Are you building a thriving business, or pursuing your passion by working long hours and staying late at the office? Whether this passion of yours has taken you months or years to build, it may be time to take a look at the toll it may also be taking on your mental and physical health.
I think self-care is key to living our best lives as well as evolving to be our best self. In fact, it may be the reason one is able to continue to thrive while working on your own business, or as an employee working for a company. Understanding where you are mentally and physically may be hard to understand when we are in the throws of doing what we love. Taking good care or self-care is more than just physical. What I believe might be most importantly more than anything, is actually taking the time to figure out our mental health, as it may be more connected to our physical self than we even realize.
One might ask, what does self-care have to do with running a business? Well actually, I think quite a bit. When you are busy working, whether it is your own business or not, some of us have other roles to play as well...
(Mom, wife, another job...etc), it is important that we don't forget the most important person in this equation....yes, you!
I think self-care looks different for each of us. What may be relaxing for one person might feel frustrating or silly for another. Some basic self-care ideas from meditation to yoga or cleaning up our diets, as well as, exercise and understanding basic nutritional needs would be an ideal solution.
I think that in the world of fashion, travel, blogging, and photography, there might be lots of preparation needed to be done. Understanding and actually practicing self-care can be crucial when it comes to preparation for a photoshoot, interview or video production. Whether you are the model, photographer or the creative writer responsible for the fashion articles, I realize that this can take many revamped drafts and many hours of editing. Drinking lots of caffeine, and possibly not drinking enough water or receiving basic nutrients to nourish our minds and body, can be a common habit during these stressful times.
We are all different. By learning to care for yourself, what works for you and being your authentic self, you can be better equipped to take the first step in your own self-care routine. Below are some creative and hopefully helpful, self-care regimes to help prepare you for an upcoming event or “gig”, whether it’s modeling, photography, writing or just wanting to be more self-aware.
1. Celery Juice
If everyone understood the potent healing properties of celery juice it might be deemed as a miraculous superfood. Celery juice can be a saving grace when it comes to anything such as chronic illness, mystery illness, calming inflammation, hydration, and even weight loss. Celery juice has amazing physical healing aspects which include: flushing toxins from the liver, releasing any weight and easing digestion to aid in less bloating. It’s also known for its incredible emotional and spiritual connections to the body. We all tend to hold a lot of emotion in our guts. This may cause feelings of abdominal tightness, bloating, digestive issues as well as anxiety. Celery juice may put our mind and heart at ease during these stressful times. It has been known for its calming effects when we may be frightened, panicky, shocked, nervous or feeling defensive.
To help aid in a healing process and improve not only your mental health but physical self as well, try drinking a 16 oz glass of celery juice on an empty stomach first thing each morning. Make sure its fresh, organic (if possible) celery juice with no other added ingredients, so it will give you its full benefits and effects. The best and freshest results come from the celery being juiced in a juicer and then drinking it immediately on an empty stomach. Wait 30 minutes, if you can, before putting anything else in your body. This gives it time for the magic to start happening.
2. Plant-Based Nutrition
I think there is something to be said about "cleaning up" one's diet. We are nurturing from the inside out and actually cleaning up the inside of our bodies. There are many reasons people try plant-based diets. One of those reasons is not only to feel better but in some cases, we might believe we will look better too. Before I go further on this, let me start by saying food is health and wellness. We all need it to survive. Restrictions, based on our own individual concerns, may or may not be healthy, mentally or physically.
We all want to feel and look our best. If one might be strutting the catwalk, as well as being photographed in a few weeks or even days, then this sense of stress might be heightened even more. Switching to a plant-based diet for a few days or even a week before, we are then going to give our bodies a chance to detoxify, flush out any bacteria and really reduce bloating with all the fruits one would be consuming. Fruits and vegetables contain a ton of water and fiber and with this combination, it can be both filling and satisfying. When our bodies stop eating simple carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, cookies, and even gluten, we may lose water weight. When we increase our water and fiber intake, this is a double-dip for weight loss in the water department. Bad carbohydrates soak up the water in our bodies and may tend to hang on to it. Fruits and veggies that are high in water content help pull and flush liquid and water out of the body. This can potentially help to keep you looking leaner and feeling lighter. Most meats may cause bloating, as it's very high in protein and fats. If we do not have enough water to break down the protein and flush out the fat, then our bodies may possibly hang on to this for up to 2 days until full digestion can take place.
Plant Based Diet ~ Fad or Fact?
3. Exercise
Moderation.....I think we hear this word used often, possibly for most things in life. The definition of moderation according to the dictionary is "The avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior". When our bodies begin an intense exercise regime, for example, results can come quickly but not for long. If you have a photo shoot coming up, runway walk or a modeling gig, I would suggest keeping things simple and in moderation, if you are thinking about a few extra "toning" exercises.
Here is why I believe less might be best:
Exercising to relax has become quite popular. Things such as yoga, pilates, swimming and even walking in nature are all considered low to no-impact exercise. If we are already the type of people who work out 5 times a week with weights, cardio and maybe the odd boot camp, this could be challenging to cut back.
The number of hormones we release when stressed, both physically and mentally, can be a lot. Naturally, when our muscles are being stressed, our body's may become inflamed. This can sometimes cause water retention, the look of fullness and other things you may not want to have while walking in a fashion show or posing for a photoshoot session. I’d suggest starting light by walking for 30-40 minutes, yoga for strength and toning or the odd boot camp class once a week. Just try to keep it simple. Slow and steady wins the race!
I also believe that sometimes we can get so caught up in chasing, what we believe success is, as well as our goals, that we might forget to slow down and enjoy the process of this journey. I am all for a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Sometimes, this may be easier said than done. Extremes with anything in life may tend to take over and consume not only our physical selves but or mental selves as well. We may all be looking for our passions and purpose, however, sometimes we might spend too much time making that our priority in life, and in turn, our own health may suffer. With neglecting ourselves, It can affect our bodies, physically and mentally on a much deeper level then we may all really understand. If we find we are feeling really tired, run down and just not ourselves, we should try taking small steps each day to address this. Even taking an hour each day for yourself can make a big difference.
Take care, mind, body, spirit, and emotions.
___________________________
Living Well with Chanelle
www.livingwellwithchanelle.com
R.H.N (Registered Holistic Nutritionist)
C.P.T (Certified Personal Trainer)
