The First Official S+J Blog Post is here!
I decided to write about something that has been on my mind for awhile. Part of starting this business was to promote self-love and spur confidence among my fellow woman. However, I haven't been feelin' myself for awhile, and took some time to rewind and recharge. This last year has forced change upon all of our daily lives, change in how we communicate, connect, and more importantly change to how we feel about ourselves. It made me wonder, how can we rebound and create a sense of normalcy in a world that is so uncertain, imbalanced, and chaotic? Now there is absolutely no 'one-size' fits all answer. But choosing to focus on ourselves can help navigate through the chaos. Easy to say, challenging to execute. After facing my own personal challenges, I thought I would share some tips on how to pause, recharge, and start feeling yourself again.
Tip #1: Facing Your Truth
Flashback to the year 2020... we no longer can see friends or family, all travel plans are cancelled, and our focus is set to the daily/hourly news updates. Suddenly, we look around and we are spending most of our time alone. How did you respond?
Well, I chose to binge watch Netflix, eat too many snacks, scroll through the gram, and then eventually download Tik Tok. And it's safe to say, I was not the only one. Navigating through such uncertainty will take time and can feel like being stuck in limbo with no clear path forward. I looked back at 2020 and thought to myself, what just happened? I responded to these challenges by creating noise to avoid my reality. This left me feeling empty, exhausted, and regretful. I looked in the mirror and didn't know who I was anymore, so I took time off to figure out what to do next. I wanted to move forward, but at the time it felt utterly impossible. With the help of my loved ones around me, I was able to share my frustrations and then embrace a change.
It all started with the pursuit of self-love, by speaking words of self-affirmation I had more energy to pursue a change. This is a game-changer, by choosing self-love, you can drive motivation, accept your past, and start being the best version of yourself. You are valuable, you are strong, and brave enough to get back to feeling yourself!
So sit down, write out your goals, face your habits (healthy and unhealthy) and embrace the person you know you can be.
Tip #2: Fueling Yourself
Fuel is not just about the essential quarantine snacks, it is also about taking the time to fill yourself with things that will make you feel amazing. This will include your daily routine, your relationships, the content you consume, the food/drinks you consume, and the words you speak. Once I made the decision to get myself back to feeling myself, I created a list of how to get there. I then broke down the list, and just chose to tackle easiest goal I could manage. I could go for one walk a day, which would directly help my mental and physical well being. I shared that goal with a supportive friend and I started out with one walk at lunch. During that walk, I would pray, set my intentions for the day, and of course avoid eye-contact at all costs. I then challenged myself to start getting up earlier and doing it before work, and eventually a new habit formed. This small effort, just once day, directly impacted my productivity, mood, and overall well-being.
Fueling yourself takes discipline to choose to improve your life. The saying 'you are what you eat' is not limited to weight, but should include you are what you watch, listen to, and speak as well. I decided I would be more conscious of the content I was digesting and how I would utilize my free time. This meant choosing to unfollow, unsubscribe, and find content to help build up my self-esteem again and my focus.
So try to choose that one small goal you know is simple to attack and plan it into your week. I suggest to plan your week Sunday night, so you're set up for success for the rest of the week.
Tip #3: Feeling Yourself
I will be the first one to admit, I am not the most positive person on planet Earth. I have lived a large portion of my life being self-deprecating, laughing at myself before someone else can, and spoke unkindly to myself. This behaviour has caused me to miss out on opportunities, promotions, and happiness. Once I decided to choose an approach of self-love and start fueling myself with positive affirmations and inspirations - my perspective changed.
Have you ever looked at the mirror and to yourself you are beautiful? It may seem odd, but this self-talk breeds positivity. After decades of self-doubt, speaking life and positivity over yourself will start to give you confidence. This will trickle down to how you approach your goals and how others will then see you as well. It had been years, maybe decades, since I had ever told myself I am smart, beautiful, amazing, and you know what... it felt amazing!
Every step closer you get to feeling yourself and feeling good in your skin, your perspective and your choices will change. I truly believe that this will directly improve the quality of your life.
The journey to self-love can be a long one, but it is also one that can be fulfilling, beautiful, and amazing! You are perfection.
Lots of love,
xoxo
S+J