The topic of health and living our best, most fabulous and spiritually conscious lives is what the foundation of SOS is based on. My wish is for every woman to rock their personal style, but more importantly I want them to be strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit first. I am here to help you relearn how to love yourself and realize
how important you are,
how beautiful you are and
how powerful you are.
It has been a long journey of relearning for me and I’m still a work-in-progress. I abused my body with low nutrient junk foods and recreational drugs. I abused my spirit and mind with toxic thoughts toward myself. I was one unhealthy chick! Which means I was one unhappy chick. Healthy in every area equates to happy.
Throughout my journey I have found these key elements are vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle:
1. Early to bed, early to wake. I realize this is impossible for some diehard night owls, but generally those who get adequate sleep start the day early feel more refreshed and creative. Our bodies regenerate during sleep so if you’re depriving yourself of sleep you are damaging your immune system. Sleep is also one of the most important beauty tips because it keeps you looking young.
2. Attitude of gratitude. Once you gotten enough sleep and wake up early, healthy chicks take some time every morning (even if it’s in the shower) to count their blessings. The happiest and healthiest chicks I know have a disciplined practice of gratitude journaling, prayer & meditation. The complaining sourpuss is usually sickly with constant physical ailments. You could probably think of a few family members or friends right now who are forever complaining about having a migraine or stomach issues, am I right? When I was living fully in shame and negativity, I was always sick!
3. Move, move, move. Being sedentary is a recipe for depression and physical issues. I get it– some people hate working out with a passion! Find something you enjoy like dancing or rollerskating that doesn’t feel like a workout. Luckily, I loved playing sports as a kid and have been a powerwalker since I was 13. I learned early on that walking helped my mind as much as it helped my figure. Now, I kill two birds with one stone and love listening to various speakers on Podcast One while I walk. I get in a physical workout and a mental & spiritual workout at the same time! Highly recommend it.
4. Eat & drink right. This is a super important key to health. You really are what you eat! We are so lucky to live in a generation with so much knowledge about foods and modifications. Our parents didn’t have this knowledge and many of them are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure now. Pay attention to what you are sticking in your mouth sista! If I eat low energy and low nutrient foods, I will feel it immediately. I’ll have a slight headache and feel lethargic. Trust me, I am all for indulging once a week, but I know that I will feel it the next day. Also, healthy chicks are conscious of their alcohol and sugary drink consumption. Water is the first thing they reach for!
5. Birds of a feather. We all rub off on each other. Healthy and happy chicks are conscious of surrounding themselves with happy and healthy friends. It is human nature to take on someone’s behavior- to a degree– when we are around them a lot. I grew up in a home where there was constant complaining and naturally, I took on that behavior and have had to work really hard to reverse it. We can’t live in a happy bubble 24/7 so make sure your mentally & spiritually strong to be able to affect the negative people in your life in a positive way… instead of them infecting you! Holla!!
6. Make the best of it. Bad crap happens to all of us. Healthy chicks choose to see the silver lining in challenging circumstances. They can see the blessing or the lesson in the situation. They do not play the victim or sit and wallow in the crap. I use to be the Queen Wallow! Allow yourself a quick pitty party, cry, scream then dust yourself off and dry your eyes because you have important stuff to do.
7. Lend a hand. Another key to being spiritually healthy is helping others on a regular basis. Talk about a mood lifter and game changer! The minute you sense yourself slipping down the slide of worry and fear- go find someone who needs some help. The healthiest and happiest chicks I know are the first ones to visit a sick friend with a big pot of soup or take an elderly aunt to her doctor appt. Now, make sure you don’t take it to the opposite extreme and wear yourself out trying to help everyone which is actually very unhealthy!
8. Mindfulness. Everyone is busy. We are in an age of multitasking. We make phone calls in the car while listening to news radio at the same time. We start dinner while helping the kids with their homework plus answering texts from friends. Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. When I’m overloaded with distractions, I skip listening to podcasts during my walks and savor the quiet. Scientifically, mindfulness has been found to be a key element in happiness. Being present– not living in the past or too much in the future- is one of the greatest obstacles we face especially with the constant distractions of people, email, social media and television. I keep my phone on silent A LOT! My hubby and I have gotten in the habit of turning our phones to silent before we have dinner. This allows us to connect and be present with each other. A marriage without mindfulness is a set up for disaster.
9. Stress managers. A healthy woman knows her limits and finds outlets for stress. This could be as simple as turning off the phone like I mentioned in #8 and taking a quiet moment to get centered when too many people are pulling at us. It could be practicing yoga, singing in the car and watching funny movies on a regular basis for a good laugh. Another key to keeping stress low is the ability to say no and setting healthy boundaries.
10. Body love. There’s a few aspects to this one, physically and spiritually. When we have a healthy love for ourselves, we take notice of things going on in our body instead of ignoring it. A healthy chick gets to the dentist regularly, performs self exams and schedules her annual pap. We are more in tune with our hormonal fluctuations and how certain medications effect us. We don’t just take antibiotics at the drop of a hat.
Yes, life happens and we can get out of balance from time to time. It may be a challenge to have all 10 of these operating smoothly every single day, but I encourage you if you are too far off in a few of these areas- make some small tweaks in order to elevate your life and be your most healthy….
and happy!
I want to hear from you. Comment, share, tweet and let me know which of the 10 you are going to tackle.
Love, Tiff
SANCTUARY OF STYLE 