5 Affirmations for Increased Energy and Good Health

GUYS! I am seriously LOVING affirmations right now. If you are not yet familiar with what, exactly, an affirmation is… Let me explain. An affirmation is a positive statement of what you wish to be true, stated as if it is ALREADY true. To your brain and body, it “reads” as true, and your subconscious mind therefore processes it as though it IS . I recently read the book, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay (which I highly recommend by the way), and it got me started on building the habit of stating daily affirmations. The benefits and positive effects have been major!

I have been dealing with health issues for the past 6 months, ever since my daughter was born (gotta love that postpartum glory, huh?) So a friend recommended You Can Heal Your Life to me and I’m telling you, the daily affirmations I’ve been incorporating into my life WORK.

This new practice has changed my mindset, and when I find myself starting to stress out about something, I repeat my affirmations and BAM, it really does make me feel better. It’s like flipping the switch in your perspective from negative to positive. And it’s true what they say: Perspective is everything! When you view yourself and your world around you from a place of optimism, you see the good… The positive… The SOLUTIONS… As opposed to getting bogged down in the problems and negativity.
Now, I get it if you’re thinking that the idea of affirmations is a little out there and that I’m just a crazy hippie (ok, well the hippie part might actually be true) but affirmations are actually backed by science.

What we THINK absolutely affects how we FEEL. And it is not just “all in your mind”. Sure, it definitely starts there in this case. But, it goes much further. I studied human physiology in undergrad, and the stress response in the human brain releases a cascade of hormones (i.e., cortisol) that actually alter the state of your cells at a physical level.
What I’m saying is… Focusing your thoughts on things that stress you out, causes hormonal changes in your body. Science has shown the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and your physical body. Stress can actually make us physically ill, in many different ways!

Let me give you another example. If you are constantly thinking about how tired you are, how many things you have to do, all the bills you have to pay, how people are constantly unreliable, how much you hate work, etc., etc… Not only are you going to be using all your mental energy focusing on the negative, but you will also feel physically tired. Overwhelmed. Insignificant. Incapable of overcoming the challenges that face you. And the problems just continue to feel bigger as a result. It’s a snowball effect! And I am sure, if we are being honest, most of can admit that we have been caught in this cycle more times than we’d like to admit.

And if you’re still not convinced, let me introduce you to Dr. Masaru Emoto. You might have heard of him before. He was a Japanese researcher, who proved that thoughts and words affect the crystalline structure of water.
In his experiments, he demonstrated how words, music, and prayer affect the structure of water crystals. Check out the video below to see his results:

Ah-mazing! Right?!

So if words can affect the structure of water, than what happens to our bodies when we talk to ourselves in a negative tone? Our bodies are made up of 60% water… Which means the words we hear from others, and the thoughts we repeat to ourselves affects the health of every cell in our body.

Key secret to optimal health and limitless energy are this: Keep your mind focused on uplifting and energizing thoughts and move your body daily to become the superwoman I know you are.

Here are my top 5 affirmations I’m saying right now for increased energy and better health:

1) As I breathe slowly and deeply, I become more relaxed and energized.
2) Boundless energy infuses my body and soul.
3) I am filled with more than enough energy to do all I want to do.
4) I balance my life between work, rest, and play. They all get equal time.
5) I fully release the emotions, memories, attitudes and habits that no longer serve me.
Go to the bathroom and stare in the mirror while repeating these to yourself, say them in the car, while you’re doing the dishes, say them ANY time, anywhere!
Want to make affirmations a habit?

Here are my top 3 guidelines to make your affirmations work for you:

1) The key to these affirmations working is to say them in the PRESENT tense, i.e., “I have,” “I am,” rather than “I will” statements.
2) Say your affirmations with oomph! I want you to say them with belief and enthusiasm. Say your affirmations as if you believe them to already be TRUE. Scream them from the rooftops! (Not literally…)
3) Say your affirmations in the morning when you wake up before you do anything else. Look at yourself in the bathroom mirror and pick 5 affirmations to say daily. Repeat each affirmation 10 times. Tip: To make it even easier, tape your affirmations to your bathroom mirror so you never forget to say them, and also to get entertaining weird looks from your spouse :D.
I hope these affirmations brighten your days to come, and give you limitless energy and abundant health!
To a vibrant life,

Hanan

The Big Question

I have always been the type of person who carries around a massive to-do list with me wherever I go.

It feels good to keep busy and to always have “things” to do.

And there is nothing more satisfying to me than crossing off something on my to-do list.

I ALMOST get the same endorphin rush I get from getting a workout in…(Ok, I’m a huge nerd…I KNOW).

So today, I woke up and after having a huge cup of coffee (which took me like ten microwave trips to finish) I sat down and went over my lovely to-do list.

The thing is, now that I have a 6 month old, my life has COMPLETELY changed.

All you moms out there…I know you get what I’m sayin’.

For those of you who are not yet moms…all I have to say is you have NO excuse to not be killing your goals right now ;)…(not that having a baby is an excuse to not achieve your goals…but you get what I’m saying, right?)

I don’t have time to cross 20 different things off my list each day.

I have a tiny human who is completely dependant on me. In addition to taking care of my sweet baby, I also fit in time to take care of myself and my husband.

On top of that, I am running an online business…so you could say my life is “busy” right now :).

So you’re probably thinking to yourself…

“OK Hanan, so WHAT is this big question you’re talking about?!?!”

The question is this:

Is _______ serving me?

Now if you’re thinking…

Seriously?

That’s it? THAT is the big question? What does it even mean?!

YES.Yes it is. And let me explain why.

But first, let me ask you a few questions:

Do you want to be as productive as possible throughout your day? Are you frustrated that you never seem to be able to achieve your goals, whether it be to lose weight, eat healthier, or read more?

Do you want to OWN your life. Like seriously. Do you want to be a BOSS? All day long? Do you want to be one of those people who seems to always get SO much done and make it look so effortless?

If you said yes, yes, and yes…then I have a challenge for you.

For the next 3 days, every time you are about to do something, I want you to ask yourself this question first:

“IS THIS SERVING ME?”

Is watching netflix getting you closer to your goal to burn fat?

Is eating a bag of chocolate chips getting you closer to your goal of having more energy throughout the day?

Is sleeping in getting you closer to your goal of studying/learning/DO-ing more throughout your day?

Since having my daughter, I have been asking myself this question every second of every day (Ok…well ALMOST every second ;))

And ladies, be HONEST with yourself.

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with having down time. Absolutely not!!

But if you want to be productive from 9am-5pm, ask yourself that question throughout your “work” hours.

And when you get home, you will FULLY be able to enjoy relaxing because you got stuff DONEE and out of the way.

So let’s do this exercise together!

ACTION PLAN:

For the next 3 days, set “working hours” for your day where you want to be 100% productive (e.g. from 7am-4pm).

Every time you are about to do something, ask yourself the big question: “Is this serving me?”

I PROMISE you…this one question, if answered honestly and used correctly, will change your life.

Now let’s get it ladies…grab a cup of coffee, iron out your goals, and get started!

There is no time to waste 😉

Why Being Overweight Isn’t the Worst Thing in the World

“It’s not the joy that makes us grateful, it’s the gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~David Steindl-Rast

Life is amazing. It’s like a giant roller coaster…one second we are on a high and the next we are on a low. It’s full of joy, sadness, fun, excitement, challenges, periods of struggle that seem never-ending, and the list goes on and on.

The thing is, we often think that we will be happy when we reach our “ideal”…whatever that is.

Yeah…

I will be happy when I lose 50 pounds.

I will be happy when I can finally get my eating habits in control.

I will be happy when I can finally get some sleep.

I will be happy when I don’t have 5 people constantly needing my attention.

I will be happy when I achieve my career goals.

I will be happy when I have time to take care of myself.

I will be happy when I get over this illness.

I’ll stop there… you get the point, right?

Now before you yell at me for saying you should be grateful for being overweight, let me explain myself first.

I was overweight at one point in my life.

If I didn’t go through a period of gaining weight and feeling terrible literally ALL the time, I would have never gotten to the point of being so sick and tired of feeling like crap. If I didn’t get to that point, I would have never started working out and eating healthy.

I wouldn’t have learned to take care of my body. I wouldn’t have learned how to eat for energy. I wouldn’t have learned how to help other women feel good about themselves again.

Now, if you are overweight, tired, sick, achy, WHATEVER it is that you’re feeling…I want you to know that your body is TALKING to you. It’s telling you something. It’s giving you a signal that something is OFF. And it wants you to listen up. That alone is something to be grateful for.

You don’t have to be overweight to be “unhealthy.” Lots of “skinny” people have very unhealthy habits. Your weight is not necessarily a predictor of health. Some naturally thin people never feel the need to exercise or eat healthy because if they’re skinny, what’s the need?
So some people live their whole lives being “skinny” yet unhealthy because they never gain weight and therefore don’t see the need to workout.

Working out is not just about losing weight. It changes EVERY aspect of your life for the better.

It increases your energy levels, happiness, health, confidence, motivation, and strength.

So if you have weight to lose, feel tired, are constantly getting sick, etc., be THANKFUL that your body is working just the way it should. Our bodies are amazing and intelligent and when we experience uncomfortable symptoms it’s a sign that we need to take action to make a change. If your current condition is pushing you to take care of yourself or to become a better version of YOU, then that’s a blessing!

And know that we are all on our own journey, and everything that we experience, good and bad, is meant to challenge is and change us for the better, if we react appropriately.

Whatever you are unhappy with, I challenge you to this:

For the next 21 days, I want you to take everything you experience and turn it into something to be grateful for, and just WATCH how your life will change!!!

Here are some examples:

Instead of thinking:

“My husband left his socks on the ground AGAIN. UGH.”

“I woke up 4 times last night with the baby and I’m SO SO tired WHY ME.”

“I only got to work out for 5 minutes before my son woke up from his nap. I’m so frustrated.”

Try changing it around to this:

“My husband left his socks on the ground. I am so grateful for his socks on the ground because it means that I have a wonderful husband in my life who I love very much. Not everyone gets to spend their life with their other half”

“I woke up 4 times last night with my baby. I’m so grateful I have a sweet little baby that I get to take care of and love.”

“YASSSS girl. I got to workout for 5 minutes today! It was 5 minutes of bringing energy into my body and taking care of myself so I can take care of others. Every minute counts towards my goals.”

I know I just made that sound totally corny…but feel free to word it however you like! The idea is to turn negative thoughts into positive ones.

Now you might be thinking, “Well that’s great Hanan. You seem to live on some hippie dippie universe where everything is unicorns and rainbows. But I’m just not FEELIN’ it…”

In Tony Robbins’ book, Awaken The Giant Within, one of the things he talks about is focus. What we focus on determines how we FEEL. Seems almost too simple, right!? I mean, we can control what we focus on to determine how we FEEL, so why do we always act like a slave to our emotions and feelings? The answer to this is that most of us have developed negative thought patterns (which we can break, with practice).

The example Tony uses in his book is racing cars. The #1 rule of thumb that they teach you in when learning to race cars is: “Focus on where you want to go, NOT on what you fear.”

…..

“If you start to skid out of control, the tendency, of course, is to look at the wall. But if you keep focusing on it, that’s exactly where you’ll end up. Drivers know that you go where you look; you travel in the direction of your focus.”

I actually put a tab on this page of the book and wrote, “EPIC” on the tab hehe. I find this so true in life and once I read it it made so much sense.

So, I know it’s not easy to change how you feel. TRUST ME. I have my share of “off” days. So for the next 21 days, let’s try, together, to change what we focus on to change our lives.

For the next 21 days, try to be grateful in every situation you have and with every thought you have.

Keep a gratitude journal with you and write down ten things you’re grateful for every day. And hey– I know what I’m asking you to do is not easy, but happiness isn’t going to come to us out of nowhere.

We have to actively CREATE IT in every moment.

And comment below and let me know what you’re thankful for today!!! ❤

9 Uncomfortable Truths About Health & Fitness

 

1. Quick results almost never last.

Quick!

Gimme the low-down.
Get to the point.
I want it now.

We now live in a society that is so ruled by instant gratification that we are losing the ability to actually work HARD for things. Working out and eating healthy is not easy. It’s much easier to go through the drive thru at Chick-fil-A on your way home than it is to cook yourself some chicken breast and broccoli. And the media knows this.

The media and gimmicky gurus try to sell you on a “flat tummy tea,” quick “7 day fix” or “28 day bikini body,” because they KNOW that we want a perfect body and we want it now. These “quick fixes” are oh so easy to fall for, but it is also very disappointing because these results never last.

And ladies….flat tummy tea? REALLY? Puhhh-leaseeee…a tea is NOT going to give you a flat tummy for the rest of your life…let’s get real!

So next time you see something that promises “instant” or “effortless” weight loss, hold onto your Kate Spade wallet and run in the opposite direction. Nothing worth having comes easy. Living a CONSISTENT healthy lifestyle is the ONLY way to achieve healthy and lasting results.

2. What works for your friend may not work for you.

Everyone is unique. What foods work for your friend to lose weight, might not work for you. There are MANY factors that affect our ability to lose weight & be healthy, some of which include: genetics, physical environment, social environment, food sensitivities, sleep, stress levels, and psychosocial health.

Experiment with different types of exercise (although I almost always recommend some type of resistance training), see what foods work for you by doing an elimination diet, work on becoming aware of your thoughts & emotions and then work towards practicing self-love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Your fixation on being happy if you were just “X” amount of weight is based off of something deeper going on.

The reason I talk about self-love and self-forgiveness is not just because I’m a hippie–it also has to do with the fact that it plays a real role in achieving your goals and being CONTENT with them.

If you workout and restrict your food intake out of punishment and hate for yourself, you will never be happy with your results no matter how much weight you lose or how many inches melt off. You will always be in a state of wanting MORE. I know this, because I have lived it.

When you can learn to LET GO and work out and eat right out of love & nourishment for yourself, not only will you be more content day-to-day, but you will also find that you’ll achieve your goals with ease.

4. You will never be able to achieve the results you deserve if they are only ever a “wish.”

Wishing won’t get you anywhere. Set yourself a specific goal, and COMMIT to achieving it no matter what. Failure is not an option. Make your goal as specific as possible, then write it down somewhere you can see on a daily basis. You can even put your goal as a reminder on your phone. For example:

“I will exercise for [X] minutes on [DAY(S)] in [PLACE] at [TIME].”

Setting goals in this manner and writing them down will make you 3 times more likely to achieve them.

5. The level of your health & fitness affects every area of your life.

Your health affects your happiness, energy levels, mood, attitude, relationships, your job, and the list goes on.

The healthier you are, the more able you are to move with ease, think with ease, and do (anything) with ease.

6. By neglecting your body & mind, you are actively choosing not to be your highest self.

We are our highest selves when we are giving to others. You cannot give value to others if you are not in a state of optimal health. It really is as simple as that. Your health is a measure of your wealth. I’m not talking about money–I’m referring to your mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical wealth. Start to become aware of yourself. Notice yourself on days you feel healthy and energetic–it is much easier to help others and serve than it is on days you feel lethargic and sick.
Make a commitment to yourself to become a person who SERVES others. Do you want to live a life of true value? Then you must serve. And to do that, means making the health of your body and mind a priority.

7. There is a difference between being consistent, and being obsessed.

I posted recently on Instagram about how exercise and eating healthy should make you feel healthy and happy NOT stressed and obsessed.
It’s great to be consistent with your workouts and nutrition, but you want to avoid letting it become an unhealthy obsession. So how do we avoid this? Again, it comes back to self-love and self-forgiveness. Doing things out of self-love and with the intention to be your best self (NOT out of self-hate) will help you avoid developing an obsession.

8. It’s OK to feel uncomfortable at the thought of working out.

If working out is something that makes you feel very uncomfortable because it seems so new and foreign (in addition to painful), I want you to know–it’s OK to feel that way!

Feeling uncomfortable may not be the best feeling in the world, but it is a good sign. It means you’re moving in the right direction. It means you are growing. It means you are challenging the old and facing the new. So embrace the discomfort, and know that it’s along for the ride, but don’t let it control your decisions.

9. Slip-ups, failures, and bad-days are inevitable.

There is no such thing as failure–there is only feedback. For example, the days that I “save” my workout to the end of the day almost always never get done. I’ve learned this after years of telling myself it was going to happen…but at the end of the day, life tends to throw curveballs at you and working out just doesn’t end up happening.
So this is a type of feedback. Now I almost always workout in the morning because life tends to not get in the way then. But bad days and “failures” are inevitable, especially if you’re a mom. So ditch perfectionism and super high expectations because both those things are the enemy of progress.
Set realistic expectations for yourself, try to get things done in the morning (wake up earlier if you have to), and be forgiving and patient with yourself if things don’t go as planned.