Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

When we’re focusing on our health, the first two things that come to mind are always what we eat and how much we exercise. The reality is, though, that there’s so much more to a healthy life than just those two things! My Eat, Move & Recharge® Formula is a simple plan for living a healthy and fulfilling life, but the third part is often neglected. 

We can understand that our cell phone needs to be recharged in order to be on and ready for action throughout the day, and we make a habit of making sure to charge it every night so that it’s good to go, so why can’t we apply that same principle to ourselves? 

I've gotten back into traveling in the last few months, and I recently found myself on a red eye flight traveling back home. Unfortunately, curling up in an airplane seat for the night never makes for the best night of sleep, and a few days later, I needed to head in for an appointment with my chiropractor. 

After my visit, my chiropractor told me to make sure I took it easy for the day. Although I was tempted to tell myself that I would be fine and push through it, I decided to take my own advice and recharge for the day. I split my walk into shorter segments rather than one long venture, sat with a heated bean bag on my lower back to help it recover, and drank lots of water throughout the day. Taking it easy for a day helped my body recover. 

It’s common to keep wanting to march forward and forget about recharge time and self-care, but it’s so important that we schedule in time for ourselves. 

I realize I shouldn’t have needed a crisis in order to schedule a chill day for myself, so my off day served as a reminder to myself that I need to prioritize the “Recharge” part of my own health formula. Don’t put off your own wellness until it demands to be felt!

Maybe you enjoy traditional self-care, like getting a massage, or sitting in a hot tub, or getting your nails done. That’s great; I love those things too! It’s also okay if self-care looks a little different for you, like grabbing lunch with someone you love, trying a new restaurant, or dancing around to your favorite tunes. Whatever recharges your body and mind is worth investing time in. 

There are so many things out there to light up your soul. Find what matters to you, and make sure that you make time to do it as often as needed. 

How do you practice self-care? Let me know in the comments!

Join us in March at our Perfect Pairings event as we cook up a delicious and healthy meal. Get your ticket right here!