Back To School Reset
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE this time of year!
It’s the perfect time to reset, reorganize and set some goals for the school year. The kids are all back in school, so it’s back to a normal routine and hopefully that means a little more time for moms. I prefer back to school season over New Years, this time of year just screams fresh start to me.
So what does this fresh start look like for me?
WELLNESS: I recently saw my Ostiopath here in Montreal, for the first time since being back from Kelowna, and she asked: “What is your wellness goal for this hockey season?” It was such a good question. I hadn’t thought of any particular goals. Sure, there is always the goal to workout more, to stay healthy and eat better, all the generic, usual goals. After thinking about it for a while, I decided I really wanted to address something bigger: why I was not feeling healthy, why I was not eating better, what was making me skip workouts. Stress is hugely detrimental to our health ...just do a quick Google search and stress can be correlated with just about every physical and emotional problem we have as humans. So I decided my goal will be to manage my stress better.
5 Ways I Plan to Manage my Stress:
Meditation - I have always had a hard time with this, so I went ahead and got a MUSE, which is a brain fitness tool that measures brain signals (like a heart rate monitor senses your heartbeat) which helps guide your meditation.
Get Outside - Fresh air seems to always give me a sense of calmness. I like to use this when I know I am going to have a stressful conversation (we’ve got so much going on with family). So, if I am getting on a call that I know is going to be heavy, I throw in my headphones and chat while I walk outdoors.
Nutrition - Bad nutrition can damper the way our body responds to stress. Healthy foods can support a healthy immune system and repair our damaged cells. It provides the extra energy needed to cope with stressful events.
Exercise - Exercising helps to lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels.
Schedule - I will be adding things to my schedule that encourage a relaxation response and limit things that activate a stress response. For me, this looks like making sure there are one or two “me things” in my schedule every week. This could include a nail appointment, a massage or even just a walk with a friend.
NUTRITION: This past spring, I was followed by a naturopath while doing a spring detox diet and honestly, I had never felt better in my life! I had told myself that I was going to keep up a lot of aspects of the diet after the recommended three weeks, but summer was ...well, summer. We were super busy, traveling, out with friends, everything and anything that made it hard to stick to this new way of eating. Now that we are back into a routine, I am back to incorporating more of the detox diet.
The Detox Diet is not super complicated. The main goal is to make sure you are eating real, whole foods and avoiding a few key items.
Avoid: alcohol, animal protein, wheat products, dairy and refined sugars.
What to Do:
Eat fruits in the morning because it is most nourishing for the endocrine system and is cleansing for our body
Do your best to add a variety of fruits and vegetables, trying for at least 30 different plants every week
Stay hydrated
Focus on the G-Bombs
Greens
Beans
Onions
Mushrooms
Berries
Seeds
Make sure to purchase organic options on the most heavily toxic sprayed foods
The EWG puts out a yearly list of the “Dirty Dozen” which are items you should really try to buy organic and then the “Clean Fifteen” which are items that are not heavily sprayed with harmful toxins and are okay to buy non-organic.
MOVEMENT: This can be a hard one, especially in the cold Quebec winters! So, for now I am taking advantage of the nice weather and spending all of our time outdoors. Even on the busy days, I make sure I take at least 15 minutes to get outside and play basketball with the kids. I am someone who needs to be told what to do when it comes to my workouts. In the past, I have worked with trainers, but for the past two months I’ve been doing the “Booty by Bret” program from home and I’ve been loving it! Working out at home is not usually something I enjoy, but with how much time it saves me, I have come to really enjoy it! For the time being, I have a bench and set of weights in the garage so I can open the doors while working out and enjoy the weather. Once the cold and snow hits, I will move my little workout station into the basement.
CONNECTION: I am so bad about getting lost in my own bubble and just doing my own thing instead of connecting with friends, especially when the majority of my friends are long distance. I am not someone who loves spending time on my phone or texting, so making an effort in this area is something I am working on. I was going to say I got talked into doing a book club, but it was more of me being told that I was going to do a book club. So far, I am really enjoying it! I am also working on joining a bible study. That will be a great way to connect with like minded friends.
These specific areas are my focus for this school year! I don’t like the idea of putting too much pressure on these things or never allowing myself to deviate from them, but they are the areas I want to be aware of and put a little more of my attention and time into. I’d love to know how you’re going to reset this school year and where your attention is going! Leave your goals in the comments below.
Much Love,
