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Wellness

What do your wellness journey and a roll of toilet paper have in common?

Laurie Barkman


Stay with me.

Some of you may have looked at this picture and thought, “You’re doing it wrong!” (It’s wild how passionate people get about which way the roll should hang!)

Here’s the thing: I’m short. Which means short arms. Which means short reach.

Sure, I could flip the roll the “right” way — but why make things harder for my

self?

My husband? He’s taller. Longer arms. He doesn’t need the roll my way.

See where I’m going with this?

There are loads of strong opinions out there about what you should or shouldn’t do on your wellness journey.

But success doesn’t come from following someone else’s rules.

It comes from doing what actually works for you.

Your life, your goals, your body — your way.

And if you’d like some help figuring out what that looks like, that’s what I’m here for.

DM me or book a free call with me here.

Mindset

Eat for the Life you Want, Not the Life you Have

Laurie Barkman

When it comes to food, it’s super easy to get stuck in the same routine. You know what you like and don’t like. You hate cooking so eat out a lot or buy a lot of processed foods that just need a quick warm up. But … what if, instead of holding onto old habits and limiting believes, you took some time to really think about the life you want and then starting making choices that will help make that dream a reality?

This simple, but not-so-little mindset shift, encourages you to be more mindful about what you eat. When you choose foods more often that support your long-term health and wellness goals, instead of sticking to what you know (which got you to the place where you want to make change!), you’ll provide your body with the nourishment it needs to live the life you want!

So, what does that look like? It means choosing foods that energize and sustain you, rather than leaving you feeling sluggish or depleted. It means prioritizing whole, nutrient-rich foods that promote optimal health and well-being. It means cultivating a positive relationship with food, free from guilt or restriction.

Whether your goal is to have more energy, maintain a healthy weight, or simply feel your best, the foods you choose play an important role in shaping your reality. By being mindful of your food choices and making decisions that align with your vision for the future, you will create new habits and routines that will not only help you achieve your goal, but sustain it long term!

So, the next time you sit down to eat, ask yourself: Am I eating for the life I want? Am I nourishing my body in a way that supports my goals and aspirations?

Mindset

Setting Better Goals

Laurie Barkman

So, you want to get healthy. Great. What does that mean – and do you have the skills to do that?

You might be thinking – um yeah – how hard can it be!

If it was easy, we’d all be healthy, but that’s not the case, is it? So many of us try to get healthier year after year, fad after fad. Sometimes we see success – but it doesn’t last. Sometimes, we quit because we’re not seeing any change.

If that’s you – let’s dig in a little deeper, ok?

First – good on you for not giving up on the dream, the goal of getting healthy.

Next – let’s look at turning that goal into a reality.

  1. Define what “get healthy” means to you. It may be losing weight, moving more, sleeping better, or reducing stress. It may be all of those things!  If you have more than one of those things on your list, pick one! Yes, just one!!!
  2. Set a clear goal. Chances are, you will set an outcome-based goal, like “lose 20 pounds in 3 months.”  That is better than the vague “get healthy”. Good job!
  3. Now, change your outcome-based goal to a behaviour goal. Why you ask? Because you can’t control the outcome. Outcome-based goals are impacted by things outside of your control, like illness, super-tight deadline at work that keeps you away from the gym, hormones, you broke your leg. You get the picture.You do have 100% control of your behaviour though. Some examples of behaviour-based goals could include, make better food choices, eat intuitively, eat well consistently.
  4. Of course, goals aren’t reached without action steps.  If “eat well consistently” is a goal, how do you make that happen? Some actions/skills related to that goal could be plan meals in advance, prep meals, create an environment that supports the goal, etc. Pick one to focus on for a month.
  5. Now one more step before you start. Create a list of practices that support your chosen action.  For example, practices to support meal planning could be set aside an hour on Sunday to plan meals for the week, buy a journal or chalkboard to post the plan, look at menu in advance before eating out, go grocery shopping with a list of foods needed for planned meals – you get the idea. Is there something you can do right now? Do it! There are others that will need more time and practice. Pick one or two – no more – and focus on those for two weeks.

Before I sign off for today, remember, progress is not always linear, and setbacks are a natural part of the process. Be patient with yourself and celebrate every small victory along the way. When you stumble, don’t be discouraged—simply dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

Remember, to embrace the journey, trust the process, and never underestimate the power of small steps toward big transformations. Your health and happiness are worth it!

Want help with your health and wellness journey? My passion is supporting women just like you eat better, move better, feel better – LIVE better! Book a free call with me here to learn more.

Wednesday Wisdom, Wellness Wednesday

Enrich your life and improve your health

Laurie Barkman

You are strong. You are capable – and if you’re like many other women, you also feel alone and isolated at times.

Loneliness has a very real impact on our overall health and wellness and statistics show that the number of women (and men – this is not a gender specific issue) who report feeling isolated and alone, is rising. In a world where we are often surrounded by people, where we can instantly connect online, why is this happening?

When I was young, finding friends was so much easier. School provided opportunities to meet and stay connected with other kids. Recess and after school involved a lot of free play time, with kids in my neighbourhood. As a family, we visited relatives a lot and many of my cousins were also my friends (How lovely is it when you can include family in your friend list, right?)

As I got older, many friendships faded away, some due to distance when I moved away from home, some simply because our interests and lives moved in different directions, and some because the friendships took a back seat to other priorities, like work, taking care of a home, children and aging parents.  

My story is not unique. Many, many women have similar stories. Often, losing those connections makes us feel isolated, even when surrounded by work colleagues and family members. The feeling of isolation is mental, because we don’t have anyone to talk to who understands where we are at, what we are going through.

But here’s the thing: Good friends are just as important to your overall health and wellness as eating well and moving consistently. Friends can increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost happiness, reduce stress, improve feelings of self-worth and self-confidence. Adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy (BMI).

So how do we go about making friends as adults?

· Who is in your social circle right now you’d like to get to know better? Reach out and extend an invitation to meet.

·  Reconnect with previous friends, including the family members who were on your friends list.

·  Look for groups of people doing things you like to do.

·  Recognize that not everyone you connect with will become a close friend – and that’s ok!

·  Be the friend you seek, to those already in your circle and new ones as they enter.

·  Remember, it’s not a popularity contest. The quality of the friendship is more important than number of friends.

Just like any other change you make to improve your wellness, trial and error is involved. Some things won’t work out the way you’d hoped. Some will work out better than you believed possible. There will be setbacks and some disappointments along the way, but when you commit to taking action, the results – new or restored friendships – will happen.

If you want to expand your circle of friends, what is one thing you will do today to make that happen?

Feel Good Friday, Fit Friday, Mindset

Focus on process, not results.

Laurie Barkman

So, shall we start with the good news or the bad news?

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first, shall we?

Here goes. You cannot control how quickly, or even exactly, how your body will respond to the new habits you are incorporating into your life as you work towards a healthier you.

The good news. You can control the process – and it’s the process that generates those results you’ve been chasing.

I used to focus on results, with the number on the scale being a big one. A lot of my clients start there too. But, seeing as you can’t control the results, doesn’t it just makes sense to change your focus from results to process – to focus on what you CAN control?

You can control what and how much you eat, how often you exercise, your sleep routine, how you choose to manage stressful situations, etc.

Focus on consistency, focus on mindset, focus on patience. When you focus on the process, the results will follow you – instead of you chasing them!

Happy Friday – make today a GREAT day!

P.S. If you’re looking for someone to help support you on your wellness journey, would love to chat. Book a call with me here.