We promised a fun-filled 60 minutes to focus on YOU and YOUR wellness, and boy did we deliver! We all feel stress at times, and it’s important to acknowledge these life stresses and find ways to feel healthier and take time for self-care. This topic was the inspiration for our June 28 Women in Business Series virtual event.
Panelist Sonya Covas, health coach and founder of InsightWellness Coaching, was invited to share her wealth of knowledge on nutrition and fitness as well as her 20+ years of experience working with people at every stage of life and career to make a healthy lifestyle achievable.
Sonya started the conversation by explaining self-care is different for everyone, and that is OK! Most people identify with self-care as a way to alleviate stress. She shared her definition: “Self-Care is really Learning to TUNE-IN and take care of ourselves from the Inside Out. Create intentional practices that bring us joy and health. In essence Self -Care is SELF LOVE. WE are the Priority.” Covas noted that 64% of people believe self-care can boost their confidence, yet, 1 in 3 in the US admit to feeling guilty taking time for themselves. She went into the Deep Health Web which are eight 8 realms of self-care to help us to identify where we most need to concentrate. She expanded into the 8 areas of self-care and provided tips and goals on how to practice them. When discussing Mental Health Care, she suggested “slowing down to QUIET the mind through BREATH”, she then shared a breathing exercise and asked the audience to join her.
Covas then moved onto the importance of MOVEMENT. She gave several tips for workers to fit movement into their daily routine. For example, set a timer for every hour to get up, walk around and stretch; use a bathroom break to do squats; and make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking ½ of your body weight in water. When going over the handout she provided to participants: 6 Easy Poses for AnyBODY to Relieve Stress, she demonstrated a few exercises that can be tailored for the office.
Sonya stressed that NUTRITION and eating should be fun. She said “Eat the Rainbow, so you get all the healthy nutrients and vitamins your body needs, especially fiber.” She shared several easy and nutritious meal preparation recipes that can be made in advance. She explained that it’s OK to eat breakfast for dinner and recommends you have a healthy snack like nuts or dried fruit before leaving the office or in the car on the way home to help with binge eating before you are able to prepare a healthy meal. She said, “when reading and comparing labels think SPF = < 8g SUGAR per serving, most PROTEIN and most FIBER.” She then showed how to use your hand to measure portions.
Lastly, Sonya touched on the topic of menopause. Which is near to Sonya’s heart as she recently attained a special certification for menopause coaching. She suggests taking time to understand yourself now, have a growth mindset to create a vision and strategy, eat more veggies and fruit, reduce alcohol and caffeine, increase daily movement, strength train your muscles, increase sleep, and reduce stress through breath, support and a hobby.
To view the entire presentation, click here. Contact us at [email protected] to make sure you are on our list for notifications and follow us on our social channels to stay connected. To connect with Sonya, click here or follow her on social media, facebook: @Insight Wellness Coaching, Instagram: @sonyainsightwell, LinkedIn: @sonyacovas