Nourishing your body is only one way to improve your health overall; I believe the other two areas are managing the mind and exercising our body. I have compiled the best SMALL CHANGES (I have found) that you can make to help combat the effects of stress on your mind and body.
THE MIND
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SLEEP MORE: Insomnia is the most common complaint I hear amongst women. I cannot stress how crucial rest is to your well-being; it affects everything from mental performance, mood swings, a positive or negative outlook on life, healthy body weight, happiness, and there are plenty more (I think I may write a whole post on sleep; it’s that important). If you can get to bed, between 10 and 11pm most nights of the week and sleep soundly until it’s time to wake up, within 1 week you will see an overall improvement in your life! Send me an email if you want a list Better Sleep Tricks & Benefits.
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BREATHE BETTER: Most of us do not know how to breathe properly and that inhibits the flow of oxygen to the brain, especially when we are stressed, we seem to barely breathe. So, how do you know if you’re breathing properly? Put one hand on your chest and the other hand on your tummy, when you inhale through your nose, your STOMACH should expand with air (I know I thought it was just your lungs too) then when you exhale your stomach should relax. Now Repeat 4 more times. If you can focus on your breath, you can give your brain what it needs to help you fight stress.
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THINK MORE, FEEL LESS: Wait, before you object! As women we tend to be governed by our emotions. It’s an amazing gift that we possess but sometimes, frankly, it’s a pain in the “arse” because it can cloud our judgement. When we respond to things solely with how we feel about them, we lose our ability to make better choices because we are emotionally attached to the results. Example: You are not in the financial position you want to be in; rather than getting depressed over it, why not speak to a financial professional? Consider part-time work? Create a budget or develop a plan to resolve the situation? We advise our friends on the logical way to handle things; why not be your own best counsel?
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FORGET BALANCE*, GO FOR ACCEPTANCE: *I say this loosely, in that balance is important and I certainly strive for it but this idea that you can achieve perfect balance between all aspects of your life will make you crazy. Sometimes it’s better to focus on accepting the way things are right now and not beating yourself up in the quest for balance. LET IT GO! Tomorrow you will do better and make better choices. Just remove “I should have…” from your vocabulary and accept that you are not going to be perfect all the time. It’s okay, you’re not alone, none of us are perfect.
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TELL YOURSELF TO BE QUIET: I believe this is the most difficult task for women. We are our own worst enemy most of the time. The conversations we have in our heads are the most detrimental, because your mind, body and soul believe everything you tell it. This could actually be a positive thing if we only had nice things to say about ourselves. You are going to nail that meeting. You are so smart. You are so kind. You are great. Remember that saying, “if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.” If you actually applied this to your own thoughts, it would be pretty quiet in your mind, wouldn’t it? All those negative thoughts you have each day, erode your self-confidence and affect your ability to function at your full potential. So be quiet, unless you are saying something nice!
THE BODY
EXERCISE!!!!! That’s all I have for the body. You cannot get away from doing this for your body for at least 30 minutes each day. Whatever exercise you do for your body you have to engage your mind otherwise you just might be that hamster on the wheel. I am saying find a way to exercise your body that you really, really love; for years I did the gym grind and now I cannot stand it. I do yoga for an hour each day, walk as much as possible and always walk up stairs - mind you to see results I eat a certain way (small portions every couple of hours until 7pm, only whole foods etc…). The point is MOVE as much as possible. You can dance around the house with the kids or by yourself, do lunges while you sweep, clench your butt cheeks while you cook, flex your abs throughout the day, run, go to the gym but say to your self in those moments, “these movements are for you body - I love you.” Trust me it goes a long way!
It is my hope that what I write here at sheshouldknow.org contributes to positive changes in your life and inspires you to help make positive changes in the lives of other women. The Fall Tune-Up Part 1 received the most amount of feedback of what I have written thus far. Three of my readers have reported steady weight loss, higher energy and an improved approach to nourishing their bodies. Cheers Ladies! Thank YOU and as always keep sending me your feedback by commenting in the section below!!!
