Self Care

I realize the majority of my posts over the last several months have revolved around diet and exercise so I'd like to change that. After all there is so much more to health. Over the past couple weeks I've really started to take a hard look at the things I do to promote both physical and emotional well-being. Yes, eating well and going to CrossFit are important components, but what about things like going to church, taking baths, reading for pleasure, going out with friends? These are all examples of actions that promote well-being. When I attended the integrative health coaching program at Duke there was an emphasis on working with 6 different facets of wellness. They are illustrated below:

As a health coach, I asked clients to use this wheel as a guide for initiating changes that promote optimal wellness. With all the crazy changes going on in my life right now I think its time to do some personal reassessment, so that I can implement changes as needed.

I am very excited to be starting a new job and possibly furthering my degree, but I'm highly prone to spreading myself too thin so it is imperative that I have stress management strategies in place.When I look at the wheel I am pleased to say that my physical movement and nutrition are where I want them to be, and our new house is a beautiful, evolving space. So, going forward I'm really feeling called to developing/nurturing physical relationships and my spirituality. I think that both these areas are key to coping with stress. I'm becoming more accepting of the fact that Nashville will be home for  the next several years and I find myself open to putting down roots. After all Nashville is where I started my nursing career, met the love of my life, bought my first home, attended graduate school, got married, and built a house. I'd say the roots are pretty established! I've had difficulty letting go of the idea that we'd be moving back to California in the near future, so for a long time I reasoned that it'd be best not to form attachments. This has only served to isolate us and has prevented us from really establishing deep relationships.

My goals over the next 3 months are:

1. Attend Church on a consistent basis
2. Set a time to pray with Chad every day
3. Make plans with friends at least twice a month
4. Take time to connect with friends and family by phone, email, or card

I feel a renewed sense of excitement about our home and I'm looking forward to what the future brings.