When I reflect on my actions throughout my health journey, I have and sometimes still do, set very high standards for myself. If you are the same…be careful as this can set you up for failure, which I have kindly been reminded lately.
So today I want to give you the opportunity to find ways to keep you connected to your body and what feels right for YOU, so unrealistic standards aren’t set, then ‘failure’ and punishing self talk set in. How do you ‘check in’ with yourself and nourish yourself along the way? When we don’t ‘check in’ often enough we are potentially creating enormous stress in our bodies. Here’s a great article from the Chopra Centre about what stress does to the body. Stress causes a whole host of problems from lowering our immune system, disrupting our digestion, aggravating anxiety systems, depression, etc.
Do I really need to prove I’m super woman and finish A-Z today?
Do I have to say yes to every person that asks something of me, right now, this week?
Do I have to say yes to every person that wants to catch up this week?
Is it okay to simply read a book instead of hammering it out at the gym, because that is what my body is asking for?
Do I really need to be a size 8 for the wedding next month? Or can I find a way to feed my body nourishing food and love myself the way that I am?
Is that slice of cheesecake really what my body wants right now, or am I just eating it to suppress emotions that I haven’t acknowledged?
Stress can also lead to weight gain. Dr Libby Weaver speaks a lot about this in her ‘Rushing Women’s Syndrome’ research (check out her TED talk here) and Nat Kringos is another advocator of it. Here is a great article by Nat relating to stress.
As for myself…it has been an interesting year – lots of lessons to be learnt from close relationships. After working through a lot of different emotions along the way and learning a lot from the experience, I am reminded again, just recently to love myself more. Because in the end the best relationship you need is the one with yourself. Everything happening around you is simply a mirror reflection of what’s happening inside.
Despite hearing this many times over the years, I seem to have actually heard it for myself most recently. I also hope that by sharing this it will remind and help others within my community.
Over the last year I have explored many things such as reading books on the subject of relationships, had a session with the fabulous Paula who is an intuitive guide – an amazing individual who provides another way of looking at your current situation (I have worked with her on juice fasts that I have helped run in Bali), spoken to friends, participated in my own full moon rituals to let go of things I no longer choose to hold on to, done a juice fast, water fast, whole food cleanses, relaxed with my standards, then tightened up again, and more (trust me the list is lengthy!), but it always comes back to the same thing for me. My biggest lesson is to love myself more.
There’s only one version of you, so why not make it the best version possible and love EVERY piece of yourself?!
When you get comfortable in your own skin and love your own body you begin to choose what’s best for you and listen to that little voice inside, that knows. Trust me, it always knows. Things are so much easier when we choose to listen. One article on the topic of body image, that I read last year, still sticks in my mind. I feel it’s appropriate to post it here as we all need to love ourselves more – our image of ourself can affect our children’s perception of themselves. Body image is something we as women can get caught up with.
Our emotions and mental state play such an enormous role in our physical health and wellbeing. When our mind is stressed, busy or not on our side, we can lean towards over eating, bingeing on things we know don’t serve us, not choosing to drink enough water each day and suppressing our emotions with coffee and wine instead, rather than nourishing whole foods that provide us with light, life and clarity.
Tools that I find helpful to nourish my mind include:
Deepak Chopra’s meditation. Check out his website. The more meditation I do, regularly, the more I am enjoying it (It has been something I have dabbled in for over a decade). I find not only the meditation calming but it often gives me a better perspective on my world and a healthy view. Pure nourishment! I’m a big fan of his. Each Wednesday at our Morning Activation Sessions @ Yorkey’s Knob we listen to one of his meditations. Nourishment for our minds.
Walking on the grass, swims in the ocean or fresh water creeks and laying in the sun in my togs grounds me and gets me out of my head. Weeding the garden and picking produce from the garden also grounds me.
Realising and repeating to myself “Everything is perfect & everything happens at the right time“
Setting exercise dates with friends to get into nature, connect with those close to me & get me into my body.
Finding songs that makes me feel alive…DANCING!
Taking an epsom salt bath to promote relaxation through the absorption of magnesium and taking time out for myself.
I have also found great benefit in massage – the positive benefits of touch. If not from your partner, then book in and treat yourself. Give yourself permission to get one every fortnight or month if that feels right for you and your budget allows for it. The healing benefits of touch are enormous – it nourishes our nervous system and can lessen symptoms of depression like fatigue & irritability.
Yoga also puts me back in my body. I always feel fabulous after yoga – more in touch with myself.
Reading – be it websites, books, blogs, etc. I’m currently reading “A Return To Love” by Marianne Williamson. It seems to be providing a helpful and healthy perspective on things.
Laughter! Why take life so seriously?
Now it’s your turn! How do you nourish yourself when that negative self talk kicks in? How do you connect with yourself? What rituals do you enjoy for yourself? Do you tend to set your standards too high, knowing that it may not be achievable? Do you beat yourself up about it, or have you learnt to simply let go and try again tomorrow? I’d love to hear what you do in the comments below!
Lastly, I’ll leave you with some words from Deepak:
If you candidly accept how useless fear and worry have been in your life, you’ve taken the first and most important step. You’ve discovered that you are your own jailer, which puts in your hand the key to unlock the door to your cell and choose freedom. Full article here.