Five Steps To Reinvent Your Morning Routine

As a Wellness Coach, one of the top questions I’m asked is “how do you start your morning (and your brain) without caffeine and sugar?” 

For most of us, mornings can be hectic and stressful. 

The Not-So-Good Morning Rush

Alarms buzzing. 

Rushed to get yourself (and often kids, possibly pets) put together, fed and out the door. 

Traffic delays and backups.

The ticking of the clock..fear of being late..missing the meeting.

Exhausted before you even begin the day.

With so little time..and brain power, when it comes to morning fuel, we just grab-and-go whatever is fast and easiest, like coffee and something sweet.

Now don’t get me wrong, a good cup of coffee and a sweet treat is one of my favorite indulgences, but it’s certainly NOT the breakfast of champions.

If you are serious about setting your day up for success, it’s time to reinvent your morning routine. 

Step 1 - MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE MORNING

Remove the rush.

Set your alarm for fifteen minutes before you would normally get up. If you’re a fan of the snooze button, set your alarm for thirty-minutes ahead to give yourself a little extra snooze time. 

Step 2 - Greet The Day

“What good shall I do today?”

— Ben Franklin

As soon as your feet hit the floor, make your bed, open your blinds to let in the sunshine. A quick stretch and yawn with sound (ahhhh) as you head to the kitchen.

Step 3 - Hydrate And Get Moving

Begin your morning with a mug of warm lemon water*, followed by a fruit/green smoothie.

These beverages will begin to awaken your brain and get your bowels moving. 

I like to use this time to put away hand-washed dishes that dried overnight or empty the dishwasher while I drink my smoothie. This allows me to use my time wisely and return home to a tidy space. Winning the day, already!

*Add the juice from one, organic fresh lemon to a mug of warm purified water. Sip and enjoy!

Step 4 - Mindful Morning

Our personal routine of cleansing and primping is often completed on autopilot. Use this time to bring mindful attention to what you want for the day.

Set an intention.

See yourself having pleasant exchanges with loved ones and coworkers, enjoying nourishing foods (away from your desk), and getting outside for a breath of fresh air. 

Give thanks. Life has a way of slowing us down just enough to pause and give thanks - while drying our hair, waiting for traffic lights and elevators, during refills at the water cooler, on your commute, foam rolling before or after your workout. There’s always time for gratitude!

Remember - we’re more in control of our time and experiences than we often believe.

Step 5 - Move Your Body

Move your body now or later in the day. There’s no right time, it’s what’s right for you.

If you are the type that likes to get in your exercise first thing, great! If not, pack your workout bag the night before and have it ready by the door (or already in your trunk).

A mid-day walk with a coworker is a great way to maintain meaningful connections and camaraderie while staying healthy.

If you prefer to exercise after work, head to the gym, studio or the trail. A good sweat session is the perfect way to release your stresses and flush out toxins.

You will find that you sleep more soundly if you get ample movement.

By now you probably noticed there was no step devoted to checking emails or social media.

Let the fear go that you will be “missing something” if you don’t check in.

Rest assured you will have plenty of time for what is important when you begin with your own self-care. 

Free yourself from the hectic, “same as usual” mornings.

Reserve time and energy for what matters most.

Engage more fully in what you are doing.

Become more aware of your here-and-now experience.

Live a richer, more fulfilling life, with more meaningful relationships, greater health and well-being. 

It’s a big promise, I know.

This strategy works for me; and many of my coaching clients that have tried it for themselves.

Give it a try, adjust as necessary to meet your needs and preferences.  I want to hear how it goes. Let me know what worked (what didn’t and why). 

The Inside Story of Trish Fortune, a Heroine's Journey (personal essay)

“She’s not one of us.”

— Childhood message

“She’s not one of us”  was one of the primary messages of my childhood. I never fit in. All of my friends moms were stay at home moms. My mom was an ambitious corporate executive fighting to prove herself worthy to the old boy’s club. She spent her days locked away in an office, in a time in history where men made deals on the golf course. It was painful to watch my heroine return home late every night, stressed to the max and exhausted.

I spent my Summers at our community pool. While me and my friends played like fish all day their moms built their nest in a horseshoe patter poolside the two-foot section so they could keep a close eye on their kids, soak in the sun, read novels and gossip about working mothers neglecting their children and missing out. I was a member of that pool, but I didn't belong. I never understood what they had against working mothers, like my mom. I was a self-reliant kid who resented being treated like a needy child. I greatly valued my autonomy. I could be trusted to look after myself. Besides, my mom was a complete badass who slayed all day.

“You must be perfect to be accepted, to be loved.”

— Childhood message

I was part of a family I loved very deeply, but even at home with my parents and little brother, I was unsure if I belonged. When you are raised by perfectionists everything you do is picked apart like roadkill to a turkey vulture. I was never good enough. Constantly under their scrutiny, I strived harder to be “a good girl.” It seemed the message I was receiving was “you must be perfect to be accepted, to be loved.”

So I strived harder to do better, to be better, to get “it” right.

I was “too sensitive,” at least that is what my family reminded me of every time I showed vulnerability - when I got too real. I would build up my courage once more only to be cut down to size with phrases like “who do you think you are?” And “don’t get too big for your britches, young lady!”

I’d “get an intuitive hit” about someone or something, but when I shared my insight with my mom, I’d be told, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.” This rejection birthed serious self doubt; and even more serious self-loathing.

My intuitive muscle lived a wispy existence my entire childhood. I constantly questioned and critiqued myself. I took over their role - picking myself apart. There was so much wrong with me. I lived riddled with shame. 

By high school, I was overcome by shame for my vast imperfections and sense of failure. I was sure I was never going to be good enough.

I dreamed of dying—not by committing suicide though, just somehow miraculously ceasing to exist.

I used to pray to God to bring me ‘home’—I would say ‘do over’ just like when you kick the ball out of bounds in a game of schoolyard kickball. I prayed this prayer more times than I could count and—well, nothing changed.

Graduation was coming up fast. I was terrified by all the talk amongst my elders of what was next for my life. I had no plan. Time was running out for me. I locked myself away in my bedroom. I desperately dropped to my knees to pray my ‘do over’ prayer.

I began to bargain with God.

“Show me the way to health and I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to helping others find their way.”

That day, at the age of seventeen, marked the turning point in my life.

I made the choice to take personal responsibility for my health and well-being.

I also made a promise to God to pay it forward.

I began my hero’s journey to take back my power, to discover who I really was beneath the shame.

As a recovering perfectionist, striving for excellence, the fear I was inherently flawed drove me toward liberation.

I began the journey to self-love through improved health and personal development.

That path led to lasting transformation.

Looking back from the joyful life I live now, my heart is filled with gratitude for that dark night of the soul, as it has served me, and others, very well. This younger version of me seems like another place and time.

Life is now easier, more fulfilling.

My heart is full of peace and joy.

I belong to me.

This led to the realization that I belong to my family; and I belong here - wherever here is in the moment.

“Optimal health is the master key to joy. I have become the locksmith.”

— Trish Fortune

I kept that childhood promise. With the purest of intentions, I’ve made it my life’s work to facilitate others on the road to optimal health - unlocking their greatness. Optimal health is the master key to joy. I have become the locksmith.

My fear of not being good enough drove me to learn, study and apply everything I could get my hands on in the area of health, healing and wholeness. I became a researcher, living in the self-help section of Borders Books and Barnes and Noble. I was up to my ears in research studies in my college library. I believed I didn't truly know a subject until I could teach it. My college curriculum was filled with the sciences of human movement, psychology and nutrition. The more I learned, the more I realized how much more there was to learn. I discovered a new label for myself, I was a nerd that loved research - I ate it up (still am..still do). It gave me power and confidence, dispelling my childhood fear that I was stupid.

I felt completely empowered for the first time in my life.

The process of getting to know myself seemed like a necessity for living a good life. I listened to motivational tapes while driving to work and running the trails. I unlearned the limiting messages of my childhood and began reprogramming my brain. I started to like me. At some point, I began to embody the wisdom of these texts. I know because my friends began accusing me of “being a self-help book.” I took it as a compliment, it was true sign I was on the right path. My mantra became - the better I am, the more healed I am; the better I serve.

I discovered I had the courage to live out on the bleeding edge.

I was holistic when holistic was somehow taboo. A Reiki Master that prayed you’d opt for a personal experience instead of turning to the woo-woo, new age descriptions found on Google.  I became a Life Coach with the intention to combine my background in fitness, massage and bodywork, therapeutic nutrition and psychology.

I was an innovator of true wellness coaching before there was ever such a thing.  

With over twenty-five years of knowledge and experience, I am an expert in health, healing and wholeness.  It is my greatest passion.  I have a burning desire in my belly to be a positive force. While my friends were busy reading the latest murder mystery, love novel or watching reality TV to see what bizarro thing would happen next, I was immersed in research and working with clients.

I’ve helped thousands of women and men create optimal health and well-being.

As your guide, I help you map your road to freedom so you too, can achieve the health and life you deserve.

Don’t put your health and happiness off a day longer.

I’ll show you how to wholeheartedly

love your body + your life.

If You Don't Go Within, You Go Without

I lost one of my guides at the age of fourteen when my grandpa died. At his funeral,  I listened to people share memories and stories of him with such deep love and reverence. The stories and celebration continued back at his and my Gram’s country home. I snuck away from the gathering to walk his gorgeous property. It was Spring in Virginia - all the flowering trees (crab apple, cherry, pear, red bud, and more) and the multitude of flowers in their gardens my grandpa had devoted himself to were beginning to bloom. I sat down under the weeping cherry tree by the fish pond contemplating his legacy. And wondering what influence I had over mine.

“Is there such a thing as a living legacy?” “Who do I have to be?” “How do I have to show up in life to be remembered as a good and loving person, like grandpa?”

Throughout my childhood,  my mom praised me for being a good girl, for making a difference. She said that was what life was all about. I came into this life wanting to make a significant impact and live joyfully. From the time I could walk, I lived to see people smile and know that I played some part in their happiness. 

I was a sensitive child and a people pleaser born into a family of perfectionists. When I would get in trouble, the shame of not measuring up would knock me down a peg or two. I’m sure it didn’t help that my parents would dismiss me to my room while asking me in disgust, who do I think I am? I would retreat into smallness - “I am nobody.” “I am nothing;” a message of shame my inner critic would play out through my entire teenage years. I felt worthless. I was misunderstood. And no matter how much I tried to perfectly live up to the expectations of everyone around me, my good was never good enough. Hello shame, my old “friend.”

By seventeen years old, I was ready for some new “friends” - I was outgrowing shame. I began to sit still and be quiet until I felt peace all around me and within me - something I often did as a child with grandpa. Later I would come to learn that what I had been doing along side my grandpa was a form of meditation; although he never named it, the instruction was the same - sit quietly, in stillness and breathe. 

In these quiet, meditative moments, alone in the woods by my house, I felt the presence of my deceased grandpa; and I felt Spirit. The feeling of peace would wash over me, hushing the shaming inner critic. I would connect to Spirit, give up the burden on my heart then drop into stillness, and wait for a reply (another nugget from grandpa). 

The wisdom in the powerful messages I received during these meditative moments took me years to fully embody, and even still, I have to remind myself of these truths from time to time.

I’m not this body.

I can’t be defined by..

what I do.. 

what I have.. 

what others think of me.. 

what my inner critic would have me believe of me. 

I am no-body and no-thing.

I am free. I am Love.

Me and My First Meditation Teacher a.k.a. Grandpa

Looking back, and listening to my family tell old stories of my grandpa, it seems he already knew these things to be TRUTHS. And instead of simply telling me WHAT was true, he showed me HOW to find it for myself. 

Turns out my grandpa was modeling how to be an effective coach; and the crab apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree! 

As a coach, I guide my clients in HOW to find their TRUTHS..HOW to listen to (and trust) the still, small voice within..HOW to befriend the inner critic (because you can’t beat ‘em otherwise).

If you are ready to learn HOW to discover your TRUTHS, so you can drop into the peaceful space within yourself and feel more connected to the world around you, let’s connect. 

Getting Unstuck (A 5-Step Process To Deepen Compassion For Oneself)

Are you beyond ready to release the influence those long-held beliefs have in your mind so you can reclaim your power and get what you want in life?

Here’s the simple, yet powerful process I created to guide my coaching clients to move past their limitations and get free of their BS..(Belief System)

1 – Find a quiet space that is free from distractions, and have your journal nearby. Drop into the space of love and reverence for ALL aspects of you. Without judgment or question, make a list of the self-limiting beliefs that have been the excuses to keep you stuck (or possibly given you a false sense of safety). Notice what resistance pops up and take note of that too.

Resistance blocks healing on all levels - physical, mental, emotional and energetically.

2 – Identify one self-limiting belief from your list that you feel compelled to transform right now.

Example: I’m not good enough. (one of my old favorites)

3 – Close your eyes. Place your left hand on your heart center (center of your chest over your breast bone). Take a few slow, long deep breaths. Tune into your body. Where is {“not good enough”} living in your body? Bring your awareness to that part of your body. Choose one word or a short phrase to describe the body sensation.

Example: Ache in my belly. 

4 – If you can reach that part of your body touch in with your right hand, otherwise use your awareness and intention to connect your mind to that area of your body.

5 – Begin to lightly tap your heart center. Say out loud:

“To the one that is not good enough,

I am sorry.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

I love you.”

Repeat this powerful healing mantra* until you feel some sort of shift in your body or mind.

Tune into the sensations that arise, without judgment. Simply notice.

You may feel…

..the ache in your belly subside.. a softening in your body.. a deepening of your breath.. a bubbling of emotion.

The sensations could be subtle or powerful.

Whatever arises is welcome.

If you do not feel much the first time that is okay too.

End your process with ten slow, deep breaths. Inhale and exhale through your nose. 

You may want to journal about what came up for you. 

Further integrate this deeply healing process into your body with some gentle movements such as a slow walk in nature or some gentle stretching.

Revisit this process again and again as you move through your list of self-limiting beliefs.

Now over to you –

What self-limiting belief are you ready to transform?

Did you try this process? What came up for you? I’d love to hear.

*This powerful healing mantra is known as Ho’oponopono, the Hawaiian Code for Forgiveness.

Befriending the Inner Critic

Through her sobs, my client asked me,

“Will my good enough EVER be good enough?”

She went on to tell me that she doesn’t trust herself anymore - too many failed attempts, too many lost loves, too much time hating her body. She was tired of seeking advice from her friends and family only to be judged or feel abandoned and misunderstood. 

“I keep failing - myself and everyone that matters to me.”

— Client

“I keep failing - myself and everyone that matters to me.”

UGH! I know that pain. So many of us do, don’t we? The uncertainty that makes us question ourselves and look to those around us for guidance and direction.

How often do you…

..seek answers, approval and validation outside of yourself? 

…ask your friends what they would do in your situation, regardless of the fact they have never walked a single step in your shoes? 

..consult FaceBook, Google and whomever you’re following on social media - just sure that someone out there knows more about what’s best for you than YOU do? 

…put your faith in the words of another person, and latch onto words that cripple you? 

Perhaps you bought into the beliefs…

…I’m not good enough.

…I’m different.

…I don’t belong.

...I’m not worthy or deserving of whatever it is that my heart aches to experience. 

Sigh. Been there. Heard it so many times inside my head growing up and now in the words of the women and men that I work with.

I spent my childhood TERRORIZED by these limiting beliefs. I adopted these messages from people around me. I made them my truth. They defined me, day in and day out. 

These limiting beliefs became my story, my “WHY” - Why I couldn't be who I wanted to be. Why I couldn’t live the life I dreamed of living. 

But if you’ve read this far, you probably know…

There’s a reason Belief System is abbreviated as B.S.!

My mind played outdated beliefs on autopilot until I FINALLY got sick of feeling like crap about myself and took action. I began to do the work to rewrite my story. I trusted myself – more than anyone else did until I transformed my beliefs about myself and what was possible for my life.

I chose freedom over familiar. 

Society may have tried to shut me down and shut my spirit out. But I’ve created (and continue to create) a life that feels successful and fulfilling to me. I CAN be the version of myself that I was born to be. 

I said “no more!” and “yes please” to my heart’s desires.

Freedom. And a life that’s deeply worth living.

How ‘bout you?

Can you relate to having to stay small in your story?

Are you…

…tired of feeling like crap and tolerating mediocracy?

...beyond ready to feel better about yourself and your life, but still feel stuck?

I’m here to support you in getting unstuck. 

Shush That Stinkin’ Thinkin’

We’ve all been there, steeped in conversation, sharing a fear, worry or concern with someone we trust, to have them reply “just think positive!” You think to yourself, “Really? If it was that easy, we’d all be doing it!”

It’s absolutely possible to adopt a healthier, happier, more peaceful outlook on life.

Shift from stinkin’ thinkin’ to mental nurturing.

Unlearn long-held limiting beliefs you’ve been carrying far too long.

It’s time - let them go. Seriously, drop it like it’s hot!

Your Subconscious Mind

A few useful facts

A field of consciousness that classifies and records every impulse of thought.

At work day and night, voluntarily replaying the messages you’ve stored throughout your life like a tape recorder on a continuous loop.

Responsible for 95-97% of our day-to-day actions.

Makes 500 million commands a second, regulates the exact chemical balance of every cell in our body.

Debugging Your Subconscious

The good news

Emotionalized thoughts are the stickiest, eventually becoming the blueprint from which we operate.

Thoughts that you think over and over become imprinted in the subconscious mind.

Emotions can be learned and unlearned because they are not fixed in the subconscious mind.

Your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between what is real and imagined.

Go Within

What is it in me that is causing what I’m experiencing in my external environment?

What is the cost/consequences of listening to my internal, negative dialogue?

How has it robbed me of my courage and confidence?

Make a list of the consequences of allowing your stinkin’ thinkin’ to run on autopilot.

Empty your mind of the persistent echoes of self-limiting beliefs.

Give your subconscious mind permission to release them.

Fuel Mental Nurturing

Form a habit of thinking, feeling and speaking positive emotions.

Fill your mind with kind, loving statements.

I like and approve of myself.

I am enough.

I nurture my body in healthy, loving ways.

My Favorite Tools For Making Shift Happen

Coach’s toolbox

• Psych-K - an incredible method for reprogramming the subconscious mind.

• Guided imagery/visualization - SEE yourself and your life as you want it to be. Believe.

• EFT tapping - powerful technique that can be done anywhere, anytime.

• Mantras - awesome when combined with mediation and breath work.

• Meditation - there is great peace found in stillness. Begin with five minutes.

• Affirmations - best results when combined with EFT or Psych-K.

• Breath work - fasted way to shift your state of being.

Before You Hit the Cruise Control Button

5-point autosuggestion

1 - Catch yourself stuck in a negative self-talk pattern.

2 - Empty your mind - get those self-limiting beliefs down on paper.

3 - Give your mind permission to release the self-limiting beliefs that arise (refer to the toolbox).

4 - Align your intentions and desires – create a new state of mind, purposefully.

5 - Plant what you desire into your subconscious – speak it out loud until you begin living it.

Watch what happens - it’s a game changer!

Now let your subconscious mind run on autopilot.

If you are ready to reprogram your subconscious mind so your thoughts are more supportive of the life you want to live, let’s chat.