How to Move ‘Beyond the Busyness’ of Life

“Self-care is not selfish; you owe it to your future.” - Lisa Nichols

“So many people are dealing with guilt and low self-esteem. I want women to walk away knowing that they are valuable and worthy. It is okay to take care of yourself. If you do, if your mind and body are healthy, everything else will fall into place.” – Mia Bradford

Meet Mia Bradford, a change coach with Beyond the Busyness, a lifestyle transformation support group she founded in 2018. As a coach, Mia provides self-care resources, events, support, and encouragement for busy women who live life on purpose.

W+G: Why do you feel called to empower women in this way?

Mia: I have a background in counseling and I am passionate about self-care and being the best person I can be so that I can serve others in a meaningful capacity. I can only give what I have inside of me so it’s really important for all women to be replenished. We are natural nurturers and depending on what kind of culture you grew up in, you may feel obligated or guilty if you don’t do everything that everyone is asking you to do. As Christians, we should remember that even Jesus rested, got away and took time to be still. Sometimes we don’t have time for that because we are so busy doing instead of being.    

W+G: What are some of the tools that women can learn from taking your “Beyond the Busyness” course?

Mia: I provide self-care knowledge and different techniques for self-care since I don't subscribe to Western medicinal practices. I use Ayurveda practices – an ancient Indian medicine practice – and I have actually been healed from a long-term injury. I also practice aerial yoga, and prayer and meditation rooted in my Christian faith and that involves a lot of bible-reading, solitude, and silence to stay connected with the Lord. As a counselor, I am mindful of mental health and making sure that people are reflective and can tap into what’s really going on in their lives and get to the root of the problem – “why am I not practicing self-care?” or “why am I having these emotions or engaging in certain habits?”  

W+G: You mentioned an injury that you were healed from. How did you get healing?

Mia: It was a two-fold process. Research shows that about 80 percent of health issues are related to stress or some type of emotional issue. First, I had to heal emotionally so I went to therapy and for the actual injury, I was in physical therapy for years and I never had relief. I couldn’t kneel to play with my nieces and nephews and even exercising was difficult. I went to an Ayurveda practitioner here in Houston and she began helping me with the mental and the physical pain using essential oils and breathing techniques. It was pretty straight forward and there was nothing that she gave me that went against my Christian beliefs. And it really worked for me.

One thing about healing is believing and declaring in faith that you are moving toward that healing process. My dad was even a skeptic but he came around when my mom used some of the oils for his old sports injuries and he felt better.

W+G: Tell us a little more about your Summer Healing Event on June 9.

Mia: As we enter into the second half of 2018, studies show that a little more than half of the people who set goals in January have already abandoned those goals. So this is like a midyear reset where we will provide self-care tips. The average person thinks of self-care as going to the spa or getting their hair and nails done, but it is deeper than that. One way that you can take care of yourself is by taking care of your business and making sure your household is in order. The first topic is financial self-care, managing debt and our emotional connection to money. Nadine Kennedy will discuss non-toxic living and how to detoxify your home. So many people, including myself, suffer from allergies and sinus issues due to toxic products in the home so we will learn how to make natural skincare products that aren’t harmful to your health. We’ll also have speakers discussing God-fidence, which is confidence that comes from trusting in the Lord, and goal setting. The vision board session will be held at another location but for those who opt out of that, they can remain at the spa and access the full range of the spa amenities.

W+G: Following the event, how can women get connected with you and plugged into your organization?

Mia: There are so many ways to get connected. You can follow us on social media and I highly recommend joining the Facebook group. This is where the real work happens. It's a closed group, which allows people to get really personal and I also do Facebook Live sessions and 21-day challenges. The last challenge that we did in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month was “Minding Your Mindset.”  The June challenge is centered around non-toxic living. The group really allows us to be accountable to each other. Many of the women in the group are entrepreneurs or in the helping professions and they rarely have time to help themselves. This group helps them do that.

Finally, I plan to launch a Mastermind session in July and I don’t plan to take on any new coaching clients until next year so that I can focus more on the clients that I have currently. I believe that we can do so much more in community and when we love ourselves well we can love others well.

Learn more about Beyond the Busyness here. 

Register for the Sacred Summer Healing Event here.