Spring into Wellness

I’m an average mom of two little girls and my husband is in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Like every year, make a “New Year’s Resolution” live better than the previous year. This year though had to be different and was going to be a special challenge, since the military called my husband away for 4 months of training. So, I jumped right into a total makeover- outside and in. I went about this in 5 areas: Physical, Environmental, Relational, Spiritual, and Mental/Emotional.

Physical. I have been educating myself over the last year about diet and more specifically, having a healthy gut. I started with Kombucha. What is that? The simple explanation is that kombucha is fermented tea that can help cultivate good gut bacteria. I also have added elderberry syrup for a super boost of vitamin c and eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi. As far as exercise goes, here is my ideal week:

Mondays: run a mile, pushups/sit-ups

Tuesdays: pilates

Wednesdays: run a mile, pushups/sit-ups

Thursdays: pilates, cycle class

Fridays: run a mile, pushups/sit-ups

Saturdays: body pump class

Sundays: rest

Bonus: shoveling snow

Environmental. Everyone is talking about “Tidying up with Marie Kondo.” Although I read her book, the TV show (on Netflix) brought the method to life, and I really did find joy in making decisions of what is worth keeping rather than looking at my things as trying to get rid of it all. I started with clothes, books, music, and everything miscellaneous. I found that I do have enough space in my tiny kitchen- it just took making a little room in other ways. For example, I added a magnetic strip to the wall to eliminate my need for a knife block.

Relational. I recently looked to see how many friends I had on Facebook. I asked myself if having all 700 of these ‘friends’ gives me joy? Are they part of my life and do I need to see what their lives are like now? Will it hurt to press the “unfriend” button?  Will they even notice? Another way I’m cleansing my relationships is by putting my phone down. There isn’t anything going on there that can’t wait until after my kids go to bed at night. Until then, my phone should just be a phone: for taking phone calls/texts. Social media can wait. We also set a “Skype Time” each night with my husband. This way we aren’t interrupting his studies and he can expect the call and we can expect him to be ready as well.

Spiritual. I’ve noticed that after lunch the energy of my kids kicks up and then crashes, so a good Bible story combined with some stretching helps them settle down a bit. In the evenings after the kids go to bed, I pick up a book that fosters my spirituality for about 15-30 minutes. Also, I thank God every night before I go to sleep for the many blessings I have in my life.

Mental/Emotional. Two words: ME TIME. I chose to pamper myself with a massage once a month and do something on the weekend that is fun for me. If the girls must come with me, then I make sure there is someone else along for the ride. Also, a check-in with my BFF once a week is a great way to vent all of life’s problems.

‘Spring’ might not be here yet in Minnesota, but I definitely feel the beginnings of ‘wellness’ in and around me.