What I’m doing to get healthy again

by | LIfestyle | 18 comments

Have you ever had an “Ah-ha” moment? I had one last Monday.  As a wife, mother, daughter, friend and business owner, I put A LOT of things before myself.  I’m supposed to, right?  Well, yes and no.  My “Ah-ah” moment was that I’m not healthy the way I want to be. I want to share 5 things I’m doing to get healthy again.

You may have noticed it was pretty quiet on AWL here and on Instagram last week.  After moving my oldest to California, which was a huge rollercoaster for three weeks, helping her and her roommates learn to communicate with a difficult landlord, two ER visits over the weekend with my middle and my youngest starting back to school online Monday and trying to work on top of that, I was exhausted.  I mentally and physically couldn’t make myself do much of anything.  I even took a nap in the middle of the day Sunday, Monday and Tuesday!  What?  When did I last NEED to do that?  I realized I had stretched myself too thin and I needed a break.

I realized I’d been pushing myself to just keep moving forward for about 2 years with not much of a break or much attention to my own health and well being.  I’m naturally a positive person and a hard worker so pushing through is something I’ve always done.  But doing so to the detriment of your health is not a good idea and I had definitely been doing that.  I’m also terrible about making my doctor appointments so that is on today’s agenda!

I get asked all the time about my health and exercise routing and well, I don’t have one.  I eat pretty lean and clean and that, coupled with great genes, have taken me this far.  But that isn’t going to cut it going forward.  I need to prioritize my health so that I can be who I want to be for myself and for my family.

Several weeks ago, I started thinking about making a few changes: scheduling exercise again, drinking more water, taking vitamins, getting to bed earlier (HARD with teens!), time to read, think and just relax.  I had done a little of that…vitamins here, water there, a walk on Saturday and Sunday but nothing really consistent. I always let something crowd it out.  It is now my biggest priority.

These are the five things I’m doing to get healthy again and I’m committed to doing for myself as we enter the Fall:

Exercise Daily – I was doing Dallas Dance Fitness 4-5 times a week when Quarantine started.  It was great to have the time to do this while the girls were doing school online.  As summer truly began, I got out of the routine.  I want to do these classes 2x per week and walk daily at least once.  I’ve walked each day for 10 days now and some days twice!  It’s also easy on your body and easy to get started.  I’m walking 3-5 miles (total), 50 push ups and 2 one-minute planks.  It’s a start and it feels good.  I also treated myself to a few new exercise tops and shorts…mine disappear to my girls rooms never to be seen again!

Take Vitamins and Supplements – I received these Dr. Perricone MD Skin & Body vitamins a while back but never took them.  I began taking them two weeks ago and love them so far.  I’m resting better and feel really good when I’ve taken them several days in a row.  I’m only taking 1/2 the recommended dose right now because I am typically very sensitive to vitamins and medications.  I’ll start twice a day as directed next week.  I’m also using the Somaderm gel that I shared in this post.  I’m also back to using my favorite collagen peptide drink.  I’ve also been taking Nutrifol Women’s Balance for several months because I noticed my hair changing from all the stress of last summer and fall (moving my daughter to college and losing my mother-in-law).  I’m hoping these things all help my sleep, skin, hair and overall feeling of better health.  So far I have noticed I’m getting to sleep faster and sleeping hard!

Drink More Water – I love an ice cold Arnold Palmer or Teamonade from my favorite cafe but I need to drink more water.  I’m working on drinking 4 of these glasses of water a day including my collagen drink.

Still Time – I am scheduling in time to read my Bible, read a book and just to rest and reflect.  I might not do each of these daily but will do a few each day.  I’m setting aside an hour for this each day.  I’ve been reading this book with one of my girls.

Rest – I’m a night owl by nature and I also love to tuck my children in each night.  It is really hard for me to turn off my lights if they are up studying.  I need to prioritize this for myself and get over it!  I can’t continue to be the last to be and first up.  I’ve been take a hot bath in Lavender Epsom Salt with Melatonin each night.  I think this and exercising are helping my get to sleep quickly and sleep deeply.  My hubby swears by his ChiliPad but I think I’d get too cold!  I have girl friends that get hot at night and love it, too!

Do you need to do any of these?  Do you have tips for me?  I’d love to know!  I’ll be sharing on Instagram stories, daily if I can, how I’m doing and I’d love to have you join me there for accountability and encouragement for us both!  Leave me a comment and be entered to win one of the monthly beauty boxes I send to readers and subscribers!

xo

Alicia

PS – Looking for more style inspiration for summer? Don’t miss the August Reader Favorites, my style focus on Summer Maxi DressesColor Crush: Blue & White Stripes, My Essentials Collection from Cabana Life, the beautiful Alicia pieces I designed with Hazen and the Southcott Travel Collection. They are filled with great pieces that are perfect for the summer heat, fall transition relaxing at home!  Get more inspiration on these category pages: Personal StyleInteriorsMy HomeFoodEntertainingTablescapesBeauty and TravelYou can also see all the shop pages here: StyleHomeTabletopBeauty, and Travel.  Did you know you can also easily shop my Instagram Feed, too?

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18 Comments

  1. Maureen

    September is National Self Care month.
    You need to take care of you to take care of others.
    Hope that you are on the road to good health.

  2. Tina Mosley

    I would suggest focusing on a good stretching or yoga routine. Lets face it the older we get the stiffer we get. Yoga really helps me with clarity and just being in the moment. I am glad you had that aha moment. I had it March and started running more consistently…down 20lbs

  3. Kelly Fenton

    Love your aha moment and what you shared. As busy wives, moms, and business owners-we need to take care of ourselves first so that we can properly care for everyone else…..and we shouldn’t feel guilty about that!

  4. Cynthia Priebe

    What an inspiring post! I loved reading this today and it encourages me to continue on my path to make good healthy choices as well. Taking care of ourselves, the mind, body and soul, is the most important thing we can do. Thank you for sharing your honesty and great healthy tips! x0x0

  5. Denise

    Check out the Lyons Share on Instagram — great to follow for encouragement and tips on nutrition, fitness, health, and lifestyle. I use her Pepper Planner for accountability, setting goals, and seeing real results. I also love to support local talent. I think you’ll like her style.

  6. Betsy

    Love this post and relate to all of it, especially the last to be and first up with 2 teenagers at home. It’s too much! My goal is to close all 3 activity rings on my Apple Watch 5 days/week and take advantage of the quiet early mornings to take care of me. Thank you for the encouragement 🙂

    • Alicia

      Hi Betsy!
      Thank you for sharing your strategy! Parenting teens is no joke on the sleep schedule! We only thought infants were going to be a sleep deprived stage! 🙂
      xo
      Alicia

  7. Barbara

    Thanks for all the reminders. It’s been so hard to stay on track during these difficult times. Love your posts.

    • Alicia

      Thank you, Barbara! We all need to encourage each other especially right now.
      xo
      Alicia

  8. Daniele

    This post really spoke to me today! I think we are on the same wavelength. Be happy & healthy!

    • Alicia

      I’m so glad, Daniele! We can do it!!
      xo
      Alicia

  9. Kim Mertens

    I have the Chilipad and love it. I am a very hot sleeper so I like it cold. My husband likes it a little warmer so he keeps his at a higher temp.

    • Alicia

      Good to know! He says I need one but I’m thinking sometimes I’d like a full on heating pad!
      xo
      Alicia

    • Alicia

      That is a great idea, Kim! Maybe I’ll try his when he travels next!
      xo
      Alicia

  10. Jean

    This is a great post and reminder to all moms to take care of ourselves. I also love to tuck in my teenagers and then I’m the first one up! I’m working on going to bed earlier and drinking more water too and now I’m going to add collagen :). Thanks for sharing this!

  11. Britt G

    Thank you for sharing this!! I have been feeling this way as well and it is nice to know I’m not the only one. I am developing a plan for self care that I can commit to for myself. Sharing this with you makes me all the more accountable to myself! Thank you for putting this out there!

  12. Debbie Hawkins

    Thank you so much for these healthy reminders and great product recommendations. I like your suggestion of scheduling in your time to exercise and that you are purposefully planning your healthy routine. Like everyone else, I too have been stressed during COVID balancing teaching and trying to be healthy. It’s just not working as long hours are exhausting. We are preparing to teach in person and I need to really make sure I stay healthy!
    Thank you, Alicia!
    xo
    Debbie

    • Alicia

      Hi Debbie
      Thank you for your encouragement! I hope your teaching has gotten into a safe and good routine. Know that all the parents are so grateful for your efforts!
      xo
      Alicia

Alicia Wood

MEET ALICIA

AliciaWoodLifestyle.com is a lifestyle destination for everyday living written by Alicia Wood. Alicia’s goal is create a timeless, fresh way to approach fashion, entertaining, beauty, design and travel.

Read More

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Alicia Wood

Meet Alicia

AliciaWoodLifestyle.com is a lifestyle destination for everyday living written by Alicia Wood. Alicia's goal is create a timeless, fresh way to approach fashion, entertaining, beauty, design and travel.

Read More

18 Comments

  1. Maureen

    September is National Self Care month.
    You need to take care of you to take care of others.
    Hope that you are on the road to good health.

  2. Tina Mosley

    I would suggest focusing on a good stretching or yoga routine. Lets face it the older we get the stiffer we get. Yoga really helps me with clarity and just being in the moment. I am glad you had that aha moment. I had it March and started running more consistently…down 20lbs

  3. Kelly Fenton

    Love your aha moment and what you shared. As busy wives, moms, and business owners-we need to take care of ourselves first so that we can properly care for everyone else…..and we shouldn’t feel guilty about that!

  4. Cynthia Priebe

    What an inspiring post! I loved reading this today and it encourages me to continue on my path to make good healthy choices as well. Taking care of ourselves, the mind, body and soul, is the most important thing we can do. Thank you for sharing your honesty and great healthy tips! x0x0

  5. Denise

    Check out the Lyons Share on Instagram — great to follow for encouragement and tips on nutrition, fitness, health, and lifestyle. I use her Pepper Planner for accountability, setting goals, and seeing real results. I also love to support local talent. I think you’ll like her style.

  6. Betsy

    Love this post and relate to all of it, especially the last to be and first up with 2 teenagers at home. It’s too much! My goal is to close all 3 activity rings on my Apple Watch 5 days/week and take advantage of the quiet early mornings to take care of me. Thank you for the encouragement 🙂

    • Alicia

      Hi Betsy!
      Thank you for sharing your strategy! Parenting teens is no joke on the sleep schedule! We only thought infants were going to be a sleep deprived stage! 🙂
      xo
      Alicia

  7. Barbara

    Thanks for all the reminders. It’s been so hard to stay on track during these difficult times. Love your posts.

    • Alicia

      Thank you, Barbara! We all need to encourage each other especially right now.
      xo
      Alicia

  8. Daniele

    This post really spoke to me today! I think we are on the same wavelength. Be happy & healthy!

    • Alicia

      I’m so glad, Daniele! We can do it!!
      xo
      Alicia

  9. Kim Mertens

    I have the Chilipad and love it. I am a very hot sleeper so I like it cold. My husband likes it a little warmer so he keeps his at a higher temp.

    • Alicia

      Good to know! He says I need one but I’m thinking sometimes I’d like a full on heating pad!
      xo
      Alicia

    • Alicia

      That is a great idea, Kim! Maybe I’ll try his when he travels next!
      xo
      Alicia

  10. Jean

    This is a great post and reminder to all moms to take care of ourselves. I also love to tuck in my teenagers and then I’m the first one up! I’m working on going to bed earlier and drinking more water too and now I’m going to add collagen :). Thanks for sharing this!

  11. Britt G

    Thank you for sharing this!! I have been feeling this way as well and it is nice to know I’m not the only one. I am developing a plan for self care that I can commit to for myself. Sharing this with you makes me all the more accountable to myself! Thank you for putting this out there!

  12. Debbie Hawkins

    Thank you so much for these healthy reminders and great product recommendations. I like your suggestion of scheduling in your time to exercise and that you are purposefully planning your healthy routine. Like everyone else, I too have been stressed during COVID balancing teaching and trying to be healthy. It’s just not working as long hours are exhausting. We are preparing to teach in person and I need to really make sure I stay healthy!
    Thank you, Alicia!
    xo
    Debbie

    • Alicia

      Hi Debbie
      Thank you for your encouragement! I hope your teaching has gotten into a safe and good routine. Know that all the parents are so grateful for your efforts!
      xo
      Alicia

Alicia Wood

Meet Alicia

AliciaWoodLifestyle.com is a lifestyle destination for everyday living written by Alicia Wood. Alicia's goal is create a timeless, fresh way to approach fashion, entertaining, beauty, design and travel.

Read More