5. Prioritize Sleep
We all know sleep is important, but many of us don’t get enough. Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, depression, anxiety, hormone imbalance, brain fog, and so many more health issues. Women should be getting 8-10 hours per night. But how do we get enough sleep?
Here are a few tips that have helped me:
1. Keep a consistent bedtime every night. It’s tempting to stay up late on the weekends, but try not to. You will feel so much better when you’re going to bed at the same time each night, and with consistency, your body will have an easier time getting into a rhythm.
2. No screens at least 1 hour before bed. Two hours before bed is optimal. I like to read before I go to bed (in a REAL book, not on a screen). It’s relaxing, keeps me away from screens, and helps me unwind.
3. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask. Having it completely dark has helped me sleep so much better! I use a sleep mask to block out any ambient light from the moon, cars or neighborhood lights.
Read more...2. Avoid drinking anything during a meal
Say what? You’re telling me to drink a lot of water, but I can’t drink while I’m eating? Not exactly.
You don’t have to completely abstain, but while you're eating you should limit how much you drink to no more than 2-4 ounces. When we drink anything while we’re eating, it dilutes our digestive juices, and makes it much more difficult for our body to digest the food we’re eating, causing acid reflux and indigestion. Many people with acid reflux could solve most or all of their issues by doing this one FREE thing! I suggested this to a friend who was suffering terribly with GERD, and it changed her life!!! She’s not having to constantly take antacids, and she can sleep at night without any reflux.
Solution: Drink a big glass 20 minutes before your meal and a big glass 20 minutes after a meal, but limit yourself while you’re eating.
When it comes to working on our health and wellness, we sometimes feel like it’s going to be overwhelming, take a lot of time in our day, and cost a lot of money. We see the fitness gurus on instagram that promise results, but it often comes at a steep price tag, both physically and monetarily.
As a widow, my wellness has always been important, but I didn’t realize that what I was doing was actually stressing my body, not helping it. I burned the candle at both ends and pushed too hard in my workouts. I thought I needed to exercise longer, to run faster and to get up earlier to be healthy. But I have learned that wellness doesn’t mean working harder. Nor does it mean spending a lot of time or money. There are simple things you can include in your everyday life that will boost your health, are gentle to your body and mind, and are completely free.
Read more...I also learned that trials do not define us.
The trial of losing my husband and losing my hope did not define me - I am His child; that is what defines me.
- Yes, I was a widow and single mom
- Yes, I was deep in grief
- But that is not my identity
- My identity is in Christ
Gal. 5:5 says, and I’m paraphrasing, “we eagerly await the hope of righteousness” when we are made into the image of Christ.
When there is conflict and struggle going on - cling to that hope. God promises that the struggle will not last forever. It will end. We can have hope that it is temporary.
I Cor. 15:19 - if we only have a human hope, we are to be pitied. If our hope is only in this life, then we’ve lost sight of our real reason for hope.
We are never without hope as believers!
Read more...As time went on, I became exhausted and my physical and mental health began to suffer. I started struggling with anxiety over the smallest things. I would worry about the kids getting sick, I would worry about the smoke detectors chirping in the middle of the night because of a low battery, I would be anxious about not being able to sleep, which then caused me to not sleep. I would obsess about the future and fear all the “what ifs”, which deepened my anxiety.
My sleep continued to decline. I could fall asleep without an issue, but staying asleep was impossible. I often woke up at 1 or 2 am and was awake for the rest of the night over and over and over. My anxiety continued to increase, I fell deep into depression, and because I was so exhausted all the time, I had to eliminate some of the things I enjoyed doing. As I cut things from my schedule in order to have space to rest, I began to unintentionally isolate myself. I had no idea it was happening, but it added to my anxiety and depression.
Read more...
