When my family was down with the v i r u s the first few weeks of January, I had plenty of downtime to really think about our overall health, mental wellness and what we spent the majority of our time doing together as a family or as individuals. It was during this time of slowing down and honoring the need for my body to rest, recover and reset itself that I started thinking about how to nourish my body.
Although we had mild symptoms, the aftermath was excruciating. Very low energy and definitely no motivation to do anything other than see what’s in the fridge and stand in line for the toilet. I looked at my kids’ faces and saw that they, too, were struggling with motivation and energy. It was then that I decided to do a brain dump of all the ways I could nourish them back to health.
Before I continue, I think it’s important to point out that the definition of “Nourish” is to provide with the food or other substances that are necessary for growth, health, and good condition. This pretty much captures the physical side of nourishment. An additional definition is to keep (a feeling or belief) in one’s mind, typically for a long time. And this is what I saw my kids and myself lacking.
Taking the complete definition of Nourish, these are the areas of focus that will take priority the next couple of months:
Mind
Break the pattern of how we see food.
I’m aware that I have implanted some firm beliefs and patterns in my children’s minds of how to view food. In our home, food is primarily an emotional comfort. I’ve really tried to move away from negative connotations about how we fuel our body and have tried to instill a habit of listening to our body’s needs. But I know somewhere along the way, I have attached my unhealthy patterns of eating and ideas around food to the plates I serve at dinner. This tends to result in some added (albeit unnecessary) stress that comes with mealtimes, menu planning and grocery shopping.
What we’re working on: Honoring that our body has a mind of its own and practicing listening, really listening, to what it says about its needs.
What we’re reaching for: Black Spruce essential oil.
The main chemical composition of Black Spruce is bornyl acetate, which is known to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibiotic, and sedative properties. Diffusing this in our space or rubbing it on the bottoms of our feet, base of neck or heart space will help us reduce stress in general and give us courage to move through those difficult patterns of being.
Body
Create more movement and be consistent with physical practice.
I noticed that during our time of recovery, everyone in my home was moving in slow motion. Almost like it was painful or like everyone was hauling buckets of sand that slowed them down. Really what it was, I think, was lack of energy due to being sedentary (and prone!) for a couple of weeks. It was surprising that this family in motion fell hard and struggled even more to get back to moving on a daily basis. Our bodies are made to move. Recognizing and honing in to those places that hurt the most, resist the most, will help us choose the right kind of movement to target and protect those areas. (It’s interesting that we are all feeling joint pain…just a quick observation)
What we’re working on: Adding 10 minutes of movement in the morning, during lunch and after dinner.
Nothing fancy. We’re able to get out for walks during the day but evenings are still a bit too much for us to take on. So we’re taking turns on our exercise bike after dinner. I’m noticing that color is returning to my kids’ faces and their mood is improving. As for me, I’m feeling a bit more energized and motivated to tackle homeschooling and work during the day.
What we’re reaching for: doTERRA Nutrition Line.
Our GI tract is still a little unstable. I’m sure there’s some inflammation happening there and some gut flora has been disrupted. These supplements not only fuel our body but the Fiber helps support a healthy gut. We’ve added these supplements to yogurts, smoothies, homemade rice and chia puddings, and just plain milk or water. This Nutrition Line is so gentle on the stomach and tastes delicious enough that even our picky eater is enjoying it!
Soul
Set aside some time each day to do what makes your soul happy.
Sometimes you can get so caught up in daily life that you actually put what you enjoy on the back burner. Especially if you’re lacking motivation and energy to do anything other than the minimum necessary to survive! A couple of years ago, when the world went crazy and shut down, our primary focus for months was our mental health. My kids especially. Rather than sit down and homeschool, you know the actual read, think and write part of it, I gave my kids enough space to focus on what brought them joy. My husband and I did the same. When we got back to our structure and routine, we kind of lost that.
What we’re working on: Just like we scheduled movement into our days, we’re scheduling something that brings us joy.
This looks different for everyone. We have a couple of creatives in our family and a couple of us that live in the left-side of the brain. But we each have time to explore those things that make us happy. For me, that means reading and learning. I love self-development and when I have some downtime, I plug into a webinar or training of topics that interest me.
What we’re reaching for: Passion Inspiring Blend
This essential oil blend combines spice and herbal essential oils to create a chemical profile with a high concentration of phenols and ethers. This combination helps spark creativity, clarity, and wonder and makes a great addition to your work or creative space. We love it in the diffuser and on the temples and heart space.
This may seem like a lot of change and overwhelm that we’re taking on at home. But the truth is, we’re starting small. One week we put into motion one habit that focused on the mind. The following week, the body. Then the soul. Just one habit. Something easy that we could take on that wasn’t overwhelming or required us to exert a lot of energy putting it into motion. We had to build up to those 10 minutes though! That by far has been the toughest habit to be consistent with.
And that’s the key: consistency. When you’re making changes to the way you nourish your mind, body and soul, start small and BE CONSISTENT. You’ll see and feel the change in no time!
So tell me in a comment one thing you can do today to nourish your mind, body or soul.
And if you know someone that can use a little guidance, a little motivation, please share this article with them!
Blessings
Romelia
🙂