Flow Surfers

Today's topic will be seasonal changes and how they may affect our motivation. These seasonal changes may bring a shift in motivation. Some seasons trigger more being than doing. We can not expect our motivation to stay at a constant upward rise constantly and consistently. When you are aware that some seasons bring different motivations, the more alignment and freedom you will feel. If you are experiences some changes in your motivation, try identifying what this season might mean to you. Certain seasons have historical meaning for me. Some seasons brought tragedies, losses or particularly challenging moments and from a trauma lens, our bodies, sprits and minds remember those traumatic experiences. When going through memories of a traumatic season our bodies may try to protect themselves by increasing or decreasing our motivations. As the seasons are changing and your motivation is ebbing and flowing, remember that your body might be responding to a traumatic memory and might protect itself be taking up more or less space. We are not suppose to function at our peak performance at all times. And as you are thinking forward, I encourage you to remember that you have the potential right here and now to sink in, and enjoy this season. However that may look like to you. In this episode: -Why different seasons bring different motivations -How to get through a period of inconsistent motivation -Balancing the up-cycles and down-cycles of the seasons of life

This podcast is for anyone wondering, "Where should I go from here?" Sometimes it's difficult to know what the right direction is and sometimes it's even harder to envision a new direction at all. I encourage you to start with a vision. Where can you visualize your life going? This may be one path or it can be many different paths. Once you envision these different possibilities, try to incorporate different micro-actions that may lead you to those desirable destinations. Instead of staying stuck at a cross roads and just floating through life, you can make these small intentional actions to help direct you to the the next step. Another tip is to reflect, journal, or meditate. Remember that these actions do not have to look/feel a certain way either. I lovingly invite you to re-conceptualize what your mindful practices might be. This can look like being mindful during smaller actions like washing the dishes or washing and cutting fruit. These moments of being present will lead to larger acts of mindfulness. These micro-actions are exactly what will help you make the larger decisions that lead you in the directions you want to go. And lastly, if you are feeling like you need a massive reset. Disrupt your routine in a intuitive and totally different way. This can look like going on a retreat or training for a race. Something that is totally outside of your normal routine. This might trigger a new path or idea that you really want to take. In this episode: -How to figure out the next step in your journey -Mindfulness reimagined -How to implement an intentional reset of your routine

In today's episode, we are talking about how to create and cultivate a remarkable life. First, make sure you identify what a remarkable life would look like to you. You can jot down notes, or start a voice note if you'd like. Ask yourself, what lifestyle or day-to-day activities would give you the sense that what you are doing is truly remarkable. Remember that a remarkable life is whatever feels aligned to you. My life might seem pretty "normal." But I remind myself that having a normal life, in itself, is remarkle, Another step you can take it to retrieve memories or past representations that truly encompass what a remarkable life has felt like in the past. What events caused deep connectedness and alignment for you? Here is another reminder that a remarkable life does not necessarily mean an easy life. It means that we are living a life that each of us values, enjoys, is challenged by and embraces regardless. Think about what moments and interactions have felt truly aligned in your spirit. These are the moments that make up a remarkable life. These moments could be: -Having a day off -Writing or creating -A coffee date with a friend Once you recognize these moments as remarkable, that is when you activate flow. To live a remarkable life means you can create joy in the moments that are presented to you. We can then take the time to feel deep gratitude for these moments and recognize the deep alignment that comes with that gratitude. In this episode: -Steps to living a remarkable life -Practicing gratitude -How to identify and move passed road blocks that prevent you from living a remarkable life

Today we will cover how to reconnect to your "why". Your "why" is the reason you are surrounding yourself with who you choose. It is the reason you are taking certain intentional actions every day. Sometimes autopilot creeps in more often than we would like and we realize that we can't differentiate between the days anymore. This can result in burnout. Here are some ways to refocus and reconnect with your "why" for more fulfillment and joy in your life. First, remember how important it is to have a "why" to begin with. A "why" can be defined as what you want to be known for, what truly and deeply fulfills you. As you think of your "why", you may uncover different aspects at different phases of your life. Your "why" might change throughout different stages, and that's okay. But when you are disconnected completely from your "why", you need a path back to you center. First, you can identify your strengths and skills. Create a list to help you energize how you are feeling in the present moment. Grounding yourself in this way will energize you to move in the direction of your goals. Second, recognize what other people notice about you. Something that others say are your strengths and skills. The reason we should do this is because sometimes, we are our own worse critics. And it helps to look at ourselves from a different lens. Lastly, take a pause. Take some time to journal, play your favorite music or podcasts, and really sit with your thoughts. Make the space to be in your why and you will find reconnection. In this episode: -What is a "why?" -How to pinpoint your own "why" -How to reconnect with your "why"

Have you ever felt like you're totally moving in the right direction. And you may be glowing with excitement at the way your life is going? This feeling is flow. When you find yourself in that moment, the key is to not force yourself in or out of it. Enjoy the process. This is not the time to run at it, grasp at it, or hold on too tight. Simply be with it and understand that this will happen more often if we let it. If we force it or cling to it, we inflict our will and put too much pressure on the moment. Doing this takes away the magic. Instead, think about how you can explore this experience with curiosity and excitement. What triggered to flow state? What aspects of this moment make you feel the best? Really research this feeling because this experience can cause a ripple effect into all other aspect of our lives. And as a gentle reminder, It is impossible for your brain to stay in the state forever. You will inevitably come down. Don't think of it as a crash but think of it as a gentle wave. Moving with the highs and lows of flow and letting the momentum take you in and out at it pleases. Recognize the moment for what it is. Now we can replicate the conditions so we can experience more flow states. This is where the research comes in. Now we can do our best to put ourselves in a position to activate another flow state. In this episode: -How to optimize, enjoy, celebrate and create more of a flow state

Today's topic is how to make meaning when nothing seems to make sense. How can we optimize and reconnect with whatever is happening in this moment, when feeling overwhelmed or out of flow? As with most strategies, we want to bring it back to basics. We need to re-remember what we care about, how we want to show up in our lives, and how we want to show up in relationships and at our jobs. By reconnecting with our values, we are integrating and making meaning at the same time. If we are trying to have everything all figured out, we miss out on those windows of simply enjoying the present moment. I don't believe that we have to figure everything out. To just be, that is what is most meaningful. When we seek to make meaning, we may miss out on the actual experience that is really meaningful. Making meaning can be as simple as recognizing and being aware of what is happening at this very moment. So here is a gently reminder to not take making meaning too seriously. We don't need to strive to make meaning out of our lives, we simply need to be present to acknowledge the meaning that is already there. In this episode: -What it looks like to force meaning into our lives -How to acknowledge meaning when we are overwhelmed -How to meaning make in our everyday lives

How to feel productive when life seems so so busy? Remember that being busy is not the goal. Try to aim for a full and abundant life, not a busy one. We can recognize that being busy may have helped us survive at some point, but a busy life does not mean a rich life. So, if you are feeling like your weeks are so busy but you don't feel productive, it might be because all these different activities and tasks are not being done with intention. Staying busy may be keeping you from truly living. And that hurts. You may have a lot of things going on, but do those things bring a sense of meaning? If not, this is a great time to reflect. We are allowed to live with deep conviction of our values. And how we can do this is by simply removing things from our schedules that don't align with our values. We can remove these tasks that don't serve our highest selves, to create room for the activities that allow you to live freely and productively. In this episode: -What it looks like to live a busy life -How to recognize when you may be stuck -Tips for creating space to be productive, rather than just busy

Today, we're diving into how to amplify the good when nothing seems to be going right in your life. You may be feeling this domino affect of experiences that are just not aligning with you over and over again. This is when we have to amplify our own version of good in our lives. This is not the time for toxic positivity. This means, it's okay to feel both ends of the spectrum. It's okay to express when things may not be going the way you'd like. You do not (and will not) feel happy all the time. If you find yourself struggling, amplifying the good may look like remembering an activity or moment that made you feel emboldened and full of life. This is a moment that simply brought you positive energy. Let the energy of that past moment light you up from the inside. These moments will be the small moments. When you had that great conversation, or stopped to admire a beautiful flower. These are the realistic moments that we can amplify and channel the energy to pull us out of a place of struggling. That this time and reflect on how you can bring a tiny aspect of that event into this present moment. In this episode: -How to avoid toxic positivity -Channeling realistic positive feelings

In this episode, we'll talk about three ways to release stress pain or grief in your life because we all need some time to center ourselves and create inspiration amidst our journeys. First, remove more from your schedule. This allows us to create space to feel any and all emotions. Allow yourself to sit with these reactions without trying to distract yourself, which takes you out of flow state Second, maybe you do need something to distract you. Find useful distractions that don't numb your emotions. Choose something that you've leaned on in the past when you weren't feeling overwhelmed. Having this neutral activity will help you release additional stress and enhance your endorphins. The last tool I recommend is scheduling a weekly/monthly time to process stress, pain and grief. It will enhance how you deal with these emotions and will be an intentional time to reflect. In this episode: -Three ways to move through stress, grief, and pain

In today's episode, we will quickly be going over how to invite more flow into your daily routine: First, focus on your priorities and minimize distractions. Distractions can be placed into two categories. The first is external distractions such as your child knocking on the door, or an email that sets off a notification. Recognize that these distractions cannot always be avoided. The second category is self-imposed distractions, such as negative thoughts, and feelings that take us out of flow. These unhelpful thoughts create barriers in our flow that can hinder our progress. When these thoughts start to arise, it is best to take a break and do something that brings light to your life. Another way to invite flow is focusing on your priorities. These priorities can also be separated into two categories. Priorities that bring excitement and joy to your life and priorities that pull you out of the present moment. The priorities that pull you out of the present moment may be priorities of someone else and they may build resentment. It is important to remember that when dealing with these priorities, you can either choose to integrate them with love into your life or you can delegate them to create space for different priorities. Bring awareness to those priorities that pull you out of the state of flow. An example might be cooking. Cooking takes time and intentional effort, not to mention the clean up that comes after. But when I think of cooking, I also think of how fun the process is for me to cook a nutritional meal for myself and my family and therefore, I choose to integrate it. But, if cooking doesn't bring a sense of satisfaction to your life, then it's perfectly okay to delegate this task. One last way to invite flow into your daily life is to identify the creative elements of your day. Think of what your ideal day would be and start to get creative in the way you integrate the fun into your daily life. Allow yourself to have more fun. Release expectations and go play however your inner child sees fit. In this episode: -Categorizing distractions -Categorizing priorities -Deciding to integrate or delegate -Inviting play back into your life

Here are seven questions to cultivate curiosity, activate flow and trigger creativity for your next season! Question #1 How do I want to feel in this season? Question #2 What activities do I want to prioritize during this season? Take this time to differentiate what we want to prioritize vs. what we DON'T want to prioritize. Question #3 How do I want this season to change the course of my life? When we reflect on what we truly desire, we activate thoughts that will better serve our future selves. Question #4 Who do I want to be after this season ends? As human beings, we evolve each day. By envisioning the person we would like to be, the more intentional we can be in evolving. Question #5 Where do I want to be in terms of work, life and relationships? Take stock of what you feel is not serving you and ask yourself what can you do to evolve in those parts of your life. Question #6 What am I willing to try or do differently to enjoy this next season? We need tangible actions that we can take to set ourselves up for success in our next season. Question #7 What do I need to release to enjoy this season? Think about what you could let go in order to not cling to people, places and things that do not serve you..

A question I am often asked is, "When is it time to let go?" When this question arises, I suggest making space for a full range of reactions. Every single emotion is welcome when making this decision. As you sit with these emotions, ask yourself: How did this serve me? How did it provide something for me that no longer feels in alignment? Another step you can take it practicing gratitude for whatever it is you want to release. What good came from the situation? What did you learn? When you show gratitude, you can truly connect and evolve beyond this situation. As we weigh the pros and cons, we may be our own worse critics. There will be second guessing but please remember that if you are feeling this urge to let go, it is time to reevaluate. the situation. Think of how you can explore this deeper, and again, allow room for all emotions during this time. Envision all the scenarios of what will happen if you let go or if you don't let go and know that this decision doesn't have to made right this second. You can sleep on it and see how whatever you decide feels in your mind, body and soul. In this episode: -Exercises to weigh the pros and cons of letting go -Letting yourself feel the range of emotions when weighing these options -Indicators of what the right decision may be

Oftentimes when something happens in our lives that brings up regret or remorse, we get the urge to cut it out of our story. When these feelings of shame arise, I encourage you to remember that we do not need to cut out parts of our past. We do not need to rewrite our entire story.  Instead, remember that these feelings are an invitation to pause, reassess, and start moving towards the next chapter of your life with the lessons that you have learned. Remember that life will go on, and these feelings are an invitation to get curious about what you want the next phase of your life to look like.  In this episode: - How to move forward from an event that brings up regret. - Recognizing what those emotions truly mean - Getting curious about what the next stages of life can entail

In today's episode, I want to talk about what to do when we feel the impulse to start over. If you are feeling like you just want to run away and start all over, I want you to know that this is just an amazing reminder to get curious about your current mindset and routines. Take a moment to pause and ask yourself: Am I running away from something scary or running towards something new? Am I embracing change or am I fearful of change? Know that you do not have to uproot your entire life and way of being at this very moment. These feelings are just an invitation to step back into mindfulness. Quite often, when we want to run away, we are yearning for that big change that will change the trajectory of our lives, but I lovingly remind you that the biggest break-throughs happen in the gray areas of our lives. So take these feelings, sit with them and know that you don't have to make a decision immediately. There is more than enough time to make a change/decision that would make the future you proud. In this episode: -Questions to ask yourself when you want to start over -Changing the relationship to the events that trigger these feelings -Using Flow to make decisions future you can be proud of

I'm sure we've all experienced a time when we wanted to quit. A time where we couldn't see a way out and simply wanted to give up. This is where I encourage you NOT to impulsively quit. It's in these pivotal moments, where we can dive deeply into what our core values are and decide with love, what our next steps should be. In a world where comparison is so readily available (especially online), I lovingly remind you that life will always have challenges and it is up to us to decide which challenges serve our highest calling. Take the impulse to quit, and get curious as to what it is that is causing us to feel this way. Open yourself up to whatever fears and doubts are presenting themselves. Get to know them. Meet them with love. It is when we look closely at these feelings, that they may seem a little less scary. In this episode: -Talking you through a way to make these decisions with flow in mind -Deciding what to change, shift and evolve away from -Choosing what to elevate into and how to do so -Making decisions keeping your true values and missions in mind

Are you desperately waiting for an answer or the clarity to know what to do next? If you are, I invite you to take this pause with me...and recognize that the answer and clarity that we are yearning for, is already within us. In taking this moment to be present - to let these thoughts and feelings flow naturally, we will be able to create a life and make decisions that are in true alignment with ourselves. In this episode: -Bringing awareness to engage in the present moment -Recognizing the greatest enlightenments happen in the small moments of mindfulness -Techniques of grounding and envisioning the clarity you seek

People who interact with me are often surprised to find out that I usually only see clients one day a week. Sure - I teach, I do speaking opportunities and collaborations on other days and hours of the week. But it's usually just an hour here and there. What if I told you that using the science of flow could help you compress your workweek into just one, two, three or four days (depending on your lifestyle needs)? So today, we're diving into some steps to move forward into consolidating your work schedule with flow. In this episode, Julia walks through the following tools: -Reflecting and evaluating your ideal schedule -Auditing how you are currently spending your time -Throwing out any of the societal rules that tell us how to spend our time or what success looks like, and instead working on your own terms -Envisioning how you do want to spend your time -Actually creating the space in your schedule, using what you want as the guiding principle

This week, we're focusing on how flow helps you elevate where you are in your life - and in a more circular way than you might think. So this episode dives into flow and purpose. Oftentimes in life, we're taught at a very young age that our goal is to reach a certain point. And then to reach another point. And then another and another and so on! The pressure and teachings of this from a very young age can make us feel like we're always seeking and stretching ourselves to some unknown end point. But in the science of flow, while we are similarly, constantly stretching ourselves, persistently going after the next challenge and stretching our capacity, integrated flow instead recognizes that there is no singular end point to purpose but a continually evolution. After all, flow is not about up-leveling, it's about the experience where we never end our journey and we never start our journey. So if you feel like you're too late to start, you've already started! You're here, you're on it. You've already arrived. In this episode: -An announcement of the free Flow Workshop training that can be found at drjuliacolangelo.com/flow-workshop -Busting the myth of flow being only peak performance states -Discussing the circular experience of flow, purpose, and intentionality -The ways in which integrated flow can change our lives and the lives of those around us

Today, I'm addressing a question I get asked all the time: “How do I stop procrastinating so I can start to unlock more flow?” Because when we are in flow, we are able to focus, be hyper-productive and experience alignment - but when we're distracted and procrastinating on certain activities and tasks, we delay accessing flow. So I'll be sharing the 4 ways that you can overcome any procrastinating tendencies that take you out of your zone of genius, In this episode, Julia walks through: -Evaluating your time with a self-audit of what you are spending your time on VS where you would ideally like to spend your time. -Noticing patterns of distractions or behaviors that pull you away from what you want to be doing -Setting boundaries with your time by enlisting the help of others -Up-leveling your life and experience flow on a whole new level with the community, support, coaching and resources inside the Hello Flow club

How can flow help you move from your perfectionistic tendencies into a more balanced ebb-and-flow? Often, as high achievers, we can put so much pressure on ourselves to stay in line, follow certain rules and respond accordingly by getting things as perfect as possible. The truth is, perfectionism can get in our way and prevent creativity more than enhancing our lives. In this episode, Julia discusses: -Activating creativity that does not fit into a box -The blend of following guidelines while relaxing into creativity and intuition -Reminders for those who experience perfectionistic tendencies

Contrary to what many may think, you don't have to talk about flow! Flow is a unique personal experience, and the perfect way to reconnect with yourself, whether you identify as an extrovert or introvert. So as a private person, what do you do with all that creative energy but want to optimize whatever you experience in flow? The key components of making sure you are unlocking flow, as an introvert, is that you want to make sure that you are grounded in your values. Once you confidently identify how you can reconnect with your values and know that you are centered in who you are and how you want to live - the rest lines up.. In this episode: -The importance of centering yourself and grounding your flow state in your core values -Tips for creating micro-flow states, as an introvert

Has there ever been a time in your life, when you notice that you're going with the flow instead of creating your own flow? That feeling that days, or weeks, or hours, or months are moving by, and you're just going through the motions? If you're finding yourself stuck and stagnant, you might be stuck in autopilot, and need to shift into living with more intention, conviction, and connection to your deeper purpose. In this episode: -Noticing and identifying the elements of autopilot in life -What is intention, and how can you live more intentionally to prevent autopilot -Incorporating flow and creativity with intention, every day

There are a few aspects of the flow that no one really talks about, that are probably some of the most life-enhancing aspects of flow. These two aspects are the reason that everything I do focuses around helping equip you with more flow in daily life. By shifting your mental understanding of the flow process and managing flow states adequately, your consciousness is awakened, you align with your values, and everything becomes easier and more liberating in the process. In this episode: -Moving away from chasing the extreme highs and lows of flow by integrating flow into into your daily life and essence -Managing the recovery period after an intense state of flow -Tips for putting each aspect into practice

Your flow state is when you're completely aligned, you're in the zone, when you don't have that self doubt infiltrating day-to-day. You're moving with clarity and you're not pulled out of the present moment. So what is infiltrating and taking you out of flow in everyday life? This episode will be diving into the top 3 distractions that are taking you out of your flow state. We'll be looking at how to recognize each of them, and what to do to eliminate the distractions so that you can optimize your flow space. I invite you to examine, with curiosity, your relationship with each of these distractions and consider how each fits in with your alignment to your values. In this episode: - Examining your relationship with the internet - Tools to guide your use of phone apps - Establishing and enforcing boundaries to both unlock more flow more often and deepen connections

When we encounter major setbacks or experience difficult challenges, we often struggle to get back into flow and maintain a positive self-identity. We now are faced with making new decisions while maintaining our perceived identity through this difficult time.

When our bodies and brains are conditioned to follow certain rules and measures throughout daily life, and there is a big wrench thrown into our schedules or life on any level - whether a small misstep in the schedule or a vast, catastrophic event - our bodies and brains then experience a stress response. But when you integrate the science of flow and elements of flow to channel your decision making, you make choices that are more deeply congruent with how you want to live and with who you actually are, instead of being pulled into the pressure of the chaos. In this episode: -What is chaos and where do we see it? -The impact of chaos on our bodies, brains, and decisions -What to do when in a stressed state to channel elements of your flow state -Tool: Name, honor, identify, and channel -Exercise: Practicing the decision making process during in a state of calm

In this episode of #FlowSurfersPodcast we discuss the effects that mental health can have on flow and our own wellbeing.  Flow allows you to transcend anything that you might be experiencing, any challenge you have emotionally. But when burnout intersects with flow, we're not able to access those higher levels of creativity and our genius zones because we’re too busy fighting the emotional exhaustion, stress and anxiety of day-to-day living.  From this episode, you’ll take away a few new methods that enhance your likelihood of accessing flow state while simultaneously improving your mental health. Because ultimately, your mental health results in a sense of mental wealth - and that wealth allows you to prevent burnout, overcome challenges, and get creative and playful and live purposefully. What is burnout and how does it intersect with flow? The need for therapy and finding proper support Some practical tips to explore how you feel, enhance your likelihood of accessing flow state, and improve your mental health

We often overextend ourselves and lose flow in the process by doing and being involved in too many things at once. Sometimes the best cure is to audit where our energy is going and refocus on the things that are most important to us.