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Erica has two kids, a full-time job and she's going back to school for a degree. She feels like she barely has time to go to the bathroom.
Mark is a CPA. He works long hours, especially during tax season, and likes to spend time with his wife and two young boys.
Lea is a single mama of 3 kids, one of which has special needs. She's constantly carting kids to school, practices, outings, appointments and has to work extra hard to be sure she schedules out her own needs as well.
I bet you’re one of the above in some form or another. We all have a lot going on and give a lot of ourselves. After all, "hustle culture" is definitely a thing and some of us even feel like less than if we're not burning the candle at both ends. But even with all of that, if we are honest with ourselves, we all have time. Time to do something just for ourselves. You just need to identify it and make good use of it.
The airlines have it right when it comes to putting yourself first. If a problem arrises on a plane, masks deploy. You are instructed to put your own mask on before helping others. Why? Because if you don't have a good supply of oxygen, what good will you be to anyone else?
This is a great analogy for life. Putting your health and fitness—your wellbeing—on the back burner will leave you struggling to get through your own life, let alone truly being there for anyone else. At some point you could be—quite literally—gasping for air.
When was the last time you took a moment to evaluate your self-care practices? Do you even know what self care really is?
Recently I put up a question on social media asking what "self care" meant to people and what they normally did to seek it. I was honestly truly shocked to see most of the answers involved "external splurges" more so than actual SELF... CARE. Meaning things like getting nails done, hair appointments, shopping for new clothes, etc. These things are great and make you feel good momentarily, but they do little to nothing to actually care for your wellbeing. You can have pretty nails and be on the verge of a heart attack (sorry, a bit extreme... on purpose). Self care, in its truest form, involves providing your body and mind what it needs to function at its best. Think of refueling, refilling the cup, reducing stress, improving health.
So what does your exercise routine look like? Do you have a reliable exercise schedule? Are you still paying for the gym you joined last New Year’s Day but not going? Block a specific time in your schedule, even if it's only 10 minutes, just like a doctor’s appointment. Build a routine. It’s never too late.
What does your recovery look like? After all, the improvements we see from the gym come when we rest. Schedule a massage, yoga class or some quiet time to meditate. Block it off on your calendar. Make it an appointment you can't reschedule.
What does your nutrition look like? Does it need a little cleaning up? Are you planning ahead or just grabbing whatever you can as an after thought? Mix a healthy meal in as often as you can. Start with one and go from there. Need some guidance? We can help.
It’s so easy to brush off or ignore self-care. Our lives are full, responsibilities are abundant, stress is high. But with all of that tugging at us, now is the time to embrace self-care. Increasing physical activity, decreasing mental stress and being intentional with nourishing and feeding our bodies is vital to supporting mental and physical health, staving off illness and recuperating faster if we do fall ill. Put on that oxygen mask. Your families, bosses, and friends will thank you when you are a whole and complete, vibrant version of yourself.
Pull out your planner. Make an appointment with yourself (we have over 15 classes each week to choose from and open Personal Training schedules if that helps).
The way to be better at life, is to be the best possible YOU.