by Becky Stifter Fitness & Character

Life is busy.

And I like it that way. One of my weaknesses is letting my ‘cup’ get too full, life get too busy, and the day-to-day becomes way too overwhelming. I will admit, I don’t follow the hippity dippity advice of routinely scheduling time for self love.  I am a work-a-holic and I prioritize work. It is a weakness. I should prioritize filling my ‘cup’ with some self care and love. But the truth of the matter is that with all the chaos, I manage to get it all done. I forget to do the things that make me feel whole. Like running. Like yoga. Like puppy play time. Like cooking a healthy dinner. I run out of fuel. Then, it is time to sleep and repeat. I’m sure you can relate.

What exactly is self love?

I googled it. If the universe of google is always correct (most of the time the google is right)…here’s the definition:

It is truly desirable! Google, you are correct!

I realize that I don’t treat myself enough. When we adopted Holly, I gave up my yoga membership for doggy dare care. I promised myself I would ‘self-practice’ in our living room, but sure enough…there isn’t enough time in the day. Don’t believe me? Here’s my schedule from last week alone. Those workouts you see…most were snoozed or forgotten because something else hit the table. Did we at least take Holly to the doggy park? Nope. We both had too much work to catch up on.

This is not a ‘whoa is me’ millennial blog post. But instead a WHOA, Becky, you need to make some changes reflection. 12 hour work days are not sustainable…and by the way…where does law school fit into this equation?

Ariana Huffington shared this article on LinkedIn yesterday, 9 Things Great People do Differently.  #4 resonated with me most.

Stress + Rest = Growth. The universal growth equation requires not only that you challenge yourself, but also that you take time to recover. On levels both micro (i.e.,throughout the day) and macro (i.e., throughout the year) follow especially challenging activities with periods of recovery and recuperation.

I’m setting a personal challenge. Rest more.

The pressure is on. Or maybe its off. I’m challenging myself to rest more. Recover. Reflect that stress is good, but rest is essential. With this, for the next 21 days — the amount of time it takes to form a habit — I’m going to dedicate the first and last 10 minutes of my day to rest and reflection. How will I do this? Good question, self. With self love.

I’m going to BEAM with #selflove and #treatthyself to 10 minutes of reflection.

One of my partners at Fit Approach is Nimbleback, the creative geniuses behind the Beam™. The Beam™ by Nimbleback helps naturally release tension in the back, neck and shoulders in just 10 minutes. I hold all of my stress in my shoulders. That’s why I’m treating myself to 10 minutes of reflection and relaxation every day. Not only does it help me relax, but it combats the evil back tension that comes with desk jobs (hello flat booty) and law school library sessions. It’s a challenge for me, but I’m going to make it happen, and beam with mf-ing self love.

Don’t believe me? Here’s proof! & I even get some puppy snuggles and playtime with it. Double freaking whammy.

Photo credits:  Fitness & Character 

There is already freedom and less stress in taking time for my body and mind. A release. Restoration. Much needed #selflove. Its a journey that I will continue following. For now, those first and last 10 minutes of the day are MINE. I’m reclaiming them. Not technology. Not the todo list.

If you suffer from no self-love syndrome too. You’re not alone. Want the Beam™ for your own self love time?   Make it a habit to release, relax and restore in 2018 with simple yoga stretching and the help of The Beam by Nimbleback 

Editor's note:  Nimbleback Inc is sharing the original content of Fitness & Character and we are excited to share this as Becky has some great tips on self-care.