Hello lovely people!!
I can’t thank you all enough for your encouraging and supportive messages from my first official blog. Actually ‘encouraging and supportive’ is exactly what I hope we can all be for one another as we take this blog journey together!
Before we jump into all the ‘fun’ stuff in my blog, I can’t ignore a word that keeps running through my mind as I ponder ideas for us to explore together… its ‘intentionality’. I know that doesn’t sound sexy or relevant but hear me out. In my first message, I shared a few different areas in my life that I have been working on for my overall well-being (fueling my body with healthy food, working out, and becoming my best self). Well, I have come to realize that intentionality is KEY to reaching these goals. If I am not intentional about creating new habits and priorities in my life there is no way I will see progress. I can ‘want’ all of these improvements but until I’m willing to push myself and be intentional, I would be setting myself up to fail. So, you will notice that intentionality will be weaved throughout all of my messages with you because it’s the secret sauce to our journey to bettering ourselves!
Let’s move on to another often overlooked piece of our overall well-being, which is resting. I know what you’re thinking, “wow Justice how boring.” I promise you I will get to the mouth-watering food recipes and that bomb booty workout I know we all need. As of lately, this has been something I have been working on and felt led to share with all of you. We must rest our bodies and minds. When was the last time you have felt peace in your life? Well for some of you, you can’t remember! That is completely okay, and that is why I am here to remind you of how we can become intentional when it comes to making our rest a priority.
First I want to start with the definition. According to the first Google search, “to get rest is by lying down, to cease from action, refrain from labor, be free from anxiety.” The list could go on and on. I have struggled with resting my mind over the past couple of years and I bet I’m not alone. I would say my upbringing might have a little to do with it. I grew up in a fifth-generation pig farming family. If you know me and my family we are ‘fast-paced’ people, we like to get things done fast and move on to the next task at hand. There is no waiting around in our family. That is just how we roll. For example, if we are driving to Florida for a vacation to rest we are only stopping if someone is about to throw up or die. We do not take breaks! This also means that I might be the most impatient person I know. I completely own that this is an unflattering trait of mine. I just need people to move faster. I have also accepted it and blame my parents a little. #kidding #iloveyoumomanddad
Truth be told, watching my father make his business into something so wonderful, he had to be consistently productive. My father honestly is just an incredible human being. (side note)
Now let’s talk about being productive, ladies and gents. Since I have been in college, I have almost had this obsession with being productive. I feel guilty if I lay around and watch a movie on the couch or if I sleep in. I want to encourage you that resting your brain and your body is so insanely healthy. We have to stop feeling bad about unplugging or taking breaks in our day. I also feel a little silly typing all these words because I am thinking “what if no one cares or can relate to me?” I hope that you can take something away from this. I have recently started this new morning routine where I wake up about 30 minutes before I normally do. I make my coffee, light a candle, wash my face, and open my bible. I start my day out by giving him the day before I even start mine. I know if I want a calm and meaningful day then I need to start my morning out that way! Your routine obviously might look different, but start being intentional about how you start your day. I promise it will pay off! Make a list of simple practices that you know calm you, pump you up, or ground you. Those little new routines will set the path for your day. I also want to mention that not every day will be perfect, we all have those days when we wake up late, freaking out about what we are going to wear. The most important thing is that we take time out of our day to rest our minds. Whether that be in the morning, lunchtime, or when you’re going to bed. Resting your mind can look like painting, going on a hike, or calling your mom. Let’s be intentional, our mind needs a second to pause and reset.
Speaking of carving out time to rest, do you ever feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day to accomplish all your tasks? Do you love crossing off tasks from your to-do list? There is nothing wrong with loving a daily agenda, but let’s start being mindful of those tasks. Are we implementing our well-being in our to-do lists? Something I have noticed is that many people love to be busy and to wear it as a badge of honor. That’s the American way, right? I have been pondering this, and I started to realize we are not made to be stressed and have anxiety like this all the time. We are made to be a light in other people’s lives. Life is truly a gift and often too short. Let’s all be intentional not to waste it away getting caught up in the stress and busyness of life. (which I am so guilty of) Starting college, a new job, or even living in a new city creates a lot of fears, uncertainties, and anxieties. In those moments of stress, just pause and shift gears. Do something that calms you down, brings you joy, or helps you unplug. You know yourself better than anyone, you likely know your stress triggers. More importantly, you know your stress relievers! I want to encourage you to take breaks from your work, your phone, and take more walks or dance around your house (aka party for one). Again, be intentional, it’s vital to your well-being.
The other day I had so many instances where things kept going wrong, and I would tell myself “nope, I’m not going to let that annoy me because today is a great day!” Well, fast-forwarding, a million other annoying things kept occurring. I eventually just found my yoga mat and started doing an ab workout, to take my mind off of it. So, next time you find yourself wanting to punch someone in the face, grab your yoga mat instead!
I got off the phone the other day with a friend, she was going on and on about how stressed she was and barely had time for anyone or anything. I can often relate to her, we all can. Being busy is not a bad thing, but it can start to get unhealthy if you aren’t taking time to sit down and talk with your brain. I know that might sound silly, but maybe we need to spend time with our brains more often. Unpack our thoughts and feelings. I am personally trying to be less ‘busy’ and instead focus on being productive. That shift in thinking allows me the space and freedom to weave intentional and healthy habits into my day. This is making such a difference!
As I wrap up this blog, I feel as though the biggest key to changing our lifestyle is being intentional with our goals and wants in our life. Whether that be lifting heavier weights, trying to make more friends, getting an A in a class, being a better daughter, or whatever that may look like for you. It all boils down to our intentionality.
I would love to hear how you are going to incorporate healthy routines in your day-to-day life below in the comments.
