Episode 19 - Building in Breaks with Lexy Leigh
By Jessica Garrison
This week’s episode is a really special one for us at the Embracing Layers Network because it is our 100th episode! We have the perfect guest to celebrate our milestone: Lexy Leigh. If you listen to our radio show, Lexy has been a guest before so she might sound a little familiar. Lexy describes herself as empathetic, genuine, kind, and intuitive, all of which have a hand in the incredible journey she’s been on.
A huge part of Lexy’s self-care routine is building in breaks. Rather than working herself through lunch and being burned out by the end of the day, she allows herself that time to reset. I can attest that building in breaks can help your productivity, and you’re not so resentful towards your work. Journaling is another self-care technique that is close to Lexy’s heart. She’s the creator of her own journal, which allows others to detail their journey in a physical format.
Boundaries came up unknowingly for Lexy. There was a shift for her when she realized she needed more peace and quiet in her life. When she became a stepmom, she realized what was important to her and how she needed to prioritize her family. Learning to live with other people can be difficult, but by communicating her boundaries, Lexy can take care of everyone in her family (including herself).
It’s refreshing to see that mental health is being talked about more openly, and Lexy is a huge advocate for this kind of support. Too many people have suffered in silence, and we want to end that cycle. In her past, she had ways to keep herself happy, but they weren’t the healthiest outlets. Now, she has her journal to write down all her thoughts and feelings; she can also look back on her old ones to compare to where she is now and see her progress.
For women around the world, especially minorities, it’s tough to get your foot in the door at a professional level. It feels almost instinctual to blame the person who got the position over you, but if the boss is only promoting one woman out of the group, then the issue is with a bigger system that doesn’t allow for more representation in the business. Because of Lexy’s experience in this world, she encourages support to any woman who is accomplishing her goals in any area of her life. I think she was the perfect guest for our 100th episode because she is such an incredible role model and supports women in living unapologetically every day.
While discussing her why and values, Lexy said, “We teach people how to treat us,” which is such an important point to make. Realizing what you stand for is a pivotal moment in your values journey, as well as realizing what you will accept and what you want your personal brand to be. Lexy speaks to this throughout the episode and shows just how crucial it is.
Lexy is still on a journey to living out of her own expectations versus others’ because of the difficulty of finding a balance, especially with work. However, she shared her experiences of seeing people taking more and more from her when she was willing to give just a little. Whatever decision is right for her is the one she’ll choose, then whoever is unhappy can take it or leave it.
Each layer makes us who we are, whether we consider them good or bad. However, we try not to see the layers as labeled because each one makes us who we are, whether we like them or not. Lexy describes the difficulty of putting in the work when someone else in her life hasn’t. We all have a journey we have to go on, but at the end of the day it’s our own life and we have to make the changes if we want to see change.
In her F.E.E.L journey, Lexy looks forward to more growth and is excited for what’s to come. She’s also thrilled for others in her life to see how they will grow and evolve as the years come. There is so much to learn in life—it’s a never-ending classroom.
We want to thank Lexy for being such a fantastic guest for us to feature on our 100th episode and thank you to all of our supporters who have tuned in over the past 6 seasons. We look forward to strengthening our community and sharing the many ways it means for us to embrace our layers.
Ways to Engage: Lexy is a huge fan of journaling and uses it as a tool to record her thoughts, emotions, or whatever is on her mind. Try journaling for a few days or even a week and see if this is an effective route for your journey. Write about what you’re feeling, what tasks you have to complete for the day, or whatever comes up when you start writing. If you enjoy it or find it useful, continue journaling so you have something to look back on over time.