Why is your own ‘Self-Care and Well Being’ so important for your child’s success?
Have you ever had the experience of a bad night’s sleep and woken up feeling groggy, unable to think or act straight?
It is often underrated how the state of our bodies can affect our ability to think, act and function in our daily life.
Imagine trying to make important decisions (both for yourself and your loved ones) when all you want to do is rest and catch some more Zzz’s…
Have you been:
- Taking good care of your body?
- Eating healthy and nutritious food?
- Drinking plenty of water?
- Doing regular exercise so that your body gets the movement it needs?
- Thinking positive thoughts?
Understandably, it would be challenging, if not impossible, to give our full attention to others if we haven’t been taking good care of ourselves!
There are many self-help books out there that can provide you with information as to the ‘whys’, ’hows’, and ‘what-to-do’s’ in order to adopt a healthy life style.
Also, there are many exercise options to choose from, different ways to meditate and all kinds of physical activities to refresh your mind and body.
No matter what activities you choose or how you decide to set up your daily routine, it’s important to find something that you LOVE to do that could also benefit your body and nourish your mind.
As for me, I love to dance and move! I find running boring but love bicycling. I don’t like hiking quite as much as I like swimming. And I’d rather bounce on a trampoline than workout in a gym.
Recently, I took an Aerial Silks class and was thrilled to discover that I can actually have fun despite my ‘weak arms’. It’s amazing climbing up the silks feeling like a monkey in a tree!
Our body is the vehicle that allows us to move through and enjoy our day.
Imagine how hard it would be to live your life in a body that is under-nourished, stagnant and sleep deprived! It would be difficult to make any sound decisions for yourself, let alone for your loved ones.
Enough said. I’m sure you know and understand by now how important your own Self-Care and Well Being is, both for yourself and for those you love.
This is especially important when it comes to making decisions for your child and supporting them with their development and well-being!
3 PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR YOU TO EXPLORE
5 minutes of QUIET TIME
Upon waking up in bed, visualize how you would like your day to unfold. How would you like to feel? What would you like to see happen? And how would you like to find yourself at the end of the day? This will nicely set up the tone for how your day will flow. Now get up, drink a big glass of water to hydrate your body and remember to eat a healthy breakfast. You’ll have more energy for the day ahead!
5 minutes of MOVEMENT
Before starting your work day, move your body to music. Watch and dance to a music video. Pick out an exercise routine that you enjoy and do it for 5 minutes. Jog on the spot, adding jumping jacks to it. Run up and down stairs. Move in silly ways. Get your heart rate up to get more oxygen to your brain. You get the idea. Make sure to pick something you LOVE to do and drink another glass of water afterwards. Your body will thank you for this!
5 minutes of GRATITUDE
Before you sleep, review your day. Think about all the people who made your day a little brighter, who smiled at you or opened the door for you. Give thanks to them. And remember to thank your body. Feeling gratitude relaxes your mind to welcome in a restful night of sleep. I like to sip a cup of herbal tea. It calms my mind and hydrates my body as well. Now your body is ready to begin its job of restoration and your mind can take a break.
Give these tools some practice with a bit of your time and you’ll be amazed how 15 minutes of daily focused intention can change your life and that of your child in a very positive way!
Would you like to try something new? It could be anything, a new food, activity or a new way to look at the same situation. For me, it is an absolutely amazing feeling when I move in novel ways. It’ll wake up the child in you as it did in me!
