My friend, Tiffany, asked me to share today on a "Big Question" topic. She asks, "How do you take care of yourself? Tell the truth."
I took a minute to jot down everything that came to mind and quickly realized I was just going with the basics. After I thought about it some more, though, I realized that the basics are really the most important part. If you stack all those basics on top of each other, they make up a full picture.
Since I went to college (and started in a sense "taking care of myself"), I have made little changes and little choices everyday. Some changes were not healthy. Some choices were poor decisions. But over time I learned and tweaked and strengthened. I look one step forward and two steps back dozens of times, but ultimately developed a set of basics that keep me feeling good, both physically and mentally. Now that I know how I work and what works best, I focus (everyday) to maintain.
From a physical standpoint, outdoor running, real food, bar method, green(er) skincare & TRX (I'd love to share more on this workout routine soon!) absolutely work for me. I learned in college that counting calories and food tracking do not work for me. Turns out, I am a bit too obsessive for that sort of "dieting." I have also recently realized that leaving the house to go to the gym does not work. Stepping outside to run or doing TRX in the house fits into my days much better.
From a mental standpoint, I rely heavily on goals (obviously) for personal motivation & scheduled downtime for creative recovery. My parents have said that when I was younger, I would go to a two hour birthday party and come home and need at least four hours of self-imposed quiet time in my room until I was back to "normal." I guess I am still the same and greatly crave a balance between extroverted and introverted activities.
I think "taking care of yourself" is one of the most important things you (& I) can do for the people around us. It's sort of like on an airplane when they recommend you put your own
mask on before you assist others. Without the mask, you might not make
it. And if you don't make it, the people who are counting on you, certainly are not going to make it.
I want to be here – not just "alive here", but "happy, healthy, open & engaged here". I want to be here for Paul. I want to be here for my future little ones. I want to be here for my business. For those reasons, taking time to "take care" is huge priority for me. I realize that there are thousands of things in my future that I cannot control. But this – putting in effort today for self-care – I can.
Today I’m participating in Tiffany Moore’s
Big Questions extravaganza. She believes in asking the Big Questions –
the kind that help you decipher your (actual) dreams — and (actually) do
‘em. Find
out who else is answering
The Big Questions and how you can win your own Big Question session here.
enJOY it 
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