As a woman and a mother, I can run my body to the ground.
From trying to juggle motherhood, work, wellness, and everything else, it’s been tough to balance all of this. I actually get into this more in-depth in my awesome podcast called Deep Magic.
Lately, my stomach has been killing me, like angry growls. I was already having a stressful day and then this happens. In the beginning, I was afraid and thought it might be something serious when in reality…I was forgetting to eat. I have been running in empty the entire day without knowing until my stomach decided to yell at me (quite literally).
The body follows the mind, every time.
A healthy body makes way for a healthy mindset. Research shows that your mind pushes the body to work. Meaning in order to attain a healthy mind, you have to first ensure your physical state. What we do with our bodies has a direct effect on our mental state.
This means that if we treat it horribly, it will break down. I like to think of it as a plant. A plant needs water, sunlight, kind words, and flourishes. That’s what we need too.
Taking care of our bodies is essential!
According to the American Heart Association, it’s recommended to log about 150 minutes of physical fitness per week. It might sound super far-fetched especially when you have a busy schedule or taking care of children. So there are some simple and effective methods on how to incorporate physical health to enhance your mental health (and vice versa):
Add tiny movements
You can start by doing lunges in your bedroom, squats when you’re taking a shower, or go for a long walk on your lunch break. It’s these simple fixes that make a big impact. And the more you incorporate these tiny things, it won’t feel like you have to make a huge chunk of space to exercise, making it effective and consistent.
Step away from the screen
I love watching Netflix and writing on my laptop, but there is a limit. We all know that we need to limit our screen intake but distractions can make that difficult. Use the timer on your phone to set a time for looking at your computer or TV screen. Once it goes off, it’s time for a walk or to stretch those legs. The apple watch does wonders about this.
Use simple goals
Instead of planning for a marathon or completing a rigorous workout challenge, start small. Usually, when you come out the gate hot, you’re more likely to faze out of your workout regimen quicker. Start by making sure you squat or walk. Making small goals allows you to build more and more so that you can stay consistent.
When push comes to shove, know that your body and mind are important.
Or as the famous saying goes, your body is a temple. We can’t focus solely on the mind and not attend to the body. Just like we can’t focus on the body alone and do nothing about our mental state. They both go hand and hand.
So take care of yourself love. Make sure you take some time to check in with your body as well as your mind. The moment you have the awareness that you need to take special care of yourself, that’s when we can begin to create our own personal and incredible path.
Did you like this post? Please subscribe to the newsletter and if you have some awesome thoughts leave them in the comments below.
Til next time,
Photo by Hanna Postova on Unsplash