Tag: habitchange

Feel Good Friday, Mindset

The Power of Pause: Embracing Rest and Recovery

Laurie Barkman

Laurie here, checking in after a bout with a cold that just didn’t want to go away.

The last two weeks have been a forced hiatus from my usual workout routine. The “old me” would’ve freaked out about gains slipping away, but the “now me” knows better. Sometimes, you’ve got to listen to your body, even if it’s saying, “Hey, take a break!”

These two weeks of rest and recovery weren’t about slacking off; they were about honoring what my body needed. And as I’m emerging from the fog of tissues and hot tea, my body’s sending a clear message—it’s time to move!

Now, as I’m gradually rejoining the land of the living (and squats), I wanted to share this reminder with you. Yes, movement is crucial, but so is allowing your body the space to recover.

Another important thing is, don’t wait till you’re sick to take a break. Sometimes, when we’re all about reaching our goals, we push ourselves way too hard and forget to give ourselves some time off. Our mind and body need rest and recovery days. From exercising, from work, from that never-ending to-do list… whatever. But remember, it doesn’t have to be, a two-week vacation or a full day off. It can be as simple as going for a walk, sitting down with a good book, taking a nice bath, or just meditating.

So, here’s to honoring our bodies, knowing when to push and when to hit pause. Let’s make rest and recovery part of our wellness routine. After all, there’s strength in both.

Stay well, stay balanced and keep smiling!

Interested in learning more about wellness coaching options? Book a free, no obligation 30-minute Wellness Breakthrough session with me here. If we end up working together, fantastic! If we simply have a great 30 minute chat, you’ll still have me as your silent cheerleader!

Feel Good Friday, Mindset

Navigating Challenges: Strategies for Long-Term Success

Laurie Barkman

Embarking on a wellness journey is akin to setting sail on a vast ocean; there will be smooth seas, and there will be stormy weather. The key to reaching your destination lies not in avoiding challenges but in learning how to navigate them. Here are some strategies to help you steer through the waves and emerge stronger on the other side:

Embrace Challenges as Opportunities

Challenges are not roadblocks; they are opportunities for growth. When faced with a setback, shift your perspective. What can you learn from this experience? How can it contribute to your long-term success? Embracing challenges as opportunities reframes difficulties as stepping stones toward a stronger, healthier you.

Resilience is Your Superpower

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Cultivate this superpower by acknowledging that setbacks are a natural part of any journey. Rather than viewing them as failures, see them as moments to test your resilience. Resilient individuals don’t escape challenges; they learn how to dance in the rain.

Strategies for Staying on Course

Identify specific strategies to stay on course during challenging times. This might involve revisiting your goals, reminding yourself of your ‘why,’ or seeking support from your accountability partner or the program community. Have a toolkit of go-to strategies that align with your wellness goals.

Developing Coping Mechanisms

Life is unpredictable, and challenges are inevitable. Instead of relying on willpower alone, develop coping mechanisms that work for you. Whether it’s practicing mindfulness, engaging in a favorite hobby, or having a go-to stress-relief routine, these coping mechanisms will be your anchors in turbulent times.

Celebrate the Journey

Amid challenges, it’s easy to fixate on the destination and forget the beauty of the journey. Celebrate every milestone, no matter how small. Recognize your progress, acknowledge your efforts, and use each challenge as a reminder of how far you’ve come.

Remember, navigating challenges is not about perfection; it’s about progress. Every wave you navigate brings you closer to the wellness destination you envision. So, let the challenges come, and with these strategies, you’ll not only weather the storm but learn to dance in its midst.

Ready to explore more strategies and build your resilience? Join the 12 week “Be Your Best You” program, where we dive deep into creating lasting wellness and conquering challenges along the way. Pre-sale waitlist for January program open now! Learn more here.

Wednesday Wisdom, Wellness Wednesday

Healthy Habits Need Healthy Environments

Laurie Barkman

The key to building a long-term, sustainable healthy and vibrant life is by taking small, daily steps towards healthier habits.

Perhaps you’ve already figured out that small steps lead to big progress; that you don’t have to try and change everything at once, but you’re still having trouble sticking to your small steps.

The answer may lie in your environment. It’s difficult to change your snacking habits if your fridge and cupboard are still filled with all the snacks you are trying to replace. The chances of you actually using the treadmill are way lower if it is still being used as a clothes rack.

In the journey toward a healthier lifestyle, your environment plays a pivotal role. Consider your living space as the canvas on which you’ll paint the picture of your wellness. Just as an artist arranges colors and shapes deliberately, you can arrange your surroundings to make healthy habits effortless – or at least easier!

Start with the heart of your home—the kitchen. Conduct a pantry and fridge audit, ridding them of processed, tempting items and replacing them with healthier choices. If getting rid of them isn’t an option (not everyone in your household may be on the same journey as you!) move them out of reach or behind the healthier options. My hubby knows to put the potato chips up on the top shelf that I can’t reach without a lot of effort! This simple act makes it easier to choose nutritious options more often.

Extend this transformation to other areas. Create a designated workout space—whether it’s a corner with a yoga mat or a home gym. Arrange it thoughtfully to encourage regular movement. Even your bedroom can support your wellness journey. Optimize your sleep environment by keeping it cool, dark, and free of electronic devices.

Beyond physical spaces, consider your digital environment. Curate your social media feeds to inspire, motivate, and educate. Unfollow accounts that promote unhealthy habits and fill your online world with positive influences.

By consciously shaping your environment, you set the stage for habit change.

Join the no-obligation, pre-sale waitlist for the “Be Your Best Self” 12-week program! In this program, we dive deep into habits, mindsets, beliefs and practical strategies to help you create your personal wellness roadmap so you can live the healthy, vibrant life you want – now and in the future! Learn more here!

Mindset

Rediscovering Love for Your Body

Laurie Barkman

Have you ever skipped out going to a class reunion or suffered in long pants and long sleeved shirts in the middle of summer because you felt self-conscious about your body? If you’ve ever felt that way, you are not alone. According to a 2016 Dove Global Beauty & Confidence report, a staggering 85% of women have skipped life events because they believed they don’t look good enough. How incredibly sad that so many of us miss out on fully living our lives.

As many of you know, I made the decision to get healthy in early 2018. What some of you won’t know, is that as I lost weight and built muscle, I decided to enter a bikini competition. Not the best decision for someone who is really good at playing the comparison game.

I competed in May 2019 and placed in the top 5. That’s something I should have been pretty proud of right? But do you know what I saw when I looked at the pictures? Instead of seeing progress, I saw that my butt had too much fat as compared to others in the field. I saw stretch marks on my tummy and cellulite on my legs. I didn’t see the strong back, lean waist, shapely shoulders and calves.

It was at that point that I realized that getting healthy, being truly well, was about so much more than physical health. It was also about loving the body we are in – which was a good thing, because that super lean body is no more, but that is a story for another day!

The sad reality is that, until we learn to love our body and to appreciate all that it does for us, we’ll never be thin enough or strong enough. There will always be someone we compare ourselves unfavorably too. There will always be another unrealistic expectation that we buy into and try to achieve. Being truly well means loving our bodies, regardless of shape and size, and sometimes that is the most challenging part of the wellness journey.

When you choose to love your body – and I hope that is what you choose to do – it doesn’t mean all those moments of feeling “less than” will automatically go away. They won’t. Many of us have practiced negativity and comparison for years and it takes time, patience, curiosity and a willingness to challenge and to change that narrative.

As you travel that path, grant yourself grace and understanding. When negative thoughts pop into your mind, take a moment to reflect on the parts of yourself you genuinely love, acknowledging your body’s strength, adaptability, and endurance.

Remember, learning to love your body is a journey. It’s okay not to be there yet, but the crucial step is to choose love. Celebrate the unique things your body does for you each day, be it the way it heals, moves, or simply carries you through life. By appreciating what your body can do, you pave the way to a deeper sense of self-love and acceptance.

I’m holding a free virtual masterclass on Tuesday, November 7th called “Beyond Diets: A Holistic Approach to Weight Loss”, which includes information on the importance of self-love. If you’re interested in learning more, register here .

Wellness Wednesday

Prioritizing Your Wellness: Overcoming the Pull of Comfortable Habits

Laurie Barkman

Have you noticed how much easier it is to revert to old, less healthy habits than it is to maintain new, positive ones on your wellness journey?

So often, we know exactly what it is we need to do in order to feel stronger and healthier, physically and emotionally, and yet… we either don’t make the changes necessary or we don’t maintain these positive, new directions.

Why is that? Personally, I think it’s because a lot of times, we don’t truly believe or desire the results that the change in behavior or attitude will bring. Other times, quite frankly, we get a rush or a kick out of the results our “negative” behavior provides.

For example:

Unless you genuinely believe that taking time for mindfulness and self-care is more important than scrolling through social media, that change in behavior won’t last more than six weeks – if that long!

Unless you truly believe that prioritizing your well-being and going for a walk or connecting with friends and family is going to improve your mental and emotional health, that change in behavior won’t last. The same applies if overworking yourself feeds your ego and makes you feel indispensable.

We often make promises to ourselves because we’ve read articles, attended workshops, or seen the research, but unless we believe that the change will bring a personal benefit (yes, sometimes being “selfish” and taking care of yourself is the right thing to do) – we quickly fall back into old habits.

Or perhaps we’ve decided to make too many changes all at once. Just like with New Year’s Resolutions, where we aim for a laundry list of goals, most of us need to focus on change in one, two, or maybe three areas at a time.

Whatever the reason, if you find yourself falling back into old habits on your wellness journey, ask yourself why and refocus. Find YOUR reason, not anyone else’s, then take your list, prioritize, and focus on one or two at a time. The others aren’t lost; they are just on hold.

Hey there! As a Women’s Wellness Coach, my goal is to help women create a healthy, lifestyle that works for them – on their terms, with their personal goals in mind, one step, one habit at a time! The first step is a free 30 minute Wellness Breakthrough Session. If you’re ready to learn more, book your time here!