Hi there, thanks for stopping by and welcome to my blog!
I thought balance was an appropriate first topic because finding it has been a long and ever changing journey for me. Finding a better balance in all aspects of my life has helped me a) be happier, b) be truer to myself, and c) helped me work towards my goals.
Getting in touch with your most authentic self is really the start to creating space and balance in your life. I know this sounds super obvious, but how often do you do things because others expect it of you or because you feel like you need to keep up with the people around you or because that behavior is deemed ‘normal’.
Most of my 20’s I was exhausting myself with seeking the approval of others and ‘keeping up with everyone around me’. I was hardly sleeping, over exercising, not eating well, and saying yes to everything even at times when I was depelated. It took a pretty dramatic incident to help me realize I didn’t even know or like who I was anymore. I stopped myself, took inventory of my priorities and started paying attention to what I actually needed.
Things started feeling better, but the same issues seemed to creep up in new situations. I’d start to change who I was to please others, do or be whatever was best for them instead of putting myself first. I felt like I had to keep up this impossible image of perfection that was absolutely exhausting. I had this overwhelming feeling like I was tricking people into liking me because my insecurities were screaming that I could never be enough. That self doubt led to running myself into the ground, that is until my body finally said stop.
I started saying no and being selfish, only agreeing to do what I wanted and what made be feel my best. I starting surrounding myself with people that made me better and built me up. I’ve never been more true to myself, and that has seriously created a dominos effect in all other aspects in my life including nutrition, exercise, and rest.
EATING TO FUEL MY BODY NOT PUNISH IT
I started to actually love and care for myself, and that involved eating well. I’ve probably tried everything under the sun when it comes to specific diets. After being super restrictive and mentally exhausted from anxiety and worry about eating a certain way, coming back to basics proved to be the best fit for me. Imagine that, eating when hungry, eating/chewing slowly, having carbs/fats/proteins at basically every meal, eating snacks, and paying attention to my body's reactions and energy levels was all it took to reach my goals. Eating this way has proven to work for me. What works for me may not work for someone else, paying attention to your own body is seriously the best nutritional advice I can give anyone. I eat dairy, I’m not scared of carbs, I have red meat occasionally, and sometimes I eat fries without feeling guilty or punishing myself with over exercising after. I fuel my body so that I can work hard in the gym, be productive, and (most importantly) because I enjoy food!
RECOVERY BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE WORK
It took a pretty serious injury and complete rock bottom emotionally to finally find balance with how I exercise. The simple version of the story is that I started focusing on recovery, worked out less, started lifting heavier, and focused on quality reps versus quantity. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been and feel 10000 times better. Unfortunately, too many people are under the impression that every workout needs to be harder than the last, that being at maximum capacity everyday is the way to maintain perfect health. This could not be farther from the truth! Stepping back, following good programing or working with a coach is the best way to get on track because it can be hard at first if you’re used to killing yourself in the gym on the regular.
Finally, allowing myself to decompress and rest was what truly helped me find a new center. Scheduling the time in each week not only improved my workouts but also helped me create better relationships, made me better at my job, helped me be more aware and more focused throughout the week. Sometimes it was just creating time to be alone, other times I use saunas, massage, acupuncture, or meditation. In the beginning I felt guilty about this time, like if I wasn’t being ‘productive’ or working that I was ‘wasting time.’ I stopped being so hard on myself and things started falling in line, everything seemed easier and clearer. Ultimately, creating space made it possible for me to think bigger and be more creative.
Realizing that less is more is something that has helped me break through my barriers and has helped me relate and help others. It helped me find joy in so many things that I hadn't been paying attention to previously and ultimately pushed me in the right direction. Creating space, finding your balance and thinking simply is sometimes all you need to reach a new place that you never thought could exist.
