How can I be honest and kind about my physical wellness?

Dear EQuipped Leaders,

Buckle up. Today we’re talking about our bodies! Let’s embrace the cringe!

I would like to begin by saying, wherever you land on the wheel for physical wellness, I hope you will not feel any shame or judgment of yourself.

I say that because I am quick to jump to shame when the subject of physical wellness comes up. Issues such as weight bring up a lot of emotions in me.

When I reflect on my physical wellness over the past year since first taking this course, I can see a definite shift in how I approach my body and physical health.

The biggest change is I now appreciate my body and all it has been through. I feel really grateful for it. I’m also learning to be more gentle with it.

I used to distrust my body. I thought I was supposed to beat it into submission. Force it into extreme exercise and deprive it of the food it craved. I treated my body like a pet that I didn’t want to take care of. I was mean to it.

I also learned early that people seemed to like my body small. I got lots of compliments for being thin, so I used that as a way to get approval and validation. I realized recently that I would weigh myself whenever I made a mistake or felt some sort of rejection. It was my way of trying to gain back some self worth. I cringe a little as I realize what I was doing. I also don’t blame myself. I came by my body issues very honestly. In my mind, skinny = lovable, and I really wanted to earn love from others. Turns out, thinness and trying to earn is not the path to real love.

Now I am 33 weeks pregnant, and it’s my responsibility to feed myself and gain weight for my baby girl. In order to do this well, I’ve had to get really honest with myself and with my support network about my physical wellness. The more I reflect back on how I’ve approached eating and exercise, the more I realize that I’ve had some disordered eating habits.

To address this, I’ve set up accountability for myself. For example, I only let myself get out the scale and weigh myself once a week. I track my weight on a pregnancy weight calculator, and I text it to my husband. Revealing to my husband that I struggle in this area and asking him to be an accountability partner has made all the difference. It’s not unlike what I shared a few weeks ago about inviting a trusted friend into my finances. I needed to invite my husband into my relationship with the bathroom scale. I’m continuing to bring this part of myself into the light of day. I’m not judging her or shaming her. I’m just getting her the help and connection she needs to be healthy and kinder to herself.

I’m taking a similar approach to exercise. I walk everyday and practice yoga because it makes me feel healthy and calm. I don’t push myself or berate myself for what I can’t do. I am gentle and patient.

I’m in a season of life of moving slowly and gently or “moving like you love yourself” as my favorite yoga teacher, youtube channel “Yoga with Adriene”, says. :)

Being pregnant makes me extra aware of how I’m treating my body. This is what keeps running through my mind:

What am I teaching my daughter about how a woman treats her body?

What is she already learning about physical wellness from me?

I’m teaching her all the time whether I’m aware of it or not. Am I teaching her healthy lessons?

Where does this land for you today?

Where are you at today with your physical wellness?
What did you learn about your body from your parents or caregivers growing up?
What do you think your own children or students are learning about physical wellness from you?
What does the way we set up our schools and classrooms teach students about physical wellness?
What if every administrator, teacher, and student came to school well nourished, rested, and getting adequate movement? How would learning be affected?

This is your LAST WEEK to take our wellness inventory and free one hour course.

If you’ve been toying with the idea, now is the time to commit and put a ring on it! Join us for an hour course of Professional and Personal Development:

The course and wellness inventory are normally $75.99, but if you use the coupon code Summer22, the cost is waived. Enter the coupon code to the right when you create your account. Here’s mine as an example:

Access Course Here

Better EQuipped Together, Elizabeth elizabeth@appliedeqgroup.com

Elizabeth graduated with a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Central Arkansas. She taught English for a decade and got to read and write alongside kids in 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. The Applied EQ Group played an important role in her own personal EQ Intervention, and she is grateful to be able to spread the love and EQuip, empower, and encourage others. :)

Want to EQuip your school?

Connect with us through email or Schedule a free call with Jenny, our Director of School Partnerships, to discuss your school’s needs and if we’re a good fit for your campus.