As women, YOU are given the blessing of caretaker, but what does that really mean? Here we are in a new year, with new health priorities. Does that mean we have more work on our plate?? In my coaching practice, I deal with so many women who are exhausted helping their kids and families, that they have left no time for themselves.
Before you get carried away, setting your resolutions of losing weight, counting calories, and dragging yourself to the gym, I want you to take a moment and figure out what YOU need.
What do YOU need to give yourself more energy during the day? (And I don’t mean caffeine.)
What do YOU need to feel relaxed, creative, and centered, even during the craziest of days?
We all get carried away on the hamster wheel of life. The challenge is to step off and reevaluate what you really need. Before you set your resolutions into play, I want you to consider how to prioritize you by adding in my top 5 habits to make 2022 your best year yet:
1. Redesign a Morning for YOU
Mornings kick off the energy and attitude of the day – if you start with chaos, you will end with chaos. Waking up at the last minute to get the family in gear only provides energy for them and not for YOU. Let’s try waking up 30 minutes earlier, with no one around but you. Take this time to enjoy a cup of tea and something you enjoy (this could be meditation, reading, or anything else that puts a smile on your face). By the time the troops are up, you have set yourself up on a positive note.
2. Fuel your Body for NOURISHMENT
Every bite of food we take does a few things. It can nourish or slow us down. Grabbing a bagel on the run provides a quick pick-me-up that soon slows us down and creates a craving for more. Foods that nourish provide all the vitamins and minerals needed to create energy for our day. Even if fitness is not “your thing,” eating like an athlete will keep your health, immune system, and energy at their best at all times. The more stressed we are, the more processed carbohydrates we crave, and the easier it is to gain weight. Here is where mindset is so important. You deserve only the best quality foods…period. You are a finely tuned engine and it’s time to prioritize you and fuel it as such.
3. Sleep like the Queen YOU are
Waking up feeling groggy or in need of hitting the snooze button only demonstrates how poorly you are sleeping. Take note, you should wake up naturally before the alarm, feeling fully rested. If this is not the case, this area of your life needs revamping. Don’t get me wrong, I have kids that sleep in my bed as well, and this can be more than challenging. But when looking at your overall sleep, it should be SOUND! Getting to bed earlier, making sure your bedroom is pitch dark and colder than normal, are all key ingredients to quality sleep. This is an important aspect of stress management, weight loss, and general health, so I encourage you to reevaluate this area and make changes as needed.
4. Move with INTENTION
Some love a great workout and others don’t, I get it. Here’s the thing, many of your daily movements can provide heart and muscle strengthening even better than the gym. When walking through the mall… walk like you mean it, place some pep in your step. If given the choice of elevator or stairs… run the stairs, with pep. When there are too many grocery bags… don’t get lazy, lift them and use your legs. On a side note, even if you go to the gym, move with intention when you’re not there and your workouts will show results quicker.
5. Get the kids TO WORK
In my world, I found myself doing everything simply because I didn’t want to deal with the kids making a mess of things. Guess what, I was cheating my children. Why? Because these are tasks they will need once they leave the nest. Folding laundry, taking out the trash, washing dishes, helping to cook, these are things they need to learn to do. I actually found that the mess minimized the more they practiced, and my workload became easier to manage. Unless I missed the memo, my kids will not be going to college with a housekeeper at their disposal. Making the bed, taking stains out of a favorite shirt, are all talents we need to share, if not for our own sanity.
As you begin to formulate your resolutions list, keep in mind that following my 5 habits above will actually help you prioritize you and decrease your stress, lose weight, and create a healthier version of YOU! Now, wasn’t the goal anyways? Happy 2022!
With Love and Light,
Adita
