5 Tips to help boost your mood.

April Showers bring...........
May Showers?!?!?!


5 Tips to help boost your mood.

Showers, Cloudy weather and cold... in May? If you feel overwhelmed, blah, or a bit down on yourself, this weather is certainly not helping us any.  I'm suffering too.
Here are 5 tips to help lift your mood.

EXERCISE.  No surprise here!  Exercise is the best way to get your endorphins going and feel good.  The more you move, the better you feel, and the more you move the more physically able you are and the more optimally your body will function.  The stronger you are, the stronger you will feel, both mentally and physically.  Do something active with your body for at least 20 minutes a day.  Go for a jog, play a sport, do a fitness video, or try yoga (Zumba works for me!!!!) 

BOOST YOUR VITAMIN D.  Get in the sunshine vitamin!  There has been research that links vitamin D levels to mood.   Evidence is building around the conclusion that vitamin D has positive effects on the brain and can help with feelings of depression and general depressive symptoms.  You can take a vitamin D supplement or if the sun is shining, get outside and take walk.

CONNECT.  Chances are if you are going through something, there is someone out there who is or has gone through the same thing.  Often, we isolate ourselves and keep our blues, sadness or pain to ourselves.  I know I tend to do this.  But when we keep our emotions to ourselves and put on a brave face for the world to see, we trap our emotions and they being to fester, build and boil.  When I learned to let go, and connect to others, I felt a huge release.  When we connect and share we start to drain and feel lighter, happier and not so alone.

GET IN YOUR ZONE.  We all have something that makes us “tick.”  When you busy yourself with your passions, you feed your soul and nourish your spirit.  It may be a hobby like knitting, crafting, listening to music, going for a drive or playing a sport, going on a run.  Whatever it is that gets you in your zone, do it! Literally write out a list of activities that bring your joy and put them in your ‘toolbox’ for a rainy day.

SUFFICIENT SLEEP.  Being sleep deprived is almost a norm for most parents.  But a proper nights sleep is so important for not only our physical health but our mental health and well being.  I recently discovered that its not only important to get enough sleep (8.5-9 hrs per night), but the time in which you go to sleep is critical.  The hours of sleep before midnight are especially crucial to proper brain functioning than the later hours.  A proper nights sleep is always a good thing, especially when your feeling down and out.

Love in health and fitness,

Colleen xox

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Little Ears are Listening....Balancing the Negative Self-Talk

Little Ears are Listening....Balancing the Negative Self-Talk

With Mothers Day right around the corner, it's a great time to reflect on all those women who raised us and regularly displayed superhero powers in disguise.  "Whether it's them flying in out of nowhere to help you find that shirt that you swore was in your bottom drawer but is now lost and you absolutely must wear today; calming you down when you take the curlers out of your hair an hour before prom only to realize that there's a good chance your date might mistake you for a poodle; or talking you off the ledge the first year you do your taxes on your own, moms have this omniscient extrasensory perception that seems to give them advanced degrees in almost anything at a moment's notice".(Source: SparkPeople). For Moms struggling with weight or body image, any offhand remark can make their mark.  My youngest was about 8 or 10. We were at a new EMT Dr appointment.  At the end of the appointment, the Dr. and I were finishing up our discussing and she was making notes in his chart.  All of a sudden, he told us how much he loved to eat and how he can eat anything he wants and doesn't gain weight.  The Dr and I both looked at each other like "ok, where did that come from".  Then my son proceeded to say "my mom, when she wears her running shorts, her fat hangs over it".  After I was completely mortified, we did our best to get out of there before anything else was "shared".  I've always struggled with body image and weight.  My insecurity runs deep. Our children are always listening to everything we say and do.  Even if we are joking, those little ears are learning and developing from those expressions.  After hearing negative self-talk about their mother's body, the foods she eats or the exercise she may or may not be making time for, it's possible for a daughter to question her own choices and body image over time. By commenting negatively or bringing attention to self-perceived flaws and shortcomings, we teach our children that one particular standard of beauty (be it thin thighs, muscular arms or your personal benchmark for body success) is desirable and that self-worth suffers until that standard is achieved. Yes, weight loss is tough. We are all going to have those bad days. It's a hard road, and we are going to get off the path.  The important thing is to balance that negative self-talk and positive talk.  Practice swapping a complaint with something positive.  Don't be afraid to talk to your child about "why" you are on this fitness journey.  Help them understand every body is different and being as healthy as you can be is the most important.  Celebrate the body you have in the meantime by cutting yourself some slack and enjoying a cupcake on the porch without guilt or skipping your workout for a day at the pool when that spring weather is calling to you. This week, focus on your own self-worth by seeing yourself through the eyes of someone who loves you. To them, you're already beautiful and it's about time you started treating yourself that way, too. xoxoxox Colleen!

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