🙋🏼‍♀️ Raise your hand if you have this deep seeded belief that in order to be healthy, you need to be all-or-nothing?
I used to feel this way also!

How the heck did this mindset start? It’s so toxic and leaves so many people with either very little or very extreme self-care with no real in between! This is no way of life.

Often many of us think in order to be healthy that we need to set this crazy unattainable diet, an intense fitness regime or start all of the wellness habits all at once. And because we are often starting from a place where we are already not feeling the best, this is a very uphill battle that ultimately – doesn’t feel good!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret – WELLNESS AND SELF-CARE SHOULD FEEL GOOD!
I know, what a whacky idea, right? But it’s true. And if it doesn’t feel good, it’s not self-loving.

Now, this is not an invitation to say “I only feel good when I never exercise, binge eat and watch shows about murder everyday” Because, I promise you if you are doing this – you don’t feel good.
You might feel like it’s easier to live this way, but it’s not.
The anxiety you feel, the negative self talk that you can’t kick, your uncontrollable moodiness – they don’t feel good. I know you feel this way, because I’ve felt that way when I’m not prioritizing self care, too. The ego self loves to keep us small and comfortable in our misery, but that’s not self-loving and it isn’t a path to true happiness.

And on the flip side, the extreme and intense ways you’ve tried to achieve your health and happiness goals in the past – we already know those don’t work either, right?

 

When I personally came to the realization that all-or-nothing didn’t work for me, I decided to make a major change in the way I approached my self care.
First and foremost, I decided that going forward, I’m only going to do things that feel good! So if I try something and it feels terrible, it’s out!
But this also meant I needed to get present and in tune with myself and my body enough to know what my body was actually asking for and appreciating.

The results were life changing!!
And you know what, not just in my physical body shape, or the way I felt about the way I looked. But also in my daily happiness. In the amount of money I earned in my business. In how I communicated with my husband. In who I decided to spend my time with. So many areas of my life transformed.
All by only doing what feels good! YES PLEASE.

Below I share five small shifts I implemented into my life to make these changes. Please remember, my list may not feel good for you, and that is okay! I do hope you are inspired by my list and can create one of your own.

 

5 Healthy Habits That Changed My Life

 

Stretch and Move ONLY How My Body Wants To

So, this one took me YEARS. Because when I first got into working out it was EXTREME. Like the working out with a 300lb body builder trainer kind of extreme.
And for some of you, this might be your ‘feel good lane’. And that is awesome!
But for me, I have always hated every moment of working out with every trainer I’ve ever had.
(Ha I’m sorry if any of you are reading this!)

I also felt as I got older that the ‘lift heavy and you won’t get heavy’ was a myth for me personally.
I’m sure for women who are eating a fitness competitors diet this is true.
But if you eat like a “regular” human being and sometimes indulges and love carbs like I do, I don’t think this is true.
Well again, the whole point of this blog is that no two bodies are the same.
So, for me this was not true.
I gained muscle of course, but I didn’t lose fat. I felt heavy and bulky. and you know what I didn’t feel? GOOD! Not good at all.
Yes I felt good after exercise from the endorphins. But physically, pushing myself that hard felt awful.

Here is the thing:
If you have an auto-immune, have been through a trauma of any kind, or just feel like you’ve been through a lot in life that has taken a toll physically — often our nervous systems are in overdrive! We have hormonal imbalances, we have anxiety or panic attacks, our systems can’t process day-to-day life because we are constantly in fight or flight mode.
So tell me, how does it make sense to ‘grind, hustle and push’ your body to it’s limits, if what it really needs is love?

Your body needs to be parented, loved, cared for and brought back to balance. It needs to be brought back with gentle, consistent actions.

Last year around this time I just decided to say EFF IT.
I started going to the gym in my condo building.
At first, all I would do is stretch. And not the perfect looking yoga stretches. Just whatever felt good to my body. You have no idea how good stretching can feel if you just tune in to your body and ask it what it needs.
Once I got comfortable stretching, I added in cardio. I would go a slow pace on the elliptical until I broke a sweat if that felt right, usually for not more than 20 minutes. Then I would do my stretching routine right after.
Eventually I added in body weight moves. I still haven’t touched an actual weight, and I’m great with that.

Every day I ask my body what it wants. And I do that. I’m consistent and it’s easy to be because my body (and therefore my mind) loves what I do.

I highly recommend consistent, conscious, low impact movement that feels best for you.

 

 

Energetically Cleanse My Space

Everything in this life is energy. Everything.
So when I feel anxious or heavy energy in my home, I use sage and palo santo to shift and clear the energy. It’s a life saver for me.
I have a whole blog on this, you can read it here.

 

 

Cut Out Inflammatory Foods

So I completely realize that this will be the most difficult for almost all of you. It was for me for many years, too.
I’ve been gluten free for over 5 years because of my Hashimoto’s disease.
However this January 1 I decided to also take a break from alcohol, dairy and all caffeine, too.

I know, I know – don’t freak out! 🙂
It’s a lot. Personally I was feeling extremely inflamed and puffy. I think a big part of this is from my Hashimoto’s and the other part was just a very indulgent holiday season.

While I recognize quitting all the things forever is not attainable for most people (myself included), it’s felt really great to take this break.

My recommendation is to kick just one thing that makes you feel terrible. Just try for 30 days and see how you feel.
Again part of doing what makes you feel good, also includes letting things go that don’t make you feel good!
Make sense?

 

 

Meditation and Affirmations

Every. Damn. Day.
If you follow me on instagram stories,  you know I share a daily mantra to do with your meditation or just affirm out loud, every day.
If you are new to meditation, just try to focus on your breath and say the mantra in your mind.

Meditation can feel very uncomfortable at first. So many people are never alone with themselves. We are surrounded by eternal distractions and it’s so easy to never turn inwards. Because of this, meditation can feel very filled with anxiety and discomfort at times.
THIS IS NORMAL.
Just breath, and listen to what your inner voice is telling you. I don’t actually agree with shutting off the mind. I think my best insights come when I stay still through the discomfort and allow my inner voice to communicate with me.

Even for 5 minutes, sit still and breathe, say a mantra if you like. That’s enough!
You can also journal out your feelings right after in a private book no one will every see. Very helpful for getting the anxiety out of the body.

 

 

Gratitude

Every single morning I write in my gratitude journal. Even when life feels sucky and horrible, there are always things to be grateful for. Like my amazing husband, a good meal, a cute dog I met on the street, the sunshine.
The point is, gratitude is a magnet for more miracles. When we focus on the good, we attract more good.

For me this practice began consistently at a really dark time in my life. It really helped me sub-consciously shift my perception and miracles start popping up. Life really did change drastically in my focus on what makes me happy, how I attract abundance and how I look at life when things don’t go my way.
It’s something I highly recommend.

 

Do you have any ‘go-to’ healthy habits not listed here? Share them in the comments below or with me over on instagram. 

Can’t wait to hear from you 💖

 

 

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