Holiday Stress Relief for the Shy and Sensitive Introverts

Are you a shy, sensitive introvert? Do you get overwhelmed easily by noise, light, busy activities, crowded places, trying new things or meeting new people? Are you easily affected by other people’s words, emotions and/or energies? If so, chances are, holidays are stressful and overwhelming for you. With MORE people, things and activities to deal with, it’s very easy to get stress and sensory overload. Can you relate?

Let me tell you a first-hand experience I had last week.

It was the day after the red-carpet premiere of The Keeper of the Keys movie in which I costar with Jack Canfield, Marci Shimoff and John Gray. I had a great time getting all dressed up (the hair and makeup took 2 hours) for the red carpet and hanging out with my fabulous costars. It was surreal to watch myself on the silver screen. The movie was AMAZING!! We partied till past midnight (which was 3 AM Eastern time) on the premiere night. I was exhausted, but I had to get up early that morning for another hair and makeup session for my photo shoot. I hadn’t drank coffee for a while, but, I asked for one that morning before heading down for the photo shoot.

Note to self: Never schedule a photo shoot the morning after a major party!

The photo shoot went well. I tried my best to smile despite my fatigue. It was a LOT of walking, though, in downtown Las Vegas, in my super high heels, which I totally didn’t expect. After an hour of walking around, my feet were killing me and I just wanted to crawl back to bed.

That’s when my dear hubby called, saying he and our kids were having lunch near the hotel, asking me if I were going to join them. I asked him to bring me some food and iced tea instead. I really needed a break. When he got back, he was complaining that I didn’t answer his text about what kind of tea I wanted. He questioned why I wouldn’t answer my phone “all morning” or text him back when I “had a break during the photo shoot.” Then he was rushing me to get ready to go to Red Rock Canyon.

Are you kidding me?!! I was really irritated, to say the least. First of all, I told him, I didn’t “have a break” during the photo shoot. We were walking and taking pictures the whole time. And, my phone was on mute, in my purse, which the photographer was carrying for me. Second of all, the entire movie VIP luncheon, premiere night and the photo shoot, even though fun, were official business functions. I was busy working, for God’s sake!

It wasn’t a pretty picture… I was hungry, tired and really cranky. It took great constraint on my part to NOT have a meltdown in front of my kids. On our way to the Red Rock Canyon, you could clearly feel the tension in the air.

After eating some food and meditating to center myself, I felt MUCH better. The gorgeous scenery and fresh air at the Red Rock Canyon uplifted my spirit. We were amazed by the peace and quiet in that magnificent open space. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I took in the beauty all around me, and every cell in my body relaxed. Before long, I was happy playing with my family and snapping tons of pictures (you know how much I love photography). Well, nature proved to be just what I needed to recharge and center myself.

It was a big lesson for me. Being a shy and sensitive introvert, I’m usually quite mindful of managing my energy – physical, mental and emotional energies. I can strike a pose and enjoy all the glamor and excitement on the red carpet, AS LONG AS I allow enough time to rest and recharge. Having quiet, solitary time every day is extremely important to me. However, on this trip, because of the tight schedule and because I brought my entire family with me, I ended up not having quiet time for myself. Sleep deprivation and low blood sugar made everything worse! Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and I’m so happy that they could share this amazing experience with me. However, if I could do it again, I would’ve built in pockets of quiet time, just for me, every single day. That’s why after returning home, I intentionally unplugged from emails and Internet for a few days, so that I could rest, recharge and process all the exciting experiences from this trip.

Hopefully you’ve learned a valuable lesson from my story too. Here are a few tips for you this holiday season and beyond:

• If you are a shy, sensitive introvert, you need to be mindful of your activities and energy level. To avoid sensory overload, plan your day and activities carefully. Try not to schedule too many activities that are taxing for you physically, mentally or emotionally.
• Build in enough quiet time and rest every day, so you can recharge and stay centered. Practice meditation, spend time in nature, or simply sit quietly. Let yourself sleep in or take a nap when you need it.
• Use stress relief techniques and tools such as deep breathing, yoga, and visualization. Therapeutic-grade essential oils are an excellent tool for stress relief, managing energy level and emotional healing. Just make sure you are using the therapeutic-grade essential oils so you don’t end up burdening your body with allergens and chemical toxins.
• Practice Intensive Self-Care and self-compassion. Ask yourself: “What’s the most loving thing I can do for me right now?”
• Set good boundaries on what kind of people you interact with. Try to surround yourself with positive people and limit your time with people who drain your energy.
• Know that what other people think of you, how they feel or act are NOT your business. You can only control your own thoughts, emotions and actions.
• Give yourself permission to say NO. You don’t have to accept every single invitation to holiday gatherings.
• Focus on what really matters to YOU and let other stuff slide.

Most important of all, be fully present and ENJOY the holidays!

Help Me Celebrate Moms and Support American Cancer Society

Since last June, I’ve been leading the Mindful Wellness Coaching Program for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers at the Sparta Cancer Center. In March, I co-organized and delivered a keynote at a special breast cancer survivors event called Sailing Through Your Breast Cancer Journey, which was co-sponsored by Summit Breast Care, Newton Memorial Hospital, Project Self-Sufficiency and Sussex County Cancer Coalition. The event was well-received and we had almost 100 participants. My own grandpa and grandma both died of cancer, and I took care of many terminal cancer patients when I was a nurse years ago, so I’ve always feel for cancer patients & survivors. That’s why I’ve done several workshops and participated in breast cancer walks for American Cancer Society over the years.

This year, I’m doing a special fundraiser for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on May 14. I’m helping the Rainbow Racers to raise money for their team. From now till May 14, when you order my book or CDs from my website, I will donate 50% proceeds to the Rainbow Racers for Relay for Life.

In addition to my book Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul, there are 5 different audio CDs to choose from: A Prescription for Stress-Free Living, The Balancing Act: Time Management for Busy Professionals, Learn to Say NO, So You Can Say YES to Your Life, Effortless Decision-Making Strategies for the Indecisive, and Changing Lanes: Secrets of Successful Midlife Career Change. Each one offers inspiration as well as PRACTICAL action strategies you can use right away. They make perfect gifts for moms, caregivers, teachers, coaches, healthcare professionals, and anyone who can use some relief from their stressful lives. Plus you will be supporting a great cause!!

To order my book and CDs, please visit my website http://www.HueinaSu.com/store. If you prefer to donate directly to Rainbow Racers, you can visit their team page at the American Cancer Society website.

Valentine’s Day Special

Valentine’s Day Special Bundle to Celebrate You!

Valentine’s Day is about sharing love with someone special, and that should include YOU! As a nurturer we often focus so much on taking care of EVERYONE but neglect ourselves. In celebration of Valentine’s Day and National Heart Health Month (February), I am offering an amazing special gift to celebrate YOU!!! This special bundle takes three of my powerful tools to help you reduce stress, nurture yourself without guilt, and create more JOY and PEACE in your busy life.

Are you someone that needs a little nurturing and self-love or do you know someone that could use the encouragement? These were specially selected as a bundle to give you that self-love and nurturing you need in order to care for others.

The Valentine’s Bundle Includes:

Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others * Do you feel like there is no time for you? * Are you feeling lonely and isolated? * Are your work and life out of balance? * Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed? * Are you lacking a social life? * Do you feel there’s never enough time? * Do you feel exhausted at the end of the day? * Is stress causing you physical or emotional distress? * Difficulty juggling your work and family life? * Disappointed in the lack of progress your loved one or patient is making? Then this book is a must read for YOU!

“This book is a must read for anyone who is in the role of caregiver: nurses, doctors, home health aids, or anyone caring for a loved family member. Hueina Su has done an outstanding job of giving tools and techniques that are practical and highly valuable to caregivers. This book will inspire you as you hear her compassionate voice, giving you hope as well as solutions.” – Terri Levine, PhD, MCC, The Guru of Coaching®, best-selling author of Coaching is for Everyone

This amazing interactive guidebook will help you: Create more time for YOU Resolve the feeling of stress & overwhelm Take care of yourself without feeling selfish or guilty Find joy and serenity in the present moment Restore peace and calm when life is spinning out of control Create life balance to avoid caregiver burnout Clear out emotional clutter for lasting inner peace Find peace in the face of death and grieving Use Self-Coaching Session at the end of each chapter to personalize your learning and action steps

A Prescription for Stress-Free Living (Audio CD) In the modern world where most people have hectic schedules and juggling multiple responsibilities, stress seems like an inevitable element in life that we have to live with. Maybe you have tried to alleviate stress by deep breathing, exercise, yoga, massage, shopping, but the relief is temporary. Or maybe you resort to other unhealthy coping behaviors, such as drinking, smoking, drugs, emotional eating, gambling, and end up creating more stress and problems. It is time to try something that works.

In this audio program, you will learn: The anatomy of stress — where does your stress come from, what’s your default reaction, and how effective (or ineffective) your coping strategies are The underlying root cause of your stress — it’s not what you think Self-Care Deficiency Syndrome — what it is, what are the symptoms and consequences, and what can you do about it Why most stress relief strategies only provide temporary relief, and what can you do instead to for long-lasting freedom from the devastating effects of chronic stress The powerful 3-prong approach I use to help my clients relieve chronic stress, create more joy and balance in every area of their lives 3 powerful questions that will shift your energy from stress to peace instantly Empowering mindset shift to help you handle any crisis Principles to live by for stress-free living

Learn to Say NO, So You Can Say YES to Your Life (Audio CD) Many people feel tremendously anxious or guilty when they have to say NO to other people’s requests. They feel obligated to say YES, and end up feeling over-scheduled, overwhelmed, stressed out, and even resentful. Can you relate to this?We all have 24 hours a day. When you say YES to something, you are saying NO to something else. In order to live a balanced life, you need to set your priorities straight, and set good boundaries by saying NO to some requests and/or invitations.

In this audio program you will learn: the root cause of WHY you can’t say no why changing behaviors alone will not work what kind of “Wrong Equations” you’ve created around saying no get clear about what you want to say no to how to deal with guilt, fears, anxiety when you say no the 7-step process to turn negative emotions into positive actions the critical 6-second window to avoid being hijacked by your emotions the ONE question you can use to take control of your emotions strategies and tactics to help you say no how to build on the insights you learn for lasting changes

Give Yourself and/or Someone You Care the Gift of Self-Love Today!!

As you can see, each one of these is very powerful on its own, and each provides practical tools and strategies to help you reduce stress, nurture yourself so you will have more to give to your loved ones. In celebration of Valentine’s Day and the National Heart Health Month (February), I’m offering these 3 products as a special bundle just for you!! This is a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day and EVERYDAY!!

Regular Price for all 3 Products is $60.00 The Valentine’s Bundle Special Pricing: $47.00 (PLUS discounted shipping for this special LIMITED-TIME OFFER)

Click Here to Browse Other Products in My Store

Waiting to Exhale

Hueina’s note: This is an article I wrote 3 years ago. When I re-read it today, it gave me goose bumps. The transformational experience I had 3 years ago prepared me for my work with cancer patients today. There are no accidents…. only divine appointments.

Waiting to Exhale

written by Hueina Su, September 01, 2007

Two months ago, I went for my annual physical. I felt perfectly fine, except some vague symptoms that could be explained in many ways. Nothing to worry about, I thought, until I got the reports from my doctor and the hospital, urging me to do more tests.

Let me tell you, having several doctors inform you, within a week, that they found “something” in both your breasts and ovaries, is NOT something that would make you jump for joy. That much I’m sure.

All of a sudden, I went from planning for relaxing summer getaways, to planning doctor’s appointments and medical tests. I was in shock, trying hard not to think about the worse case scenario. Fortunately, the RN in me remained calm and efficient. I got busy researching options, talking to doctors, nurses, and scheduling all the necessary tests.

In the meantime, my children were off for summer vacation. Because of the sensitivity of the matter, I didn’t share much information with them. In the beginning, I didn’t tell my parents, either. The last thing I need is to trigger panic in everyone around me, which would only add to my emotional burden.

Instead, I reached out to several friends who I knew could “handle” this news, gave me the support and some assurance I desperately needed. The Universe responded to my intention, and sent several people my way who had been through either breast cancer or ovarian cancer, or could point me to the right direction for resources.

Crisis or Blessings in Disguise

I believe that with every crisis, there are always opportunities, blessings in disguise, or lessons to be learned. In fact, the Chinese word of “crisis” is made up of two characters — “danger” and “opportunity”. I believe that there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason, and it’s always for my best interest, even though it might not look that way at all. I had to look deep inside, trying to figure out the blessings and the lessons for me.

When I need guidance, sometimes I like to ask a question then randomly open a book to read what’s on that page. Sometimes I like to draw from a deck of Goddess cards (The Moon Goddess Oracle Deck) that my friend Terri gave me. And sometimes, I would randomly turn the wheel on my iPod to see which chapter of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s The Power of Intention shows up. Doing one of these things almost always brings me exactly the message I need to hear. This time, the message I got from the Goddess cards was “Just Be” (You are the essence of love and light just by being you), and “Initiation” (Find power, joy and comfort in the change that is seeking you). Dr. Wayne Dyer reassured me that it’s OK to “somersault into the unknown” and to trust that all is well.

Heal Yourself First

It wasn’t hard for me to realize that, my body was sending me a message that I must SLOW DOWN. I had been working very hard on my business in the past few months. Even though I’m truly passionate about coaching, and it’s been very rewarding to be able to make a difference in other’s lives through coaching, writing and speaking, I realized now that I was working a little too hard. I told my coach that my body was throwing out all these symptoms to try to slow me down, which was pretty funny when you think about how our body “talks”. When your body talks to you, whether it’s whispering or yelling, please, listen carefully, and heed its advice.

That’s exactly what I did. I decided to take off most of July and August, cancel Teleclass, business meetings and monthly e-zine for August, take a much-needed family vacation, and focus on healing myself. What good will I do for my family, friends, and clients, if I’m not healthy, happy, and operating at 100% capacity? I need to walk the talk, and as the African proverb says, I need to heal myself first, before I can heal others.

By the way, if you are worried about your health, or have unexplained symptoms, please, take the initiative to talk to your doctor and request the test necessary. When it comes to health, it’s always better safe than sorry. Believe me, it’s MUCH harder to deal with the unknown. When I was a nurse, I worked with a lot of terminal cancer patients. Back then in my country, it was very common for the family to conceal the cancer diagnosis or prognosis from the patient. As a result, many patients had no control in their own treatment or how they wish to live their last days. It was simply heart-breaking to watch. You must be an advocate for yourself, and take the responsibility for your own health.

Transformation

Speaking of change that is “seeking” me, a few days after the first test result came back, my husband and I took our children to the beach. The ocean always calms me down, and I needed to sort through my emotions and thoughts. While I was sitting on the beach, contently watching the children, the clouds and the waves, a beautiful black and orange butterfly (not sure if it was a Monarch butterfly) flew by. It circled a few times, and then came to “sit” next to me on my beach towel, just about 3 inches away from me. “Hey butterfly”, I silently acknowledged my surprise companion. I know butterflies symbolize transformation. I thought to myself, “How fitting that this butterfly showed up by my side”. Amazingly, the butterfly stayed with me for more than 10 or 15 minutes. It reminds me of the Monarch butterfy that stayed with Dr. Wayne Dyer for hours, as told in his book Inspiration. He was convinced that, that particular Monarch butterfly was the reincarnation of his good friend Jack, who was crazy about Monarch butterflies. I wonder, which of my old friends or family was this butterfly that sat with me on the beach?

Helping Hands

They say when it rains, it pours. Two weeks after I had my physical, I had a heat stroke while taking the Tai Chi Sword class outdoors on a hot and humid day. When I mentioned this to my newsletter subscribers, emails and phone calls poured in, wishing me well, suggesting various alternative treatments, offering prayers and healing sessions for me. I feel truly blessed and loved to have all these wonderful people surrounding me, and helping me on my quest to healing myself. To all of my friends who have extended a helping hand, I will forever be grateful for everything you have done for me.

Among the people that helped me in this process, I especially appreciate Christina Santiago & Nancy Orlan Weber RN who introduced me to Young Living Therapeutic-Grade Essential Oils, Bonny O’Mullane who did The Journey meditation with me, and Leigh Anne Sommers who offered me prayers and healing sessions.

Christina and I met at a networking meeting a while ago and she told me how the Young Living essential oils helped her husband recover from a medical condition that even top neurologists couldn’t solve. I was intrigued, but didn’t think I needed the oils. You know, being a former RN from a family with 4 generations of doctors, nurses and dentists, my training and upbringing are firmly rooted in western medicine. Up until this summer, I had not explored or experienced alternative medicine, besides Chinese herbs that were a part of our diet growing up. For some reason, when I was at the hospital, waiting for my breast biopsy, I thought of Christina and her husband’s story. I can only said it was a divine intervention, because the radiologist decided against performing a biopsy on me, after examining me by ultrasound. There were too many blood vessels surrounding the nodule, and the doctor didn’t want to risk puncturing them. In a way, I was spared (I ended up getting a breast MRI instead). Here’s why I said it was a divine intervention: when I drove home from the hospital, there was a voice mail from Christina!!! She was just checking in to say hi. I called her back immediately, telling her my situation, and asked “Are there any oils that could help me?” She then took me to her good friend & mentor Nancy Orlan Weber RN, who educated me about the essential oils and gave me a protocol to use. I had to make changes in my diet as well as personal care & household cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals that are stressing my body and endangering my health. The Young Living essential oils helped me nurture and heal my body, heart and soul. If you have not experienced the amazing effects of therapeutic-grade essential oil, I suggest you give it a try.

Bonny is a dear friend and fellow Certified Empowerment Coach. She has always said that she felt an instant, deep connection with me, ever since we first met a few years ago through another coach. Highly intuitive and compassionate, Bonny was just the right person to help me with The Journey, which helped me heal some of the physical symptoms that were caused by past emotional traumas.

Then, there’s Leigh Anne, a powerful mystic who lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. How we met was purely serendipity. I would never have met her, if she did not find me first. I believe we have most likely met in our previous lives. Leigh Anne came to me for coaching about a year ago, and we later became friends. She came to my Teleclass series this May to present her “Awaken The Goddess Within” class. The energy field was so strong during the Teleclass that it shut down the Bridgeline recording!

When I mentioned to Leigh Anne what I was going through, she graciously offered her prayers and several healing sessions over the phone. Leigh Anne even asked her other Goddess friends to look out for me, and their insights really helped. At first I was a little skeptical about energy healing over the phone, but it was the most amazing experience. Even though we were so far apart (I’m in New Jersey, and she on Vancouver Island), over the phone, I could feel her “physically” touching me and massaging my back. Trained in the traditional western medicine, I knew very little about alternative medicine and energy healing, until I experienced acupuncture last year. Now I know how it feels when energy or Qi is working through my body. Still, I have never experienced what Leigh Anne did to me.

One night I was all stressed out, worried about the worst case scenerio, Leigh Anne did a “toning session” with me, during which I was completely overwhelmed by the unconditional love I felt, through my heart and my body. My whole body was vibrating. I was almost in tears — tears of joy. I felt a very strong sense of knowing that I am loved, and I will be fine. All is well in my world. Amazingly, after that, I no longer feel fear about my test results. For some reason, I simply don’t feel worried about that any more.

I am so grateful to have these loving souls and amazing healers around me!!!

Higher Purpose

My friend Gary told me that, people with a strong sense of life purpose and mission are less likely to “leave the world”, because their souls would choose to stay in order to finish their work. I joked to Leigh Anne that I guess I will stick around for a little longer, because I have a very strong sense of my purpose, and I know my work is not done here. She said, “You are right, you are just getting started girl!!!” And we both laughed.

Having the belief in my higher purpose and knowing my work is not done, gives me a great sense of comfort. I feel safe knowing that the Universe will support me in doing my work for the greater good of everyone involved. I’ve learned to have faith and “trust the process”, and believe that whatever comes my way is meant to help me grow into the person I am meant to be. I have to stay in the present, listen to my authentic self, be open to guidance and the transformation I am going through. I need to let go (big time), and just BE.

All is Well

After two months of dealing with the unknown, my last test result finally came back. I was cleared from any cancer. Whew!

I can finally take a deep breath and let it ALL out…. Ah, life is good! All is well in my world.

All is well.

Don’t Miss 20 Fun, Easy & Effective Ways to Reduce & Manage Stress

I’m vacationing in Taiwan, but I just wanted to give you a short note on something I know will help you tremendously.

20 top self help experts (including Dr. Bernie Siegel and me) have come together for the next Premier Summits online event called:

“20 Fun, Easy & Effective Ways to Reduce & Manage Stress”

Listen F*R*E*E to any or all with their flexible schedule. It’s starting on July 20, so check it out at

http://www.premiersummits.com/cmd.php?Clk=3828338

When you sign up, you will also receive these audio downloads:

* Alpha Relaxation Bonus
* Tropical Storm Relaxation Bonus
* Soothing Mind Relaxation Bonus

So, go check it out and ENJOY!

http://www.premiersummits.com/cmd.php?Clk=3828338

Peace & Joy,
Hueina

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