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Stress has become an all too familiar companion in our fast-paced lives, but what if we could take a proactive approach to manage it? In this blog post, we'll explore my holistic perspective on stress and discover practical ways to regain control and restore balance in our lives. By addressing the needs of our body, mind, emotions, and soul, we can empower ourselves to navigate stress with grace and resilience while reducing its negative effects on our bodies.

**BODY: Prioritizing Rest, Nourishment, and Movement**
Taking care of our physical well-being is essential in combating stress. 

Ask yourself: *Am I prioritizing rest and play? Am I nourishing myself with real food? Am I eating regular blood sugar balancing meals? Am I moving my body daily?* 

These simple yet powerful questions serve as a reminder to listen to our bodies and give them what they need.

One key aspect is being mindful of the foods we consume. While caffeine, processed foods, alcohol, inflammatory oils, and excess sugars can spike cortisol levels and induce stress, focusing on healthy fats, protein, and complex carbs at each meal can provide nourishment and stability.

Supplements can also play a supportive role in restoring balance to our endocrine system. Personally, I adore adaptogens for their ability to help the body adapt to stress, increase resilience, and promote overall healing. 

**MIND: Shifting Thoughts and Setting Boundaries**
Our thoughts greatly influence our stress levels, because the thoughts that we think trigger emotions in our bodies. Take a moment to reflect: 

*What choices am I making that contribute to my stress? Am I generalizing or creating worst-case scenarios in my mind? Am I overwhelming myself by neglecting to set boundaries? What are my thoughts focused on?* (Spoiler, if you’re feeling stressed your thoughts are probably fear based…)

By becoming aware of these patterns, we can make conscious choices to alleviate stress. It's important to note that when we're feeling stressed, our thoughts are often fear-based. By actively shifting our focus to more positive and empowering thoughts, we can reframe our perceptions and reduce stress levels.

**EMOTIONAL / NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION: Checking in and Meeting Needs**
Connecting with our emotions and regulating our nervous system is crucial in managing stress. 

Regularly check in with your body and ask: *What feels like too much right now? What feels like not enough?* 

How can you show your body that its heard and meet its needs?

By acknowledging our needs and finding ways to meet them, we can create a sense of balance and harmony within ourselves.

**SOUL / SPIRIT: Cultivating Joy and Connection**
Neglecting our soul and disconnection from what brings us joy can amplify stress. 

*When was the last time you did something simply because you desired to? How can you invite more stillness into your daily life? What would light you up like a Christmas tree? Go do that!
*
Embrace these questions and take action to nourish your soul and connect with your authentic self. You don't help anyone when your cup is empty, your light is dimmed, and you're resentful. 


The point of this as always: *take your power back*. 

Stress may seem inevitable, but we have more power than we realize. While we can't control all stressors, we can make conscious choices that significantly impact our stress levels. By nurturing our body, shifting our thoughts, regulating our emotions and nervous system, and reconnecting with our soul, we can reclaim our power and navigate stress with resilience. Remember, you have the ability to take control of your stress and create a life filled with balance, well-being, and joy.

My approach to stress from a holistic perspective

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In our quest for better health, we often find ourselves overcomplicating things. We get lost in a sea of complex strategies and overlook the simple foundations that can truly make a difference. It's time to go back to basics and discover some easy tweaks you can make to your daily routine to promote hormonal balance. Let's explore these simple lifestyle shifts that have the power to transform your hormonal well-being so you can start feeling good in your body!

**Go for walks after meals:**

Taking a leisurely stroll after your meals not only aids digestion but also supports good blood sugar control. It's a simple practice that can make a significant impact on your hormonal balance. Embrace the gentle exercise and the chance to connect with nature while promoting optimal digestion and blood sugar levels.

**Expose your eyeballs to daylight in the AM:**

Did you know that exposing your eyes to natural daylight in the morning helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle? This exposure signals the brain to produce cortisol and serotonin, setting the tone for a balanced circadian rhythm, so you can feel more energized during your day and sleepy at night. Not to mention, when you have a balanced circadian rhythm you also influence every hormone in the body! So step outside, soak up some sunlight, and let your body align with the natural rhythms of the day.

**Avoid blue light after sunset: **

On the flip side, it's crucial to steer clear of blue light after sunset. Blue light from electronic devices can disrupt melatonin production, affecting your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. And this will also impact your energy the next day! By minimizing your exposure to screens and opting for softer lighting in the evening, I love salt lamps for this, you support the release of melatonin, ensuring a restful night's sleep and a harmonious circadian rhythm.

**Eat a balanced breakfast within 90 minutes of waking:**

Kickstart your day with a balanced breakfast within 90 minutes of waking up. This practice promotes insulin sensitivity, balances blood sugar levels, and supports a healthy cortisol response. In addition, it may help reduce anxiety, overeating, emotional eating, and cravings throughout the day. Remember, simplicity is key, so focus on nourishing your body with nutrient-dense foods in the morning and making sure you include protein!

**Eat heavier meals during the day:**

Adjust your meal distribution by consuming heavier meals during the day and opting for lighter dinners. Your body is naturally more insulin resistant at night and more insulin sensitive during the morning and day. Aligning your meal sizes with your body's natural rhythms can promote better blood sugar control and hormonal balance.

**Pair your coffee with a protein source:**

If you're a coffee lover, enhance its effects and support happier hormones by enjoying it with a protein source. This combination helps stabilize cortisol levels and blood sugar, preventing the crash that can follow caffeine consumption. 

**Keep your body warm:**

Maintaining warmth is essential for supporting optimal hormonal health. Cold temperatures can create stagnancy in the body, leading to issues like sluggish digestion, thyroid imbalances, menstrual pain, inflammation, cold extremities, fatigue, weight gain, and even depression. To counteract this, make a conscious effort to keep your body warm. Wear socks, especially at night, choose warm drinks over cold ones, avoid icy foods and beverages, include hearty meals, and embrace warming foods like ginger, cinnamon, beans, oats, turmeric, and root vegetables. This is especially important during the fall and winter months when the body’s needs change. 

Achieving hormonal balance doesn't have to be complicated. By focusing on simple lifestyle shifts, such as taking walks after meals, embracing natural daylight exposure, avoiding blue light at night, prioritizing a balanced breakfast, adjusting meal distribution, pairing coffee with protein, and keeping your body warm, you can make a significant impact on your hormonal health. Remember, it's the foundational changes that often have the most profound and long-lasting effects. So, start implementing these simple tweaks today and experience the transformative power they can have on your overall health.

Simple Lifestyle Shifts That Can Change Your Hormonal Health

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We all have that voice inside our heads, filled with weak ass language. Those words like "I can't," "maybe," or "I'll try" that hold us back from achieving our true potential. They seem harmless, but in reality, they act as barriers, shutting out opportunities and hindering our growth. In this blog post, we will explore how these words close doors and why taking action is crucial for real change and embodiment.

**The Limitations of “Knowing”:**

Knowing something is only the first step in the journey of personal transformation. It begins with awareness, but it cannot end there. Mere knowledge, without action, holds no real value. We may have all the information we need, but unless we embody it and put it into practice, it remains stagnant and ineffective.

**From Awareness to Embodiment:**

True change occurs when awareness is followed by action. We need to move beyond just thinking or talking about what we want to achieve or change. Merely saying, "I need to eat healthier" or "I need to start working on my business” doesn't bring about any tangible results. It is by taking new and purposeful actions that align with our desired beliefs and reality that we can experience a paradigm shift.

**Choosing new empowering language:**

The words we use have the ability to shape our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions. By incorporating empowering language into our daily lives, we can cultivate a positive mindset, boost our self-confidence, and propel ourselves toward personal growth. What are alternatives to weak ass language?

"I choose": Acknowledging our power to make decisions that align with our values and desires. "I won't": Setting boundaries and consciously choosing to avoid behaviors or situations that no longer serve us. 

"I can’t: Embracing self-belief and confidence in our abilities to overcome challenges and achieve our goals. 

"I have": Expressing gratitude and recognizing the abundance in our lives. 

"I will": Making a declaration of commitment and intention to take action and make positive changes. 

"I create": Recognizing our role as active creators of our reality and embracing our power to shape our lives. 

"I am grateful for": Fostering a mindset of appreciation and focusing on the blessings and joys in our lives. 

"I enjoy": Embracing the present moment and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life. 

"I love": Expressing love towards ourselves, others, and the world around us. 

“I could": Recognizing the potential within ourselves and considering new possibilities. 

Notice the difference in your energy when you choose to use empowering versus disempowering language, and how that creates a ripple effect on your decisions, actions, and results.

**Breaking the Cycle of Inaction:**

How many times have we caught ourselves saying we need to do something but never actually doing it? The gap between intention and action is where weak ass language thrives. We create mental roadblocks that prevent us from progressing. However, by recognizing this pattern and consciously choosing to break free from it, we can initiate lasting change.

**The Power of New Action:**

When we take new actions that align with our aspirations, we challenge the old patterns and beliefs that hold us back. It's not enough to think about change; we must live it. The transformation lies in embodying our desires, stepping into a new way of thinking, doing, and being. It is through this embodiment that our external reality begins to shift.

**The Ripple Effect:**

As we break free from weak ass language and embrace new actions, we create a ripple effect in our lives. Our external reality has no choice but to adapt to our internal changes. By aligning our actions with our desires, we open doors of opportunity, growth, and personal development. It is a powerful journey that leads to a transformed mindset and a life that reflects our true potential.

Weak ass language may seem innocuous, but its impact on our lives is significant. We must recognize the limitations of mere knowledge and embrace the power of action. By taking deliberate steps towards our goals, we move closer to embodying our aspirations and creating real change. Let us challenge ourselves to break free from disempowering language, embrace new actions, and experience the transformative power of living our truth.

What is weak ass language, why you need to stop using it, and what to do instead

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Over the years, through personal healing and coaching other women, I have observed a common pattern of confusion among women. We're doing it all. We're doing what we think is right, in fact we're doing everything right. The way we've been told and taught. Yet we're not feeling better, our bodies are not responding like we had hoped, in fact, despite our best efforts, we're often feeling worse instead of better. We experience unfulfillment, disconnection, and depletion, and the kicker is, we begin to wonder what is wrong with us? So as a result, we do more.

In this blog post, we will explore six ways in which women have been living from a disempowered and disconnected feminine, inadvertently affecting their hormonal balance, their happiness, and their vitality. But more importantly, we will discuss how we can reclaim our power and reconnect with our authentic selves.



# 6 ways women live from a disempowered and disconnected Feminine:
# 
* Thinking the feminine is weak

Not honouring or valuing the feminine energy can create tension and resistance internally. When we continually revert to more masculine dominant traits this distances us even more from our core essence. We are literally fighting against our own nature and suppressing our innate expression that is anything but weak, it’s just powerful in its own way. The wounded feminine is disconnected, rigid, controlling, and can result in both physical and emotional distress.


* Good girl syndrome

“Do as you’re told”

“Be seen not heard”

“Don’t make others uncomfortable”

“Don’t rock the boat”

“Wait your turn”

“You’re too much”

“Don’t stand out”

As women we have learned to self-abandon for the sake of others. To be quiet, to not be too much. We have learned to squash our intuition, our inner authority, our inner power. We learn not to trust ourselves or our bodies. So we don't. We are constantly waiting for permission.​

We put on the masks to hide the true version of ourselves, suppress what we are actually feeling, we feel unfulfilled and like we don’t actually know who we are, and if we do we're afraid to be her completely. We live in fear of judgment, fear of not being enough, fear of being wrong, and in fear of rejection. ​This creates resentment and distrust towards ourselves and the feminine and puts us in a victim mentality, instead of showing up as the co-creator of our lives.


* Attacking the masculine

The feminist movement can be toxic when we attack the masculine and swing way too far over to the masculine energy ourselves.

This can create physical imbalances and tension in our relationships. There is a difference between the wounded and the healthy masculine. The truth is we need both the masculine and the feminine energies individually and collectively, when we neglect or attack one, they both suffer.


* Not asking for and receiving support

A sign of the wounded feminine is rejecting support and not being able to receive. The feminine is built to receive, that’s her natural essence. When we believe that we need to control or force or push to get what we want, when we reject support, we operate from the wounded masculine, because we feel like we have to. This comes from an energy of scarcity and lack and we suffer as a result thinking we have to do it all alone. ​


* Following health trends based on male biology

Women are often doing more without nurturing their feminine energy, honouring their cyclical patterns, or replenishing their oxytocin levels. The female endocrine system doesn’t need more intensity it needs more rest, it doesn’t need more restrictions, it needs more nourishment. It doesn’t respond well to masculine dominant approaches to health that have mainly been studied on men and menopausal women who do not have cycling hormones.


* Ignoring their cyclical nature and doing the same things in every phase of their female cycle

Women do not have the same physiology as men so why are we following masculine type approaches to health and living? These strategies do not take into consideration the fluctuating needs of cycling females and can result in burn out, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, PMS, irregular or missing periods, and fertility issues. Our hormones fluctuate throughout the month according to a 28 day -ish cycle, which means our physical, social, mental, emotional needs will also change and vary accordingly.



# Healing the Wounded Feminine
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To reconnect with our feminine energy and establish hormonal balance, we need to embrace our authentic selves and honor our unique needs and rhythms. Here are practical steps to guide you on this journey:

* Practice saying no when you want to say no:
No is a complete sentence, and you're allowed to use it.! You get to decide what you tolerate and accept. Saying no doesn't make you a b*tch, in fact, others will respect you for speaking your truth, and at the same time you give them permission to do the same. We are not responsible for other people's reactions, we are only responsible for our communication.

* Practice saying yes when you want to say yes:
Continually denying yourself what you want to say yes to will create resentment internally.
Getting in touch with your desires might be foreign. Saying yes to yourself and what you want might be uncomfortable. So start with the little things: what you want to eat, what clothes you want to wear, what movie you want to watch, etc. Notice how your body will expand in response to a yes and contract in response to a no, and follow that.

* Stop justifying and over-explaining: 
Trust your decisions without feeling the need to justify them. Inform rather than seek permission, as you are your own authority.

* Enforce boundaries: 
It’s easy to say you have boundaries until you need to enforce them, then it can become a very different story, because we don’t want to upset others or make them uncomfortable - yet we continually do it to ourselves. If a line is being crossed, it’s time to speak up. Even better, make your boundaries clear from the get-go. When we each communicate our boundaries and enforce them we send the message to other women that they can too, out of self-respect for one another. Then it’s no longer a big deal and instead becomes the norm.

* Understand your cyclical nature: 
You aren’t meant to function on a 24 hour clock like men because you also have an infradian rhythm - the female cycle that follows a 28-day-ish pattern - so your needs will differ throughout the month. ​ Start tracking and charting your cycle and noticing how your needs, energy, mood, and appetite fluctuate and honor that (P.S my PCOS course goes into this in-depth)

* Tune into your body versus your mind:
Do you need to tone down your workouts? Do you need more food? Do you need a rest day? Are you feeling more social? Do you need to retreat and have some solo time? Honor where you are at instead of forcing yourself into showing up the same way day after day, this just creates internal resistance and depletes the endocrine system.

* Be your own authority: 
Yes we can all learn from others, but you will always be the expert on you! Start to pay attention to yourself. Hearing your own voice often takes some practice because we are constantly distracting ourselves and looking to others for answers. Start to create some space during your day for silence, introspection, nature… where you can be with you and tune out the external noise, this is how you develop your intuition and start to hear your inner voice instead of the mind chatter that is full of the fears, scarcity and "shoulds" of others.

* Celebrate yourself and other women: 
We are not here to compete with one another or tear each other down. Nor are we here to beat ourselves up. When we celebrate ourselves and other women, when we cheer ourselves on and other women - we create a safe place for all of us to win. We are stronger together and in collaboration than we are separated and in competition.

Standing in your power doesn’t make you a bad girl.


Read that again.


It's time to break free from the conditioning that constantly demands us to be "good" by adhering to rules that were never truly agreed upon in the first place. These rules were never questioned, leading us to avoid any form of conflict, disapproval, or rejection. However, in the process, we end up rejecting, abandoning, and disapproving of ourselves.


We get to challenge the way it has been done and taught.


When we each start to take radical responsibility for the way we show up and communicate, for what we will and will not tolerate, and for our needs and desires…

We set ourselves free:

* We can accept all parts of ourselves without constantly needing to hide or fix ourselves.

* We can make our own decisions without constantly second-guessing and looking to others.

* We can show up in the world as who we are and take off the masks.

* We can stay true to ourselves despite the opinion of others.

* We can be there for others out of genuine love and care and from a full cup instead of from resentment, guilt, or obligation.

* We can express ourselves authentically without filtering what we actually want to say.

* We can move through our emotions without projecting them onto others or identifying with the feeling.

* We can receive our desires without questioning if we are worthy of them or fearing what others will think of us.

* We can experience genuine connection that is secure and safe because we are.


It’s in these micro moments that we reclaim our power, and not in a controlling or superior way, in a way that says "this is who I am, and I’m okay with it no matter what".

We each give ourselves permission to be who we really are, and that creates a ripple effect.
This is where we rise individually and collectively.
It starts with each one of us.

6 ways women have been living from the wounded feminine

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A 4 week intensive for the woman who wants to ditch the conventional approach to women’s health that just hasn’t been working for her, adopt a natural approach to hormone balancing, live in harmony with her female cycles, and shift her relationship with food & her body.

I take a root cause approach, so we can actually support your body to THRIVE, not just survive. 

You’re here for more than that!!

This isn’t a diet, this isn’t about restricting and setting rules on yourself, this is a personalized approach that works with your bio-individuality, your needs, and what makes sense for you to create long-term sustainable change.

Hey, I'm Laurence! I am a holistic women’s coach and practitioner and I help women reclaim their power, harmonize their hormones, and elevate their life through subconscious reprogramming and mind-body alignment. I incorporate a holistic approach using tools like Hypnotherapy, NLP, holistic nutrition, mindset exploration, and somatic work in order to optimize your physical health, deepen your connection to your body and spirit, and heal the energetic and emotional layers that are preventing you from leveling up. I support women in finding their voice, embodying their feminine energy, and clearing any obstacles that hinder them from owning their desires, accepting and loving their bodies, and creating a life that’s on their own terms. Feminine empowerment is at the core of my coaching philosophy. I believe in women reclaiming their power, honoring their feminine essence, and living life unapologetically.




During our first call we will go over your personal history, symptoms, concerns, goals, and any other information that will help me to co-create your strategy plan and provide recommendations for your situation.

Intake

During this session, we will go over your strategy plan together to help you take action right away and start feeling the difference it makes when you work with your body and support it nutritionally, but also with your lifestyle and supportive strategic supplements.

Strategy Session

During this session, we will go over your progress and address any challenges that may be arising. I combine health coaching, nutrition consulting, and mind-body alignment practices to support your body in healing and for you to feel empowered to make shifts that upgrade the quality of your life, and feel confident while doing it!

Check-in coaching call

Check-In Coaching Call

Hormone Balancing + Healthy Relationship with Food + Body

Hormone Harmony

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This 4 session coaching package (4 x 60 minute calls) involves life coaching and neuro-linguistic programming to master your inner self-talk and beliefs so you can get unstuck and step into the next level version of you and your life, whatever that looks like. During our sessions, we will get clear on 1-2 goals and concerns of yours that you would like to work on, clear, or improve in your life.

Together we will work on releasing limiting beliefs, removing the effects of negative emotions, mastering inner self talk, and connecting to your purpose so you can move forward with new empowering behaviors and beliefs that support your goals, whether they be related to health, relationships, fulfillment or career.

These calls will be tailored to your specific needs and goals that you are wanting to work on. You will also receive homework and recommendations to walk away with

It’s time to quit playing small, falling back into old patterns of self-sabotage, and start betting on yourself and the life you are meant to live!

During this session we'll get clear on what you want to achieve or change in your life and what might be in the way that has been preventing you from making progress. 

Laurence Annez