have those intentions fallen by the wayside? If the latter, you are not alone, but let’s get back on track! I’ve seriously slipped on one of my intentions for the year–lowering my saturated fat intake. And I blame it all on one thing–BUTTER. I love butter. I think it’s a family thing. Maybe it’s in my genes...
100 Simple Pleasures Worth Slowing Down For
For far too many years I chased productivity at an unrelenting pace. “Make hay while the sun still shines.” and “Don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can do today.” were frequent phrases heard in my home growing up. I carried them with me like mantras for finding success and happiness well into my adult years… until recently.
Finding Time For What Matters Most
If you don't stop to take stock of what you are doing in your life from time to time, life can begin to run you, instead of you running your life in a way that works well for you. I made quite a few changes to how I operate in the last year, finding more time for what matters most in my life. Here are the top ten things I began doing differently that made the most impact.
Ending the Year with Reflection
I was flipping back through some old journals and was surprised to find how many years I had been working on the same goals–not so much work goals, but what I wanted out of life goals–relationships, fitness, etc. What was missing, was time spent on self reflection. It is only from a realistic assessment of what's working and what's not that you can begin to make adjustments to what you are doing and how you are doing it. Only then can you effectively plan for change and forward progression.
Evaluating Relationships: Are the People In Your Life Helping You Be Your Best Self?
Consider the following elements of self-awareness, your relationships, your goals and your boundaries to find out if you are creating and accepting the love you deserve, or if you've got some work to do.
Finding the Right Wellness Journal for Your Goals
If you want to grow, have a deeper connection with yourself, be able to decompress from the rest of your life or achieve goals that you set for yourself, journaling is a great place to start. But, it can be hard to know how to get started, which journaling approach is right for you, and even which journal to start with!
How To Use Self-Reflection To Meet the New You
The last three years have been a whirlwind of social, economic, environmental and political change. When the world as we know it gets disrupted while environmental disasters impact lives on a large-scale and political tensions and conflicts are ongoing, it impacts your lifestyle, the way you view the world and you as a person.
The Ultimate Tool for More Happiness and Ease
Are you aware of the aspects of your life that keep you from being happy on a daily basis? At the end of a day, do you feel satisfied and content, or worn down and empty? “What does self-love have to do with general unhappiness when it’s an internal issue?” Well, kind of everything. How can you expect to like your life if you don’t even like yourself?
The Ultimate Guide to Cultivating Self-Love That Changes Your Life
How To Heal and Transform With Self-Love—Self-love (or a lack thereof) is actually at the root of so many wounds we have when it comes to our thoughts and how we navigate and interact with the world. When you approach self-love at the root, you are healing your inner child, moving differently with confidence...
20 Acts of Self-Love You Haven't Tried Yet
Not everyone’s self-care looks the same. Your go-to self-care activity might not work every time. Self-care does not have to be in response to a bad day; as a matter of fact, it takes continuous self-care to actually take care of you.
Overcome Procrastination With Mindfulness
Procrastinating can haunt many aspects of our lives: work tasks, home projects, getting exercise or even just doing laundry. These ten tips will help set you up with ways to support you in growing as you work to improve your follow-through on things you want to accomplish.
What I Wish I Knew at the Beginning of My Intentional Living Journey
There is no exact or “correct” way to live intentionally. The possibilities of what it looks like and how it changes your life are endless and completely up to you. But, how can you create these benefits in your own life, no matter what your lifestyle is like? It all depends on how you want to implement it!
Why You Should Stop Replacing Self-Love with Self-Care
How My Life Changed When I Switched from Self-Care to Self-Love and 50 Love Affirmations: Valentine’s Day is almost here, but how do we expand self-love beyond material things? When we fully love ourselves, life looks totally different. Working on loving and accepting yourself doesn't mean stopping self-care altogether
What You Need to Know to Stop Giving Up on Journaling
There are ways to create sustainable journaling habits with no pressure or high expectations. Now is the time to begin to create a routine that works for you where journaling becomes a habit, so you can set yourself up for success in the new year.
How to Enjoy Winter Instead of Dreading It
Fight Seasonal Depression & Make Progress on Your Dreams in Winter; Even if you hate the cold or struggle with seasonal depression, winter brings about so many things to celebrate and savor—you just have to be willing to look. We encourage women to indulge in the slowness and quiet of winter to...
5 Proven Ways to Create Progress on Your Dream Journey
The new year is a time when everyone is working to achieve their resolutions, beginning their year with pressure and jumping back into the hustle of everyday life. However, I say, throw your resolutions out the window. I'm not the only one who thinks this way—wealthy, successful people have used mindfulness tools to achieve their dreams, and the beginning of the year is a great time to educate yourself and try a new strategy as you shift away from grind culture and resolutions.
How to Make the Most of the Holidays with Intention
Have your holidays lost their meaning to the pressure of balancing finances with buying the right gifts, getting your work done before the end of the year and attending/planning events? The end of the year can often be the busiest time of year, so how can we really savor what should be a meaningful time with those we love without failing to fulfill our obligations? The answer is simple: you don’t have to do it all.
Are Your Negative Thoughts Ruining Your Life?
I dare you to spend one day counting how many times you have a negative thought about yourself. Think it might be a lot? It might seem difficult to know where to start to create a mindset shift away from negative perceptions of ourselves, but it is possible by taking steps.
Upholding Boundaries in Difficult Situations
Journal Prompts and Suggestions for Creating & Maintaining Boundaries How often do you find yourself saying yes when instead you should have said no? Defining personal boundaries can be a trial and error process, but we can also be proactive about creating our boundaries. But, how do we uphold them once we know what they are?
A New Journey for the JMB Living Journal
Over these last two years, I have listened to and taken note of all the reviews, feedback, criticisms, and real-life experiences of JMB Living Journal users to ensure that I can provide the best version of this guide as possible. And now, because of your commitment to helping JMB Living succeed with the candidness, support and love of our community, I have taken one step closer to that with a new edition of the JMB Living Journal premiering with the Winter 2023 issue.
5 Ways to Overcome Internal Resistance and Fight Procrastination
Have you ever felt like there’s a cinder block sitting on your chest, preventing you from getting up and accomplishing what you need to? While it may not be practical to stop procrastinating altogether, there are ways to balance being productive until you’re ready to complete something to the best of your ability.
How to Make a Vision Board that Makes Your Dreams a Reality
When did we lose our ability to dream so big? Nurturing your dreams and creating your ideal life doesn’t always mean abandoning your present, but, perhaps, somewhere in the in-between to elevating the fulfillment and joy you feel every day. With my vision boarding over the years, I have brought love, money and travel
Increasing Presence with Gratitude
It might sound simple, but how do you actually adjust your lifestyle to actively slow down and increase presence? It’s actually more simple and achievable than you think: all you need is intention and a gratitude mindset.
Making Space for Progress with Mindful Decluttering
Why should spring be the only time we refresh our mindset and reorganize our space? Decluttering creates a fresh beginning to work from and invites new things and opportunities into life. How can we continuously be creating and adapting our space to reflect where we are on the journey to our dreams?
How To Use Intentional Journaling To Change Your Life
When was the last time you prioritized yourself? Do you know what your dreams are, or are you so stuck in routine that you’ve stopped trying to achieve anything beyond what you have? Five minutes, every day, to feel more joy and fulfillment while connecting with other women on their own Journal Journeys. That’s what the JMB Living Journal and intentional journaling can do for you.
How To Harness Anger for Healing
Do you control your anger, or does it control you? Without making an intention to explore your relationship with anger, it’s easy to assume that anger is just an emotion that is automatically triggered by external factors. Anger is a secondary emotion. Do you know how to recognize what's at the root of your anger?
Journaling To Cultivate Joy with Curiosity
Imagine if you looked at the world through the eyes of a child; how many more questions would you have about why and how things are the way they are, rather than just accepting them and letting it leave your mind. When we become curious about our surroundings and the inner workings of the world around us, we increase our sense of presence in our own lives while also taking full advantage of everything life has to offer and feeling appreciation for the beauty all around us.
50 Ways to Stay Mindful in Summer
Practicing mindfulness during summer can help you truly savor everything the season allows you to do, while also preventing the time from flying by. Making an intention to be more present or practice mindfulness each day will enhance your memories of summer while also increasing the joy you feel in the moment. Choosing one (or more) things from this list to practice each day/week will help you have the best summer yet without losing traction on your personal growth journey!
5 Steps to True Forgiveness
So how can we make the most out of forgiveness? How do you reconcile feelings of hurt—and even resentment—to create healing and growth? A good way to start is to truly understand forgiveness and define your relationship with it.
How to Use Reflection as a Growth Tool
When we have lives that are evolving in a busy world, constantly presenting challenges, it can be difficult to feel centered and find time to focus on yourself and YOUR dreams. This is when reflection becomes most valuable, even if it can be difficult to find time for.
Mastering Time Management and Productivity with Mindfulness
Have you ever tried to combine work with mindfulness? It wasn’t until I didn’t have an enforced schedule that I realized how much my time management and productivity is controlled by me, rather than a manager or workplace. Making an intention to be productive every day and following through with it actually provides much more ease each day, and not just in work.
Molding Your Brain with Mindfulness
While many of us know about mindfulness practices and how to use them as tools in our daily lives, it’s easy to add it to our lifestyle without knowing how and why these tools make an impact in our mindsets and physicality. Repetition and the mind-body connection are at the core of many mindfulness practices, especially in meditation, journaling, habit-making, routines and affirmations. Science and mindfulness converge in neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to physically shift and adjust after learning new information.
Toxic Positivity and What To Do Instead
Toxic positivity is real and sometimes it can be hard to know what to do instead. The first step is to recognize when you are feeling its weight in your own life. In a society that currently values toxic positivity and “grind culture”, it’s important to be able to navigate difficult times and emotional fluctuations that seemingly have no source. It’s normal to be sad randomly!
How Routines Create Consistency in an Inconsistent Life
So how do we find stability in an ever-changing world? What can we depend on when we can’t ever predict what might happen next? We learn to rely on ourselves. It’s important to intentionally craft a routine for yourself. Choose to see it as an investment into your holistic well-being.
Creating a Roadmap to Your Dreams
Do you have a path that leads to your dreams? If you have a dream, but have never taken the time to design yourself a roadmap on how to achieve it, the journey to reaching for it may be very much like a maze—if you even begin the journal at all. On the other hand, if you create a plan and keep putting one foot in front of the other, taking steps along the roadmap you created, you will make steady progress toward making your dream a reality.
My Aura-Soma Journey at Guided Place
Aura-Soma uses your own internal intuition in combination with your unconscious to identify areas of need and direction to bring you closer to embodying your purpose and ideal life.
Effectively Journaling for Mental Health
Prompted journaling for mental health is beneficial because it allows you to deeply work through specific pain points or recognize patterns, triggers, or stressors. This increased self awareness can help you remember to...
How To Optimize Sleep During Seasonal Shifts
As winter wanes and each day grows longer with more light, our natural circadian rhythm is impacted, so it's helpful to begin preparing for this shift. Spring is a wonderful season that brings about feelings of opportunity, energy, and blossoming—a stark contrast to the stillness and slowness of winter. That's why intentionally transitioning from winter to spring can...
Everyday Ways to Love Yourself Fully
What first comes to mind when you realize Valentine's Day is approaching? Is it a rush of urgency to get a loved one a gift or plan a special day? Do you start to reminisce on loving memories? How long does it take for you to think about ways you can love yourself?
How to Actually Make and Break Habits
Our habits reflect our core values, especially as we become more mindful of the habits we want to make and what our desired outcome is. If you've failed making a habit before, here's exactly how to set yourself up for success when you make a new habit:
How to Achieve Your Deepest Self Desires
Are you doing what your deepest self desires? Or are you just going through the motions in life right now? Paying the bills, feeding the family, getting through the workday…
How to Master Loving Yourself Fully & Fiercely
I connected recently with artist Peyton Turner and when I told her that I’d love to feature her art in a future journal issue, she offered to do an intuitive painting with a message for JMB Living. Of course I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to see how this would unfold. The following is a guest blog by Peyton about her experience creating the piece and its meaning.
Hygge Hacks with The Hygge Gathering
As winter approaches, we wanted to revisit hygge and share some great tips and hacks to add it into your lifestyle, and Kim is the perfect person to learn from! To learn more about her business and delve into all things hygge, we interviewed Kim to share the best information and discuss how mindfulness and hygge go hand-in-hand.