NOTE: This page was written in the Spring of 2020.
Life has changed a lot since then, but the foundations of this work has not.
I’m still offering Stayin’ Alive as a group coaching program, and if you’re interested in joining, you can apply here.
If you want to learn more about my work before taking the leap, the best ways are to sign up for my bi-weekly email newsletter, The Friday Feels, or to check out my podcast, The Friday Feels (Justine’s Version). You can find those at justinesones.com/links.
I’ll update the program info on this page at some point, but that’s not a high priority right now — the most important thing for you to know is:
IF you want to learn how to set healthy boundaries + practice real self-care, then you are in the right place.
What the AF is going on right now
and what are we supposed to do about it?
If you thought you were overwhelmed before…
Welcome to pandemic + revolution + murder hornet life. Here’s your complimentary slap in the face followed by a sucker punch and a couple kicks while you’re down…because what else are you doing with your time?
Oh, time? You mean that elusive thing there’s never enough of because someone always needs something from you:
The kids need food, the laundry needs folding, the meals need planning, the emails need answering, the deliverables need delivering, and you just want some time to your freaking Self already.
You need to be able to leave your house, get help wrangling the kids, go for a massage, and wander the aisles of the grocery store alone for an hour or seven.
You need to go for drinks with your friends and vent about whatever’s happening at home — a safe space to voice YOUR needs.
But you can’t. I know.
Me neither. It sucks.
We all want life to go back to “normal," and…that’s not happening in the immediate future.
So what now?
An endless circle of WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING AND WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!
...that's not terribly helpful. Especially if — in the midst of the mayhem — all you want is to feel like a whole human being.
The question remains:
How do you take care of your Self when you can't find ten minutes of quiet?
introducing
Stayin’ Alive
A 4-week group coaching program to help you recalibrate your Self care strategies
and learn how maintain a shred of sanity in exceptionally stressful circumstances.
The goal:
Make it through the day.
(Yup. That's the bar right now, my friend — just get through the freaking day.)
“I have been doing the self-help thing for a long time, and the way Justine talks about self-care and setting boundaries blows my mind. She is such a powerful coach, with an amazing ability to get to the root of why you might be struggling. And, she’s always willing to share her personal experiences in order to help others.
Whether you’re trying to navigate business, motherhood, self-care - or all of it at once — Justine will help you prioritize yourself in a world where you’re constantly being pulled in competing directions. ”
You already know what you don’t need…which is another thing to do.
You’re in survival mode.
What you need is a safe space to process the internal hurricane of anxious thoughts and feelings, so that you can think straight for a hot minute (or two.)
There is so much pressure to do things a certain way,
and the fear of judgment if you don’t do the things.
What I want to ask is: Whose expectations are you trying to meet?
The reality is that we’re all imperfect people doing our best with…whatever chaos the last few years have delivered.
But. In spite of your best, you can’t keep doing more of the same because it is not remotely sustainable.
It doesn’t even feel human most days. It feels more like you’re on the brink of falling apart. Or drowning. Or exploding. Or imploding. Or hewaltrtejkwlEHJKRWLathfDKLhsgjkewhNWsing.
And when you’re barely holding it together, the thought of making any move at all is terrifying because everything might come crashing down around you.
But. You also can’t stay where you are, because that’s a seriously precarious perch, home skillet.
You know you need help. That’s why you’re here isn’t it?
But what do you need? A coach? A consultant? An assistant? A therapist? A pillow to scream in?
(If just looking at those options overwhelmed you, you’re definitely in the right place.)
Welcome to the Sea of Stress
Instead of flailing in the waves of unpredictability, climb into my metaphorical lifeboat.
Join a crew of cool cats and kittens getting serious + hella creative about prioritizing Self care
Get over the guilt of looking after your Self and putting your oxygen mask on first
Stop falling into the people-pleasing, caregiving trap that leaves you depleted and resentful
Build emotional resilience, and start rolling with the punches of a constantly changing climate
Learn how to listen to (and honour!) your feelings, so that you can set boundaries that stick
Take a moment to recalibrate so that you can map a more sustainable course, one day (and breath) at a time so that you can stay connected to — and show up for — the people and things that matter most to you.
…Did I mention that I can help you do that?
I coach creative, high-performing humans to manage their stress and
prioritize Self care in healthy, boundaried, and sustainable ways.
Join the waitlist for the next crew
“Justine is a MF wizardess of the mind. Not only does she effortlessly create meaningful connection, she also has a magical power for putting people at ease. Justine was there for me through my darkest of times, and made me feel safe, seen, and loved. She’s not a therapist, or some self-proclaimed ‘guru,’ but she’s more than your average coach.
Justine has a breadth of wisdom, knowledge, and hilarity that makes turning inward fun and exciting and some of my best a-ha moments have been with her at my side.
Working with Justine...well, it works! It’s the best money you’ll ever spend. Trust me.”
“What exactly am I signing up for?”
Great question. Because you, my friend, are about to sign up for a wild internet ride…at least, if your definition of a “wild ride” is joining 4 other stressed-but-hanging-in-there humans for 60 minutes of feeling, once a week, for 4 weeks.
What will we do in our time together?
We’ll spend 60 minutes each week on a group call, where we talk about what’s actually pissing you off/keeping you up at night/burning you out, and what you can actually do about it.
This isn’t a lay on the couch and pour out your feelings for an hour kind of session — because I am most definitely NOT a therapist or mental health professional.
Think of it more like a “Hey. I need a hot minute (or ten) to check-in and make sense of what I’m actually feeling. Then, I need a simple nudge towards a better next step — and some support from other humans to help me get there.”
without healthy boundaries that honour your feelings and protect you, you’ll spend a lot of energy stressing about things you can’t control — and aren’t responsible for.
And all that worry isn’t helping you — it’s just leading to a bit of an unmanaged stress spiral.
I call that borrowing trouble, and will help you stop that existential spiral in its tracks.
During our group call, each participant gets the chance to be in a “hot seat” — aka you and your challenge get my undivided attention and input. I’ll be there to ask the right questions, lovingly call out where you’re letting your boundaries slide, and offer a tip or two to help you re-secure your emotional perimeter.
Because you aren’t much help to anyone (especially yourself) if you’re running on empty.
AND YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
(It’s okay. My dude doesn’t like it when I’m right either.)
“Okay. I’m in.”
(For the waitlist)
Oh hey friend!
I’M JUSTINE.
And I’m about to make your life feel less stressful…or at least, a lot more manageable.
Before delving into the world of entrepreneurship and self-care coaching, I was a massage therapist for about 8 years.
That means that I spent a LOT of time talking to people about their stress, and things that hurt.
I didn't get into massage therapy for the love of touch — even though I learned to appreciate its power — but because I wanted to help people feel better.
Simple, right?
As it turns out, the skills that I used in my clinic transferred pretty nicely into the work that I do now as a stress management + Self-care coach — except instead of getting into muscles to work tension out, we're going to get into your feelings.
During our time together, we’re going to get past those stress symptoms that are screaming for your attention in the moment — like WHY didn't your partner replace the TOILET PAPER after using the LAST PIECE?! — and help you find ways to name + meet your actual needs, so that you can gain some sense of control, even in the most out-of-control-moments.
Because spoiler alert: It's rarely about the toilet paper.
MY WORK IS ORGANIC, NON-LINEAR, AND ALL ABOUT UNCOVERING + AMPLIFYING WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE ABOUT YOUR SELf.
I bring a sense of realness, honesty, and compassion to the work I deliver; the goal is never Instagram-quilt-perfection, or even pretending to strive for that balance of a well-curated "hot mess."
I’m here to help you tap into + stay with the realness of this pocket of time — yes, even when it hurts like hell — and learn to embrace the messy imperfection that is life.
On your terms.
Under “normal” circumstances, I would say that I do this work so that you can show up in your work and life in a creative, whole, and generous way.
But right now?
We're just trying to get through the day.
READY TO FEEL A BIT MORE HUMAN?
↓
“The first thing you should know about Justine: She’s incredibly intuitive. She was able to ask the right questions, listen intently, and then distill exactly where the greatest opportunities existed for me...effectively making clear, organized sense of my chaos and acting as a phenomenal sounding board in the process.
What I love even more? She truly supports your whole self, understanding that being an entrepreneur isn’t just about the work.”
Get ready to learn:
How to relinquish the need for total control — because you know control is an illusion anyway. (At least, that's what my therapist tells me.)
How to find peace with tolerating uncertainty, and find the confidence to roll with the punches of the unknown.
How to set boundaries that take care of YOU (yes, actually) without the guilt that putting your needs above someone else's makes you a bad parent/partner/friend/human.
Other people's needs are not more important than your own. Even your kids. You have to take a stand for your needs, because all of your best Self-care practices have probably been COVID-cancelled, or are currently COVID-questionable — I know mine were — and we all want to make it out of this pandemic alive. And ideally, in one piece.
(PSA: DO NOT CUT YOUR BANGS!!!)
If you're worried that you’ll fall apart along the way, that's okay too — things fall apart because they're broken. I know this because I've done the whole breaking down and falling apart thing. What I've learned from the experience is that it's not the falling down that matters, but what you do next.
You have to be able to pick yourself up, because the next step matters.
And you don't have to take that next step on your own because we'll be right here with you. Taking our own next steps, fighting tooth and nail for our needs, and helping each other pick up those broken pieces so we can decide which ones we want to use to build something new.
I won't pretend that building a bridge into the unknown isn't terrifying. But I will promise that the fear diminishes when you know you aren't alone.
Why group coaching?
Because there’s been enough social isolation lately.
Okay that’s not really the reason, but it is a little bit true — even this introvert is feeling it! The bigger part of the truth is that group coaching is my absolute favourite — yes, even more than one-on-one; not just as a facilitator, but also as a participant.
Before I keep going here, it’s important for you to know that I am a straight shooter: I say what I mean, I mean what I say, and I believe in honesty over everything (except kindness.)
So you can believe that I mean it when I say that I love, love, love group coaching.
I used to worry that I wouldn't get enough time or attention from a facilitator during a group experience. And sure, I may get less time with someone talking about MY particular problem, but I learn so. much. more. when I can see myself in the stories of others...which I always do.
The right people in your life will unlock the magic that's bottled up under all the anxiety and overwhelm churning at the surface of your feelings.
They see you for who you are, hold space for you to process the feels, and support you exactly where you're at.
We may not be able to meet in person, but we can work wonders with face-to-face time, on Zoom.
Total cost for 4 weeks:
$357
How the process works:
Fill out an application to let me know who you are, where you're from, and what's going on in your life.
When your application has been received, I'll give it good poring over. If your wants, needs, and general aspirations line up with the ethos of the group, you'll receive an official offer email with your next steps! YAY!
(Note: This step is to make sure we have groups that are balanced and cohesive so that you get the most out of this experience — not to creative an exclusive environment.)There will be one pre-recorded orientation video for you to watch on your own, and then we will have four 60 minute calls — i.e. one per week — over the course of the program. Call times are 10am PT/1pm ET, and are scheduled for Mondays and Tuesdays.
Each group will be capped at 4 participants, because I want to be sure everyone gets time on our calls…
and because more than 4 humans at a time will overwhelm me. (Hashtag, emotional boundaries.)
YOUR Investment:
$357
Honestly, I don’t know anybody who is glad they waited too long to take care of themselves.
So What do you say...ARE YOU ready to feel better?
“Justine has helped me get unstuck (when I was mightily stuck) and is a savvy, funny, down-to-earth ideas MACHINE. Her work is all about implementing healthy boundaries, taking care of yourself, and making the space to do big things as you navigate transitions (read: growth) in business and life.
I’m so grateful to her for seeing my messiness, and being so welcoming and supportive.”
Need a little more push to commit?
Good on you — I love a skeptic. (And a reader — wow you made it all the way to here!)
Let's get real: What's the alternative? Paying thousands for all the extra therapy sessions? Dropping your kids off at the firehall? Doing the exact same thing and continue to slowly spiral towards a pit of existential despair?
(Too far? My bad. Let's rein that sentiment in juuuust a titch.)
When this pandemic kicked off, we (okay, I) thought it was going to be a semi-temporary situation. Best case scenario, a few weeks. Maybe a few months?
I know. HAHAHAHAHA.
Reality has set in, and it's time to accept that this state of being is our foreseeable future.
In that light, continuing to cry in the car on the daily, or stress eating your body weight in peanut M&Ms every night (it me) just doesn't feel sustainable.
If I could wave a magic wand and get you guaranteed childcare, a universal basic income, and a party with everyone you want to be in close quarters with for more than 10 minutes at a time, I would do that for you. But I can't.
This is what we get instead.
It's not "normal," it's not "the way things used to be," but it's better than doing nothing, shit getting more chaotic up in your head, and languish forevermore.
Because without untangling the mental and emotional carnage, without processing the grief and sense of loss that we're collectively feeling...then what?
That, I really don’t know. But I don’t want to find out.
What I do know is this:
"Hurt feelings don't vanish on their own. They don't heal themselves. If we don't express our emotions, they pile up like a debt that will eventually come due." — Marc Brackett, PhD
And I don’t want to pay interest on that debt.
Alright. I'm not here to convince you of something you don't need because I don't want to waste your time or energy, and I definitely don't want to waste mine. But if you're still reading, feeling unsure of your next step, and like you're alone as you navigate the stormy seas?
You aren't, and I'll prove it to you. But you have to give me four weeks to do that.
So go ahead and take a leap of faith. There may be a crash landing on the other side, but at least you'll have a rock solid squad to help with clean up. 🙃
Not ready to commit, but want to keep learning about Self-care and boundary setting?
Listen to me talk about Self-care and boundaries.
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