I shared a fertility update on my IG stories a few weeks ago (saved it to a highlight if you missed it) but, needless to say…this has been a really hard season of life for me. In the last 6ish months we’ve been through IVF, 3 embryo transfers, 3 pregnancies, and 3 miscarriages. It goes without saying that these things have taken a toll on my physical and mental health for sure. After our most recent loss, I realized…I might not be able to control pregnancy or miscarriages or IVF or experiencing grief and loss. But I CAN control what i choose to do every single day to help myself feel my best from the inside out.
So I literally pulled up a note on my phone and titled it “how bad do you want to feel good?”, and created a list of the things I KNOW make me feel my best – physically and mentally. If you are going through a season of grief / loss, the truth is…you can’t escape sadness. But you CAN prioritize your mental and physical health to help your body get through this as best as it can. So today, I wanted to share a few of those things that are on my list – a few things that truly help me prioritize my health and wellness from the inside out.
One. Sleep
If I’m not getting adequate sleep…anything else ‘wellness’ related is pretty much a wash haha. I am an exhausted emotional wreck without good sleep. So one way I’m prioritizing my health is my working on my sleep hygiene. I start winding down for bed around 9pm – I plug my phone in and don’t look at it again until the morning, dim all the lights, do my skincare routine…and try and get in bed by 9:30pm. I usually read for about 15mins and try and be asleep by 10pm so I can hopefully get 7-8hrs of sleep. Sometimes it’s tempting to stay up late watching a show or mindlessly scrolling but I know to be my best, I need good quality sleep so I really prioritize my sleep routine.
Two. Yoga / gentle movement
Doing yoga or Melissa Wood Health flows 1-2x a week always make me feel so amazing. I love the mind body connection these workouts bring. They are also low impact and gentle on your body and don’t spike your cortisol. So I’ve been doing corepower yoga classes or MWH flows at home about twice a week lately and they always make me feel so good after!
Three. Staying alcohol-free
I’ve shared on my IG and Tiktok that I gave up alcohol a while ago…and I don’t think I will “never not drink again”, but in this season of life, I know alcohol was not serving me well. It’s been over 100 days now since I’ve had a drink and it really has made me feel SO good – more clearheaded, less anxious, more present. Every now and then I’ll think “well maybe just one drink wouldn’t hurt”, but then I remember how dang good I feel without alcohol in my life and I go back to the original question I shared above “how bad do I want to feel good?” For me, in this season of life right now, I feel my best without alcohol. So continuing to stay alcohol-free is on my list of things that help me to feel and be my best!
Four. Acupuncture
I’ve shared before that I’ve battled sleep issues for years now. Once i started going to acupuncture regularly my sleep got SO much better. But, life happens and acupuncture isn’t cheap so I kind of got lax about it and when I did…my sleep struggled. So a non-negotiable on my list in this season of life is acupuncture once a week. It has truly helped my sleep and anxiety SO much and even though it might be inconvenient to go…I know I need it!
Five. Daily walks
There is something so calming to me about starting my day with a morning walk with saylor. I listen to an audiobook or a podcast, watch the sunrise, get some fresh air, and just move my body for about 30mins. It’s too hot in Dallas to walk any other time of day right now haha but these daily walks have been so helpful for my mental + physical well-being! So this is another non-negotiable on my list!
Six. Supplements
I feel like I can be very hot or cold with supplements. I’m either taking all of them and doing all the things or i’m not any at all haha but staying consistent with my supplements always helps me to feel my best. Currently I am loving: athletic greens in the morning on an empty stomach, a few different products from cymbiotika, just thrive probiotic + just calm supplements…and a few others. I try and get them all ready at the beginning of the week so that throughout the week I don’t even have to think about it!
Seven. Time in the Word
There are mornings where I’m tempted to sleep a little longer or just jump right into my day without first stopping and spending time reading my Bible and praying. But this time with Jesus is EVERYTHING to me – centers me, grounds me, and brings me so much peace and perspective for the day ahead. This has to be a non-negotiable for me even if it’s only for 15 minutes. I will either read a Psalm or a devotional, journal, spend time praying…connecting with Jesus might look different depending on the day but what matters is that I’m taking time to connect with Him and listen.
I have a few more “non-negotiables’ on my list but I didn’t want to overwhelm y’all haha so I thought 7 would suffice today. What are some things on your list? Things that always help you to feel your best from the inside out?
Thanks for reading!
follow along @laurenkaysims
xo Lauren
