LOOKING AFTER YOUR WHOLE SELF - WHERE DO YOU EVEN START?

Looking after your whole self is SO important.

Now, when we say that, some of you might be confused as to what it actually means. As a human being, you are not made up of one thing, you are made up of multiple different parts, and multiple different areas and if you want to live a healthy, happy, long life it means that you need to be taking care of all of these different areas.

Sounds exhausting, right?!

It doesn’t have to be, we promise.

In this article, we’re going to be looking at a few examples, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

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What You Eat

If you are trying to look after your[whole]self and be a better version of yourself then what you eat is important. You likely already knew this before you started reading, so we’d like to offer you some reassurance that you are on the right path and give you permission to not put any unnecessary stress on yourself when it comes to nutrition.

What is that permission? Well, we are just going to come right out and say it.

You don’t need to track your food or count your calories! If you’ve landed on this blog, you are probably a little overwhelmed with where to start, so jumping in deep to tracking and counting isn’t the best way to start. Sure, if you want to build up to that by all means don’t let us hold you back.

Our entire 8-week program is designed around helping people feel empowered by their nutrition and understand what their bodies need, and we do dabble in macronutrient tracking, but ONLY if and when our amazing members are ready for that.

Sometimes, tracking and counting can be stress that nobody needs. So, if it’s a “no” to tracking, start by trying to enjoy a healthy, balanced diet that consists of all the basic food groups. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. If you aren’t sure what to make, here is one of our favorite butternut squash recipes, and here is a list of the high-protein meals we are digging right now.

Overall, try to eat a ton of fresh vegetables and if you’re hungry, remember that protein is the only thing that you’re going to eat that will actually make you feel full.

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is also important when you are trying to be healthier. If you don’t get enough sleep then your body won’t be able to heal overnight and function as it should the next day.

You should be aiming for around six to eight hours of sleep each night to feel awake and ready to face anything that comes your way. It isn’t just about the quantity of sleep you get, it is also about the quality.

If you are constantly tossing and turning then this will disturb your sleep.

Figuring out what is disturbing your sleep will help you immensely and if you’re able to fix the issue and get back to a solid night’s sleep - the benefits will come pouring in.

It could come down to simply being uncomfortable on your mattress. Experts say you should change your mattress every eight to ten years to ensure your sleep isn’t interrupted. Or, you’re using your screen too close to trying to shut your brain off. Maybe you’ve not had enough movement in your day and your body doesn’t feel ready for sleep.

There are lots of ways to experiment with this. We love yoga nidra before bed, and recently have been dabbling in some REST chocolate - which is a fancy way of saying we eat chocolate that has chamomile tea infused in it with a lot of other sleep benefits - and we sleep great!

Socializing

The final thing that we want to mention, remember, we wanted to keep it simple, is socializing.

It’s true to say that some people do not see this as an aspect of health, which means that they don’t bother taking the time to work on this.

However, strategic socializing (socializing that fills YOUR cup) can play a large role when it comes to your mental and emotional health - which are both extremely important. If you are not socializing and you are instead isolating yourself, then this can take a toll on your mental health and can have a negative impact on looking after your whole self.

We’re not saying that you need to run off and do a ton of social things if you’re not an overly social person, however, finding deep connections with people (friends) and maintaining these healthy relationships is very important. Although hard to do as adults, its necessary to us for so many reasons.

Summarizing how to LOOK AFTER YOUR WHOLE SELF

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see that looking after your whole self is important. It’s not just a case of looking after one part of yourself and thinking that this is good enough because more often than not, this is not the case at all. There are obviously MANY ways to take care of yourself, but if you start looking into too many, you’re likely to get overwhelmed. The goal is to pick a few things that are going to benefit you, and consistently give them your all for a little while. Assess how you feel, and how differently things seem. Then, if and when you’re ready, introduce more things that you are interested in. Life isn’t about doing ALL the things now so that you don’t have to do any later - instead, it’s about picking and choosing things that feel right, right now, and really giving it your best shot.

Because, if you want to be healthy overall, then you have got to take care of your whole self, always..

At Dunnebells, we like to look at these aspects as “dials” and inside our 8-Week-Program we learn how to turn up our dials (when it’s needed) and when it is important to turn the dials down, ways to successfully do that as well.

We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you achieve every single goal you are setting out to achieve!

You got this!

SUPPORT

Interested in what it’s like to have a coach in your back pocket to help you navigate these situations so that you can become your best self? Please, head to our website to find out more www.dunnebells.com .

Right now, on our website, you have the opportunity not only to sign up for our signature 8-WEEK-PROGRAM, but you’re also able to sign up for our FREE 7-DAY-TRIAL as well as book a complimentary 15-MINUTE-PHONE CONSULT with our CEO and Head Coach/Nutritionist, Lucy Dunne.