Who is Mercury Retrograde?

You have a important exam today and your computer crashed . Your phone is not working all of sudden . Also, your car breaking down and you just got in a argument with your friends. Welcome to Mercury Retrograde!

There always a lot of commotion on social media about Mercury Retrograde and I’m pretty sure we all don’t really have a clue what that means but we assume something bad is coming. That’s not always the case. Let’s discuss the positive practices this period of time can bring into your life and what a retrograde actually is.

From the beginning, the planet Mercury rules all types of communication, including listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, technology, and transportation. This is why there always a warning of miscommunications and urgent warnings about backing up your files during this time. A planet being in retrograde astrologically means that the planet is resting or sleeping therefore the planet isn’t being properly governed by anything. From Earth perspective that planet is moving backward in its orbit.

The current retrograde started February 17th and ends March 10th, 2020. It is sitting in the astrological sign Pisces. Pisces is the oldest sign in the zodiac. During this period it represents an end to old ways and dated behavior . Aries season follows afterwards which is the youngest in the zodiac sign and represent the beginning of spring which symbolizes a fresh start. The transformation out of Pisces retrograde is transforming us and preparing us for the ideal life we have been hoping for by shedding old habits.

This is a time of healing and reemerging old issues coming up .This a perfect time to do reflections, redo, and rethink important things in our lives. Stopping and giving ourselves time to refocus before moving forward is essential to a successful new beginning. During this time, it’s important to practice slowing down and practicing patience and let things go. Pay attention to your thoughts and attempt to not take life so serious during this time.

Keep’n it Real

“It is estimated that 60% of adults can’t have a 10 minute conversation without lying at least once. Within those 10 minutes, at least 3 lies were told” – UMass Amherst Researcher

People lie for a variety of reasons. There are six different reason people lie. One is to save face and avoid embarrassment . Another is to shift blame, avoid confrontation , get one’s way or to be nice to others or one’s self. Situational lying can be a debatable matter but when it comes to maintaining healthy relationships with people you care about. It’s important to be honest and transparent.

The people that get lied to the most are :

  1. Parents
  2. Friends
  3. Siblings
  4. Spouses

We all have probably lied about something to someone we’ve cared about before . The issue with lying to significant people in your life is that you’re lying to yourself. It stunts your growth to not be completely truthful in how you feel and be accountable in what you did. Majority of the time when people lie they leave with guilt or unsaid words about their true feelings. It’s okay to accountable and you’re valid in expressing your truth.

We all make mistakes and the more you own that , the more it doesn’t define you. Sharing your truth releases that heavy energy inside that’s making you feel tense throughout your day. When we own our mistakes we can understand why we made them and what the true intentions behind that action is. Lying or hiding the truth from others is doing yourself a disservice.

We probably lie more than we mean too. Lying can come from a discomfort in the relationship. You may feel as though you don’t have a safe space to tell them the truth but the truth is not for them its for you. It’s for your integrity and to been seen by the close people around you honestly.

Stepping into being honest will transform your life even if that honesty isn’t the most pleasant. It’s real and it’s coming from the heart when it’s expressed in a peaceful way. Intune it helps maintain a healthy relationship with others and it is a act of self-love.

Saying No Is Healthy!

You have a full day planned ahead packed with productivity. You’re on your way to study and finish up some work when you receive a call from a close friend who needs your advice. Then you go back to your work when a friend runs into you and begs you to go out with them to a social outing. Fearing to say no, you pack up your stuff with 0 work done and start to get ready. The night out was fun but now you wake up with loads of stress and the same to-do list from yesterday. This is your routine.

You wake up frustrated that you did not prioritize yourself in that moment and instead changed your focus to someone/something else to please someone else. You blame them for asking. This is when reflection is important to start embarking on new habits.

It’s time to say NO!

Saying no can be scary at times. The idea that “no” may ruin relationships or foundations that have been put in place crosses many people’s mind. The reality is if people truly love you they will also respect your boundaries. Saying no is important for your physical , mental , and emotional wellbeing. It’s hard to regenerate yourself when you’re constantly being drained from being there for everybody but yourself!

When you start saying no , you start saying yes to yourself. No establishes healthy boundaries in your relationships. Boundaries are your personal limits and they protect you from feeling unsafe. When you set boundaries all your relationships will improve for the better. All healthy relationships have boundaries and you deserve to feel safe in all of your relationships.

Boundaries allow you to create balance as well. They allow you to stay consistent with your personal goals and be committed to your needs first. Saying no is a reflection of a healthy person who knows there limits and someone who has a vision and goals in mind.

WT* IS SELF-CARE?

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Face masks, water, working out and Netflix?? These are the popular ideas circulating around the idea of self-care. Recently, taking care of yourself has been a powerful force that has a voice on every platform. The idea of working yourself to DEATH is not intriguing to millennials . The value of putting your health first before your responsibilities is a passionate movement in 2020. So, what exactly is self- care and how do you practice it on a daily basis for a balanced mental , emotional and physical life.

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  1. Observe + Explore Your Feelings

Before you can start practicing self- care you have to understand your own needs. Tracking your emotions and triggers throughout the week can help you understand what is causing you so much stress. Sometimes we easily write off our feelings as just “waking up on the wrong side of the bed” , but when we examine these feelings we notice that this is not the first time they’ve appear or the last. Here are some questions to ask yourself to understand your feelings:

  • I feel challenged when ______. I feel supported when ______.
  • I have been paying a lot of attention to ________. I would like to pay more attention to ________; I can devote more energy to the better-feeling alternatives by ______ .
  • What is your first response to stress?

2. Time Management + Consistency

It takes two weeks for you to start feeling better, it takes 4 weeks for you to notice changes and it takes 8 weeks for others to notice. This is how long it takes to form a new habit. For self-care to positively change your life you have to practice taking care of yourself on a daily basis. Having intentions with every action throughout the day makes them purposeful and contribute to the life you dream of. Managing your time and incorporating relaxation into your day will help you show up as your best self everyday.

3. Be Nice to YOURSELF!

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Did you compliment yourself this morning? Are you congratulating yourself through your progress? It’s important that when you introduce new habits into your life, you are your own cheerleader. If your best friend wouldn’t say it to you why would you say it to yourself? Actively motivating yourself is a harder habit to obtain than you think but it is the driving force behind consistency . Start by writing down positive affirmations about yourself and repeating them throughout the day. Here are some examples:

  • I am and will always be enough.
  • I am a powerful creator. I create the life I want.
  • As I take on new challenges, I feel calm, focused and confident.