Client Spotlight: Choosing Joy and Gratitude During SIP
/With a little help from Elle Woods, her Apple Watch and portioned treats, my rock star client Erica shares how she manages to stay active, sane and positive while sheltering in place.
“I’ve decided that while I cannot control the world around me, COVID-19 hasn’t taken away my agency or the ability to choose my attitude. I am choosing joy, gratitude, peace and kindness every day. And some days, that’s really.freaking.hard. ”
Movement
I choose to exercise (even when getting out of my jammies feels like climbing Everest) because I know that if I don't take care of myself, it will have a ripple effect into all other aspects of my life and make my choices that much harder. To quote my spirit animal, Elle Woods, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t." :)
It's hard to stay creative with workouts so I've alternated between the awesome (and free!) strength and HIIT workouts on the Peloton app and JJ's water jug videos! JJ and I have also moved our weekly personal training sessions virtual because there really is nothing like having someone else completely focused on kicking your butt for an hour each week.
Community
My Apple Watch and I have had an on-again-off-again relationship but you better believe I've been wearing that bad boy 24/7 since SIP started (which was 5 weeks ago for me)! I started 'competitions' with my friends and virtual accountability buddies that also have the watch. They keep me motivated to close all 3 rings (standing, exercise and movement) every day.
Nutrition
Nutrition wise, I'd say that I could be a bit more 'kind' to myself. It's easy to get bored in the house and that usually leads me to the pantry. Crap in means crap out and it totally changes my energy levels for the day. I've recently picked back up on my food tracking app and asking myself when I open the pantry or fridge, "Am I hungry or just bored?" then chug a giant glass of water and reassess. If the answer is yes, then SIP Erica gets a portioned treat. If the answer is no, YAY! more calories left for dessert later.
