I just got home after another long day at work, and I feel…relaxed?
Work has not gotten less stressful, but I’m trying to take a healthier approach to dealing with stress.
I credit:
This is actually one of my client’s favorite sayings. She has it taped to her monitor, and it’s so so true. You will find a way for what’s important to you. I worked so much in the month of September but marathon training was a near-equal priority, so I found a way.
Call me vain, but not being unhappy with how I look in a bathing suit on a trip I’m spending my hard-earned money and vacation days on is also a fairly high priority right now. I’m finding a way to fit fitness into days that involve 11+ hour work days.
I may not spend much time in my apartment this month, but the time I spent decorating this tree is 1000% worth the happiness it gives me every time I walk in the door. Priority.
I also credit Jess. Working with her has provided me accountability for my workouts and cleaning up my eating some. Last year I did Eat In (More) Month after basically not touching my kitchen for the month of December. This year, I’m trying to get ahead of that eight-ball and eat in more in December. I’ll do a post soon about some of the easy meals Jess has been helping me come up with, but even just prioritizing this has helped me make some healthier choices and put together easy meals on my own.
Valerie says this lunch is ugly, and maybe it is, but it was tasty and one of my suggestions from Jess. (Here’s some similar beef stir-fry recipes from Eating Well.)
I threw some Brussels sprouts in the oven the other night to roast, and ate them with some rotisserie chicken tonight. Yeah, I love the light for food photography at 9:30 at night.
Finally, in one of my emails from Jess the other night, she said “Only say nice things to yourself!”
I’m tryin’, Jess! I’m usually pretty hard on myself, and when the going gets tough, I tell myself to STFU and stop making excuses, but the going’s kind of tough right now with lots of stress, so I need to be nice to myself. Just taking little ways to be nice to myself in the past few days has already helped. I slowly feel some of my anxiety dissolving.
Also, if you’re doubting yourself at all right now, read this post.
How are you nice to yourself when you’re stressed?
WORD on being nice to yourself!
I often talk with my students about self-criticism and how unnecessarily mean and RUDE we are to ourselves! We say things to ourselves that we would *never EVER* tolerate from another person. Why accept it from ourselves?
@Shauna@Pleasure, not Punishment: I should know this…but what level do you teach? 🙂
All! Young choristers through pro opera singers like myself. As you might imagine, my adult women have the harshest and most persistent inner critics.
@Shauna@ Pleasure not Punishment: Oh, wow. You’re so cool.
Love that quote! I never really thought about it that way, but it’s so true.
Oh BOY do i love this post. Self care and being nice to myself is like my favorite thing ever to talk about HA. I’ve really worked on only letting positive thoughts resonate with me and “watch” the negative thoughts float on by. Your thoughts create your reality– it’s so true.
My name is Valerie and sometimes I tell people their lunches are ugly. Obviously, going by the likes and reblogs that photo got, the people on the Internet disagreed. 🙂 (It’s okay, I’m just jealous I hadn’t brought my own lunch.)
Forgot to mention this but here is a great book about this called Attitude is Everything: http://www.amazon.com/Attitude-Is-Everything-Change-Attitude/dp/0979041031
My dad read it and bought it for everyone that he knew. Very good!
Great post! Definitely something we all need to remember. I’ve been pretty busy/stressed lately. I just made myself some brownies. Boom! A small joy. But way too easy to over indulge so I’m not going to recommend that very highly. The christmas tree is a great idea, though!
Give all you have, do the best job you can and be good to yourself At the end of the day you will be confident that you accomplished and most of all BE HAPPY
When the going gets tough, the tough get going!!!
Thank you for the motivating words – the first thing I did when I got to work this morning was print out that quote!
This post is exactly what I needed to read! I’m going to print out the “be nice to yourself”, I think it needs to be hung in my bathroom so I see it every morning before leaving.
Have a great day!
I’m usually not nice to myself when I’m stressed, at first. It takes a little self-talk and motivation to get me out of that slump! Love the motivational words on this post!
I am not nice to myself when I am stressed, when I eat too much, or when a workout doesn’t go as expected. I would never be that hard on anyone else, but somehow I think it is okay to be horrible to myself.
Thank You for this post! I read it at 5:10 (AST) when I was trying to convince myself to run, but my bed was really cosy…I got up and ran! It was +8C so I had to because there will be days when it will be below 0 and I will have wished I had.
totally agree with this. I’ve never thought about being nice to ourselves, although I guess that is what we do by exercising, sleeping and eating right. It about being mentally nice to ourselves too, and not berating ourselves too much.
Love the reminder about priorities… and being nice to myself! 🙂
I think you’re running a close race for winning my client of the year award because nothing beats telling yourself to STFU and stop making excuses! I’m proud of you!
@Jess: Wait, I thought I was supposed to be nice to myself?
Also, I was unaware there was anyone else in the running for Client of the Year. I quit.
Hi Theodora. I found you via an abc online article. Loved the Candle 79 review – I am eating at Candle West tonight – it’s on 90th & Broadway. I love their food. Just beginning yet another lose weight/gain health journey, and looking online for inspiration. I’ll be back for more. Waving at you from the Upper West Side, Frances
@Frances D: What is this ABC article? And glad you stumbled over this way 🙂
great post 🙂 enough said.
Your blog is really entertaining! I am hooked reading it! Continue doing a good job!