In the words of Ferris Bueller, “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
When was the last time you took time off… as in no email/social media and just spent a few days or even hours just doing the things you enjoy?
Personally, the past six months have been a bit of a whirlwind, I will be sharing more soon about dealing with the Epstein Barr Virus and finally figuring out the root cause of my miscarriages. (So much to share!)
Last week my husband and I were finally able to align our schedules up and took a break, which meant disconnecting so we could connect and enjoy our time together.
I logged out of my social media and email accounts so when I hit the button on my phone I couldn’t see any updates. It only took a few days to stop reaching for my phone and I even left it at home when we went out! It felt so refreshing to not feel addicted to my phone. Even when we got back I didn’t log in right away.
After the fourth day I started to feel creative again, I was in a major dry spell hence not as many newsletters or social media updates. It’s incredible after a week off, how refreshed I feel and ready to be back with all of you.
A friend of mine recently said to me, “sometimes we need to slow down in order to speed up.” After slowing down for over a week I couldn’t agree more!
I know not everyone can take time off right now, so I’m sharing five things you can do every day and especially on the weekends that can really make a big difference in the way your body and mind feel. When we take the time to slow things down we really help keep the stress levels lower in our body which makes all of our hormones happy.
Stretch in the AM
I’ve been sleeping in some funky positions lately so when I wake up in the morning my body needs a nice stretch to get going. Before I even get out of bed I stretch in my bed. I’ve added in child’s pose, cat and cow and some shoulder/side stretches. Not only does this help me adjust to the morning (I’m so not a morning person), I feel instantly relaxed and stretched out before the day starts. I also like to stand up every hour or so and do some stretches at my desk, it really helps my neck and back feel better.
Deep Breathing
Even before I do stretches in the bed, I lay in bed and do some deep breathing. I put one hand on my heart, and one had on my belly and take five deep breaths into my nose and exhale five breaths out of my mouth for about 30-40 seconds. I keep my eyes closed and use this to transition from sleeping to being awake. It takes less than a minute and I notice that when I start my day like this I’m more apt to include deep breathing into my routine all day long. I also incorporate deep breathing into my day before I get on a call with a client, before I drive to a corporate wellness event as it helps me feel more alert and focused all day!
Chew Your Food Longer
For years I would sit and eat lunch at my desk every single day. I would watch my coworkers and my boss leave the office, but I always felt like I had to much work to do! (Boy was I wrong, there would always be more to do once you finish your to do list).
Finally, I started going outside and eating my lunch and the funniest things started happening… I was more present with my food, I took smaller bites and ate longer, especially on beautiful sunny summer days when I didn’t want to rush back into the office. Over time I felt less bloated, I had more energy and I wasn’t as hungry later in the afternoon.
Now that I work from home most of the time I still try my best to not work in front of my computer and at night we always try to eat together at the dinner table. Chewing your food more is a huge benefit for you and your hormones, since you are only as healthy as the food you can digest (read more about the importance of chewing and your hormones), plus this small act of slowing day helps your body understand how much food it actually needs and can be a beautiful self-care practice to add into your day.
Walk It Out
We sit way too much, myself included! Walking is one of the best ways to lower your cortisol hormone in your body, and is also a great way to clear your mind.
I start every morning with a walk with the dog, when I lived in NYC I walked to work. I’ve also added in a five minute if not longer walk after lunch to help my body digest my food. I also like to walk around my house when I’m on a call, and I do most of my writing from my kitchen counter so that I can stand more often. How can you add in some more movement during the day?
Add You To Your Calendar
I’m serious, so often we schedule everyone and everything else and we rarely have time for us to do the things we enjoy. You can take a mini vacation after work on a Tuesday, go for a long walk at the beach, go home and read, take a bath, it doesn’t have to cost any money to do something that is relaxing and special for you.
Log Off
I’m going to do this way more often, if I log off of social media and email it becomes less tempting for me to mindlessly scroll through everyone’s updates! I have already started this in the evenings, after dinner I turn my phone off and put it away, but I’m going to start leaving my phone home more on the weekends and be in the moment more. Try putting your phone on airplane mode at least an hour before going to sleep, I guarantee you will get a better night’s sleep.
What are some other ways you can take mini breaks and support your health and hormones? I’d love to hear so that we can all find one thing that could really help us stay calm over the summer!
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