Changing Habits...

Have you ever worked really hard to change a habit? You think you are on the other side ...and then all the sudden realize you are headed straight back to the depths of the habit you were trying to change?  No?  Just me?  Ok, well I am going to share anyway. 😊

I just had this happen, in a big way.  I have been doing my best to take care of my health - physically, mentally and emotionally and for me that means not taking on the world anymore.  It means saying no and doing less.  Doing only the things that really matter for me and my family.  It means telling my husband and my kids and often times others, “no  I’m sorry that is just not possible right now - I need to take it easy”.  

All of this is part of stress management and for me it is an integral part of managing my Autoimmune Disease.  I have felt great for the last year or so and in the last few months my marriage has been able to begin to recover from several years of just simple lack of care and lack of priority.  Let me dive a little deeper into that.  I hadn’t made space for myself or what I needed in order to be well. I was taking on everything for everyone and I didn’t know how to tell anyone I couldn’t make that happen.  I also didn’t realize I was allowed to give myself grace and say, “I can’t make that happen”. As a wife and mother, we think we MUST put our families first - it is what is expected.  For some folks though that is what is slowly killing us.  If we don’t find balance, we can find ourselves in a place of exhaustion that our body cannot physically recover from without it shutting down.  I know I am headed into that place when I can no longer think straight to even make the list of things that need to be done.When I am at that state of overwhelm it is a huge sign that I am headed to an unhealthy place.  Learning your own signs AND listening to them is a sign of healing and making that new habit.  IT IS OK to put YOURSELF first!!!

So, I have shared what I can’t do and now I want to share what I DO to help myself stay in the healthy place:

1.    Sleep - I make myself go to bed, the “things” will still be there in the morning and I do my best to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep.
2.    Eat - I am a much better and healthier human when I eat 3 good meals a day.
3.    Have a plan - for meals, for who is taking the kids where and when, what my husband and I will be doing as a couple every week.
4.    Use my tools - Essential Oils are a HUGE part of my routine and my wellness.  I apply oils frequently and keep them all around me, I follow my gut as to what I need and I don’t over think it.  For example, Northern Lights Black Spruce is something that makes my stress level much lower when I use it frequently.  The Envision, Gratitude and GeneYus blends are things that help me stay balanced and on top of my game, as well as several other blends I mix together myself.  
5.    Make time for myself - if I am exhausted and feel depleted, I have nothing left for anyone else.  I have given myself permission to fill my cup with friends and my Bible Study group weekly.  Without that time, I recognize that I am not fully functioning.  Find what fills YOUR cup.  
6.    Cooking/ Baking - this is something I love and that serves a dual purpose. It provides me an outlet of enjoyment and it feeds my family.  We all have to eat!  Meal planning and prepping can also be a family activity.  My kids love to help in the kitchen and it is a great lesson for them.

So many of these things are individual preferences but you get the idea.  If you aren’t taking care of YOU, you will eventually not be able to take care of anyone else.  Why do we think it is only ok to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first on the plane?  This is a metaphor for our lives... you cannot take care of anyone else if you are depleted, exhausted and unwell.  YOU must come first; this isn’t a frivolous luxury but a necessity for your family.  I take it as my personal responsibility to set a good example for my children. It is important to make sure we are well as individuals.  You are responsible for you.

Curious about how to find the essential oils I talked about?  I can hook you up!   You are going to want to start here, want more details shoot me an email or text!