Self Care & What It Means For Me
Caring for myself and taking responsibility for my health is crucial. If I slip then slowly but surely the wheels begin to fall off and I spiral down into the doom abyss.
Over the summer period my social life flourishes (as I'm sure yours does too). With this comes increased alcohol consumption and decreased nutrition. Exercise tends to fly out the door along with the feeling of wellness.
Personally 2 weeks of this is enough to leave me feeling horrendous! My body is left feeling heavy and sluggish, my mind is dulled and I feel emotionally low.
Poor eating and alcohol irritate the gut and as we know there's a direct link between the brain and gut, it's small wonder it leaves us feeling emotionally low. My sister and I call this the doom.
Some people say "you've got to live", "you've got to have fun" and I agree. You do. However you must take responsibility for the feelings mentioned above and I believe you need to have a solid plan to get yourself back on track.
Here's what I do to steer myself back on track.
HYDRATE! At least 2 liters of water per day. Not mixed with vodka and lime, not water added to coffee, I'm talking pure, clean, filtered water. Chlorine and fluoride free water.
Nil caffeine and alcohol. You heard right. Switch to decaf or better yet, herbal teas. Give your gut and adrenals a break. I understand the coffee ritual, I LOVE that ritual. I also love a cheeky dusk G&T. However I love feeling good much much more. This is non negotiable. Especially ditch beer. All that gluten is no good. People look at me like I have six heads when I give them this advice. I don't have six heads, I have your health in mind.
No refined sugar or simple carbohydrates. I slip into eating these when dining out. It's pretty difficult to omit these things at restaurants (and why should you, a treat is okay every now and then). It's just the entire summer time turns into a treat for me as our little town booms and its so fun at our restaurants. However, to reset your body, try and avoid these things for at least a couple of months.
Exercise. This seems so hard for me once I've gained a few extra kilos. I sure notice them when I'm running. I'm amazed at how quickly my fitness level decreases. So unfair, but in saying that it returns pretty fast. Any form of exercise works. Swim, run, walk, gym, lift - just move your body 30 minutes per day.
Mindfulness. This is such a huge subject. To me mindfulness comes in so many forms. Bush walking, meditation, swimming, beaching, basically anything that relaxes you. For myself, walking barefoot, swimming and spending time in the bush works. It forces me to slow down and just be.
Neurological Integration. Surprise! All of the indulging impacts your nervous system and will leave you susceptible to illness which can manifest in many forms. Its definitely worth booking in for a check over and correction. All systems in the body will be left a little insulted after such activities mentioned above.
Those are my go to's for feeling better and resetting my body. Sometimes I go further and do a fast or detox but I'll save them for another blog post!
If you need help or advice getting on track, give me a call.
Sum x
