At Body beyond Birth we’re urging you to spring clean your health. Being able to channel a little spring in your life can help cut down the clutter and move you forward into brighter days. That’s why we’ve done a wee bit of spring cleaning of our own. And we have some helpful tips on the kinds of spring clean you may wish to do for your health and happiness.
Here’s how to spring clean your health and approach to general life fitness you may wish to try
Getting rid of things that provided temptation
We women often hold onto things because we have difficulty in letting go. But sometimes, letting go of things that no longer service us can be good for the soul. It certainly frees up space for other things that are important.
Whether that’s naughty foods in the cupboard, less effective uses of your time or outdated technology, clearing out the temptation that holds you back is important.
In order to spring clean your health, you may have to face up to relationships and friendships that don’t serve you. Or things you say to yourself that are harmful or lead you astray. You might find comfort in sugar and wine and wonder how you’ll ever get by without it.
It’s tough to break up with bad habits. But sometimes the things we hold onto aren’t the right things for us. So using this time to identify the choices and behaviours you don’t like and see what you can do to change them can be more soothing than the things we lean on.
Keeping a strong focus on the task at hand
Part of what we do as fitness trainers is instilling the need for focus and applied effort to make progress. Yet as mothers, we’re often splitting our focus and potentially our ability by multi-tasking.
With the recent nomination and finals announcement for the Optus My Business awards, we had time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a business.
Giving ourselves the space to set aside time for the refresh reminded us to look to have a single focus in other areas that require attention such as health, exercise, relationships and family.
Spring clean your health and approach to life by saying no to Octopus syndrome. Stop trying to be all things to all people and breathe. Sit back, pick a task and see it through. That clear focus will give you a sense of grounding and give you the ability to see the action you take clearly.
Self care is super important
There were times when we all feel like life as a mother is never ending. You clean one part only to start again. You fix one fighting child only to deal with another. You answer one question, only to find you face 7 more. You get the picture.
Staying the course is one thing, but also spending time away from the hard work focused on resilience helps get you through.
We recommend this simple moment of self reflection as a powerful tool. Instead of looking at how much you have to do, add the level of seeing what you have completed. Bring a DONE list into your life along with that TO DO list.
Even a day off or a 20 minute break in a hectic day makes a huge difference. Applying this to life with kids is essential. So spring clean your health and make time in your life for that vital 20 minutes. It may sound impossible, but the results will win you over, trust us.
Practise makes perfect (and you have to start somewhere)
Just like our exercise program, it can be hard to start from a place of zero experience or knowledge. But being open to the experience and working through makes all the difference.
It’s about creating a safe space to allow the work as it happens and applauding the small movements while not being too hard on the moments where progress may not be immediately evident.
When we say spring clean your health, we don’t mean throw out every notion you’ve ever had, banish yourself from all luxury and go hard or go home. That’s not going to help you make any choice you make stick.
It’s about picking the small wins, working through to break the habits and slowly building up to where you want to be.
Spring clean your health by changing your thinking
Women are packed full of negative self talk. We’re especially brutal to ourselves when it comes to body image, fitness and how we look. You don’t have to listen to those negative, carping voices. Installed at childhood or during your teens, affirmed by magazines and beauty myths, given to you be thoughtless romantic partners and/or society- it can be painful. No matter what the case, you don’t have to accept those terrible voices as the ones to define you anymore.
Change your thinking to draw inspiration from the people that love you the most- you and your kids. Think of your partner and/or your best friend. Envisage the loving parent, the nurturing teacher, the kindly neighbour, the supportive mother’s group, the great workmates and more. Hell, if the lolly pop lady and the shop keep always greet you with a smile and a wave, take that.
Don’t allow those that want to keep you down to define what you are capable of. You don’t even have to prove them wrong. You simply need to do what is right for you. Spring clean your health by sweeping all the meanness out of your mind and embrace beautiful you.
