Stimuli

Do you ever REALLY look in the mirror?  Do you recognize the person staring back at you?  Is there a disconnect between what you look like and how you feel?  There are many reasons why you might not completely identify with your reflection.  Stress, lack of sleep, the natural aging process, lack of regular self care and even just the nature of being a parent is reflected in your appearance.  A demanding job, having kids and de-prioritizing yourself can easily lead to you taking care of everyone and everything else other than yourself.  It can be all too easy to lose a sense of who you are and even what you look like!  Really, who  wants to notice the bags under our eyes, the extra weight that we may have put on, the natural aging process that is inevitable? Perhaps, in the case of being a parent, it’s the designer clothing that you have forgone for the comfort clothes that are often worse for wear

As we “grow up” we assume more responsibility, leading to more demands being put on our time, which can make it challenging to prioritize ourselves.  We also get comfortable.  If you are in a committed relationship and are not really trying to impress anyone (because of the unconditional love you have rightfully earned) it’s easy to “get comfortable” and just do what’s easy.  BUT, is easy the best thing for us?  Do you remember what it was like when you first met someone you really cared about or a time in your life where you really had to prove yourself?  Do you recall all the effort that went into the attraction process?  I certainly do and I’m going to guess that many of us spent some time on looking good and taking care of ourselves, because it put us in a better position.   At the very least, taking care of ourselves simply makes us feel good, would you agree?  Now I’m not about to suggest that we all become self-obsessed, but I am going to suggest that it is important to take the time to regularly make yourself number one on your list.  It may not be ALL about the clothing, hair and makeup now, but how about some good quality self care.

It’s amazing what a good sleep and plenty of water can do for our complexion and our energy levels.  If your energy is feeling zapped and you feel more like 50 than 35, then take a look at your eating habits.  Do you eat regularly throughout the day, every 2-4 hours?  Make sure you include foods like nuts, seeds, whole grain breads, quinoa, wild rice, yogurt, tofu, cheese, fish, chicken, legumes and colorful whole fruits and veggies in your diet to feel the greatest benefit.  How about your activity level? Do you get regular exercise?  There are so many benefits to getting active.  Not only will you have more energy but you will notice a huge improvement in how you look and feel. 

I know the challenge though, how do we fit it all in???  With work, family, school, activities and life all top priorities, it can be hard to make our health one of them.  Sometimes it just takes a shift in our thinking to realize the value of our own personal wellness and that it deserves to be scheduled into our lives.  If we aren’t performing at our best, your family life and even our job performance can suffer.  If we don’t have energy, are constantly fighting sickness or are too stressed to enjoy time with our family and friends, is our life as fulfilling as it SHOULD be?  We only get to live this life once so CHOOSE to make the most of it.  In as little as 3 hours per week you could increase your energy, notice physical changes , decrease your incidence of sickness and reduce your stress significantly simply by committing to some kind of physical activity that you enjoy.  Everyone around us benefits when we are a good role model, when we emanate health and when we feel good about ourselves.  With a little planning, determination to commit and the mindset that we deserve to take some time to be healthy, EVERYONE can make it work.  It may not involve designer clothing and being perfectly primped, but feeling good about the person staring back at you in the mirror is certainly worth the effort.

We’d like to help one Stimuli reader change what they see in the mirror with a chance to win a FREE Fitness and Nutrition consultation. We’ll help you create a healthy living action plan that’s design right for you.
To enter, please post a comment on this editorial. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 15th.

If you don’t win the contest and need help with designing a healthy living action plan, please contact Andrea to get started today at life-designs.ca.

by Andrea Ferguson
Contributor