Mind. Body. Soul: 28 days to a better you.

I want to nourish my mind, body, and my soul.

Lately with being pregnant I have felt exhausted and sick most days.

Some days it feels as though all I am doing is existing, I’m going through the motions of life but I’m not actually living. I was unsure if I was alone in these feelings when I first thought of this blog post and I asked a few people, and it turns out they have days like this too.

So then decided it was something I should write about and try to tackle.

I look at the excitement my children have for the simplest of things. They came home from school last Friday so excited about this new policy being introduced at school where basically if they get no warnings there is the opportunity to get ten minutes extra playtime, although you would think from their excitement, they were being offered an all-expenses paid trip to a tropical island.

I want to feel this way about the little things in life. I want to see joy in the mundane.

It’s strange I know my triggers, I know the things that don’t leave my mind, body or soul feeling good, I should stay away from them, but it feels as though I can’t.

Things that put me in a bit of a downer is starting my day scrolling social media, I know I shouldn’t, yet I do.

Eating poorly brings me down also, to nourish your mind and soul you really do need to nourish your body by fulling it with the best foods possible.

Other things include staying up too late, watching TV, lying around and not being productive, it all works together to bring your energy and spirit down and blocking you from being the best you, you can be!

The Exhaustion Struggle

Pregnant or not exhausted is something you will be quite a lot. I sometimes think I’m just going to spend the rest of my life being tired. Every. Single. Day.

I swear never in my adult life has a day went past where I have not felt sleepy, and it doesn’t matter how much or how little sleep I get I’m just tired every dam day and I am sick fed up with it. I can have the most fun filled day but there is always at least one fleeting thought about sleep.

I’m anaemic and I know this doesn’t help but come on life let me be fully rested for once… So here is some advice I read on google…

‘Late nights can cast a shadow on your well-being. Resist the allure of screens; they steal precious sleep. Instead, create a bedtime ritual. Dim the lights, sip herbal tea, and let your mind unwind. Sleep is your soul’s reset button. Embrace it.’

And you know what that advice sounds pretty great, but I mean I’m writing this blog at 11.58PM with Gilmore girls on, and a break every 5 minutes to scroll TikTok… It’s not looking to good for me, I have some serious habits to break.

Many a time I have thought about implementing a sleep schedule, but I can never stick to it for more than two days, maybe if I did I would feel fully rested?

Embracing the “Cheese”

I hate cheesy stuff; it makes me cringe… well I love reading about it in private but talking about it that’s another story. But the thing is when it comes to this kind of topic you need to be a little cheesy to get the motivation pumped up.

Why healthy eating is so important 

Eating healthy is so important and lately my diet has been so bad. I know I need to work on this as healthy eating isn't just going to give your body a boost, its going to get your mind all jazzed too. I know after even a couple days of eating clean not only does my body feel better but my mind is happier and has far less negative thoughts buzzing around.

So this healthy eating is going to create a happy mind, an energised body and in turn your soul will feel more at peace... Food isn’t just fuel; it’s a soul symphony.

I have decided that it’s time I should create another little challenge because if you are anything like me even though you know what needs to be done to help fuel your mind, soul, and body it isn’t as simple as oh yeah I better do that.

So, let’s do a 28-day-challenge!

There are 6 rules.

1.       Do not go on your phone at all for the first 30 minutes after you wake up.

(I have a great top tip for this one- put your phone on do not disturb before bed and have an alarm set for 30 minutes after your first alarm goes off. This way when you wake up any notifications will not be on the screen to tempt you).

2.       Eat clean, healthy foods.

You can have up to one treat per day (something small, so saying one pack of oreos does not count).

3.       You must do some form of exercise every single day

If you only have time for a 20-minute walk that’s fine as long as you do something.

4.       Drink at least 1 litre of water per day

(I know it is meant to be 2L but let’s be real that’s just sometimes not achievable for people who aren’t in the habit of drinking any water)

5.       Plan each day the night before

Hey- you know what they say to fail to prepare is to prepare to fail! You don’t have to write it down and you don’t have to go into big detail about it. But before you go to bed I want you to think what time you are going to do your exercise at, what meals you will have… Will you have time to cook a healthy meal? If you don’t think you will then you can prep it the night before.

6.       Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day

(If you have a night out or something you can be excused on this because this challenge is all about living life- just make sure the next day you get back to it). You can choose the times but put some real thought into it because it is going to be the same time every night and every morning.

Here's your daily check list (I have left a couple lines blank to allow for any extra goals you might like to add).

Make sure whatever it is you are planning that it is achievable. Don’t tell yourself oh in the morning I’m getting up at 5am and I’m doing a 10K unless this is something doable.

For me anyway part of my biggest issue is setting myself up for failure rather than making small challenges for myself that will push me but at the same time are also attainable.

Let’s face it you fail at the first hurdle it is far too easy to think ‘to hell with this I’m going to the shop to buy my body weight in chocolate’.  

I just want to really point out that this isn’t a challenge for weight loss, it’s not about diets. This is something far more important, it’s about your mental well-being and creating good life habits.

These are things that I am certain are going to help me not feel as though I’m just going through the motions and hopefully they can help you also.

PS….

A little gentle reminder for anyone else out there who feels as though they’re going through a rough spell- you are not merely existing; you are evolving. Each conscious choice adds colour to your existence.