Ep #158: How to Plan Your Week-Top Strategies to Get More Done with Christiane Schroeter

In this episode,  Christiana came on the podcast to discuss her approach to maintaining a balance with her work, her personal life, and her passion for wellness. 

As a professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and founder of her wellness coaching business, Hello Happiness, Christiana sheds light on the importance of scheduling 'me time' and the power of color-coded time-blocking. 

She also shares her experience of combating personal health issues and managing major life transitions. 

She underscores the importance of creating flexible self-care rituals and fostering habit tweaks instead of completely overhauling one’s lifestyle. 

Christiana concludes by extending an invitation to the listeners to join her health program, Journey to Wellness, and to listen to her podcast, Happy Healthy Hustle.

00:04 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:50 Getting to Know the Guest

02:23 The Inspiration Behind the Guest's Business

04:00 The Importance of Self-Care and Wellness

07:05 Balancing Personal Life and Career

10:51 Strategies for Planning Your Week

14:47 The Power of the 'Nothing Box'

16:36 Final Advice and Closing Remarks

Where to find Christiana:

Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-healthy-hustle/id1678822774
Website: https://hellohappynest.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloHappyNest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello.happy.nest/

Guest Promotion:

45-minute Masterclass: It is a pre-recorded 45-minute class available via my YouTube Channel.

Here is a description: Unlock the 3-Part Plan to Kickstart your Wellness!

Feeling curious about taking your health and wellness to the next level but not sure where to start? Well, this wellness masterclass will provide you with the real scoop, and it is a blast!

Here's what you can expect:

✅Christiane will help you sort through the wellness noise and get to the good stuff.

✅Discover the F.L.Y. Method, your secret sauce to genuine well-being.

✅Get ready for live demos that mix solid science with a personalized, fun touch.

✅And she will share three techniques to supercharge your wellness journey without losing your unique style.

Remember, wellness is all about embracing a lifestyle, not just a fad. Learn how to do it wisely and watch your wellness soar.

Transcript

0:00

Welcome back to another episode of the Hello CS Dorsey podcast. I have Christiana on the show today. How are you doing today? I'm really doing well. Thank you so much for asking, Candice. And I already feel connected because my company is called Hello Happiness. And so we're just going to say hello right and left today. Hello. Love it. Maybe I should change the title of today's episode to Hello. So that would be awesome. And have the Adele song play in the background. Oh, don't get me started. Don't get me started with that. I am singing that like literally every day. Hello, it's me. Okay, so. It's going to be all about, it's going to be us. Bye. Awesome. So tell everyone who you are and what you do. Well, I am also living in California. So Candace and I, we just discovered we are fellow Californians. And I live right between San Francisco and Los Angeles. And Candace can wave at me when she's going from her home to Disneyland. She's like, hello, and maybe like do a royal wave or something. I also really like Elsa, and I know all of those royals have their own little waves. So do the Elsa wave. Because I really adore her. So I work at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. That's where I'm located at. I'm a full time professor here. Teach innovation, entrepreneurship, and marketing. And now if you, of course, you're like, hold on, didn't she just say she has a business that's called Hello Happy Nest? Yes, because I'm a full time professor, a full time mom. I really felt that my me time was going a little bit to the side. It didn't become me time anymore. It became like no time. And so I started my own wellness coaching business, Hello Happiness, to help other women get that me time in. And today I'm going to share some really cool secrets, some strategies, and I can't wait to do this. Perfect. This is perfect timing. I'm loving this in the beginning of the new year. So we definitely Definitely need some tips and strategies because with the hustle and bustle of everything that's going on and daily things and the start of the new year, I'm so happy to be talking about this topic. So let's talk about the inspiration behind you starting your business. What was that like for you? So initially, I struggled with some self care problems myself. And it, it happens to all of us. We essentially create a schedule for others and eventually realize that they're, you're trying like just to get things done. And while you get things done, you put yourself on the back burner. I am very sensitive with regard for my stomach. So when I'm get stressed out, my stomach gets totally out of whack. And my stomach is anyway, already a little bit of a point to where it, it lets me know in between like, well, that doesn't really agree with me. So when I'm stressed out and I put myself on the back burner, it's like totally out of whack. So like totally stinks by wrangling out. And I realized they came to a point where basically just like getting by and in between in the day. That was why I was getting my PhD at Purdue university. I sometimes had to lay down on the. Ground in my office, I'm just on the back because there's not like a couch in an office when you're a PhD student and just rest. And then I realized, well, actually, that's. It's a very important thing, but maybe I shouldn't just do that as a action after the fact. Maybe I should start preventing getting to the point of feeling miserable instead of being, you know, like reactive. I should be proactive. And I started thinking a little bit about the wellness of me time and what helps me during the day. In preventing that I'm so stressed out when my stomach really gets upset that I get headaches and I can't sleep at night that I have to lay down on that office floor and started tuning in a little bit more with my body. And I realized that, you know what, it doesn't take a lot of time. It's not even expensive because as a graduate student, I didn't have a lot of money and it also really doesn't require any expensive or challenging or complicated equipment. Started creating a little bit more of a schedule. So self care rituals that really tailored towards me. And that's my first tip to me. So I, because I'm a planner, I started creating a weekly plan that every day I had some moments for myself. And that could have been where in the evening, maybe I write a book, maybe I took a stroll during the day, just a quick little walk around the neighborhood. Maybe I started a new hobby, like, you know, drawing or any kind of creative outlets. And it was something that I made sure prioritized the me time and not just the other time, right, for others, so to speak. And I saw tremendous. Benefits in terms of transforming the outcomes that tended to go negative really turned into positive moments and it was so beneficial that I started reminding myself during the day with little calendar entries like, okay, this is your me time right now. I know you're the really busy Christiana, but right now you're going to put the work down and you're going to do the five minute stroll because you scheduled it. Knowing that if you don't do it, it's not going to happen. And if it doesn't happen, things compound and that compounding leads to the cra the cramps, the issues that you have with low energy. And so by scheduling the me time, I saw a tremendous transformation with regard to how I looked, how I felt. So really from the inside out, and I really started saying, that's why my business is called Hello Happy Nest. I really started saying happiness is coming in, but I also feel my body is becoming my own nest and it's starting to become more comfortable with who I am. That's amazing. I like that. And what people fail to realize if you don't take care of yourself, and if you don't take care of, you know, your well being. When you're in a business, especially when you're a business owner and you're doing this, maybe a solo by yourself, you, we tend to do the hustle and bustle every day, but if we don't take care of ourselves, those ideas, those creativities will not generate because your body is like, I'm. My brain is shutting down. I'm not gonna say it. I'm not gonna give you any ideas because we're tired right now You know in a way so yeah, I really like that. I really do. So can you remember a time? In your business or sorry now where you had a hello moment For sure. Yeah, I would say that it was probably transitioning between, you know, PhD program to now being a mother. So I'm actually when I took my first job in California as a full time professor, I started being five months pregnant. And I always tell the students now that I see in the classroom every day that it's, you know, there's never a moment to where things just line up and especially, you know, when you are pregnant, it's never like, you're like, okay, that's like perfect timing right now. It just doesn't happen this way. Because in that moment, maybe, you know, we have been planning for a child. Was that very moment when I found that I was pregnant, the moment that was ideal? Maybe not. But you know what? That's just how it is. And everything else in that moment is so secondary. And we were just so happy that we were expecting a child that in the moment from moving from the South, where I worked at that time to California and starting a brand new job, I just started being five months pregnant. And I was like, you know what, it's just somehow all going to work out. And it did. It will always work out somehow. Was it ideal to move across the country? And we had two cats in the car while we were moving. So it was like, totally like you, we were in the car, like full of stuff and with a pregnant lady, the two cats. So was that like something I envisioned? I would start my dream job in California with that. No, but you know what, that's just how it works. So a sometimes a goal. Doesn't mean it's a straight line. It's sometimes just a redirection. So the redirection to me, I've, I came to my goal. I'm a full time professor here in California. It's just maybe that it, it, when I envisioned it, it was not quite like that, but I still got there. And now I love my job. I have two amazing daughters. I live in a beautiful place here. It all kind of still fell into place, and so sometimes in life we just have to have to accept that it might not be exactly the way that you envisioned it, but you have to give yourself grace because it's still going to get you to wherever you wanna be. So don't be so hard on yourself and just embrace. That you can get there. And of course, you know, my husband helped me a lot through all this time, but I want to point out, we moved to California. We don't have any family here. We found new friends and all this. You have to have an open mind too, that there are people out there that you actually need to ask for help. So like, you know, like when you really need childcare, you need a moment to yourself. You have to be honest and you have to actually say this, like, Oh, right. So I'm kind of like freaking out right now. Can you just watch my child? Because I just need to go for a quick stroll and that's totally all right. Yeah. Just have to be honest with yourself. And my students were always laughing in the classroom. Sometimes I was like, man, I need to sit down right now. And I just sat down wherever I was. And they appreciated that honesty and authenticity to them. It just showed I'm a person and I have. I have needs and I'm basically just letting you know that this is what we are going through right now. That's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah. Cause when a, an instructor is like really authentic like that, you'd be more inclined and intrigued to learn. And absorb the information more because this person, you know, I, I can relate or this person is human. It's not a robot. So I love that. So let's talk about how to plan your week top strategies to get more done. Yeah. So my, my first question strategy is create self care rituals that are just tailored to you. So that means that sometimes people ask me because I teach a lot about mindfulness in my coaching business, all my clients, I would say it starts in the mind, creating those objectives and really figuring out what is it, what is it that you want? So a self care ritual immediately sound to some people all like meditation, hot bath, it could be that you don't like meditations, or you don't like taking a hot bath, you just have to figure out what is it that you really appreciate. Because it could be that your self care ritual is going for a run, which I don't do, but maybe you'd like that. And so your self care is really what you enjoy, whether that's reading a book, listening to a book, maybe listening to music just, you know, whatever it is that it is you, it, these are all things that you need to schedule. And then what you do in that time, Is completely up to you. And that's the second rule. It's your time, your rules. So if you feel that you've got things on the calendar, step one, step two is that you actually got to stick to it. So the power of time blocking is really your personal trick. So now you, you block the time to yourself and now you need to cherish that me time because it's your way of getting control over the schedule. Otherwise the whole calendar gets. somewhat drowned with appointment for others. And that's exceptionally important. So I personally use color coding. So green is my work, right, of my children. Purple is my me time. So when I see purple, I have to stick to it just the way that I would stick to it if I have to pick up my children. I can't be like, well, well, well, not a good time right now. No. You have to do it. It's on your calendar, and if it's on your calendar, you better do it. So it's your time, your rules. What you want to do with that time, as I say, completely up to you. And that comes to the third one, where I'm saying it's flexibility. It's not a compromise. It also could be that maybe in the morning, your me time was It's Going for a walk outside and maybe right now it's, let's just pretend it's raining or anything like that. I mean, you could grab an umbrella, but maybe you're like, eh, not really. So then you think, well, it's raining. So maybe I just skipped the me time for now. Remember we created a whole list of me time activities. So if you don't want to go for that walk outside because it's raining and it just doesn't sound good. What else could you do? Could you maybe stretch a little bit? Could you maybe think a little bit about, you know, creative outlets? Journaling is amazing. And while it might sound overwhelming at the beginning, it's really nice to actually put pen to paper and write things down. Or maybe you think a little bit of like, well, I could just close my eyes and lay down and kind of just dream about something in my head and just letting my mind wander. My husband has this thing to where he, I sometimes ask him. I know this is a very female thing. What are you thinking about? And then my husband, my husband says nothing. And I've frequently realized I don't have these moments where I don't think about anything. My mind seems to always be like, I call myself a squirrel. My mind is like climbing up, down trees, collecting nuts, blah blah blah. And then I'm thinking, I should really do what he does. He goes to his nothing, and he, that's his way of just like shutting off all the little noise. That we have in our life and he called it, you know, his nothing box. I think it's a nice show from Seif Seinfeld, the nothing box. And so I would really encourage you after you created your self care ritual after it's your time. Don't be embarrassed in going to your nothing box because your self care ritual could very well be just not doing anything and that's pretty amazing too if you do nothing for five minutes, not looking at your phone, not looking at anything, just laying there and enjoying silence. It's so replenishing and rejuvenating. I love the nothing box. I've never heard of anything like that. I love it. Yeah, so my husband is a big Seinfeld fan. And he said that there is a really fun show that explains the nothing box. And that's, you know, I think, Something to wear, especially now when you're looking at the new year, January, February, it seems like the nothing box is not a non existent nothing box. So create your nothing box and go to that nothing box and really cherish it. I love it. I to color code things on my calendar as well. And then when I want to add more, I'm like, Google, could you please provide me with more colors? Because I have like a color for everything, but they only give you so many colors. And I'm like, I need more colors. It's so funny. It's so funny. I do the same thing. But I'm definitely going to take this advice for the new year, because I think it's very important to schedule that time. And I And I didn't schedule any, like, self care time at all. I like my morning routine, but that could probably consist of going downstairs and getting me some coffee. That's like my morning routine. So, just to schedule that, I think that's really awesome. So, any last minute advice you have for our listeners out there? Yeah, so let's maybe think a little bit, like, if your special time is the Morning routine, getting coffee, et cetera. I always think if that's what makes you happy, it's really going to start your day on a completely different note. So you can really cherish that moment. And maybe that means you get a coffee in a special mug, or maybe you use this cozy blanket while you get your coffee, or maybe your coffee gets like a cute little flavoring you know, with a new year, maybe there's something you discovered and you. little special coffee, who knows what. Don't think of always the same old, same old. The more you open your mind, new year, new mind, new things, and try different things, the more you might actually discover that you can add more blocks of time. In there because you might just find something completely that sparks your joy that you didn't even know about existed. So think about a new year also turning a chapter in your book of things that you have done and becoming creative with trying new things. And I would really encourage you. To go into your habits and maybe thinking about how you can tweak your habits instead of like saying, all right, so now we're going to start a completely new hobby and I'm going to start running where you never ran before. That's. Sounds really intimidating. Maybe look at what you're already doing. So maybe you're walking. So maybe you could add to your walk the audio book, because you like reading and walking like you don't have time for both. So maybe you can combine them. Or maybe you like reading, but you know, you, I haven't explored our genre of book. So maybe you can just like jump into like a book club, where you might be meeting other people social, and you might be meeting new books that you would have never picked up by yourself. So I would explore more things that you're already doing. Instead of just creating these very overwhelming, completely new habits, because if they're really large and big, it's probably something that's going to take you a while to make them a habit and that will really help. So, the clients that work with me, we usually take a look at their calendar together and we're trying to figure out to make things work with what's already there instead of like, all right, let's. Start, like, completely revamp your diet, go to a pantry, throat, everything, that's just not a good approach. Because, first of all, it's very wasteful, but second of all, it's also not honoring who you are. You shouldn't think that you ever need to start from scratch. I mean, you are really an amazing human being. We are basically just making a few nuggets here and there to make you even more joyful. So where can everyone find you? Well, I have a health program and it's called Journey to Wellness. And that program has helped lots of other individuals, just like you and people that are listening to this right now, tweaking their wellness. So I, I really focus on working with people one on one. And the journey to wellness establishes also the individual connection, getting to people to their own individual health goals. So my website has information about the program. It's called HelloHappyNest. com. And I'm also on Instagram at Hello. Happy. Nest. And then of course you can reach out. I also have a podcast that's called Happy Healthy Hustle. You can reach out via the podcast because I'm sharing. Some fun guest interviews on it as well, where people get very authentic and honest and share how they overcame their own struggles and experience joy now. And you might just recognize yourself in some of those interviews on my podcast. And I would love for you to explore happy, healthy hustle. It's actually one of the top 1. 5 ranked. Global podcast, so it's been resonating really well with my audience and it would be lovely if you become one of those listeners. Awesome, so I will definitely link those up in the show notes so everyone can go ahead and go directly to them. Well, I thank you so much for being on the show today. Thank you for having me, Candice.