I've been feeling totally run down over the past week and I finally hit a bit of a breaking point last night. It's that dreaded LONG part of winter that feels extra cold and extra dragging and I'm totally over it but know that it's still going to last 2 more months (yikes)! I've had this lingering, annoying congestion that turned into a hacking cough right when I wanted to sleep last night, and I'd just had enough. Even though I am doing all the "things" that I should be to take care of myself (eating and drinking my greens -- lots of green juice, taking extra vitamin C, being vigilant about my probiotics, laying off the sugar, extra dairy and gluten, using my Nettipot to clear out my sinuses, etc.) I still haven't been able to kick it.
Although it's been frustrating, it's also made me realize what I haven't been doing -- which is give myself a break. I've been running at full speed ever since the start of the month, and that's finally catching up with me. Getting the kids on track and back into routine after the holidays, working hard to set and meet new goals in my business (it's the new year, right?!), trying to cook healthy dinners for the family at least 6 nights a week, and trying to work out 5-6x a week -- it's all great, but I've realized that I'm just tired, and need to give myself a break.
So today, I did just that. I put everything on my to-do list aside this morning, and decided to spend the morning on some self-care. We joined a new gym earlier in the month, and although I love it for the workouts and group classes, they also have some awesome amenities that I hadn't yet used. So, today I decided to go to the gym just for the purpose of rejuvenating myself. I sat in the hot tub for 15 minutes (it was HEAVENLY), then went to the steam room and sauna, followed by a nice shower and some clean clothes and makeup. It's amazing what a difference that one hour made in my entire body, mind and soul. I did live videos on instagram before and after, and I literally felt like a new person after just one hour -- you can SEE the difference. Then, after a work call, I decided that I wasn't done with my self-care day so I booked a haircut for this afternoon (which also does wonders to one's confidence and soul :), and now I'm sitting at a cafe, working on this post, while enjoying a nice Friday evening beverage.
When I attended the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, we often talked about "primary foods" -- all the things that fill your life and soul that aren't the food on your plate (think of physical activity, creativity, relationships, career, spirituality). And, one of the major things we talked about was how important it was to have your primary foods in balance (whatever that balance may look like for YOU because it's different for everyone) in order to be truly healthy and live your best life (afterall, you can eat ALL the kale and broccoli in the world, but if everything else is out of whack, you can't really be healthy). I finally understood this at a personal, deeper level this week. Even though I was doing all the "things" externally with food and exercise, my personal balance was out of whack. And when it's off, you really feel it. I couldn't be my best self - I was snapping at everyone and anyone who crossed my path, and I felt terrible about everything! But giving myself this break today has given me new perspective and also helped me to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
All I needed was a little time and space to just BE. So if you are feeling out of sorts and things just seem a little miserable, I encourage you to take a minute, take a breath, and ask yourself what it is that you need. Maybe you just need to give yourself a break, and take care of yourself for once, to make the rest of the world seem like a better place :).
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