Originally Posted on Venus Woman Blog
“You Are An Abundant Woman With Unique Gifts That The World Needs”
One of the reasons I love blogging is because I can get my message of health out to literally millions of people, but currently only about 500 or so people actually receive my blog, so does that mean I’m not making a difference in the world? Of course, the answer is no, however, I think its safe to say that I am not the only woman who fights a daily internal battle within my mind for the feeling of doing enough–or even being enough.
No One is Going to Love You Unless You First Love Yourself
This feeling of “not-enough-ness” is literally making us sick. Although it may not be possible to slow down the pace of our work and family schedule, we can slow down mentally and use some tricks physically to bring some sanity into our insanely busy lives. Here, I offer 5 tips to keep it together, make a positive impact, and not feel exhausted at the end of the day:
- Take high quality vitamins
This is how 90% of the high achievers stay on their game. Without vitamins, your body is simply running on a quarter tank, no matter how healthy you eat. How do you choose? First, do not buy your vitamins at the grocery store. These products are simply a waste of money. I personally now use DoTerra Lifelong Vitality and their Mito2Max products. Its economical (especially if you sign up for the wholesale account–25% discount pays for itself!) and it includes all the nutrients you need including some essential oils for cell repair (good for cancer prevention). You will definitely want to do your own research on this and find a product and company that you trust. This is super important. These are some things to look for:
- what is the company’s commitment to global health? This is important to me because I want to work with companies who are not just about making money, but about making people healthier and preventing disease. Many supplement manufacturers make products that have contaminants such as lead and arsenic (YES!!). Check out ConsumerLab.com to get the latest information on quality products.
- experience of others. Do you know other people who take the product? Do they feel a difference when they don’t take their vitamins? Have they felt that the product makes a difference in their lives? I know that when I don’t take my vitamins and omega 3 supplement I get a little wacky and sad. I call it my medicine (even though its not really medicine–its just all the stuff my body needs to make neurotransmitters to keep me happy and my brain working).
- how much does it cost? It has to be reasonable to fit in your budget. This may seem high, but my experience has been that the best products are sold via direct sales (i.e. thru distributors) because they can cut out advertising and a lot of the middle men. Personally I think spending about $75-100 a month on vitamins is reasonable. That may seem high for some of you, but it also may seem low. We are talking about health insurance here (the real kind, not the disease insurance we are used to).
- Learn to breathe more effectively
If you think about your breath the next time you are driving, or in a meeting, or are just pissed off, you will see that you’re probably not really doing much breathing at all. The fact is that this is the EASIEST way to reduce stress, increase energy, and be healthier. It may seem like a no-brainer–like, duh! we need to breathe! But the fact is that most women don’t breathe correctly, and its easy! Here is how you do it. Put your hand on your belly and let it all hang out. Relax it completely. Take a breath in and notice if your belly rises. It should. As you exhale push the air out by breathing out and pulling your navel in to compress your diaphragm. Breathe out until ALL the air is out. (Relax, you are not going to die of asphixiation, even though you might feel like it the first time.) You can do this when you wake up in the morning, and/or when you go to bed at night (its a great way to relax). Take short breather breaks throughout the day. It only takes 1-2 minutes to do and it will bring oxygen to your brain and will literally make you much more productive. Set an alarm to remember to do it each hour. Seriously, if you’re thinking, I don’t have time, then you better consider a bigger change. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN BREATHING?????
- Get at least 6-7 hours of sleep
If you don’t get good sleep now, then you won’t be effective at anything. Sleep is probably the most important thing you do for your body next to eating. If you don’t get good sleep, you are setting yourself up for health disasters.
A couple of things you can do to get better sleep are:
- turn the f**ing tv, ipad, kindle, etc. off at least an hour before you go to bed.
- create a relaxing atmosphere with dimmed lighting (no overhead lights, just lamps)
- pamper yourself–brush your teeth, and use some natural skin moisturizer like coconut oil with some lavender and myrrh in it. Vetiver is a wonderfully calming oil you can dilute in coconut oil and put on your feet before bed. I put lavender and Balance blend with some water in a spray bottle and spray my sheets and pillow before I go to sleep. It smells nice and, next to breathing exercises, is probably the easiest thing you can do to switch gears.
- Move, but with moderation
For many women who are feeling stressed exercise might not even be on their radar, but the fact is that exercise is the number one thing you can do to feel energized, fulfilled, and stay youthful–IF you do it right. Moderate exercise is obviously relative, but most people these days think of exercise as training for a marathon or working out for at least an hour. Recent studies are showing that exercise beyond 30 minutes does absolutely nothing extra for you. In this case more is not better. Smart is better. If you are really short on time do my 10 minute tabata workout! Do this every day (twice a day if you’re really ambitious) and you will get fitter and stronger. Don’t fool yourself. Exercise is absolutely key to living a fulfilled life. Make time for it.
- Besides eating right (which would be #5 except I think that should be a no-brainer to this crowd)
Being nice to yourself is absolutely crucial to making a difference in this world, feeling fulfilled, and enough. We women tend to be our own worst enemies. WHY????? This life is not a competition. We are here to fulfill our unique purpose with our unique personality and gifts. Create a beautiful, positive mantra that you can say for yourself and your family every day, when you’re feeling not enough, run down, depressed, etc. This is your prayer of abundance and recognizing that you were made perfectly and whole.
I meet so many people who have lost faith in their wholeness, and the perfection that lies within themselves. Get back in touch with it with these 5 tips. When we take care of us, feel fulfilled and energized and more than enough, we energize others–our kids, spouse, co-workers, or random strangers.