Nutrition and Fitness

s tn e s F i a n d o n ti r i N u t

5 Myths around Selfcare

Alka Chopra, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator & Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor

“Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause. ” —

Cecilia Tran These days self-care has become a very trendy term and is thrown around a lot! It is something very fashionable and indulgent. With trendy perspectives, media influences, social media influencer messages, and advertising there are a lot of myths that have circled around self-care. Let’s break these myths so we get clear on true facts about self-care. 1. Self-improvement & Selfcare are the same: some people confuse between these two terms. So, let's clear this up! Self-improvement centers around being a perfectionist. It centers around the thought that there is something wrong with us or there is something we do not like about ourselves that needs to be fixed. E.g. I am lazy to go to the gym or I am not a good cook and so on. If you think about perfectionism from a realistic point of view it is very subjective. Perfect for you maybe imperfect for someone else and vice versa. Perfectionism is highly influenced by our lifetime experiences and our upbringing. On the other hand, self-care comes from a pure self-nurturance perspective i.e., you identify areas that you wish to do better and take small steps that could be on a daily basis or a weekly basis to get to a level where you want to be. In the real sense, self-care is all about what you want to do and what you want to be rather than what others want you to be.

2. Selfcare is just for women: Typically, women talk about self-care routines, have to get-togethers,

might do some self-

care activities as a group, or even take time off from work to do something they love and enjoy (I do that on a regular basis). Does this mean self-care is just for women? Absolutely not! Every human being regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or socioeconomic status needs a self-care system in place. The basic needs of every human being are the same. Everyone needs to and must spend some time with themselves doing activities they love and enjoy on a regular basis.

3. Selfcare is something you do when you are undergoing a stressful situation: What do you think is better? Getting your car serviced on a timely basis or waiting for it to break down on the road and then you call the tow truck! I guess you get the point! Prevention is better than cure. Designing a self-care type of lifestyle is the route to take. Self-care is vital for building resilience toward any stressful situations that may come up in your life so you can handle the situation well. Living a selfcare type of life and creating a culture of self-care prepares you to handle the worst situations effectively and live your best life.

4. Selfcare is a one and done type of thing: Often people are of the thought process that they can involve themselves in a self-care activity once in a while – maybe once per month or 3 months and so on. The reality is that one needs to have a self-care system in place. A system that allows them to perform a self-care activity even if it is for 10 – 15 minutes on a regular basis – daily or at minimum weekly. It is only then one can experience the full benefits and lead a life one wishes for. If you look at the graphic below it clearly reflects the importance of allocating time toward self-care. The healthcare pyramid has self-care as the base and is the foundation of good health.

5. Selfcare is simple: If you look at self-care as a concept it is very simple. It is simple activities such as enjoying a cup of coffee/tea at your local café or in a beautiful mug when everyone in the house is still sleeping and reading a book in your backyard or even some meditation. The challenge is committing yourself to do these activities on a regular basis. It is finding the time for yourself amidst the daily hustle-bustle and responsibilities. The other extreme is finding a balance i.e. not being indulgent (that I am guilty of sometimes) and ignoring the needs of your loved ones. It can get tricky sometimes.

Selfcare is necessary, but not indulgent. So how do you draw the line? Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Write down 8-10 activities you would like to do in your FREE time.

Step 2: Shortlist 5 (from the 5-10) activities you would enjoy spending time doing on a regular basis. Have a mix of activities – some of those you can do in 10 – 15 minutes such as meditation and some that can take up to an hour such as taking an art/dance class.

Step 3: Schedule a time at least once/week at minimum to spend time doing the chosen activity and try to stick to it as much as possible. Time yourself. You can even schedule breaks during the day for the smaller activities.

It is vital that you understand that self-care is all about taking a pause and doing something for yourself. Something you do that makes you happier, calmer, and healthier. At the same time, you need to have a clear distinction between self-care and indulgence. Use self-care to equip yourself to handle many stressful situations that may come up rather than avoiding them. After all, life is not a straight line! Pay attention to what your mind and body are saying so you can decide what works for you. Design your own selfcare system and make it a culture.

To support you in this journey I have created an online program called “

One Week To Your Health” that teaches you how to make self-care a culture by mastering mini habits one week at a time. You can take a look at it here

Alka Chopra

https://www.alkachopra.ca/

Heal How as a thy Habits tha to Create and Busy Woman t Will Last: Maintain Habi Doctor and ts of po Jackie Kickish, Physical Therapy and certifie stpartum corrective exercise d pregnan specialist cy Are you ready to make some changes in your health? It can feel like a daunting task. The key to reaching your goals is by building healthy habits. Today, we will discuss how to create and maintain healthy habits in a few easy steps so that you can finally feel your absolute best.

Why Is It So Hard to Stay On Track?

As a busy woman, it can be tough to find time to focus on your health. You might feel like you're always running late or juggling too many things at once. And when you do find the time to work out or eat healthily, it's often difficult to stick with those habits for long. This is because most of us try to go from 0 to 100 overnight, and that simply isn't sustainable.

Why Using Will Power Doesn't Work

When it comes to making healthy changes, willpower is often seen as the key to success. But the truth is, willpower alone usually isn't enough. In fact, relying on it can often do more harm than good. This is because when we try to force our way to our goals, we are more likely to feel deprived. And when we feel deprived, we are much more likely to give up on our healthy habits altogether. This is exactly why restrictive diets don't work. Diets are often seen as a temporary solution to weight loss that can be done with the right willpower in place. Instead, it leads to guilt and a yo-yoing scale. The same goes for any other kind of health routine that feels forced or that you simply hate.

Building Healthy Habits without Resistance or Force

Think about a toddler that needs to go eat lunch. If you order them to eat, they're likely going to

resist. But if you find a way to make it seem like their idea (or even fun) they will eat with little to no

complaints!

This is exactly how we want to set up our habits. It's important to approach our health in a way that feels easy, gradual, and fun. As our behaviors and identities change over time, the changes we've made to our health will feel natural and you'll feel continually motivated to keep moving forward. And this is the ultimate goal!

Building healthy habits can be straightforward with four simple steps. Let's review where to start so that you can work toward your goals and make progress without feeling deflated.

1. Pick One Thing. When it comes to health, there are a lot of different areas to focus on. It can be helpful to pick just one thing to work on at a time. That way, you can give your full attention and energy to that one area without feeling overwhelmed.

2. Start Small. Once you'

ve decided what area you want to focus on, it's time to start small. Remember, we are trying to set ourselves up for success, not failure. So, if your goal is to eat healthier, start by adding one healthy meal or snack to your day. If you want to start working out, start with two days a week for 10 minutes.

3. Be Consistent. The key to any habit is consistency. It's more important to be consistent with your healthy habits than it is to be perfect. So, if you miss a day of working out or eating healthy, don't beat yourself up. Just get back on track as soon as you can and keep moving forward.

4. Find What Works For You. Everyone is different, so it's important to find what works for you. If you hate the gym, don't force yourself to go. Instead, find an activity that you enjoy and that you can see yourself doing long-term. The same goes for eating. If you don't like kale, don't force yourself to eat it. Find healthy foods that you actually enjoy eating and that you can see yourself incorporating into your regular diet.

What is a Good First Goal?

A good first goal is one that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

In other words, it's a SMART goal.

A specific goal might be to eat three healthy meals per day or to work out four days per week. A measurable goal would be to track your progress so that you can see how well you're doing. An achievable goal is realistic for you and your lifestyle. A relevant goal is important to you and aligned with your values. And a time-bound goal has a deadline or time frame attached to it.

Below are a few more examples for a starting place:

Add extra vegetables to one meal per day for 6 weeks Workout for 5 to 10 minutes each morning Get one extra hour of sleep each night on the weekdays (sleep an important pillar of good health)

Take 5 deeps breaths each time you're feeling stressed

Incorporate one hour of quiet self-care time into each

Friday Cancel one thing on your schedule that you don't enjoy

each week And on...

As you can see from these goals, the key is to start as simple and specific as possible and build from there as you find a better balance in your daily routine.

Being Healthy a Lifestyle, Not a Temporary Change

Creating and maintaining healthy habits can be tough at first, but it's not impossible. By following these simple steps, you can make lasting changes to your health without feeling deprived or overwhelmed. And when you find what works for you, it will be easier than you ever thought possible! So get started today and see where your healthy habits take you!

Jackie Kickish-

www.jackiekickish.com

A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. ” —Melinda Gates