72: How to handle life when it's kinda shitty...

Systems for Self-Care

72: How to handle life when it's kinda shitty...

10:31

 

Hey! It's been a while since I've blogged! (Says every blogger when they start blogging again!) March was crazy with Paul's dad passing, Jameson getting sick with Old Dog Syndrome, and us getting a call to go get our vaccinations while Jameson was a mess! 

In April and May, I decided to make a shift back to talking about Imperfect Eating more. I have been kinda lost in my career, knowing I want to help people but not knowing how to do it best. Something I've learned is a lot of people want to learn how to eat after spending years on The Diet Triangle, and if I can help they get some wins and transformations there, they gain confidence and see they can grow in other areas of life too!

So in April, I created The Imperfect Eating Mastery course which is 8 weeks of videos followed by another 10 months of coaching. It's a great program, and I am super proud of it, but in creating that, I had to let go of blogging a bit because it was just a lot of content creation at once. I knew it was important to keep showing up and doing something/anything instead of nothing, so the podcast was in full swing during the whole Imperfect Eating Mastery creation. (This will open again in the fall! Stay tuned!)

So that's all to say, my life has NOT been perfect these last few months. Ah hem, is it ever?

But I've learned you have to keep moving through the stress.

Usually I want to crawl up into a ball, sleep, scroll, and numb myself, but I've learned to do the opposite action. I keep showing up. Even if just in minimums.

Here are the things I always do no matter what.

They're my systems for self-care so that I can continue to MOVE THROUGH THE STRESS and never stay stuck in a hole again:

1. Morning movement - a pup walk around the block and on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday- a 20+ min run walk

2. 5Ps at all meals (I've been doing 5P salad at lunch and it's great because it reduces the number of decisions I need to make around food)

(get my free video series Moderation Made Easy here)

3. Mindset stuff- read 5/10 mins or 5/10 pages of a book

Mindset stuff- journal and write affirmations that help me think thoughts that actually help me feel happy and like myself

Mindset stuff- listen to podcasts and audio books so that I hear voices that guide me in the right direction (I limit social media consumption and focus on quality consumption!)

Mindset stuff- meditate 5/10 minutes with Headspace

4. SLEEP- go to bed at 10/10:30pm without technology

OK so that's the stuff I do beforehand to set myself up for success.

Now let's talk about in the moment when shit is hitting the fan:

1. Breathe- count breathes, close eyes and picture lungs filling up with air

2. Meditate- put on a Headspace/move the clouds/unhelpful thoughts out and focus on breathing again

3. Cry- if you're feeling sad, identify it, name it! "I feel sad. I think I need to cry to let it out." It's actually ok to cry. So many of us didn't grow up learning how to name our emotions or what to do when we feel a yucky emotion. Crying is okay.

4. Sweat- go for a run. I've learned that when I am feeling anxious and my chest is tight, I want to crawl in bed and hide but going for a run actually helps my breathing feel normal

5. Name how you're feeling- say it aloud or journal and brain dump it all. "I feel frustrated... I feel angry... I feel uncertain... I feel..."

Again- no one taught us to do this and what to do with these emotions. So we just drink a glass of wine or eat chips or watch TV. We never move through the stress but just cover it up, and it stays there. MOVE THROUGH IT!

Life is going to have some shitty things that happen. It just is. I wish I could change it, but it is what it is. But how you show up for yourself and move through the shitty parts, that's gonna help you feel better about life and your ability to handle crappy parts.

Remember to take action. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

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xo,

Jaclyn