Tag: balance

  • Unwind: A Gentle Bedtime Routine for Kids and Moms

    Unwind: A Gentle Bedtime Routine for Kids and Moms

    Unwind at Bedtime. This can feel like the hardest part of the day. With four kids, I used to dread bed time because it included some of our worst behavior. That is, until I found an iron clad way to do without the chaos.

    By evening, everyone is tired, overstimulated, and somehow still not ready to settle down. The lights are on, the energy is high, and your peaceful nighttime routine can start to feel more like wrestling caffeinated squirrels. If that sounds familiar, you are not doing anything wrong. Many families need simple, calming support to help the day come to a gentler close.

    That is why Young Living KidScents Unwind has become one of those products many families keep nearby for evenings that feel extra busy. Young Living describes it as a supplement formulated for children to help promote a calm and relaxed state, reduce restlessness, and help with occasional sleeplessness. Its official product materials highlight L-theanine, 5-HTP, and magnesium, and say it is intended for children ages 4 and older.

    And while it was designed for kids, I will tell you honestly that I have used it myself when I wake up in the night and cannot quite settle back down. For me, it has been one of those “lights out” supports that fits beautifully into a calm nighttime rhythm.

    Why bedtime feels so hard sometimes

    If you have ever wondered why bedtime can spiral so quickly, you are not alone. Kids carry a lot by the end of the day. School, activities, screens, emotions, noise, sugar, transitions, and plain old tiredness can all pile up. Even good days can end with wound-up energy.

    That is why bedtime often needs more than one command to “go to sleep.” It usually works better when you create a rhythm that helps the body and mind slow down.

    And that is where you become the hero of your home.

    Not because you make bedtime perfect, but because you create calmer patterns. You notice what helps. You choose gentle tools. You build a nighttime routine that supports peace instead of pressure.

    What is Young Living Unwind?

    Young Living KidScents Unwind is a supplement in single-serve powder stick packs. Young Living says it is formulated to help promote a calm state, reduce restlessness, help with occasional sleeplessness, and support focus and mental clarity.

    I originally bought it for those times when my kids have high anxiety and can’t seem to catch their breath. One of my kids completely loves this product, including the watermelon flavor. He says he can go to sleep after taking this.

    The featured ingredients Young Living highlights are:

    • L-theanine
    • 5-HTP
    • Magnesium

    That makes it appealing for families who want a gentle bedtime support option that is not centered on melatonin.

    What makes Young Living Unwind stand out?

    What I like about Unwind is that it fits into a routine instead of trying to replace one. And it is not more pills! Yay!

    It feels like a “help the evening go better” product, not a “force sleep now” product. That difference matters. A lot of moms are not looking for something harsh. They are looking for something that supports the kind of bedtime they are already trying to create: calmer lights, calmer voices, calmer bodies, calmer evenings.

    Young Living positions Unwind for children ages 4+ and describes it as helping promote calm and relaxation while supporting occasional sleeplessness and restlessness.

    That is exactly the kind of wording I think makes sense for bedtime content too. We are not talking about perfection. We are talking about support.

    A closer look at the key ingredients in Unwind

    L-theanine

    Young Living says L-theanine occurs naturally in green tea and helps promote relaxation while helping ease occasional irritability. The company also says it may support next-day focus and mental clarity.

    5-HTP

    According to Young Living’s product information, 5-HTP works synergistically with L-theanine to promote a calm state and assists in relieving occasional stress.

    Magnesium

    Young Living says magnesium is involved in hundreds of metabolic reactions in the body and may help support a sense of calm and help with occasional sleeplessness.

    How I would frame Unwind for bedtime routines

    If bedtime has been feeling chaotic, Unwind does not have to be the whole plan. It can simply be one helpful part of it.

    Think of it like this: you are not trying to win bedtime with one magic trick. You are building a softer landing at the end of the day.

    That might include:

    • dimming the lights
    • turning off overstimulating screens
    • keeping conversation quieter
    • using a consistent bedtime sequence
    • adding Unwind as part of that routine

    That is where this product makes the most sense to me. It belongs inside a gentle rhythm.

    My personal take on Unwind

    This is the part I would share honestly because personal experience matters.

    Unwind was designed for children, and I think it makes sense to keep that clear. But in my own life, I have used it when I wake up in the middle of the night and feel too alert to drift back off. For me, it has been one of those products that helps the night get quiet again.

    That is not a promise for everyone. It is simply my experience.

    And that is one reason I like it so much. It feels like something supportive to keep in the house, especially for families who want their evenings to feel less frantic and more peaceful.

    A simple nighttime routine to tame bedtime madness

    If you want bedtime to feel calmer, simpler, and less dramatic, here is a gentle routine to try:

    1. Lower the stimulation

    About 30 to 60 minutes before bed, start shifting the atmosphere. Turn lights down. Lower the noise. Help the evening feel different from the daytime pace.

    2. Keep the routine predictable

    Kids often settle better when bedtime happens in the same order each night. Bath, pajamas, brushing teeth, story, prayer, cuddle, bed. The exact steps matter less than the consistency.

    3. Use supportive tools, not pressure

    When evenings are especially restless, Unwind can be one supportive part of the routine. Young Living says it is formulated to help promote calm, reduce restlessness, and help with occasional sleeplessness.

    4. Make the room feel peaceful

    A cool room, soft blankets, low lighting, and less visual clutter can help bedtime feel calmer.

    5. Stay calm yourself

    This one is hard, but important. Children often borrow our nervous system. If bedtime feels tense, slowing your own tone and pace can make a bigger difference than you think.

    Who might like Unwind?

    This kind of product may appeal to:

    • families who want a calmer bedtime routine
    • parents of children who seem wound up at the end of the day
    • moms looking for a gentle nighttime support option to keep in the house
    • women who prefer a melatonin-free bedtime support category for their family routine

    Important notes before using Unwind

    Young Living’s product information says KidScents Unwind is for children 4 years and older. The label also advises checking with a healthcare professional if pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a medical condition.

    This blog post is for educational purposes and personal sharing. It is not medical advice.

    Why this matters more than just one product

    The real goal is not just getting through one bedtime.

    The goal is helping your home feel calmer at night.

    When you create a bedtime rhythm that works, even imperfectly, you are doing something powerful. You are shaping the tone of your evenings. You are helping tired bodies and busy minds settle down. You are making nighttime feel safer, softer, and simpler.

    That is why I think products like Unwind can be so helpful. Not because they do everything, but because they support the kind of nighttime routine so many families are trying to build.

    Want a calmer night?

    If you are ready to make bedtime feel simpler and more peaceful, I created something just for you.

    Download my Free Nighttime Routine for gentle, practical steps to help you create a calmer evening rhythm for yourself or your family.

    Download My Free Nighttime Routine

    PS If you are an adult, please don’t feel left out. Click here for some products that help even the grown ups sleep better.

    For more along these lines, check out my post for Solving Kid’s Procrastination at Bedtime.

    Reach out with any questions. I genuinely love to find the root causes of symptoms, and how to support each person’s body right where they are. I hope to hear from you soon!

  • From Burnout to Balance: Systems Over Stress

    From Burnout to Balance: Systems Over Stress

    Burnout to Balance: this should help you get your breath. Systems over stress are about strategies that bring order above chaos.  This is my story.

    How It Started: Burnout

    I was in burnout, trying to build Women Encouragement while working 40 plus hours a week. Burning the candle at both ends can last on adrenaline and grit for a time, but over months and years; burnout is inevitable.

    I kept the sprint for about fifteen months, but then hit a wall… hard. Health problems started to plague my body. Being prompt was blowing out the window. Delay seemed to be the heavy cloud over my head.

    Multi tasking until the wee hours of the morning to only do it again the next day, ushered in depression. We can’t give, what we don’t have. Running on empty steals. It causes clenched jaws, shoulders at the ears, and numbness.

    Burnout to Balance

    The Good Lord brought me systems over stress. I wanted to keep the ever running energizer bunny mode on. God thought otherwise.

    I quit a very chaotic environmental job. I had another position lined up, but they (four days before my start date) rescinded my acceptance letter. For four glorious months, I have been able to concentrate on systems over stress. I can not exaggerate how much I needed the past 160 days of down time.

    Burnout to Balance

    At first the hamster wheel was my comfort. I didn’t have a clue as to life off of it. If I wasn’t selling, creating, doing something – what was there to do?

     

    Slowly the onion peeled. Our culture tells us to grind harder. We are exhausted and ashamed of it, so we try so hard to appear rested. The burnout is real.

    After about two weeks I finally noticed me quietly picking up books again, baking, and watching shows just for fun. I was suddenly allowed to be me!

    Burnout to Balance

    Not everyone gets a job lapse. So, let me share some strategies that evade the burnout, bringing balance.

    Balanced Mornings

    First, the morning routine truly is the Secret Sauce from going from Burn out to Balance. I just finished the 5 AM Club, which was a strange little read. However, the morning schedule shared in the book is sunshine.

    Taking the morning to center, calm, meditate, exercise, and read is a huge game changer. Don’t knock it until you try it. This one small system was the quickest savior from the Hamster Wheel.

    Balanced Email Systems

    Secondly,

    Burnout to Balance is helpful in having an email strategy that rescues us from overwhelm (who doesn’t have a full inbox?). It can save hours of searching, struggling, trying to make it make sense. You can find more about this strategy: HERE

    Balanced by Time Blocking

     

    Thirdly,

    Burnout to Balance happened when I started time blocking. Good bye multitasking. Hello focused attention on one thing. This allows me to stay in the zone without feeling spread thin (where much of burnout comes from).

    Time blockers help me with an uptick of production as well. When I was cramming it all in while working 40 plus hours a week, I felt so scattered, it was tough to find results anywhere.

    Balanced Planning

    Fourth,

    From Burnout to Balance, I strongly suggest making a plan. By making a plan before the next day, I wake up with intention. There is no half a$$ing a day. I know what needs to be accomplished for things to move forward.

    This keeps me from coasting. Having a few things written down or typed in my phone, keeps me from channel surfing or doom scrolling.

    This resource might help you as well.  I wrote it, and it contains two systems for content creation.  Check it out HERE.

    Balanced with Social Media Strategy

    Lastly,

    Burnout to Balance: social media edition… have a plan in place. I now keep a huge monthly calendar of content creation on my bedroom wall. This keeps me from throwing social media content out there and praying it works (giving me a concrete plan). Utilizing this system combats burnout because I have a reference point to implement instead of constant fretting over what might work, what should I post today, etc.

    I sit down with the AI masters (Gemini, Chat gpt) and figure it out with them. These sit down sessions are almost always under an hour. This alone gives me such great guardrails for what I’m doing on the webbernets. I strongly suggest this yourself.

    How do you know if you are burned out? Great question. I made a list of the symptoms of burnout. You can download it: (complete the form at the bottom of this post).

    Balance:

    To recover from Burnout, I found I needed more sleep. I’m talking about hibernation level rest. My body craved it hard. Give yourself permission to rest to recover from burnout.

    Slowly add some systems to your day. This keeps chaos at bay. I find hustle culture breeds chaos like rabbits breed bunnies (it happens quickly). When we have systems in order, they act as the net below the acrobats at the circus to keep us safe.

    Sometimes, people pull on me to break out of systems. I respond, “Sorry, I’m booked at that time.” Systems are much like boundaries: they keep the good in and the evil at bay.

    My Burnout/Balance Story

    It took me about a full thirty days to feel truly me again. If you don’t have thirty days: I encourage you to take breaks. Give yourself micro vacations to walk outside. Drink your favorite beverage. Eat some favorites. Savor the good in life. Self care as much as possible. In time we will be off the hamster wheel. It is just a matter of time.

    If you’d like more along these lines, meet me for my Zoom, Mondays at 7:00pm called the Mom Reset. It’s quick, under 45 minutes and will bring a breath of fresh air to us all. Comment below for the link.

    What have done to get out of burnout?  I’d love to hear what worked for you.  Let’s cheer each other on, celebrating each other!  Be blessed

  • Self-Care Wheel and Why You Need to Use It!

    Self-Care Wheel and Why You Need to Use It!

    Why Self-Care Isn’t Just Bubble Baths

    Self care.  Specifically, the Self-Care Wheel, but who has time for that?  Let’s be real. We’re juggling a million things: careers, kids, relationships, that weird stain on the couch that we swear wasn’t there yesterday. Sometimes, we feel like we’re running on fumes, and “self-care” gets shoved to the bottom of the to-do list, right next to “organize the junk drawer.” But here’s the thing: you can’t pour from an empty cup, and that cup is looking mighty parched.  I have a fun framework to help us find self-care.  Ready?  Set?  Go!

     

    Enter the glorious Self-Care Wheel. Think of it as your personal roadmap to not losing your marbles. Forget the idea that self-care is just face masks and spa days (though those are nice, let’s be honest). It’s about nourishing all aspects of your life.
    So, what are these magical eight segments of the wheel? Let’s dive in, shall we?

    self-care-wheel-worksheet

     

    The Wheel of Self-Care1. Physical Self-Care Wheel: Move It, Girl!

    The first area of the Self-Care Wheel that comes to mind is our physical self.  This is about taking care of your amazing body. We’re talking sleep, nutrition, and exercise. You don’t have to run a marathon (unless you want to!), but moving your body in a way that feels good is crucial. As Dr. Christine Carter, a sociologist at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, says, “Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day.” So, ditch the late-night scrolling and get some Zzz’s!

     

    2. Emotional Self-Care Wheel: Feel All the Feels (Without Exploding)

    This is about acknowledging and processing your emotions in a healthy way. Journaling, talking to a friend, or even just having a good cry (hello, rom-coms!) are all valid. As Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, reminds us, “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.” 1 . Embrace those feels, ladies!  This area of the self-care may need the most quality time to address. 

    3. Social Self-Care Wheel: Your Tribe is Your Vibe

    Humans are social creatures, and we need connection. Make time for your friends and family, even if it’s just a quick coffee date. As Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, emphasizes, “Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both mental and physical health.”  So, call your bestie, plan a girls’ night, and reconnect!

     

    4. Spiritual Self-Care Wheel: Find Your InnerPeace

    This isn’t necessarily about religion, but about finding meaning and purpose in your life. It could be meditation, spending time in nature, or volunteering. Whatever feeds your soul!  For me, it is spending time in God’s Word, worshipping Him, and praying.

     

    5. Intellectual Self-Care Wheel: Keep That Brain Buzzing

    The Self-Care Wheel includes or soul.  Stimulate your mind! Read a book, learn a new skill, or listen to a podcast. Challenge yourself and keep those brain cells happy.  Or for me, it’s taking a break and watching a romantic comedy.  Either way, we win!

     

    6. Financial Self-Care Wheel: Money Moves (That Don’t Involve Impulse Buys)

    This is about managing your finances responsibly and reducing stress. Create a budget, save for a rainy day, and maybe even treat yourself to that thing you’ve been eyeing (within reason, of course!).  This brings so much security to our lives!  Read more about it HERE.

     

    7. Environmental Self-Care Wheel: Your Space, Your Sanctuary

    Create a space that makes you feel good. Declutter, add some plants, or light a candle. Your environment impacts your mood, so make it a happy place.  I love this area… it’s most likely my favorite on the wheel!

     

    8. Occupational Self-Care Wheel: Love What You Do (Or Find a Way To)

    This is about finding satisfaction in your work. If you’re feeling burnt out, it might be time to reassess. Talk to your boss, explore new opportunities, or find ways to make your current job more fulfilling.

     

    Why is this wheel important for us women, specifically?
    Because we often put everyone else’s needs before our own. We’re the caregivers, the multitaskers, the superheroes. But even superheroes need to recharge! By focusing on all eight areas of the Self-Care Wheel, you’ll be more balanced, resilient, and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way.

    Blank Self-Care Wheel

     

    Your Turn!
    Which area of the Self-Care Wheel do you want to focus on this week? Leave a comment below and let’s inspire each other! Let’s get those wheels turning, ladies!  Share this on your social media too, let’s encourage more ladies, making a greater difference (Jude 22).
Subscribe now !

DOWNLOAD MY FREE
EBOOK

9 Streams of income working from home