The Best of YOU!

Best Health, Best Weight, Best Person with 4 Easy Techniques.

A few weeks back I had a post on my Facebook sight about giving the world what is the best of you and not the rest of you. I guess this appealed to me as quite often I am running on the mere scent of fuel rather than feeling fuelled. Trying to be all things to many and feeling like I am falling down on many fronts. Or to give a different picture, feel like I am about to ‘face plant’ while rushing between tasks and people.

You know those times when you have your job goal, your family needs that are functional and then those emotional requirements that get put upon you. “Mum my brother won’t get out of the bathroom. Dad you said you would fix the bike, mum you will now have to drive me…I can’t let Lucy down I promised her I would help her….” And so it goes on.

You want to be supportive to friends, show love to family, hit those KPI’s at work but you feel your energy lag. By the end of the day you collapse and just crave a solid nap.

Put Your Mask ON!

This is when I realized how important that aeroplane analogy can be in everyday life (and not just when getting our boarding instructions to a long awaited or dreamed of holiday). If you don’t have oxygen you won’t be able to help anyone else.

If we mere mortals don’t look after ourselves first, we have less and less to give those we care about.

As our weight increases, or our health declines our energy depletes and pretty soon we are giving our best but it is pretty much just whatever is left in the ‘tank’ to those we care about.

So we need to really look after our body and mind first. Take time to put on our ‘mask’ so that we can be present and available to those that need us.

Below I have listed 4 important techniques to prevent us from giving less because we gave up our ‘oxygen’.

Technique 1 – Emotional Care

Are you paying attention to your self-talk? Quite often the overwhelm we feel sees us doubt and criticise ourselves. This is usually done with a positive intent but rarely has a desirable outcome.

Just last week I was working with a gentleman that was extremely hard on himself. He was trying to be all things to everyone. Main breadwinner, be available to his kids, a loving husband. Yet his feeling of overwhelm was so much he turned to the biscuit tin as a distraction

How much healthier would it have been to have a better conversation in his head. Some self-praise for what he had achieved instead. Note the wins, if you are constantly criticising yourself you’re going to feel pretty bad as there will always be something. Instead focus on what can you do next time to improve. This changes the frame, takes out the negative emotion and increases the likelihood that next time you will do something different.

Our emotions can affect all our daily life. Ever seen an upbeat person and think wow, they are so energetic!

Technique 2 – How are you Fuelling Your Body?

What are you actually putting into your body? Are you full of carbs for a quick burst of energy and then feel deflated when you have ‘burned’ through it? Those insulin peak and troughs can affect not just your physical energy but you emotional energy as well.

We need to put in those micronutrients as well. You wouldn’t put water in the petrol tank and hope for a good performance.

Downing a donut is not going to keep you boosted for long. More than likely you are going to feel the energy drop, not really feel satiated and probably be frustrated and looking for something else to give you a jump start.

Try eating more green and coloured fruit and veges, find them bland? Add some spices. Remember we need protein too to help us feel full, so low fat meat, chicken and fish are alternatives. Want to stick with your vegan option, nuts and legumes or just google yummy vegan dishes to make it simple. Make that internet a healthy help not a distraction to your health.

Technique 3 – Move it!

Yes I know I have written about this before but just move more and more each day – like the movie said “I have to move it, move it”. Pick a fun activity and just do it. You don’t need to be an Olympic champion, you don’t even need to be good at it.

If you enjoy dance why not try a Zumba class, I guarantee that there will be others with 2 left feet and poor hip action. If you like walking, pop on some headphones and walk with purpose. This doesn’t have to be for a long time but a slow meander waiting for your dog to sniff at every tuft of grass isn’t going to do a lot for either of your health or weight.

A little movement gets those hormones pumping, help body functions to become regular and burn a few calories, so you can enjoy more of that sometime food.

Technique 4 – You Time

This may well be the most difficult thing to do. I have spoken about limiting beliefs so many times and worked with people that have had many of them to the extent that the 3 techniques above just don’t seem possible.

So you need to get creative here. You time may be a 20 min mediation, it maybe when you walk the dog you make it more fun; one of my clients listens to a good book. Hello multi-tasking.

You time is not doing your emails, while having a coffee, or calling a friend while folding washing or driving home.

You time needs to take you out of your work zone, pressure areas, or activities causing overwhelm. The best race horses get rest time. I bet you even tell friends they need to slow down.

These times are not self-indulgent. They are replenishing  like the start of the blog states – so you are able to give the best of you! To be available for those important conversations with your kids or partner.

Maybe some standards have to slip for a while, the meals are healthy but less fancy, the washing gets done later or far be it you ask for help. But I put it to you that a healthier, more energetic less stressed you will be more available. You will be more creative, and influential than the frenetic, overweight, fatigued option

Why not give the best of YOU. After all how do you want to be remembered?