Tag: Blog – Lindywell

Most women experience the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards and this was happening well before Instagram came along and the mainstream media became what it is today. Learn more about the long-running history of unrealistic beauty standards in this fascinating article.

I’ve experienced this pressure to look a certain way my entire life. It’s been even more heightened with a career in the fitness industry. There was always pressure to fit a certain standard in the size, shape, and muscle tone of my body to be taken seriously or seen as someone worth learning from. 

While dealing with these standards has been difficult to navigate, and still can be some days, I know in my heart that my worth is not defined by the way I look. Today, I want to share a few of the shifts I’ve made over the years to let go of unrealistic beauty standards and embrace who I am. I hope that my story might help you do the same. 

Connecting With My Purpose

As a fitness professional, the pressure can be strong to use my body as a billboard. I hear comments all of the time about fitness instructors’ bodies as a measure of their expertise. It can be hard to avoid this way of thinking and internalize it.

When I feel this pressure arise, I remind myself of my purpose and why I do what I do. My job is to teach you how to connect to your body, move well, build strength, and restore alignment so you can feel better as you go through your days. I can do that no matter what my body looks like.

Despite knowing this logically, we’re surrounded by these unrealistic beauty standards everywhere we go. I have to remind myself of this often. Sometimes it feels as though I have to actively fight against that pressure in my mind and in my actions daily to avoid succumbing to it.

The Power of Staying Connected

You can know this consciously, and get caught up in these unrealistic beauty standards. When I stay connected to my purpose, however, it’s easier to remember that I don’t have to play along with the fitness industry’s focus on aesthetics to be successful. My purpose is to help women show up just as they are today and build strength and resiliency in their bodies and minds through the power of movement and connection to their bodies. 

It’s THIS that has created our community of thousands of members around the world who want to choose grace over guilt and feel good in their bodies—not the number that shows up on the scale each day. It’s also this purpose that drove me to write my first book, Well to the Core.

My purpose is also connected to leading more people toward freedom and self-compassion: whether that’s my children, my friends, or our online community. When the pressure is rising to “look good in my workout clothes.” I remind myself that my job is to embody freedom and self-compassion so that others feel comfortable to do the same; to show up as they are today and believe that they don’t have to look a certain way to be worthy or valuable. 

With young children, especially daughters, I want to be the best role model I can be. I want them to grow up feeling confident in their skin too. Remembering this helps me let go of those standards and find love for my authentic self, exactly as I am.

Leaning Into Gratitude

I practiced 30 days of gratitude leading up to my 30th birthday and it impacted my life in so many unexpected ways. One of the shifts I noticed was feeling the need to compare myself to others less often. Interestingly, something I learned after is that gratitude directs our attention away from social comparison, so it’s not surprising this happened.

This has helped me release those unrealistic beauty standards because I feel less compelled to compare myself to the people around me or other professionals in the space. As a result, it’s easier to embrace who I am more completely.

When those old beliefs around unrealistic beauty standards start pushing me back to that comparison habit, I focus on gratitude. I remember that I’m grateful for my body, my “twin skin” (the loose skin on my belly as a result of 4 full-term pregnancies including twins), and everything in my life that has absolutely nothing to do with how I look. 

Cultivating and maintaining that attitude of gratitude lightens the figurative load and makes it easier to lean into what I know in my heart to be true.

Remembering the Reality

I often feel pressure to look flawless because there are so many fitness professionals and influencers with “ideal” physiques. Add to that the thick flowing hair, and wrinkle-free skin—you name it and you can find it. Not to mention, flawless appearances are everywhere to be found on social media, whether natural or through a filter. If I’m being honest, it’s easy to feel like I don’t measure up.

The reality is, that I know how much work goes into achieving that “perfect look,” like skipping margarita night with friends, avoiding foods I love, and spending hours in the salon getting extensions, botox, and manicures. 

I’m not saying this to make anyone feel bad for the choices they make related to their appearance because I take pride in my appearance and love to feel beautiful and pulled together, too! 

For me personally, when the pressure is too much to keep up with, but I want to purse beauty, I focus on staying aligned with my values. When I’m tempted to get caught in the comparison trap, this is especially helpful. Ultimately, this idea of “keeping up” is just not worth the sacrifices I have to make to do it—both mentally and physically. 

Staying Aware of the Culture Around Me

I’m very clear on my values and my ultimate worth. Yet I still have to fight against that immense pressure to stay true to those values and what matters to me most. One of the ways I do that is by staying very aware of what I’m consuming and the culture I live and work in.

It’s so easy to consume content that’s damaging to our self-esteem and mental health. Even scarier is that with the rise of filters and AI, more and more of what we’re seeing isn’t even real. The problem is that humans don’t do a good job of deciphering between what’s real and fake. 

In addition, because the brain changes with what is consumed consistently, the belief that you need to look a certain way only becomes more prominent with each image you see that aligns with those unrealistic beauty standards. 

You have to be a conscious consumer everywhere you go, from stores to social media, to let go of what you’re told to look like and embrace who you truly are.

You Don’t Have to Accept Unrealistic Beauty Standards

It’s taken years of work to know that who I am, on any given day, is good enough. Some days, even now, it still takes work. I don’t know that we as women can ever fully let go of those unrealistic beauty standards. They’re so prevalent in our lives. However, that doesn’t mean they have to rule our lives. With conscious consumption, intentional gratitude, and connection to your purpose it is possible to live according to your own standards instead—and when we can do that, the pressure recedes and freedom appears.

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Self-trust is critical to the success of your wellness journey for so many reasons. First and foremost, in our culture of influencers and “health experts,” it can be overwhelming to know who or what to believe. I’m a trained professional in the health and wellness space, and I still find it hard to know what or who to trust sometimes.

That’s why I always come back to myself—and the fact that I know my body best. For so long, I pushed my body hard on days when it asked for rest. I ignored cues for hunger to follow specific diet plans. Spoiler alert: it didn’t get me anywhere but burned out and anything but healthy when you look at wellness as a whole-body experience. (Check out my recent blog post, 

Wholistic Fit Living Guide: A Roadmap to Mind-Body Health, to learn more about how powerful this mindset can be.)

If you can relate to being overwhelmed by information and not knowing who to trust, it’s time to check in with yourself. Let’s talk about why self-trust (that inner wisdom, sometimes referred to as your gut) matters and how to use this intuition to chart a wellness path that’s right for you. Plus, I’ll share how to cultivate self-trust so you can discern fact from fiction or fad.

Why Self-Trust Is Important for Your Wellness Journey

In a recent survey of 1,022 U.S. adults, 60 percent of respondents feel motivated by wellness-related content on social media to make healthier, more nutritious choices for their bodies. However, 68 percent have seen conflicting information from multiple sources. Another 60 percent are confused about which habits are worth implementing.

When you can trust in yourself to determine what’s right and not right—or even what’s potentially dangerous—you can use that self-trust to inform your decisions, which nurtures confidence, self-efficacy, and empowerment.

In a recent study of patients with chronic health issues, building self-efficacy helped alleviate symptoms of their illness. It also improves mental health outcomes and quality of life. Plus, these patients were more motivated to heal, which ultimately made them feel secure in their overall capacity to reach that goal. 

Long story short, self-trust will impact every area of your health and wellness journey.

How to Hone Your Self-Trust 

We are surrounded by an excess of information every single day. Often that information is contradictory or confusing. As a result, it’s hard to know what to eat, what’s truly effective when it comes to exercise, or what habits to implement to care for our mental health. 

Personally, I consume a lot of content—like most people! I’m constantly reading books, listening to podcasts, watching interviews, reading articles, etc. While it’s certainly a part of my job to stay educated and informed, it’s also a passion of mine. I love learning. 

One of the side effects of taking in a lot of information from a wide variety of sources is seeing just how much conflicting information there is out there. This used to drive me crazy. But over time, I’ve learned to use it to my advantage and hone my self-trust. 

What I mean is, I understand that there can be many viewpoints on a certain topic and even research can be done in ways that result in conflicting conclusions. Over the years, I’ve learned to take the information I learn, run it through what I’ve already learned or experienced to be true, and then also run it through a lens of what I know to be true for ME.

For example, what do I know about myself that this person/research doesn’t know? While one non-toxic expert may tell me I should never use plastic products to avoid potential toxins—that’s not the whole story. I also know that I spent years dealing with anxiety around health. This means, for me, it’s important to be informed of those potential dangers, without embracing an “all or nothing” mentality that leads to more stress, which in turn, would have an even bigger negative impact on my health.

Ultimately, nothing is more trustworthy than the gut instinct within you and what you know about yourself. The goal is to take what you hear, check in with yourself, and then choose what’s best for you. If you’re not sure how to connect with that inner source of wisdom, here are a few ways to practice and learn.

Listen to the Cues from Your Own Body

Your body is wise and is always communicating. Learning how to listen, and then respond accordingly, is one of the most important skills we can develop. For example, a few years ago my body was responding strangely to high-intensity workouts. 

It took me a while to understand what my body was trying to tell me. Listening, paying attention, and recognizing symptoms, I was able to adapt, seek support, and make changes to help me feel better and to help my body function more optimally. Listen to my surprising health diagnosis podcast episode to learn more about what happened. 

Even more interestingly, what I’ve found is that honing this self-trust has a ripple effect throughout every aspect of your life. When you make an effort to create a mindful, trusting relationship with the body, you’re likely to experience a wide range of outcomes, including:

• Lower depression and anxiety 
• Mental resilience and emotional regulation
• Higher levels of self-awareness
• Positive outlook on body image
• Improved stress management
• Healthy eating and exercise behaviors 
• Increased motivation for self-care 

If you’re not sure how to block out external noise and tune into the wellness cues coming from your own body, read my blog post, 5 Practical Strategies to Listen to Your Body Each Day. As with anything you do, this skill takes time and practice, but is very much within your reach!

Practice Self-Compassion

Everyone has imperfections and shortcomings, that’s what makes us human. The sooner you embrace this, the less susceptible you’ll be to self-doubt. Also, the more confidence you will have in your decision-making abilities. 

According to the Health Psychology Open Journal, even just listening to a brief, 10-minute recording of compassionate mantras over four consecutive days can lead to reduced inflammation, healthier immune function, and calmer nervous system response. 

By the way, if you feel like those mantras never work for you, then read, Why Your Self-Love Mantras Aren’t Working (And How to Fix Them), to tap into greater compassion for yourself.

Practice self-love with Breathwork for Letting Go of Perfection Narratives within the Lindywell app. Start your free trial of our Pilates app today to get instant access to this plus more guided breathwork sessions and 300+ Pilates workouts. 

Ask Questions that Encourage Reflection

If you’re prone to second-guessing your intuition when confronted with varying health trends, claims, or opinions, practice pausing. When you come across any piece of wellness advice, take a moment to reflect. Interrogate the information before believing it at face value. Ask the questions below to learn how to trust what feels nourishing and beneficial for your well-being while also assessing its reliability:

• Does this information come from a reliable, legitimate source?
• Does this cause me to feel shame about my current habits?
• Does it come across as extreme, restrictive, or unattainable? 

A self-reflection inventory will help connect back to your health priorities, so you can align with behaviors or decisions that reinforce them. Then as you turn inward, get curious, and ask honest questions, it becomes easier to follow the guidance that resonates with you, while creating boundaries to set aside whatever doesn’t feel right. 

After all, what works for someone else might not serve you.

Self-Trust Is a Foundational Piece of Your Wellness Journey

No one is more competent at making decisions for your own health, fitness, and well-being than you are. In a culture saturated with what seems like as many clashing wellness opinions as there are Instagram and TikTok accounts, it’s essential to tune out the noise. Use these ideas to cultivate and nurture your own self-trust. You might just discover the answers to a healthier, more vibrant life have been inside you all along.

The post Why Self-Trust Matters So Much for Your Wellness Journey (And How to Build It) appeared first on Lindywell.

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I write and talk about breathwork benefits often as the Director of Content for Lindywell. (Check out our breathwork page that I helped create!) While I have enjoyed some breathwork practices here and there, I have to say I was skeptical about whether consistency really mattered (doing it daily) versus just in the moment, when I felt I needed it. 

I was also curious whether I needed guided sessions, like what Lindywell offers—and if I would notice more benefits if I did have the expert prompts and guidance that Kiesha provides.

Ultimately, I know nervous system regulation is important so I decided to push myself to try breathwork every day for 31 days.

First and foremost, let me say that I was surprised by some changes, despite all that I know about the benefits of breathwork. Ultimately, I can truly say that it has changed my life. Not only do I feel calmer and more present, but my kids and co-workers have all noticed I’m more peaceful than I was at the start of the month too!

If you’re thinking about challenging yourself to try breathwork more consistently, I want to share my experience to give you a taste of why it’s absolutely worth it. The breathwork benefits far exceeded my expectations and I know they’ll exceed yours too!

How I Did My Breathwork Sessions

While there are many ways to practice breathwork, I wanted to be guided by Kiesha Yokers, our Head of Breathwork and Somatic Programs. I love how she teaches and guides in her sessions and knew she’d be the perfect person to take me on this journey. Read Kiesha’s article, The Healing Power of Breath, to learn about her approach to breathwork and how it can impact every area of your life.

Within Lindywell, I (and all of our members!) have access to more than 25 guided breathwork sessions that cover a wide variety of topics from sleep to gratitude. Each one ranges from 5-12 minutes, so I could choose whichever topic and time frame worked best for me each day. Some of the sessions I found myself coming back to were:

• Sleep Well: An Evening Practice
• Breath Rescue
• Breathwork for Midday Mind Support

If you want to try these breathwork practices with Kiesha, start your free Lindywell trial and get instant access to each and every one! You can listen to them on your phone with our Lindywell app or through your web browser. Plus, when you sign up, you’ll also get access to 300+ Pilates workouts and hundreds of nutritious (and easy to make!) recipes created by a registered dietician.

Breathwork Benefits After 31 Days of Practicing

First and foremost, let me remind you that you don’t need to practice breathwork every single day for 31 days (or longer) to experience benefits. Even after a single session, you’ll likely feel less stressed, more calm, and more connected to yourself. 

As with many aspects of health and wellness, however, consistency is the best way to create habits and experience long-term results. That was my goal and absolutely what I experienced. My day-to-day experience is calmer, my sleep is better, and I notice I am a better version of myself in every area of life. So let’s get into the details!

I Feel a Greater Sense of Calm

While this is one of the breathwork benefits we talk about a lot at Lindywell, I feel it is truly life-changing for me. I feel like I can ride the waves of my emotions with more awareness and can come back to a steady mood faster now. 

A great example of this was when I recently had to drive my husband’s car (which I don’t like driving because it’s a manual transmission). Normally I would be shaking by the end of this drive from nerves and fear of stalling and holding up traffic. This time, I used box breath (a popular technique Kiesha teaches) the whole drive and the nerves didn’t peak as high, I never stalled and I also felt calm and happy when I got home instead of stressed!

Think of how many times in life we have to do something we don’t want to do—and how stressed or anxious that can make us feel. Having this new breathwork tool makes it so much easier to manage those situations without all that added emotion.

I’m Sleeping Better

I’m not only sleeping better but I’m also falling asleep faster! This has been an incredible shift because sleep has never come quickly for me. I did Breathwork for Sleep and Calm in the Lindywell app many nights during this time and noticed that sleep comes easier and I don’t wake up as often. This also means I feel more rested during the day—a huge win for me. 

This translated into greater focus at work. Tackling an important task was so much easier because my mind felt sharp and I felt less distracted. 

I’m a Better Mom

Breathwork has been a game-changer in my parenting. One of my children is struggling with anxiety and using my breath has helped me stay calm so I can help him do the same. I love that teaching him these resources has helped him face his fears too. 

I’m also able to be the steady parent I want to be for my kids when something wild comes up (which it often does!) and I pause to breathe or have done breathwork that day.

One time, my son thought it would be fun to bring a pile of leaves into the house and throw them like confetti. Before breathwork, I would have gotten angry and felt a shift in my mood for the rest of the day. Because of breathwork, however, I stayed calm, talked to him about his choice (and laughed internally), and had him clean it up so we could move on with our night. 

My ability to stay calm translates to my children’s ability to also stay calm during and after a challenging situation, which keeps it from becoming something more than it is.

I Have More Energy  

I never realized how my breath can actually fuel my energy. My default used to be to just push through the drained feeling after a series of calls and keep working.  But with low energy, tasks would take longer or I’d feel a lack of creativity.  I realized that when I pause for five minutes after the calls and do an energizing breathwork technique, I get a new burst of energy and can stay focused again and be more creative.

Breathwork for Midday Mind Support and Breathwork for Energy became my new go-tos after a series of Zoom meetings in the middle of the day instead of turning to food for a pick-me-up. I love the tingly energized feeling I have after practicing those sessions and how ready I feel to tackle the next thing. I can’t stress enough that this is worth trying!

I’m More Aware of and Responsive to My Body’s Needs

It’s so easy to ignore the cues from your body, whether it’s asking you to slow down in the middle of a busy season. I’m no stranger to that, but now, I feel much more in tune with my body’s cues—and more likely to give myself whatever I need when I need it.

I also feel more at peace with my body and gratitude for all it can do rather than trying to always fix something. The gratitude meditations within the Lindywell app are some of my favorites.

My Inner-Critic is Quieter  

That inner critic can be so challenging to deal with, giving constant commentary that is rarely helpful. My breathwork sessions have helped me quiet that voice, which also allows me to move past things faster. Instead of letting my inner critic beat me up when I make a mistake, I’m able to notice it, pause to see if there’s anything I can learn from it, and then move on without it impacting me for the rest of the day—or week.

Bonus: My Lung Capacity Improved

This is not something I was working toward or focusing on, but was excited to see! I used a new feature coming to the Lindywell app that allows you to test your breath capacity. When I did this, I saw significant improvements in my lung capacity (ex. how long I can hold my breath and exhale) because of my new breathwork habit. It’s amazing to me how our bodies adapt with a little bit of consistency and commitment. 

Check out our recent blog post, Mouth Breathing vs. Nose Breathing: Why It Matters for Your Health, to learn more about how being intentional with breath can impact your health in surprising ways!

Experience Breathwork for Yourself

Now I crave opening up my app to be guided through a breathwork session and I love that I can access this tool whenever I need it. Experiencing these breathwork benefits first-hand has made me love this practice even more than I already did—and I couldn’t recommend it more, no matter what stage or season of life you’re in. Let’s be honest, we can all use a little more calm and connection! Start your free trial of Lindywell to try all the breathwork sessions I mentioned here, plus the 20+ others in the app!

The post 5 Ways My Life Changed After 31 Days of Breathwork (Hint: The Breathwork Benefits are REAL) appeared first on Lindywell.

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There are many ways to approach healing the nervous system, from one-on-one support, like therapy, to group or solo work with meditation and the breath. One approach I’ve found immensely valuable in my life is a somatic approach, which simply means “relating to the body.” 

It’s so important to take care of your nervous system because prolonged stress forces it into high alert. Over time, this can lead to serious health risks such as inflammation, hypertension, digestive issues, heart disease, low immunity, high cholesterol, and stroke. In fact, 58 percent of Americans currently have at least one chronic illness from dealing with constant stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

No matter your circumstances, healing the nervous system will help you better manage anything that comes your way—and let’s be honest, life has been known to throw us some doozies! Add these reliable, effective somatic practices to your self-care toolbox so you can approach each day with greater balance and peace.

How Somatic Practices Restore Nervous System Balance 

The term somatic might sound overly complicated or technical, but it just means, “relating to the body.” As such, a somatic practice is any self-care or therapeutic modality that teaches you how to become more aware of physical sensations and what they’re communicating to you. 

For example, a somatic breathwork practice might draw your attention to areas of pain, discomfort, tension, or imbalance in the body that are representative of something you’re struggling with emotionally. This is critical because you are an interconnected organism—what you feel in your mind lives in the body too. We can’t just address one area and not the other and expect to feel good.

From a scientific standpoint (you know I love the science!), somatic practices nurture the connection between body and mind. When you do this, you anchor your awareness in the present, create a sense of embodiment, and feel more integrated within yourself. This is key to finding that balance and peace you’ve been craving.

5 Somatic Practices for Healing the Nervous System

Healing your nervous system through somatic practices not only helps you handle a current challenge, but allows you to build more resilience for future challenges too. Luckily, if you’re new to this concept, it’s easier than you might think to incorporate these practices into your routine. 

Here are a few options that are accessible for all of us no matter where we are or what we’re experiencing. Reach for any one of these when you feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. 

As you try each one, remember to be patient and open. It may not come easily at first. We live in an always-on world, so learning how to slow down and tune into the body can be challenging. The more you do it, though, the easier it gets. This is your permission slip to trust the process and yourself.

1. Body Scans

A body scan allows you to quickly turn your focus inward and start attuning to the sensations within your body. Stress lives both in the mind and the body. Instead of approaching relief just from the brain, you can do it through the body and physically release the tension that’s present there. This in turn helps release the stress in your mind, alleviating your entire being.

To do a body scan, follow this process:

1. Stop what you’re doing and take three deep breaths. Let go of whatever is happening and simply tune into the present moment. It can be helpful to count to three as you breathe in and then again as you breathe out to anchor into your breath. 
2. Now begin to scan your body from the top of your head all the way to the bottom of your feed. As you do, check in with each area: do you notice constriction in your throat? Is your breathing shallow? Do your neck or shoulders feel tight? Is there sweat or tingling in your hands or feet? Don’t judge these sensations—simply feel them and concentrate on releasing the tension.
3. Once you’ve scanned your body, send your breath to any area that is tense, anxious, tight or tingly. As you do this, imagine breathing in peace and giving that feeling to each of those areas.
4. When you feel calm and centered and are ready to be done, follow the same process of taking three deep breaths in and three deep breaths out before returning to your day.

You can also try this practice with progressive relaxation. Contract and relax each muscle group as you move through your body. Each contraction should be slow and intentional. As you do this, imagine any emotions, stress, or tension being flushed out to create room for peace, balance, healing, and self-love.   

2. Intentional Breathing

Your breath is a vital mechanism for healing the nervous system because it quickly connects you to your body. The best part is, it doesn’t have to be complicated! Simply breathing with intention (noticing or counting your breath in and out) will help you tune into the present, let go of whatever stress or anxiety is hanging out, and start to feel more balanced.

As you tune into the breath, you may notice how your breathing becomes shallow when you’re anxious. This is that good old fight or flight response that your body moves into automatically when the brain thinks you’re in danger. The brain doesn’t know the difference between real danger (like a tiger chasing after you) and perceived danger (like a stressful email from your boss) so it shifts into full-on protection mode. Cue anxiety, shallow breathing, and fear.

However, as you slow down that reaction and focus on taking deep, rhythmic breaths from low in the diaphragm, you initiate a parasympathetic (relaxation) nervous response. This calms your body in the moment (so needed!) but it also improves your health long-term, allowing for:

• Increased heart rate variability
• Healthier blood pressure and circulation
• Lower depression, stress, and anxiety levels 
• Enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness
• Relief from migraine and gastrointestinal issues
• Improved metabolic function

Use this somatic practice any time you need it, even if you’re in the middle of a stressful meeting. No one has to know you’re taking deep breaths to calm your nervous system! No matter where you are, remember to breathe low, breathe slow, and through the nose. Even better if you let out a longer exhale than the inhale. For example, breathe in for a count of four and breathe out for a count of six.

3. Mindful Movement

Sometimes the quickest way to move past difficult or uncomfortable emotions is through the physical act of mindful movement. You can work on healing your nervous system with movement-based somatic practices like Pilates, Tai Chi, yoga, stretching, walking, or even dancing. The type of movement doesn’t matter—what does matter is that you’re intentional and mindful as you do it.

The goal here is to become attuned to the sensory connection between physical action and emotional release. This type of mindful movement can promote emotional regulation, behavioral and impulse control, focused attention, and cognitive flexibility. It can also help you avoid certain maladaptive coping outlets such as substance abuse or eating disorders.

What’s even better is that just a brief 10-minute mindful Pilates session can leave you feeling more balanced, refreshed, and emotionally lighter—you don’t need a 60-minute intense gym session to get there. (In fact, that type of workout might have the opposite effect, building even more stress in your body during some seasons.)

Practice mindful movement as often as you want with the support of Lindywell. Start your free trial of Lindywell today and get access to 300+ Pilates classes, dozens of breathwork sessions, and hundreds of nutritious recipes that are also easy to make!

4. Sit with Emotions

Sitting with emotions is so important—and yet, it can be incredibly difficult to do. Not only are we often taught to push past our emotions from a young age, but these feelings can also hold pain or challenging experiences that we’d rather ignore. 

Sitting with your emotions, however, is one of the most powerful tools for healing your nervous system because it gives that emotion less power. Instead of running from it (remember that flight or fight reaction we were talking about), you shift into a less stressful state by addressing it head-on with compassion and kindness.

In fact, a brief meditative moment with your emotions can help soothe the intensity and reactivity around them, which makes it easier to process them. Not to mention, the sheer intentionality of pursuing stillness creates more space in your mind. This is such a rare gift in our culture of productivity, rush, and hustle. 

How to Sit With Your Emotions

If you’re feeling a challenging emotion like sadness, frustration, or anger, wrap your arms around yourself. Take deep breaths and sway back and forth. As you do this, ask yourself: “What do I need right now?” If no answer comes in that particular moment, give yourself a few more moments, or even 24 hours, and ask again. It will come if you’re compassionate and honest with yourself.

This practice might feel awkward at first, but over time, you can build a tolerance level to emotions that were once impossible to face. Below are some questions to reflect on as you learn how to sit with emotions:

• How is this emotion showing up in my life? 
• What is its impact? 
• Can I be with it? 
• Can I breathe with it? 
• Where is the sensation of it located in my body? 
• Am I ready to let it go? 
• Is there something it needs to tell me?

A lot of times when I picture the emotion, I tend to see a small version of me, as a child, and I pretend to pull up a chair as my adult self to sit with her. I know that I am a safe adult and can be trusted so I comfort that little version of me. If it becomes too much, I can leave the situation. I just give myself a hug, breathe until I feel relaxed enough to move on, and know I can come back to it. 

When we experienced trauma or pain in the past, we most likely didn’t have autonomy or power of choice. With this work, we are in total control. Plus, we don’t have to heal it all in one sitting, we can come back to it again and again. 

5. Body Check-In Routine

Start each morning and close out each night with a somatic body check-in. Tune into the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that enter your consciousness in the first moments of waking, then set aside quiet time in the evening. 

Use this time to journal about any patterns, insights, habits, or experiences that are present for you. Even if all you have time for is a quick head-to-toe body scan, you’ll feel more in touch with yourself.

As basic as it might sound, when you bookend your days with some intentional time like this, you build resilience and start to shift your mindset. By the way, that mindset is so key—read our blog post, 5 Reasons Mindset is Everything in Wellness and Life (Backed By Science!), to learn about why.

You may notice you’re able to approach challenges from a place of balance and resilience instead of stress or frustration. 

Restore Your Nervous System With Somatic Practices

Somatic practices are invaluable for healing your nervous system. These self-care tools can nurture your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing in the midst of life’s inevitably stressful moments. Make time each day to do one or more of these somatic practices and remember to be patient with yourself as you try them. Even a few moments of deep breathing each day will help you begin to heal and reset your nervous system so you can feel balanced and connected no matter what’s going on around you.

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The term “principles of neuroplasticity” is less complicated than it sounds. It simply means the brain can change, both structurally and functionally, to help you recover from head injuries, cope with traumas, or even create healthier habits. This ability to change the brain is called neuroplasticity and it hinges on the idea that you have control of your thoughts. 

While changes in the brain can happen as the result of a trauma or unintended experience, you can also make positive changes in your life using neuroplasticity. As you choose new ways of thinking or change your actions, you teach your brain to choose or think those things instead of something you may have been taught or learned earlier in life. 

Changing your brain in this way can unlock positive changes for mental, emotional, and physical wellness in every aspect of your life. Even better, anyone can do it! Like all aspects of health, though, doing so requires consistent, mindful intentionality to achieve those juicy long-term results. 

Whether you want to revitalize your health habits, shift the way you approach challenges and stress, or just want to know more about how you can change your brain, this is the guide to the principles of neuroplasticity—and how to apply them—you need. 

Why Does Neuroplasticity Matter?

How often have you thought to yourself, “That’s just the way I am”? I know I’ve been there many times before, but that’s why I love learning about the principles of neuroplasticity and how this works. It reminds me that I have the power to change my thought patterns. I (you too!) have more control than I once thought I did.

Even better, research from the Human Brain Mapping Journal found that, no matter how old you are, consistent efforts to train, challenge, and sharpen the mind will result in dynamic cognitive shifts. It’s never too late to change your brain! 

Principles of Neuroplasticity: An Overview

Let’s get into the principles of neuroplasticity with some science real quick. The National Library of Medicine defines neuroplasticity as “the ability of the nervous system to change its activities in response to intrinsic or external stimuli.” In other words, your brain can either reorganize its current network of neurons (nerve cells) to build stronger pathways or it can develop new neural connections altogether. 

Ten main principles of neuroplasticity govern the many ways in which your brain can change. Let’s do a brief overview of each one so you understand how this works. 

Use It or Lose It

Brain connections that are regularly used are strengthened, while those that are neglected or underused may weaken or be pruned. I love how this teaches us how our brains can release old thought patterns and beliefs if we just choose new ones over and over.

Neurons that Fire Together Wire Together

Simultaneous activation of neurons strengthens their connections. For example, when you repeatedly think about or practice a specific action, like taking three deep breaths when you’re stressed, the connections between the neurons involved in that action can be reinforced. This makes taking deep breaths when you’re stressed more automatic in the future.

Specificity

Engaging in specific tasks or learning specific skills leads to changes in the corresponding neural networks. For example, endurance running primarily engages aerobic energy systems, while high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may involve anaerobic systems. Training specificity helps optimize the energy systems needed for a particular sport or activity.

Repetition

The more a particular neural pathway is activated, the more likely it is to be strengthened and maintained. For example, when you consistently choose to do just ten minutes of movement each day, you build a habit—this is what I always talk about at Lindywell. Consistency matters!

Intensity Matters

The strength and impact of neuroplastic changes are influenced by the intensity of the experience or training. Intense and focused engagement tends to more significantly alter your neural circuits. For example, exposing your brain to manageable levels of stress, like with a challenging workout, can trigger adaptive responses, contributing to resilience and improved coping mechanisms.

Duration of Training

The length of time spent on a task or in a learning activity affects the extent of neuroplastic changes. In other words, the more you commit to your daily gratitude practice, the more your brain will adapt to a greater sense of gratitude naturally. As with most wellness changes, the more you commit, the greater the benefits.

Salience and Importance

Meaningful and significant experiences tend to have a greater impact on brain plasticity. We can use this when thinking about movement and how you can make the experience more meaningful and connected. For example, can you connect your next workout with a feeling you want to experience when it’s over?

Age Matters, but Plasticity Persists

While the brain is more adaptable during certain critical periods, neuroplasticity persists throughout life. The capacity for the brain to change may decline with age, but the brain remains capable of learning and adapting, even in adulthood!

Transference

Neuroplastic changes in one part of the brain can influence other, related areas. For example, the more you practice breathwork, the more you may notice you’re less impacted by stress on a day-to-day basis.

Recovery Is Possible

The brain can recover from injury or trauma. Rehabilitation efforts, including targeted exercises and therapies, can stimulate neuroplasticity and support the restoration of function. Breathwork for trauma is a powerful tool in facilitating this healing.

These ten principles were originally outlined in 2008 and I further researched them through a few other key sources, including Center for Independence. 

The thing is, you don’t need to understand the nitty-gritty of all of these principles to start changing your brain. But isn’t it fascinating to know how brilliant this organ is? Now, let’s get into what you do need to know (and do).

How to Use Neuroplasticity to Change Your Health Habits

The question you’re probably thinking is: this sounds awesome, how do I do it?! To leverage the principles of neuroplasticity to make positive changes in health habits, you need to be intentional and consistent. Here are a few health habits I know many of our Lindywell members are working on. Plus, how you can use the principles of neuroplasticity to make them your reality.

Make Movement a Part of Your Daily Routine

The Repetition principle suggests that consistently engaging in physical activity will lead to the strengthening and maintenance of neural connections associated with exercise. This is one of the biggest challenges most of us face—working out regularly—but it’s something you can make possible. It’s not about having willpower. (Read our blog post, Motivation vs. Consistency: Which One Helps You Build Lifelong Habits? to understand why.)

Instead, making this change is about working with your brain by making a few small tweaks to the way you approach movement. Here are a few ideas to try:

• Start with manageable exercise sessions, especially if you’re new to regular workouts. Starting small helps build a positive association with exercise and avoids overwhelming yourself. That’s why we have an entire section of our app devoted to workouts under 15 minutes!

• Set a regular and consistent workout schedule. Consistency is key to reinforcing neural pathways associated with the habit of exercising. Whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening, having a set time for your workouts helps your brain recognize and adapt to this routine.

• Reflect on the benefits of exercise for your overall well-being. This mindful reflection can enhance your commitment to regular workouts by reinforcing the positive associations with physical activity. This is why your app is designed to help you do this by asking you to choose how you feel after a workout.

Start your free trial of our Pilates app, Lindywell, to get instant access to 300+ workouts. The most common piece of feedback we get from members is that Lindywell is the only workout program that helped them get consistent with daily workouts—after years and decades of trying!

Better Manage Stress

The Neurons That Fire Together Wire Together principle tells us that if two neurons are activated simultaneously, the connection between them strengthens. This can be a helpful principle to leverage for better managing stress. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Engage in mindfulness practices and relaxation techniques, like breathwork and meditation, regularly. When you intentionally pair relaxation with a state of mental presence, you strengthen the neural connections associated with calmness and reduce the firing of neurons linked to stress.

• Prioritize time with friends, which can trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with social bonding and stress reduction. When you do this, your brain can wire social interactions with feelings of comfort and security allowing stress to feel less overwhelming.

• Challenge and change negative thought patterns around stress by consciously interrupting and replacing negative thoughts with more positive and realistic ones. For example, “Stress is normal, but I can handle anything that comes my way.” Or, “Stressful situations can be hard to deal with, but I know I can choose to stay calm regardless of what’s happening.”

Don’t forget breathwork as a tool to manage stress. Our blog post, The Healing Power of the Breath, helps explain this powerful connection. 

Be More Present

As a mom of four with a business and active social life, I’m always working on being present. If you struggle to stay in the moment—let’s be honest, we live in a very distracting world—you can leverage the Specificity principle. This says that engaging in certain tasks or learning certain skills will lead to a change in the corresponding neural networks. Here are some examples of how you can create this change with simple shifts:

• Spend time doing mindful movement, like Pilates. Using intentional movement and breath awareness, you’re able to focus on the present moment, fostering that mind-body connection and boosting your brain’s ability to help you stay present. Start your free trial of Lindywell to get instant access to 300+ Pilates workouts!

• Practice mindful listening during conversations. Instead of thinking about your response while the other person is talking, truly listen and focus on their words. This deepens your connection with the present interaction.

• Keep a gratitude journal where you regularly write down things you are thankful for. Reflecting on positive aspects of your life fosters a positive mindset and strengthens neural connections associated with gratitude and appreciation. Check out, 5 Surprising Ways 30 Days of Gratitude Changed My Life, to see how this practice impacted my life.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

What I find most liberating about the principles of neuroplasticity is that they remind us that we’re in the driver’s seat of our lives—if we want to make something happen, we can. If you’re ready to create healthier habits, or just create change in your life in general, you can work with your brain’s unique abilities to make it happen.

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I’m not going to tell you that saying gratitude affirmations is the cure-all for feeling grateful. Quite the opposite. It takes intentional and consistent practice to turn your affirmations into something meaningful and impactful. I talked about this in a recent blog post about cultivating an attitude of gratitude. In doing this, you not only feel more grateful but your mind and body benefit as well.

In fact, research found that those who maintained a consistent gratitude practice at the height of COVID-19 were more likely to exhibit kindness, satisfaction, positive emotions, and interpersonal connectedness. They also had lower rates of depression, anxiety, burnout, or other mental health concerns. There are also correlations between expressions of gratitude and less inflammation in the body, which supports immune function and helps manage the risk of chronic disease. 

Gratitude impacts the way you emotionally and mentally experience life too. As I get older, I notice changes that sometimes take me by surprise. Lines that have newly appeared or deepened, the need for more sleep, and digestive changes. While this could spin me out, I’m focused instead on gratitude over anger or frustration. I may not be running marathons like I used to but I am thanking my body for those wonderful marathon years and the core memories.

While gratitude is beneficial to your mind and body, it only works if you come back to it again and again. You’re not going to build physical strength with one workout. The same goes for your gratitude affirmations, so let’s talk about how to create an authentic, intentional practice that nurtures your mind and body. 

What Does an Intentional Gratitude Affirmation Entail?

The key to gratitude affirmations is making them authentic and giving yourself space to connect with that feeling (just like with your self-love mantras!)—and doing this regularly, daily if possible. 

In other words, this practice isn’t just something you do when you’re feeling good or when you think of it. Gratitude is a mindset you can nurture and, as a result, creates a well of lightness that you can tap into any time—even in moments when you don’t feel like there is much to be grateful for.        

That last part is especially important because feeling gratitude when it seems there’s nothing to be grateful for, can feel impossible. When you do this, however, you allow other traits such as empathy, resilience, wisdom, altruism, patience, and humility to take root. This makes you stronger and happier in the long run, two things I know we’re all striving for. 

In addition, gratitude can help you move past your pain. You don’t want to bypass the struggles but instead, acknowledge them, and then when you’re ready and have a strong gratitude practice, you may begin to find gratitude within the struggles. 

As someone who’s gone through multiple traumatic experiences in my life, I can say that gratitude can be difficult to see during dark times, but it can be found on the other side and that’s a beautiful thing.

Turn Gratitude Into a Daily Practice

If regular, genuine gratitude is key to experiencing the mental and physical benefits, then you need a few different practices to bring this into your daily life. Luckily, there are many opportunities to use, say, and somatically experience gratitude affirmations as you go about your day. Here are a few ideas to start with. 

Infuse Gratitude Into Simple Daily Tasks

Gratitude affirmations don’t necessarily have to be elaborate. This really comes down to being more mindful in the small moments and routine activities where we might otherwise miss that sense of gratitude. 

For example, you could start the morning with an appreciation for a fresh new day. You could drive to work, notice that there’s less traffic, and recognize the gratitude you have for a quick and easy drive.

You might even place sticky notes on your mirror, fridge, or car dash that says, “What do I feel grateful for right now?” This can act as a gentle reminder to tune into that gratitude when you might otherwise overlook it. 

Tune Into the Physical Sensations of Gratitude

Gratitude is not only an experience in your mind. Gratitude affirmations, or simply the experience of feeling grateful, can also evoke physiological sensations such as heart rate or blood pressure fluctuations, for instance. 

If you have a hard time noticing those sensations right away, however, you can tune into the somatic (body) response of gratitude by intentionally creating it. The goal of this practice is to use your senses as a vehicle to experience the gratitude you might feel without even noticing it. 

Here are some examples:

• Smell something that you’re grateful for, like the flowers growing in your front yard.
• Taste something that makes you feel grateful, like a fresh cup of coffee. 
• Play a song that brings you gratitude or deep joy, maybe while you’re in the car. 
• Touch something that makes you feel grateful, like the soft blanket hanging on the back of your couch.
• Look at something that you’re grateful for, like the sunset after a long day. 

Feel that sense of gratitude as you notice it each time. You might notice your heart swells or a smile comes across your face. Most importantly, let this be playful and release all expectations. As a bonus, making time for play as an adult has many benefits to the mind and body so it’s a win-win!

Reflect With a Gratitude Journal

Don’t just think about your gratitude affirmations, but journal them. Not only does journaling create an intentional space to reflect on what fills you with gratitude more extensively, but when you write something called “encoding” happens. 

Encoding is the process in which what you perceive travels to your brain where it’s analyzed, stored, or discarded. This gives your affirmations a better chance of being remembered, rather than simply existing as a fleeting thought.

Here are some questions you can use to get started with your gratitude journaling:

• What are three specific items I am thankful for right now?
• What have I seen today that was beautiful or inspiring?  
• What has someone done for me that left a meaningful impact? 
• What person can I reach out to with a “thank you” note, call, or text?

Practice Gratitude With Breathwork

Gratitude affirmations and breathwork are a natural pairing. During breathwork or even meditation, you’re anchored in the present, allowing you to soak in gratitude with no distractions. 

While you can do this with a longer breathwork session, you can also keep it simple with a quick practice, like the 3-4-5 breath practice. To infuse it with gratitude, focus on one thing you’re grateful for as you inhale, hold, and exhale. You may even want to inhale what you’re grateful for and exhale anything that’s causing you stress or frustration.

Practice breathwork and gratitude with me during Exhale Hour, a live, guided breathwork session! If you’re new to this practice, a guided session is the perfect way to dip your toes in the water and experience how incredible it can be.

Create Your Own Daily Gratitude Affirmation Practice 

The beautiful thing about all of this is there’s no one or right way to do it. You can pair your gratitude affirmations with a different practice every single day depending on what you have time for or what feels good for you. What matters most is that you come back to it again and again. Making gratitude a regular part of your life will allow it to become more natural and automatic over time, filling your world with gratitude and love every day, even the hard ones.

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This holiday season, I hope you experience peace of mind, comfort, calm, joy and strength–and that you give these gifts to your loved ones as well.

Whether it’s snowy or sunny in your part of the world, together we can embrace the wonder of the season with grace over guilt. This is a reminder to be gentle with yourself, and take good care of yourself.

When you create a consistent workout routine (that you actually enjoy!) in less than 20 minutes a day it’s easier to prioritize your wellness over the holidays and beyond.

So stock up on everything you need to start the new year strong. Our quality Pilates products will inspire you to be consistent with your workouts and help you get lasting results.

People rave how our gear inspires them to feel strong & capable. And during our Holiday Sale (starting Nov 20!) you can get the lowest prices EVER.

Get peace of mind with a Lindywell membership (for you and your loved ones this year) and feel the difference!

Plus, explore our Holiday Gift Guide and enjoy up to 50% off in our Lindywell shop. Bonus: If you become a Lindywell member, you can save an additional 30% off select items!

Having a quality Pilates mat and gear in your home is a game-changer when it comes to being consistent. 

We can find peace, joy and strength, when we make the time to show up for ourselves. 

Shop the Holiday Sale now!

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An attitude of gratitude is exactly that; it’s a way of thinking and being, rather than something you “do” here and there. This mindset may not come naturally to everyone, however (it certainly didn’t for me!), so that’s why it’s something we need to cultivate with intentional practice. 

While there are many ways to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, I’m often thinking about somatic practices, which means relating to the body, distinct and separate from the mind. We spend most of the time in our heads, and for good reason—it’s from this place that we make smart and logical decisions in every area of our lives.

There are certain aspects of life, however, that can’t be solved or experienced from the mind. In fact, the body is our greatest memory keeper. While our mind forgets the details, our bodies hold onto them. Even in our tissues. When you make gratitude a whole-body practice the expression of gratitude becomes embodied into a belief held in the tissues, leading to deeper healing and support.

Instead of letting gratitude be another thing to check off your list, it can be something that comes naturally and easily—and feels really good too! 

Step 1: Intentionally Identify Your Gratitude

No one walks around inherently feeling grateful all the time. Intentional gratitude, in the smallest of things, on repeat, starts to build new pathways in your brain that encourage you to find sweetness everywhere more regularly, without thinking about it. 

In fact, as you practice this more, you may even start to feel the sensation of gratitude in your body before the thought even enters your mind. Suddenly you recognize it and think, wow, I’m so grateful for this moment, or whatever it may be.

The first step to cultivating this attitude of gratitude is intentionally seeking it out. For example, you might identify three things in the morning or three things at night—or both—and try that every day for seven days or a month. Make it a part of your daily routine to start building those pathways in your brain. Try it practicing gratitude every day for 30 days—you may be surprised how it changes you.

Most importantly, approach this practice with grace and release all expectations. It’s not about, I should feel this or I should feel that. The more you “should” yourself, the further you actually move away from gratitude.

Step 2: Notice Where You Feel the Gratitude

When you find that thing you’re grateful for, ask yourself: Where in my body do I feel it? Take it one step further, and ask: How does that sensation feel? It might show up in your arm. Maybe in your stomach. It could be totally unexpected and that’s perfect. 

There’s no right way to do this. Your only job is to pay attention to the sensations of gratitude and the surprising ways that this feeling can show up in your body. It may be the first you’ve ever noticed this before. Even more interestingly, it may show up in a different place every time you do it, and that’s fine too. 

Let yourself play with this and explore the sensations without any criticism. Whatever comes up is perfect.

Step 3: Visualize Your Gratitude

Once you identify the gratitude and feel it in your body, ask yourself: Is there a color or a texture that I can see or feel too? You might automatically sense yellow or maybe a gold shimmering light. Perhaps it feels soft. Again, there is no right or wrong—and if doesn’t come to you, that’s okay too. 

Your only goal is to stay connected to the sensation. Other visualizing questions you could ask are:

• Does it have a shape?
• Is it moving?
• What does it feel like? (e.g. tingling or fluttering)

Like gratitude, naming and exploring sensations in your body is not something that comes naturally. Especially as adults, who have been taught to operate from the mind, not the body. If this feels hard, that’s okay. Remind yourself that this is a practice, not something you need to be able to do perfectly.

Step 4: Breathe Into The Gratitude

Finally, take in a slow deep breath and send it to that area of your body. This is how we can practice somatic breathwork, where we connect the breath to the body. Let your breath move the gratitude throughout your body and see how that sensation can go within your body. Can it go up into your head? Out into your arms and down into your toes?

You may want to see if your breath can radiate that gratitude outside of your body or if you can send it to people you love or even strangers you don’t even know. Let this be a fun exercise that starts within your body and pours out of you and into others as it grows and grows. 

Step 5: Remember: Duality Exists

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude may feel hard sometimes. But I want you to remember that it’s totally possible (and normal) to feel gratitude alongside other difficult emotions, like grief, sadness, or anger. 

In times of pain, gratitude is not going to name itself because there are other sensations that are louder and more present. During times like this, the practice becomes finding ways to be grateful for the smallest things. The funny thing is, it’s in the smallest of things that the heart starts to open up. 

For example, I know right now, despite the state of the world, I’m grateful for the changing of the leaves (it’s peak fall as I write this!). I love what it looks like to see yellow and red and it makes me think about the beauty of change and the traditions of fall that I love so much. I can feel the lightness of the leaves falling in my arms, swirling down to my hands. 

For today, gratitude for something as “simple” as fall is enough. My heart feels more open as I think about it. My breath naturally deepens and I feel a wave of peace wash over me. Creating this little pocket of calm and happiness on an otherwise challenging day is the goal—and you can do it in just a few minutes.

Cultivate Your Attitude of Gratitude One Day at a Time

You can’t cultivate an attitude of gratitude in one day, or one breathwork session. It’s a daily practice that you need to choose, day in and day out. The more you notice that gratitude, attune to it in your body, and breathe into it, the more naturally this comes. 

On good days, this makes your happiness even brighter. On challenging days, this gives you a moment of joy or contentment that gives you the respite you need to make it through the rest of the day.

Come practice gratitude with me at Exhale Hour, a live, guided breathwork session, hosted by yours truly! You can also start your free trial of Lindywell and get instant access to 300+ Pilates workouts (like Pilates for Balance and Gratitude), dozens of guided breathwork sessions, and hundreds of nutritious recipes to fill your belly and soul with happiness.

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It’s no secret that many of us struggle with mental health during the holidays and for many good reasons, from affording holiday gifts to managing hectic schedules and for some, navigating feelings of grief during what is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.”

You can make a few small changes this year to support your mental health, and as a result, add more enjoyment to your season. These three simple shifts have made the holidays much less stressful for me and my family and I know they’ll be supportive for you too.

1. Practice Breathwork

Breathwork is a supportive practice all year long, but when it comes to supporting your mental health during the holidays, it’s even more important. Breathwork, which is the practice of intentionally breathing in various patterns and speeds, does so much to support your mind and body, which leads to:

• Greater relaxation
• Improved comfort
• Increased alertness
• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Less anger 

All of this can help you manage stress (or feel less of it, in general) while staying more present and content. The best way to get started is with a guided session. This can help you understand how to do it and feel comfortable as you try something that might not feel natural—and we have to free guided sessions for you to get started.

2 Free Breathwork Guided Sessions

That’s why we’ve created six brand-new breathwork sessions for our Lindywell members just in time for the holiday season. Check out two free breathwork sessions below and sign up for your free Lindywell trial to get instant access to all of them!

Breathwork for Holiday Conflict 

Gratitude Meditation

2. Make Time for Movement

Regular exercise reduces stress and when I say “regular exercise” I mean moving your body at least a few times each week. In fact, this study found that people who exercised as few as two times each week were more resistant to the emotional effects of stress. 

In other words, stressful experiences and moments impacted them less than those who exercised just once each week or not at all. Stress isn’t the only thing impacted by movement. Exercise can improve nearly every area of your life, including:

• Mood
• Sleep
• Energy
• Endurance 

That’s why this is so important for supporting your mental health during the holiday season. Plus, we can use a little more of all those things to get through the fun! 

If you want to be intentional about making time for daily movement, and need accountability to do it, start your free Lindywell trial for instant access to 300+ Pilates and strength training workouts, plus stretching sessions, breathwork sessions, and nourishing recipes.

3. Do Three Small Things for Your Each Day

t’s easy to forget your own needs during the holidays. You’re taking care of family, spending more time with friends, and trying to “make the most” of every minute. All of that, as you also run from one thing to the next. This also means you’re probably exhausted, and as a result, frustrated, irritable, and unable to truly enjoy and be present in the experience. 

Instead, focus on three “small” things (think: easily attainable, things you know you can actually do) that you can do each day to support yourself. For example, that might look like:

• Waking up earlier on busy days to get an extra 15 minutes alone.
• Prioritizing 20 minutes of movement (walk, workout, Pilates, etc.) before the day gets started.
• Drinking mocktails (check out our winter mocktail recipes!) or switching between mocktails and alcoholic beverages so you’re more likely to get better sleep and feel better each day.

Remember to keep it simple so you can actually make it happen. Add these tasks to your calendar so they don’t get forgotten in the hustle of the season. If you’re anything like me, if it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t get done!

Don’t Ignore Your Mental Health During the Holidays

This is a busy time of year that can bring up a lot of emotions. Don’t forget to prioritize your needs, make time for movement, and use your breath to reduce stress. Not only will you feel better, but each moment will be that much better. Instead of feeling anxious or exhausted, you’ll be feeling calm, confident, and energized!

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