“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health” Hippocrates
Wise words from the “father of modern medicine” with his words of simplicity toward health and the importance of balance. If only finding the right balance was that easy, or is it?
How many of us can honestly say we have the balance in life we desire? Work, self-care, rest, nutrition and exercise the list goes on of the elements that make up our daily routine. Our ability to navigate our own health and welfare has become a complicated minefield and why? Well, societal expectations and acceptance and we can’t ignore the world of social media. In many people’s busy lives, the art of selfcare has become our lowest priority. And the truth is our mind and body need nurtured to create health, we need to nourish to flourish and that doesn’t just mean food.
Social media has become a necessary evil and we are all guilty of indulging in one way or another. It is filled with every “social wannabe” telling not guiding what to do and how to do it including how to lose weight and how to exercise, it’s a minefield of information, but who is right? My ethos is” knowledge is power” and” keep it simple” two phrases I quote to my clients every day. With the right amount of education, support and motivation creating a natural balance isn’t as difficult as we think. The simplicity of small changes and allowing the mind to adjust enables us to implement and sustain but not introducing every change all at once.
A great example of unreal expectations is New Years Eve, how many of us whilst a tad tipsy on fizz announce the “New year’s resolutions” the list is usually lengthy consisting of no booze, no chocolate, gym every day, time for yourself and something along the lines of keep the car clean, sound familiar? Your poor little brain goes into overdrive saying absolutely not and by the end of March the only thing sustained is… the car is clean!
Our desire to be someone different thinner, richer, taller, shorter, is in reality very sad, why can never be happy with who we are, why are we so self-critical? Rarely do we look in the mirror and say yes, I am proud of who and what I see and again its due to social media and societal expectation. The reality is the hardest project you will ever work on is yourself. Self-acceptance is the hardest achievement, so start small, learn to appreciate and love the person you are, remember the hare and the tortoise? It’s a marathon not a sprint but realistic goals are achievable, that why I love my job because I see them achieved everyday with my clients.
So, as I conclude I will leave you with a few points to ponder:
- Nutrition is like fuel in the car we cannot run a diesel car on petrol, and we also cannot run a car with no fuel.
- Movement is medicine and any movement is better than none, 10 mins a day is a great start and the same amount of time as taking a shower
- Self-indulgence is never selfish, a facial or massage is a time to press pause and switch off, it has also been proven to lower blood pressure and stress levels.
- A hard one to accept and change but love the image you see in the mirror; remember we are our biggest critics, but nobody is physically or emotionally perfect.
- The needs of our body change with age and we have to change our habits to support those changes.
- “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out “Robert Collier
- And Lastly, “Make time for your wellness or you will be forced to make time for your illness”
Stay healthy and well. Sending much love. Lyndsey x