Environmental Self-Care — Living Clean & Clutter Free

From the time I was a little kid well into adulthood, I’ve felt out of sorts when my personal environment wasn’t up to a certain standard of clean and organized. I know I’m not alone.

Studies have shown that our environment can significantly impact our mental and physical well-being.

Clutter Free – Some people seem to be less bothered by clutter. In contrast, others are highly annoyed by a cluttered environment and can find the clutter to restrict their ability to focus or their creativity. I’m one of them.

When your environment is cluttered, dirty, and unorganized, the response is often lowered self-esteem, moods, and even depression and anxiety can take hold.

If you’re like me, when clutter is cleared from your home or work environment, you’ll find yourself more productive, less agitated, and probably able to clear your mind to process information much better.

Here are other benefits to organizing your home, office, vehicle, storage, etc.

Time – when your items, such as keys and phone, have a resting place of their own, you won’t be spending a lot of time looking for them. Also, when things are more organized and cleaned regularly, it increases the time to do other things. I find that I also manage my time and other activities better when there isn’t clutter around me

Storage – when well organized, you’ll find you can comfortably get things in and out of cabinets and cupboards. You can also typically store more usable items and gain valuable storage space.

Purchases – you can save on purchases by not buying things you already have but can’t find.

Stress – decreases when you aren’t running around frantically looking for those lost keys, your wallet, or other misplaced items. Also, if you have guests coming over, you’ll feel less stress knowing your home offers a comfortable atmosphere.

Energy – it’s incredible how much more energy you’ll have when things are organized, clean, and quickly found.

Confidence – confidence levels increase when our lives are organized, clutter-free, and cleaned up, which often leads to more positive behavior patterns.

Of course, for those living with anxiety and depression, this can be a more arduous task than for others. The key is to start with a small area – a drawer or the front closet. Sometimes getting a friend to help will go a long way in helping you part with things cluttering your environment.

Start small and pick a more significant task once you’ve gained the confidence to do more. A box for giveaway items, a box for keeping things, a box for garbage, and a box for maybe items that work well.

How do you keep it clean and clutter-free?

Examples:

Mail — You bring the mail in, and instead of throwing it on the counter, open it. Then, put the recycled items in the recycle bin and put the bills in a now designated bill folder.

Laundry — Do smaller loads of laundry each day or every other day versus once a week. There’s less to fold and put away all at once.

Cooking — Clean up as you go. When you are done eating, clean up the dishes and kitchen right away.

Make Your Bed — Make your bed every morning. There is an entire psychology behind bed-making. Also, check out my YouTube video on bed-making. OMG, lol!

Dusting – My least favorite task. Turn on some good music and dance around while dusting. It does help.

Showers – I owned a cleaning business for 17 years. Fact! I use a product called Zep. It works! Spray it from top to bottom, use a non-scratch pad, scrub it in, leave it to sit while you clean the toilet, come back, and rinse it off. Just don’t stand in the shower with bare feet and clean it. If you have a window, open it.

Your psychological health is important, so taking steps toward cleaning things up and decluttering your environment will go a long way in helping your emotional well-being.

Want more help in decluttering? Find professional home organizers near you online, or jump in on my bi-weekly group coaching calls here and create a plan for getting started. The first month is free.

Happy cleaning,
Vonie

Personal Self-Care - Listen to Your Intuition

If you’ve read my last two blog posts, you’re aware of the two different types of self-care that I’ve written about so far. The first is social self-care and some barriers that can get in the way of our self-care routines. Then last week, I wrote about physical self-care and how if unattended, it can lead to health issues.

This week I want to bring awareness to personal self-care. There are similar qualities to the other two; however, personal self-care requires having conversations with yourself and engaging with what the heart desires versus taking a cycling class or jumping into the tub for a 10-minute soak.

When we stay present to ourselves and what we are presently doing, we can honor that place inside that says, “Hey, I’m enjoying this!” or maybe that voice says, “I don’t like this, so I think I’ll try something different.” Really, it’s about listening to and honoring who you are and what you want in life.

I have this amazing friend Laura, who does Happiness Coaching. When I attended one of her Happiness Retreats in Mexico in 2017, she taught me about what she calls Essence (an emotion, for example, gratitude) vs. Form (what we can touch).

So how does Essence vs. Form relate to personal care?

I’ll get to that, but first, I’ll share a quick story about something that happened today.

A woman who takes my class regularly brought her 84-year-old mother, who was visiting from out of town. She’d never done a reformer Pilates class before, only Mat Classes which she takes regularly.

When I was introduced to the mom, I thought, “I’m happy to meet this woman. She’s excited to be here.” I must also admit, I was a little worried that it would be too much for her. It wasn’t! As we spoke, I genuinely listened to her. I heard her words and the meaning behind them. I asked her questions and treated her as if she was a guest in my home. I asked her where she was visiting from, how long she’d be staying, what brought her across the country, etc. We connected on many levels, both cancer survivors and athletic, and fought to regain our athletic abilities after cancer treatments ended. I checked in on her regularly and helped when I saw she needed it. I stayed present to myself and her. When class was over, she walked over and thanked me for the class and said she was grateful that I was her first reformer teacher and that she would be looking for classes to take when she got back home to Georgia.

For both of us, her presence in my class was the Form. The Essence was the emotions that were sparked in both of us.

 

 

Personal self-care is about listening to your intuition and living in gratitude because that trumps everything. It’s about finding out who you really are and rocking it because the ripple effects of doing so make their way around the world.

So...

Listen — When you listen to yourself instead of being on autopilot, you are engaging in personal self-care.

Treat Yourself — Treat yourself to that 10-minute bath with candles, flowers, music, soft lighting, and oils. No rush; lay back and enjoy.

Know Yourself — Who are you really? What do you want in this lifetime? How do you want to show up for yourself?

Something New — Try something new, have some adventure, and create fun in your life.

Hobbies — What hobbies do you currently have? Do they light you up or drag you down? Tap into the Essence of what you’re doing and why; the rest will unfold from there.

Once upon a time, I thought of personal care as a bubble bath, and I don’t like taking bubble baths. So, they never worked for me. Today, I know that personal self-care is what I’ve been learning and working on within myself these past few years. I now know that my intuition doesn’t steer me wrong when I listen.

What are you doing for personal self-care?

As always, I’d love to hear how you’re doing, so drop me an email, and let's connect.

With love,
Vonie

 

P.S. Join me for a bi-monthly group coaching call. Your first month is free. Check it out here.

So, What Is Good Physical Self-Care

Last week, I wrote about barriers that keep people from a good self-care routine and how humans are social beings who need to integrate social self-care into their lives for greater physical and mental well-being. This week, I'm writing about physical self-care, one of the eight pillars of self-care, another component of the eight different types of self-care we can utilize to achieve optimal levels of health.

Before I go any further, let me share a story about my journey to self-care. I always thought I was taking good care of myself when I would get a Mani/Pedi, a massage, or spend time working out. These are all great things, but the truth is that I was neglecting other aspects of self-care that directly affected my health and those were much more important than getting my nails polished.

For years, teaching fitness was my life. I taught several classes a week, was a long-distance runner, and hit the gym on days I didn't teach. I rarely gave myself a break. I thought I was eating healthy, but my nutrition could have been better. I drank more Diet Pepsi than water, ate way too many processed foods loaded with sugar, and wasn't getting nearly enough protein.

I also needed more sleep; as an athlete, my body needed more sleep to recover. Also, because working out with others was my job, I had to stay up to date with trends and pay close attention to the participants, as their safety was my responsibility. And, like any good instructor, I was my participants' entertainment and cheerleading section. I loved every minute of it.

However, I often neglected taking care of myself the way I encouraged my students to do so. The bottom line is that my self-care was lacking in more ways than one.

So, what IS good physical self-care? Sound nutrition, a good night's sleep, rest when needed, and body movement.

Sleep – Studies have shown seven to nine hours per night to be the most beneficial. The comment, "I'll sleep when I'm dead," will get you that much less life. In addition, chronic sleep deprivation will yield serious side effects such as memory issues, mood changes, poor concentration, accidents, weight gain, low sex drive, poor performance, and high blood pressure. And if that wasn't enough, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke risks also increase.

Nutrition – I've covered this topic in many emails and blog posts, but here's a recap: Eat more
 veggies, fruit, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Reduce sugar and processed foods. So, you don't like vegetables? Go back to the basics and eat what you like. (Reduce and eliminate sugar; I bet you'll find those veggies and fruit taste better!) Food for thought!

Rest – Need a break? Take one! Sit outside, enjoy the fresh air, and give yourself a moment to hang out in nature.

Movement – Movement lubricates the joints which we need regardless of age. Don't like to work out? Start walking! It's the easiest way to get movement into your day. Add one block a day onto your routine, and soon, you'll be walking farther. If walking is challenging for you because of medical limitations, swimming or chair exercises are great alternatives. The only excuses are the ones we make.

Here are some examples of physical self-care —

Or...

Don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to but find something that will light you up and make you smile, bring joy to your life, ignite your passion for life, and make you feel good inside. If you do that long enough, that feeling will show on the outside. And don't wait until you love your body enough to start taking care of it.

I lacked self-care and ended up with a significant health issue. I've had to work at it and learn to put myself first. Now, I eat a balanced and nutritional diet, exercise regularly, and get more sleep each night, which contributes to a better quality of life.

As always, I'd love to hear from you, so drop me an email and let me know how you're doing with your physical self-care.

Lots of love,
Vonie

P.S. — You also have the chance to learn more about self-care with me on a live group coaching call. Your first month is my gift to you, so check it out here.

Barriers to Self-Care and Social Self-Care

If you’re an avid reader of my posts, you know I write something each week, so that you, my readers can hopefully find some nuggets of wisdom, learn some new skills, confront fears, create better health and wellness for yourself, and/or find inspiration amongst the words on the pages.

I think about you, the reader, a lot.

This week, I am starting a series of eight different posts about self-care.

During my birthday week earlier this month, I turned 62, I had decided to treat myself to a full week of birthday activities. I spent time with great friends and celebrated with lots of laughter, good food, horse time, and self-love.

Did you know that a good self-care routine is essential for combating depression and anxiety? It also reduces stress, frustration, and anger. And, right now, I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use some of that.

That’s all good news, yet there is more because it also improves concentration and energy levels and increases happiness.

There are several ways you can work on self-care —

One of them is through your social life, which is what I’ve decided I need more of.

Sadly, so many people lacked the social self-care elements during Covid, and now that we're pretty much back to socializing there are still many that are avoiding it, don't seem to have the time for it, or maybe even the desire.

So, today, I wanted to address the question, if you’re not creating a good self-care routine for yourself, what’s stopping you?

Barriers to Self-Care

There are many barriers that prevent people from a good self-care routine. However, I’m only writing about the top four that come to mind as I write this newsletter.

Change is hard — if you aren’t used to giving yourself self-care, you will probably need to start with baby steps toward creating a new habit of self-care. Then, as you figure out what makes you feel good, you’ll likely move on to another step towards self-care.

Here’s an example, you want to go to bed earlier and get more sleep — start by going to bed 15-minutes earlier for a couple of nights and inching backward over a few weeks until you are in bed at the time you want to be.

Guilt — guilt is a big issue for a lot of people when it comes to self-care, especially women. They feel guilty for taking time away from their kids, spouse, jobs, etc. The thing is, when you take better care of yourself, your family will also benefit. So will your career and other relationships.

Lack of time — another big one! Thinking of yourself is not selfish, so grab the calendar and set a date with yourself for a workout routine, read a good book while the rest of the family sleeps, and create a weekly routine for something you love to do. Take the entire family out for self-care. If you love being outdoors, a nature bath is the way to go… play time in the park, a hike, a bike ride, a walk, etc.

Limited resources — Sometimes, money can be a factor in people limiting their self-care. However, there are ways to get around that. Again, nature bathes work well for those on a limited budget or taking a hot bath with candles or reading a book, for starters.

Here is the first of the eight types of self-care I’ll be writing about over these next few weeks.

Social Self-Care —

We, humans, are social creatures—even if you are someone who likes more alone time—we all still need connection. And it’s important to our physical and mental well-being.

When I think of social self-care, I think of setting healthy boundaries, keeping in touch with the important people in my life, and spending quality time with myself and others. Also, asking for help when I need it and making sure that if I’m on social media, I’m spending more time viewing the fun and non-stressful stuff than the negative aspects social media can offer.

Also, self-care is excellent for combating depression and anxiety. It also helps with reducing stress, frustration, and anger. When you do that, you’ll improve your energy levels, increase your happiness, and improve concentration.

All good stuff, right?

Here’s a final tidbit, when working with my coaching clients, I often ask them to give me two to three things to hold them accountable. Then they report back on the next call. So, what are one thing you can do today and two or three things you can do later to implement social self-care into your life?

I’d love to hear what you are doing for social self-care. Feel free to shoot me an email.

Lots of love,
Vonie

P.S. — You also have the chance to learn more about self-care with me on a live group coaching call. Your first month is my gift to you, so check it out here.

11 Tips for Healthier Eating Habits

No matter how old you are, healthy eating is essential for maintaining good health. Unfortunately, in the United States, the food and beverage industry has made healthy eating a challenge, and with grocery prices continuing to rise, it’s become an even bigger challenge.

With high-fat foods, sugar-laden products, tempting sodas, and little exercise, the United States has become the most overweight and obese country among the OECD countries.

How did we get this way?

Convenience – Even before the pandemic, fast food deliveries had risen significantly over the past five years, and with the pandemic, the deliveries of unhealthy food options increased exponentially. Then, during the pandemic, to help the businesses that sold liquor, many states opened to the idea of alcohol deliveries. Need some groceries? Hop on Amazon or your local store’s website and have your order ready for pickup or delivery within hours. Convenience has become the norm, and it’s here to stay.

Too many calories – According to a study conducted in 2017, the average American eats 3,600 calories a day. That’s 1,600 calories over the recommended amount for women and 1,100 for men. A lot of this is mainly due to portion sizes.

Portion sizes – In 1980, 7-Eleven introduced the Big Gulp® to the American public. It was 32-ounces, and if you chose Coke, you added 350 calories to your daily diet. Then, in 1983, they created the Super Big Gulp®, which is 44 ounces. Then in 1988, Double Gulp® was available at a whopping 64-ounces. Fast food items kept getting bigger, and restaurant portions also increased with the demand for more food for the dollar. You get the picture!

Misinformation & Confusing Labels – Reading labels can be tricky if you are unsure what you are looking for. There are over 50 hidden sugars found in many processed foods. In addition, many of them have trans fats added, way too much sodium, natural substances that aren’t natural, and other additives.

Inactivity – Once upon a time, you had to get up to change the TV channel or answer the phone. Then the average American’s workday changed. Jobs that once demanded more activity are no longer the norm, as more people are sitting for their workday.

Also, as we age, the demand for calories consumed declines. But unfortunately, while the demand for calories goes down, the need for vitamins and minerals doesn’t; it increases, making it even more critical to maintain healthy eating habits.

With less movement, there are fewer calories burned. In addition, with less activity, muscle mass goes down, which slows down the metabolism and allows for more body fat.
 According to the CDC, 80% of Americans are getting less exercise. That huge!

Diets vs. Nutrition – Many fad diets and misinformation have set the stage for poor eating habits. Nutrition is about feeding the body what it needs, while diets are about calorie restriction and eliminating many foods that our bodies do need. I will say this, though, there are some excellent reasons for elimination diets. They can help restore gut health, decrease the risk for disease, decrease inflammation in the body, and more.

You can't stop eating, so what can you do?

Healthy Eating Tips

Meal Planning – While making a meal plan is ideal, understanding your activity level, ideal weight, and nutritional needs is essential before creating a meal plan.

Balance calories – Also, the idea of calories in and calories out seems simple; it’s not. Sure, you consume calories, and then you could burn them all, but what’s the nutritional value of what you’re eating. That’s important!

So, be mindful of the calories you consume each day and what you do to burn them off through physical activity and work-related movement.

Limit Unhealthy Fats – Consuming healthy fats such as avocados, fatty fish, chia seeds, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil is ideal. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats; they are not suitable for anyone.

Protein – Healthy protein options are poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, and lean meats. Avoid processed meats as they are filled with sodium nitrates and sugar, with some containing milk proteins, sodium phosphate, etc. Simply put, there are a lot of additives to processed meats.

Vegetables and fruits – Increasing the number of vegetables on your plate will go a long way towards optimal health. Although fruit has gotten a bad rap in many diet plans, don’t forget to include some fruit in your diet. A variety of colors will help fill in the nutritional gaps.

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates contain fiber, starch, and sugar. They often get a bad rap for being unhealthy, with many diets eliminating carbs. Here’s the deal, simple carbs break down quickly and are used as energy. They are found in milk, milk products, fruits and vegetables, sugar, syrups, soft drinks, catchup, some vegetables, and many prepackaged foods.

Complex carbs are rich in fiber, offer nutritional value, are excellent for the digestive system, and maintain a healthy metabolism. You can find them in whole grains, oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, legumes, fiber-rich vegetables, and fruits.

The takeaway, go easy on those simple carbs and stick with the complex variety and you’ll maintain an ideal weight and reap the rewards of a healthier lifestyle.

Portion Control – Avoiding weight gain is more straightforward when we are eating only what we need. When eating high-calorie foods, do your best to control portion sizes.

Add Seasonings – Eating a well-balanced whole food enriched diet will offer little salt, whereas most prepackaged and processed foods will offer way too much. Dietary Guidelines recommend 2,300 milligrams. However, that number is lower for seniors 65 and older, with a 1,500 mg per day recommendation.

Avoid Sugar – We already know this one! Americans consume way too much sugar at an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily. That’s 352 extra calories a day. Yikes!

Include Fiber – Eat those complex carbs, and you’ll fulfill this requirement.

Water – It’s best to aim for no less than six eight-ounce glasses per day, which is a mere 48 ounces of water. That’s not enough for most of us. Let’s say you weigh 180 lbs. You’ll need ½ of your body weight in ounces of water per day, not including water required if you’re exerting a lot of energy. I know that 90 ounces seem like a lot; however, it’s not.

The best way to gauge your water intake is…

I know I’ve thrown a lot at you in this post, so here’s a final takeaway. When you follow the 80/20 rule for nutrition, you’ll maintain healthy eating habits 80% of the time and allow for some indulgence 20% of the time, which will go a long way in maintaining good health.

Let me know if you have questions or need help. You can also take advantage of some FREE group coaching here.

In Health,

Vonie

Optimism Improves Your Health

Numerous studies have been conducted on how a positive mindset can improve your overall health and decrease your risk of disease.

In fact, amongst the studies, it was found that 35% of the 200,000 people studied lowered their chance of heart disease, and 14% of them had a lower risk of earlier death.

Those are significant findings.

So, when it comes to life and your health, would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist?

Having an optimistic attitude is the ticket to a speedier recovery from an injury or illness or even keeping disease at bay.

On the other hand, pessimism can deplete your health, slow recovery time, and throw you into defeat.

But wait, what about realism?

When you throw realism into the equation of pessimism and optimism, how does that work?

You’ll surely get different results from the life events that come your way.

Let me explain this a bit more with some examples:

Optimistic Traits  —

Optimism and Health  —

If you find yourself in the pessimistic camp and need some help creating an optimistic attitude, listed below are eight things you can do to make the shift.

Gratitude — What’s great in your life? Practice gratitude daily with a gratitude journal.

Morning Ritual — Each day is an opportunity to start fresh. Find the joy of waking up versus looking at the demands of your day. You get to live life!

Evening Ritual – What was good about your day? Let go of any negative thoughts before you climb into bed so that you can wake up with a healthier mindset.

Meditation — You’d be amazed at the answers you’ll get for life problems when you quiet the mind and set an intention for silence.

Self-love — Give yourself the gift of grace. Let go of negative self-talk. Become your own best friend. I bet you wouldn’t be so mean to a friend.

Visualization — what do you want in life? Visualize it, feel it, taste it, touch it, smell it and then write it down. Then take action, for, without action, your vision will have a hard time becoming a reality.

Nature — a nature bath is healing!

Expectations — disappointment can set in if you set the bar too high. Set realistic expectations for yourself and others.

After reading this post, what's a takeaway message for you?

Having dealt with one of life's harsh lessons with cancer, I know life is too short, so get out and enjoy it and let your optimistic light shine through.

With love,
Vonie

P.S. Join me for a FREE Month of Group Coaching and perhaps come up with more ideas of how you can improve your optimism and health.