Do This Now!

First, I have to apologize for my absence.  I have been working on a few very cool (and time consuming) projects that I can't wait to share with you.  Unfortunately, my blogs have been neglected in the process.  Do you ever feel that when you focus really hard on, and put your energy into something new and exciting that all your creativity gets drained for everything else?  Yeah.  That happened to me!  Every time I sat down to write... nothing came out.  My brain hurt.  I got frustrated.  And then I had to remind myself that I ENJOY this.  That is shouldn't be forced.  That, when I just let it come when it's time, my writing shows!

So here you go.  I hope that this comes out the way I envision it!

SIX THING YOU CAN DO EACH AND EVERY DAY TO LIVE A 

HEALTHIER & MORE FULFILLING LIFE!

I know what you are thinking.  "I know what I have to do" and then that is usually followed by "...but I don't want to"  or "...I am too busy"  or "...I can't have that healthy, happy life" 

I am here to tell you, YES you CAN!

I understand that if you are starting from scratch that it can be very overwhelming... starting a health and fitness journey is BIG!  But it can add years to your life, alter your level of happiness, and even *gasp* make you LOVE yourself again!

You know that when we were kids, we didn't judge ourselves.  Think about it.  Think back to your earliest memories.  Did you think you weren't good enough, strong enough, smart enough, happy enough?!  NO!  We were children, enjoying and loving life.  Nothing was out of our reach.  Then we grew up and ... well... where did that spirit go?!  You can get it back... to some extent.  You just have to believe that nothing is out of your reach.  You can do anything you want.  Just put one step in front of the other.  Little, baby steps. 

Ok.  So we have agreed to make baby steps right?  Right.

Step #1: Drink more water!!!

I mean really.  I feel like I say this until I am blue in the face.  I am kind of getting sick of hearing myself say it to be honest.  This is so simple.  Stop drinking those empty calories, those sugar and chemical laden drinks... and drink more WATER.  Our bodies need water to survive.  Just like every other living thing on this earth, it sustains us, hydrates us... makes our hair and skin look better, aids in digestion, aids in the transportation of blood to our organs and muscles.... but you know all this right?  Right.  Drink more water!

Step #2:  Breathe!!!

Again.  Really!?  Yes, our brain is amazing and tells our bodies what to do, including controlling our lungs and diaphragm so we can breathe without thinking about it.  But, DEEP breathing?  That's all you.  Get outside and take some deep breaths.  It will get a fresh rush of oxygen to your brain and no matter what you are doing, a few deep breaths will help.  It is so cleansing and only takes a few seconds.  Stop reading this right now and take 3 deeeeeeeeeep slow breaths.  

1...

2...

3...

There!  Feel better?  I thought so!

Step #3:  Personal Development

Ok.  Now you have hydrated and oxygenated and we are already feeling better!  Time to feel better about ourselves, our INSIDES, our EMOTIONS... eek!  I love love LOVE to read fiction.  Reading non-fiction used to give me the heebie-jeebies  Nothing about reading non-fiction excited me... but a good thriller?!  YOU bet!  Until last year, that all changed.... I read this book called A Confident Heart by Renee Swope.  Wow!  It turns out, I really needed to work on my emotional health just as much as my physical health.  Probably even more.  Now, I try to read one personal development book a month.  It's not just for business people, these books are for anyone.  I can guarantee that there is something emotional in you that needs healed.  Deny it all you want... I used to!  But give it a try.  Don't know what to read?  Try Renee's book.  Or PUSH! by Chalene Johnson... that is a good one too!  Right now, I am reading You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero and am loving it... and I know we all want to be a badass!

Step #4:  Eat Whole Foods

Yes.  You knew this was coming.  I know I preach about this all the time.  When people ask me what I am doing... how I was able to lose 43 lbs in the past 18 months I tell them that I completely revamped my nutrition.  I love to cook, and used to just try to find the easiest and tastiest way to make meals.  I never planned.  And I certainly never read labels.  I changed the way I looked at food back in July 2013.  Instead of looking at it as living to eat, I changed my view to eating to LIVE.  Is that bag of Doritos going to give you nutrition?  Is it going to help you down on a cellular level.  The answer is most likely NO.  But that apple?  Or carrot slices?  You know that they are the better choice here.  You know that they are going to FUEL you and give you the nutrition that your body needs to function.  Why do you think there are all these different diets about cavemen!?  They didn't have processed food back then.  I'll just stick to eating clean, trying to stay above 90% whole ingredients for me and my family.  *Need help with this?  I am currently in production of my first short book about clean eating so stay tuned for a sign up to get your hands on a copy!*

Step #5:  Get MOVING!!!

Well, duh! Or as we used to say as kids, "no Doi!"  Again... when we were kids, we weren't sitting all day.  We were playing... all... day... long.  At least I was.  In the summer, we were shoed  out the front door and told to play until we couldn't play any longer.  Some days my siblings and I wouldn't come in until dinner and then we would go right back out after.  Laughing and running and playing until the lightning bugs came out and it was too dark to see where we were going (I lived in the country... when it got dark, it got DARK!)

Get moving!  I don't care if it is walking on your lunch break, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, riding your bike instead of driving, working out at home, working out at the gym, swimming, running, or playing with your kids... because we all know they aren't sitting still!  The more often you do it, the more often you will do it.  Get it?  Do it.

Step #6:  Rest

Soooooo..... yes, I just told you to get moving.  But it is just as important to REST as it is to get moving.  No, do not just plop down on the couch all day.  Rest your body after a long week of workouts or activity.  But more importantly rest as in, SLEEP.  I am so guilty of not getting enough sleep and you know what happens?  I get cranky, bitchy (who me?!), short tempered, and my body gets worn down... and then I get sick.  As kids, we needed like 10-12 hours of sleep... could you imagine if we slept like that now?  What we need as adults is a solid 7-8 hours a night to be well rested.  Sleep is so important to our health... physical, emotional and spiritual.  Our bodies use that time to make repairs... like little tinkerers in there working on our muscles and bones and nervous system and everything else.  Rest.  Your.  Body.

Are you doing these things?  What can you improve on? 

I know that I really need to work on my sleep...

I also know that it is hard as parents to let go and take care of ourselves instead of everyone else, but my husband recently said... it's like in an airplane, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before your child's.  That isn't SELFISH... that is taking care of yourself, so that you can take care of them.  I hope that you will implement these 6 simple steps into your daily lives.

Let's all be happy and healthy! ~Joslin