How to do it all.

Wouldn’t we all love to know just that, how to do it all. Society seems to advertise that there is one big secret the universe is keeping from us. That if we just do this or buy that, that everything will click perfectly into place. The irony of this idea is that it couldn’t be more wrong. Life is an evolution. It keeps going and the world keeps turning. There will always be more stress, new projects, another cat mess and the list goes on. Every time you turn around there it is. As fate may have it, it feels like the world is out to get you and that you can never get a break. But here’s the BIG SECRET we all need to hear. THE SECRET IS YOU. It is you my friends. You carry the power to change this and it is all about your well-being.

If there is anything Quarantine taught me it is that every single moment in my life is determined by how I respond to it. Me. The Momma of two small children under 5, the wife to a handsome man who works tirelessly long hours and commutes so we can have a life we choose. Me, the entrepreneur of a thriving company that is scaling new heights through the most difficult thing our generation collectively has endured, a global pandemic. The list goes on. All of these things I do well, all of them make me happy and are my why. But here’s the thing, none of these parts of my life will thrive or get the best version of me if I am not well. I need rest, I need alone time, I need to be organized and have focus. All of my life requires me to take CARE OF MYSELF. Life will always throw curve balls and Murphy’s law requires it to be when you feel you can cope the least. Murphy’s law and my life are besties. I can assure you this. I have endured in the past 10 years more than what feels like a lifetime of challenges the average person has to navigate. True story. The choice is to sink or swim. Have you ever heard the term, you have to get ahead of the wave? The basic idea is that with the right planning, knowledge and experience you can make your decision to catch a wave at the right time and ride it well. We all have heard horror stories about surfers who have terrifying accidents among the strength and depth of the ocean. I am not a surfer so I am loosely using this analogy but bare with me here. When we go through life haphazardly expecting it to “happen for us” or to “get easier” we choose to blindly enter the ocean unprepared. Life will come at you like the relentless waves and eventually we tire and are unable to find our breath. Many people have been here. Many choose substance abuse, bad habits or neglecting their life completely, sinking into the mundane. I am here to share with you that you need to take control now. You need to shift your perspective to your center. You can focus your mind on self-care and personal awareness to prepare you to get ahead of the waves of life. You need to be well nourished, rested, inspired, educated, healthy. Your needs will be different from others and that’s ok! No one can decide for you what you need. No one can make these things a priority in your life but YOU. Ditch the shame.

Photos by Aleks Sharpe Imagery

So when it comes to me and how I do it all? Its really this simple. In order for me to do anything well I have to make myself a priority. In order for me to be a good mother and example to my kids I need to be patient with them and be gracious with them. If all I can think about is how I pissed someone off or how I didn’t get enough sleep, or how I wish I felt better I am never going to be able to show up for my kids the way they need me to. I focus on developing my good habits, creating HEALTHY coping skills and whatever else I need to show up for my life in a way that is not only fruitful for me but everyone around me. No one is going to understand my why or my needs except me and I am entirely ok with that. Does it suck sometimes? Yes. Does it feel lonely sometimes? Yes. But let me tell you this, the people in my life who truly love me for me and respect me, they applaud me for me. The rejoice in my life with me. They never for one minute question my why or me at all. The make space for me.

I want to encourage you to carve out time for yourself. You know its time. I am giving you the go ahead to do it and telling you that you have the authority to take the reigns of your life. When someone in your life pushes back, make space FROM them and look further inwards. If you are feeling short with your colleagues or family, set aside half a day for yourself to care for you. When the people who love, truly love you, see your happiness they will encourage you down this path too.

TIPS:

Some tips on how to launch your self care

• Journal about anything and everything. Showing up for yourself this way will teach you just how much strength and knowledge you have and that you don’t need to constantly require others to give you feedback. You will find the answers you are looking for about life right in those papers straight out of your own heart.
• Move your body. I know this sounds cliche especially since I am a huge Rachel Hollis fan but her advice is true and I’m gunna share it too. I started running during quarantine, it happened naturally as an evolution from walking every day. Start small. Your body will tell you when you are ready for more. The further you look within yourself to find your center the more drive you will have to push your body to learn new habits and to never give up on yourself and quit.
• Eat well and rest. Rest is so tough for us overachievers but let me tell you. After running my heart out I gave myself an injury, runners knee. It takes 4-8 weeks to completely heal and boy there is nothing more frustrating than your body saying a hard NO to what you want to do. But this was a killer learning curve for me. I don’t have to run everyday (although I would and was before my injury as I am that crazy addicted at this point). We must listen to our body or we will put ourselves in a worse position that just not coping emotionally with life. When we loose our bodies abilities sometimes we can never get them back. Having a healthy body is everything. Also, I am a foodie and I believe food was meant to E N J O Y more than the average person but I also know that nutrition is the whole dang point. Garbage food = garbage life. I hate to break it to ya if this is the first time you heard it but seriously. If you dont love salad or healthy food, maybe that’s your first step to self care is getting creative in the kitchen so you do LOVE YOUR FOOD.

Listen, this year I am advocating for self care. At Chantel Funk + Co. we all want you to LOVE YOUR LIFE and feel EMPOWERED to make the changes you need and to do the things you enjoy. I hope you like this blog post and I hope you will follow us to see more of these directly in your email inbox. I hope to see you around and I look forward to hearing about your new journey to wellness.

-Chantel Funk

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