Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Rhysa Sisco Of Regulate with Rhysa On The Top Five Self-care Practices That Improve Mental Wellness
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Look at the self-care practices you are currently doing daily. Anything that taps into your senses is self-care. This could be starting your day with a cup of coffee because you love how it smells and drinking something hot makes you feel more awake. Going for a walk every day to get in movement and some fresh air and sunshine. Unwinding in the evening with a workout or just watching TV. All of those activities involve our senses.
Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Rhysa Sisco.
Rhysa Sisco is an occupational therapist, serial entrepreneur, and business mentor for leaders. She created The Business Regulation Program, for aligned entrepreneurs to break through their business blocks by regulating their nervous system. She has worked with over a 1000 clients and business owners on learning how to regulate their systems to decrease their stress, be more productive, improve your confidence, and improve your communication skills.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?
I started my professional career as an occupational therapist. I worked with children on learning and understanding their nervous system and how to calm so they could do better in school, have better friendships, and feel more in control of their bodies.
When I decided to start my own business as a health and fitness coach, I didn’t realize how much of my occupational therapy background I was going to be using in my business. We can’t lose weight if we are constantly in a state of fight-or-flight. I often found that I was teaching my fitness clients the same skills that I taught to the children I worked with in the hospital, how to incorporate self-care activities into their day. Once they were feeling calmer, the weight would start coming off because their body felt safe to lose weight.
As a leader and business owner, even though I knew all of this I realized that I hadn’t been applying that to myself. I was stuck in constant stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. I would go between the highest of highs and lowest of lows all day long. I quickly hit burnout and was really close to quitting and going back to a 9–5 job. When I started reincoporating nervous system regulation tools to my life, I found that my anxiety was significantly reduced, I was showing up better for my clients, more creative when building courses or social media content, and had more confidence. I realized that so many leaders, who were just like me, were also struggling in business and were also close to burnout. Not because they didn’t have great ideas or have amazing businesses, but because they didn’t have the tools to manage their mental well-being.
I had the idea to take all of my background from being an occupational therapist and being an expert in the nervous system and sensory system, as well as understanding the impact of running a business on people’s lives and started a new company that was solely dedicated to helping leaders learn the tools to prioritize their mental well-being so they could continue sharing their important missions with this world.
What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?
What fuels me is that I have been in that place of constantly living with stress, fear, and anxiety. I was stuck in that state for over 20 years and know how hopeless and overwhelming it can feel. I believe that the leaders of this world all desire to create huge impact on this world. If they were to get burnt out and stop, the world would be worse off without them. I am so passionate about helping leaders learn how to work with their bodies to reduce stress, fear, and anxiety so they can continue living out their missions. The world needs us to be our best and I have the honor and privilege of working with leaders to find the tools so they can continue bringing their missions to this world.
Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?
From my perspective, the only time something is a mistake is if you do not learn from it.
A lesson that I learned early on in owning a business was how to choose the right mentor that was in alignment. I was choosing mentors for all of the wrong reasons. I would see how much money they were making, how many clients they had, what kind of programs they were running, and think they must have all the secrets. They were able to build a thriving business so they must be able to help me do that too. The reality is that no mentor has the secrets. They know what works for them, not necessarily you. I spent a lot of money and felt a lot of frustration to learn this lesson. I have been in mentorships where they gave you their playbook and just told you to follow exactly what they did. If you are building a soul-led, aligned business that will never work. The answers are already inside of you.
I took away so many great lessons from these experiences. Now when looking for mentorship it has nothing to do with what that person has or created, but what can they bring out in me. Do they see me and understand the mission and the big vision. If they never ask the “why” behind the business, I immediately know they are not the right fit.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Resilience, resourcefulness, and being relentless.
I have weathered a lot of storms inside of my business and have come out the other side. Sometimes with bumps and bruises along the way, but I survived. Running a business is a test of how resilient you are when things get hard. I had times when I was hemorrhaging money within my business, feeling lost in what the mission was, and felt like I had no one to turn to who could help. It was my deep inner belief and trust in myself that got me through those moments.
Being resourceful is all about being creative. I had programs that I wanted to sign up for that I thought were too expensive, but I always made it work if it was the right program that could help my business. I realized how resourceful I am in daily life of always solving problems, coming up with creative solutions, or finding an alternative path to get there. I was seeing examples of this every day in my personal life and realized that I could bring those same skills into business.
I never give up on the mission. I believe in what I am creating and never lose sight of that. I stumble, I fall, and I get up and try again. I have spent hours building amazing programs for my business that no one bought. I never gave up when that happened. I just went back to the drawing board and tried again.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?
My favorite project right now is releasing a self-paced course of my signature program from The Business Regulation Program. I am so excited to release this because it is designed for the self-led entrepreneur who is ready to dive deep into their blocks they are having in business and understand not only where they are coming from, but how to release them. To help leaders understand how to have less stress so they can make better decisions, lead from alignment, make more money, communicate more effectively, and sell more of their products.
Once you understand yourself, you know how to work with your body. Instead of constantly feeling like you are in fight or flight or feeling shut down, you have an entire toolbox that can get you back to work and get more done. This is a skill that once you learn your own system, you have tools that you can use the rest of your life, in every situation that comes up, and break through blocks on your own without having to always hire another mentor or work with a therapist. You have all the tools you need.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?
I am extremely passionate about this topic because I have seen what happens both personally and professionally when we are not managing our mental well-being. The first year of running a business, I put all of my energy and focus into building and growing a business. I left nothing for myself. I was stressed all day, I was snappy with family, I didn’t make time from friends, and I was becoming resentful of my business. I burnt out in under 12 months and realized that this was not sustainable. For me to continue, I would have to make a shift. When I started focusing on my own mental well-being, what happened was that all of a sudden, my business starting growing. I had more boundaries around my working hours, I was more present with friends and family, I started having fun running my business every day, and because of that I was attracting more clients who wanted to work with me. It completely changed my business.
Not only coming from my healthcare background of being an occupational therapist and understanding the importance of mental well-being, but really seeing it first hand in myself, I am extremely passionate about helping other leaders and entrepreneurs find tools to manage their mental well-being.
Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?
When we are in a state of fight or flight or even shut down, what happens in our bodies is that all of our systems give up energy to help keep us alive. Our digestion, metabolism, and hormones all slow down. Our brains also slow down, which is why it is harder to have logical thoughts, deeper conversations, or change your mindset when you are feeling stuck in fight or flight or shut down.
Self-care is a huge part of taking care of our mental well-being. The reason is that self-care activities involve our senses. Touch, taste, sound, smell, vision, and movement. Those senses actually tell our body that it is safe to calm down. Once we are calm that is when we are best able to work on our mental wellbeing because we are in a calm state to do so. We feel less stressed, less anxious, less burnout, and able to operate as our best selves.
Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?
- What you do every day
I break self-care into 3 separate parts. How we practice self-care daily, what we do before we know something will trigger us, and then what we do after being triggered to calm down.
Look at the self-care practices you are currently doing daily. Anything that taps into your senses is self-care. This could be starting your day with a cup of coffee because you love how it smells and drinking something hot makes you feel more awake. Going for a walk every day to get in movement and some fresh air and sunshine. Unwinding in the evening with a workout or just watching TV. All of those activities involve our senses.
If you feel like you struggle with stress and anxiety on a daily basis, make sure that you are building in enough self-care activities throughout the day to help you reduce your stress and anxiety. Remember they do not have to be long activities.
2. What you do before a trigger
If you know that a specific situation or client is going to cause you stress, think of 2–3 things that will help calm you down before starting. For example, take a few deep breaths, light a candle or spray your room with a calming scent, or do some relaxation and contraction exercises. It won’t take away the trigger, but it can help you feel calmer throughout so you can be more logical and have less stress.
3. What you do after a trigger
Something unexpected happens and you feel overwhelmed or angry. Think of tools that will help calm you down after that happens. If you are angry, one of the best things to do is move your body. Moving your body will signal that you are taking action and can help reduce the stress and anxiety that you are feeling. Often times, when we are angry people will try and do deep breathing, but that often has the opposite effect of making us feel worse. Start with movement and then once you are feeling a little bit calmer then you can breathe.
4. Find the right tools
There are millions of sensory tools out there to help you manage your stress and take care of your mental well-being. The biggest piece of advice is to try the tools when you are calm so you know how they make you feel. If they make you feel calmer, use those when you feel stressed or anxious. If they make you feel more present and engaged, use those tools when you are feeling overwhelmed or shut down. Out bodies crave predictability when we are stressed, doing something new the first time when we are in that state will only cause a heightening of what we are feeling.
5. Be intentional
Even if you only have a few seconds or minutes for self-care activities that day, be intentional when you use them. We use a lot of tools throughout our day without even realizing it, but because we are not being intentional, they don’t have as much of an impact. Even if all you have time for is to get up and walk around your office a few times, be aware and mindful of how you feel before you get up and walk, what you feel while you are doing it, and then how you feel after. If you are even 1% more calm and present after using a tool, it was successful.
Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?
One of the main roadblocks I see for people is the thought that self-care takes a lot of time. When we think of self-care, we often think of bubble baths, long walks, massages, or hours of meditation. But that is just not the case.
My self-care routine can take as little as 5–10 seconds at a time. I have a few things I do throughout the day to keep myself calm, which takes me no more than a few minutes. Self-care does not have to take a long time. I recommend looking at what you already do for yourself during the day. Instead of trying to invent a lot of new tools, build off of what is already working. For example, if you enjoy going for walks, but you don’t always have time for that. Brainstorm 3–5 other activities that let you move your body that don’t take as much time. This could be just getting up and walking around your office space a few times, walking to refill your water bottle, or one of my favorites is to tie a theraband around the legs of a chair or desk and you can kick into it while you are sitting at your desk. All ways that you are still getting in movement, without having to take as much time as going for a walk. Get creative.
The other common roadblock is not knowing where to get started or if you are doing it correctly. I often hear people comment that they aren’t sure if they are doing self-care right. There is no rule book when it comes to self-care. Anything that makes you feel a little better, a little calmer, and more present is achieving the goal. This is one of my favorite tips for people is to not try new self-care activities the first time when you are stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. Practice when you are calm. See how it makes you feel, does it make you feel calm, more present, more engaged, or upset. I really love deep pressure, getting hugs from my husband, snuggling up in blanket, or doing some tapping on my body. I have a client who doing deep pressure on her arms or legs causes a lot of anxiety. Find out how the tools make you feel when you are calm so when you are looking for something to do for self-care you already know that you will like it.
In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?
Your ability to prioritize your mental well-being will be the biggest factor of running a successful business, this is one of the most important skills you will ever learn.
Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?
I have heard variations of this quote from several mentors along the lines of “You are the author of your own story”. I love this quote because it is so true. If there is something in your life that you aren’t happy with, you have the power to rewrite that story for yourself. You may not be able to change the circumstances you are in, but you can rewrite how you respond or what it means to you. If I am ever feeling a little lost, I love coming back to this quote as a reminder that I am in control.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
I would love to have brunch with Kelly Mosser. She is the host of the Aligned Success Show. I have learned so much from her and enjoyed being in one of her programs. She has so much energy and I would love to spend the day chatting about life and business.
I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?
I love connecting with other business owners and finding other soul-led entrepreneurs for collaboration partners.
You can find me on Instagram at RegulatewithRhysa if you interested in learning more about how nervous system regulation is the key to unlocking every block that you have in your business. There are free trainings for working through money blocks, that may not be what you think, and tools all entrepreneurs and leaders need every single day.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
