Wellness is the Ultimate Rebellion

Today I reflect back on 3 important beginnings July holds for me and then I'm going to go on a rant that you need to read. Seriously, this is one you don't want to skip.

The first beginning is essential to the next two- I was born in July 35 years ago. Hooray!

The world celebrates every year with fireworks!

The next beginning was 10 years ago when I became a personal trainer. It only took 5 years of thinking about it before I finally took the dive. I could be at year 15 now if I didn't get stuck in my head so much. A thing I'm actively working on to this day (which is why I'm great at helping other people become action takers 😉).

Something you need to know, to understand my impending rant, is why I was inspired to become a trainer in the first place.

I have a lot of family that struggle with chronic illnesses and heart disease, and I can remember thinking to myself "I wonder if they could have avoided these things if they'd taken better care of themselves- if they KNEW what they needed to do and HOW to do it- how much healthier could they be? How much suffering could they have avoided?" I wanted to help people be able to live their lives to the fullest and avoid what illnesses they could.

As I worked with clients over the years, I realized nutrition was a BIG sticking point for people. Most of the time it was centered around "I ate something bad. I know I need to eat better, but I love pizza/donuts/chips/bread/pasta!" The list goes on. They'd try some method to not eat "bad" foods, and it would cycle through extremes, perfectionism, messing up, guilt, failure. On repeat. So, I got certified as a nutrition coach to help people drop guilt, find balance, and finally be consistent.

Then I started to see how much self-talk, mindset, thoughts, and beliefs dictate actions (or inactions) and I dove into more education to help people with that.

Stick with me. The rant is nigh!

In the midst of all that the third beginning in July occurred and 5 years ago my business JL Wellness came to life. Right in the midst of the pandemic! And she's still going! (#proudofmyself). The dreams are BIG for her too!

Over the last few years, I've become more and more aware of how f*cked the fitness industry is these days. People selling quick fixes, playing on your fears and insecurities, rampant misinformation, and somehow, we've idealized looking a specific way. As if looks mean you're physically and mentally healthy.

All of this, including my own struggles with anxiety, have inspired me to help people become more resilient against anxiety and stress through nervous system regulation and self-care practices.

I want people to realize that it's okay to not be perfect. That there's no cookie cutter way to healthier living and mental wellness. It's okay, and inevitable, for things to change in your wellness strategies- but that doesn't mean you give up on them simply because life got crazy. You just change things up.

And the BS that you see online of fitness influencers living perfect lives with tons of money, ripped abs, and bodacious booties ISN'T REAL.

We're out here living actual lives that are messy and stressy and not in any way lessy in their imperfection. It's REAL LIFE.

That being said...

Rant incoming...

Too many people get swallowed up by their lives. They forget that we are here to live lives- not live to work.

We forget ourselves in the desire to please everyone else because we're taught anything less is selfish.

That's bullshit.

So many suffer because of this line of thinking.

If we actually took care of ourselves and learned the difference between self-care and selfishness, we'd be so healthy and well that we could focus on other things besides survival.

We could THRIVE. We could learn and truly understand ourselves, others, the world around us.

We couldn't be beaten down into trading time for a paycheck at a job we hate because we're just trying to feed our families and stay alive.

Yeah, that sounds a little dramatic I suppose, but let's be real. The world is what it is.

Wake up.

Prioritizing your health is a radical act. Wellness is the ultimate rebellion.

One of the best ways we can take our power back is by making ourselves as healthy and strong as possible.

To be able to regulate ourselves.

To believe in ourselves and our capabilities.

To support and love one another.

Changing the world starts with ourselves. And if we can't function optimally because our bodies are wrecked, our minds are exhausted, and our nervous systems are dis-regulated AF- things won't get better.

All that to say... this is what I'm trying to help people with. Anxiety and stress entrap us. They make us feel incapable, scattered, helpless, fearful, discouraged. What do people do that feel like that? The bare minimum. They stay small. They stay quiet. Or they lash out and wreak havoc.

I'm here to help you take your power back. As I've been learning to take back my own. We can't keep playing small. We can't keep being quiet. We can't keep submitting to "I don't have time. I can't. I'm too tired."

Every time we do that, we give a little more of our power away.

Exercise is about more than a f*cking 6 pack (abs aren't even worth it anyways).

It's about physically being able to take care of yourself and those around you. It's about being able to live your life to the fullest. It's about being able to THINK CRITICALLY because your brain is firing on all cylinders.

Eating well isn't about avoiding "bad" foods or waiting for your next "cheat" meal. F*ck that.

It's about giving your brain the nutrients it needs to function optimally. It's about understanding how to fuel your body so it operates at its best while ALSO enjoying food. And letting go of the guilt around all of that.

Just think about how confident we'd be if we'd stop shaming ourselves.

We could actually get shit done if we didn't drown ourselves in shame. When is the last time you shamed yourself into success? Never!

Sleep! Rest! These are essential to your life!

Stop guilting yourself for needing them. We literally show up half ass when we don't prioritize these and then get frustrated with ourselves for not being able to think, make decisions, be present, exercise, make healthy food- the list goes on!

Obviously, these things don't change all at once. If that's your expectation you're going to fail. You need to accept that anything you want-that's actually going to stick around- is going to take a while. Get your sights on the actions and off the outcome.

This is what I'm here to help you do. This world is too cray cray to not prioritize your wellness. Your body and mind depend on it. Your family depends on it. The world becoming a better, safer, happier place depends on it.

It starts with YOU.

If you need help with nervous system regulation, improving your fitness, becoming more resilient against anxiety and stress- if you simply RESONATE with what I'm trying to say- let me know janna@jl-wellness.com