#I promise we’ll get back to our regularly scheduled programming once I get some sleep

[naneun-no]

✨New positive self-talk phrase unlocked! ✨

(unrelated to BTS heads up).

I hesitate to even share this 1) because it’s kind of vulnerable and 2) because it’s probably so obvious to so many of you, but I think maybe it could help someone who struggles with a harsh inner critic like I do so here goes. A couple of days ago I started using a new phrase when my inner critic comes out pointing fingers at something I (debatably) didn’t do exactly right, and here’s what it is:

“Ah, I didn’t do it perfectly this time.”

That’s it.

Lemme splain. Like most anxious, highly sensitive people (like many of you probably), I am a perfectionist. Debilitatingly so, sometimes, and it’s really silly, because I KNOW that I cannot achieve perfection. I know it consciously, at least. But subconsciously, the quick as lightning, mean little voice in my head that criticizes me every chance she gets must actually believe it’s possible. And I realized that when I say it out loud it highlights how futile and unrealistic that expectation actually is.

I was walking to my car and noticed that I parked a bit wonky. Not even that bad, I was well within my lines, but it wasn’t perfectly straight like I for some reason expect it should be every time and my little inner critic was like “wow nice parking job dumbass, didn’t your dad teach you to swing wide and cut sharp? What’s wrong with you?” And I just decided to chuckle and say, “ah yeah, I didn’t do it perfectly this time.”

And boom, it was like suddenly the voice in my head was the dumbass, not me. It made the expectation that I could park perfectly every single time sound petty, and very inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, and like something that I could try next time, since I will have countless more opportunities to park my damn car again and it’s literally a nonissue.

Last night I was consolidating expressed breast milk into one bottle, a task I commonly undertake in the dark of the night by light of a kitchen nightlight and while operating on about 2 hours of sleep in the last 24, and I spilled some. It sucked, and breast milk isn’t the easiest for me to come by, and I wanted to actually break down in tears but instead I said, “Ah, I didn’t do it perfectly this time.” And whoosh, what a sense of relief. There’s always next time.

Obviously there are times when that phrase won’t work, when there’s an actual problem and you need to take accountability and figure out how to not do it next time because it causes actual problems, but when it comes to the snarky inner critic?

Make the snarky inner critic look rude, by exposing how unrealistic its expectations really are.

Try it on your inner critic! Or outer critic, next time your mother-in-law or rude family member or friend who’s actually kind of a bully makes a snide little remark about something you didn’t do perfectly. Cause at the end of the day, you did it, and that’s a hell of a lot better than the alternatives.

[howellrichard]

The Secret to Creating Healthy Habits that Stick

Hiya Gorgeous!

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say we’ve all struggled to create and/or keep healthy habits that help us feel better—body and spirit. At one point or another, most of us have probably wished for a quick fix—a straightforward formula that’ll get us from A (pre-habit) to B (vibrant health and a little more ease in our lives).

Starting and maintaining healthy habits can feel like an uphill battle (the kind with steep cliffs and sweaty pits). It’s no wonder many of us end up searching for ways to hack the path to point B. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a magic habit wand.

That said, developing sustainable routines that support you doesn’t have to be so hard. Magic wands may be a bust, but there IS a secret sauce. And once you learn it, you’ll never approach healthy habits the same way again.

Here’s an important truth: the real key to cultivating the life you want is actually a lot simpler (and a lot less popular to talk about!). That’s what my 5 pillars of wellness are about, and we’re gonna explore what that means in just a bit.

But let’s pause for a special announcement—I can’t keep this to myself any longer!

Quick sidebar: If this habits chat is resonating with you so far, then you’re gonna love my 5-Day Back-to-Basics Wellness Boot Camp. This experience includes 5 days of support from me (in your inbox AND via live video broadcasts), a boot camp guide, access to our private community and lots of other fun free gifts to help you break through the barriers blocking you from your vibrant health goals. And we’re going to keep it really simple and make it fun, because I want you to see how just a little effort can take you a long way.

If that sounds like exactly what you need right now, go here to join me for free. Otherwise, keep reading and I’ll give you some more deets later on in this post.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

My 5 Pillars of Wellness: The Foundation for Vibrant Health

So, remember what I said before about there being a secret sauce for creating healthy habits? Well, all of the best sauces start out with a great base… and that’s exactly what the 5 pillars of wellness are all about. Think of the pillars like the tomatoes to your favorite marinara, the avocados to your guac (ok, not technically a sauce, but you get the picture!).

If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, then this might sound familiar. But if you’re new here or just need a reminder, my 5 pillars of wellness are: What you’re eating, drinking and thinking, and how you’re resting and renewing.

Out of all the stuff we can choose to focus our energy on, I’ve found that these five categories have the biggest impact on our overall well-being. In other words, the pillars are must-haves for creating the kind of internal and external environments that allow us to truly thrive.

Let’s break down each pillar so you can get more familiar with how they’ll support you.

What You’re Eating

Is it any surprise that I’m starting here? The produce aisle was my first stop after my cancer diagnosis, after all!

I will never forget the moment in my Healing Cancer World Summit interview with Dwight McKee, MD (a leading integrative oncologist who helps his patients heal from and prevent cancer with proper nutrition) when he said, “Cooking is a survival skill.” Boom.

I couldn’t think of a better way to sum up this first pillar than with those words. Knowing how to nourish our bodies is at the core of health and healing. I’m not talking about deprivation. I’m talking about respecting ourselves by cooking and eating plenty of eating whole, plant-based foods… Reducing inflammation and increasing our joy in the kitchen. Savoring the flavors we love and trying new stuff too—without compromising our health. And ultimately, accessing and trusting our own inner wisdom when it comes to what we eat.

This may sound like a lot to keep track of, but I promise that it’s easier and a lot more fun than you might think. It all starts with eating your veggies. We’ll cover this one day 1 of the boot camp, so go sign up here if this is something you want to work on.

What You’re Drinking

I love having coffee a couple times a week and indulging in the occasional cocktail, but no drink gets me more excited than good old H2O (well, green juice is a close second!).

If you’ve been tuning into my weekly Wellness Wednesday broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram (join me live!), then you know how passionate I am about hydration. And it’s not just because I know how good I feel when I get enough water every day. Dehydration (especially if it’s chronic) can be a serious problem for your health. It can cause fever, low blood pressure, fatigue and even mess with the way your brain functions (source). And you can bet that stuff will stand in the way of those healthy habits you’re working so hard to create.

To find out how much water you should aim to drink every day, divide your body weight (in pounds) by two to get the approximate amount of ounces you need. For those using metrics, divide your weight in kilograms by 30 to determine how many liters of water you need per day.

Psst… here’s a pro tip to get you started on the path to better hydration: If you feel thirsty, chances are you’re already dehydrated (source). Keep sippin’, sweetheart!

What You’re Thinking

Now that we’ve covered the first two pillars of wellness—what you’re eating and drinking—it’s time to talk soul stuff. Because at the end of the day, all the kale and water in the world won’t add up to our healing if we’re out of balance in other areas.

The thinking pillar is about noticing your thoughts, especially the thoughts you have about yourself. It’s about letting go of judgement about your feelings (the good, the bad and everything in between). And perhaps most importantly, it’s about creating healthy habits for managing stress, because that’s the number one catalyst for disease.

Learning how to manage stress and be kinder and more compassionate to yourself is different for everyone (meditation, Tapping, mindful breaks, etc.!). It takes practice. We’ll find what works for you in the boot camp, but here’s something to noodle on in the meantime: If you can change your mind, you can transform your life.

How You’re Resting

The fourth pillar of wellness may sound like a snoozefest, but it’s just as critical to your overall well-being as the rest (heh… pun intended!).

I’ve written so much about sleep because I know that so many folks struggle to get the recommended 7.5-8 hours per night. I hope you’ll check out some of those articles (here’s one of my faves, or just search for “sleep” here on kriscarr.com) but here are some of the need-to-know details:

An estimated 20-40 percent of adults aren’t getting enough sleep. In America alone, 70 million people suffer from some sort of sleep disorder.

Getting sleep is necessary for everything from building your immunity and regulating your appetite, to cleaning out your brain’s waste products and saving your memories (learn more about what happens when you sleep).

Not all sleep is created equal—your bedtime routine and environment can have a huge impact on the quality of your rest.

There’s more to rest than sleep. Taking time to refuel your energy tank while you’re awake is important, too.

Luckily, there’s a lot you can do (minimal effort required) to create healthy habits for sleep. We’ll get there on day 4 of our boot camp!

How You’re Renewing

This last pillar is about two things: movement and play (yup, having fun is part of the pillars!).

Let’s start with exercise. According to the CDC, less than a quarter of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week (source). I’m a firm believer that this isn’t the result of a lack of understanding about the many benefits of movement. It’s really because exercise has an image problem that we desperately need to clean up. If you take nothing else away from this pillar, I hope you’ll remember this: Exercise does not have to be painful. It should be something you actually enjoy doing. You have one beautiful body, treat it with care.

And last, but certainly not least—play! Part of the renewing pillar is to have fun! Allow yourself regular, unstructured free time to follow your whimsy. Enjoy a hobby, see great art, travel, connect with friends and fully recharge. Just because you’re a grown up, doesn’t mean you don’t need playdates. In fact, your soul comes alive through joy. So if you crave a well-lived life, make play a non-negotiable part of your schedule.

Let’s Build Your 5 Pillars Together!

We’ll further unpack each pillar in our 5-Day Back-to-Basics Wellness Boot Camp through simple yet powerful daily micro-actions. Not sure quite what that means? We’ll cover that in the boot camp too, but for now, know this: The easy exercises we’ll explore will help you create the vibrant life you’ve always dreamed of.

This one-of-a-kind live experience is totally free and it starts September 12. That’s THIS Thursday, so go get your cute butt signed up (or at least check this out to get the full scoop)!

I’m so excited because I know in my bones that these 5 days have the power to transform your perspective and overall well-being. And ya know what? You deserve that.

Your turn: Let me know you’re all in for our 5-Day Back-to-Basics Bootcamp by commenting, “I’m in!” below. Mwah!

Peace & pillars of wellness,

The post The Secret to Creating Healthy Habits that Stick appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

[wellpersonsblog]

You Can Have Hard Days

Hi friends!

Real life post alert.  I’ve been in a bit of a funk for the past week or so. There have been some large events and some small events and together they’ve left me feeling allll the emotions – anxious, stressed, conflicted, sad. I’ve been trying to find the words to describe how I’m feeling and haven’t had much luck. In fact, on three separate occasions yesterday I opened up Instagram stories to chat with you guys about it but I held back.

And then at 8pm last night, I finally sat down for the day to read blog posts and I read Julie’s post – One of “Those” Days – and you guys, it was like I could have written the freaking thing myself. She writes, much better than I ever will, about how sometimes it’s difficult as a blogger to share about the average days. The ones that aren’t good….but aren’t horrible…they’re just blah.

A lot of times it’s easy to talk about bigger events.

There have definitely been some big events in the past week. As some of you may know, last Wednesday we had to put down one of our dogs. While I had lost childhood pets, this was the first time I’d lost one of “my” pets as an adult. We got him when he was 3 months old and had him for 9 years. And you guys, it hurts. So much more than I ever thought it would. I struggled with everything from the expected things like missing him greeting me when I came home and having to explain death to my almost 3-year-old, to the unexpected things like mistaking our black laundry hamper for him out of the corner of my eye.

And then, on Sunday, my uncle (and godfather) passed away after a short battle with cancer. He was only 60 years old and my cousin, his youngest daughter, is getting married in two weeks. My heart aches for her (and the rest of their family) in a way I can’t even explain. His funeral is taking place on what would have been my aunt and uncle’s 38th wedding anniversary.

Those are big things. They’re sad. They’re messy. But they’re easier to write about.

Then there are the little things. The things that may seem big in the moment…but in the grand scheme of things, really are small. This week has been full of them.

Like that fact that Monday was seemingly endless. It involved a myriad of errands that were made infinitely more difficult by the fact that I had to drag two kids along with me and get both of them in and out of their car seats 100 times. And then both kids spent the afternoon taking turns screaming at the top of their lungs and I got no work done. Those days are hard.

Real life ‍♀️ All the tears Rough day for everyone Fresh start tomorrow

A post shared by Lindsay L, RD (@theleangreenbean) on Sep 11, 2017 at 6:02pm PDT

But you know what’s also hard? Being someone who desperately wishes they had those two screaming kids to tote around.

Or the fact that on Tuesday, I was rushing around running errands to get ready to go out of town for the funeral and feeling slightly panicked about taking my kids on a plane for the first time. That was stressful.

But you know what’s also stressful? Having to deal with the fact that your dad just died.

Or the fact that I’m annoyed that my house seems to constantly be a mess, no matter what I do. And I can’t keep up with the dishes or the pet hair no matter how hard I try. It’s a never-ending battle.

But you know what else is a battle? Every day, for all the people in Texas and Florida who don’t have houses anymore right now thanks to the hurricanes.

I’m not exactly sure what the point of all this is other than here’s the thing. Having hard days is normal. Everyone’s life is messy.

My kitchen constantly has enough dishes lined up to fill the dishwasher again before I even get around to emptying the clean ones. My entire house is covered in pet hair. On any given day there are 3 days worth of cups, cans and bottles on the end tables in my living room. Our playroom so messy you can barely walk through it, but most nights I go to bed without cleaning it up because…what’s the point?

At least once a week I go two days without showering and wear the same shirt. And sometimes, after a long day, when the baby is finally sleeping, I put on the tv for my wild and crazy toddler and hope that I can fall asleep for 5 minutes in the chair next to him.

Most days I question my ability to be a good mom at least once.

But no matter who you are, there will be hard days. Days when your kids are complete nightmares. Days when you lose someone you love. There will be good days and bad days, stressful days and happy days. And there will always be people who are worse off than you.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t have rough days. It doesn’t trivialize your problems OR theirs. I live in Ohio, where we’ll never be directly hit by a hurricane. I can sympathize, and go to Costco and stock up on supplies to help those who have been hit by one, while still struggling with the fact that my own house can be overwhelming at times.

I can love and support my family through the loss of a loved one while still getting stressed about taking two young kids on their first and second plane rides. And I can have hard days with my kids while still empathizing with those who are struggling to have kids of their own.

Me struggling with stuff in my life does not trivialize what is going on in the lives of others.

I guess this all stems from the fact that I was having a tough week, made tougher by the fact that I was feeling like I didn’t have a right to complain because other people had it worse.

But the fact is, the circumstances of others don’t change mine. We can all have hard days. And we will.

And in the end, all you can do is your best. So I’ll continue to try to be the best person I can be. I’ll choose to focus mostly on the good and work hard to embrace the things I have control over and accept the things I don’t. I’ll support those around me who are struggling and also acknowledge my own struggles.

That’s real life. That’s normal. And that’s ok.

We’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week. I promise I have at least 3 recipes tested and photographed, just waiting to be shared. But for now, this is me writing out what I need to hear…and sharing it with all of you in hopes that it will bring comfort to someone else as well.

–Lindsay–

    The post You Can Have Hard Days appeared first on The Lean Green Bean.

First found here: You Can Have Hard Days