This is about YOU!!

In these difficult and uncertain times, we are all trying to make the best of it!

I’m seeing so many people putting their own health and wellbeing aside in order to concentrate on others.

This sounds like the noble and proper thing to do, but in truth, if you are the foundation that holds your family together, you need a stable foundation to be able to do it properly.

Last year was very difficult for me mentally and physically. I realised that I had burnt myself out with stress. Taking on too much, supporting others and not for 1 minute looking after myself.  This may seem strange coming from someone in my line of work, but it happened to me and bit me on the bum when I least expected it!

During my breakdown, I looked at my children and thought, ‘You have to explain what is going on, no matter how much of a failure you feel’.

If I had continued to gloss over my feelings, continue to pretend all was ok and carried on as normally as possible, how would that effect my children, when and if they had their own families?

I wanted them to know that I wasn’t perfect and that, although I loved them very much and would do everything I could for them, I was human too!

The thought that my children would suffer trying to be perfect in an imperfect world, made me realise that the best thing I could ever do for them was to be honest about my struggle, so that they didn’t have the image of me as a perfect parent,  so that they too could allow themselves to accept failure and thrive, no matter what!

Fast forward 12 months and listening to the the hysterical laughter from my children when I read this out to them, I know that I had made the right decision for us all.

I did feel that I didn’t have the perfect childhood (not many of us do) I tried to be perfect because of that. Some people feel they have to be as perfect as their parents had been(or appeared to be) and struggle to live up to that image. On every level, It was a dramatic fail for me but, I’m ok with that now.

  I’m not perfect, life isn’t perfect, bodies aren’t perfect (This is where I’m very honest in my work and proud that I don’t sell the fakery and untruths that are abound in my line of work)

 We all have our reasons, but first and foremost, we have got to at least try to love ourselves because if we don’t, we can’t really feel love and we certainly can’t help our loved ones to thrive in an uncertain world.

There are so many changes occurring in all of our lives at the moment, we often don’t notice things sneaking up behind us, and this is where it becomes a problem.

 Something as simple as walking around the supermarket has become, either scary, exciting or rare!

We are now doing much more shopping online and many people are suffering with isolation as well as general everyday movement

  On the exercise front, I’m not talking about going wild (especially if it isn’t your thing)  I’m talking about looking after you and ensuring that at the end of this you will be in as good a place as you can be.

Exercise is one of the best ways to combat many of the issues we are currently facing (It doesn’t have to be exercise as we know it, we just need to move to stay health, eat well and look after our mental health.

 Studies have found that active people experience significantly less anxiety and emotional distress than active people and it’s well worth considering this at this difficult time.

  I’m a huge fan of quick workout and I have devised an exercise program that I call, ‘on the go workouts’ when I’m flat out I do these to keep up my energy levels.

 I find it really helps my mood and calms me down.  I’m not a fitness animal at all, fitness is a job I love, but it isn’t my life!.

In truth this is not just about keeping fit and exercising this is about giving yourself some energy and calming your mind.  If I I didn’t do some exercise at some point in the day to do something just for myself, I wouldn't be able to juggle everything I’m currently doing) Take the pressure off yourself and  do the exercises in bite-size chunks so you don't have time to do the online class or go out for a walk or run if you’re running short on time(aren’t we all) Squats while waiting for kettle to boil, throw yourself into a plank while you’re waiting for the bath to fill, stretches while watching your favourite TV programme and if you’ve  got young children put on your favourite music dance with them.

  In my online family wellbeing program, I encourage doing fun movement together, not in a formal school style way. I still have horrors about my school PE and games lessons so it’s not what I encourage at all. What a wonderful thing it is, to see children copying their parent/carer in doing positive things that will help them in the future both physically and mentally.

Trust me, the people you care about will thank you for it!

Love,Sarah xx