When this newsletter gets to your inbox, I’ll be enjoying my last day of a week-long vacation with my family at the beach on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

I wrote this newsletter before leaving for our trip, and it’s a short one…but a really important one.

What I want to share with you today is about the absolute, VITAL importance of taking care of your nervous system…first and foremost for your physical, spiritual and emotional health…but also for the health of your business.

In today’s world of ongoing technology and social media, and of IMMENSE pressure, fast-paced and professional expectation (all we have to do is open up to Facebook to see what others are saying they’re up to, and start feeling bad about ourselves)…our nervous systems are in very precarious positions.

Except perhaps for 100% enlightened yogis who live on isolated mountains meditating all day, all of us are susceptible to the stress, anxiety and pressure of modern living.

And when we get stressed out, our nervous systems react.

We may overeat or have trouble sleeping or feel jumpy, crabby, depressed or generally over-reactive.

A recent study revealed that over 91% of Americans are chronically stressed.

Another study revealed that 75-90% of all illness is related in one way or another to stress.

Perhaps you’ve noticed your over-reactive nervous system rear its head in your business?

It might look like constantly checking your email anxiously even though it’s the weekend and there’s really nothing to respond to…

…or perhaps it shows up as having an awful 3 days after a client session that doesn’t go as well as you would have liked – you stress out totally over it and replay it over and over again in your mind…

…or perhaps it shows up as over reacting to a team member doing something wrong…

…or laying awake at night worrying about your next launch…

…or simply moving at a pace that is WAY faster than your natural rhythm, a pace that your body doesn’t like at all, trying to get it all done…

Whatever it is for you, what’s important to know is this:

When you’re caught in an over-reactive nervous system vortex, without calming down your body, you’re quick to act or jump to conclusions or get all bent out of shape for no reason.

The more you can calm down your nervous system, the better you can RESPOND and LEAD (instead of REACT) to your business, and the better, more aligned choices you can make.

Also, the calmer your nervous system is, the calmer your clients will be (because of mirror neurons, which literally cause your nervous system responses to effect the nervous systems of those around you)…and the happier they will be.

That is why I am at the beach this week with my family…with absolutely no access to my work email.

And that is why I try to stay away from work as much as is possible on most weekends.

And that is why I have begun to practice mindfulness and intentional breathing.

And that is why I am committed to catching myself when I get into a nervous system vortex.

Because what I want more than anything is a sense of peace and well-being.

And because I know that this sense of peace and well-being will positively impact my business and the decisions I make in it.

I’ve got lots more to say on this, but for now, I share this introduction to the topic. So you can begin to look for the ways in your life and business that your nervous system isn’t in balance. And take positive action around it.

My wish for you: To feel calm, balanced and at peace. Always.

With love,
Joanna