Optimizing Your Life Through Foundational Practices and Tools

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Living optimally should be simple and straightforward.

Thriving in your life should feel easefilled, accessible, and shouldn't have your stressing out of the cost or have you breaking the bank to achieve it.

Begin with these straightforward and tangible foundational elements and observe the changes for yourself.

Morning Sunlight:

Why? Exposure to natural light, particularly in the morning before UVB rays are present, offers numerous advantages including the regulation of circadian rhythms, enhancement of mitochondrial function, hormonal balance, reduction of inflammatory markers, boosts your metabolisms, helps with thyroid health, boosts your mental health, increased cellular energy, energizing internal water systems, and supporting the body in functioning and performing at its best.

I recommend to my clients that they spend at least 15 minutes in the morning light, which is something I personally do every day. However, I understand that some people have hectic mornings, balancing tasks like preparing kids for school and getting ready for work. If 15 minutes feels challenging, just do what you can. A little is better than nothing :)

Earthing:

Why? Connecting barefoot on the Earth is an excellent method to decrease bodily inflammation, reduce stress, assist with blood pressure, soothe the mind-body-spirit, ground yourself into your body and day, cleanse your energy body, enhance your energy centers, clear your mind, and energize your electric body.

If you are new to Earthing or just want to know more, please check out this episode on my podcast where I dive deeper into the Earthing and all it's beautiful benefits. She's an OLDIE, but a goodie : ) Earthing is something you can do as often as needed throughout your day.

Experiencing Nature:

Have you ever observed how relaxed, grounded, and calm you feel after spending time outdoors?

Nature offers immense healing, grounding, and transformative benefits on many levels.Whether you're among the trees, in the ocean, strolling through scenic areas, gardening, tending to your flower beds, playing with your kids outside, or simply sitting outdoors while enjoying your hot tea or cup of cacao, all these activities help you connect with the energies of the surrounding elements and the plant kingdom.

Nature provides a space for you to unwind, release tension, be present, and simply exist. This is something nearly all of us could use more of in our lives.

Soulmate Movement Practice:

What does this entail?

It means discovering a method of movement and exercise that truly resonates with you. In my opinion, there's nothing more disheartening than forcing yourself to engage in workouts, classes, or movement practices you don't enjoy, just to reach a specific aesthetic or health objective.

You're more likely to make significant progress in optimizing your life if you select workouts and movement practices that not only feel enjoyable, but also make you eager to participate.

Is it running? Walking? Weightlifting? Group fitness classes? Yoga? Pilates? Boxing? Barre? Dancing in your room?

Choose what ignites your passion and resonates with your soul.

Which workouts nurture your soul? Choose those. Engage in them.

Consume Nutrient-Rich, Whole Foods:

Nourishing your body goes beyond merely "eating". It involves providing your body's cells with high-quality foods that profoundly nourish, remineralize, and strengthen you in valuable ways.

Your diet influences your hormones, mood, metabolism, energy levels, cognitive abilities, the functioning and communication of your body's systems, mitochondrial health, the efficiency of your body's detoxification processes, and much more.

Nourishing your body goes beyond mere "eating." It's about providing your cells with high-quality foods that thoroughly nourish, remineralize, and strengthen you, enhancing your well-being.

Your diet influences your hormones, mood, metabolism, energy levels, cognitive abilities, the functioning and communication of your body's systems, mitochondrial health, the efficiency of your detoxification processes, and much more.

It's no secret that I am known to be a proponent of a whole foods plant-based diet. I have followed this way of eating for more than 17 years, and it's also the type of holistic health education I decided to pursue. This approach suits me best, and I often introduce it to clients to some extent, based on their readiness and comfort level.

My advice will always be to eat as much whole, single ingredient foods (organic when and where you can) as OFTEN as you can.

Rest. Rest. Rest:

In today's "hustle and bustle" and "get shit done!" culture, many have been led to believe that "rest is only for the weary."

Has this mindset been ingrained in you?

I opted out of this lifestyle years ago, and I frequently guide my clients in breaking free from these misconceptions about rest. The fact is, rest is IMPORTANT. It's important for your mental health, your hormones, your metabolism, the healing and repairing of your organs, detoxification processes, your creativity, and your nervous system.

I'm referring to taking a break when you feel the need to slow down, have a nap, disconnect for a while, and ensuring you get GOOD, QUALITY sleep at night.

Rest and sleep are essential components that often get overlooked in favor of being super productive or on-the-go. If you need the permission slip to rest more....here it is. Granted : )

Deep, Meaningful Connections and Relationships:

Energy circulation, transference, and experiencing in real. Which is why assessing the quality of connections/communities/relationships you partake in is very important to optimizing your life.

Meaningful connections and relationships should embrace who you are and your current life situation with unconditional love. These interactions should enhance your life, motivate you to become your best self, fill you with happiness, and provide honest accountability when necessary. They should also offer a safe haven for you.

Do they add value? Fill you up? Inspire you? Leave you feeling better than when you entered that space? OR

Do you feel depleted? Drained? Less than?

It's not about being unkind or cutting people out (though it might seem that way sometimes); it's about being truthful with yourself regarding the quality of energy you engage with.

Energy is real. Energy is everywhere. You are energy. Everything is energy.

It's beneficial to regularly assess the energy interactions you experience in your life.

Tending to Your Nervous System: Nervous system health, support, and regulation is something that I see in almost every client I work that is needed.

Learning how your nervous system is currently wired and firing can help you innerstand the ways in which you can offer yourself deeper support to help soothe your NS. Many people walk around with extremely dyregulated systems and a lot of times these could be adding to some of the symptoms/issues one is currently facing. If you aren't sure where to start or what all this means, I encourage you to check out these episodes from my podcast: E164 E170

Prayer and Quiet Reflection Time: In today's busy world of constant stimulation I think it's safe to say that most do not carve out enough time for quiet presence. I sometimes still find myself in this situation (yes, even after all the inner work I've done. ha ha) , but when I notice that I'm rushing or not giving myself the chance to simply sit quietly, I remind myself that it's perfectly fine to slow down and just exist. As women, particularly as mothers, there's often a tendency to rush through tasks or carry an energy imprint that compels you to "hurry up and be present with this person in case they need me." Alternatively, you might feel guilty for requesting some time alone, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Incorporating simple moments into my day, such as praying, reading scripture, meditating, or simply enjoying the morning silence outside with a cup of hot lemon water, is exactly what my soul often requires. And you know what? Dedicating my energy to these activities leaves me feeling significantly more grounded in my own body.

How do you add in quiet, reflective moments? Prayer? Time with the Divine?

Stop Comparing Yourself and Your Life To Others: I recently recorded a new episode on my podcast talking about this very thing. If you haven't tuned in yet to listen, I invite you into doing so : ) Listen Here.

Important points to remember once you start implementing this tools/practices:

How does your body feel?

What is your overall energy level like?

Have you noticed any changes in your stress response?

How is your concentration? Your thought process?

How do your skin, hair, and nails appear?

What is your mood like?

How would you rate the quality of your sleep?

Do you wake up feeling refreshed?

For women: how are your menstrual cycles and hormone levels?

How do you react when faced with a challenge or setback?

How are your joints feeling?

Do you feel more connected, secure, and present in your body?

These are basic tools that ANYONE can begin using without needing a program, coach, or mentorship, and they are essentially free or low cost.

If you're looking for more guidance, support, and detailed teachings on these foundational tools (and much more) at an affordable price, I strongly recommend checking out or joining my private membership community. It's $25 per month, and you can cancel anytime. Plus, you get the first 3 days for free. Link HERE to join.

I hope this blog post was useful, easy to understand, and inspiring, encouraging you to discover ways to enhance flow and functionality in your life.

Thank you for being here! Hugs, Nichol