The Saturday Report: Vol 1
We have officially crossed the year mark for the COVID-19 pandemic, and everything has changed. COVID-19 has affected every facet of our lives and has also made us acutely aware of the preciousness of life. For the next two Saturday’s, I will be writing about health and unpacking what wellness looks like for me.
For so much of my life I really only thought about the aesthetic value of my body. I was always too big, wished I had a smaller waist, worked fervently for abs but I never really had to think about my actual health or wellbeing. After all, I’m 24 years old and ‘healthy’. Despite all of this, the pandemic had me constantly anxious about my health. If I started to feel a sore throat I would freak out and attempt all the home remedies I could think about. If I felt the sniffles coming along I would steam my face with eucalyptus oil. Mind you, for the first four months of the pandemic I did not leave my apartment and I was living on my own. My fears were largely irrational, but I had spent most of December and January in a really sad haze. I managed to get out of it by February, and had all these plans to make sure my spirits were high… then the pandemic.
The pandemic made me realize that I actually really want to be here, and I am so thankful to be here. So I began a journey of becoming my healthiest self - body, mind, and soul. I started to appreciate my body outside of its potential aesthetic value, but for its functionality. I would wake up in the morning and thank God that I could inhale and exhale on my own as so many people throughout the world fought and are fighting for their lives on ventilators. My goal shifted from wanting to lose weight and be in a smaller body, but to nourish my body with nutrient-rich foods and to move. I wanted to be able to live my life to the absolute fullest to the best of my ability.
In shifting away from toxic diet culture, I’ve become a strong proponent of body neutrality, focusing on what our bodies can do rather than what they look like. Body trends shift so often and it has become so exhausting trying to attain anything other than the best version of me. I am more than my appearance, and I choose to loosen myself from the pursuit of physical attractiveness. As my friend Tiwa always says, I matter simply because I exist. I have developed a deep amount of respect for all that my body is able to do for me, all the bodily functions that I take for granted as they happen effortlessly inside of me.
I went to my primary care physician for the first time in years and did full blood work. I got some slightly alarming results, but at least now I feel armed with the information to course correct. I hate that it is a privilege in America to have access to quality health care, but I acknowledge this privilege that I have. But if you have access to healthcare and you haven’t seen your primary care physician or GP in a year, schedule an appointment to see them some time soon.
Right now, taking care of my body means making sure I get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. This is hard during the work week, but I’m making a lot of effort to make this a priority. It also means eating intuitively and ensuring I have variety in what I eat. Now that spring is upon us, it also means going outside and enjoying the sun against my skin. This might all seem obvious and easy, but some days it’s not. Taking care of yourself isn’t always #cute, but it is always necessary.
If you are reading this, I am thankful you are here. I am thankful that your body has sustained you throughout the past year and sincerely hope it continues to. What is one kind thing you can do for yourself this week? It doesn’t have to be big, but you have to promise you will try to do it at least once.
Follow me across my social media pages (@alexajohara) to catch up with me during the week when I’m not here. Sometimes I post cool things.