You know what I’m talking about. Between the massive to do lists at home and work, taking care of the needs of everyone else and trying to keep it all straight. It’s craziness!

But I’m too busy!

The very idea of adding healthy habits like regular exercise, better nutrition, decreasing toxic chemicals that we eat and breath … it feels daunting if not impossible, right?

I felt that way too. Many years ago, I decided it would be brilliant to pile pre-med classes on top of an already full load of communications courses while I had a full time cubicle job. I was the modern superwoman and could do it all! Not super smart. I got through it all, but at a price — I put my health dead last. I seriously don’t even want to admit how many times I ate dinner out of a vending machine. Ugh.

I thought it was temporary, but that was before graduate school even started. And it’s a funny thing about habits like these: they seem to snowball. That habit of putting myself last — and feeling like there was no other option — caught up with me.

You first, then everyone else.

I had to learn the hard way. It wasn’t until I started putting my needs FIRST (which was a lot harder than it seems!) that I finally started to regain more control over my everyday life and my health.

And I discovered a secret. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you are no longer in “putting out fires” mode. When you put yourself first — you have a clearer head and a happy, healthier body that works with you rather than against you.

This is not something you need to accomplish with perfection overnight. Baby steps! Some of the smallest little shifts can make a world of difference, and once these littler things become more ingrained habits, you can leverage them to make bigger changes — and it DOES get exponentially easier with time and practice. (I didn’t believe it either.)

A couple things:

Change certainly doesn’t happen over night, and there are no “shoulds” here, but here are a few little things you can sneak in each day to help you de-stress. Less stress = better health.

1) Breathe. I know you’ve heard this one before. It’s simple, yet powerful. When you start to feel overwhelmed, give yourself just a small moment to quiet your mind and focus only on your breath. Take three long, deep breaths all the way into your belly and exhale slowly. Do this three times, giving all your attention to just this simple task. It’s like a mini-vacation from your busy thoughts.

2) Slow down. This one still makes me giggle when I write it because I have to remind myself to slow down about a thousand times a day … but it really helps. You can accomplish more with less time by slowing down in the moment, really focusing on the task at hand and getting it done right, then move on to the next task and repeat.

Even when you are multi-tasking you can really only do one thing at a time … allow time to slow down a little bit in the moment instead of rushing through everything. You will feel more calm, your body will appreciate it, you’ll likely be breathing easier and all of that equates to less stress.

3)  Put yourself  and your needs first. There is a reason that the airlines teach us to put the oxygen masks on ourselves before the children or other people. We tend to get this one backwards a lot. When your needs are met and you are rocking your best, healthiest self … you end up with all the energy in the world to lovingly and happily support your loved ones. And you set an example for how to meet your own needs: bonus.

What about you?

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and putting your needs last? How have you found ways to cope?

Lately, when it comes right down to writing posts, I’ve been getting … stuck. For a while I couldn’t really figure out why. Because, I have a lot to say! Fortunately, I recently started Dance of Shiva and have been working on this dilemma through that practice.

You haven’t heard of Dance of Shiva? It’s the wacky yoga brain training thing Havi & Selma are always talking about. I even wrote a guest post about my epiphany of Matrix proportions earlier this week on her blog.

After some time, I realized where my block was coming from.

Guilt.

Guilt because who am I really to be giving out health advice when for the last few years I’ve had such a hard time taking care of myself?

It really started getting bad a few years ago when I was working on my pre-med coursework and working full time in cubicle land. I started taking the easy way out — eating out more often, stopping at Starbucks more often, succumbing to vending machines, talking myself out of yoga or walks with friends.

And, what do you know … I gained an extra 30 pounds or so. (I’m not exactly sure though because I stopped weighing myself after the last meltdown I had in the dressing room at The Gap after going up yet another pants size.) Ugh!

Transitioning to grad school didn’t help much. Hours turned into days which turned into weeks and months (and years!) of sitting in the same room with bad lighting and bad air. I just couldn’t find it within me to pull myself out of this health funk. All while I was learning about how to help other people get more healthy. I know, the irony is just gross.

Once I recognized guilt as the source of my stuck, I had to give myself a break. I mean, this is exactly why I went into this profession and why I’ve started this blog. Because I totally get it. I get how hard it is when life is throwing all this stuff at you a mile a minute. I had to remind myself that I’m doing all this because it gives me the reason — the purpose — to also take care of my own health and wellness.

Through analyzing this guilt, I realized that I was stuck in a self-paradigm that was outdated. Because now, my yoga practice is back on track, meditation is back on track, I’m getting cardio exercise more, I’m gardening, eating way better, totally off coffee, and haven’t snuck a ciggie in well over a year! I’ve shed the weight and de-stressed.

It can happen. It just starts with that moment where you have to meet yourself exactly where you are, have a bit of stern (but nice!) conversation with yourself and start working those baby steps.

So, me being all stuckified (to steal a brilliant Havi term) over here about why I shouldn’t be having this conversation on this blog because I’m not perfect myself is just absurd. And silly.

And also completely normal.

This is something that we all tend to do from time to time, right? If we don’t look perfect or don’t feel perfect — or we are succumbing to some not-so-great habits — the monster comes out and we shut down. This just feeds into that negative cycle and we start to give up — little by little.

But the truth is we all have a purpose in this world. We all have something unique to give. Finding our strength, our health, our wellness from within can give us strength to start making these baby steps in the healthy direction. When we do this, we start to get out of our own way a little bit at a time. Over time these little moments add up and you will be amazed — astounded even — at the progress you really can make.

Right now, I’m feeling very grateful for this space and anyone who pops in here — for giving me the purpose to keep taking care of me.

This is what happens when you cross a web geek with a recent chiropractic grad.

I’ve been lovingly procrastinating this design update for quite some time now. I almost didn’t launch this today. I almost didn’t even start! I kept wanting to wait for it to be “perfect.” I can still think of at least a dozen reasons not to launch.

But, I really (really!) wanted to launch this on Earth Day. Boo-yah!

It’s not much yet. Still very much a work in progress. But, take a wee look around and expect a little dust on the floor for the next few months. I’ll be slowly fixing things up around here while I study for board exams and work on planning my practice.

But I’m always focused on health, wellness and sustainability (a lot these days!) — so we’ll just start there.

Cheers!

Have feedback or comments? Drop me a line at danielle at somaphile dot com or find me on twitter!

❤

I’ve had a mild obsession with going green and being healthier lately.

The more I learn about my impact and begin to implement healthier changes in my life, the more questions I have. With more questions comes more answers and it becomes obvious that everything is connected.

What you eat, how you feel, what chemicals you put in your body and your environment — all of these things matter. You begin to see the chemicals in the bathroom cleaners — that we paradoxically use to get that sparkling white idea of clean — get flushed down the drain, into the water system which come back to you in the forms of your everyday food and water. Those chemicals give you cancer. And, they give the entire the entire planet cancer.

It seems daunting at first. But, really. It’s not.

Because, once you start — you can’t stop! You begin to realize that not only are the changes doable, but they are necessary.

For me, it started with this nagging little voice that said, “What are you so attached to, really? What are you afraid of, really?”

I’ll tell you what I’m afraid of! I’m afraid that when I actually look at how bad my impact is and how lame I’ve been, I’ll never be able to look at myself with any respect again and will implode into the guilt and shame of it all.

Once I realized I was perhaps being slightly over-dramatic — I put my big girl pants on and started gently wading out of denial. I just started where I was. I mean, it is what it is. This is where I am. This is where we are. Let’s just deal with it, pull ourselves out of the matrix and get on with it already. We’re living in insanity right now!

I began where I always need to begin when I need to change a bad habit. With simple mindfulness. I became more aware of my daily life. My routine, the things I used and for what purpose I used them, my own health. I surrendered to the possibility that it’s all related. I started by just paying attention and asking a lot of questions — trying not to judge myself and with the intent to just raise my awareness.

I developed a simple curiosity.

About things:
What am I using this for?
How is it made?
What is it made of?
Is it good for me?
Is it bad for me?
What is going to happen to it when I’m finished with it?
What sort of impact does it have on the system as a whole?
Could this impact come back to harm me?

About my routine/process:
What am I doing this for?
Is there a better way?
Is this good for me?
Is this bad for me?
How does this feel?

Some of the answers became immediately obvious once I asked the question. Some answers needed digging. (Thanks, Internet!) Some answers were so complicated that they just get tabled for the time being. But the question plants a seed.

Shocked by my own complacency.

As I started educating myself, I was amazed by own denial and subsequent impact. And, here I thought I was a good person!

The good news is, once I got out of denial it was amazingly easy to stay out of denial. And, a whole new world opened up to me.  I automatically made changes that were easy for me. The curiosity became infectious and leached into other parts of my life. It’s no longer just about de-cluttering, or greening my lifestyle. It is also about my health and well-being — from doing more yoga to cutting out the chemicals in my life. From eating more nutritious foods to dusting off the cobwebs in my head.

I’m not sure when it happened, but before long I passed the point of no return. Now, I can’t not consider these questions for every one of my actions.

I kicked off my 33rd year with a lot of Virgo Rampaging. De-cluttering my desk turned out to be just the tip of the iceburg … of a huge mountain of stuff that’s needs to be sorted. And, I find myself more than happy to sort it. It has become a meditation. It has given me a sense of empowerment in the midst of all the chaos.

Stay tuned for more about what I’ve done, what I’m working on and a few confessions along the way. In the meantime, I’d love to hear any tips, tricks, trials, tribulations, what-have-you from you about your greening/getting healthier experiences.

I kicked off 2008 by taking three months off from school. I was so. Completely. Fried. I don’t even remember what I accomplished, if anything, during this time off. At the time I felt like a complete loser for not doing all these projects I should have done. I mostly spent time on the internet being a Super Dork. But, man. I needed that break. I think everyone around me needed that break.

It was messy. I cleaned it up …
Went through my Virgo Rampage earlier in the year. That was the best thing I’ve done in a long time. During this time I got back into yoga and meditation. Both seemed easier somehow and I’ve actually stuck to a regular practice of both. The effects on my body and mind are very subtle, yet incredibly profound.

… and, discovered my excitement for all things green.
This process created a space in my life to bring my attention squarely on the planet and inspired me to really make a commitment to going green. It really does start with the small things and the small things are pretty easy to implement. I have become a little addicted to this process of creating rather than consuming, reducing my waste, lessening my dependence on oils and chemicals. Now look for opportunities to go green all the time. This has changed my outlook, given me some peace and I’ve already noticed a huge difference in my pocketbook. I really look forward to a clean and green 2009 and am sure it will be a huge source of content and conversation for this blog!

I was lost and then found myself on the web.
I also discovered blogs and podcasts this year. I knew they were out there but never really found anything that hit this close home. Then I found The Fluent Self, People Building Podcast and Hillary’s Yoga Podcast. I haven’t sent a letter of proper gratitude to these women yet. I’ve been too speechless.

And deep, deep, deep in a lot of self-work.

And, unable to fathom how to even begin to thank them for the rich content they provide. There are tons of other great sites and shows I have discovered but these three were at the core of my awakening this year. I very much look forward to becoming more interactive with such positive, uplifting and insightful people.

In 2009, I will become a doctor.
It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s incredibly humbling. It’s bewildering in some ways.

And I very much look forward to helping people with move past their stuff around getting healthy. I know how hard it is, I’m knee deep in it myself. So I have TONS to write about. There will be a blog with a health/body specific focus from me in the near future. Stay tuned!

And the transition continues.
I am totally in the middle of a transition. The beginning of ’08 was some hard stuff.

Man, I was tired.

The end of the year found me with unbridled optimism and a glimpse of peace. Can’t really complain about that. I don’t see the transition from ’08 to ’09 to be a black-and-white, this-thing-stops-and-the-other-thing-begins at this specific moment kind of change over. I just can’t do resolutions like that. I do know that in 2009 my life will change in ways I can’t totally comprehend. My intent is to simply focus my body, my soul and my mind to become as open and prepared as possible to what lies before me.

Get ready to smile.

This is the break where I take back my life.

Last quarter, I needed a break. Against my better intentions, during said break I was a sloth and slept most of the time. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the Internet. But, when I got back to school this quarter I did so much better. More energy, less stress. Overall, a major improvement.

But I wasn’t 100 percent and could feel it begin to slip at the end. My denial of my current organizational state and cluttery conditions needed to be faced head on. It began with the simple idea of your average pile-to-file organization. But, I needed to go through the boxes on my shelves to make some room so I did that. One thing led to another and soon my room exploded. I eventually got all the way through my room and it looked great. I found a place for everything and everything had a place.

For a moment.

I briefly hesitated but acknowledged the reality, looked at that back closet door and knew that I had to keep going. Then my room exploded again. Once that four hour project was complete, I moved to the upstairs closet and it exploded. And, it went on. And on. I DID THIS FOR MANY DAYS.

Each explosion led to another which led to epiphanies which led to another cluttered closet.

I realized that I needed a spring cleaning in my home and my head. To help me find the liberation of balance and equilibrium. I’m slipping on things that need to be done. I end up losing out on things I’ve wanted or having to throw something away because I missed an opportunity. I looked around at my belongings and I knew this secret mess contributed to the fogginess in my head and vice versa.

With the help of some inspirational blogs (zen habits, unclutterer) and dogged determination I got control of my clutter. Since I was so good at hiding my clutter behind closed doors, my house looks the same, but now it just feels better.

My motto this quarter was “Put Your Big Girl Pants On” (thanks, Jen). And that, I did. Moving forward it’s about finding, and keeping, the balance. It’s about fiercly owning those Big Girl Pants.

donations of just one of the trips to the local thrift store.

does a girl really need this many bags!?!?!