VALENTINE'S TRIBUTE: HOW TO LOVE THYSELF
“Be kind to yourself. Take of your body. Know your worth and that the time, money and investment you exert to live life better- healthier +stronger - is like compounding interest that will make you the best kind of rich there is: HEALTHY! ”
In spirit of the mushy gushy-ness that is Valentine’s Day, we’d like to skip the foreplay and get to the point…which is this: The MOST IMPORTANT relationship you will ever have is the relationship with your own body and mind.
No really – think about it for a sex -er… sec
How you take care of yourself -- physically + emotionally -- dictates so many important things, namely your HEALTH and QUALITY of LIFE. This means the decisions you make daily have a major impact on how you will live not only in the present, but also the future as you continue to age and grow wiser.
Naturally, we don’t necessarily think THAT far in advance and in most instances, we start exercise + nutrition programs for immediate gratification and results. [This is totes cool, ain’t no shame in your “let’s get healthy now game” ]. The type of gratification and benefit you’re looking to achieve is usually directly linked to the stage of life you’re in so we’re here with 3 easy specific actions steps to help you can still Love Thyself at every age in life.
STAGE #1: YOUNG ADULT
When we are young, wild + free, late nights of frolicking into the wee hours of the morning to watch the sun rise is exhilarating…sleep is overrated, anyways. We think about exercise in terms of how we’ll look strutting down the beach in our ‘kini’s during spring break or the weekend
getaway with the girls.
At this stage, self-care can be relatively simple. While you may have a packed social calendar, you can etch in some time for your self every day with ease.
And nutrition? Please, at this stage in your life nutrition is usually the last thing you care about. Who has money for organic, humanely raised, grass fed,
spinach anyway?
HOW TO LOVE THYSELF
1) Schedule 3-5 workouts during the week and give yourself the weekend to party like you’re still in college while you don’t have too many responsibilities.
2) Give yourself 15-30 minutes per day, OUTSIDE of your workout schedule, to recover and relax a bit. Try meditation, reading (for fun, not your career), or meeting with a friend for coffee.
3) For the love of God, learn how to cook at this stage. You WILL reap these rewards forever and cooking may also be the most relaxing thing ever when you
don’t have kids.
STAGE #2: PARENT/PROFESSIONAL
Fast forward to being in the thick of your career and raising children. Sleep suddenly turns to gold, and you’d rather stay in on a Friday night
then be bothered with overly crowded bars. Your quest to find the perfect exercise plan is based on two key factors: time + efficiency. Shuffling the kids means limited “me time” so you need something that accommodates your insane schedule while delivering the most effective results. These kids run you ragged, and you need more energy + strength to keep up! Oh and yes, you’d *love” to get back into your fave pair of jeans.
Nutrition? Who has time to eat? It’s a “shit ton of caffeine” type of situation. You resort to grazing on your kids’ organic chicken nuggets in times of desperation and usually crash on the couch without giving any thought to your own nutrition.
HOW TO LOVE THYSELF
As mentioned, self-care at this stage in life is all about time and efficiency. Scheduling ahead will play a massive role in your health. We understand how hard this can be; however, you cannot pour out of an empty cup. You must give yourself time to fill that cup back up.
1) Schedule your workouts, even if it is at least twice per week, ahead of time and make those non-negotiable. Once per week, or month, schedule yourself a bit of true relaxation. A massage, a mani/pedi, or *ahem* some time with the spouse can really hit the spot. I mean sex. I’m talking about sex.
2) If needed, use a meal delivery service to take some of the stress of always cooking off your plate.
3) Schedule 10-15 minutes before bed, every day, to do something truly relaxing. While it may feel impossible to do, better sleep will allow you to connect
more deeply with your family over time.
STAGE #3: EMPTY NESTER
You are on the brink of being an empty nester…OMFG YAS! Time is now your friend and while it’s initially hard to envision this, you are excited! You can put yourself back to the top(ish) of your list without feeling overly guilty. You want an exercise program that empowers you – makes you feel strong
again! You’ve neglected yourself because your Family took precedence. But now is your time– you’re ready to seize the day! You look for a coach who can help teach you how to exercise and make you strong so you can move well and pain free! You value exercise and want to invest in a personalized program to
eliminate achy joints, low back pain and cranky knees.
Nutrition? FREEDOM from cooking and countless hours doing dishes (f yas). You can’t even fathom the hours spent preparing home cooked meals for the ones you loved. Who wants to cook for 1 or 2 people now? No one – going out to eat is more enjoyable and convenient.
HOW TO LOVE THYSELF
At this point, self-care becomes less about making time for yourself and more about utilizing the time you now have that you didn’t before.
1) Continue to schedule your 3-5 workouts for the week. Workouts went form just wanting to burn calories to moving well and getting stronger in the most effective, safest way possible. You now have a deeper sense of your workout and why this is important to you. At this point, more time with a coach is hugely beneficial to both your body and mind. Work with a coach on nutrition or exercise (or both) to make better use of your hard work.
2) Get a little adventurous with your nutrition! While cooking may be something you fell out of love with, you now have more time to explore other cooking methods and to try new recipes your kids would never try. Maybe try a cooking class or make Friday nights “New recipe night”. Craft a sleep ritual! Give yourself 30-45 minutes before bed every night to truly unwind and prepare your body for restful sleep. (want to learn how to create a sleep ritual - click HERE!)
STAGE #4: RETIRED AF
You are blessed with grandkids, have the opportunity to retire and are preparing to enjoy leisure travel to exotic destinations. You have been financially planning this for decades because you want to spoil those grandbabies, afford them with opportunities you never experienced and spend the second half of life exploring places you once only dreamed of. Exercise is like medicine! You want quality of life; you don’t want to have to deal with chronic illness or a laundry list of medications. Your health is priceless as you watch those around you deal with varying ailments. You want better, you want to feel good and be able to take advantage for what you’ve been planning for.
HOW TO LOVE THYSELF
1) Plan your 3+ workouts for the week - see a theme here? Exercising safely is crucial to your continued quality of life. Hire a coach to work with you so the program is customized and adaptable to your body. The social aspect of having a coach can’t be beat, either!
2) Involve the grandkids in your health. Take them on walks, to the playground, involve them in your cooking, and get them started off on a healthy life!
3) Learn a new skill/hobby! Have you always wanted to play guitar? Or maybe you want to paint/draw? Now is better than never, learn how!
Understandably, your priorities constantly shuffle and change like the seasons, but the one constant should always be YOUR HEALTH. You have complete control over your health and the decisions that shape how you live.
We are here to remind you that the relationship you have with yourself – how you value, prioritize and make decisions about health and nutrition - are important. As you experience life’s many adventures in each stage, we encourage you to think and plan ahead like you would anything else. Consciously grow more aware of things that will always matter and how you can better control the end outcome.
And remember that before you care for others albeit as a new mom, taking your aging parents under your wing or helping with the grandkids, you are best, strongest and most healthiest self when you properly care for your body physically and mentally. Fill up your own cup so that you can pour into others.
Be kind to yourself. Take of your body. Know your worth and that the time, money and investment you exert to live life better -healthier + stronger - is like compounding interest that will make you the best kind of rich there is: HEALTHY!