12 Nourishing ways to make you feel better

Hello Beautiful,

I am so happy you are reading this post. I wrote it after reading all the feedback I’ve received on what you are needing right now.

We can all agree, what is happening in our world is devastating, and it is the cause of our rapidly increasing stress levels. Increased anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, grief are just some of the emotions you have shared with me. As a collective we are all feeling the pain in the world.

To make matters worse, we don’t have access to our usual habits, comforts and coping mechanisms. Like meeting up for a cuppa after a yoga class. Going for a walk with your bestie. Grabbing a bite after work with your work colleagues, or going to your favourite gym for a workout. Even perusing the library or your local book store is a no go. Forget shopping for a new bra, or tennis shoes in person. And a big no to getting a massage to loosen up those kinds you are feeling in your neck, shoulders and lower back. As a result, some of you may be reaching for other comforts — dare I say, less than optimal ways to cope.

Confession:

For me that looks like an extra hour in bed when I could be up and going for a walk with Luna. I’m also spending a lot more time on my phone and laptop, the 24/7 news cycle is not helping… And, I just might be eating a few more raw desserts than I typically do. Can you relate?

Here’s what I know… when I start to feel like a mouse spinning on a wheel I am not productive, my patience is shorter and I generally feel anxious. This is when I know it’s time to choose healthier habits and to get into a routine that lifts my energy and joy rather than depleting it.

I want to share the differences between nourishing vs unhealthy coping mechanisms. I want you to be able to quickly identify any habits you have picked up that aren’t serving you and replace them with positive, loving alternatives.

Sound good?

There is no such thing as perfect

This is not at all meant to nitpick, or make you feel any worse, quite the opposite. I want to be your cheerleader, I want to help give you a gentle nudge, a reminder that you are worthy of happiness. This post is a way of pulling back the curtains so you can take the best care of your beautiful self.

Are your coping mechanisms nourishing or numbing?

In the moment nourishing and numbing coping mechanisms can look the same. We all eat food and drink beverages. For free time we relax and turn on the tv to watch movies, news etc. There is no problem with this at all. But let’s look at the intention behind it. Are you choosing to eat healthy meals or are you reaching for junk food aka empty calories? Are you drinking half your body weight in water, or is your liquid intake coming from an extra glass of wine? I love family movie night as much as anyone else, but it’s not an all day binge fest. What I’m hoping you’ll do is pay attention to “the why” behind your decisions and are they nourishing you or numbing you?

Food

Eating whole foods are an easy way to nourish our bodies but what we eat also affects our mood, mindset and ultimately our emotional state too. How we eat plays a huge role in our overall health too. If you are rushing and barely chewing your food, your body has to work overtime to digest it, this pulls energy sources away from our much needed restful state. So really it doesn’t matter if you are eating a Kale salad or a candy bar. If you are disconnected emotionally you’ll never feel satisfied. This is a huge factor in binge eating where our emotional state is never happy regardless what we eat. If this is you, you might be thinking why bother eating nourishing foods? This type of emotional eating doesn’t nourish you, it only leaves you feeling numb.

Next time you eat, pay attention to how you are feeling. Can you create a beautiful environment to be part of as you eat. Perhaps dim the lights, play some soft music, even light a few candles and dress for the occasion. Even if it means you swap out your leggings for a maxi dress, and apply your favourite lip gloss.

Beverages

You might be reaching for an extra glass of wine more often than usual or having an ‘evening nightcap’ before bedtime. If this is you, pay attention to why. Are you enjoying the taste and sipping it while sharing the company (remotely of course) over hours of time, or, are you automatically reaching for it? Has ‘an extra glass won’t hurt me’ become your new mantra?

Notice if you are drinking and truly enjoying the experience, or are you drinking to numb any negative feelings you are having?

News and Social Media over consumption

I have felt myself walk a fine line on this topic since our stay at home life started. I know exactly when I’m hooked and addicted… it’s when I don’t make eye contact with my girls as they speak to me. There is a limit to what is healthy and what is toxic when it comes to social media. We all have our limits and I’m fairly confident you can think back on a time where you wasted minutes if not hours a day scrolling and scrolling, and felt awful afterwards. The same is true for over watching the news. It’s one thing to be informed and up to date, but after a while hearing the non stop misery and pain our world is experiencing adds to our own fear, sadness and anxiety.

You may have noticed your sleep quality has decreased, or perhaps you are having bizarre or even frightening dreams. If so, ask yourself if it’s time to create a boundary around your devices. Better yet, when you feel any anxiety forming, get off your tush, get outdoors, breathe in fresh air and hit reset!

I’m all for face time and video chat with friends, colleagues and loved ones. I see first hand how happy my girls are after they’ve had video contact with their friends. If you are making these beautiful connections, more power to you, keep it up. As humans we need connection and thrive with feelings of belonging.

Non stop work

I found this particularly interesting. When my hubby brought home his work laptop/desk and flat screen monitor he thought his work would decrease with the constant interruptions and noise in our home. However, he has been more productive and has to force himself to walk away. He no longer needs to get in his car and drive home for dinner. His work is now with him 24/7.

For me, my work has decreased and at times I’ve been super frustrated with myself for not organizing my day better. But what I have noticed, is that I’m non stop go go go. I’m teacher one minute, chef the next, house cleaner after that, my own boss and a caregiver. I can honestly say, I’ve let this go on for days before I realized how toxic this was to my mental state. I was filling any ‘quiet’ time with chores and extra workouts. What I wasn’t doing was allowing time to breathe and relax.

I love my work and I love moving my body, but I’ve noticed an increase in my need to meditate too. So, as I pay better attention to my own work life boundaries, notice yours too.

12 nourishing ways to handle stress

The habits we’ve talked about all fall under the 3 basic principles I live my live by: MOVE, NOURISH & INSPIRE. (AKA what you eat, drink, think, feel, and your daily movement and mindfulness.

Nourish: What You Eat

Keep it simple! To look, feel and be your very best beautiful self, you need to eat REAL WHOLE FOODS.

Action:

🖤 Choose a Theme: Make meal planning fun. Pick a country, or theme. Maybe you even dress up so it fits. Here’s a fun example: deluxe veggies nachos with Queso cheese. Turn on some tunes as if you are in sunny Mexico, wear your favourite maxi dress and style your hair as if you are on vacation.

🖤 Date night: Regardless of whether you have company or not. It could be your fur baby, or maybe you have a video date with your bestie. Treat yourself. Light a candle, get dressed up and pull out your best linens. Make this fun. Order your from your favourite restaurant and instead of dining out, you are dining in, but in equal style!

Nourish: What You Drink

Our bodies are made up of 60% of water. It is essential for our bodies to function properly, our cells rely on it for survival!

Action:

🖤 Think mocktail vs cocktail: Pour yourself an herbal tea, put it on ice, add a slice of fresh lemon and serve it in a champagne glass, you could use bubble water instead of still water.

🖤 Dress up your water: Plain water can get a little boring after a while. Try adding a few fresh berries, or add a slice of melon, cucumber, lemon, lime or orange. Essential oils are another way to dress up plain water. Try adding a drop of lemon, peppermint, wild orange, lavender, tangerine, grapefruit, or lime. Be sure to use only the highest quality essential oils and make sure they are safe to consume. I only use dōTERRA oils as they are certified pure therapeutic grade and provide you with a nutritional label on all their edible oils.

Nourish: What You Think

Our beliefs are directions from our subconscious. They come from past experiences, those who inspire you, your environment and your family. If you recognize your inner dialogue is mostly negative, or comes from a place of fear, the solution is to lean into those thoughts and recognize where they are coming from.

Action:

🖤Journal: Start a gratitude journal. Write down 3 things every morning you are most grateful for. And at the end of the day, write down 3 things that brought you joy. It can be as simple as “I woke up to blue sky and the sound of birds”. At the end of the day, you may recognize being able to walk outside and breathe fresh air.

🖤 Meditate: Start with committing to just 5 minutes of stillness. You can use a guided meditation, music, or go for a walk.

Nourish: Your Spirit

Spirit is often referred as your True Essence, Inner Guide, Highest Self, or Soul. If you are not giving your beautiful temple time to refresh and revitalize, it won’t be long before your body forces you to listen.

Action:

🖤 Get plenty of blissful sleep. Sleep strengthens your immune system. It helps you cope with stress and it’s your bodies natural way or rejuvenating itself. So, switch off from technology at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Take a nap during the day (you could even transform you entire day around the Mediterranean countries. Think food, friendship connections and a book yourself a mid afternoon Siesta!)

🖤 Breath and Touch. Be conscious of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. When you are feeling an negative emotions arise, place your hand on your heart, close your eyes and breathe. Essential oils can be equally uplifting and grounding. Lavender, Balance and Cedarwood are oils I personally use at night or when I need an emotional reset. Whereas, Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Elevation are oils I use when I need a pick me up. If you have a loved one in your home (fur babies count too), cuddle up with a good book and use touch as a way to nourish your spirit. Hugs are a great way to release any anxiety you might be feeling.

Nourish: Your body thru movement

Health is so much more than what you eat or drink. Health is nourishing your entire temple: Mind, Body and Spirit. This includes living an active lifestyle with activities you love – all forms of movement count.

Action:

🖤 Move your body. It doesn’t matter what you do. Go for a walk, light job, or 10 mile run. Listen to what you body is needing. Many studios are offering online classes now. I am streaming live every week with Barre3 Bellevue studio.

🖤 Play. There is nothing better than having fun as you move. Maybe blast some fun tunes and have a dance party at home. Listen to one of my beats tunes for inspiration.

Nourish: Mindfulness

All around you there is some form of influence. TV, social media, your loved ones, work colleagues, church, the gym…. these nuggets of influence play a role in shaping who are subconsciously. Ask yourself, are you heavily influenced by external factors?

Action:

🖤 Mantra: One of my favourite mantras and I share it in my Total Wellness Coaching Program  is “I choose to ReSet, ReCharge and ReNew my commitment to my overall health and wellness.” Choose an uplifting word or phrase you can repeat anytime you need a gentle nudge. This could be a time when you reach for a bag of cookies. When your inner negative Nellie voice is bullying you, or when it’s 5pm and you are still sitting on your tush!

🖤 Declutter: What areas of your life can you overhaul to remove any stagnant energy and stressful vibes? It might be your closet, a kitchen cabinet, but it might also be creating healthy boundaries within yourself or a certain somebody in your life.

Your turn

I hope these suggestions bring you some comfort and motivation to choose Healthy alternatives whenever you are feeling extra stress in your life. Don’t put any added pressure on yourself to achieve perfection, there truly is no such thing. You want your actions and thoughts to be equally beneficial to your overall health and happiness. You deserve to feel happy, vibrant and fulfilled. Want to know why? Because beautiful…. YOU ARE WORTH IT!