The first Monday back after the holidays can be a little rough. A full work week, below-zero weather, and staring into the face of the dead of winter can be a little overwhelming. However, it's also a time when most of us have grown tired of holiday cookies and the frequent drinking and eating and are ready to get back to our routines and commit to a healthier lifestyle. It's actually a very inspiring and motivating time, since we've taken advantage of the time of indulgence and are now craving food and behaviors that make us feel good. I personally love this time of year because of that. Getting up early to juice and make green smoothies is easy and welcomed right now and I appreciate that. The time of indulgence has past and the time of self-care has begun. In that spirit, I thought I'd share some of my personal wellness tips to bring in with you this new year.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!
This is one of the best things you can do to support your health, so do it! It's simple, it's cheap, and it's extremely important. Learn more about this here.
Cook for yourself.
Save money and be in charge of what you're consuming.
Read ingredient labels.
Chemical additives can be harmful and taxing on our bodies. Be sure to pay attention to what you're buying. Check the ingredient labels and make sure that what you're eating is actually food. If you don't know understand what something is, then there is a good chance you shouldn't be eating it.
Get fresh air.
I know, it's cold… really cold, but, when you can and as often as you can, find ways to get outdoors, especially when the sun is out. It's a great way to reconnect to yourself and enjoy the beauty that constantly surrounds us.
Move your body.
Fight the urge to be less active and make it a priority. Get creative with it and find ways to move that are fun and enjoyable!
Set up a healthy environment.
If making healthy choices is hard for you, try to make your home the safest place. Set your kitchen up so that you have plenty of healthy options that you enjoy. Include meals, snacks, and even healthier indulgences. If you need to satisfy a craving then you can go and get it elsewhere. This way you'll make more choices that support you.
Create a wellness support team.
We all have varying needs to stay and be well. Whatever those needs are for you make the effort to create a team of people and things that satisfy these needs. For me, it's getting regular massages, acupuncture appointments, going to yoga classes, having friends to cook healthy meals with, and having people in my life to confide in.
Challenge yourself.
This is the most powerful tool I use to continue to grow, learn, and reach new heights. The more I challenge myself, the more I'm able to let go of things that inhibit me and fully embrace who I am. You can do this in small or big ways. I try to say yes to things even if they scare me, especially if they scare me, and to walk into unchartered territory. Having been someone who has had lots of struggles with anxiety, this commitment to discomfort has changed my life for the better. I could say so much more on the importance of this, but, for now, just know that pushing against barriers can be extremely liberating and I encourage everyone to do so.
Deepen your self-awareness.
Our bodies are constantly talking to us, we just have to learn how to listen. Start to pay attention to symptoms and patterns that can help you understand more about your body. Education and massage have helped me the most in this. Learning more about anatomy and physiology gave me a better understanding of the human body and massage helped introduce me to my own body. I now know where I carry stress, what areas are weaker, and how to deal with that.
Strengthen your sense of self-worth and self-love.
Last week I went in-depth on the importance of this in a blogpost, which you can see here. I believe it is the most important thing we can do to be healthy and happy because with a strong sense of self-worth and self-love it is easy to make choices that are a reflection of that and that continue to nurture, support, and empower us.
Think positive.
Making a conscious choice to focus our energy on positivity will help create a more positive world to live in. Check out my blog on this here, to get a look at my personal experience with this powerful shift.
It's a new year and time for some focus within. Take advantage of this shift into a time of self-care and commit to a happier and healthier lifestyle.
If self-care is something that is difficult for you, take advantage of the services I offer as I have many ways I can support you on your journey.
