it’s important to find ways to practise
regular self-care.
“I think the word ‘selfish’ gets a bad
rap,” says Maidment. “If we spent a
bit more time looking after ourselves
and being kinder to ourselves, think
how much kinder we’d be to everyone
around us. Having a daily practice of
doing something for yourself is really
empowering. I have a regular practice
of yoga and meditation that really
helps. Find a ritual that nourishes you
and [you’ll see that] everything else
flows from that.”
But self-care extends beyond the
physical and spiritual; it extends to ourself-talk. Rose says it’s important to
monitor the voice in our head and offers
an effective way to re-route our self-talk.
“If a friend was having a rough day,
what would you be saying to them?”
she asks. “I can pretty much guarantee
it would be the opposite to what you
say yourself. So, flip that on its head
and say, ‘I’m going to show myself some
self-compassion here. I’m just having
a tough day, maybe I need a day off
and I can get back on it tomorrow. Top
athletes don’t run marathons every day;
they know that part of the journey to
reach their overall goals is to stop, rest
and recoup.”was your journey?’ and ‘How did you get
here?’ Don’t sit around saying you don’t
have a community, because you have to
create it. If you’re hanging around with
people who aren’t living the lifestyle
you want to lead, go find the people
who are.”
STEP 6
NAVIGATE YOUR ROADBLOCKS
Following your dreams often requires
stepping out of your comfort zone.
When you have hurdles to overcome,
it’s important to have strategies to leap
over them.
“Everyone will hit those roadblocks
at some point, so at the start when you’re
most motivated, add into the planning
stage what you will do in those moments,”
says Rose. “Create some go-to strategies
for pulling yourself out of a rut, such as
a phone call to a friend, looking through
some photos, meeting up with somebody
in person, journalling and getting the crap
out of your head or even a nice cup of
tea. Know ahead of time what will work
for you so when the difficult moment
arises you know you have your list, your
roadmap to getting back on track.”
Accountability buddies can make
all the difference when giving up looks
all too appealing. “It’s always good to
share your new habits or goals than keep
them a secret, especially with someone
who really cares about you, who will
support you no matter what because
they want the best for you,” says Rose.
“When you’re having a weak moment,
you can turn to them and they’re your
cheer squad.”
Rose also suggests keeping visual
reminders handy for when you need
an immediate boost. “Have something
around you that reminds you to keep
going, [such as] your screen saver, a
vision board, something on your desk,
or even a piece of jewellery that reminds
you of why you’re on this journey,”
she says.
STEP 7
EMBRACE SELF-CARE
While following your dreams can sound
invigorating, on the other hand, it
can be hard work. To avoid burnout,
34 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.au