Time for what?

Time has been on my mind a lot the last month. I am still trying to sort out my role as a working/stay-at-home mom (17 months in, as of today). The past 17 months have gone by as fast as everyone said they would. I am fortunate that I have been around for many/most of our little one's cherished moments. I am fortunate, because I am self-employed and my husband and I have prioritized spending as much time with our daughter as we can. Everyone has different goals, priorities, challenges, etc. in how they live and of course in how they act in the roles of parenthood.

Recently, in my attempts to minimize clutter in our house I came across an old goal setting exercise that we had done (or that I had made us do!). The recurring theme for me was time. A few of my goals for things I 'wanted' were:

• time for me
• time with my husband
• time with my kids
• time to read, watch movies, and workout
• freedom with my time
• to set my own hours (which obviously relates to time)
• to retire early (also relates to time)

*One of the goals for things I 'didn't want' was: to be overwhelmed with my time.

Our time is limited and we don't know when it will end. This of course brings me to mindfulness and I constantly try to live in and enjoy my present situation. I get ahead of myself too often or I think of others things I 'should' be doing. I have also tried to minimize things so that I can free up my time for other things.

Perhaps time is also on my mind because I'm approaching a birthday. I have no problem getting older, it's part of life after all, and I think I improve with age (or I at least try to be better every day). I just found (or made) time to jot down this post. I've mainly been sharing my #WhatRDsDo series which I'm really excited about, and life has been keeping me busy. I am however not going to apologize for my absence from personal posts. Life does and should happen. I am a rare millennial that is trying to unplug, to be present offline. I enjoy social media and I also work in that space, but I don't want to miss out on my life.

 

I have plans to get you to reflect on how you're spending (or if you're wasting) your time, how you maximize your time, how you'd like to spend your time, what you've learned that has improved you with time, etc.

My blogging time for today is over, so I hope you had a good time reading and I hope you come back to share.

Cheers,
Have a good time! ("we're here for a good time, not a long time!" - Trooper)

Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Eat the way you do yoga - a reflection

My sister-in-law invited me to free yoga in the park on Sunday (from The Better Good, led by OneYoga). It was a beautiful morning and I felt lucky to be outside and have my baby at home with my husband. I think I even managed to do a decent job of being in the moment and focusing on the class.

Of course, my mind did wander, and I found myself reflecting on the class (while I was in the class). That's pretty good mind wandering if I say so myself - I wasn't thinking of to-do lists (as I often do) or other places to be, or the people around me. I even reflected on the idea that we did a lot of reflecting in university and I actually do a lot of it lately, often via this blog.

There were lots of people out - all ages, sizes, and fitness levels, but we were all there together. This made me start thinking about how hard people are on themselves when it comes to healthy eating. There is a lot of all-or-nothing thinking. When attending an all-levels yoga class, we are all going at our own pace, comfort level, and based on how our body feels. Yet, with food, we expect to be like everyone else. We're all different.

Yoga instructors often say to focus on your own mat, not to look at what other's around you are doing. Yet, again with food, we make judgments, we want to follow another person's diet, we want to look like a picture in a magazine or on instagram, we examine what or how much we ate compared to others. We are all at a different place on our journey towards health. The important thing is that we show up!

It's not that you 'just' did yoga (because someone else ran 21km, etc.), it's that you did yoga - you took time for yourself, for your health. All of these little things add up, so stop saying 'just'!

Throughout the class we were encouraged to try different postures, given alternatives if needed, and reminded that it was okay to fall out of a pose, but to come right back. With the all-or-nothing thinking many people have with food, they expect perfection or place restrictive rules on themselves, rather than accepting that balance and moderation are more sustainable and it's okay to occasionally eat the 'less healthy' or 'choose less often' types of food - I know I do. We also have to remember that it's okay to indulge, but that we need to come back to our goals at the next eating opportunity, it's about progress, not perfection. We were reminded that it's call yoga practice, because we're working on improving ourselves. I often talk about practicing nutrition for sports, but it's the same for everyday. We can't expect to change a lifetime of habits overnight, it takes practice.

We were also reminded to lift the corners of our lips - to smile. This made me think about mindfulness and also the enjoyment of food. I love food, as do most dietitians, it's part of the reason we got into nutrition in the first place. I aim to eat healthy most of the time. I think about adding vegetables or fruit to meals. I try to balance out my days and not go too long without eating. I am tempted by sweets in my house. I enjoy a good meal and glass of wine with my husband. Food should be something we can smile about, if we're lucky enough to have access to adequate amounts and are able to make choices to include the items we like. It shouldn't be something we fear or stress about.

While doing yoga, we're supposed to be there, doing yoga. I was reflecting, so I still need to work on that, but it's also a reminder that when we're eating, we should just be eating. Get rid of the distractions, slow down, find time to taste your food and be grateful for it. Some yoga teachers also ask you to set an intention for the practice, again something we can easily do each day for our eating or our goals.

That's how my yoga session went. Have you reflected on anything recently? Feel free to share below!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Top 5 from the last five

Today I celebrate officially starting my business, Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching, 5 years ago on July 7, 2010. A lot has changed in that time, but I'm still here, I'm still self-employed, and I'm still able to pay my bills.

I have gradually been redefining my business as I figure out my passion, niche, motherhood, and areas I want to work in. After five years at this, I am able to be a bit pickier, but I still struggle to say no at times (I think it's the entrepreneurial concern of where the next pay cheque is coming from).

I can't say these are my top 5 memories or learnings, or the best of the last five years, but these are the notable things that came to me when writing this post and reflecting on how I got to today.

1) I am fortunate to have the support of my loving husband.
I could not do this without him. He helps in so many ways and I often feel like he's my business partner as I bounce ideas off of him, seek his advice, and seek his embrace when I get overwhelmed. He's my biggest fan and has always believed that I could work for myself and be successful (even when he has to help me define my success).

2) I do what I do for the freedom and flexibility.
I am not rolling in cash, but I am able to contribute to our household. Instead, I am able to enjoy the moments when I get to take my dog for a walk mid-afternoon, join a friend for coffee, spend time with my daughter, spend time in the kitchen, and be my own boss.

3) Self-employment is hard work.
My husband (refer to #1) often reminds me that many people have ideas, but few act upon them. I figured out in university that I was likely going to end up in private practice. I spent time emailing other dietitians, networking with other entrepreneurs, and going back and forth between loving what I was doing and wondering if I was crazy for choosing to do it. I now have a 7 month old daughter, and being self-employed means no formal maternity leave, but for me it also hopefully means more time with her each year, not just her first.

4) Having an off button is important.
Most people go to work, come home, and leave their work at work. For various reasons there are some people who are not able to do that (myself included). Perhaps they have clients contacting them at all hours and expecting responses, they love their work and surround themselves with it intentionally (ie. reading about the subject in their spare time for continued understanding and improvement). For me, I am always thinking about social media posts, helping/inspiring others and trying to stay up on the field (although I keep being reminded that I'll never 'catch up' and that my to-do lists will never be complete).

5) I love that I can evolve and change what I do.
I often have too many ideas of what I could do, so I have to have perspective and bring myself into focus. However, it's great to look back on what I've done, who I've worked with, and how I have found focus in my chosen career. I don't know what the future holds (as I have so many ideas), but I look forward to figuring it out as I learn more about myself and what I want to do when I grow up!

I googled top 5 lists and thought these two sites were interesting if you like lists and have time to spare (or waste):
- the top 5 of anything
- top 5 lists (daily lists from well-known personalities)

Thanks for the support and for reading over the years,

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus
www.nutrishus.com

6 Things I Learned From A Busy Month

I feel like I have at least a dozen blog post ideas in me as this month comes to an end. Some I have jotted down (as you may know, I love making lists) - hmmm, maybe I should make a few list related posts?! Too many ideas, and too little time - I must create an editorial schedule!

It's been a busy month that included a family trip to Quebec City so that I could attend meetings and a conference. This meant a lot of daughter-daddy time for my loves. Of course we enjoyed touring the city and eating great food, as well as the work that I did (*food tour post coming soon). Upon returning home, we received keys to our new home and the move began. We also celebrated father's day for the first time in our home, and I wasn't able to contribute to this month's Recipe Redux - so I'll have to be on top of that for July!

Now I look at the calendar and feel the need to reflect back on a few things that I have learned (or been reminded of) over the last 30 or so days.

1. My minimalist efforts helped with moving
I don't think many (or any) people enjoy the actual act of moving, they just want to reach the destination. With packing and unpacking, it did feel better knowing I had thinned our stuff in the last year or so, but it still felt like we had a lot (more work to be done). It's just a reminder that minimalism is a lifestyle, so I can continue to go through our house and thin things out so that I can spend more time enjoying life, rather than taking care of, cleaning, and organizing our stuff.

2. I don't want to be someone that "does it all"
This feels like a recent revelation. My husband would easily say that I try to do too much, analyze things to deeply, or get caught up in comparisons at times (another reason for me to unplug and get off social media more often). I think I always planned to be the type of mom that people would say, "how does she do it all?" until I recently realized that I'd rather be someone that people say "wow, she has a lot of free time" or "she's so happy" - not that I need people to comment at all, but it's taken me about 30 years to realize that I don't need to do what everyone else does, I don't have anyone's standards that I need to meet, and getting things done isn't what life is all about (although I thrive off a sense of accomplishment). This is probably obvious to a lot of people, but I think (I know) I'm too hard on myself because I expect too much at times. This revelation helps me to enjoy moments with my family or reading a "just because" type of book for enjoyment.
 
3. I enjoy unplugging
I recently shared a post reminding us to enjoy the weekend - not just photograph it, but live it. Last night I saw a commercial form Dixie - I like the underlying message to "Be More Here" and reduce distractions for family meals, etc. by going "Dark for Dinner". We know there are many reasons to eat together and be mindful in those moments. I sometimes feel like we're missing out on life by surrounding ourselves with screens. I will continue to aim for moderation with my use of media and electronics, as there is so much more I can do with my time.

4. I'm getting better at enjoying the little things
There are many components or dimensions to health and wellness - often people mention:

• physical
• emotional
• social
• intellectual
• environmental
• spiritual
• occupational
• etc.

Where we now live is almost like a new lifestyle. We have nature to look at (rather than a television) and I'm unplugging more, allowing myself more time for my hobbies/passions etc. which is all very important for overall health and stress reducation. We often think about eating well and exercise, but it's also important to find time for family and "me time". I hope my months ahead don't feel busy, but feel happy (and for personal contentment - productive in some way!)

5. I definitely value experiences over things
This relates to points above. I'm happy to have less things in my house and be able to spend more time enjoying the house and yard. We have some work to do, but a minimalistic focus will help us choose wisely and prevent us from filling our house with needless things. This should also help us save money for more trips, as we enjoy traveling and our daughter is pretty good at it so far.

6. Blogging helps me continue to learn about myself
I tend to post more about moderation, mindfulness, and minimalism or personal development and reflection with a bit of nutrition information here or there and a few recipes. I have high hopes/goals and ideas for the blog, but I still haven't nailed anything down yet. I know my lack of career goals at this point makes me feel like I'm wandering aimlessly at times, but I'm also still adapting to the new role as mom - a role I always wanted to play (you could say it's been my dream job). As much as I always wanted to be a mom and am grateful for the opportunity, I am still trying to figure out the balance of being mom, me, wife, and an entrepreneur.

How was your month?

Enjoy what's left of June!

Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Mmmy Journey Begins (and continues...)

I wanted to take some time today for reflection. As my business has grown, I've had time to think about the areas I am most passionate about and thus, where I want to take things in the future. This is both exciting and overwhelming and one of the many 'joys' of being an entrepreneur! As you will see in future posts, I am trying to declutter or minimize things in my life to reduce stress and create more time to pursue my passions.

I know many people in their 20s or 30s (or 40s, 50s, etc.) who aren't sure what they want to do with their life. I sometimes feel this way, although, I think it's more about the journey, because we might never have a clear answer to that question. I'm told that as I young child I asked my mom "what do you want to be when you grow up?" I always thought that was a strange story, because of course, she was my mom and a 'grown-up'. Although, I know many 'grown-ups' who don't know, so perhaps it was a very legitimate question!

 I have met people who have found their 'passion' and seem to be doing exactly what they should be doing for a career; although this is definitely the exception, not the rule. The more time I spend pondering my own passions and goals, the more I learn about myself and the more learning I do in general. As far as I can remember, I've been a competitive, driven person. As with any personality trait, it has its pros and cons. This drive pushes me to be the best me and live the best life I can. My struggle is when I compare my life to other people's lives, or have an unclear definition of what 'best' means for me.

I see comparison all the time in my practice, whether it is about weight, willpower, the media, money, time, etc. With social media, I feel that we also often see people's highlight reels and make assumptions about the people and their lives, when in fact we really don't know their situation. The idea of focusing on our own struggles really came out when I attended the Landmark forum years ago as a Lululemon employee. Many people were overcoming traumatic pasts, but we realized that we all have our own troubles, and if it's a big deal to you, then it's a big deal (again, we can't compare). My big take away was to focus on contentment. Not that I want to be complaisant, but to be in the moment and appreciate all that I have.

I am inspired by quotes, various books, my husband, my family and friends, my clients, and by setting small goals for myself. I will likely always be a work in progress. I will never be perfect, but I will always be me.

I continue to be passionate about mindfulness, moderation, and recently minimalism (hence the mmms). I'll continue to share thoughts and tips relating to those topics, so feel free to comment and join in! For now, enjoy a few of my current favourite quotes and feel free to reflect back!

Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com