Self-Care

Hi There!

2016 has been such a whirlwind so far. It’s been fast, furious, and very exciting. I’ve been in “go” mode since January 1^st, traveling the country to speak and spending time with my family. I feel blessed by the opportunity to connect with people in each of the places I visit and impact lives through sharing my family’s journey. I’m beyond thankful my message has resonated with so many and that more opportunities to inspire and empower are being presented to me.

Over the past week, however, I noticed something that threatens my ability to be at my best while speaking or with my loved ones. When my schedule picks up, my self-care rapidly starts to decline, showing up in the form of making unhealthy food choices, lack of exercise, and in the disappearance of “me” time. For example, you know the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? When I’m running from one event to the next, I tend to pick the quickest, most convenient place to eat, which tends to be fast food. Fast food, in turn, makes me feel lethargic, which leads to me feeling unmotivated to work out and thus begins this cycle of not making the most self-honoring choices.

So there you have it. I’m calling myself out! I have started to put these better self-care systems in place around food, exercise, and “me” time to support the way I want to feel and the life I want to create, especially during these busy times.  In order to hold myself accountable, I have physically time-blocked these systems into my calendar so I can see them and make them a priority.

I’m not a big cook, I struggle with having the patience to try things, and I am easily overwhelmed by too many options, so in order to not let these elements become an excuse, I’ve started going to Snap Kitchen, which provides healthy pre-made meals. I am planning my meals for the week in advance, so as not to be caught in a situation that needs a quick fix.

To get back into the habit of consistent workouts, I started small—going for a walk, doing 10 minutes of my dance cardio, running one lap around the block, etc. I tend to have an all-or-nothing, perfectionist mentality when it comes to working out. In the past, I’d let myself off the hook by telling myself if I can’t do the full workout DVD, I shouldn’t do any of it. That attitude has not been supportive in moving me forward toward my long-term physical goals. I’ve had to retrain my brain to believe it’s better to do a little each day then a lot every now and then.

Another thing I’ve found is important to my self-care and, quite frankly, my sanity, has been doing little things for myself that make me happy, otherwise known as “me” time. I get very anxious and pretty grumpy when I don’t make time to do things that energize me, such as taking a bath, reading a great book, getting a massage, journaling, browsing Barnes & Noble, or having lunch with a friend. I’ve made the commitment to adding at least one of these activities a day to my schedule.

Let me tell you, I’ve already started to see the difference making a commitment to my own self-care has started to make. I’m starting to see how when I show up for myself, I am better able to show up for others, and it makes a world of difference in my ability to connect deeply and share more fully. I find as I am making better choices when it comes to healthy food, exercise, and “me” time, I’m more likely to make better choices in every area of my life.

These are all things that make me happy! What do you do for yourself that makes you happy and fills your self-care tank? I encourage you to think about your plan of action for how to make yourself a priority when life gets starts to get busy.

Thank you for spending time with me today! Excited to head to my alma mater, Liberty Christian School, today to speak at a Ladies Tea! It’s a full-circle moment for me! Can’t wait to share more about it next week. Blessings.

PS – Do you or someone you know have a group in need of an inspirational speaker? If you want me to come speak and sign some Ellie Project books, shoot me an email at [email protected]. My presentation is powerful, inspirational, and about living your legacy today! It’s good for men and women, corporate groups, mom’s groups, Bible Study groups, community groups, etc. We are excited to come share this powerful message with you!

PPS – Are you searching for new, fun, and meaningful ways to connect with a child in your life? Share the gift of building lifetime character lessons for each letter of the alphabet with The Ellie Project! To get your copy of The Ellie Project or The Ellie Project Stationery Set, click here!