Does even the title of this post bring mixed feelings and a twinge of guilt? Yep, me too. But, I am learning and God is ever so patient with me. He has to remind me that it is not wrong to want to be and feel my best for my family and for Him. It is not wrong to take a few moments to recharge, regroup, refocus. These things help me to be a better me.
Over the last few months of 2015, I have begun some simple steps that I think *anyone* can pick up and start today. Choose ONE item on this list and begin today. Sometimes, just one simple step can lead to the motivation to take that next step!
I am starting to notice that when I take care of the body and soul God gave me, I am more able to cheerfully care for the responsibilities in front of me.
Some of these things I’ve been doing for a long time, some I have only begun. But maybe you will find some encouragement to try one new thing in the new year!
10 Simple Steps to a Better Me
Lemon water — so simple, yet I think lemon water gives me a boost of energy in the morning! I drink lemon in my water all day, but some say to especially drink it in the morning! Have you read about all the benefits of lemon? Digestion, vitamin C, better focus.
1 Plank Daily – I will admit here that my first planks were about 10 seconds and at that point I thought I would die. Not kidding. But I’m up to about a minute and I can tell a difference in my inner/core strength and in my arms! Have you read all the benefits of doing planks?
Stretching – I have lower back pain, which is why I started doing this, but I just feel so good after stretching that I keep it up. So many benefits to stretching our aching/tense bodies!
Washing my face at night – Yikes. I’m afraid to admit this one. I’m now 39 years old and was never in the habit of doing this! But after a few weeks I can already tell a difference in my skin! I also use Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Oil pulling – I know, I know. It’s gross. Believe me, I am a texture person with a BIG gag reflex! But it only took me a few days to get used to this! And my teeth just feel so much cleaner, so I keep it up! I use the same Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Fresh Air and walking/jogging – I’ve been jogging (with walking intervals) about 3 times a week for several months now. But even on the days I don’t get to exercise, I make sure I get outside. Even if it’s just to take the dog out and throw the frisbee with him for 3 minutes. The fresh air does our bodies so much good!! Especially through the winter months! And of course I don’t have to convince anyone of the benefits of exercise. BUT, I will say that as one who struggles with depression and anxiety, my stress levels go WAY DOWN when I am exercising consistently.
Essential Oils in a Diffuser and Roller bottles – I have used so many different brands of essential oils over the years. In my Diffuser 
Vitamins – I’ve gone back and forth and back and forth over the years about vitamins. Do they really help? When I read this article about how we are starving our boys’ brains, I immediately started giving Caleb good quality Vitamins
Drinking Green Tea – especially the concentrated & organic kind with lots of nutrients! I have a friend who brought me a sample of the Matcha Green Tea, it’s pretty concentrated, so you have to use a whisk to get it all mixed in the water. I don’t use sugar anymore in my hot drinks, I use organic Agave Nectar that comes in my monthly Amazon Subscribe & Save shipment. I just put a small spoonful in my cup with this tea. I’m not ready to make huge claims, but I can tell you that it gives you energy and honestly has helped me not feel hungry all the time! Read what The Wellness Mama has to say about Matcha Green Tea.
Write the Word – I saved the best for last. Please don’t neglect God’s Word. I began writing out the Word of God and I love how this just gives me one more way to connect and get these truths deep into my heart, mind and soul. Write the Word. Pray the Word. Memorize the Word. Meditate on the Word. God’s Word is ESSENTIAL to living a healthy and content life! My favorite journal
{BONUS #11} Praying the Scriptures – I mostly listed things above that I have begun over the last few months. But, I can’t leave this post without mentioning PRAYING the SCRIPTURES. This one small change in the way I pray has TRANSFORMED my prayer life over the last few years. If you would like to learn more and find FREE resources for praying God’s Word, head over here!
So, just to quickly sum up. This list is not meant to induce guilt. This list is meant to help you live guilt-free as a happy and content mama. Our bodies are the temple of the Lord! He did not mean for us to live run down, miserable lives with no energy to accomplish the things He puts before us. There are SO many things in nature that God has given us to help us feel our best.
Love this list and thanks for sharing. Even trivial things like washing my face before going to bed makes a difference. But I’m from India won’t have access to all that stuff. So i’ll have to do some research on my own. Thankyou for sharing the Ephesians list.
Thank you for stopping by from India!! Wow!! I hope you can find a few things here that are helpful…and you are so right, the small things really do add up to big impact!! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Thanks for sharing! Essential oils is new to me but sounds wonderful, I would certainly look into it and add it to my health maintenance regimen. I find oil-pulling and stretching two of the things I MUST do or I feel something is missing. I have been doing this 4 min a day stretch every night before I go to bed and has kept me from getting lower back pain for the last three years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOgxWp0WyiI
Thank you! I will look into those exercises! 🙂
Love your list Candace. I use progesterone cream topically and a DHEA supplement which I get from my natural medicine MD. (Supplied by Women’s International Pharmacy) It really seems to help with the mood swings. You may want to look into it. DHEA naturally lowers as we age, that is why it is good to have your levels checked. Also, I started taking Vitamin B12 by injection which helps with fatigue.
Hi Megan! I actually just started an oil for the hormonal things with the progesterone in it! It is made by Young Living and it is called Progessence. I am going to give it a few months and see if it helps! I did use a progesterone cream years ago. I was always very low in pregnancy as well.
Some of the things on this list are things I have done, but did not stick with, like lemon water and oil pulling. I plan to get back to those things as well as sticking with daily exercise routine and a routine for winding down at night so I am able to get to bed at a decent hour and feel good the next day.
It’s so hard taking things from “every now and then” to HABIT, isn’t it? I am working on that too!!
Thank you for sharing this! I will try the lemon water, I love drinking lemon water but we tend to forget to get lemon when we go grocery shopping, i will make sure to put it on the very first line of our list. I am excited about praying the scriptures back to God. I am going to do the Ephesians list this month. I am also going to stretch in the morning and wash my face at night (I am also guilty in not doing this as a habit) Thank you so much for sharing this! I look forward to making these little efforts this month and prayerfully grow in this as a pattern for my heart to follow and also grow in my faith and 🙂 God bless you!
Latisha, I’m so glad this list was helpful. I posted for my own accountability as much as anything! I’m glad you’re planning to use the Ephesians list of verses this month too. I am just finishing those and LOVED writing them out!!
I love this list because it has some very simple, easy to do things on here. I have been in the habit of vitamins and washing my face at night (it is like a breath of fresh air in my opinion). I like the idea of 1 plank a day and as long as you can. Simple. I’m excited to try that. I also can’t wait to try the stretching! I hadn’t thought about it, but I think it would help! Do you have any suggestions of what to try?