Discover Ways to Get Healthy In the New Year with Analise Nelson
Analise Nelson is a virtual fitness coach, filmmaker, Jesus lover, and encouraging example of how our lives can change for the better when we make empowering decisions to take care of ourselves both mentally and physically while caring for others. Let her story inspire you as we step into both a new year and a new decade.
I spent my entire time in college working hard and never questioning who I wanted to be and what my dreams for my life really were. When I graduated this last May 2019, I made a nose dive right into burnout. I felt overwhelmed and exhausted all the time even though I was done with school and was taking a break from work and projects. I couldn’t understand how I had reached this point in my life, and was trying and failing to come up for air. I tried journaling and wrote ten pages of reflection on my life. I tried reading fun books again. I tried meditation and breathing exercises. I felt like college was a blur and I couldn’t process it. I knew I had to focus on myself. I basically made a promise to myself when I was in Florence, Italy in my last semester of college, to focus on my health when I got an olive branch tattoo to represent my turning point in my battles with anxiety and depression. I couldn’t and wouldn’t let my mental illnesses take over my life again.
Extend an olive branch to yourself and start anew this year.
So I took a small leap of faith and joined an online health and fitness program with one of my best friends, but I didn’t just join as a client, I joined as a coach. And I’ve completely changed my mindset around my life and my purpose for my life. As I’ve spent time working out and feeding myself healthy foods, I’ve realized how important it is for me to lead when my cup is full rather than empty. I can now focus on the good things in life, rather than the negative things. I can challenge myself in my body and mind and love myself more for it. Our bodies are beautiful, and when we feel the difference in energy levels, strength, and capability to move our bodies in different ways, we open ourselves up to possibilities, not just with the strength of our bodies, but the strength of our minds. What we feed our bodies relates back to how we think and engage in the world. I’m not a dancer and I’m super uncoordinated, but I’m practicing growth each day in flexibility, strength, and coordination, so I’m not always going to be uncoordinated or inflexible. It’s all about having a mindset of belief. I have the belief that I am capable of good change and that other people are capable of good change too. It just takes tiny little baby steps of positive habits that we can incorporate into our lives every day. Now I get to support women in their health and fitness journeys and watch them grow and develop into the best versions of themselves. It is incredibly fulfilling to be in community with people on a similar life path and with people who want the best for themselves and for others.
“It’s all about having a mindset of belief. I have the belief that I am capable of good change and that other people are capable of good change too. It just takes tiny little baby steps of positive habits that we can incorporate into our lives every day. ”
I’ve read three books so far that I would recommend to those who want to start positive habits, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, and The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. These are books that have changed my perspective on who I want to be and how I want to live my life to be that person. In my burnout, I didn’t believe that I could escape and because I now believe in positive change, I’ve escaped and my mental illnesses do not control my life.
For more inspiring content from Analise, visit her website and Instagram page.
Big World Tiny Dancer wishes you a healthy and happy New Year!
