If you’re a busy professional or small business owner, you know there are always things To Do. With information overload becoming the new scary normal, high stress and overwhelm also become norms. Most people don’t notice the creeping internal stress until there are headaches or low energy that really start to get in the way of productivity and being able to relax when they want to.
And yet you want to make a difference, and enjoy your life more fully. Maybe you have projects you just can’t get to. Or maybe you’ve notice it’s getting harder to really connect with the people you care about, even when you make the time.
What happens when we’re trying to move forward, especially with a new personal or professional challenge, is that old emotional and thought patterns come up and influence or even run our experience. Those patterns prevent us from being fully present, or from being our best selves.
Our old beliefs and usually hidden patterns can leave us stuck or frustrated, stressed or fried, or unable to communicate as clearly as we want to. They can create behaviors that block our growth and creativity, make it hard to connect deeply with others, and can put our health and peace of mind in jeopardy.
I’m committed to helping professionals and small business owners break free from those old patterns, so they can successfully show up fully in their work and their lives, and take the projects that matter most to them to the next level. This path started for me when I moved from the East Coast to California in 2004.
I had worked for 15 years as a psychologist, consultant, teacher and trainer, supporting people in reducing stress and getting free from old patterns that blocked their happiness and success. Moving to CA meant starting my business again from scratch.
I had to go through my own internal growth curve during this time for sure. While my schedule filled with clients and workshops, I still loved my work, but also knew I wanted to reach more people than I could through 1:1 meetings or trainings. I had been encouraged to write a book for years, and started exploring publishing options.
I also took a dive into marketing and entrepreneurship. I found mentors, joined mastermind groups, and invested in my own education and growth. I met business owners at varying stages of business development and success. I noticed that there were clear patterns in many trainings and in people’s frustrations with some information being presented. There were common themes that I’ve heard from professionals as well as business owners:
- Many started out working on their new business or work project with passion and enthusiasm, but then lost momentum, confidence, and energy.
- Others had pushed themselves to successes before, but now were surprised they weren’t able to push through the new challenges coming up. They felt frustrated and confused about why their old ways of pushing through didn’t work any more.
- Still others were frustrated that trainings addressed time management, organizational strategy and goal setting, but didn’t provide what they needed individually. The information lacked context, and didn’t address where they were personally.
These themes all had to do with what I call our “inner business” – the emotions, thoughts and behaviors brought up by the challenges of working and growing as professionals or small business owners.
This is part of a bigger problem: I realized while many excellent trainings provide information about professional or business development, they are not all equipped to support people with the inner business development required. Perhaps there is some mention of “mindset,” or of needing to grow into your next-level self to succeed. But few programs include what professionals and business owners need as well: structured support for practical self-development to match their professional or business development.
My work has always focused on helping people understand and develop that inner game. It’s one of the reasons I wrote Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry. It focused on how to take true control of emotions, thoughts and beliefs, which only increase stress and overwhelm when they’re on autopilot, running our show from behind the scenes.
In speaking with professionals and business owners, I’ve heard common desires and frustrations:
- Many wanted to reconnect with the confidence they had once felt – but did not know how to work effectively with the thoughts and feeling patterns leaching away their natural confidence;
- Frequently, they were struggling with high stress or burnout and wanted stress relief, but felt the only way was to take a break, which their busy lives or businesses wouldn’t allow.
- Many wanted to know how to eliminate distractions, but had not had a opportunity to learn how internal distractions work, and how to effectively work with those;
- Most struggled with overwhelm, work-life balance, or both, yet were not clear about the inner game imbalances that contribute to overwhelm and increase stress and burnout.
All of this is understandable – these critical skill sets are simply not widely known or taught. And yet they can make all the difference in successfully moving yourself or your business forward effectively, without sacrificing your wellbeing, peace of mind, or relationships.
That’s why I focus my coaching and training work on supporting professionals and business owners where personal development meets professional development. With enhanced inner skill sets, it’s possible to break free from the internal stress and overwhelm patterns that are usually underneath your own radar. Then it becomes possible to show up fully, with greater ease and energy, both in your professional life, and with those you care about.
If you’re finding yourself challenged by stress or burnout as you bring your business to the next level, or if you’ve noticed patterns of behavior are creating blocks, doubts, or draining your energy and enthusiasm, there are resources to help you on this site.
If you’re interested in exploring structured, customized support to get real relief and to help you move yourself and your work forward, you can contact me here for a consultation in person or virtually.
I believe the world needs more people like you who are committed to personal and professional growth, and to making a difference in a bigger way. I want to help you show up and bring the best of who you are and what you’ve got at that next level, both in your most meaningful work, and in your life.
Committed to your success from the inside out,
Dr. Laura Maciuika
Some Credentials and Memberships
Doctorate, Human Development and Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education
DCEP (Diplomate, Comprehensive Energy Psychology, Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology)
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) – Certification I – Intermediate
Psychologist (Licensed as clinical psychologist in California 2006, in Massachusetts 1994)
Author, Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry, Amazon best-selling book in Stress Management and Self Help
Member:
Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology (Research Committee Member)
American Holistic Health Association
California Psychological Association
