Posts in health & wellness
One easy and painless step to living a better life
One easy and painless step to living a better life

Sacrifice can be healthy.

I never thought about it this way until Dr. Robert Holden penned these words in his weekly newsletter. He was talking about Lent, the ritual of giving up something for the weeks proceeding Easter, and how most of us choose to sacrifice things we really don’t want to give up such as chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, etc. He pointed out that most people fail at this commitment because they’re trying to give up something they really don’t want to and will just go back to eating or doing the day after Easter.

Instead, he suggests that Lent should be a time to look at what’s not working in your life. And that to change your life, you have to be willing to sacrifice what isn’t working for something better. I want better, don’t you? Better sounds great, thrilling, and much more enticing than being stuck.

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Change, health & wellness, Personal GrowthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinghealthy sacrifices, lving a better life, how to surrender, making a change for the betterComment
Being stuck is not a permanent condition- 4 powerful steps to free yourself
Being stuck is not a permanent condition- 4 powerful steps to free yourself

In the journey of every woman, there comes a time when she feels stuck. It’s inertia couple with fear. A sense that you’ll be stuck in place, experiencing the same feelings over and over again, and you can’t see an escape route. You’re immobilized, a bit panicky, and just want it all to go away.

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Change, Fear, health & wellness, Personal Growth, stressKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingwhat to do when you feel stuck, how do get yourself unstuck, what to do when fear has ahold of you, stuck in your life? here's the cureComment
A powerful tool to develop a loving relationship with your body
A powerful tool to develop a loving relationship with your body

Do you spend time cataloging everything that isn’t perfect about your body? Every wrinkle, extra freckle, your weird big toe, the way the razor doesn’t leave your underarm silky smooth?

Your body image is intertwined with your sense of worth. A thread that’s unbreakable- it can either be a cage or wings. The choice is yours.

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self esteem and worth, Poetry, health & wellness, HappinessKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingself esteem, changing negative body talk, embracing your body, how to love your bodyComment
A new year intention tromps the tired, worn out resolution
A new year intention tromps the tired, worn out resolution

I know there’s power in making a list- I’m the classic list maker and I’m just as guilty and admit to the small thrill that races up my spine when I see all the boxes checked. But this is not living, this is just organization.

Your life is about being, not doing.

There’s no trophy at the end, for the woman who did it all. There may be other rewards such as exhaustion, frustration, and the sense that you missed the point of it all.

There’s a better way. A more purposeful and fulfilling way to manifest the life you want. One full of connection, meaning, and a sense of awe.

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Change, Miracles, health & wellnessKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingintentions versus resolution, why you should set an intention and not a new years resolution, why new years reolutions fail, setting a new years reolution that will stickComment
5 powerful steps for letting go of tension (open yourself up to change)
5 powerful steps for letting go of tension (open yourself up to change)

That’s the thing about change, you can say I’m going to do this- tackle it all at once. But the truth is that if you hit it with a bomb, you don’t get to experience the journey and the lessons waiting for you. You miss out on the excavation, the discovery, and the joy of progress.

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Change, health & wellness, Personal Growth, stressKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingwhat to do when you're too tense, how to beat stresss, how to make a change in your life, what to do when you're body is too tight, how to let goComment
How to hold the space when someone you love is hurting
How to hold the space when someone you love is hurting

Nothing makes your own heart weep, then hearing someone you love struggling.

You want to swoop in, snatch them up and wrap them up in bubble wrap until the storm has passed. But you can’t. All you can do is hold the space and allow them to feel, grow, and hopefully emerge stronger in the knowledge that they can do it.

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Friendships, health & wellness, Healthy Boundaries, Love, stressKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinghow to help someone you love who's hurting, how to help someone, how to help someone you love, how to help someone who hurts, how to deal with other peoples pain, how to comfort a friendComment
How choosing to divorce was choosing to live my life
How choosing to divorce was choosing to live my life

The fear of staying was so much greater than the fear of leaving. I wanted me back. I wanted to know what loving me felt like. I wanted to live a life full of purpose. I wanted to re-discover who I was and to embrace that girl in a warm, safe hug.

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Happiness, health & wellness, Gratitude, Healthy Boundaries, Personal Growth, self esteem and worthKirstin BarsnessKismet CoachingDivorce like a Diva, Choosing DivorceComment
5 ways to bust your bad mood
5 ways to bust your bad mood

As much as I relish being petulant and wallowing in a bad mood (there’s a bit of power there fueled by the negativity). I also know staying too long in the land of Oscar the Grouch can do some serious damage to my relationships, my self esteem, and my outlook.

I’ve discovered 5 way to bust a bad mood and return to the land of sunshine and light, or at least the place where a few rays can break through the gloom and light the path out.

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health & wellness, Personal Growth, self esteem and worth, stressKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingbust a bad mood, bad mood' change a bad mood, what to do when you're crabbyComment
Finding fun when work has sucked you in
Finding fun when work has sucked you in

Tunnel vision had taken over and lately I’ve lost a piece of myself in the process.

Have you ever had that happen? Where you become so focused on a goal or project, that you forget what it’s like to just live, and god forbid…play a little?

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health & wellness, Personal Growth, stressKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingwork life balance, how to get unstuck, when work sucks you in, what to do when you're working too hard, how to have fun, fun versus workComment
7 morning affirmations to spark magic
7 morning affirmations to spark magic

Pssst…I’ll tell you a secret.

You can choose to have an astonishing kick butt kind of day or a ho hum, drag your fanny kind of day.

That’s right- you can choose.

It’s totally up to you. Not your boss, your friend with the crazy schemes, or even the guy who flipped you off on the way to work. It’s all on you.

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Happiness, health & wellness, MiraclesKirstin BarsnessKismet Coaching7 morning affirmations, shift your life to happiness, how to be happier, affirmations for happinessComment
What your discomfort is trying to tell you
What your discomfort is trying to tell you

After the accident, I felt like I was stuck, missing my purpose, and that there was something more I was destined to accomplish in my time on this big, beautiful planet. I spent two years, trying to find my way to the surface, feeling overwhelmed, fearful, and not recognizing my life.

What I didn’t know at the time, was that all the discomfort was a result of my own spiritual growth. My skin felt itchy, like it didn’t fit any more. Which was true. I’d outgrown some old beliefs and was struggling to figure out my new way of living.

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Fear, health & wellness, Miracles, Personal GrowthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingwhat it means when your uncomfortable, what it means when you feel stuck, how to grow through your discomfortComment
3 Steps to getting what you want
3 Steps to getting what you want

There’s this underlying current of thinking that many of us suffer from. We think if we ask for what we want, we are being selfish, not selfless. Hundreds of years of conditioning, especially for women, has taught us to subjugate our needs and wants. It’s getting over this hurdle, that is the hardest.

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health & wellness, Healthy Boundaries, Personal Growth, self esteem and worthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinghow to ask for what you need, 3 steps to getting what you want, how to get what you want, how to askComment
You're never too old to be comforted
You're never too old to be comforted

There are times when we simply feel adrift, the unknown so overwhelming that we seek the familiar, people and things that makes us feel safe, secure and supported. Just by their presence, we once again feel anchored and rooted.

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stress, health & wellness, FearKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinghow to comfort yourself, how to deal with times of stress, you're never to old to embrace your inner child, inner child, fear and overwhelm, coping with stressComment
15 ways to a fall asleep faster
15 ways to a fall asleep faster

There’s nothing more frustrating then wanting to go to sleep and have it escape like a fugitive from justice. Just at the edge of your sight, and when you think your close…bam gone again.

Insomnia hits us all, especially when we need it most: in times of stress when our body, mind and spirit desperately need a break, a chance to reset so we can function and not be like the walking dead. Sleep is when we rejuvenate and heal our bodies from disease. It helps reduce heart disease, inflammation, depression, memory loss and increases weight loss. Sleep is vital, but she can be a real a witch.

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health & wellnessKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingfall asleep faster, how to deal with insomnia, how to get a better night sleep, sleep issuesComment
Six ways to ground yourself when you feel vulnerable
Six ways to ground yourself when you feel vulnerable

I needed to feel safe. I needed to breathe. I needed to set back the clock five minutes, so I could once again be ignorant, clueless, and blissful.

Vulnerability sucks. There’s an exposure that is so personal, like your insides are set out in front of others for them to pick through, discarding the parts that are unworthy.

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Fear, health & wellness, Personal Growth, self esteem and worthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingvulnerability, how to deal with vulnerability, how to stop feeling vulnerableComment
That weird feeling you can't name- it's grief
That weird feeling you can't name- it's grief

I’m exhausted and I feel just off, like I’m here, but I’m not. Everything is muted and my capacity to feel is diminished, like a thin shadow has settled over me, stifling my senses.

Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend about how she’s managing during the pandemic and heard my feelings echoed in her words. She wasn’t feeling quite herself; her moods would shift quickly, and she felt like she’s been walking in quicksand. And she’s not the only one. So many of my friends have been experiencing lethargy, sadness, tiredness, and a general sense of malaise.

That’s when the lightbulb came on, and just like in a cartoon, I felt the little pop above my head and I thought ‘a-ha.’

It’s grief.

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Fear, health & wellnessKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinggrief during COVID-19, how to manage grief, identifying grief', grievingComment
Six steps to making a positive change.
Six steps to making a positive change.

Funny isn’t it how we become accustomed to and accept things into our life?

Gradually, and sometimes without our permission, our lives morph. Many times, the change is normal and healthy such as when your child leaves for college, but what about when those times when your acceptance of the life your living is unhealthy?

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health & wellness, Personal Growth, self esteem and worthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachinghow to change, how tomake a positive change, steps to making a change in you life, how to change your lifeComment
Redefining selfish - why it's a good thing
Redefining selfish - why it's a good thing

Why does the word selfish get such a bum rap?

Why is it undesirable or even considered a bit ugly to think about yourself? Your feelings, wants, and desires? How else are you going to know what you really want your life to be?

I’ve redefined selfish.

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health & wellness, Healthy Boundaries, Personal Growth, self esteem and worthKirstin BarsnessKismet Coachingwhy being self is a good thing, are you being selfish enough, 3 steps to better self careComment