Exercising my Essence
feeling like and maintaining a balance of everything in our lives is a life long commitment.
Believing that you can maintain balance each day of your life is unachievable. We place importance on different aspects of our lives as required, therefore continuously shifting the balance from one thing to another. However, if we are conscious of this need to adapt when required and to keep ourselves accountable to the non-negotiables of well-being and health, our unique sense of balance will always find it’s way back. Think of it like holding a perfect balance between two scales, it will never quite be perfect but we are always working towards achieving it and honoring your essence of expression in life.
I haven’t always been and am still not great at holding a balance in my life. It is something I am always constantly working on maintaining. Some weeks I feel I have it, everything flows and feels good, other weeks not so much.
For me, what really helps me maintain balance is exercise. I was always an active child, playing multiple sports and I have always been a strong lover of the outdoors! Having this love for exercise and being active has also had massive health benefits, it’s improved my emotional regulation and made me more aware of what is right for my body.
If I am feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or bouncing with energy, exercising such as swimming, running or walking, helps regulate these emotions and supports my ability to feel grounded again. Truthfully, the one activity that sets me up each day, in order to feel successful, alert and make active, assertive decisions is yoga!
The amount of research that exists in support of exercise for not only physical health but for mental health too only highlights its importance in our everyday lives.
Since starting my businesses, I haven’t always held myself accountable in order to remain active (working long days and not always managing a work life balance has impacted this).
When I change a habit, I need 30 days.
30 days of repetition, to change the patterns and neurological pathways in my brain to shift my thinking.
I decided to do this late December and give myself a 30 day challenge. For me, to peek my interest, to keep me engaged and curious, I have given myself an experiment to try (one way to keep myself accountable and to seek out the desired results).
An Ab Experiment:
I have selected 3 ab exercise to complete everyday, that take 5 minutes to determine if I can strengthen my core and postural system, but to also see if these activities can increase definition in my abs.
The three activities include;
A plank (2 to 3 minutes).
Hip Thrusts, and
Bicycle crunches.
There was no method to choosing these exercises, I just chose 3 things that would challenge me but also something I would enjoy doing for 30 days straight. So pre and post photos have been taken and the results are interesting…
Now don’t get me wrong, in the 30 days, I did miss days. I had rest days and I had days where I was unable to complete them. And that is ok too, as rest and integration days are just as valuable and important.
But I’m happy to report that the experiment worked! It has given me the 30 days to change a habit, increase my commitment and dedication to my health and wellbeing and make a positive shift that I was hoping for this year.
It has also motivated me to now set a new goal for the next 2 months, just in time for my 30th Birthday!
So tell me, how do you need to structure something if you want to make a change or commitment to yourself to reach your goals? Everybody is different, finding a way that works for you can change everything.
So in light of living fearlessly this year and expressing your true self, I challenge you to find your own individual way of motivating and supporting yourself to achieve your goals.
I would love to hear how you go! Keep me posted.
