Inside My Life Part 1
Hello dear one,
Last week I put out a survey to gather more information about what you want to see on my website and in future programs. One resounding answer I received was to share more about my life. So here I am with a new, monthly segment called “Inside my Life.”
Sick: Last week I spent 3 straight days locked up in my house with a nasty throat infection and dry cough. Being sick once and a while doesn’t bother me but this time really got me down. I am one of the many people who were blessed with a tricky immune system which crashes almost every month after my female cycle. It used to present itself by breaking out in a full body rash but now it seems to present itself with a throat infection (this is the second infection in the last six months). When I first saw a Dermatologist for my rash I was put on high dosages of anti-viral which I slowly weened off as I didn’t want to rely on medication. While I didn’t get the rash again, I was feeling exhausted and a recent blood test confirmed that my white blood cells were low. I made the tough decision to start taking medication again but only in small dosages (at least until I can find an alternative). I do have more energy but it hasn’t kept away the throat infection. I am not sure if I am going to up the dosage or look into some natural alternatives. Moral of the story I was feeling quite down and OVER being sick until I realised I was spending my time stressing instead of resting. The last day I spent at home I watched documentaries and treated myself to chocolate. Of course the next day I felt much better.
My hair (OCT 2016): God this sounds so superficial to be writing about my hair but if it’s a “thing” for me then it might be for other people too. I have been a compulsive hair dyer since I was 12. This year alone I have gone from brown to blonde to brown again. The decision to go brown was so I could grow out my natural hair colour. I really don’t know how I am going to go with this, or why it is so important to me, but I am so determined to feel comfortable with my natural colour. I don’t want to rely on dying my hair to feel good for a few weeks. I really want to focus on my body and health instead of my hair colour. I get the urge around 8 weeks after drying my hair so it will be interesting to see how I am feeling then. I was so blown away at how uncomfortable I felt for a few days after going brown again. Even years after practising self-love and self-care so much for my emotions are wrapped up in how I look. This is something I want to keep consciously working on.
Inspirations: Having some time off this week gave me a chance to do some internet exploring and I have found amazing inspirations. I found an app called ‘Bloglovin’ (I’ll add in the members area) where you can easily read your favourite blogs on your phone. I have read SO MANY blog posts by Gala Darling. She is a self-love advocate who has created the life of her dreams. Girl-crush so hard! I also discovered a podcast called ‘The Leap’ all about everyday people with extraordinary stories. The first episode had me laughing out loud and the second had me in tears. I cannot wait to listen to the rest.
What I’m working through right now: Right now I am participating in a 12 week course ran by Monash University called “The Fear Clinic.” I am in week 6 and my teacher and I do some form of exposure therapy each week while using cognitive behavioral therapy to soothe anxiety. Session 1 I drank 2 litres of water and went for a walk not knowing where a toilet was. Session 2 I spent riding an elevator (my worst nightmare) and session 3 I took a 20 minute bus trip around Monash University. Each time I deal with my anxiety I feel so amazing and I cannot wait to tackle my next fear/exposure.
I’m also working on getting back into exercise. I have spent the last couple of years with lower back pain and found out that I had disc bulges. I had to give up pole-dancing classes, which I LOVED. This year my back has felt the best after seeing an exercise physiotherapist who gave me stretches to do at home. But I have started to put on weight again and I have lost most of my fitness. I love walking but I am terrified to do anything more. I’m focusing on consciously feeling all of my fears and taking up some regular, gentle exercise anyway. I will be using the cognitive behavioral techniques I learned in the Fear Clinic to hopefully sooth my fears and use magnesium products to soothe the physical pain.
So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed my first Inside my Life. I would LOVE to hear from you in the comments below. You are now able to post anonymously if you have any questions for me.
Until next time, stay committed to your wellness. Shalee xo
