Wellness is a major value of mine. Not just eating healthy, not just exercise, but also stretching and everything that allows for mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness as well.
When I say holistic wellness, I am NOT talking about things like essential oils and homeopathy. I don’t believe those things even work (trust me, I tried for years).
I’m talking about things that make me feel physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually well and healthy. It has been quite a long time since I focused on this and it shows.
Physical Health
This is where I will start. I’m going to get back to my long walks and Street Parking workouts. I will start with the more simple workouts and some strength training (push up program 2-3 times per week and power lifting once a week).
I’m going to make sure that I’m getting 800g of fruits and veggies a day and 110-135g of protein every day. EC Synkowski with Optimize Me Nutrition calls this Lazy Macros. I have been trying to do the Street Parking template, and I just can’t make it work so I will keep things simple. Especially since my schedule will not be routine this summer. Also, after Wednesday I’m cutting sodas out for good. I’m just trying to get through the last few days of school. I’ll be drinking mostly water with some kombucha and coffee mixed in.
Mental and Emotional Health
I’m going to make an appointment to talk with my psychiatrist about making some kind of med adjustment to address my constant anxiety. It just never goes away. I’m considering finding a new psychiatrist this summer and starting fresh. We will see how that goes. I have been seeing the same one since 2017. She’s really great but doesn’t seem to have new ideas. I will continue counseling once a week and messaging my counselor as needed.
I will get back to daily 5 minute meditation. I use the Balance app. It’s fantastic.
I will have more time to read and will make it a priority. I have multiple books going right now. My favorite read is The Next Right Thing by Emily P Freeman. I love it. I’m also reading I Take My Coffee Black by Tyler Merritt. Also really good.
Spiritual Health
This is an area of my life that I have neglected far too long.
If you’ve read my blog post with-in the past year you will know that I have been on a journey of deconstruction. It’s kind of a buzzword right now but for me it basically means stripping down to the basics and building back up to what’s true. I’m still in the building back process.
I used to have a “quiet time” every day and when I missed I would beat myself up. Since all that has been going on in my mind and heart with deconstruction, I have found that God is with me all day and I don’t have to have a “quiet time” to experience him. I do want to do more Bible reading and prayer journaling, though, so I will get back to that a little bit at a time.
No Lofty Goals
I’m not expecting myself to make a ton of changes all at once. But I am taking a step back from what life has been like for a few years and deciding to make my health a top priority. Ever since I started teaching again after not teaching for 6 years, I haven’t been able to take good care of myself. And while there have been some really great and positive things that have happened, it has just been plain hard for me that whole time. I haven’t felt relief from anxiety that whole time.
That’s truly my main goal for the focus on wellness. Little or no anxiety.
Simply Courtney 