thebabyperks

Stress is normal-- sometimes it can be good and sometimes it can be bad.

This is yet another photo that doesn't relate to the post but I couldn't find anything else that fit so here is my breakfast (again) from a long time ago

Self love is more than face mask-selfies you put on Snapchat or that cup of coffee you Instagram story. It's more than bubble baths and and eating a tub of ice cream.

See, self love (to me) is still these things but there's more to it. I see self love as a tiered cake.

You have your bottom layer, it is the largest. That is where your bath bombs, face masks and eating chocolate fall under. This is a great first step. These are what get you thinking about self love. They give you a gateway to your night of relaxation.

The middle layer takes those elements a bit further. It's your self-reflection. This isn't what you usually put all over your Instagram story. It's analyzing how happy you are and why your answer is what it is. I think a lot of times people will hop into the bath tub with a book and think their problems will melt away, and they do for a time. But then the bath water turns cold and you have to get up. Use this tier of the cake to look at what you've accomplished and what makes you proud. However, also use this tier to reflect on what is stressing you out and what is draining you. Identifying these factors can sometimes lessen their affect on you. Self-reflection is SUCH an important part of self love. This tier of the cake leads us to the top and final tier.

The top layer is what you do after you've done your face mask and pondered some questions. This is what I like to call the action part of the cake. What are you going to do with the information you learned about yourself? As a writer, I find it helpful for me to journal. I've kept a journal since 8th grade and I find it very therapeutic to write out how I'm feeling (it's also neat to be able to flip through different notebooks and see where you were at a certain day of your life so many years ago). My journal is a place where I can ramble, unload my problems, or celebrate the positive moments, while I do still highly suggest talking out these things, it's nice to have a place to put everything into just for myself. Take action to improve on your daily life. That action truly just depends on you-- do you want to try to give yourself one night a week to do absolutely nothing? Do you want to put your time into a volunteer organization? Do you want to spend more time with your loved ones? There is always a small thing you can do to enhance how you feel. 

Life is too short to feel constantly overwhelmed. Do what is best for you. Start off with that bubble bath and a good book-- that is still so incredibly important to having "me time," but I encourage you to take it a little further. Look inwards and I think you'll eventually see that shift outwards, too.

Until next time,
Taylor xx

This past week was NEDAwareness week (National Eating Disorder Awareness) and as I read through countless men and women's stories on their battle in their relationships with food, my eyes were opened even more to how important this conversation.

Last semester I was in a class called "The Future and Ethics of Food" which looked at our relationships with food, the American food system, what's healthy, etc. I enjoyed it significantly more than I thought I would when I had to sign up for my required CORE class. Something I didn't expect to get out of it, though, was a self-reflection at my own relationship with food. 

You have to go to Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans

And while I may not have an eating disorder, I do realize that my relationship with food hasn't always been healthy.

I used to think that I had to workout or do something to "deserve" a dessert or an extra serving of fries. Freshman year of college was especially hard because I went out to eat so much. You can say you are going to stay home and cook most of your meals but even then you still go out 1-3 times a week. My first semester of my freshman year I totally embraced the college lifestyle, not eating healthy, etc. By second semester I was sluggish. I don't weigh myself frequently but I knew I didn't feel great. So when I returned in January I wanted to start running again (I talk about this more in my fitness journey blog post). This was great but I'd still get so nervous going out to eat with friends. "Will they judge me for getting a salad? Will they notice I'm not eating all of the bun of the sandwich? How can I bail without anyone noticing?" I didn't enjoy eating in front of people, I wanted to eat alone. This, I now know, wasn't a healthy behavior.

Another thing that I tried and failed even before college was using the app MyFitnessPal. While it's great for some, it became a negative and obsessive habit for me. If I was over my calories I'd feel so bad about myself. Or I'd eat a smaller breakfast and lunch but then extremely overeat for my afternoon snack/dinner. I wouldn't record it because I'd assume it fit into how many calories I had left for the day. The app is great for some people, but for me it wasn't.

What I learned from reflecting on my experiences with food is that for me the best solution is to listen to my body. Over the past year I've learned that it's "okay" to eat that second bowl of ice cream even if I haven't worked out. I've learned to love the body I am in and use fitness and healthy eating to help me continue to love who I am. It's no longer something I "have" to do, but something I want to do. 

Earlier this week my body was tired and exhausted and I took an extra rest day. If you overwork your body you aren't going to get the results you're trying for because it's just trying to recover.

I'm listening to my body on what to eat, too. I made an earlier blog post about going gluten free, which I still try to do during the school week because, like I said, it makes me feel more energized and less bloated, but *just an update* I haven't completely cut it out (I definitely ate 6 pancakes at the Tri Delta pancake event today-- and hey that's okay). I'm not making myself feel guilty for treating myself with food. A brownie here or there isn't going to ruin me.

Listening to my body has taught me so much over the past semester. I am happier and more positive because I don't have to worry so much. My body is strong: I was able to run 10 miles on Saturday, I've biked 40+ miles for BikeMS in 100 degree weather, I've done triathlons. Our bodies should be praised not criticized by our own minds.

Although NEDAwareness week is over I think it's still important to encourage the discussion of positive eating behavior year around. You never know who is affected by an eating disorder. I hope that people begin to recognize the impact it has on people nationwide. Food serves as a tool during social gatherings, as a conversation starter amongst different cultures and creates memories, it shouldn't be a burden.

Listen to your body, don't be too hard on yourself and live in the moment. Having a healthy relationship with food and your body makes all the difference. 

Until next time,
Taylor xx