Head to therapy...at the gym!

We’re almost halfway through 2012 already.  Can you believe it?  Years really do fly by faster the older we get.  I have gone through one of the most stressful times of my life this year due to moving, job change, family members’ issues, and my own relationship issues.  Despite all the things that I have stressed over, the one thing that is a true relief to me is being in the gym.  It’s my stress reliever, my escape, my time to think, and it’s my therapy.  Hey, I may not be able to control situations that affect me, but I am in control of how I treat my body, what I put into my mouth, and how I decide to make it look.   

I’m actually excited to get to the gym and I know that I will feel good when I’m finished working out, not only physically, but mentally too.  According to the Mayo Clinic -

Exercise has some direct stress-busting benefits.

It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.

It's meditation in motion. After a workout, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.

It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

Don’t talk yourself out of heading to the gym no matter how much stress you’re under.  Make it YOUR time to de-stress and focus on YOU.  Your body and your MIND will thank you!

Goals Shmoals...who needs 'em?

When I was younger, if anyone asked me about my goals in life, I was totally dumbfounded.  I had no clue how to answer that question.  I just knew that I wanted to graduate from high school and figure it out then!  My sister on the other hand, was very goal oriented and knew that she wanted to go on to college and had a specific plan of action.  I envied anyone that actually knew what they wanted to do and set out on their path. 

As I got older, goals (which became “visions”) became a lot more important to me.  One specific example is after thirteen years working as a hair stylist, I decided that I wanted to get into broadcasting. I had listened to a morning radio show and thought it sounded like fun, so I went to broadcasting school, graduated, and became an intern at St. Louis radio station.  They ended up hiring me and I have had so many fun years on the air in several different cities!  That small thought one day in the car became a huge vision for me that I never let dissolve from my thoughts.

In the last few years, my goals/visions have become more important to me than ever before.  In 2010, after sitting through three and a half years evening classes, I finally graduated from college with my Bachelors degree.  What a thrill!  I kept the vision of seeing myself walk across the stage to accept my diploma.  In 2009, I started my full body transformation with a vision of how I wanted my body to look.  After about a year and a half of eating clean and weight training, my vision came true.  Another huge thrill!  This year, I decided that I would compete in my first ever NPC bikini competition.  I trained very hard for ten weeks, competed, and came in 4^th in my division.  Another thrill!

I’m more convinced than ever that goals/visions are so important.  If you want something bad enough, SET YOUR GOAL, SEE YOUR VISION, and PLAN YOUR ATTACK.  You will accomplish your goal and you will feel SO powerful.  See yourself, vision it, and achieve!  Who needs goals?  WE ALL DO to make our visions a REALITY. J