(In case you missed previous posts, catch up on Wellness Wed Part 1 here and Wellness Wed Part 2 here.)
Okay, I know the phrase “fabulous self-care” sounds a bit cheesy, but just hang tight. I believe that our health is the foundation for the rest of our life and if we don’t have our health, then it makes it really, really hard to create a well-balanced and happy life in other ares.
I also believe that our health isn’t just about what we eat. Yes, proper nutrition is a key part of it, but I also believe that moving your body in a way that feels good, getting enough sleep, having a strong community of people around you, being at peace spiritually, and having joy in your life also contributes to your overall health. This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to write this “Wellness Wednesday” series and felt it was important to share with you.
Right now I am in the midst of a huge creative project that I’m so, so excited to be working on (and incredibly excited to tell you about soon), but even good stress can tax the body.
My focus this week was to practice absolutely fabulous self-care, even during one of the busiest/stressful times in my life.
Here’s what I did this week:
Get 8 hours of sleep on weeknights and 9+ on weekends. No matter what was going on, I shut off my computer by 9 pm, spent 30 minutes – 1 hour getting ready for bed (quickly tidying the house, taking care of cats, brushing teeth, etc), then tried to wind my mind down by either reading (I’m obsessed with this book) or listening to one of Tara Brach’s podcasts. I know that when I’m under loads of stress my sleep always suffers (either having trouble falling asleep or trouble staying asleep) so this was my first priority this week since I can’t function in other areas of my life if I’m exhausted.
I also instituted some of my tips from my previous “get better sleep series” (read part 1, part 2, and part 3 here) and made sure that the bedroom was decluttered so my mind would be able to focus on rest instead of worrying about messes.
Dial up the nutrition. I focus on eating clean for the majority of my meals, but I’ve also mentioned here before how I typically follow the 80/20 rule and allow myself to have occasional treats. Although all of this is still true and I do believe in balance around food, I also wanted to use this crazy busy time as an excuse to dial up my nutrition even more, instead of using it as an excuse to go the opposite route and rewarding myself with food because I’m tired/busy/etc.
In the day-to-day sense, this has meant that I’ve limited “treat foods” to 1 – 2 days a week and the rest of the time, I eat only when I’m hungry (no mindless snacking), I focus on eating slow and intentionally, and my meals consist of lots of fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and good healthy fats.
Increase my workout intensity! I injured my left knee about a month ago and took some time off from my regular yoga classes as a result. The thing I realized during that time off is that while I absolutely love yoga, I really missed the intensity of kettlebell training so I decided to go back to the studio where I used to train years ago. This week I had my first bootcamp class and it totally kicked my butt! I know that I feel my best when I incorporate intense activity and stellar nutrition into my life so even when life feels hectic and crazy, I want to make sure I’m continuing to do these things so I can perform my best in other areas.
Practice compassion with myself. I have big aspirations for my life and this combined with high expectations of myself can = trouble. The other day I was able to get some perspective on life and realized that I’m not being compassionate enough with myself right now. I think in our overworked busy, busy, busy culture, it’s very easy to assume that others have a handle on things and you’re the one falling behind, but this simply isn’t true as we each have our own battles. Sometimes self-care is simply about a shift in perspective.
Take breaks and enjoy life. Even though I have a lot on my plate and I’m working under some crazy deadlines, I promised myself that I would not lose the joy in life along the way. My key to sanity has been listening to fun music while I’m working, taking 15 minute breaks every hour and a half, and finding ways to laugh every single day. I’ve also been working at various coffee shops around Seattle so I’ve been using this as an excuse to walk around and enjoy beautiful things. I even bought myself flowers at the farmers market this week and made myself an at-home spa retreat. After all, sometimes it’s the little things in life that make it worth living.
I hope this post has been helpful! If you have any tips of your own related to this series please add ’em below in the comments!
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