There’s A LOT of health and wellness information out there. It can be pretty overwhelming, particularly if you are looking for a quick fix or a silver bullet, but there is no quick fix. Committing to your good health and to your self-care is part of a life-long journey. Why not enjoy it? 

Good health and wellness doesn’t mean turning your life upside down. Developing a neurosis around food and exercise and "suffering" day in and day out is NOT the way to get healthy. Getting healthy is more about creating the time and space to look at your health differently and then setting up new patterns of self-care that work for you, not against you. 

THERE IS NO ONE SIZE THAT FITS ALL when it comes to self-care.  Slow down and Take the time to figure out what is right for you. Everyone is different. What works for another doesn’t mean it will work for you. 

Try to look at healthy choices as positive changes that you are in control of and not as punishments. Healthy choices come loaded with rewards - like happiness and energy and all sorts of warm fuzzies - that keep you pointed in the right direction, towards Healthy and Happy and Strong.

It’s always a little rough-going at the start as you get used to changes but don’t worry, those "early days" soon pass. Once you get in to the rhythm of it, feeling good is a whole lot of fun.  

If you're not exactly sure why you aren't feeling so good, then “press pause,” assess your life, and make some realistic changes where you know you can succeed. Did you know you can make yourself healthier in a matter of seconds? Yep, just by making that first positive choice. From there on, it’s just one healthy, happy choice after another. SMALL changes lead to HUGE improvements in your health and happiness, one step at a time. Take the slow road and enjoy the journey.

The slow approach to your health will give you time to monitor the impact of changes and figure out what works best for you. Only you know what makes you feel good and strong. Below are some “Slow Road” tips on how to "JUST UN-DO IT" from Good Girl Go.

PATIENCE

Give yourself the gift of Time. You deserve it. Good Health is not a quick fix so make sure to keep your expectations in check.

It takes a long time to get UN-healthy. Getting healthy can take a long time, too, but don’t be put off by a timeline: you really can enjoy the journey to wellness, especially when you take the slow road.

Savor the practice of getting to know your body, and indeed your soul better - one step at a time.

CHIP AWAY AT THINGS TO BUILD THEM UP

Focus on possible root causes, one at a time – your diet, your stress levels, your sleep patterns, your spiritual practices and your exercise routines. Don't overwhelm yourself by making too many changes all at once. Focus on one area and “JUST UNDO IT.” Experiment by adding or taking things away. Keep a journal and note what you eat and when; how you sleep and when; how you feel physically and emotionally...and don't forget to write about your poops, too. ;) 

POWER UP and POWER DOWN

TOO MUCH STRESS or NO STRESS AT ALL? Balance your ‘power ups’ with your ‘power downs’ so your body can stay aligned with a natural rhythm. You might love your go-go-go non-stop rhythm because it’s so thrilling. You might not even feel stressed-out because you totally love what you’re doing…and that’s a great thing. Don’t ever give that up. Having a passion for whatever you’re doing is soooo important, but it’s equally important to balance that passion with some UN-wind time every single day of your life. You’ll still get everything done - probably even more - because you've given your brain a chance to re-charge so that it isn't in a constant state of overload.

No Mojo? Stress build up is often a leading cause of No-Mojo.  If you've lost passion for what you are doing in your life and you can't find your get up and go-go-go, then don’t beat yourself up. Just take a deep breath and dive in! Start chipping away at possible causes with the aim to figure out what's bringing you down. From there, you can talk to your doctor about what you need to put the go-go-go back in to your spirit. 

JUST UN-DO IT 

Find some things you love to UN-do and enjoy giving your body and brain a chance to re-boot and balance out while making room for Meaning and Joy and Gratitude to grow in your life. 

JUST UN-DO IT with Good Girl and try to UN-do with some of these things:

• Get on up! Get away from your computer and shake it up, baby! Allow for some wiggle room for your legs and butt every hour throughout the whole day. This can be done alone, with friends or with your dogs - see below for inspiration ;)
• Take a breather from your mobile phone. Turn off your mobile, leave it in the car or in your desk or in your purse for a few hours. Check your messages every 1-2-3 hours, whatever you can manage without going into withdrawal. Anything is better than touching it, poking it, and staring at it every 5 minutes. Go and get some work done, already!!
• Go for a walk. Every day. Look up at the sky. Spin around slowly and see what’s all around you.
• Cook your own dinners in one big pot. There will be less clean up and more left-overs. 
• Bring your own lunch to work – this is one of the healthiest changes you could ever make in your life. Know what you are eating, and enjoy the act of nourishing your body and soul.
• Bake something – everyone loves the smell and taste of home-baked anything. If you haven’t graduated beyond Duncan Hines, don’t stress over it, but it’s probably time to push yourself a little further and discover how easy it is to make a home-made muffin or brownie from scratch with organic ingredients [and not so much sugar]
• Turn off ALL screens well before bed-time – 3 hours before going to bed would be a great goal to work towards. If you can’t do it in one go, don’t stress out over it – just take it in small bites. Start by turning off all screens 30 minutes before you usually would for one week and then gradually increase each week with half-hour segments until you’re totally turned off by 8-9pm... and keep those electronic devices OUT of the bedroom.  Sweet dreams, baby!
• While you’re turning all those screens off earlier and earlier each night, do something... nice...take an Epsom salt bath; make muffin batter for the next morning; or read something that is not work-related, something that will either "take you away" or "bring you closer to home." Just taking a step back from it all can give you a broader, refreshed perspective on your life and your family's.
• End the day with happy thoughts and hand-write a card to someone you have been thinking about but haven’t stopped to let them know. DO NOT send a text or an email or an instant message – just take the time to choose a card and pour all those lovely thoughts you have about another human being on to paper and get into the practice of holding a pen and writing, yes, writing – not typing - and go on, Good Girl, lick that stamp!!

Go on, Good Girl, sometimes you've just got to UNDO IT TO DO IT!    

photos courtesy of PDN