This week, I’ve been tuning into all of the livestreams provided to our fitness coaching community by our amazing company leaders. A few years ago I went to this conference in person in Indianapolis and had the time of my life. It lit up a lot of hopes and dreams inside of me that I may not have realized were in there, fighting to make their way to the surface. I’m a junkie for these kinds of events now! The sparks, the BELIEF, the hope, the energy, the positivity, the love — there is truly nothing like it.
One particular gold nugget (from a gold mine!) from one of our trainings keeps replaying in my head:
“When you help a mama, you help a family.”
My fellow ladies who are moms — you know what bearing the mental load feels like!!
It’s insane.
Moms go THROUGH it.
To name some (and tell me if this sounds familiar), we worry about:
Our postpartum bodies
Our pre-baby clothes
Our pre-baby LIVES & identities
Milestones
Appointments
Do they eat enough?
Do they drink enough?
Are there chemicals in that?
Are they choking?
Do they poop enough?
Are they sick?
Is the laundry done?
What’s for dinner?
What’s for lunch?
What do I buy for groceries this week?
Should I be contributing more to my family?
Should I be spending more time with my kids?
Should they know the alphabet and numbers already?
How many appointments are coming up this week?
How will I have the time?
And on and on and on and ON it goes.
Those thoughts and more take place just while sipping coffee in the AM 🤪
But WHERE ON THE LIST is:
Am I okay?
Am I prioritizing my needs?
Am I truly happy where I am?
Am I fulfilled?
Us mamas tend to take care of everyone else in the household while not giving ourselves enough loving attention. I’m not saying that dads don’t do this, but I CAN guarantee that all of the things moms are thinking and worrying about constantly, are NOT what dads are thinking about constantly.
When you help a mama, you help a family.
Friends, you have to recharge!!
I do what I do as a fitness coach because I want all the women out there to see the type of growth that I KNOW can happen when YOU realize what you are capable of.
How good it feels to be a part of something so big and uplifting.
What confidence looks and feels like.
What strength and health REALLY mean.
The positive impact YOU can have on others, too.
When you help a mama, you help a family.
I know what it feels like to need help, and if that’s you right now, that is A-okay! Congrats, you’re totally normal.
You owe it to YOU, and to the people who mean the most to you, to go get it.
I’d like to share some ways that you can show yourself some love and attention!
1. Treat Yourself
Okay, yes, everyone thinks of this one first most likely. The ol’ bubble bath with a bath bomb, face mask, glass of wine and a lit candle = Self-Care.
The “cheat dessert”.
Right?!
Sure, if that’s really what relaxes your tension!
But I’d like to expand on some other things that qualify as self-care outside that pretty bubble bath that you can do to feel good!
Do something that makes you feel fancy
Like a mani/pedi, a facial, a new hairstyle (YouTube and Pinterest have unlimited ideas and tutorials!), grab a drink with a friend at the fancy lounge you’ve never been to but have been eying the vibe. If it makes you feel like a bad bitch, like Carrie Bradshaw, like the decor is everything you want inside your own house — go to THAT place and enjoy yourself!! Bonus points if there’s dancing.
We spend a lot of time in messy buns and yoga pants and dang it, if it makes you feel like your best YOU to get a little glam, then by all means, be fancy.
Get a massage
It’s not just for muscles; it’s for calm, quiet, total relaxation, pressure points, and stress relief, just to name a few!
Buy yourself something that enhances your life
I like using the example of one good outfit personally because finding something you feel amazing in and fits you just right (make sure the clothes fit YOU, not the other way around!) just makes you feel like a badass when you wear it! But whether that’s a piece of jewelry that you love, a kettlebell or a bigger set of dumbbells, a kitchen gadget, an educational course, or an experience — if it brings you joy and you are able, treat yo’self to the thing that REALLY makes you happy. Something that you will get USE out of for a long time to come, something that you feel will really enhance your life, not just an ad that pulled you in in the moment.
Meditate
The benefits of meditation are SO plentiful, it’s crazy! We wouldn’t be US without our brains and all the many things it allows us to see, feel, process, create, learn, choose, among many many other abilities. Meditation is kind of part of a “balanced diet” for your brain and I’d be willing to bet that most people don’t do it. I’ve noticed our society also becoming more impatient, more angry, more violent, too. Just sayin’… I wish there’d be like guided meditation station on the FM that people could tune into at any time of the day. Integrated into the workplace, a morning must.
Meditation serves as an awesome way to reset in just 10 minutes. I suggest finding a guided meditation on YouTube or through an app like Calm or Headspace. The fitness app I use has a few different options for guided meditation as well, and you can try it out for free here.
That thing that’s been bothering you? Get it checked out!
There is no reason why we should go through life with all these “I wonders” if they are bothering us, worrying us, seriously inhibiting us, or risky to put off, we have to prioritize ourselves for like, just a minute.
If you are worried about it and it’s affecting your happiness constantly, get over the fear, and go get an answer!
Unplug
The 80’s are calling (on their landline, obviously) and they want their simpler living back!
There is no doubt about it that while there are lots of great and amazing things that technology brings to the table, there are also a lot of unprecedented difficulties that come along with it.
If it’s too much, too negative, too addicting — turn it off!
And just be for a while.
You always ALWAYS should have the ability to unplug if you need to.
Therapy
Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help if you need it! They are trained to teach you coping skills and help you to understand yourself better. That’s definitely gonna fall in the self-care bucket!
2. Feed Your Mind: Consume Personal Development
Turn off the things that bring you stress or overwhelm and get your learn on. If you don’t feel at least a little empowered when you’re done, then keep reading! Or find something else that addresses a specific issue you have or are feeling stress about.
PS — I started a book club for my fellow ladies to read the books and apply the lessons if you need the accountability and would like to spend a liiiiittle more time digesting the info and doing the work! I cannot stress enough what personal development has done for my life, and for the lives I surround myself with every day. FIRM believer that we can unlock a lot of potential through these books!
3. Step Into Fitness
Obviously, this area is kind of my thing. It’s one of my most cherished F-words.
I want people to take a different view on fitness. “Fit” is not a word that only applies to a person with washboard abs, can run a triathlon or has some special ability that you don’t think you can do.
You just need to be in a healthy state of mind and body and that’s going to happen through proper diet, exercise, consistency and a true investment/commitment to yourself to be the best version of you.
First, don’t draw a line in your head separating you, and an image of what you think “fit” is. If you do this, you will consistently see fitness as unreachable and intangible. You will tell yourself all kinds of things that keep you from trying: that your knees are too bad, it’s too hard, you have too little time, you’re too old, too young or untouchable to have anything to worry about, too tired over and over and the worst part is that YOU WILL BELIEVE IT.
Physical fitness can be built over time. A lot of it is not easy, but it is worth it.
Mental fitness can be built over time. A lot of it is not easy, but it is worth it.
There is no reason that most of us cannot take steps, however small, to improve ourselves and our health.
At the company I work with, we believe with all of our hearts — because we SEE it and LIVE it day in and day out! — that through the small actions that start today, unbelievable things can be built. We offer support, knowledge, trainings, community, short but effective workouts that can fit into just about any lifestyle, complete nutrition solutions, and we never stop sharing the message that your health and happiness are worth the effort.
If you aren’t lifting yourself up and treating yourself right, who will?
I can help you take control of your fitness if you’re willing!
There is no one way to do it — I just want to help you find the thing you can stick with, that works, and that you truly enjoy!
4. Your Circle
You ever had a group chat with your besties pop off just when you needed a good laugh with them the most?
Ever had a night full of laughter, something that fills your belly, great stories, and ends with a lot of hugging?
Ever vented to a friend who helped you navigate any range of situations?
Got a partner who can make you smile through your tears?
Feel nostalgia and joy when you smell a kitchen where you spent a lot of time growing up and spent UNDISTRACTED time with your family, laughing over a good game of cards?
Ever had a mentor in your life call you out on a hard lesson?
Are you a part of any community groups that share support and love, where you feel you can talk about just about anything?
Who do you look to when you just need to feel better?
Go to those people, and lean the heck in!
Your circle should want to see you win. Your circle should clap the loudest when you have good news. If they don’t, get a new circle.
5. Spread the Love
When you stop comparing
hating
complaining
wishing
judging
forcing
putting your energy toward people and feelings that just make you feel some kinda crappy way
and you can come from a place of kindness? You start cheering for others, maintaining healthy boundaries, congratulating, celebrating, and loving on people? Man, I’m here to tell you — it will spread like wildfire.
Don’t cloud your vision with negativity!
I’m not saying not to feel the feels and deal with normal negative emotions, but you can search for joy and BE the joy too! It all comes back around.
I’ve discovered that the more love and joy I pour into others, the more I experience in my own life.
Lysa TerKeurst
When you help a mama, you help a family.
Whatever you need to do to be 1% better, please, do that thing.
The effects of this just may lead you, AND those you love, to something big.
