The Foundation

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

Today I am giving you the inside scoop, today I'm giving you some of the key details about my very first step of the Coaching process.... for the low, low cost of zero dollars! With every single one of my clients, this is where we begin. The foundation. We need to start at the basics. Because trying to build something new and good in your life will not last unless we have stabilized the foundation it's resting on. If you are considering investing in Coaching, then you are already aware there are gaps between where you are and where you would like to be, and you need help getting there. Well, those gaps are because of leaks which you are experiencing in your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health. 

These four main areas of health make up the foundational structure of your well-being, they establish our stability as a healthy person. Like a house has four walls to support its integrity and optimal capacity, these are your four walls, which are integral to creating a foundation of health which the rest of your life can securely build on. These four are also interconnected & intertwined, designed to work together.  When one area is suffering the others are not going to be optimal either. If one of the walls of our house had a giant hole in it, the integrity of the whole house would be compromised. There are many things that can create these holes in our walls, and losses in our journey to motherhood especially can create holes in all four walls. 

You may have minimized how you allow yourself to react to these losses, but acknowledged or not, our state of feeling whole is impacted by them. Losses in dreams of motherhood have ripple effects. Loss of identity. Loss of connection. Loss of hormone function. Loss of finances. Loss of purpose. Loss of belonging. Loss of body image. This is why you have felt depleted. These are gaping holes in all your walls. 

Now let's just pause for a moment. If this is the first time you are realizing the significance and far reaching affects of losses in motherhood, please take a moment. That's a lot. Take a moment to honour what you have been through. 

No matter what the world may have convinced you of, these are not cosmetic repairs. For some of you, these have been wrecking balls! I know for me it was. And just re-focusing our energies into something that seems positive, that seems like a good way to move forward, but it isn't enough. I know that from personal experience as well. It's like adding a second story to a house that doesn't have solid, load-bearing walls. 

So, how do you go about starting to restore these walls in a way that will once again give you that solid foundation to build your life on? The starting point I give every client is evaluating how well they are caring for their health, in other words self-care. For those of you who may be imagining antiquated ideas like bubble baths and chocolate, there is a ton of evidence that true self care is far more integral to health than just some 'feel good' moments. 

"Self-care is therefore the fundamental level of health care in all societies and should be seen as a major public health resource." 

~International Self-Care Foundation

Even the World Health Organization has seen the importance of creating a definition to help clarify the importance of self-care. And, while self-care activities are wide ranging and personalized (and may actually include bubble baths and chocolate), most lists of self-care activities are derived from knowledge and skills from a collection of both professional and lay experience. They are meant to create a holistic approach that doesn't focus on just one area of health, but rather a comprehensive strategy that can be both a reactive and proactive treatment for optimal health.

And it is from that understanding of self-care that I have created my own list of activities connected to various areas of health, and a way to evaluate how well you are engaging in those types of self-care. If you want to start working on the foundation of your health, you can start today!  Today we'll pretend you are my valued client and this self-care checklist is all yours 💖 What better day to begin strengthening your foundation than today!

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