But before we begin...
There is zero requirement to be a certain shape or size to find balance. If you feel healthy, present and comfortable in your skin, that's balance. If you feel strong, focused, and grounded, that's balance. And physically that will look different for everyone.
1. Focus on Mental Health First
Regardless of what you're seeking—better health, physical changes, or something else—I firmly believe that the most balanced, healthy, and sustainable route to wellness starts with brain health. Here’s a
blog about that.
2. Honor the 80/20 Rule:
Just like everything I share with you, your eating and exercise routine doesn’t need to be “all or nothing” or rigid or hard. Shooting for balanced eating and moving 80% of the time is what creates and maintains a solid routine. And trust me, you'll truly appreciate its benefits when you inevitably have to break it. Here's a
blog about routine with lots more tips.
3. Tune in to the Whispers
If you're able to truly listen to (and be honest about) how your body feels after a certain kind of workout or after eating a meal, you'll be able to better understand what really works for you to feel balanced.
For movement, this is where you need to get honest with yourself about what is the most nourishing form for YOU. Is it a strenuous, sweaty workout or a refreshing walk? Are you a morning mover, a lunchtime warrior, or an evening maven? If you’re not a morning person, stop making yourself miserable trying to become one. If you hate running but think that you
should like it, stop, and discover the hundreds of other ways to get your heart rate up.
Same goes for eating, tune into how your body feels after you eat certain foods. If you feel good after eating something, aim for that 80% of the time. If a meal leaves you feeling dehydrated or sluggish, save it for the 20%. Then try to balance out your day by looking at your diet as a bank account, shoot for the feel good stuff for 80% of your daily eating. Here's a full
blog on the bank account concept.
4. Cultivate Daily Mindfulness
So how do we tune into the whispers? Surprise! Mindfulness.
Mindfulness creates awareness, awareness creates more alignment with what’s going on with those whispers, and it helps you tune in quicker to understanding what you truly need and when it is time for a course correction. Here’s
more to learn on that.
5. Keep Learning
You may find, as I did, that once you enjoy some balance, you'll want to learn more and more about tools that help you find and maintain it. Here are some of my favorite resources to help you achieve each of these steps.
Mental Health - There are so many beautiful books and resources on mental health practices. Some of my more recent favorites were Danielle LaPorte's
How to Be Loving, Brianna Wiest's
The Mountain is You and if you want to go a lot deeper (proceed with loving caution please), Oprah and Dr. Bruce Perry's book
What Happened to You
(this is great audio book because Oprah filters in some of her show interviews).
Eating- While I'm an "inspired by recipes" cook, not a use recipes cook, my go to's for healthy recipes are
Eating Well and the
Food Network. When I first started my wellness journey I cooked a lot from Ellie Krieger's
The Food You Crave. As you know, I'm a baker, and when I indulge in my 20%, I turn to the most successful and beautiful recipes from
King Arthur Flour and for gluten free bakes (for my husband and many of my friends) from
Gluten Free on a Shoestring.
Moving - One big part of balance is ignoring what "they"
say and listening to your balanced inner guide. Love what you love, and shout it from the rooftops! So I'm going to sing the praises of
Peloton for that very reason. You don't need any of their equipment to enjoy their incredible, affordable app. With classes ranging from 5 minutes to 90 minutes, a focus on recovery classes (stretching, mobility, yoga, even meditation) as much as the tough stuff and the most positive instructors that will absolutely pack your brain with love and motivation, I simply can't say enough about their balanced, positive approach to wellness. (And no, they are not paying me to say this. :))
Mindfulness - The two teachers who truly helped me understand mindfulness and the expansive ways you can practice it are Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hahn. I've read many of their books and content, but
Wherever You Go There You Are and
The Miracle of Mindfulness are remain my top two.
That's it! Balance really is that simple. And it really is that hard.
I'm here to help guide you every step of the way, be sure to
subscribe to my e-newsletter so I can keep sharing more and more learnings that come my way. You've got this. We've got this. Thank you for including me on your journey.
