Let’s continue the wellness series by diving further into the dimensions of wellness– specifically, physical wellness! To receive these posts straight right to your inbox, please sign up here.
There’s no doubt our physical health experiences a massive overhaul through motherhood.
And you know what? I have learned that this is actually one of the rewarding parts of the journey…if you allow for it.
Yes, things may not look the same, time is limited, and sleep may be an utter luxury.
But opportunity is all around us each day.
And it’s here where I’ve learned it’s truly those small things you do each day, combined with the right intentions, that transform us into healthier individuals. Even while caring for everyone else too.
But how do we as moms find physical wellness?
The great thing about it is that it’s not just about what we do, but more about how we do it.
I’m sharing 6 lessons I’ve learned that make physical wellness not only attainable as a mom, but joyful too.
8 Dimensions of Wellness
- Physical
- Emotional
- Intellectual
- Social
- Occupational
- Environmental
- Financial
- Spiritual
What is Physical Wellness?
What words come to mind when you think of physical wellness?
For many, we tend to think of the need to choose a salad over a sandwich and feeling the need to double time on the elliptical because we ate more dessert than we should have.
But please, read this:
Physical wellness is simply caring for our body for optimal health and functioning. Thus, allowing us to carry out our job and daily activities.
And yes, this does consist of:
- Nutrition
- Activity
- Sleep
- Hygiene
- Preventative Health
Why is it Important?
Physical wellness is a good thing because it means taking care of the gift God gave us– our bodies.
But this is not necessarily in the same way that we’ve been conditioned to believe.
Society defines health by weight, shape and size; however, if you recall we define wellness through the condition of our heart.
Therefore, emphasis of physical wellness should be on:
- Energy
- Strength
- Optimizing Health
- Gaining a high quality of life
And by doing so we are better equipped to fulfill our role as mom and wife.
How do we get there?
While I will break down components of physical wellness and offer tips in future posts, I really want to talk about lessons, or strategies that I have learned to embrace through motherhood. Because we can’t always get the recommended hours of sleep, the leisurely morning walks and relaxation that is recommended.
However, we still need to manage stress, build resilience and be intentional in the chaos.
And guess how we get there?
Finding physical wellness within our dailyness.
6 Lessons of Physical Wellness
1. There’s Joy in Adding In
So here’s the truth– you do have to choose healthier. It’s not just going to happen. Choose to honor your body .
But honoring comes with adding in versus restricting.
And for me, being active and including those healthy snacks throughout the day didn’t seem like a chore or a burden anymore. In fact, motherhood shifted my attitude from “have to” to “get to.”
I guess you could say being short on time and stronger because of mom life (because let’s admit it– we’ve learned by now that we can do anything) works to our advantage. It makes seeking out those little pockets of valuable “me time” much simple and more enjoyable.
For example, honoring my body comes in the form of adding in:
- Sipping on my favorite flavored water during afternoon swing set play
- Tossing in spinach, riced cauliflower into my favorite dishes
- a workout video with the kids into our routine
- a skincare routine to start and end my day off right
Even though adding more to our plates seems counterproductive in motherhood, being intentional actually relieves stress, not increases it.
I think more clearly, breathe easier and find joy, even on the harder days.
2. Optimize Activity of Daily Life
Motherhood is a physically active job, naturally. So don’t overthink it– structured exercise is wonderful but you can benefit just from your active life.
We already shape our days around the key things– meals, chores, playtime, rest. We can tweak a few things and easily we are including ourselves into the equation along with our kids.
A quick way to do this is see everything you do as an opportunity.
For example, you can be more active by:
- rather than mumble that you have to run back upstairs to get something, see it as an opportunity for extra steps.
- purposely take the stairs more often while doing laundry or housework rather than just making a pile at the bottom of the stairs to get “later.”
- Understanding that the mopping, sucking up crumbs and wiping fingerprints off the window are all forms of movement
Also consider:
- if you implement a rest time with your kids in the afternoon, do the same for yourself in some form or fashion.
- Schedule your own health appointments when scheduling your child’s check up
- Floss your teeth along with your kids– make it a “floss party!”
Optimize the daily activity that you’re already doing, and your physical health will not seem like something extra on your to-do list.
3. Cultivate an Imperfect Mindset
A positive anything is better than nothing.
Think about this not only on a daily basis but over a week’s time.
For example, instead of shooting for perfection, saying “I’m going to work workout every day this week,” say I’m going to walk 2-3 times this week for 30 minutes.
You can always build from there. But this offers flexibility, stops all or nothing thinking and leaves plenty of room for patience and to keep moving forward when life is messy.
4. Practice Rest
When talking “physical,” rest may not be at the top of your list. Yet, it’s a huge part of our physical health.
Any health and wellness site will tell you to get 8 hours of sleep a night. While that’s ideal, it certainly may not possible as moms.
Therefore, you have to practice rest in other ways.
Rest comes in the form of:
- prayer and meditation
- unplugging from social media
- keeping schedules simple
- Including time for deep breathing
- Laying quietly for 15-20 minutes
- Focusing on quality of sleep (see my Better Sleep Tips)
While a full night’s sleep may not be possible, you will experience more peace and less overstimulation/worry/ busyness when implementing these things.
5. Remember the Why
This is one of my favorites– know the real why you’re doing something.
Why are you eating bell pepper sticks for a snack? Not to reach a calorie deficit.
Rather you’re eating it because:
- The nutrients support your heart and digestive health
- Makes your immune system stronger, keeping your well
- It tastes delicious with your favorite dip
Why should you eat a balanced breakfast? You’re fueling your body with essential nutrition so that you have better patience and concentration through the day.
Now, I’m not suggesting you need to be a nutrition guru.
However, knowing the why and power of food is more of a motivator than those pre-baby jeans in my book.
The same thinking can be applied to why you exercise and why you schedule an annual check-up.
You’re empowering your body to function at its best and help carry out your duties not only as a mom but as a Christian too.
In other words– if you’re not healthy, you can’t serve the Lord and your family well.
6. Nourish Your Heart
Last but most importantly, receive wellness. Think about the need to nourish you heart just like the need to nourish your body.
Get in the word, pray and partner with Christ to face your struggles and achieve your goals.
The Bible, once explained to me as our spiritual food, provides the essentials for wellness in your life. Plus, it roots your heart in his provisions for your life, not society’s standards.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, the body more than clothes?... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6: 25. 33)
I challenge you to strive for physical wellness. Not in the form of restricting and punishing, but in the form of prioritizing, promoting and gaining.
Prioritize the true needs of your body, promote positive intentions and gain better health, and fitness, and strength for the journey.
Allow yourself the rewards of physical wellness– a way to remind us of who we are, not what we’re not.
Ready to Embrace Physical Wellness?
I hope you’ll continue to follow along!
The 8 Dimensions of wellness:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Intellectual
- Social
- Occupational
- Environmental
- Financial
- Spiritual
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