I use an app called co-star that sends me a sometimes-ambiguous daily statement based on my horoscope.
Today’s hit me a little differently.
“Your body is, first and foremost, a dwelling.”
So naturally I wanted you to dig deeper into what co-star is trying to tell me here so I googled “dwelling.”
The first thing that pops up is that a dwelling is a home — where someone lives.
And I just started thinking.
As moms we give so much of our bodies and our energy to our kids. This is the nature of the job, and I’m here for it.
We, as moms, need reminding that our bodies are ours first and foremost.
We have one body to live with, one dwelling, one space.
The shape we keep it in impacts our day to day life. Our thoughts, our emotions, our level of overwhelm, our feelings of well-being.
In our homes, we get rid of clutter, take out the trash, keep the space as clean as possible, and we feel so much better when the work is done. Maintaining that feeling is, of course, an ongoing task.
But why not apply the same practice to the dwelling that is our body?
Get rid of the clutter in your mind, feed your body nourishing foods, think happy positive thoughts, stay hydrated, and truly maintain a pleasant dwelling. Just as housework, this will be a journey, an ongoing task to maintain.
And we will have so much to show for it.
Our children, especially in the very beginning, are so heavily dependent on us. We give so much of ourselves to them, but how much of ourselves do we have available to give?
The better we take care of ourselves, the more we have available to give.
We fill our cup so it can overflow and fill the cup of others.
This is the major, overarching topic I cover in my signature online course, Thriving Momma Blueprint.
Surviving isn’t good enough, we deserve to thrive.
We will be happier, and by extension, so will our kiddos.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself, momma.
Your body is, first and foremost, a dwelling.
Your body was not designed to become ill.
When we take care of our bodies, our bodies take care of us.
“Cold and Flu” is not a season.
High sugar intake is a season with buckets of Halloween candy, desserts on Thanksgiving, events surrounded by Christmas cookies, sweets at every holiday gathering, chocolates on Valentine’s Day & more desserts for Easter.
High stress is a season with family members who don’t get along, celebrations to coordinate among multiple households, perfect presents to find, money that shouldn’t be spent, food to prepare, shopping to do, places to be & schedules that are packed.
When we get busy, self care is the first thing to go. Morning lemon water, yoga stretches, regular sleep, nutritious breakfasts, veggies throughout the day, sufficient water intake.
70% of your immune system is in your gut. Nourishing your gut health is a top priority when it comes to maintaining a thriving immune system.
Probiotic before bed THEN 8oz lemon water right out of bed THEN protein for breakfast THEN morning coffee (organic, if you can). (This is my favorite probiotic and this is my favorite gut-loving coffee.)
Manage your stress with time carved out just for you. 10 minutes first thing in the morning before the day starts, 15 minutes before crawling into bed. However it works best in your schedule.
Quiet your mind. Read a chapter in a book for pleasure. Look up a video for some gentle yoga. Sit in stillness and pray or meditate. Go for a walk around the block. (This is my current favorite quick yoga video.)
Turn off your phone. Keep the screens off for a while. Don’t check your notifications first thing in the morning. Start your day slowly.
As tempting as it may be, limit sugary, processed foods as much as possible. These wreak havoc on your gut, which means they wreak havoc on your immune system.
Stay active during colder months. Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Prioritize Vitamin D levels and water intake. (This is my favorite Vitamin D supplement and this is what I carry my water around in.)
And irony of ironies, worrying about getting sick makes you more susceptible to getting sick.
If you’re not convinced your mind and your gut are at all related, just think of any scenario where you've seen or smelled something that made you sick to your stomach.
My husband is a huge WWII buff, so there I was watching Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf plowing through Germany in a tank. Percy Jackson showed up as a newbie and had to clean the tank out as a sort of initiation. I'll spare you the gory details, but things he saw and smelled in there made him physically ill. It reminded me just how connected the mind is to the digestive system.
That’s just one example of how our minds and guts are constantly communicating with each other. So it makes sense that our mental state can affect our digestive system in other ways too.
Stress, anxiety and depression can all lead to gastrointestinal issues, wreaking havoc on the gut. And what happens when our gut is out of whack? Eczema flare ups. Then we get stressed or anxious about our eczema and it turns into a vicious cycle.
There’s a strong link between the mind and the gut, and it’s important to keep both in balance. Stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation and deep breathing can help maintain good gut health.
Even more, do you find yourself being negative or complaining a lot? Making the extra effort to see the good in things rather than focusing on the bad can do wonders for your mental health - and therefore, your physical health. You'll be happier, and by extension you'll be healthier!
I challenge you to do ONE thing today that will make you happier, and see how that feels in your body.
Then try it again tomorrow. And the next day. Soon I'll be willing to bet you feel a huge difference.
If you liked this article, please share it! And if you have any questions or comments, leave them below! I’d love to hear from you.
You’ve heard the cliche before. Becoming a mother changes you. It’s a cliche for a reason — there’s truth to it.
Having had my son, I know a love I’ve never known before. A love no one can know until they experience it for themselves. I have a responsibility I never had before. A purpose I never felt before.
Despite so much that’s changed, I still love being a health coach — talking about simple changes anyone can make to create real benefit in their life and therefore living a healthier, happier & longer life. Especially talking about naturally and holistically kicking eczema to the curb, since that’s what I struggled with for years.
But it got me thinking about my brand. And it all really started with a blanket I bought for my baby.
When you see the image of sun rays like the one above, what do you think of - a sunrise or a sunset?
When I first bought this blanket for my son, there was never a doubt in my mind it was a sunrise. But then I got thinking it could just as easily be a sunset.
Why did my mind automatically think sunrise when it could just as easily be a sunset? Because of what a sunrise means to me. A sunrise represents a new day, new opportunities, light after dark, fresh starts, endless possibilities, clean slates..
Every day is a new opportunity to make a healthier choice. Just because you fell out of your exercise routine, eating habits, meditation practice, etc. does not mean you can’t jump back in whenever suits you and your season of life. Give yourself grace and be constantly striving for your own personal best.
All that to say: my logo now sports a sunrise. The more I thought about what a sunrise represents, the more I loved it. Waking with the sun, living by the elements, represents a balanced life to me.
I want my clients, followers, friends to feel like optimal health is attainable for them no matter where they are in their journey. If you’re at the beginning or somewhere in the middle, there’s always a new chance for a new goal to be set, but you must also give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself. Talk to yourself like you would your best friend.
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here where you'll find a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training and more!
First, let me say I’m not an expert in this. We all have room for improvement, and yes — I still use some single use items, and I’m sure you will too. The idea isn’t perfection. The goal is just improvement. Any eco friendly swap here and there makes a difference.
3 of the easiest things I do to minimize how much waste my family and I produce are:
1. Use reusable water bottles (glass & stainless steel are my preferences) that you refill at home instead of using plastic bottled water from the store
- Not only is drinking out of glass or stainless steel much better for your health than the plastic bottles, but this produces much less waste!
- If for some reason you need to use plastic bottled water, at least do your very best to recycle the bottle when you’re done!
2. Store food in glass containers (mason jars, pyrex dishes) rather than ziploc bags
- Food tastes better being stored in glass anyway!
- I’ll admit I still use ziploc bags for certain things. I definitely prefer to store food in glass, but sometimes I run out of containers or what I’m trying to store is just too big for the container I have available, etc. Also when packing a lunch, weight is taken into account.
- Using glass containers where you can is better than using plastic bags all the time! Remember, any reduction of waste is worth it!
3. Bring your own reusable grocery bags to the store
- We all have the infamous plastic grocery bag of plastic grocery bags - am I right?? Do we really need more? Bringing your own grocery bags into the store with you eliminates the accumulation of extra plastic bags that we don’t need.
- I do like to keep some plastic grocery bags on hand for household use! I line the bathroom trash cans with them and use them for other “waste” type purposes - without getting graphic :)
- When I don’t have my reusable bags with me, I choose paper over plastic when I have the choice. I’ll reuse paper grocery bags too, and I actually prefer them over plastic most of the time. Not to mention the paper bags are biodegradable where the plastic bags are not.
Remember, this isn’t an all or nothing kind of thing, and there are so many other things you can do to love the earth! What are some things you do to reduce the amount of waste you and your family produce? Tell me in the comments below!
If you loved this blog post, there's more where that came from in my free Facebook group here. You'll want to get in there now because that's where I'll be launching a 5 Day Eczema Relief Training very soon!
Want to get a head start? You can also grab my new guide on 5 Steps to Taming an Eczema Flare Up here!
