ho·me·o·sta·sis (hm–stss)
n.The ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes.
Homeostasis- I don’t delve into science much on my blog-I only have a mild interest and lack the ‘expertise’ and knowledge. *Please note for all you rocket scientists reading this blog (or biologists, or chemists, or any kind of –ist that you are), I am using the definition rather loosely and including a broad spectrum of ‘processes.’ * There. Just needed to note that.
Things have been topsy turvy in my life lately….a (somewhat expected but not on my birthday) layoff at work, the ‘find a job’ scramble, the ‘landing of a new job’, and now the ‘getting used to the new job.’ Add to that 2 dogs, a husband, and a house (and all the things that come with that) and I’m sure you’ve gathered…..I am way out of balance. A recipe for disaster some might say.
Lately, I’ve been in several modes: scramble, panic, and freak out. I don’t want to be there anymore. I’ve decided that I need to get back to basics (and I don’t mean the shampoo-gosh do they even still make that stuff? Googling…..wow, discontinued but never fear, you can still buy them on amazon and ebay!)
So what does one do when they are out of balance and are starting to exhibit signs/systems of that? Well, I can only speak for myself of course……and I come up with a plan/strategy!
The ‘Outside’- my skin is the true indicator that I am experiencing stress.
- Get back to a (face) skin care routine with products that work-I’ve been trying out so many new things lately and it’s backfiring on me. From this point forward, I’m going with:
- Skin care: cleanse, tone, eye cream, serum, moisturize
- Facials every 2 months-my pores are super clogged!
- Exfoliating twice a week with a gentle one (you all know my fear)
- Masking twice a week with a hydrating products.
- Skin brushing-stimulating my lymphatic system. I used to do this religiously And have been ignoring it. Not anymore. For more information on skin brushing, check here. For the skin brush that I use, check here.
- Body care-I am going to go with extreme hydration for the rest of “winter.” I have so many creams/oils-it’s time to take advantage of this. I’m also going to exfoliate in the shower twice a week to include feet AND hands. I think I’ll get back on my weekly hot bath schedule too. Just for kicks, let’s throw in a body treatment once a quarter (yes, my life could be divided into fiscal quarters I suppose).
- Exercise- I’m going back to my 45min-1 hour 4-6 days a week. I may continue on with yoga but I’m not sure yet. Zumba classes were in the works as well, but I find that I am just zapped of energy and haven’t been able to work a 7pm class in. I have a great home gym that I’m going to take advantage of and many “tools” in the way of videos, exercise and nutrition plans (from Canada famous trainer Paul Plakas who happens to be one of my absolute favorites).
The “Inside” because let’s face it (ha ha FACE it, did you get that? Knee-slapper people), it all starts there, doesn’t it?
- Nutrition. I’m going back to my Joyous Health detox which to be honest isn’t a detox at all. It’s delicious recipes that just happen to be cleansing. If you haven’t tried one of Joy’s programs, you should! I’ve had the opportunity to interact with Joy at several different workshops/presentations and I’ve always taken away some new fact/tidbit about great eating!
- Vitamins! Even though I’m not incredibly keen on popping a lot of pills, a good multivitamin can only HELP. I also take some incredibly “skin vitamins”
- Pro-biotic-this is a MUST for me. I don’t think I have to say much more about the benefits of healthy bacteria, do I? I’ll just refer you to Joy’s website.
- Hydration! I’ve really been skimping on my H2O. I’m going back to 2 litres a day to start, and then I will work my way back up to a gallon!
- SLEEP! Boy is this a foreign concept to me. While I can’t make any guarantees about number of hours per night (mainly due to my new ‘baby’, Max), I decided that I am going to ‘tune-in’ to myself and rest accordingly in the form of disco naps and extended weekend sleeps!
“Headspace”-another important piece of the homeostasis puzzle! Notice I’m not going with “mental” even though that’s where I feel I’m headed lately.
- Awareness. Listening to my body-when it tells me to rest, or calm down, or whatever. The signals are there and it’s time for me to make that mind-body connection that one of the health gurus is always talking about-hang on let me google that. Ack, can’t find it.
- Spiritual-ha, yup, it’s here! For me, that’s getting in touch with my higher being every day. Yes, I go to church every week. Yes, I read a devotional every day. That’s one piece I have kept up with and a promise I made to myself at the beginning of the year. I’m not sure if you have a spiritual piece to your life or what it is, but if you don’t-I highly recommend you get there.
- No BS policy. My tolerance for stupidity is at an all time low. As pathetic as it may seem, for the past several months, I have been the ‘victim’ of an all out character assassination courtesy of my in-laws. My suggestion? Straighten up because I’m about to cut ya loose! I always find it so interesting and comical that people who are in absolutely no position to give advice have the biggest mouths!!! Don’t make me cite examples! So for now, I’m simply not tolerating it. Like AT ALL. No more getting upset over it. It’s not my problem-its YOURS.
- Outlets. So besides the exercise, giving myself the ability to release some of the tension. In my case, writing/journaling and blogging/vlogging are huge components. My 2 fur babies are also a fantastic way to relax. Quite simply, there isn’t much better than cuddling with dogs who love you just the way you are ALL THE TIME!
And there you have it. Meredith’s approach to Homeostasis 101. Hope you paid attention, because there’s a quiz….HA. No there isn’t. But I’m curious….how do you keep yourself together when it seems like everything around you is falling apart (GAH-cliché and or song lyric alert).
But seriously, how do you balance yourself in the world today? Let me know…..
