Give Thanks for Your Body This Season

Give thanks for your body this season

Appreciating your body can come in many forms, yet so often we forget to do it at all! The holiday season is usually a time for showing gratitude and giving thanks, so this season I challenge you to find small ways to give gratitude back to your own bodies! Here are a few ways you can show some self-love.

Verbal affirmations

Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. We are often our own biggest critics, when instead we should be our own biggest fans! Try to be intentional about being softer and kinder with yourself. When you are looking in the mirror or having a moment of self-talk, stop and ask if these are things you would say to anyone but yourself. If the answer is no, try to reframe your comments as though you were talking to a friend. Recognize your body for all the wonderful things it allows you to do instead of focusing on the flaws.

Get Moving

Show appreciation to your body by giving it what it needs, which is regular movement. This can be in numerous forms. This might be running if that is something you love and improves your mental wellbeing. Maybe your hip or back has been tight and you need to spend extra time stretching and moving those joints. If your shoulders and neck are sore, consider adding a periodic 2-minute stretch or meditation in your day. Find the movements that will bring more relief to your body and joy to your mental state. This could even be something as simple as taking an extra 10 minutes to do a warmup or cool down with your exercises.

Stop Moving

Conversely, we are often bad at giving ourselves the rest and recovery our bodies desperately need. So, appreciate your body with a little R&R in your routine. This could be a dedicated off day, an active recovery day, or booking yourself a massage. Studies show that off days and recovery are just as important to our wellbeing and athletic pursuits as exercise.

Nourishment

Saving the best for last here! Nourish your body with a variety of nutrient dense foods. This means getting those fruits and veggies, not skimping on the protein, including high fiber carbohydrates, and plenty of hydrating beverages. This also means not skipping meals or severely calorie restricting. If you aren’t putting adequate energy in, you aren’t going to be performing or feeling your best.

If these tips feel too difficult to accomplish, now might be a great time to give back to yourself by giving your body the gift of a nutrition consult!