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Writer's pictureGina M. Oakley

Self-Care: 21 Days to Reset Good Habits


DAY 1: THE BACKGROUND


Scientists and researchers say it takes 21 days to form a habit. We’ve all heard that. However, I’m choosing 21 days because that’s how many days I have until an important date: my wedding anniversary. I work best with goals. So what, you are now wondering, am I working to accomplish in that allotted time? And I’m so very glad you asked.

“Chronic-ills” is a blog I started to originally inspire others working to overcome hardships, especially those of us living with chronic illness…which extra sucks. In my 2018 book Find your Inner Super G I give tips and tricks on how to overcome obstacles, grow as a leader for yourself and others, and live the life you love. Sometimes that is much easier said than done. I’m having one of those, “easier said than done” moments right now in life, so I want to share MORE tips and tricks not included in my book.


WELCOME


So, here we are. Welcome to my journey to improve my self care tremendously within the next 21 days. Think of it as an aggressive overhaul and self-intervention. Please note: My suggestions are just that. I’m sharing what works for me, my thoughts, my experiences, and my progress. What works for me may not work for you, but I do hope you pull inspiration from my journey.


WHAT TO EXPECT IN THESE 21 DAYS?

  • My personal “Get Fit” Routine and progress*

  • Nutrition advice & planning (from Super G Fit Guide AND exclusive)

  • Fitness advice & routines

  • Personal stories to relate to

  • Self-care best practices

  • Skin, hair, beauty topics

  • Stress: All things related

  • Sleep, rest, relax

  • Parenting struggles & coping

  • My personal “Get Fit” Routine and progress

  • Communication tips & tricks

  • & More

*This isn’t intended to strictly be a weight loss journey. Health and fitness are very important to me and are vital in managing my symptoms of MS. I do suggest adopting a healthier style of living in efforts to better and maintain your own self-care and wellness.


WHAT QUALIFIES SUPER G to Write this Article?


My experiences are broad, and include a mixture of professional training and personal experience. I have experience and certifications/past certifications as a personal trainer, physical coach, life and success coach, educator, professional manager, and more. I hope to use these many years of experiences and training to help myself and to help you.


MY STORY: What Brought me to this Journey?


Listen, we all have “our thing”: that struggle in life or in a chapter of life that drags us down, holds us back, makes us question so much. If you’re like me, you’ve had a few big ones. I started professionally life coaching and providing support to others when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2014. It was scary, and it changed my life and the lives of everyone close to me. Since then, I’ve experienced a range of, shall we say, challenges that brought me to this point. This point being, “It’s time for a change.”


Most recently (less than a year), I had a baby. The entire experience was difficult for me starting around 6 months prenatal. Ironically the thing that causes me the most trouble daily, MS, was the thing that caused me no trouble at all when I was pregnant. Either way, it was horrible (Shingles, full body pregnancy rash, worsened MS symptoms after baby, and extreme difficulty adjusting to life as a mom-something I never thought I’d be). Relationships are hard after baby, self-care is hard with chronic illness and after baby, throw in stressful work, and it’s easy to see how it’s been tough times for me.


I earned the name “Super G” from friends and family when I was first traveling through my Multiple Sclerosis journey. I got the name because I was positive and I adopted the attitude of a fierce lioness with determination to not let the disease bring me down. For the first time in maybe my entire life, I can’t find that positivity and ferocity. So, I need to try harder. I earned the title “Super G” and I intend on defending that title.


So, let’s dive right in. No two days will be the same. I’m giving it as it comes to me. Enjoy, interact, share, do whatever you wish with this information.


DAY 1


Today’s thoughts:

I’m not excited about Valentine’s Day, and I had an extremely emotionally-draining weekend and need a break from home and work. I realize that isn’t a very positive start on my journey, but I’m being honest.


Things that made me feel good today: I treated myself to coffee (I made it healthier by switching out syrup for sugar free and cutting the amount of syrup down), and I made a super delicious smoothie for lunch (Recipe below).


Things that sucked today: I cried a few times. I don’t particularly love my job right now, and as I said before, I am recovering from a stressful weekend. It’s okay to cry. Sometimes it’s the best way to feel better. Mostly, I wasn't sure what I was upset about, but some of it was my longing so much to be able to do the job I love. Don't get me wrong, I love parts of what I do. I truly enjoy helping students find their path and purpose, but oh what I would give to spend my days writing to help and entertain. I long for endless hours to create education programs, to travel and speak again to large audiences, and to crank out novel after novel!


SMOOTHIE RECIPE

I'm not a fan of overly sweet smoothies, but feel free to add extra sweetness to yours.

  • 1 Scoop dense chocolate protein shake mix (I prefer Advocare products, but I also have used a variety of other products. We can do an entire blog about the best ingredients to seek in your protein powder.) You could also use yogurt or greek yogurt for protein in your shake.

  • 2 frozen bananas (I usually use 1 and some other fruit, but for this I wanted a milk-shake consistency with only banana flavor)

  • 1 large spoonful of peanut butter

  • A drizzle of local honey

  • Unsweetened original almond milk (you could use cow's milk to add protein, vanilla almond for sweetness, or even oatmilk)

  • I didn't add it this time, but I highly recommend adding chopped dates to your smoothie!

  • BLEND AND ENJOY!

Thank you for reading! Be sure to create your FREE account at Supergauthor.com for exclusive Blogs, deals, sneak peeks, and more!




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Bethany Joy Lechlitner
Bethany Joy Lechlitner
Feb 16, 2023

I appreciate your honesty and not faling it that every day is perfect.

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