Can premarital counseling save your marriage?

You've dreamed about this day all your life. You're walking down the aisle as you see your beloved with tears of joy in his eyes. You know your life together will be a fairytale. But have you had the tough conversations with him? Do you know the areas of strength and weaknesses in your relationship?

This is why premarital counseling is important. Even though so many people gloss over its importance, effective pre-marital counseling helps you and your loved one figure out how your pasts, values, ideals and beliefs could cause possible problems in the future. In session, you'll discuss important topics such as money, children, religion, in laws, how to handle disagreements, the role of friends and how your backgrounds affect your relationship.

Before the session, you'll both fill out a comprehensive Prepare/Enrich assessment form online. After that is done, a report, tailored to your specific situation is generated and sent to your counselor. The counselor then has an individualized system to discuss the actual strengths and weaknesses of your relationship. No guesswork here, the results are tailored to you. Doing this simple thing can reduce your chances of marital squabbles in the future.

So are you actually ready for marriage? Click here to contact me so you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation call for your first premarital counseling session in Murrieta or online. Start your marriage off on a stable foundation so you don't make the same mistakes others have made.

5 tips to reduce anxiety

You know that uncomfortable feeling. It's the pit in your stomach, the thoughts that run through your head and prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. It's anxiety. Here are 5 things you can do to reduce overwhelm in your daily life:

1) Know your limit: If you're anything like most ambitious women, you'll find that your plate is always piled high with activities from the moment you wake up, until the moment you sleep. Know that you only have 24 hours in a day. Learn to add only about 5 items on your to do list and either delegate other tasks, or save them for another day.

2) Plan ahead: Many people feel anxious when they have to cram 25 tasks into 1 day. One day a week, sit with a blank calendar and write out every single task you want to accomplish during the week. When you've done that, pencil in each item during the week so that your entire week will be planned without hassles and headaches.

3) Ask for help:So of course we would all like to think of ourselves as super heroes. Well you know what? Every super hero has her kryptonite. Ask for help when you need it. If dishes need washing, ask your teenagers to help you. If you need to pick milk up from the store, ask your spouse to do it. There's no shame in that.

4) Schedule regular self care:If you're always on the go and always in work mode, you stand the risk of overworking yourself. Schedule at least 10 minutes each week to unwind and relax. Do something simple like sipping a cup of tea, spending some time alone in silence or even sneaking in a quick nap. Your mind and your body will thank you.

5) Put things in perspective:When things aren't going your way, do you focus on what is going wrong or do you shift your mind to the things that do go right? In a moment of overwhelm, it's really easy to focus on unfinished tasks. In that very moment, slow down, breathe and remind yourself about your wins and accomplishments. Stop whatever you're doing and come back to it when you're in a better mood. You'll thank yourself.

What can you do to reduce anxiety today? If you'd like us to work together to reduce anxiety and overwhelm, schedule a consultation with me at 951-905-3181.