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Erica Lee Strauss

@ericaleexo

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Feeling extra grateful the last few days about how far I’ve come in the social anxiety department, so I wanted to share this post I wrote forever ago in hopes it might inspire someone else to keep working on their anxiety (even if it feels like you’re not making huge progress). ❤️
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Social Anxiety 🌟 Success🌟 Tip: "Healing" won't always look (or feel) the way you think it should.
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Me at my worst: Dreaded upcoming social events for dayssss. "Prepped" for social events with a series of almost insane rituals that took hours. (Change outfits, take the appropriate amount of pills and/or alcohol, Stayed mute for 99.9% of conversations–unless it was with close friends). Felt serious physical anxiety IN the moment–from a pounding heart to serious sweating and blushing.
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Me today: Thinks about upcoming social situation once or twice before the actual event. Feels at peace knowing that it might go well, it might not, but I can't control other people's opinions of me regardless–only my own. Feels more present – with a few quick moments of "OMG WTF AM I DOING?" – but can pull myself back into the moment + the conversation MUCH more easily.
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Translation? I’ve made lots of progress, but it’s not like I'm some super confident person all of a sudden. It's much more subtle than that. I just know in my heart I'm a good enough person, none of us can perform “perfectly" in situations, most humans are inherently awkward and weird (and expect interactions with other humans to be a tiny bit awkward sometimes) and so I've let all the prep-agonize stuff go.
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I sometimes don't even realize how "at ease" I felt in a social stitch until I’m home and think about how I was just in the moment and being myself without thinking ABOUT myself (aka being overly self-conscious). It’s funny how THAT small win is actually what “healing” looks like. It’s simply BEING more, THINKING less. ❤️
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Photo with @maxinearielle25 - one of the few humans I’ve literally never felt awkward around 🤣 by @ericaleexo

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5 years ago

Look, I’m overwhelmed. .
And I actually just wrote a pretty poignant + empowering IG post about how I'm dealing with it by setting #boundaries and practicing #selflove.
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I was actually rather proud of it–if I do say so myself.
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But when I went to post it...it disappeared. My first IG post of the new year. My first IG post in months, actually.
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And so I immediately called on my pals @goodvibeshive and @614boudoir and asked WTF the Universe was trying to tell me. (Clearly there HAD TO BE some big, cosmic reason as to why this first post of 2020 disappeared into the ether, right?)
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Then, @goodvibeshive replied: “Sometimes the Universe just tells us to back things up somewhere else.”
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And I LOL'ed. 🤣
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But I want to share that message with you, because for real: .
>> It’s not always THAT serious. << .
(I'm prone to making it V serious, ALL the time.)
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However, you bet your ass I’ll be writing ALL my posts in Google Docs first, from now on. :)
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Guess I’m a quick learner–at least in some arenas. ;) .
Hope you're all having a better Saturday than I am. And whoever needs to hear this: Go back your shit up, just in case. ;) .
XO, Erica
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#burnout #anxiety #anxietyrelief #burnoutrecovery #socialanxiety #coffee #highvibrations #selflove #intentionalliving #witchy #moonchild #plantpowered #dreamchild #modernwomen #feminism #divinefeminine #selflove #selfcare #boundaries #codependency #codependencyrecovery #reiki #reikicharged #reikivibes by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

I don’t have a Black Friday offer of my own, per se, but I just might have something better! 🙌🏻
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In January, I’m joining modern mystic Dani Sage at her (cute AF) Good Vines Hive for two vision board worships where I’ll be providing each guest with their own reiki session - and you can get discounted tix right meow! .
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Come learn Dani’s signature process for creating a vision board that brings more bliss, love, abundance and all the other good things into your life in 2020 - plus get a Reiki session from yours truly to help align your energy to all that you desire, so you can manifest more quickly + easily! 💋 💆🏼‍♀️
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We have 2 dates available, but I know these tix will go fast! .
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Head to the link in my bio to get $10 off this weekend only! .
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Cant wait to see some of your sparkling faces in January! Let’s manifest some cool shit in 2020! 💕✨ . by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

You know how people talk about meditation like it's the best thing ever? Like it's the path to eternal bliss and peace and all-around awesomeness?
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They're (kinda) lying to you.
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I'm DEFINITELY not saying meditation isn't an INCREDIBLE tool. It SO is. .
But if you're someone like me – aka anxious/can't sit still/overactive mind – it can be EXCRUCIATINGLY hard to actually DO.
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(In fact, I think for MOST of us in the Western world, it is.)
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And here's the thing: I can't meditate like other people. Focusing on my breath freaks me out. (If this is you, it's actually pretty normal. Try focusing on sounds or music instead.) I can't keep my eyes closed the whole time. (Also terrifies me.) I fidget and fuss and think about ALL THE THINGS. (That one's common.)
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TBH meditation is uncomfortable AF. AND? THAT'S THE POINT. (It's also what nobody seems to be talking about. LOL WUT WHY.)
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Mindfulness meditation helps us learn to BE with ourselves, BE with the stillness and BE with the UNCOMFORTABLE. It helps us learn to FEEL things without REACTING to things. It helps us learn to have thoughts without immediately feeling the need to act on them, take them on as gospel and/or "solve" them in some way.
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The good news is that it DOES get "easier" over time. What was once almost unbearable will become tolerable, then maybe one day (and really, never for multiple days in a row) it'll actually become pleasurable. But it takes practice. And it's truly never the same. Meditation might seem like a breeze one day + feel fucking impossible the next. (Just like yoga. THIS is why they're both called "practices.")
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So yeah. This is just your friendly Monday reminder that 1) meditation is awesome (esp for anxiety/burnout) and 2) it also can feel really fucking awful. .
And that's okay. That means it's working. ;)
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(Also: This is actually a huge reason I love reiki. It’s like guided meditation (but even more passive 😂), with all the stress relief benefits. If you’re curious about this life-force energy healing, DM me. I’m now working with people at a distance and very soon locally in #columbus 💕) taken in Columbus, Ohio by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

Have you ever said "yes" to something/someone and, like, *immediately* regretted it? 🙋
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Here's what I've learned: Saying yes to someone else usually only makes us feel bad when we haven't been saying yes to ourselves – in one way or another.
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If we don't show up for ourselves, showing up for others can easily make us feel all resentful, depleted, anxious, pissed off and a whole bevvy of other totally un-fun emotions.
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So do you first, love. And do you well.
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Then, you can REALLY 'do' for others.
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When you say yes, do a heart-check to make sure it's coming from a place of LOVE ("I really wanna do this–and I have the bandwidth to handle it well!") and not LACK ("I need this person/client to accept/approve/like me, so I *must* say yes to 'please' them!").
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XO, E
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#boundaries #codependency #anxiety #socialanxiety #introverts #introvertsofinstagram #selflove #worklifebalance #futuretherapist #coach #anxietyrecovery #selfcare #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #burnout #burnoutrecovery #consciousrelationships #beinyourpower by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

NOTE TO SELF: WORKING ON MY OWN BUSINESS (NOT JUST CLIENT WORK) IS A FORM OF SELF-CARE. ♡
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Anybody else need this reminder (a lot)? 🙋‍♀️Here it is – for today, anyway. ;)
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XO, E taken in Columbus, Ohio by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

CONTENT 🦄TIP: ⭐︎Wanna "be everywhere" online, all the time – but still have a life? ⭐︎
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Here's how:
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♡ Pick a main content hub. Where do you already love to show up? Facebook? IG? LinkedIn? You’re wayyyy more likely to post consistently if you post to the platform you spend the most time on. #obvs
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♡ Next, figure out where your ideal clients love to hang out online. Which app do they automatically pop open? (Hot tip: Most beauty brands are gonna find their peeps on Instagram or Pinterest, because they’re the most visual platforms.) .
♡ Then, compare. Is your chosen content hub different from your ideal peeps main online hang? No problem-o. Write + publish your content on your main hub first (b/c duh, it's easier). Then, choose a tool to distribute it from *your* online place to *their* online place. Yes, you might have to tweak it a little (thanks to character limits + alla that), but for the most part, you can post the same/very similar content across all your channels–and even your email list or blog! (As for tools, you've got options: Buffer has an awesome free plan. I also love SmarterQueue + RecurPost. There’s also a host of other paid apps – like HootSuite, MeetEdgar and EClincher, just to name a few!)
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♡ Write when you're inspired, so you'll have stuff to post when you're not. Ride the wave of #inspo when you're feeling it. Trust me on this.
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♡ When you bust out somethin' super juicy, don’t be afraid to repurpose–and straight up reuse–your fave content *and* images. I pinky-swear nobody is paying that much attention (and if they are, they'll prob be grateful to hear your best lessons + messages over + over again! We're forgetful creatures, us humans.) .
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♡ Finally, remember this golden nugget I picked up from badass biz coach @jennscalia the other day: Nobody notices when you don't show up, they only notice when you do. 👏
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xo, E taken in Columbus, Ohio by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

"Pay it off quickly or you'll drown in interest."
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"Don't worry about it. Debt is just a choice to pay something off over time."
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"Just focus on earning more. NBD!"
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OMG, you guys. There's SO much conflicting debt advice out there it's MIND-BLOWING.
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The truth? I used to suck at money management. After multiple failed attempts to pay debt back on my own, I joined a debt management plan in March. Right now, I pay a monthly lump sum & have to live w/o credit cards–which IS mildly terrifying–but I'm finally watching my debt-to-income ratio go down (!) so it's worth it.
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That said, I wanted to shed light on a few things I've learned about $$:
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💰 Check your energy around $$. If debt is stressing you out to where you can't sleep at night (or buy yourself a coconut milk latte w/o major guilty vibes), make paying it off a priority. But if it doesn't give you anxiety? Don't let society make you feel like it *should*. (Just make sure you're actually *aware* of your money sitch & not denying it. #beenthere)
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💰 Choose to earn more or save more–depending on your circumstances. It's almost impossible for me to be "disciplined" about both at the same time. So, when I'm amped & ready to dive into lotsa work, I'll put my focus on *earning* more. Then, once I find my energy waning, I'll pull back & focus on saving/cutting back. I no longer feel guilty for getting rid of stuff I don't need b/c I "might be sending the wrong signal to the Universe." 🙄Now I know I'm showing the U I'm a great $ steward.
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💰Know WHY you buy. This is MAJOR. Truth is, I did a LOT of buying to "keep up" with other online entrepreneurs. I thought I *had* to buy certain software, memberships & even go to certain events to "make it." Investing in yourself because it FEELS GOOD is awesome. Buying something b/c it's "popular"–but doesn't actually align w/ your priorities–is just asking for trouble. Invest where it makes sense for YOU.
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Been there? Share your own debt stories + wins below! by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

I have a lot of work to do today and the rest of this week.
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I could pile on the overwhelm. The guilt. The black-or-white thinking (aka one moment thinking everything is amazing and the next thinking everything is crumbling).
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But instead, right now, I’m choosing to feel worthy anyway. I’m choosing to love myself anyway. And I’m choosing to let things unfold as they will, without letting them mean anything about who I am as a person.
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How much I get done does not define me. It does not make me “good” or “bad.” And when I start letting myself go there, I start losing it. Period.
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I can-and must-treat myself kindly. I can-and must-give myself grace.
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Even when the To Do list isn’t getting smaller and little things are falling through the cracks and everything seems like the end of the world.
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(Actually, ESPECIALLY then.)
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Just typing this out because if I needed to hear it, I’m sure someone else does, too. 💜🖤
. (repost from Facebook earlier this year – but almost always applies. ;) ) by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

I used to feel like I had to "follow all the rules" to "make it" online.
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Today, I listen to my intuition more than other people's opinions or strategies. And when I do binge on other people's content, I allow myself to disagree with them, shrug it off and say "yeah, thanks but no thanks” and move on. .
This is just your friendly little Thursday reminder that you actually CAN follow your OWN inner guidance system and still see success. (Goddess knows I have!) 💕✨ by @ericaleexo

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7 years ago

Do you ever worry your #goals aren't big enough?
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Here's the thing: Lately, I've put MAJOR focus back on my day-to-day life. I'm meditating. I'm studying new things. I'm getting out of the house and away from the computer and into the world more. None of that sounds crazy–glamorous, but THESE are my goals. And TBH, right now I'm crushing them. 💁‍♀️
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And yet...sometimes I worry that it's not enough. There's this underlying message out there that you need to DREAM BIG + HUSTLE HARDER + DO MORE. But you know what that message doesn't take into account? The fact that one person’s BIG DREAM is another person's NO BIG DEAL. You know?
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I mean, as someone with once-crippling anxiety + a fun little thing called "dysthymia," I *know* my #goals don't look as big or exciting as the majority you see plastered all over Instagram. I mean, my #goals aren't about getting on a big ass stage to share my story, or impressing Oprah with my wit and charm, or landing features in big media glossies.
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In fact, my #goals this season are RIDICULOUSLY simple. I just want to "upgrade" my daily life with tiny actions that I know will teach me more about myself + who I am + also, how to open up my heart to others so I can learn more about who they are, too.
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Love. Community. Being seen and seeing others. That’s what feels most important to me right now- not attaining a certain # of followers, or garnering attention from a specific influencer, or stacking a certain amount of cash.
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And guess what? That's totally cool. My #goals are still legit, worthy + JUST as important as the next person's.
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If you’ve ever scrolled through social and felt like shit about not “going bigger” even though what you’re doing is already a stretch for you, know you’re not alone. I wanted to post this to remind anybody else out there struggling with a #mentalhealth issue that your goals might look different than what you see "out there.” We ALL have different desires, different dreams + different "starting points." But that doesn't for one second mean that your goals aren’t worth pursuing, or sharing, or celebrating.
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You and your goals matter, too...maybe even more than you realize. 👏🏻
. <3 taken in Columbus, Ohio by @ericaleexo

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