Tools, Tips & Truths: A Health & Fitness Series by Shireen Fabing

Oh hey!

This is an ongoing blog series sharing my favourite tools, tips and truths related to health, fitness and wellness.  My take, my perspective and my experiences.  We all wear many hats these days so these will be from my perspectives as a mom, an athlete, boxing coach, personal trainer and entrepreneur – not always all at once and not always in that order!  My goal is to help, inform or motivate as many as I can!

NEW – January 1, 2021:  Self-Care

If there was a word or phrase of the year in 2020, I’d bet that #selfcare at least made top 5.

Our friends at Wiki say: “self-care is any necessary human regulatory function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated”.

Agreed and to add my own flavour, it needs to be consistent to make any type of impact.  Just like anything and everything else in our lives, consistency is key, and we owe it to ourselves to apply it to ourselves!

What to do for self-care?  Well, that’s the beauty of it.  It’s all you.  It’s what makes you happy and what makes you feel good and what you need at the time!  We are conditioned to be in continuous achievement or goal mode and if it’s a tough concept to take at least 15 minutes a day just for you, then hey, put this on that list or that vision board along with everything else.

It was exactly one year ago today when I realized that I needed to make a massive career change or my well-being would continue to deteriorate.  More importantly, I realized that the people I care about would ultimately suffer.  It was the first thing I checked off my 2020 list and yes, it was a big one but it was that act of self-love that gave me my power back.  From there I added different activities and with consistency, formed new habits.  In turn, other areas of my life reaped the benefits.  I also read “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod which helped me make this routine more deliberate.  Here is a snippet of what the first 10-15 minutes of my day look like:

• I’m an early riser, always have been and I enjoy the darkness and silence before the day starts.
• A big glass of water before anything else and lately I’ve been doing the lemon juice, ACV, honey and hot water drink in the AM.
• Other daily morning activities include making my daily to do list, reading and/or writing, setting daily affirmations and visualizing some of my long-term goals AND having my coffee in silence.

Context on that last one.  As a new mom I couldn’t get this simple thing, that I enjoyed so much, right.  I came to accept that  I’d never finish my morning coffee, or I’d have to gulp it cold (disgusting).  Now, as someone who only drinks coffee in the morning, that made me sad.  Probably all psychological but it took me a while before I could get on with my day – for a long time but I changed that and now, by the time the family wakes, I’m smiling ear to ear.

Morning movement is an essential and is a consistent one.  Walk, run, yoga, stretch or full beast mode – whatever it is, it consistently happens and has been for at least 7 years now.  Along with a healthy diet, it’s the fuel that keeps me running.

Self-care can be your daily gym time, reading, a bedtime routine, spending time meal prepping or baking, meditation and the list is endless.  Whether you’re doing emotional, physical or workplace self-care remember that you’re giving back to yourself with endless benefits to your overall well-being. Whatever it is, the common element is YOU consistently working on you!

There is no cookie cutter solution, and it’s taking baby steps and being realistic.  Small, consistent changes will lead to results.  This is the time of year that we make all those resolutions and lofty goals, and fact is that before January is done, many are off the wagon.  It doesn’t have to be that way.

2021 – Be consistently kind to yourself and the rest will follow.

PAST ENTRIES – click links

December 9, 2020:  The Foam Roller