Note: This post was originally published on Claudia Tecuceanu’s blog.

Alright sisters, we’re now up to our eyeballs in NEW YEAR’S messages!

Start that diet (sigh, again) to FIX your body.

Get back to the gym (ugh, again) to FIX your body.

Purge all the holiday shrapnel from your home & pantry. (Better finish off that last bit of chocolate..I sure did. By the way, as I’m writing this my tree is still up.)

Fix your finances.

Fix your business.

Fix your relationships.

Fix your clutter.

Push, push push!

Oh and don’t forget to meditate daily

Have we lost our freakin’ minds?

Now is the time to be intentional

If there ever was a time to step back for a moment, re-evaluate, take a breath, look for some self love tips and be intentional about our next steps, it’s right now.

Not only have we survived what can feel like one of the most draining and triggering times of the year, with emotional baggage popping up all over like Whack-a-Mole, we’re now on the holiday-let-down ride.

The adrenaline fueled push to get through to Jan 1 paves the way to a deeply needed nervous system recovery.

It’s dark outside.

If you’re in Alberta like me, we’ve also experienced a polar vortex where the air hurts your face.

Does this feel like the ideal time to put the pedal to the metal and burst into the New Year like the Kool Aid Guy? I just seriously dated myself right now. If you’re too young to get this reference, I know you’ll find it on Google in 8 seconds.

Hmm, maybe not.

Are you feeling this?

What if you take a refreshing approach on this self love journey? How about if you start small and BEGIN, and even more importantly, sustain the actions and habits you’re building?

What if you nurture your desires to move toward becoming the well-boundaried, well-held, self-loving version of yourself that would emerge a year from now by taking consistent action over time that respects your capacity?

This is the approach I take with the women I support, whether it’s healing their hearts & nervous systems after going through hard things, or claiming the strong, energized & mobile body they’re worthy of until they feel like a ROCK STAR.

If you’re burnt out like I was for many years, you may not have the capacity for the all-or-nothing approach to ANYTHING, but especially around how you care for your body.

Not to mention the programming you’ve received around body image and what you “should” be doing or looking like. It takes time, healing, self-compassion and a shift toward worthiness vs obligation in how you show up for yourself.

When I support women with the Gentle Trauma Release Method, body image comes up a lot. Self care can also be minimal with guilt getting in the way, and coping mechanisms that derail their wellness goals and make them feel out of control. This can be released effectively and long term by gently getting underneath it and releasing the unprocessed trauma that keeps you disconnected from your body’s messages.

By addressing and releasing this underlying roadblock, you can clear the way to a more loving relationship with your body and the ability to build self discipline and resilience into your lifestyle.

As a fitness professional, I empower women to choose their version of a strong, mobile, energized body as their goal and create a customized path to help them get there so they feel proud of themselves. It’s ok to want to lose weight or enhance your body shape (#buttgoals lol) but that alone won’t go the distance.

Your experience is unique

I’ve heard so many stories of women being pushed too hard (like burpees and bullsh*t like that), intimidated or coddled when stepping into strength training as a newbie. Even if they’re avid exercisers, sometimes they need a fresh perspective if they’ve been doing the same thing for a while.

You need a different approach than a man, or someone 10 years younger. This includes the version of YOU that existed 5,10, 15 or 20 years ago. You’re not her anymore, and you may need a different approach to feel your best right now with the body and life you currently have.

There’s discomfort in taking action outside of your normal routine, whether it’s intentionally moving your body, making nourishing meals, spending time alone, or setting boundaries with your time & energy.

The important trick here is to respect the capacity that you have, and choose 1-3 things that you can start to focus on right now. Not the fire hose approach.

Then repeat, repeat, repeat until it becomes part of who you are.

Check out the Choose You mini-challenge:

THEN you’re ready to add a little bit more, and you’ll have greater confidence from the foundation you’ve already built.

Today, this week, this month…what feels do-able that you could start with?

The support you need

To support you with this, I invite you to receive direct support with the specifics of self care via the Choose You Self Care Challenge that I recently shared with my private group.

To get you started, these are the key areas of wellbeing we’ll dive into, with specific examples and the opportunity for you to customize your own:

• Physical.

• Emotional.

• Spiritual.

• Mental.

This complimentary offer delivers high value coaching content that I normally reserve for my paid programs, and it’s designed to help you move the needle in your self care without being overwhelmed, so you feel successful and accomplished in your progress!

You have AAAALLLLL year to work on this, so let’s find a pace that honors your nervous system right now.

It’s important to be specific about what you’re going to do vs. “I’m going to improve my self care” which floats off into the nethers of randomness faster than a 30 day plank challenge.

Would you like some support with getting specific about what your most supportive first steps will be?

Shoot me a message. I’m a real live person over here and I answer my emails

About The Photographer: Claudia Tecuceanu

I am a creative portrait photographer who helps women, families and business owners bring their vision to life.

I specialize in transformational portrait experiences for visionary women, family photography that captures the essence of your relationships, as well as branding photography that connects you to your audience with authentic storytelling photos.

I guide my clients from the very first conversation to when they have their final product. I help them with everything from choosing outfits to mood boards and flow posing for the camera. My goal is to make them feel empowered and connected with themselves and their purpose, while having a stress-free experience.