We travel back to New York this weekend for a going away partyย and then home to the midwest for the holidays. Even though we have secured an apartment (yes, thank goodness!) in a lot of ways it feels like we haven’t moved since we aren’t settled into our own home quite yet. But that’s okay. Living with three boys this week has been quite the adventure – and I’m thankful we have friends to stay with. This month is teaching me flexibility and uncertainty and new skills when it comes to self care, intuitive eating, and enjoyable movement.
For all you Boston readers who live in the South End, we’re neighbors! And hopefully I bop into you and maybe we become real life friends. ๐ Nick and I love love love this neighborhood and although we considered a lot of other neighborhoods in Boston and outside of it – Cambridge, Brookline and Somerville – we kept coming back to the South End. We ended up going to look at an apartment that we initially thought would be too small, but then after seeing it, the space was bigger than we anticipated and the rent was at a price we couldn’t pass up. We move in December 30th! Quite the way to ring in 2018 I think.
Between packing + moving and then being in this phase where we don’t have our own home for the past few weeks, I’ve discovered a few things that have allowed me to stay (mostly) emotionally, mentally and physically healthy – a few new self care ideas for me. I think self care changes as we enter into different seasons of life so I’m always discovering different ways to care for myself.
1. lattes at coffee shops while working
I almost never buy lattes at coffee shops when I’m working. Not because I don’t love them, but because they’re over 2x the cost of coffee. And when I’m working out of a coffee shop 5 afternoons a week that $5 latte habit adds up. But with the instability of life right now, that extra $3 I spend on a latte brings a lot of comfort and enjoyment when I’m working away for hours in the same spot by myself. It actually helps me look forward to my weekday afternoons even when it’s hard to get motivated.
2. evening strolls through Boston
It gets dark on the east coast at like 4:00pm this time of year so it feels late, but it’s still early. In the evening my favorite thing lately is to walk/jog around the quiet side streets and look at all the pretty brownstones and Christmas lights. I don’t bring my headphones, so I’m not tempted to listen to music or talk to people on the phone. When we lived in New York, the streets were beautiful too, but there were always people everywhere so it didn’t feel as relaxing. For me, (because New Yorkers would strongly argue against me :)) I’veย found the streets here to feel more like a neighborhood.
3. giving myself longer amounts of time for movement
This period of life feels fast paced and messy at times, so I’ve been setting aside more time during the day to actually walk over to the Barre3 studio and take a class. Usually my days are full and can think, “I don’t have time for more than 20-30 minutes of movement even if I want to!” which I realize 1) isn’t a healthy way to view movement and 2) isn’t how I should be viewing time. If I’m honest, I have a problem with being as efficient as possible all the time. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, but when I start skipping things I enjoy in order to work more, that doesn’t lead to my healthiest self. So I started setting aside more time to stroll the 1/2 mile to the studio, take the hour class that ends with 10 minutes of stretching to calm music in a dimmed room, and walk the 1/2 mile home….without music or talking to anyone. On the days I go, it’s made me feel less rushed. Like I don’t have to squeeze every waking productive drop out of every minute.
These are some things that are working for me, maybe they resonate with you too? Or maybe you have some other ideas that are working for you. Share them in the comments!
A few exciting updates coming in the New Year
I will be launching an e-course on healing amenorrhea sometime in the first couple months of 2018. I’m really excited about this because amenorrhea is the #1 thing I get emails about. I know Nutshell Nutrition services are a financial investment, so I’ve wanted to create a more affordable option to offer for a while. Now, it’s finally happening!
We have a new intern joining the team! I was extremely impressed with how many of you emailed me about the internship. I read each and every one and let me say….I am so excited that there are hundreds of you with so much ambition and passion for intuitive eating and Health At Every Size! Thank you, thank you, thank you for applying. If you didn’t get an email from me and applied, please email me. I 100% believe we will see a paradigm shift in our generation around food, exercise and body image and you guys are a integral part of that movement. And we get to do this together. That’s cool.
I know I’ve posted it on Instagram stories, but so it’s here on the blog too, we are switching to a 4x a week blog posting schedule. So you can expect posts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. As always, email me or comment if you have blog post ideas you want to see addressed here. You can contact me directly through the contact form if you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page.
Ok, that’s all. A good friend of mine is in Boston this weekend so I’m spending the afternoon with her, so I’m excited about that. I hope you have a great weekend too!
im so happy that you are able to find ways to stay grounded with so much going on….its sometimes little things that brings that joy and we should stick with it.
for me its been working in bed, which i never used to do but with this weather it feels so luxurious!! late night walks in the neighborhood with all the lights is always fun.
even though I know working in bed makes it harder for me to fall asleep I do love the coziness ๐
Congratulations on finding your new home! I feel like you were JUST sharing pics of your first apartment with Nick! I hope you share photos of the new place once you’ve settled in. Also, speaking of Nick… has he changed jobs now that you are in Boston? I found myself wondering about that… I’ve really become invested in you two from following your blog! haha
I’ve also enjoyed allowing my self-care to evolve. For me, it usually revolves around the actual seasons. 3 self-care practices I’ve been adapting this month:
1) Lately, with the darkness both before work and right after, I’ve been focusing on getting outside at lunch time for a walk so that I can get some exposure to natural light.
2) Last Sunday, I made a huge pot of soup that lasted until last night. I found it incredibly nourishing to eat something I had made from scratch AND there was an added bonus of never having to scramble to come up with something for dinner. I’m planning to try making curry for next week!
3) I was part of a book club in November that read Women, Food, and God. It was an incredible book and an incredible experience to read it in a group of women, led by my favorite coach Annette Sloan who I have worked with 1-1 before. However, this month, I’m turning to lighter reads and have been enjoying John Green’s latest book. YA fiction is my go to for pleasure reading when I need a break from the heavy self-help type books!
Have a great weekend in New York!
I feel like we just were too haha ๐
I will share when we get settled in. We are excited! Nick is at the same job, they have an office in Boston but he will also commute back to NY 1x a month.
I loe all those ideas – a big pot of soup sounds fab!
I hope you have such a wonderful time at your going away party, and it was so exciting on your stories on Instagram last night to hear about your apartment! ๐ I also love your self care ideas and just the idea of a simple $3 latte being a source of motivation and comfort.
I LOVE walking through cities slowly and just observing especially when the streets aren’t crazy; Boston sounds like such a wonderful place for you and Nick.
<3 thanks Emily - have a great weekend!!
Lavender essential oil has been my self-care drug of choice–it’s magical!
Your recent posts about moving to Boston make me want to visit ASAP! It’s still a region of the US I have not been to as of yet.
Lattes while working is such a luxury–I don’t know if it’s the atmosphere or the fact that I don’t have to prepare it, but it’s definitely something I look forward to.
https://outdoorkarma.squarespace.com
I love lavender essential oils!! You should visit defintley!
good for you for taking time for SELF CARE> so so important to fill your cup up! especially with that latte! do you have a favorite latte?? i totally agree that its healthier to think of time as more abundant – i too struggle with being an efficient as possible..but i’m finding that i can actually DO MORE when i slow down…and its more MEANINGFUL. sounds like so much awesomeness happening in 2018!!
I sometimes do vanilla but usually just regular (almond milk if I want to be hungry for a meal in the short term (because almond milk has the satiety of water..) or a whole milk latte if I’m pairing it with a bar or baked good for a snack!
This is me totally judging a book by its cover, but your house/front steps!! It looks like the kind of place I’ve always wanted to live, so nice ๐
that’s not out exact brownstone but it looks very very similar ..we love the outside and inside ๐
I’ve always wanted to live in Boston im jealous of you two! Hope the move goes smoothly when the day comes and congrats on securing the place! Those peaceful walks with no headphones along the Boston streets seem SO relaxing and nice-especially around this time of year when everything is super festive!!
Also can’t wait for the ebook to be released! And now that you’re in Boston, will you be seeing clients in person in/around Boston?
Boston sounds so lovely! Love your self care ideas and I agree that every second of every day doesn’t have to be “productive”- although I often feel that way. Looking forward to your new 4x/week schedule!
I hear what you’re saying about exercise. On the one hand, it took me awhile to be okay with having a 20 or 30 minute workout and calling it “enough.” On the other hand, when I don’t see exercise as something I have to do every day outside of my usual movement (walking, cleaning etc.), I can let myself take a couple hours of an afternoon and go to a full hour-long class at the gym, go on a bike ride with the local bike club, etc. It helps give my brain a break from all the screens and all the words I stare at day in and day out!
I love the way you think about self care and taking more time out for yourself when you’re tempted to short-change yourself just to work more. I have done the same with my evenings. Like you, it gets dark here around 5 p.m. and I absolutely love taking walks around my neighborhood. I have loved walking around looking at the Christmas lights and because I enjoy these evening walks so much, I try my best to make dinner as simple as possible. Quick, simple dinners have been the solution for allowing me to have more time in my evening doing the things I want to do and investing my time in self care.
Hi Robyn,
I’m very excited to hear about your HA ecourse aa I have been dealing with HA for a long time. Do you have any idea when it will begin?
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas ๐
*as
by the end of Jan!
Great! Looking forward to finding out more ๐