Nourishment Challenge

June is our Nature and Nourish Month!  Here's a Guest Post from our Health Coach Janis, with a challenge for you.  

As you are already seeking a holistic approach to health with your work with Elan Family Wellness, you probably already have good or excellent eating habits.  You’re up for some challenges, such as the Raw Food Challenge.  But what about seeking nourishment beyond food?  So often, our focus is on the external factors in our life: work, caring for loved ones, the self re-filling to-do list….

Summer is a natural time to slow down and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life, so I’d like to encourage you to do a Nourishment Challenge.  Perhaps this challenge involves food and exercise (I’m never going to argue with that), but I’d like you to focus on self-care:

·         Dance

·         Sing

·         Write

·         Give yourself 10 minutes of undivided attention every day (turn off your iphone, close the laptop and shut that book you are reading.  Ignore your children and your to-do list….and just be with your fabulous self

·         Do something FUN!  In case you’ve lost touch with what YOU think is fun, make a list of things you’d secretly like to do if nobody was looking.  Need some ideas for how to get started?  Explore Meetup groups to engage with some new friends.  Check Groupon for fun activities or beauty treats that you might be interested in trying.  Join a recreation club or take a class in a new physical activity you have always wanted to take.  Organize a 2-3 hour date with your spouse that involves a new activity.  Get a new cookbook and experiment with new foods or flavorings. 

·         Declutter.  Here’s one idea: Spend 10 minutes cleaning your bedroom, then light a candle and turn on some great music. 

·         Try a new natural beauty product

·         Ask YOURSELF: What energizes me? What inspires me? Nourishes me? What helps me take the next step in my day? Write down your ideas, making sure they are activities you could do each day no matter what your circumstances. Even if you really want to “read a book on the beach in Cuba,” you’re not going to be able to do that every day! But you could “sit by the window and enjoy my coffee before waking up the kids”.

·         Banish the “shoulds” and do the “want-to”s.

·         Be flexible with yourself

Taking care of yourself is the single most important item on your daily agenda.  Nourish yourself and enjoy the start of summer.

Janis