She would go to work, shift work and miss out on time with her kids and spouse. She worked so many erratic hours that making time for exercise was a big challenge. The sad thing was that no one knew. Her husband and colleagues couldn’t help because she wasn’t taking charge. She didn’t want to express her needs and come across as demanding or needy when others were just as deserving of time for personal health.
“Who am I to make my health a priority when others are unhappy?”
She felt trapped. This not only upset her but made her feel quite low some days. She lived in a town where access to nature and gyms was easy. She had friends, she just didn’t see them as much as she’d like to.
The consequences of her lack of self care were beginning to impact her family and working relationships. She wasn’t as happy or present with her husband or kids. She wasn’t as passionate about her work as she was before and her colleagues were noticing, but confused because she wasn’t talking about it.
You may be in a similar situation and feel trapped in your lifestyle. Maybe you are believing better health just isn’t possible for you at this stage of your life. Let’s bust that myth and lay out the steps below to make better health easy to attain.
Remember you have a choice
You can make a new choice and new commitments today. Once you believe you can make changes, the how becomes more clear. The first step is winning over your mind. Old stories of self doubt and fears may crop up
Let go of control and trust
If your exercise just has to be an hour long and must take place a minimum of 5 days a week, you may have unrealistic expectations. Prioritizing your own needs requires you to trust others to “hold down the fort” at home and at work while you’re away. It requires you to trust that even if someone becomes upset with you while you’re practicing healthy boundaries, you’re capable of handing it. Make a conscious decision to practice trusting others with small things until you’re more comfortable with bigger things.
Take action
By taking action you’re proving to yourself that your old way of thinking was wrong. Action convinces the brain that a new reality is true. What small action could you take to prove to yourself that you’re capable of making yourself a priority?
This isn’t an overnight fix. You’ll need to practice these habits until they become fairly easy.
How about you? Are you aware that you always have a choice but it’s hard for you to trust everything will be ok in your absence? Do you take action but give up on your healthy habits too quickly? I’d love to hear from you!
For more strategies to Boost Wealth, Health and Happiness visit www.amyenglemark.com. To contact Amy directly email coacha@amyenglemark.com.