Yesterday, as I walked from the post office to the grocery store I thought, “It feels amazing to take great care of myself. Why would I ever not choose this?” I walked out of the grocery store with tomatoes & cauliflower rice feeling peaceful & in control.
Later in the day I walked to the water to watch the sunset before going to the gym and thought, “I am happier when I make time for this. This matters more than making time for television or Facebook”
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
I spent most of my life not taking great care of myself. My standard operating procedures were:
- Don’t get enough sleep
- Stress out over everything
- Focus on everything that’s wrong
- Criticize everything about myself
- Eat too much
- Regularly consume processed foods & sugar
- Watch too much TV
- Take my body for granted
- Talk to & about myself in ways I would never speak about someone else
I battled temptation almost every day…and usually lost. I hated the idea of telling myself “no” when I wanted sugar or television. It felt hard to say no. But living that way was hard.
I was miserable.
As I walked to the grocery store yesterday, I thought about all the things I do now, with varying degrees of consistency, to take impeccable care of myself.
- Journal
- Meditate
- Go to bed early
- Workout
- Stretch
- Limit television & social media
- Laugh
- Eat clean without overeating
- Avoid sugar & alcohol
- Wash my face
- Take out my contacts
- Floss my teeth
- Keep my home and car clean & organized
- Spend time with people I love
- Sing
- Get outside
- Practice gratitude
The more of those things I prioritze in a day, the better I feel & the happier I am.
Why do we resist those things if they make us feel so much better, brighter & so much more in control?
It feels amazing to feel amazing. We have to create the habit of prioritizing those things.
I’ve experienced not taking care of myself. I told myself it was easier than the alternative.
It wasn’t. It was not an easy way to live.
I’m done feeling awful. I’ve experienced all the joy and pleasure I can possibly get from laziness, overeating & over indulging. I know what that’s like. I’ve seen and felt all of it. It has nothing more to give me.
I’m now determined to find out just how great I can feel. I don’t want to dabble in “better than before”.
I’m exclusively interested in making myself feel amazing. That’s my goal. That’s my pursuit.
Just for today, or what’s left of it, I want to challenge you to take impeccable care of yourself. Define what that means for you and make it happen.
But that’s just the beginning. We’re just getting started.
Pull out your calendar and pick one day in the next week where you will exclusively make choices that reflect impeccable self-care.
Your filter for every choice on that day is: does this choice reflect taking care of myself at the highest level?
If no, save that choice for a different day. You’re not saying “no” forever, you’re just saying, “not today.”
I want you to do that every single week – identify one full day that is dedicated to impeccable self care.
Do that every single week & watch those actions and choices trickle over into other days as you uncover just how great you can feel.
If you need a little help getting started, I’ve made today one of those days & I’ll tell you what it looks like for me. Of course I have to work and do grown-up things, but I’m prioritizing self care and eliminating anything that doesn’t fit the bill.
- Wake up without an alarm (for you, it might be to wake up to your alarm without hitting snooze)
- Listen to 3 of my favorite songs while I enjoy my first cup of coffee (no TV or social media)
- Journal & meditate
- Clean eating brunch – bacon, eggs & jalapenos with cauliflower rice
- Take a 10 minute walk when I need a work break (instead of browsing the news or social media)
- Watch the sunset
- Workout
- Cook dinner at home – broccoli “nachos” (nacho toppings over steamed broccoli instead of over chips)
- Guitar lesson
- Clean house & car
- Face mask & tea before bed
It will look different for you. That’s okay. It should. Decide to pursue how amazing you can feel.
…
This morning as I was posting on Instagram, I typed out the words “heal thyself”.
You cannot heal thyself without “healthy”.
It’s amazing the extend to which you can heal your body, your mind & your relationships when you pursue healthy behaviors.