When we were younger it seemed that it would take FOREVER for my birthday to come around. Nowadays, in the blink of an eye, another year whizzes by in what feels like an instant. The days turn into weeks and weeks into months and so on, and it seems like you have yet to come up for air. I have had two moments in the past six years where life literally forced me to slow down, and you know what? I had trouble enjoying it. The first time was when I moved to Oregon. I was jobless and confused on the direction of my life. On one hand, I had a fiancé, but on the other hand, no direction. The other time happened was in February when our pregnancy was shared with the world. I knew my time as a working model would eventually come to a bit of a standstill, but honestly, I thought that my body would feel exactly the same, maybe bigger, but I was wrong about that too.
Lately, I have had to force myself to slow down in order to move forward and progress through these changes in a healthy way. A few weeks ago, I went to my favorite boxing class and completely over-did it. Relaxin is a hormone found in pregnant women’s bodies that helps us prepare for childbirth; however, it also loosens your ligaments and joints and it is not recommended that pregnant women do too much flexibility training during this time. Anyway, during this boxing class, I did not miss a beat. I jumped and planked and did Burpees and push-ups without any modifications. Much to my dismay, and a wrong sneaker choice, I ended up in pain. I threw out my back and inflamed my knees to the point where limping was my mode of transportation. I tried to fight through it for a while, but in fear of hurting myself further, I decided I knew I needed to ‘slow down in order to move forward’, The whole point of today’s post.
During my crazy career of planes, trains, and automobiles, I would really have to carve out time for myself to slow down. I had so many obligations and not enough of a routine and it would run me down to the point where I would hit a wall. So, I have learned how to dial back in order to stay healthy in the mind, body, and soul! I learned from my Instagram poll that many of you want to do the exact same thing!
Here are my tips to help you ‘Slow Down In Order to Move Forward’
Set Morning and Evening Rituals: My morning ritual is the holy grail of my sanity. When creating my morning ritual I decided I needed a “reset” button first thing in the morning. For example, I have water with lemon to detox my liver and rev of my digestion. I use the Headspace App for 5-10 minutes to help clear my head and breathe deep and then I stretch. It takes all of 15 minutes to help me face the day head-on. I get up every morning between 6 and 6:30 AM to give me enough time to do something exclusively for me to help me take on the day. It is a routine I can do anywhere and it gives me the control to dictate the direction of my day.
An example of an evening ritual could be making a list of tasks to accomplish the next day or journal. Followed by a bath and a good stretch or meditation. Your ritual should be a series of health-conscious choices to help you detach from the world around you. Something you essentially do only for you!
Prioritize: I keep a list of my top three priorities every week. It could be quality time with Cory, exercise and healthy eating. They may be blog related, but more often they have been related my mental and physical health. because without those it will be really difficult to perform for family or in the workplace.
Take Time Off: I literally took two weeks off from going to the gym to heal and see my specialists (chiropractor and acupuncturist). Although it was not easy to take that much time off, my body needed it to heal so that I can get back into my regular routine. This pregnancy has been humbling and although I really feel great I am trying my best to honor the process and my body by giving it what it needs. So, if you need it, take time off to focus on what you love and what really matters. PRIORITIZE. If you are forced to be at work and then you need to go to the gym after, but your missing time with family because of it. Maybe try to go before work or take a couple of days off to make it all work. We aren’t superheroes, and we have the ability to choose. So, if needed, take some time off and focus your energy where it is needed most.
Make Lists: There is something so gratifying about crossing a task off a list. I like making lists because writing stuff down helps me remember what I have to do the next day, and helps me stop thinking about remembering what I have to do the next day on loop in my head. Lists also help keep my focus and enable me to feel accomplished when I conquer an entire list in a day!
Schedule Time With Loved Ones: Quality time with family and friends is one that often gets thrown to the wayside, but also helps keep you sane. Schedule time with friends who make your life better! Friends you can laugh with and be 100% yourself with. I live far away from my family so quality time with them is savored. It is so easy to take the people closest to you for granted, but if you take time to live in the moment with friends and family you will leave feeling richer!
Take Time For Self-Care: As women, we rarely put ourselves first, but self-care in an age where technology reins mean we never get the chance to shut it down! Finding time for a manicure, massage, acupuncture etc. will not only help you keep your sanity, but will likely make you feel healthier and more confident in the skin you are in. Think about it…when do you feel your best? When your manicure is almost completely chipped, you haven’t worked out in weeks and your roots are greying? Of course not! Make time for self-care. You can indulge from the comfort of your own home by scheduling a weekly bubble-bath or by finding time for appointments outside of the home. Just make sure you find time to “do you” because before you know if you will be a shadow of yourself and asking “How did I get here?”. We all have!
Plan Something to Look Forward to: There is nothing better than having an event or vacation to look forward to. Otherwise, why are you busting your butt day in and day out? Plan something special for yourself and just go! Travel feeds the soul in more ways than I can count. You may not even need to leave your state! For us, a staycation on South Beach or an hour trip to the Keys feels like a getaway!
Honor Your Down Days: Recognize the fact that not every day will be perfect. Know that you will have some good days and some bad and that is all part of being a human. It will also help you appreciate the good ones! When you aren’t feeling like yourself, find ways to lift yourself up. For example, last week I decided at 6 P.M., after a day filled with ‘blues’ that I would throw on my sneakers, make a green smoothie, throw on an Oprah Podcast and walk for an hour at sunset. I didn’t do anything crazy. I found time to focus on something other than my thoughts, feel inspired by others words and take in the power of nature. It was a simple solution and some days it works and other days a box of Oreo’s in bed does the same thing.
Let Go and Care Less: OK, I know this one sounds a little ridiculous, but a lot of our stress comes from self-induced pressure. Remember, you are only human so lay off yourself a bit! Check in with yourself daily and give your body what it needs! Healthy food, exercise when you can and a whole lot of self-love.
Just Say ‘No’: Saying yes to every single invitation can leave you feeling daunted. Learning how to say no is empowering and allows you to feel a sense of control. I used to say ‘yes’ to everything and now I only say yes to things I truly want to do. It is empowering and leaves me feeling less stressed about being in ten places at once.’
So there you have it! If you feel you have been running on fumes and need to move forward. Try slowing down a bit and use some of my tips to help you through!
