Yes taking a big, long deep belly breath is, if you know me well, my answer to many things. Why? Because it works.
Taking a deep breath (or 10!) allows you to…
1) deeply oxygenate yourself rather than the shallow breathing we/I tend to do
2) allows your body to calm down, moving you away from a stressed state to a more relaxed state, and
3) pause and centre yourself.
So after you’ve taken that deep breath, take the time to ask yourself what is going on?
This is the conversation I’m having with myself right now and you, my friend get to listen in.
Over the past weeks a lot of ‘stuff’ (such a highly technical medical term!) has happened in my life that has derailed me. I don’t need to go into the nitty gritty as every one of us has unwanted stuff that goes on in our daily lives, so I’m sure you can relate.
What I’ve discovered about me however is, this storm has taken up time, emotional space and a lot of my energies are completely zapped. So guess whose health and waistline has been put on the backburner?
Mine! OMG I am my own client!
Due to my headspace being taken up by this tumultuous tornado, I’ve left all of my own teachings in the gutter. Forget the whole notion of practicing what your preach! My monkey mind alarm system alerted me to this, I’d have the conversation with myself that went something like this..
Caroline: ‘I’m just going to have a some chocolate’
Nutritionist: ‘No you do not need it, 1) you’re actually not even hungry and 2) you’re only eating it to distract you from how you’re feeling. The thing is the distraction will only last for a minute then you can throw the emotion of guilt onto your already full emotional pile!”
Caroline: “Butt out, go to talk to someone else, I’m doing it anyway!’
So what exactly have I been doing?
- eating in repsonse to my emotions not my hunger
- eating too much
- having a drink/s (alcohol!!) on
allmost days - reaching for the not so healthy comfort foods think ice cream and too much chocolate.
- finding many an excuse to give exercise a miss
- once I had the excuse, the exercise didn’t happen!
So as I lie here (yes it’s late and I’m posting in bed – another cardinal sin!) I’m not at this point madly in love with myself, in fact quite the opposite. I feel very bloated, lacking energy and I’m noticing wobbly bits that should not be there!
Yes I’m more than happy to admit I’m guilty of picking on myself and pulling my body parts apart just like you.
In fact I do it often and more often than not it starts with my thighs. I don’t like them and I think they know that! It is my thighs which have become the most wobbly and untoned body part (x2) and if I was ever to travel the road of cosmetic surgery, it would not be a face lift but a thigh lift. Or to be exact I would take the excess overhang from above my knees (I can create a swiss roll effect!) and also from my inner thighs and pour it down the drain.
Maybe then they’d resemble Steffi Graf’s (best legs in tennis!) or Maria Sharapova’s!!
But my friend I’m not booked for surgery anytime soon and my tornado is still playing havoc in my life, so what must I do?
Take that step…
I’ll share in part 2, cos its late and as I tell my clients blue light before bed interferes with your sleep. I’m tuning off this blue light!
Be Healthy, Happy & Amazing
(not feeling it!)…Caroline x