Simone G - Live Life Well Alongside Health Challenges

22/09/2025

Is compassion training right for you?💖 It's not too late to join an amazing group of individuals who have already signed up for this highly interactive cohort beginning this Thursday.

What is CCT?
CCT is a multi-week personal and professional development course designed at Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and taught around the world by Certified Facilitators. The program includes practical tools and exercises designed to enhance your awareness, compassion, and resilience.

As a prior participant, this program was an invaluable tool in supporting my own growth in living well alongside invisible illnesses and health challenges.

Read the rest of the Compassion Institute's official program overview here: https://www.compassioninstitute.com/class/online-compassion-cultivation-training-with-simone-giangiordano/

From this page, you can 'Inquire' if you have questions or click the link to my personal site page and register from there.

To register, go directly to my site page and locate the registration link. You'll also find testimonials here. https://www.simoneg.net/compassion-cultivation-training/

16/01/2025

🌟 Take a Break for Your Mind and Soul 🌟

Feeling a bit overwhelmed of just need a moment of peace? Join me for a free 15-minute "Mindful Moments" session and gift yourself a moment of self-care in your day.

✨ Why Participate? ✨

* Recharge and refresh your mind
* Reduce stress and anxiety
* Enhance your focus and productivity

No prior experience needed – just bring your willingness to unwind and we’ll practice this journey to a more inner calm together.

📅 When: Mondays @ 12 PM EST, Wednesdays at 11 AM EST, & Fridays at 9 AM EST

📍 Where: Virtually via Zoom

⏰ Duration: 15 minutes

🔗 Registration required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mindful-moments-15-minute-recharge-tickets-1127976651529

Virtual room opens on the hour, and we will begin 5 minutes after the hour.

Feel free to share with anyone who might benefit from this mindful break.

Hope to see you there! 🌟

05/01/2025

Exciting news from BalanceUP Community!

We're launching our Mindful Moments: 15-Minute Recharge sessions.

Join us up to three times a week for guided meditations designed to fit most schedules. Remember, just 15 minutes can transform your day.

These guided meditations are free and will help you reconnect and refocus, no matter your experience level.

Don't miss this opportunity to transform your day in just 15 minutes. Register now!

This and more inside! https://conta.cc/4gHcB6e

Email from Simone G | BalanceUP Community A Focus on Your Well-Being   BalanceUP® Community News Hello Simone, Is it just me, or does it already feel like we've been in the New Year longer than 3 days

17/12/2024

? The surest way to feel crappy 🤮 this holiday season is to SKIP taking care of yourself. Don’t let poor choices ruin your holidays.

Click the article link for the ✅ checklist that just might save Christmas!

If you're tired of health taking away from your fun, this is THE ONE & ONLY holiday checklist you need this season.

15/12/2024

In the spirit of the holiday season, I share this pondering I wrote in July of 2024.

It has no title, beginning, or end. Yet I hope within it you find inspiration to open your heart. To open your heart in how you approach every interaction, whether online, in-person, or most of all, within your own heart.💛 For opening our hearts impacts every relationship, perhaps especially with those most near and dear to us. Opening our hearts allows us to live in alignment with who we are, and this is of necessity for our own well-being. True well-being is so much more than a healthy body or happy emotional disposition. True well-being requires deep connection, and that begins within our hearts.

So here goes, ponderings from my heart to yours.

"The darkness in our hearts... I do not understand.

I hear the words "I love my country," followed with words of intense anger. I do not understand.

Some say 'they' brought it upon themselves, with no mention of fault of the perpetrator. Whether to blame the crime on a man shot while sharing his views or a young woman r***d because of the clothes she wore. I do not understand.

I see preachings on compassion towards young children and their safety alongside childish sarcasm with implied implications of pain, hurt, or death to another. I do not understand.

I observe the words of hatred injected into places they belong not. Here, there, everywhere. I do not understand.

I witness much 'othering' with words of separation and blame, absent of any concept that we are all human. Statements filled with sentiments of "Those people, Them idiots. They, they, they..." I do not understand.

I feel the defensive barriers proclaimed to be built of love, of protection. Jagged barbed wires extend to all with any difference, yet behind each wall is a shivering sense of deep fear keeping all opposition at bay. I do not understand.

These actions we share, the world is what we make of it. Each and every day, we choose, many times over, darkness or love. This is the impact we share by our very presence.

It takes courage to share openly and with love. To let go of defensiveness. But we must.

It takes courage to be curious and hear and respect another. To admit that hatred and love do not mix. But we must.

It takes courage to be honest with ourselves. To work to learn of our commonalities and to talk through our differences. But we must.

It takes courage and resilience to love after hurt. But we must.

This is our way forward.

To continue to cling to the darkness in our hearts, I do not understand.

To open our hearts, our ears, our minds, and our arms. To share our thoughts and intentions while honoring our differences. To share love and compassion through even the smallest of thoughts and actions. That... I understand. "

*
If this pondering resonated with you in any way, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please keep in mind this is a pondering on life, and is not to be taken as political or for further divisiveness in any way.

13/12/2024

With just over a week until Christmas and the beginning of Hanukkah, it’s easy to get pulled into many directions, last-minute preparations, and feelings of guilt (“I really should buy so and so a gift” or “I should go ahead and add a couple more side dishes to dinner” or “I should hurry up and volunteer!”).

This is when taking a few minutes at the start of each day to set the tone you want to enjoy, remind yourself to take care of yourself, and decide where to set boundaries to protect your well-being can make a big difference in your holiday experience.

Let this be a gentle reminder to take a moment now to make a commitment to yourself. Here are a few samples.

🎄A commitment to not buy a gift only because you feel like you have to.

🎄A commitment to experience calm, gratitude and joy.

🎄A commitment to enJOY time with grandchildren and family.

🎄A commitment to share old and new traditions and to savor the moment.

🎄A commitment to get that massage.

🎄A commitment to put you first and not neglect your well-being.

🎄A commitment to stay balanced this season.

These commitments might sound familiar. They are personal commitments participants in my BalanceUP for the Holidays program previously made for themselves. I'm sharing this online mini-course at no charge through 12/24/24.

To access it, click this link: https://simoneg.balanceupcommunity.com/offers/J2zAokzL Then apply HOLIDAYJOY in the coupon code for immediate access.

12/12/2024

Traditions! Do you love them or hate them? Or maybe a little of both? 🎄

As we change over time, merge families, lose loved ones, transform, or even return to our roots, it might be time to let go of some traditions to make room for the new. Or, it might be time to bring back a tradition you have long since let go.

Traditions can include putting up your tree, exchanging names, cooking a certain meal, making lots of cookies, attending a special service, the order in which people open presents, volunteering at a food bank, dinner on Christmas Eve, or a game of football in the yard. They can vary widely, be complex or simple, and be passed from generation to generation or only practiced for a few years.

Today, simply take a few moments and list the first 5 traditions that come to mind that you have practiced. As you write each one down, let yourself feel how each tradition makes you feel. No judgment, simply observe.

If you listed a tradition that causes:
🎄physical pain (such as putting lights on the roofline)
🎄overwhelming fatigue (shopping or cooking all day)
🎄physical illness (triggers can be food, lighting, travel, and so much more)
🎄emotional turmoil (too much time with your special aunt)
.. perhaps it's time to say goodbye to that tradition. If that's not possible, how can you minimize the impact? This is the time for fierce self-compassion, not people-pleasing. If you're creative, you just might accomplish both.

If you wrote down a tradition that is one of your all-time favorites💖 and are bringing it back this year, drop it in the comments.

I'll share two links in the comments. One is my online BalanceUP for the Holidays mini-course, where we explore this concept further. I'm offering the program at no charge through 12/24/24. I also walk you through identifying the holiday triggers that are most likely to wreak havoc on your holiday.

The second links to a previous article with tips on managing a flare-up if you partake in one tradition too many!

11/12/2024

Holiday Tip: Remember Your Boundaries!

What's one of the quickest ways to go from feeling great and enjoying the holidays to being exhausted, drained and overwhelmed? Or even experiencing a flare-up of undesired symptoms and fatigue?

🧧One of the quickest ways is by losing sight of your boundaries!

As you prepare for the holiday season, remember your boundaries around:

🔔 Your holiday triggers (i.e. food, alcohol)
🔔 Your holiday activities (i.e. too many events, last-minute cleaning, too much cooking)
🔔 Your holiday wellness plan (protect your rest, make time for staying active)
🔔 Your business or work (say no to extra hours)
🔔 Stressors & Relationships (i.e. limit time with a nagging aunt, a critical in-law, etc.)

If you are looking to define boundaries that truly serve YOUR well-being, keep reading.

🎁🎁I'm sharing my BalanceUP for the Holidays online course at no charge. Simply use the link in the comments below and enter HOLIDAYJOY as the coupon code.🎁🎁 You'll get immediate access to 5 five creative strategies for supportingyour well-being this holiday season, plus several bonus modules. This program is an oldie, but goodie!

When you put YOU first in a healthy and loving way, you are able to show up your best for yourself and for those you care about most.

More about the program in the comment.

10/12/2024

The holiday season affects each of us differently. For some, it's a time of joy and excitement; for others, it may be a period of reflection or grief.

Maintaining your physical and emotional well-being is essential wherever you are on this spectrum. However, if you're also managing physical or emotional health challenges, honoring your well-being is absolutely crucial.

In the article below, I've put together 5 strategies to help you navigate the holiday season in a way that supports your health & well-being.

These strategies are designed to help you:
🎄 Manage stress & emotions effectively
🎄Set boundaries that honor your physical and emotional needs alongside holiday festivities
🎄Maintain healthy habits amidst changing routines
🎄Find moments of calm, whether in solitude or amidst festivities
🎄Connect with what truly matters to you, honoring your current journey

I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I invite you to delve into this article for 5 strategies you can begin to apply today.

🎁 Also, as a holiday gift, I'm sharing my BalanceUP for the Holidays online course at no charge. You can use the link in the comment or the link in the article to access this program at no charge.

Wishing you well this holiday season.

Discover creative strategies for supporting your well-being this holiday season. Holiday well-being strategies for your health.

09/12/2024

Here's my latest article published in Brainz Magazine. In today's fast-paced, often overwhelming environment, finding hashtag can seem like an elusive goal. This article offers practical, actionable strategies to help you navigate life's challenges with greater ease and composure.

Unlike many hashtag activities that add to your "to-do" list, these are mindset shifts that you can incorporate into your daily life. This is powerful because it is our daily actions and habits that ultimately create our life journey.

Every day, we are impacted by the societal and cultural norms surrounding us. These norms, such as the addiction to busyness, the...

26/11/2024

Do you ever downplay the impact health challenges are having on your life, work, or relationships?

I know I certainly used to and the result was always more pain, more symptoms, and less energy for my work. In this article I wrote for Brainz Magazine, there are 5 questions under the "Awareness" heading to ask yourself. If you find you might benefit from reframing your narrative around your health, keep reading on how to do so and the benefits. If you have your own tip to share, please comment below.

Your relationship with your health is one of the most important connections you'll ever have. It influences every aspect of your life...

22/11/2024

How you view your health plays an integral role in how you show up for your work, life, and relationships. It impacts everything from your daily routines to your goals, and even to how you view yourself and others perceive you.

❓ Is YOUR relationship with your health... healthy?

In my recent article published by Brainz Magazine, you'll find 5 questions to reflect upon to assess your current attitudes surrounding your health.

If you find it's time for a reset, you can explore strategies to help you begin to reframe your relationship with your health and the benefits of doing so.

HINT: You don't need another long ✅ checklist of "To-do" activities.

https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/transforming-your-relationship-with-health-a-journey-to-greater-well-being

Your relationship with your health is one of the most important connections you'll ever have. It influences every aspect of your life...