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There is a lot happening in the world right now and whether it's the news, the state of your inbox, or the energy of people around you, it is no wonder you may be feeling drained, edgy, or overwhelmed. Here is something important to remember: Just because things feel hard doesn't mean you are not taking care of yourself. Well-being is not about constant calm or never feeling stressed. It is about recognizing what is happening in your body, mind, and heart and gently responding to that awareness with care. In fact, you might be doing the inner work without even realizing it.  We often imagine personal growth and healing as loud and obvious. A big "aha" moment or dramatic lifestyle overhaul. But more often than not, it is quiet and subtle. It lives in the micro-decisions you make every single day. That moment when you:
From the Brain's Perspective: The Role of Interoception  Neuroscience supports this too. One concept that often flies under the radar but is central to our well-being is interoception, which is thought of as the sixth sense. Interoception is your brain's ability to read and interpret the signals coming from within your body. Your heartbeat, breathing, hunger cues, fatigue, or even that feeling in your chest when emotions rise. This internal awareness is what helps us identify how we are feeling and what we need. It directly impacts how we self-regulate, manage stress, and make decisions. When you start tuning into your inner world and adjusting your actions based on that awareness, you are literally giving your nervous system a new experience. One that teaches it safety, connection, and inner strength. This is neuroplasticity in action! Your brain and nervous system learn from what you repeatedly experience. Even the smallest shifts matter. You Don't Need to Be Perfect In a world that often demands productivity, perfection, and constant action, it is radical to pause and to listen to your inner world. To choose softness, stillness, or simply doing nothing for a while.  Well-being doesn't mean always having it together. It means honoring where you are and trusting that how you tend to yourself in the mess is part of your growth. A Gentle Reflection
Take a moment and reflect. What is one thing, no matter how small, you have done recently that supported your well-being? Maybe it didn't look like much from the outside, but it helped you breathe a little easier, feel a little safer, and return to yourself. That is your sign that you are doing the work, even if you didn't realize it.
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We often think of well-being as something that happens to us. We wait for something to happen such as our workplace getting better, when our schedule clears, or when leadership finally prioritizes mental health. I used to believe it too. But over time, I have learned something that changed everything: No one is coming to save your internal world. And that is not meant to be discouraging. It is meant to be empowering. Because the truth is that you already hold the key to your well-being.  It is so easy to get stuck in the cycle of waiting: "I'll prioritize myself when my schedule calms down." "I'll feel better when I get support." "I'll take care of me... once everyone else is okay." Hello! Life rarely slows down when we are waiting for it to and that perfect moment never quite shows up. In the meantime, we stay exhausted. Disconnected. Unfulfilled. The Shift: From External to Internal Self-care has become a buzz word. Taking a mental health day, going to a yoga class, working with a supportive team are all external ways of taking care of yourself and those things can help. However, they aren't the root of true well-being. Real well-being starts with a decision. A choice to listen to what is happening inside. To slow down. To feel. To reflect. To take the smallest step toward ourselves. That is the work no one else can do for you. That is the spark of change.  A Small Step Can Be a Big Beginning
The beauty is that this does not need to be overwhelming. It might be one deep breath before a team meeting, a "no" that protects your energy, a quiet walk without your phone, or five minutes of journaling to check in with your thoughts. These moments matter. They remind us that we are in charge of our own inner world. Supportive environments are important. Workplaces can absolutely help create the conditions for well-being. But the commitment? That starts with you. You don't need a permission slip to begin. You already hold the key. What is one small way you are choosing yourself this week? Need support getting started on true well-being? Reach out, I am here!  As I have shared before, I have been on a well-being journey for the past ten years. And it's impact on me at this point is worth sharing! Through lived experience, I have built self-awareness, deepened my emotion regulation, and discovered that true well-being isn't something you do - it's something you sustain. That deeper curiosity has changed everything. Awareness Is the First Step, Is it Enough? Many of us start our well-being journeys by adopting habits we know are "good for us." Meditation, exercise, journaling, deep breathing (we have all heard the benefits). Here's are a few things that I have been exploring: → If well-being only exists on a to-do list, it is easy to abandon when life gets chaotic. → If it is something we practice only when we have time, it is not truly supporting us. → If we don't take the time to understand what well-being feels like in our bodies, it is hard to sustain. This was my experience. I knew the right things to do, but for the first part of my journey, I hadn't made the connection between awareness and sustainability. Because of that, my well-being practices were inconsistent and reactive, rather than integrated and intentional.  Sustainability Is the Transformation The real shift happened when I started asking myself: ❓ What does well-being feel like in my body and mind? ❓ How does it change the way I move through the world? ❓ Am I approaching well-being as something I do or something I live? When well-being is sustainable, it is no longer about fitting in practices when life is calm - it is about integrating them so they support you through the chaos. It becomes the foundation for how you lead, perform, and navigate uncertainty.  Quality time with my daughters What Changes When Well-Being Becomes Sustainable? 🌱 You don't abandon it when life gets busy - you integrate it into your daily life. 🌱 It's no longer just about habits - it is about embodiment and emotional resilience. 🌱 You move through challenges with more ease, clarity, and balance. Sustaining well-being is about more than self-care. It is about self-awareness. It is about understanding what nourishes and drains you and how to build emotional agility to stay grounded no matter what life throws your way. How have you sustained your well-being or are you just touching the surface? Let's connect and have a conversation.
Ten years ago, if you had asked me what well-being meant, I wouldn't have had a clear answer. It wasn't something I consciously thought about, let alone prioritized. Like many, I was moving through life on autopilot - pushing forward, staying in control, and measuring success by external achievements rather than internal alignment. But something shifted. I started to realize that despite doing everything I thought I was "supposed" to do, I felt disconnected, drained, and unfulfilled. The more I ignored my inner world, the more it became clear that something needed to change. And that is when I took my first real step toward self-awareness.  Mindfulness Certification Retreat 2018 Understanding What Well-Being Means to Me For the first time, I slowed down. I stopped running on the treadmill of expectations and started asking myself deeper questions: What do I actually need to feel balanced? What does success feel like - not just look like? As I explored these questions, I began to uncover the patterns, beliefs, and emotions that were shaping my life without me even realizing it. I learned that well-being wasn't just about working out - it was about understanding myself on a deeper level and aligning my actions with what truly mattered to me.  The Profound Shifts That Came With This Awareness Once I started prioritizing my well-being, everything began to change: ➡️ Self-awareness gave me clarity. I started recognizing the habits and mindsets that were keeping me stuck and learned how to shift them. ➡️ Emotion regulation gave me freedom. Instead of reacting to stress, fear, or uncertainty, I learned how to process my emotions and respond with intention. ➡️ Letting go of control opened new possibilities. Embracing uncertainty allowed me to move forward with more trust, curiosity, and resilience. I didn't just feel different - I was different. More balanced. More grounded. More alive.  Bali Retreat 2019 Why I Share This Journey So, why do I share all of this? Because living this experience showed me firsthand the profound impact of prioritizing well-being. It empowered me to recognize that I have the ability to help others do the same - guiding them to create sustainable change in their own lives. This realization led me to my work today, where I support individuals in slowing down, deepening their self-awareness, and understanding themselves on a level that allows them to step into even greater success. True well-being isn't about checking off boxes. It is about learning to be present, to trust yourself, and to navigate life with a sense of openness. When we learn to lead ourselves first, everything else follows. What Does Well-Being Mean to You? I would love to hear your reflections. Have you ever had a moment where you realized well-being wasn't in your consciousness? How has your understanding of self-awareness evolved over time? Let's start the conversation.  Ready to Bring Well-Being to Life?
If you are looking for support in integrating well-being into your life and leadership, let's connect. Whether you are navigating personal growth or fostering well-being within your team, I would love to help you create meaningful shifts. Reach out to explore how we can work together! |
Kristin Pittman"Quit hanging on to the handrails...Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day." Archives
April 2025
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