​Simply put, "mirror talk" is using positive affirmations to change your life.

By repeating these phrases, you can greatly improve your confidence and outlook on life.

Normally, you repeat these mantras whenever you feel they're needed, but "mirror talk" takes things a step further. 

Instead of repeating these affirmations randomly, "mirror talk" is a daily ritual when you repeat these mantras to yourself while looking directly in your eyes in the mirror every morning (I know, kinda scary right!?).

​This is a HUGE tool in building confidence and also building a happier outlook on life.

Yes, it's already time for another mindset post!  Visualization is something that I was taught from a young age by my mother.  My first memory of learning it comes from when I was on swim team...

I wouldn't say I was the best swimmer on the team, in reality I was probably near the bottom of the list...  But anyway, the point here is that I enjoyed swimming (I still do) but only at practice...  I HATED swimming at meets.  I hated them so much and worked myself up before them because I was scared of failing.  To combat this fear, my mom would tell me to take a nap before the meet so that I had extra "energy" (I really think she just wanted me to CHILL-OUT) and as I was falling asleep she wanted me to visualize the meet going as best as it could.  I would imagine myself swimming my fastest and placing first.  Although placing first didn't happen often...  what DID happen was that my fear of the meet lessened.

​My mom was always a big proponent of visualization, and that definitely helped me carry on the practice into my adult life.  In high school and college I would visualize exams going well, presentations, etc.  Now in adulthood, I try to practice visualization every day.

So, how do you practice visualization every day?  It's simple really...  All you need to do is follow the same pattern my mom laid out BUT instead of visualizing one specific event going well, you imagine your whole day (well, most of it).

As you probably know already, mornings make or break your day.  Mornings can tend to be rushed too, so stream lining your morning is key, thus the reason I practice visualization THE NIGHT BEFORE.  All you need to do is lay in bed and as you are falling asleep, imagine everything going perfectly in the morning.  Imagine waking up feeling well rested, maybe even just a few minutes before your alarm.  Once you've woken up, what do you do first?  Do you go to the bathroom?  Imagine how the floor feels...  Instead of imagining it as "cold and jarring", envision it as "refreshing" and something that helps wake you up even more.  Next stop, mirror?  If so, imagine waking up to a perfectly rested and fresh complexion.  Continue on throughout your routine, planning out the most effective way to get things done.  During all this planning, imagine every tiny detail of your morning from your first sip of coffee, to the healthy breakfast you have prepared, to the awesome outfit you put on.  Maybe you even have a morning workout planned?  If so, visualize performing the movements and visualize rocking it.  

As you can see, mornings "set the tone" for the day because each thing you choose to do starts a chain reaction.  Think about it, if you end up working out and eating that healthy breakfast, you're most likely going to continue with your healthy habits throughout the day right?

So, as a personal trainer and confidence coach I should be telling you that you NEED a trainer/coach yourself right? Well, no... You don't NEED one, but it sure can speed up your success. It really just depends on what type of person you are, how much you want to learn on your own, how well you can motivate yourself and how open you are to trying things on your own and potentially failing.

• you are brand new to working out and have no idea where to start
• you want someone to just tell you what to do and not have to think about it
• you can handle the cost of paying for it weekly

• you are somewhat familiar with working out and are comfortable researching on your own
• you don't mind taking the time to experiment and see what works for you
• you can't handle the cost of paying for it weekly

You are in the middle, or share traits from both lists, like most people! Seriously, most people need a mix from both categories. We all have goals, we all have some level of motivation, but we are just so busy and have very different lifestyles! It’s hard enough to find time to workout, let alone make it work with someone else’s schedule! This is where online training and coaching comes in. For the average person, going on Pinterest and finding free workouts and free knowledge can be VERY overwhelming because there is just SO MUCH information out there.  You need to be careful too because not all of it is correct!  I shudder at some of the "advice" I see online because of how easily it can lead to injury, hormone imbalance and time wasted while working towards goals. I advise finding a real person that can spend one on one time with you, but without the in-person price tag (hint, hint, they’re an online coach!) Here is my advice when it comes to finding a good fit for an online coach:

I know, “self-care” is a huge topic right now. It’s yet another thing we add to our to-do list to keep us healthy both mentally and physically. But for most of us... self-care is at the end of that list. Fist of all, there is no shame in it being that low on the totem pole. It’s on the bottom of my totem pole I can tell you that for sure!

What happens though when we fail at completing that self-care task? Do we beat ourselves up? Do we feel even more stressed and feel less cared for because we “failed”?  With all these questions in your mind, I want to take a moment to promise you that this post is not just another “5 - minute self care practice”, or anything like what you’ve seen on Pinterest before. This tip is different because it takes absolutely no extra time out of your day. What I am going to show you is that you already have a self-care practice, you just don’t think about it in the right way.

So, how do we do this? Let’s take my example from before: MORNING BEVERAGES (quite possibly my favorite part of the day).

I love coffee. I also love tea. For me, each one has their specific place in my life, it just depends on what day it is. Coffee days are most often weekdays, the days when I need to get stuff done! Call me a coffee snob, whatever, but I love French Presses. I have two actually... one makes my coffee, and one makes my tea. Let’s talk coffee first though.  After trying a few coffee devices that didn't work out the best/didn't last, I did my research, asked coffee friends for advice, and made the choice to purchase a double walled Insulated, stainless steel French Press from Bodum. This thing allows me to brew coffee ONCE and drink it hot ALL morning, a very important part of a busy day.  Each time I make coffee, I make notes in my mind about the beautiful French press, the smell of the beans, the sound my grinder makes, how fast my water boiler works, and the feel of pressing down to filter the perfect cup.  All these steps would happen no matter what, but thinking about them in a deeper and more appreciative way does not take any more time.  All I am doing is changing my mindset.  Instead of thinking about my to-do list as I make coffee, I am simply putting off those thoughts for a few minutes, and being mindful and PRESENT as I make coffee, letting it become an art form.

Like I said, getting rid of the light stealers in our physical lives is not easy and we don't always have control over it, but we do have COMPLETE control in our "virtual lives."  There is absolutely no reason to follow people on social media if they make us feel less than.

What is a "light stealer"?  Simply put, it is someone who hurts you emotionally, someone who makes you feel less than, someone who takes away your inner light and happiness.  Light stealers can be a part of our "real life", but they can also be a part of our online lives.  Really, that's the place where they appear the most.

Ever since college, I have been a big believer that those who do not benefit your life should be eliminated from it.  If they cause you more stress than they do happiness, get rid of them!  I know, I know, it is easier said that done when you're talking about real life acquaintances and friends, but it makes your life so much better.  People change, time passes, you change, we all do.  There is nothing wrong with realizing that you have evolved from who you were and that your old friends might not be the best fit in your life anymore.  Change happens, time happens, there is no harm in it. 

Should you workout during the holidays? Well... that’s not a super easy question to answer. 

This time of year is stressful, we all know that already. We have tons of people relying on us, tons of things to do, and tons of people to think about.  Obviously, I am in favor of working out, but it really comes down to your mental health at this time of the year.

If your workouts have recently felt like a chore and are just one more thing to rush around and do, I am giving you the permission to TAKE A BREAK this holiday season. Remember that overworking yourself is just as detrimental as not working out... on the other hand, your workouts might be the thing that gives you fuel to keep moving forward. If that’s the case then stick with them, I am giving you the permission to TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF amidst from the holiday stress.

So really what I’m saying is, “if it doesn’t make you happy, don’t do it.”

Want to read more advice like this?  Click here for the 4 most important things you need to know about working out.