Being Kind to Yourself

photo by Tia Liu

Summertime always brings so much fun and excitement, but it also tends to bring up tons of insecurities about how we look. There's no denying that wearing a swimsuit can be intimidating. My good friend Maggie recently tweeted: "Seeing 'How To Get a Bikini Body'  posts makes my heart hurt. How to get a bikini body? You put a bikini on your body, that simple." This girl is wise beyond her years and I am proud to call her a friend. Maggie brought to my attention something that is really relevant and so important right now. And that is being kind to yourself. I'm sure the topic body image and self love is incredibly relevant to many of us. When we look in the mirror, it is so easy to pick out our perceived "flaws" instead of recognizing the beautiful human beings we are. I've posted about body image before, and I don't think we can emphasize it's importance enough. Today the always lovely holistic health coach, Maria Marlowe, is here to share her perspective on being kind to your body and mind. 

Being Kind to Yourself 

Guest Post by Maria Marlowe 

I’m sure you can agree, nothing good ever came out of hate, right? So why would you ever want to hate on yourself? A negative body image is something many women struggle with; I’ve seen some reports say that as many 70% of women don’t like their body! I used to feel that way, too. Throughout high school and college, I had very bad acne, which I tormented myself over. I would just sit in the mirror and cry over how hideous I had become, and feel awful about my terrible misfortune. The more I obsessed over it, the more I picked at it, and the worse it got. But, when I finally let go and made a conscious effort not to cry or hurl insults or be upset over it, and instead focus  on finding the root cause of it and experimenting to get rid of it, lo and behold my skin calmed down, and eventually cleared up. In doing research, I realized that many of our ailments are our body’s SOS that we’re not taking care of our body correctly.

If you struggle with body image issues, start a daily gratitude practice. Every day as soon as you wake up list 5 things you’re grateful for, either in your head or in a journal. And if you have a specific body image hang up, like “I hate my fat thighs”, make sure you say something nice about them, like, “I am so grateful for my strong legs that allow me to run and walk”.

When you are hating yourself, it’s so much easier to quit, or make poor food and lifestyle choices. However, when you accept and love your body, all of a sudden it becomes so much easier to take care of it and nourish it properly. Remember, you’re the only one who can take care of yourself. This is the only body you’ve got, so make sure you treat it like gold.  

PS: Another health post by Maria Marlowe and my story about body positivity

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Healthy and Easy 4th of July Snack

I love the Fourth of July. To me, it means family, fun, fireworks, and plenty of food! Today I'm sharing my favorite festive snack. It is so cute and so simple! All you need is one large box of strawberries, one large box of blueberries, a bag of white chocolate covered pretzels, and a casserole dish. Arrange your red, white, and blue ingredients to look like the American Flag, and you're done! Possibly the quickest, easiest, and healthiest holiday recipe I've ever made. Do you have any plans for Independence Day? I am super excited to be heading to the lake with two of my best friends. Be sure to follow our adventures on Instagram (@hannahgpayne) and Snapchat (@hannahgrace1996)! 

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Everyday Resolutions

Resolutions aren't just confined to January 1st. In fact, I think they can be more successful when you independently decide to commit to goals instead of just hopping on the last minute New Year's bandwagon. This year, I rang in 2015 in India and decided that I wouldn't make my list of resolutions until I returned home. Why? I was experiencing a brand new perspective. I was experiencing renewal. I was experiencing peace. It wasn't until I returned home and reflected on what I had experienced that I was able to accurately see what I wanted to accomplish and set my goals for this year.

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Mind
I came back from India with this peace, this quietness. I promised myself that I wouldn't get caught up in the craziness and drama of life. Instead, everyday I am now making a conscious effort to read my Bible, be thankful, live with intention, and look beyond myself. 

Body
I am a serious foodie. And compared to my marathon running parents and hockey playing brother, I wouldn't exactly call myself active. I always feel better when I'm living healthier, my problem is just making the time to make it a priority. My health goal for this year is to live an 80/20 lifestyle. That means most of the time I will eat clean and exercise, but will still be able to enjoy my pasta and occasional lazy weekends without feeling like I've failed. It's all about balance!

School
Last semester, school was not my top priority. With college applications, work, sports, and blogging, I was stretched so thin. I've always been so driven when it comes to my education and it made me crazy that I wasn't able to invest as much time. There's nothing I really could've done to change that, but I am so grateful that this semester is less busy. As weird as it sounds, it feels so good to sit down and do homework instead of rushing through it before class.

Blogging
I have set some goals for Practically Imperfect that I am so excited to implement! First, I want to start adding video content. I'm not sure if I've shared this, but singing is one of my biggest passions and I am cannot wait to start sharing some covers with you guys! I am also beginning to have a set editorial calendar. My commitment is to post three times a week.If there is anything in particular that you'd like to see, comment below or email me! 

And there you have it, my goals for 2015. I hope that by typing these commitments out and sending them out into the universe, I will be more motivated to stick to them! What were your resolutions this year? 

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