Finding a healthier me

Yoga and exercise in general are a great way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Moving your body and focusing your mind on something other than what is currently troubling you has helped me fall asleep, feel refocused, and start my day on a lighter foot.

Most mornings, I like to do at least 20-30 minutes of yoga and/or core exercises. Some days it takes longer for me to really get into exercising, but by the time I’m done, I feel a lot better than when I started. And over time, I feel more confident in myself and my body.

As someone who has always struggled with how they look - from weight to skin - I know how hard it is to take up a new exercise routine that works for you. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it's to start small. Don’t make a big commitment to work out every day right from the start. Begin with every other day or every third day - whatever works for you and your schedule. Once you feel comfortable with that routine, up the stakes. Workout more often or even just increase the intensity of the workouts you do.

And it’s not just about working out, as I’m sure you already know. This is an aspect I still struggle with and am working on finding a healthy balance: diet. You don’t necessarily need to cut out whole food groups. Start small. Reduce foods that are unhealthy for you.

For example, I decided to reduce my soda, sugar, and carb intake. Not cut out entirely, just reduce and be mindful of when I am consuming those things. I noticed those are my go to foods to snack on when I’m not necessarily hungry. So I think twice before munching on those chips or cookies or grabbing a soda.

Then there are things you may want to cut out entirely, but again, don’t go cold turkey with this. Chances are it won’t work. Build your way up to completely eliminating it. Unless, of course, there’s a more pressing reason to cut it out. Like for me, I decided to cut out alcohol entirely. Once I started medication, I eased back into drinking socially, but I didn’t feel very good when I did. I felt my depression more prominently. So I decided I would just stop. Now, this wasn’t too difficult for me since I rarely drank to begin with, but now I have to decline drinks when out with friends or let them know I don’t drink anymore.

It can be hard standing up for decisions you make, but trust me, the more you do, the better you’ll feel. And find those friends who will support you - those that don’t push you when you say no to a drink (or anything for that matter).

This is all about doing what’s best for you. So be a little selfish every once and a while!