Blog | Joanne Cipressi

Exercising on Rainy Days!

Dancing in the rain. There is nothing else like it. It’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s refreshing, liberating and just plain fun. I also feel the same about running in the rain. I get so excited when we have summer rains and I have the chance to run and run in the release of the clouds!

And of course, I think Gene Kelly felt the same when performing the Singing in the Rain scene. My daughter hip hopped to this song in her recital two years ago, but I don’t think she would really enjoy doing so in the rain!

How about you? Are you the type that is thrilled from running in the rain? If you are not, that’s ok and you are probably like most people. My own boyfriend and I run all the time together, however, he does not enjoy running in the rain. A nice walk with an umbrella sure, but no running!

Most people think of rainy days as lazy days. They think of rainy days as cozying up on the couch and watching movies, reading a book, baking or starting a new project. But, if you love to exercise or are trying to get back into an exercise routine, don’t let the rain hold you back! Actually it seems that science suggests that running in the rain may be good for you, especially in the summer heat.

Here are some tips for you if you are going to try to run in the rain:

Wear a hat. This can help shield the rain from hitting your face. I prefer not wearing a hat, but I know many people don’t enjoy the rain in their face.
Wear older shoes that still have good traction. I always keep an old pair of sneakers around for rainy days because sneakers usually take too long to dry and I want my sneakers for the next day’s workout.
Prevent overheating with proper attire. Many people like to wear a lightweight jacket so the rain does not touch their skin. However, this can cause overheating when you sweat. So be sure to wear something that wicks away the sweat for you. I personally prefer a tank top – I like the rain rinsing me off!
Prevent chaffing. If you have any issues with chaffing, the rain can make this worse as clothes get wet. So, use petroleum jelly or something else to help.
Be seen. Wear something reflective so others can see you clearly. The rain tends to make us blurry to others.
Be aware: Puddles, rocks and other distractions can be dangerous if you are not aware of them. So, watch where you are running.
Protect electronics. Fortunately, these days there are many tools you can buy that protect your phones or other electronic toys when in the rain.

So my advice, is to not let the rain hold you back from exercising. Whether you walk or run, you can still do so in the rain. Of course, there is always the gym. But, I would recommend to try running or waking in the rain. It seems to open up your senses a bit more and is very refreshing.

Business Life

20 Ways to Tell if You Have a Crush…

You spend the majority amount of your time at work, so building bonds with the people you work with is natural and normal. Many people build friendships with their co-workers since they learn so much about each other while working on projects, sharing coffee, and perhaps even lunches.

crushing-on-a-coworker But, what if you see that you may have a crush on a co-worker? Crushes happen and usually without you realizing it. One day you are enjoying each other’s company innocently, sharing lunches, quick break together, and perhaps after work outings, then all of sudden you begin to think about spending more time with them – time alone, how do they kiss, what a good partner they would be, wishing they were single and you were too….and then perhaps dreaming about having a fling. This can cause a PR disaster or cause havoc at work!! Not to mention, it can cause problems with your own emotional state, your thoughts and your work, as well as cause issues with their partner and yours. Having a coworker crush rarely leads to anywhere healthy.

So, how can you tell early on if you are developing a coworker crush? Here are some signs:

You desire to spend more alone time together. You don’t simply want a break from the crazy work life, but you think about the next time you can have coffee or tea with this person, the next chance you can get alone to talk a walk with them, and dream about having dinner and drinks alone with them and no one else.
If you are single, you won’t date anyone else because there is no one better than your coworker and you hope he will notice you that way.
You try to impress him or her with stories about your life and yourself.
You keep checking your messages to see if they returned yours.
You begin to dress up more for work and walk by him or her to be sure you are noticed.
You find reasons to schedule one on one meetings with them. Even worse, you find ways to organize business trips or “outing” with just them.
You miss them when you are not at work or are sad when they are not at work.
You feel jealous or upset when they talk about their partner.
You wont talk about your partner with them.
You organize a happy hour just to hang out with them.
You have not told you partner about him or her.
You find yourself daydreaming about him or her.
You talk about him or her to your friends – often.
When you are on vacation from work, you are thinking about him and think about messaging him more than anyone else.
You find yourself checking out their partner on social media.
You avoid being around whenever their partner is around or you act differently when their partner is around.
You try to find ways to do more intimate things together, like exercise, run, cook together, movies, or other things that normally couples do.
You want to closer to him when walking and even desire to hold hands.
You sometimes feel nervous around him or her. Your stomach has butterflies when you see them.
You check out his body all the time.

Do you see these signs in yourself? Having one or two may not mean that you have a crush, but I would find it safe that if you are hear reading this article, then you have a crush on your coworker. What do you do now? That depends.

Are you both single? Or is one in a relationship? Does the coworker return the feelings? What are you relationship rules of your company? There are many factors. But, to be blunt, if either of you are in a relationship or the rules of the business prohibit dating, then your best bet is to stay away from this person. Distance yourself. Become more involved in your relationship or begin dating again.

Also realize one more thing, you are crushing on someone that you think you know. What people portray to be at work and in work friendships are not who they will be when dating or when having a fling with. Trust me, it will all get messy if you move forward with your crush. Your emotions and mental state will be a disaster!

If you need help in overcoming your feelings and moving into a healthy relationship or rekindling the one you are in, I can help you with this. Reach out! My contact information is on the side.

Energy

A Quick Pick Me Up – The Sweet Energy…

Ever peel an orange and catch the scent of the aroma? If you pause for a moment, you can feel yourself refreshing and your energy lifting. It’s one of my favorite ways to feel a little more stimulated during my day. However, peeling an orange is not always doable! But having a little bottle of Orange Essential Oil on hand is!

Orange Essential Oil Energizing I love to recommend to my clients this quick pick me up! If you are feeling a bit sluggish from sitting at you desk all day or you are feeling over-stressed from an overbearing meeting and you tired of drinking more coffee or tea, then having a little bottle of Orange Essential Oil at your desk is one of the most convenient ways to offer yourself a little boost. Here are few days to use this oil:

Simply open up the bottle and gently inhale the sweet aroma. Ahhh – refreshing!
Use a diffuser in your room and feel a bit more cheerful throughout the day.
Place a few drops on air vents to feel a better vibe.
Put 4 ounces of water and 24 drops of oil into a spray bottle. Spray your work area for mood lifting.
Place a few drops into your hand cream and rub it in. Smelling your hands will give you a little pick me up.

The best part of this tip is that this essential oil is under $5 and will last for months! You can order my one of my favorite brands right from Amazon using this link – Orange Essential Oil.

Fear

Is Fear Standing in Your Way?

Do you allow fear to stand in your way?

Is fear stopping you from going after something that you want?

Is fear acting like a big tall wall keeping you away from a dream?

Fear is like an imaginary demon that many people allow to live in their minds. It torments them, haunts them, and makes them feel so small that they stop doing what they really want to do. I’m sure that you have at least one of those imaginary demons living in your mind — or you would not be reading this right now.

Hmmm…well, I know the feeling, because that little demon was in my mind as well and sometimes it revisits me. When he starts knocking, we have to have a little talk and work on a few issues, then fortunately, these days, he strolls away.

Fear is something we all have to deal with from time to time. But, there are some people, that fear is always there and seems to permanently reside in their thought patterns interrupting them from being content doing what they desire to.

It’s interesting actually, that we allow these illusions to have so much control. These illusions are not even real nor tangible. What we fear is not even present because it’s about something that we think may happen in the future – whether that future is in a few moments or in a few months.

It seems a bit crazy when you really think about it. We are scared of something happening that has not actually happened and most likely will not happen.

However, what’s interesting, is that by fearing something (especially when we obsessively fear something), we often create what we fear to become a reality in the future. This is because we are so focused on this fear which affects our mental state, our emotional patterns, our words and our actions. We basically set ourselves up for attracting this “something” to us. For example, you fear social situations because you are afraid people may judge you, not like you, think something awful of you, or you are unsure what to talk about. By worrying about these things, you are more likely to stutter, look unpleasant, make mistakes, spill a drink or something else that could be avoided if you were able to focus on and enjoy your interactions.

Another interesting, yet unfortunate aspect about fear,Is is that it takes you away from what you really want. For example, if you are fearful of being cheated on by your partner, you are always looking to see if he/she is acting in suspicious ways, you may be badgering your partner with questions about the opposite sex, and you feel insecure about the relationship. All of these things will most likely push your partner away instead of bringing him/her closer. Instead of fearing, you can be admiring the good qualities, focusing on what you value about your relationship, and enjoying your time together – all which will enhance the quality of your partnership.

What is it that you fear? Social situations, balloons, being abandoned, snakes, dentists, being poor, being cheated on, being fired, not getting a new job, being alone for the rest of your life, making mistakes, not attaining your goals, cats, love, death?

If you have had a fear for a long time, you know the damage that fear can do. It can destroy opportunities, relationships, careers, health, and the quality of your life.

Overcoming fear is easier said than done, as you know. If would refreshing, if we wake one day and “poof” the fear is gone. Unfortunately, this is not the case for most people.

As a life coach, I help people overcome fear all the time. Fear is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that I have seen that come between a person’s dreams and actually achieving their dreams. This is true for those that want a healthy and happy relationship, a better career, improved vitality, and all of those goals people have like public speaking, writing a book, swimming, drawing, making new friends, overcoming an addiction and so on.

One of the first steps is to acknowledge your fears, admit them and realize how they are disrupting your life. Once you are able to do this, then you can work on overcoming your fear and transforming it into something else that is more useful in your life.

When you are finally ready to overcome your fear, I have over 18 years experience helping people move past their fears and to move forward with their goals. Reach out. That’s what I am here for!

Much love,

Joanne Cipressi
Personal and Relationship Coach

Exercising on Rainy Days!

20 Ways to Tell if You Have a Crush…

A Quick Pick Me Up – The Sweet Energy…

Is Fear Standing in Your Way?

If you are ready for a real transformation then Makeover Your Mind to Makeover Your Life