Find Joy and Balance by taking what you need

I have to tell you, the where is tricky. Sometimes, you are creating the where, creating the space to take it from and creating the space to put it. Carving it out of your life and your day and your comfort zone. Often, it’s a Tetris game to fit it all together and IN. It takes creativity. It takes letting go. It takes an attitude of not caring what other people think (and I’ll explain more on this below). The where is coming from the big over-all picture of your life. You have to start by seriously looking at your life ~ If you need to make a change, make the change, or nothing changes.

Take what you need ~

1. Movement ~ I’m calling this one movement because not every day does it need to be a hard core, sweaty, 60 minute workout! Movement is sometimes that & I love that, but NOT every day. But…every day, you NEED TO MOVE! Yes, it requires time. But, not as much time as you would think. Don’t underestimate the power of 10 minutes. 10 minutes of movement is better than no minutes of movement. So, on the days where you don’t have 30-45 minutes for a “workout”, TAKE 10 minutes of movement! Take it during your lunch break, get up 10 minutes earlier, take it with your kids, take it at the park or around the soccer field (who cares what people think if they see you doing your planks after a quick jog around the field~ be an example).
2. Fresh Air ~ combine your movement with fresh air whenever you can. It’s life giving. It’s energy giving. Fresh air cleans out the stagnant air, the stuff that’s just sitting there. It cleanses the mind, body & soul! Next time you’re stuck, go outside for 5 minutes, and just breathe fresh air!
3. Protect your peace ~ Set boundaries and make them non-negotiable. The biggest component to this one is learning how to say no. Say NO to a volunteer job that takes up half your life. Say NO to a friend who is taking advantage of your kindness. Say NO to people who aren’t good for your mental health and find some that are. Say NO to working 18 hours a day! And NO to the dishes at 10 pm at night if this means it’s going to compromise your 7-8 hours of sleep. They will be there in the morning, that’s a given!
4. Whole Foods ~ Food nourishes your body and your power. It’s a package deal my friends. You can’t work out without eating healthy or eat healthy, but never move your body. You need a vast array of nutrients in order for your body to function properly which comes from whole foods, not processed. Start by making small changes and better choices.
5. Water ~ Drink it! Plain and simple.
6. Time in Nature ~ Studies prove that nature has a positive effect on your mental health, that it can improve your sleep, reduce stress and increase happiness. So, take a hike, work in your garden, go to the lake. If you live in the city and are unable to get into nature on a regular basis, create a garden space for yourself. My house plants bring me as much JOY as the huge evergreens in my backyard. So, bring nature inside if you need to. There are huge benefits to that as well.

The bottom line is when you start taking what you need in your life and letting go of what isn’t serving you, you create more JOY and more balance for yourself! So, take what you need my friends! Here are 3 MOVE your BODY exercises that will help you reach for what you need to take and improve your strength to hold onto it!