Nicole Bensen

Tips & Tools

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Since we just moved from California to Washington, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with new people. I’ve found myself replaying my words over and over in my head, overthinking and wondering why I decided to share some of the things that came out of my mouth. 😆 Luckily, I’ve got a simple tool to […]

My kids started school last week, and Starbucks released all the pumpkin spice goodies—summer is officially coming to a close (unless you’re reading this in Australia). September to December is my favorite time of year, so a couple years ago I created a “Fall Joy List” to savor the season. (“Savoring life’s joys” is 1 […]

Notebook

What’s the TL;DR? 1. I’m challenging a common stereotype about having money and wanting money. 2. Up on YouTube: a new guided meditation/sleep story about attracting wealth, specifically, millions. Controversial opinion: I love money. How does that statement make you feel? Have you heard, “We don’t talk about money. That’s tacky.”? If you grew up like I did, […]

“Dopamine, which your brain makes when you’re happy, has one important side effect: It makes you smarter. A positive brain is 31% more productive.” This is a quote from this article titled, “Harvard psychologist explains how to achieve happiness—and it’s actually simple.” Earlier this year I attended the California Conference for Women… …and one of the […]

Are you happy? According to the 2023 United Nations World Happiness Report, “The millions of happiness survey respondents from around the globe have illuminated the key factors affecting happiness that show up consistently in the countries where people rate themselves as happiest. They are: Some of these require more than just you alone and will take […]

Do you feel successful? What’s your definition of success? Has that definition changed as you’ve grown? In a recent survey, small business owners defined success to mean “comfort, happiness, and freedom,” with 74% of respondents saying their perception of the American dream had changed. When I was a kid, I thought success looked like wearing a […]

If you missed my note about hiding your joy/success/wins to make others more comfortable, catch up here. It has been, by far, a note that has resonated more deeply with many. Here are some of the responses (shared with permission): From someone who has a child going through surgeries and radiation (among other exploratory treatments) for […]

You know Elmo, right? The furry, red monster on Sesame Street? Elmo’s magic is not something I anticipated experiencing in our house, since my two older kids never showed much interest in him, so I was caught off guard when my 1.5-year-old recently fell head over heels for him.  (We’ve watched the same two episodes […]

Since moving, I’ve been looking to make local friends, and I (randomly) grabbed this book and opened to a page about friendship. Woah.

It’s BBQ Season! Serious question…what’s the best BBQ food? Burger, hot dog, or something else? Well, no matter what’s on your plate, I’ve got a simple mindfulness practice that takes just 60-seconds. 1-minute Mindful Eating Now…let’s get BBQing! P.S. Last week I shared a resource to swap windows for a mental health boost. Check it out […]