Taking care of our wellness is critical in achieving our goals and ensuring our well-being. As we embrace National Wellness Month, we are reminded of the importance of self-care and finding balance in our daily lives.
National Wellness Month offers a chance for individuals and organizations to focus on wellness goals and explore ways to enhance health and happiness. This is a time to create routines, make healthier choices, and practice self-care.
There are many ways to move into wellness. Here are three essential ideas to help you on your wellness journey.
First, start to prioritize Self-Care.
Self-care is crucial in enhancing our overall well-being, but it can be challenging to make time for it in our busy lives. Taking care of yourself helps to reduce stress, improve moods, and increase energy levels. Self-care can take many forms, and it is up to you to decide what works for you.
Start with asking yourself:
“What is my form of self-care?”
Your needs for self-care are different than other’s needs. Make self-care a priority by setting aside time each day (preferably) or week for activities that nourish your body and mind.
This week my daughter started back to school, and my schedule is now changing, and I am relooking at where self-care will fit into my day. I have begun a more regimented morning routine. I am focusing on some quiet time and fun time with my daily Wordle.
Second, see where you are with your nutrition.
The food we eat plays a vital role in our overall health and wellness. In intuitive eating we call it Gentle Nutrition.
What you eat influences how you feel and the energy you have during the day.
When I focus on intuitive eating, I am more centered in my body and what it needs. I make decisions about my food that is right for me and my body.
We have been taught over the years not to pay attention to what our bodies tell us to eat, but to look to an external force (diet) to tell us what our right food is. Limitations of types of food set us up to binge and overeat. Check inside and see what your right foods are.
By focusing on gentle nutrition, we can power our bodies and minds to achieve wellness.
Third, make movement a habit.
Exercise is crucial in enhancing our physical AND mental health. It can improve our cardiovascular health, reduce stress, and boost energy levels. I like to call it movement, since there is a cultural idea that exercise should be hard.
It can be challenging to move your body regularly, so start small. Consider taking a walk in the morning or evening or incorporating yoga or stretching into your daily routine.
I have found it is critical to find an activity that I enjoy. When I like the movement, I will do it more often and more regularly. I had read that weight training was good for the body and increases our body capacity as we age.
That sounded good to me.
Over the last year I have engaged in regular weightlifting, and I find I enjoy it, so I do it more often.
Movement is a not to be missed part of your wellness but find what your form of movement is.
In conclusion, National Wellness Month offers us a chance to focus on our wellness goals. It is a reminder that we must come first in our day.
Prioritizing self-care, focusing on nutrition, and making movement a habit are essential ideas to promote a wellness path.
Remember to take small steps each day and find what works for you. Achieving wellness is not an end point, but a journey towards wellness.
I encourage you to have this month be a reminder to embrace wellness in all its many forms.
When my daughter was in preschool, she came home with a paper listing 100 items for a “Summer Bucket List.” The paper proclaimed it had 100 fun things to do before summer kicks the bucket.
This list had many items on it that were associated with summer:
Swim until dark.
Walk on the beach.
Have breakfast for dinner.
I had heard of a bucket list as being kind of morbid related to what you want to do before you die. It had never occurred to me that it could be expanded to a list you want to do over the summer.
I looked at that list for a while and decide to make my own Summer Bucket List for me and my family. Now each summer we discuss what activities we want to do. I have learned that the only way to get these kinds of activities on the calendar is to write them down AND put them in the calendar. What is not on the calendar does not seem to get done.
I like the idea and opportunity this gives us to be creative and ask for what we want over the summer. This list is fluid and can expand or contract as needed.
This Summer Bucket List is so fun and gets me and my family really thinking about what we each want over the summer.
I love the Summer Bucket List, because it does not require you to spend any money, unless you want to.
What do you REALLY want to do this summer?
Each summer I ask clients what they have planned for the summer. Often, they say they do not have much planned. Planning to do something fun IS self-care. The summer is the best time to focus on you and what you want.
I find it is a time of connection with my family, too, to hear what they want to do over the summer. Sometimes the plans are as a family and sometimes the plans are alone or with others.
This summer is a great opportunity to put yourself first and make that list. Have you thought about what fun activities you can do over this summer?
This summer put yourself first on the list.
Here are some strategies to start your Summer Bucket List. I suggest you spend 15-30 minutes contemplating the below questions.
What do you like to do AND have not done in a while?
What did you like to do as a child during the summer?
What have never done, but really want to do.
What have you been afraid to do but really want to do?
What would give you pleasure?
Use the Summer Bucket List to keep track of what you plan to do.
First write down what you plan to do over the summer.
Set up dates in your calendar to do them.
Cross them off when you accomplished them.
Remember to keep extra spaces on your list to add through the summer.
Enjoying the summer season is just good for you.
Join me this summer and create your Summer Bucket List (download here). Join me in the Feed Your Soul Community Facebook Group where we will support each other to make AND use our Summer Bucket List. Being in community can be the best way to get inspiration and accountability to get your self-care moving forward.
I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Ebony Moore for the Feed Your Soul with Kim Podcast about confidence. We had met earlier when I was a guest on her podcast BossWife.live.
Ebony talks about confidence through the lens of modeling. She started modeling when she was 12 and now owns a modeling studio.
She talks about starting at Barbizon one of the big top modeling studios. They liked her and wanted to work with her, but they had two options for her:
She could shave all her my hair off (she was a teen!). Because she always wears her hair towards her face, and she was told it makes her nose look bigger.
She could get a nose job (she was a teen!).
Can you image being a teen and told you either needed to shave your hair or get a nose job? She chose neither and started modeling locally. As she started to model locally opportunities began to open in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. This led to greater self-esteem.
After getting married at 18 years old she started to have kids and her confidence “took this huge blow, because she had gained weight.” She says she felt like she was “nothing” and her whole identity was wrapped up in her size.
Ebony acknowledges, “I definitely misplaced my identity, I didn’t lose it, I just misplaced it.” She gave up hope.
“I felt like my body was just unacceptable, because when you’re not supposed to be overweight.” Ebony Moore
She started to focus on getting up and getting herself ready and going out. Not staying isolated. Getting up and out helped move her into more confidence. But the change came when she changed her thoughts about herself.
“It was definitely all mental.” Ebony Moore
Ebony saw how focused we can be on how our bodies look and we lose track of who we really are. We can tend to think who we are is the size and perception of our body.
How do you move into feeling more confident?
Start noticing others (ebony noticed it in her kids) experiencing joy in their bodies.
“I wanted them to know, regardless of who you are, what you like, what your nose looks like, what your hair looks like, you are freaking amazing. Like nobody else in this world looks like you. Watching my children helped me to rebuild my confidence.”
Ebony Moore
Kids can have natural confidence that adults have lost. Ebony talks about noticing the confidence in her kids and the kids in her modeling studio. She saw that she had to give that confidence to herself and then to others.
Mirror work as a method of confidence building.
In confidence building using the concept of reflecting can be powerful. Ebony does what she calls “mirror sessions” where it’s just you in the mirror. It’s just you, looking back at you. You kind of talk to that person who you used to be.
Using the mirror to really look at yourself and be ok with yourself.
Here is her method:
First, get in front of the mirror.
Second, look at yourself without make up.
Third, look at every mole, every hair that’s out of place, every hair on your chin. What do you like about your ear lobes? Look at your skin, notice the color.
Fourth, take a deep breath and appreciate the beauty of you.
Love yourself the way you are because that’s who that’s what people are attracted to. People are attracted to you.
Use mirror work to increase confidence?
First, remind yourself of who you used to be.
Second, imagine going back to being a child. Remember that child-like love for yourself?
Third, what was it about yourself that you loved the most, whether it was your eyes, whether it was your hair, your nose, your lips, whatever your skin color, the shape of your face, that’s the person you need to remember.
Lastly, fast forward to now, what has changed? Recognize that you are the same person. Reconnect with that love for yourself.
Now that you have reconnected with your true self, ask yourself, “How do I need to be there for me today?” We know you will be there for everybody else. How you need me to be there for you?
We put out the caring for others, but how are you showing up for yourself?
When we start looking at ourselves in this way we are moving beyond confidence into “Who am I?” This way of looking at ourselves becomes spiritual, and, and mindful.
How do you increase confidence daily?
Ebony recommends you send yourself an automatic text message daily to encourage yourself.
Some of her confidence texts are:
Ebony, how can I be here for you today?
Ebony, I need you to be strong for me today.
Ebony. I need for you to go the extra mile for me today.
Ebony recommends you can open the text at various times of the day to bring yourself back into that place of confidence.
Increased confidence is a game changer in life. Try some of her tips and let us know how it works in the comments below.
True confession: I am an extrovert. I get my energy from being with others. I know many others who are not like me and are introverts and need time alone. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, there is a need for community.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has a few definitions of community:
People with common interests.
Group of people with a common characteristic.
People with a common history.
People in a common location.
Social Activities where we have fellowship.
Basically, people with something in common and who want to join together for a common reason.
Community and the Pandemic
The idea of community has expanded especially over the time of the pandemic.
We were told to stay home, but what about community?
How do we gather?
It became tough to go out and even tougher to find places to go out to.
As an extrovert, I found the isolation not as bad as I had thought. It gave me time to be quiet and introspective. My introverted friends were in heaven with the time alone.
My gym started with posted workouts we could do at home alone. I was not too drawn to that. I go to the gym for the companionship/community and mostly motivation. To say I was excited when my gym decided to get us a physical workout in a safe way is an understatement.
We had workouts in the rainy weather, in the cold mornings.
We had meet ups in the park to do park workouts.
We distanced at the gym and lots of other creative ways to workout in community. I found I needed my community. I cried when there were rumblings in our area that we would be on lock down again. I did not know how I could handle not being able to go to a workout.
Everyone has stories showing the strong pull we have towards being in community.
To be in community, we try to find:
People with a commonality to us.
People who will like us.
Why do people join in community?
To share new ideas, insights, suggestions, and lessons they’ve learned.
Brainstorm new ideas based on different information.
Ask and answer questions.
Collaborate, interact, and have conversations.
Learn from new people to the group/community.
Learn from people’s successes and failures.
Get an idea or an answer.
Feel supported. To tell our story to others who can appreciate what we have been through. Talk to people who can empathize with what we have been through.
Virtual vs In Person Community
Before the pandemic there were wonderings if we can be in real relationships when we are virtual. I think the pandemic showed we can be in community virtually and it can be satisfying.
Virtually you can target your areas of interest to find others like you.
The other value to virtual you can find others at times that fit with your lifestyle.
In person there is the win of the physical connection.
Overall, there are so many wins from being in community (virtual or in person).
You get to determine your level of commitment and the more you are committed the more you can get back.
You meet new friends.
You learn new skills and get new ideas.
You get the support of the group.
You join with like-minded people who are interested in the same things.
You get to speak up and be heard without judgment.
You contribute to the betterment of all.
Increase self-esteem- we are meant to be in community, in collaboration with others.
Can help you with difficult situations.
When it comes to intuitive eating, we need a community.
In regular community there is a focus on weight loss, diet talk and fat shaming. With intuitive eating, we are looking for community focused on food peace and weight peace.
I invite you to look at a community that supports eating intuitively, no focus on weight loss, no focus on the numbers on the scale and no focus on fat shaming. It is critical to be in a community that looks at you as a person not what you ate earlier. You need a place where like-minded people support you for you.
Sign up for Emotional Eating Solutions where we have added a community component. You get to talk with others who are looking at food differently and feel that sense of community that we crave.
Strangely, the answer to the question how I stop emotionally eating is to be mindful. Being mindful is easier said than done.
Mindful.org says, “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are, and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive, or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Let’s take that definition and see what is going on with you right now:
Are you fully present? Take a moment to get present.
Are you aware of where you are?
What are you doing? Take a moment to be aware.
Are you reacting to anything right now?
Are you feeling overwhelmed?
The concept of mindfulness is paying attention to what is actually happening in and around you right now.
It’s about being fully present in your body and what’s going on within you what you’re doing, but also what’s going on around you. Sometimes going on around us can be the difficult part because what’s coming at us, we might have a reaction to it, for reaction to it. And when we’re mindful, we can then come back into our body, assess what’s going on in us and around us, and then determine what to do, can you get how that fits with food, can you get how that fits with food, that I am fully present to what
How does mindfulness help with overeating?
Imaging the difference being totally present when you are eating and not responding to external or internal stimuli. Mindfulness and overeating can be tricky. It takes practicing it when we are eating and when we are not. Being mindful means, we are not soothing ourselves unconsciously with food. When we are not mindful it can feel like we are disconnected from our body and not present to the internal nor external cues. Having the tools to reconnect with yourself helps you when you come to the table (literally and figuratively).
Mindfulness takes practice
I have been sharing lately that I’ve noticed that I am calmer and more present and mindful than I have ever been. I started a mindful practice. The beginning of January 2022, I decided I was a little too scattered a little too outside of myself, and I needed something more formal and doing it every day. I started a mindfulness practice: daily readings, affirmations, some journaling. I don’t do all of them every day, but I do at least one of them every day. I am 100% confident that my stress has been reduced substantially what I know when my stress is reduced. I’m less likely to overeat because my stress is down. I am not reactionary to other people. I feel calmer inside of my body.
Mindfulness helps with Intuitive Eating
Intuitive Eating means we’re coming from what our body needs, coming from our insides and noticing what’s going on. This is the scary part that people talk to me about a lot is:
How can I access in my body when I don’t trust my body?
Why would I listen to what my body’s saying, if my body always says to just eat, or I know it’s going to tell me to eat?
If you tell me, I can just eat food? Well, what food can I eat, because I need to know what the prescription is what the diet is, then I’ll know what to eat, then I’ll know what the plan is.
It can feel be scary to go inside of your body.
Mindfulness can give you the resource to feel empowered within your body. This mindfulness help when you are eating AND when you are just living your life. Being mindful, is the way to move out of a lot of emotions that can be detrimental to your relationship to yourself. Mindfulness can get you out of being reactionary.
How do we move into mindfulness?
You can start doing it now. One of my favorites ways is feeling yourself sitting in your seat right now. If you are sitting, feel your bottom on the chair. Feel your feet, where are your feet? Notice your hands, what are they doing? Notice your shoulders, where your shoulders at? Feel your jaw, how does it feel. The next thing I like to do is focus on deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. I just like to breathe in and breathe out. As I do that, I feel my shoulders drop, I feel my jaw drop, I feel myself more firmly in my seat. So being present in your body is as simple as noticing your body. You could do that all the time! When you’re sitting to eat, feel yourself in your seat, take a deep breath. When you’re going into work, feel your feel your feet on the ground, take a deep breath. That’s how you get to be mindful. And the more mindful we are more peaceful.
How can you mindfully eat?
The other part about mindful eating is really being mindful of what you’re eating, having a plate of food, sitting down, eating one bite at a time, putting your fork down, chewing your food, swallowing your food, wipe your mouth with your napkin. This makes eating a slower process. But it’s a more mindful process.
I encourage you to be present in your body as often as possible. Being mindful is really simple, not always easy, but it has a profound effect.
Be sure to check out the video that goes with this blog here.
