Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:03] You're listening to the Poised Powerhouse Podcast. My name is Dr. Sita Hood, and I'm obsessed with empowering women like you with practical life strategies to live authentically without compromising your wellness. I used to be caught up in the hustle hard mentality until I learned that my quirky little traits I thought weren't that important actually turned out to be the secret sauce. I. I needed to step boldly into my purpose and create impact not only in my life, but so many amazing women around me. Organizing your schedule, launching impactful programs, redefining leadership without code switching or compromise, and stepping boldly into your God given assignment are all topics we'll discuss here. Think of this podcast as that simple Sunday brunch with your girls that feels so therapeutic you can't wait to get to it. But let's clarify, this is not a substitute for a relationship with a licensed therapist. All right, grab your notebook and your coffee or your tea. We don't discriminate over here. And let's start the show.
[00:01:22] Hey, Boo. Hey. Welcome back for another episode of the Poise Powerhouse podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Ceta Hood, vision architect, licensed therapist, executive leadership consultant, and the homegirl who gonna help you stop grinding and get into alignment. Okay. I am renaming our segment what's in your mug? To sips and stillness. Why? Because I really wanted to capture the essence of what I'm asking when I say, how are you feeling? How are you doing? Because so often, as ambitious women, we scale right on past stuff that is important to us, like our own personal wellness and our own personal health, and we gotta stop doing that. So if you think about it, you have the time to sit still, sip on your cup of coffee or your tea or your water, and just be in the present moment. So for today's sips and stillness, I actually do not have coffee because as you can see by the lighting, I am recording in the evening. This time though, I already drank my coffee, Boo Boo.
[00:02:35] But what I do have is some cold purified water. Cuz one thing we going to do, you already know. Drink that water. Mind that business, honey.
[00:02:46] And the stillness portion, I'm feeling creative, clear, cozy, and I am ready to build something beautiful with y'all today. Let me know number one, what's in your mug. Tag me on Instagram rcdahood and let me know what you sipping on today while we reset your entire rhythm. Okay, you ready? Last week we named the hustle triggers. We called out hustle fatigue and we tossed perfection in the trash. We Told her like, shorty, you gotta go. You can't stay over here. You've been over here way too long, girl. It's giving, clingy. It's giving. Pick me. Like, no.
[00:03:25] This week we are going full on practical, okay? And I'm going to tell you the reason why. Let me take you back to circa 2017.
[00:03:36] I was doing everything right, okay? On paper, serving my clients, raising my baby, holding down a full time job, keeping my marriage afloat, checking off every goal that I had. Because period, she gonna do that. And I guarantee you gonna do that too, right? But baby, I was cracking on the inside. Probably like you right now. Mm. Mm. It's a safe space. It's a safe space. It's a safe space. And finally one night, I just got tired of cracking. I remember sitting in my room, you know, toothbrush in hand, and I was like, yo, if I keep going like this, I'mma burn out. I'mma break. I was succeeding by all worldly standards, everybody else's thoughts of success, but I wasn't thriving. And that's when I realized that I didn't need a bigger to do list. Because, baby, that's gonna be what it's gonna be. If you are ambitious and you have visions, dreams, all of that, that don't never stop, it's just you finish another thing more. Add it, add it, add it, add it, add it. I needed a reset routine. One that met me in the middle of real life moments. You know what moments I'm talking about? Those messy moments. Boo. Boo. So today we are going to do just that. I'm walking you through a three step reset from inside of the free aligned Ambition bundle. No fluff, no perfection. Just a very simple method to help you reconnect to your vision and your energy levels without burning out. And if you haven't watched the last week's episode, you want to watch that episode first. Okay? Hey, Boo. If hustling has been louder than your healing lately, it's time to reset. The aligned Ambition Bundle is your free guided experience to get back to you beneath the pressure Inside, you'll get clarity prompts, reset exercises, and micro shift strategies that make it easy to pivot without guilt. I want you to go access this free, free resource now. Learn.themilloncollective.com Align or check the show notes for the link. All right, Boo, let's get back to the episode.
[00:06:00] Step one to building our reset routine is to identify the misalignment. Let's get real, sugar. This ain't about shame. Or self blame. This is about clarity. Because you cannot reset what you won't first recognize. Okay, I need you to ask yourself when you're going through the motions of your daily routine, am I doing this because I want to or because I feel like I should? Now, maybe you said yes out of guilt. Maybe you're leading something that you once were on fire about, but it no longer lights you up. Have you been there? Everybody been there? We've been there. Yep. Yep. Okay, we all raised our hands over here. Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool. Maybe you still running somebody else's play.
[00:06:51] And you calling it purpose, you saying that this is a purpose, but that's what somebody else saw for you, and you still do. Okay, do you ever feel tired when technically you've already rested? I'm talking about you slept, but you still woke up feeling heavy. You sat down, but your mind never stops spinning. You rested, but your soul felt like it was still running. I'm talking about, like, soul exhaustion, okay? Not just like, oh, my gosh, I'm tired. Like, no, no, no. Your. Your entire being is exhausted. Have you been chasing a goal that doesn't feel like yours anymore? Maybe it started as a God dream. But if we're being honest, somewhere along the way, maybe that dream got distorted by deadlines, by opinions, by pressure, or your own performance.
[00:07:47] And now maybe that God sized dream feels more like a burden than a blessing. If any of this sounds familiar, this is what we call misalignment. And it doesn't always show up really loud. Sometimes it whispers. It whispers in your resistance to want to do things. It whispers in your fatigue. It whispers in your irritation with simple things that come with the territory. Or it whispers in your numbness. Those are clues that we need to pay attention to. And it's important to differentiate. Those are clues, not character flaws. Okay? Because sometimes we can internalize those things and say, oh, I'm so mean. Oh, let me stop being so. No, no, no. Those are clues that were out of alignment. Here's an action prompt for you. I want you to choose one area of your life that feels off. It could be your schedule. If you feel like you're always rushing, that was the biggest indicator for me back in 2017. And ever since then, if I ever feel like I don't have a second to breathe, I know I'm out of alignment. Because that second to breathe, that means you caught up in hustle culture. If you don't have that, you know, so that's a sign. So it could be your schedule. It could be your work that you feel disconnected from the work that you're doing, or you feel overextended. It could be your wellness. You have deprioritized yourself. I'm looking at you. Yes. I'm looking at you, sis. You ain't got to look around you yet.
[00:09:24] You, ma'am, I already know you done did that. And it could be your relationships. Maybe you're over giving. Don't try to fix it just yet. Just name it. Okay? The naming is where our reset begins. Step two, reset your approach. Okay. All right, love. So we have named what is off. Now it's time to shift. And I know y'all thought I was just going, oh, yeah, just write down what she said.
[00:09:54] We believe in customized strategy over here. We believe in practical life strategy, practical solutions that we offer to people, right? Not just cookie cutter things. Why? Because if I give you my stuff, then now you walking in my lane instead of your lane when God called you to walk in your lane. And you supposed to do it how he showed you to do it, not how he showed me to do it. So it's customizable. So I'm not going to just give you the stuff. I am going to give you the tea at the end, though.
[00:10:27] Don't get it twisted, baby, because we deliver a down here every single time. So I'm gonna give you the tea at the end. But first we gotta do this stuff so that you can see where you keep getting thrown off track. Because I know I keep going to this 5:00am that's because I keep scrolling. And now y'all trying to get up earlier and earlier, talking about somebody. 3:00am routine, baby. Who's getting up at 3 and why?
[00:10:53] What business do you have at 3:00am?
[00:10:56] The saints used to be like from 12 to 3 is the witching hour. Okay, why you up?
[00:11:03] Why you up at three? Why? I mean, seriously, what do you really need to get a con? Okay, let me move on. Let me move on in this episode.
[00:11:14] As you can see, I'm a night owl. And I ain't got no shade to the morning people either. It's just. It's the heavy push that you're not doing something right in your life if you're not getting up at 5am or 3am or 4am and that's a lie. Okay, It's a lie. Maybe it's cute to y'all. I don't see nothing appealing about it. But some folks do. And if you do, that's fine. If that's your natural biological clock. No problem. It's just the heavy push that society gives on that. That's my problem. Because again, cookie cutter, we're not leaving space for life to happen. We're not leaving room for anything else. So back to the point. Okay, now that we've named what's off, it's time to shift. So let's be real though, because this is not just about to be like a whole lifestyle overhaul. And it's not going to be overnight. This is about a micro shift, a small intentional pivot that creates a big impact over time. I want you to think about it like this. You don't need to flip the whole table. Wayne. Doing that won't need to be like Jesus in the temple flipping tables. You just need to move one plate over to make room for peace, to make room for joy, to make room for alignment. That's it. I want you to choose one of these reset paths. So pick your paths that I'm about to give you because now we about to go into the work. I told you I was going to give you the tea. The tea starts now. Okay. It has to warm up. It was a little piping hot when we started the episode. Now it's ready for consumption. Pause the episode if you need to. Go get your pen and paper or the notes section of your phone. Let me know when you're ready.
[00:12:54] You ready? Okay, cool. Choose one of these reset paths. Adjust your pace. I want you to embrace this very simple concept because I hear this all the time in and out of the therapy chair, and I want to tell you that it is a lie. Okay? I should be. That's the lie. Here is what I want you to think about. Adjust your pace. You're not behind. You just doing too much too fast. Okay?
[00:13:22] Too much, too fast. That's it. Try this. I want you to block 15 minutes of white space in your day. No agenda. No agenda. Just breathe. Stare out the window. Sit on a porch. Just be.
[00:13:40] Stop stacking. Back so back, so back so back so back.
[00:13:45] I can really go in with that. But stop stacking. Back to back zoom calls. Okay, insert a 10 minute buffer break in between your meetings and a lot of y'all back in the office. Now go to the bathroom and take a breather if you got to. Okay? And here's a reframe instead of I have to get it all done today. Say what absolutely needs my energy today and what can wait. That's all real life examples. You normally roll out of bed and check your emails immediately. Instead, sit on the edge of Your bed. Stretch your body for a minute. You know, sit in silence. Last week, on A day in the life I had shared, or actually I shared this real. It's on my stories or on my Instagram page right now. That majority of my morning routine consists of me just sitting up in a bed, honey, trying to wake myself up. Okay. Like, let my body acclimate to the day first before I have hop up and just go. And so many of us just like hop up and go. I'm gonna tell you, I'm baby, I need some loading time. Okay? We need some loading time. Okay. Another path protecting your capacity or your energy. You do not owe everyone access to you. That's also boundaries. Try this. I want you to try saying no to one request, event or task that you would have said yes to out of guilt. So this is not stuff that we want to do. It's stuff that you would have been guilt tripped into. Say no. Just Practice saying no one time. Limit access to your phone after 8:00. No more replying to text messages when your nervous system is shot. So you could adjust that timeframe as you want. You can go higher, lower, you know, or earlier, later. You can adjust it as you see fit, but limit access to you. Here's a big one. Unfollow or mute one account that triggers comparison or makes you feel like you are behind because you're not behind. And if that account always makes you feel like that, mute it or unfollow it. It's really that simple. It's really that simple. Period Poo.
[00:16:00] Y'all know that's the universal sign for period. Like period. Okay, here's the real life example. You were going to volunteer at a church bake sale even though you had no time to rest. Instead lovingly decline and block off that time for a long bath and a really bad time. That's it. Another path. Shift your start. The way that you start your day sets the tone for your day. That's why I always like gentle mornings and easing into my day. And I give myself the time to acclimate to the day. I want you to try this because this is something that I used to love doing and I sometimes still do. This first part in the morning is what I call a gentle morning. Lighting a candle, playing soft worship music, reading a scripture before opening your laptop or getting up or doing whatever you need to do. I still do the majority of that, but I don't really light the candle every day or majority of days. In the morning, I more so switched to Lighting candles at night. But I ain't gonna hold you. I did have a thought to light a candle in the morning maybe a few weeks ago. I just didn't do it. Doesn't fit with me right now where I am in this season. So after you've tried the gentle morning, which is again, candle, music, or whatever sensory things you need to acclimate into the day, start your day by asking one, God, what is your will for me today? Two, what do I need today? Like, what is happening in my body? And I want you to replace scrolling with a simple morning rhythm. Sit, sip, breathe. Sit, sip, breathe is one of the reasons why I renamed sips and stillness. Right? Because you get to sip on a bottle of water to wake up a cup of tea, a cup of coffee. But sit, sip, breathe. That's it. Real life example. Instead of waking up and diving straight into your to do list, sit with your cup of coffee or your tea for five minutes and journal one intentional step for the day. Whether that is peace, clarity, joy, grace. And why do I say that? Why do I use those terms as intentional goals for the day? Because again, we're redefining what success looks like. You're already successful in life, and if that made you happy or fulfilled every need that you have, baby, you won't be listening to this podcast. Right?
[00:18:33] So let's redefine success and what that looks like in your day. Peace, clarity, joy, grace, Action prompt. Now it's your turn. Write this sentence and fill in the blank. Okay. Instead of insert your old pattern, I will insert your new rhythm so I can feel insert the desired emotion. Okay. Instead of insert the old pattern, I will insert the new rhythm so I can feel insert the desired emotion. I'm going to give you a real life example. Instead of saying yes out of guilt, I will protect my quiet time so I can feel grounded. Instead of multitasking during lunch, I'll eat without my phone so I can feel present. Instead of waking up to urgency, I'll start with silence so I can feel clear and centered. This one can change the whole rhythm of your day. And by this one, I mean shift the start. So again, choose your reset path. Adjust your pace. Protect your capacity, your boundary or your energy. Shift your start. Choose your path because we about to turn it up. This is the good part right here. You ready? You ready? Okay, let's go. Okay. Actually, hold on, girl. I forgot something. Before we get to the juiciest part of the episode, let me explain what I mean when I say reset, okay? Because a Reset is not about starting over. It's about coming back to yourself. It's about a conscious pause to check in with the Holy Spirit, to check in with your body, your energy levels, your alignment with God's plan for your life. It is the moment that you choose peace over pressure, presence over performance and rhythm over rigidity. And the thing is, a reset does not require hours. It don't. And I think that's why so many of us stay stuck on it. It just requires intention. And let's talk about when to use a reset routine. You can use a reset routine when you feel overwhelmed, but you don't know why. You can use it when you are spinning your wheels and nothing feels productive. You can use it when you're technically rested but you're still tired in your soul. Honey, you remember we talked about that soul exhaustion. You can use it when you're doom scrolling or you're numbing out to avoid what's next. You can use it when you out here snapping at other people that you love because you feel overstimulated. Calm down girl. Calm down.
[00:21:19] And you can use it when you are about to push through exhaustion just out of habit. Okay? Even a two minute reset can interrupt the cycle and bring you back to you. Okay? Now let's go. Come on.
[00:21:36] Okay, we ready? Now the next step is to build a sustainable next step. Okay, listen, boo, we are not building a brand new lifestyle overnight. We are building momentum with mercy. And that means that we're doing what's realistic, not what's perfect. Remember we had kicked her out? Remember she had got tossed in the trash? Remember we was tired of her because she was giving pick me energy. Like. No, no, no, no. She's not allowed in here. Okay? You do not need a two hour morning routine. You need a rhythm that meets you where you are and adjusts when your life does too. Because listen, listen, listen, listen. Landa, listen, Landa. Some days your skincare routine might be a full 25 minute spa moment with all the steps and the relaxing music and the spray and the candles and everything in between. Honey, other days.
[00:22:30] Other days is a splash of water, moisturizer and a deep sigh of grace before you go lay down, right? But then you still do skincare.
[00:22:39] Both days count. If they nourish you. Something is always better than nothing. All right, now we get into the juicy part of the episode. Reset routine ideas. These are going to be realistic and customizable. Now these routines can flex with you, okay? Depending on your energy, your capacity, your season and even them Hormones, baby. Okay, but the most important step of what I'm about to give you is to be flexible with this. Okay? So here are some examples for both low energy and high energy days. Okay, I'm a read through my little list right here.
[00:23:17] Buckle up. Okay, so the morning reset routine with high capacity, 20 to 40 minutes is recommended. You know, five minute stretch or light movement. Five minutes skin care with intention, meaning slowing down, right? Like you're doing your skincare, but you go on really slow. Slow. You're massaging the products in with no rush. And if you set a timer for five minutes, you can really feel a change in just that. Like even just doing it across my face right now, which is really relaxing. 10 minutes of prayer, scripture or journaling. 10 minutes of drinking your coffee or your tea without scrolling. And then an optional add on is to put on an outfit that makes you feel like a CEO baby. Even if you staying at home, even if you work at Target honey, you can still throw on an outfit that make you feel like a million bucks. It's also important to note that these are merely suggestions. Highly customizable. If something that I say doesn't work for you, toss in what you think might work for you. You want to be thinking about your senses, right? Your five senses and how you can soothe them. And you want to be thinking about what you need at these particular times to reset. Okay, let's do a morning reset routine with low capacity, low capac day, meaning only five to 10 minutes. Okay. The very first thing is to sit up in the bed and breathe deeply for two minutes. Just connect with your body. Wipe your face down with a warm cloth. Wash honey, wash washcloth.
[00:24:57] Apply your moisturizer. Recite a short affirmation as you brush your teeth. Because we not skipping brushing our teeth because we.
[00:25:07] We're not skipping brushing our teeth because we busy. Okay? Brush your teeth. Brush your teeth. You have time and remind yourself that you're still worthy even when you move slow. Make tea or coffee and sip it in silence. Even if it's just for two minutes before them kids wake up. Even if you have to set an alarm to do it. Okay, sick kids slash exhausted mama reset routine. And this is about three to five minutes. Splash some cold water on your face. Honey. Or rub a little peppermint oil on the back of your neck for a reset. Set a 5 minute timer. Close your eyes. Breathe while sitting on the bathroom floor. Yes, that counts. Turn on calming instrumental music and stretch your arms over your head. Maybe when you're done rocking Your baby. Text somebody and say, baby, listen, pray for me today because I'm tapped out. That's a reset too, boo. Because you'll be surprised how them prayers will come over and okay, they'll reach you. They will reach you. A midday reset routine. Sit outside and feel the sun on your skin for two minutes. Close all the tabs and stare at one object. Just one, for 60 seconds. Yes, just one. Just one. Sit in your car and do four rounds of box breathing before your next errand or your next appointment. Journal the answer to this question. What would serve me best for the rest of the day? I always talk to my clients about if something is off, you have the power to reset at any given time. You can build a sustainable rhythm with just one step. Okay, let's simplify this even more. Here's your challenge. I want you to choose one thing to stick with this week. Just one. Okay. It could be a new boundary. Like, I don't answer emails after 6pm it could be a new rhythm. Every day at noon, I pause for a stretch or I pray. It could be a new affirmation. I can be both ambitious and rested. And Kiyan Pooh. It can be a two minute pause before I open my laptop. I breathe on purpose. And here's a pro tip. Set a reminder on your phone daily. You can call it your reset moment or anything you want to. The goal is to let it gently interrupt your hustle. Here's a reflection prompt. I want you to ask yourself, what's one small nourishing action that I will take today to move in alignment? Say it out loud, write it out, stick it on a post it note. Let it be enough. Okay? You don't need a perfect plan to feel better. You just need one small, loving decision that you actually follow through on. Okay, it's time for you did that Sugar, where we paused to put the spotlight on you, Boo. The listener, the powerhouse, the woman out here making alignment look good. Okay. Because success ain't just about the big launches and the bold moves. It's every boundary honored, every reset chosen, every quiet yes to your purpose. So let's give it up, show some love and celebrate. Because you did that sugar. This week's you did that sugar goes out to queen. We see you, boo. Yes.
[00:28:36] She has gone through several of my programs and has been with me since the beginning. Okay. And I can remember back in our retreat in 2021, she got up to speak and she was having a hard time due to trauma connected to her past and public speaking. And I have to say you did that sugar. Because she is now camera confident. Okay. She's filming video ads, TikToks, teaching classes in the community, and recently she launched her own hair oil, period poo. And her hair oil has been wildly successful. She's out here doing her thing. She's in several stores like beauty shops, and she's been having successful vendor fairs as well. And I've been privileged to learn of her success and to follow her. And it is absolutely amazing to witness her transformation. So I see you, boo. You did that sugar. Today we named what's out of alignment. We took one simple reset action and we created a rhythm that supports your real life. Here's your action step. Pick your reset rhythm and use it three times this week. Breathe, shift, repeat. Okay, we got some good tea in this episode. The next thing I want you to do is grab your free aligned Ambition Bundle using the link in the show notes and I want you to let this be the start of your new rhythm. You don't gotta wait until January 1st to kick it off. You can start again with the aligned Ambition Bundle and don't let it just sit on your shelf being another download, really take it and use it. If this episode blessed you, share the love, share with your mama, share with your auntie, share with your best friend. Then head on over to Apple podcast and leave us a five star review. Reviews help the podcast to grow. Well, that's all I have for you this week. I'll see you on these social media streets. Bye.
