For your body, mind and heart.
We always have a choice but did you ever think that anti-oxidants and treat would be in the same sentence? We normally think either / or… but when we WANT to take better care of ourselves we need to shift our thinking to AND.
Change your habits? Change your mind!
One of the habits that is the most challenging for most people is to treat ourselves with kindness. We are so hard on ourselves and all day long we push and perform, but we don’t treat ourselves in a way that supports our efforts. At some point we all break and need to retreat, recover and recharge.
Problem is when we feel burned out, that we have not had a break for awhile or that we have not done well enough. That is often when the treat becomes a mis-treat, because there is that little voice inside that says… you could have and should have. That is the moment that kills all our good intentions for self-care and healthy choices.
Inner critic to inner coach.
That little voice inside takes us from self-love to self-loathing, that takes us away from how we treat ourselves with respect, care and honor. But what if we started with kindness instead?
It can seem like a lot to ask, but for now, just think of your best friend, and speak to yourself the way you would speak to your dear friend.
What I am asking you to do is to start having a relationship with your inner critic that is based in understanding and compassion. Don’t start rejecting your inner critic! That is just one more rejection of yourself; and anyway, your inner critic is doing that all the time already. This is about self-acceptance!
- Start learning when “it” comes up, and maybe even give it a name from a cartoon or something that will make you smile.
- Notice how it makes you feel when you are hard on yourself. You might notice your body has a reaction, like a tightening of the stomach or the feeling of a stone bearing down on your chest.
- Think about what you would love to hear instead. What are the acknowledging, caring, loving words you would love for someone to say to you?
- Say those words to yourself… and if that is hard for you now, at least come to realize what they are.
- Notice how those words feel in your body when you say or focus on them.
Try checking in with your inner conversations, and create an inner friend who is always there for you, even when you get on your own case. It’s a bit like staging a conversation between your inner gremlin and your heart and soul. Your heart and soul want to break through! The little voice from your heart and soul is what we want to get stronger. The loving voice that tells you to “go for it,” “try it,” “believe in yourself.” The one that knows that you will “be there for you.” This is about learning to love and support yourself from the inside, rather than expecting others to do so for you. Granted, it‘s very nice to have a support circle, but first learn to love and support yourself. If you don’t support yourself, it will be hard for you to accept others doing so, which in the end leaves you with no support… Let’s turn that around NOW.
This is an excerpt from step 2 in the online program – for more join me here.
And now to that healthy and nourishing treat I promised you:
ANTIOXIDANT POPSICLES
Ingredients for 3 Popsicles
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1/2 cup of beets
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of grapefruit juice
Method:
Put all ingredients in a blender and then add to a popsicle mold. Freeze and then enjoy while knowing you can be healthy and feel nourished at the same time.
If you want to learn more about how to integrate the AND sign up for my online program, which is about the food knowledge and mindfulness that you need so you can change your habits for good.