Living Lucky® Podcast with Jason and Jana Banana

Prioritize Self-Care

• Jana and Jason Shelfer • Season 8 • Episode 21

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Stop Just Surviving, Start Thriving: Unlock True Self-Care 

Feeling overwhelmed? Like your to-do list is crushing your soul? You're not alone. In this episode of the Living Lucky® Podcast with Jason & Jana Banana, we dive deep into the real meaning of self-care and how to make it a non-negotiable part of your life.

Forget the fleeting moments of relaxation on vacation. We're talking about transforming your daily life into a nourishing, rejuvenating experience.

Here's what you'll discover:

  • Beyond the Bubble Bath: We help you distinguish between distractions and activities that truly nourish your soul, leading to lasting fulfillment.
  • Nature's Reset Button: Learn how to harness the restorative power of nature to recharge your mind, body, and spirit.
  • The Sleep Secret: We reveal why prioritizing quality sleep is essential for both physical and emotional well-being.
  • Schedule Bliss (Without the Burden): Discover how to integrate self-care into your busy schedule without making it feel like another chore.
  • Ditch the "Shoulds" and Embrace the "Wants": We explore how to break free from self-imposed emotional barriers and live a life driven by joy, not obligation.
  • Vacation Vibes, Everyday Life: Learn how to bring the relaxation and joy of your vacations into your daily routine.

This episode is your guide to creating a life that's not just manageable, but truly enjoyable. We share personal stories, practical tips, and powerful insights to help you prioritize self-care and unlock your full potential.

Key Takeaways:

  • How to identify your true soul-nourishing activities.
  • The importance of balancing immediate satisfaction with long-term well-being.
  • How to release the guilt associated with taking time for yourself.
  • The power of setting boundaries to protect your energy and prioritize your needs.

Ready to stop just surviving and start thriving? Tune in to the Living Lucky® Podcast and discover the transformative power of true self-care!

Keywords: self-care, self-nourishment, burnout prevention, stress management, work-life balance, personal well-being, mindfulness, relaxation, self-help, personal development, Living Lucky® Podcast, Jason & Jana Banana

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The 4 pillars of Living Lucky
Believe in yourself
Believe in the people around you
Believe in your circumstances and
Believe that God is working through you, for you, and always conspiring in your favor.

*Previously Recorded

Jana Shelfer:

Are you ready to create a life you crave? Let's spin that doom loop of negativity into an upward success cycle and start Living Lucky®.

Jason Shelfer:

Good morning.

Jana Shelfer:

I'm Jana, I'm Jason and we are Living Lucky®.

Jason Shelfer:

You are too.

Jana Shelfer:

We've been doing a series about the 14 questions that will change your life, and if your life isn't changed, you need to go back and listen to them again and again, and again 100%. Because I know this has been a refresher course for me and I'm so grateful.

Jason Shelfer:

Today's question is about prioritizing self-care.

Jana Shelfer:

That's not a question.

Jason Shelfer:

And it's what activities truly nourish you and how can you prioritize self-care in your busy schedule. What activities?

Jana Shelfer:

truly nourish you and your soul and when we think about that sometimes we're like oh well, I'm nourished when I go to social events or parties or church.

Jason Shelfer:

Or I'm nourished when I watch TV, when I watch my child play soccer.

Jana Shelfer:

Well, those are really events that you are showing up. I mean, you may be showing up for yourself, yes. However, what is your soul really wanting?

Jason Shelfer:

Yeah, for me, the first thing that tops my mind is being outside in nature, just having the breeze blow across my face. When we go out on the water, I feel super nourished. I'm not the one in the water with you.

Jana Shelfer:

But you feel nourished.

Jason Shelfer:

But I feel nourished, I feel so at peace and so calm and relaxed and just reinvigorated when I'm outside in nature on the water.

Jana Shelfer:

I'm glad this question is coming up, because sometimes I feel it's almost like when you think of foods that you really want to eat that will make you feel good, and you think of ice cream and donuts when really the better answer is vegetables.

Jason Shelfer:

Yeah, small cup of nuts, yeah.

Jana Shelfer:

You know, I'm so glad we're going over this because I feel like I've just had an aha moment. Because I feel like I've just had an aha moment and I feel like my soul has been wanting to be for the last few months. It has really just wanted rest, recharge, rejuvenation, it wants to feel good. It wants to feel good and yet what I'm doing is not working, Even though I am doing my best to do all of like I've been so you're doing your best to hit your goals.

Jason Shelfer:

Seek advisors, seek the answers, and it's the spaghetti you've thrown at the wall. The things aren't sticking yet.

Jana Shelfer:

They're not sticking yet, and so I mean I've listened to my soul and so for self-care right now for me, I really believe I need to take the time to go to the grocery store to get very, very picky with what I eat early and just making sure that I get the best sleep that I possibly can, which I know that you like to stay up and watch TV. I know that Tater is getting up in the middle of the night. There's just been a lot, but I feel like I need to prioritize me.

Jason Shelfer:

Yeah, when you just said sleep, it registered in my soul.

Jana Shelfer:

Because we're not getting great sleep.

Jason Shelfer:

We're not but that feeling at the end of the day, when we've put in a good, solid day, when I get horizontal and feel those cool sheets and have that pillow under my head.

Jana Shelfer:

It feels, really good.

Jason Shelfer:

It feels like bliss. Like bliss. It's like I forgot from morning to tonight I forgot how good it just feels to get horizontal, to lay there and take some deep breaths. It's crazy. It's simple, but it's crazy. I know, and I'm going to have that experience every night. But one of the things here is how do we get some of those things that really nourish us into a busy schedule? And I think it's just putting it in the calendar. Like if it's not in the calendar, for me it doesn't happen, but sometimes I do.

Jana Shelfer:

I mean, I don't mean to argue you on this, that's fine. However, sometimes I feel like when it does go on the calendar, then it becomes almost job-like and it feels like so many people are overscheduled. And I know that we've talked about actually scheduling zero task time, where you do nothing and then you don't feel guilty about doing nothing.

Jason Shelfer:

Until you get it into your routine. I think for me it has to be in the calendar, because I will fill that space with something instead of self-care. I know this.

Jana Shelfer:

I know, and I don't know what it is, but I know that going for a brisk walk or going to the gym, that always makes me feel better in the end.

Jason Shelfer:

In the end.

Jana Shelfer:

In the end.

Jason Shelfer:

Yeah, it's like climbing a mountain. It's amazing and fun and exhilarating to be at the peak, but that journey up the mountain is a challenge and work.

Jana Shelfer:

So, coach Jason, how do we balance immediate self-care versus a little bit more long-term self-care?

Jason Shelfer:

So instead of coaching, I'm just going to go into consulting. So it's what I would say is identification, like what are those things that nourish? You List them out like know what they are. Remember when, like it was 10 or 15 years ago, we didn't even know what we like to do? That is true.

Jana Shelfer:

That is true.

Jason Shelfer:

And it was like we weren't asking the question. We were in this hypnotic rhythm of life. That wasn't healthy, it wasn't super fun, it was successful, but we weren't feeling fulfilled, we were definitely not soulfully nourished. So identifying, hey, what is it that really nourishes me, what charges me up, what gets me like, what brings me peace and excitement, like those types of that feeling of awe? Once you identify it, then you look at okay, where might this fit in?

Jana Shelfer:

And that's the easy question when might it fit Like?

Jana Shelfer:

for me and I don't mean to just spew our issues all over the airwaves, I think that's why people show up I know I do too Because it shows that we're real and we're human. However, I have identified art as being one of my energy boosters, yes. However, as of late, it feels like when I sit down to do art, I have to work on a piece because there's deadlines, and it's starting to feel almost draining because I'm not seeing a lot of progress or it's not going as fast as I would like it to, and it's feeling almost weightish, like it's a weight on my shoulders.

Jason Shelfer:

So is that coming down to a story that you're telling yourself, or is it possible that there's boundaries around this nourishing factor in your life that you've said I'm going to commit to something that brings your boundaries in closer, and it's you pushing against those boundaries, saying you know I'm doing this for me, but now I'm also doing it for me and yes.

Jana Shelfer:

So what you're saying is maybe my soul doesn't want to do this one woman show. Is that what you're saying?

Jason Shelfer:

It's possible and I'm not. I can't say that because it's you would have to check in with yourself, right, yeah, but.

Jana Shelfer:

I know, though, the minute that I so I'm, I do have a couple more days where I can say gracefully, say it's not going to work out for me, it's not fun for me right now. And the only thing is is I know the minute that I do that, then I'm going to have this creative flow.

Jason Shelfer:

So what would be wrong with that, if art nourishes you anyway? Yeah, nourishes you anyway yeah, if creation nourishes you anyway, what would be so horrible about just keeping it like for yourself and then allowing space for some something to come some other?

Jana Shelfer:

opportunity to come in and say okay, now's the time for you to do your one woman show, because I know another thing that doesn't necessarily nourish you, but it excites you as competing. Yeah, I know.

Jason Shelfer:

And we've got. You're working towards being on the World Team USA World Team and there's a lot going into that. So I see the future as if I was writing the story of Jana.

Jana Shelfer:

Yeah.

Jason Shelfer:

It would be. Hey, I'm going to say no, I'm going to put a boundary up and say no now for this French festival.

Jana Shelfer:

Yeah.

Jason Shelfer:

And I'm going to continue with this competitiveness in me that gets me excited, gets me motivated, gets me rocking and rolling every day.

Jana Shelfer:

It actually then makes me feel good physically which is what I've really been searching for.

Jason Shelfer:

And it creates a different type of flow for you in your creation space when you set your time off to that or when you say you know what I'm going to create now.

Jana Shelfer:

So, and it's not a deadline- I think you might be right and I, for some reason, I really don't want to let go, because I feel like this is such a great opportunity and, at the same time, sometimes life comes down to choosing your opportunities.

Jason Shelfer:

Sometimes life comes down to choosing your opportunities. Opportunities are always out there.

Jana Shelfer:

Oh, self-care.

Jana Shelfer:

Self-care. It's such a big thing and for some reason I always feel like I need to put other people before my own self-care.

Jason Shelfer:

So many people are in that. I mean, we do it to each other or for each other all the time and it's saying, okay, well, what is that little thing that I need for myself? What do I need to take and go do? And sometimes I mean, that's why sometimes I'll just go out for a walk. That's sometimes why I allow you to just go out for a walk, Like not allow, allow, but like I give you the space for you to go have your time.

Jana Shelfer:

I really feel just what you said as soon as I take this weighty deadline.

Jason Shelfer:

It's a self-created expectation.

Jana Shelfer:

Yeah, because I don't feel like I'm creating for myself. I feel like I'm creating to get it done.

Jason Shelfer:

To get it done and for the entertainment and joy of others.

Jana Shelfer:

Others.

Jason Shelfer:

Which is fine if that's what you want and that's something that you have to have in your life, but you don't need that.

Jana Shelfer:

I mean we're on top of the mountain. I may need some coaching around that. I just had an aha.

Jason Shelfer:

It's all about self-care and again, I'm trying to please others. I mean, we're living our life and there's something about purpose and being the most you can be in the world, but we don't have to. If it feels so heavy, it's not something that we have to put on ourselves.

Jana Shelfer:

Right, but why do we do this? I mean, I know I'm getting off the topic, but it feels like we all do this. We all start building these invisible prisons in our lives. We all start creating these. Have to, should I'm supposed to, yeah, yeah, and when we start doing that, it's an emotional fence we put around ourselves. Yes, not only a fence around. It feels like a ceiling, there's like a paradigm. We build this bubble and it starts feeling very, very constricting.

Jason Shelfer:

Well, I think one of the things for what I see from being objective here and kind of being in it is that a lot of people are just gravitate to you because they want to know how you do the things that you do, and they want to know how you're so positive, how you're so impactful, how you're so intelligent, like all these things, thank you. And a lot of times it's hard to explain all the journey that we've gone through to get here and the journey you've gone through emotionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually.

Jana Shelfer:

It's impossible I mean even to our good friends who are at dinner on Friday night it's impossible to start talking about where this transformation started and how it has evolved and even where it's going, it's impossible to put it into one conversation, let alone a week-long workshop.

Jason Shelfer:

So people oftentimes look at others as to what they're doing instead of who. They're being right, because the being incorporates to me the thoughts, the feelings, the emotions and the actions. Yes, the doing is just the actions. So when people are looking at just the actions, it's like, okay, well, let me show them. But when you're, I think, when you're like truly living, lucky like we are, then we just say you know what I'm going to live so heavily into my soul and into my, the way I want to experience this life, that the opportunities then come to you and you get to choose okay, what's, what's still on my path, what's perfect and what doesn't feel like such a heavy yoke, heavy burden to bear.

Jana Shelfer:

Yes.

Jason Shelfer:

And if it becomes a heavy burden, we just set those, those, um, I would say flexible boundaries that give us permission to keep living our life and making the world a better place on the way we do it, the way our soul is inspiring us to do it.

Jana Shelfer:

But again it feels like, oh see, I've never quit anything. I've never quit anything. I don't want to think of it as quitting, yeah, what have we just thought?

Jason Shelfer:

of it as redirecting?

Jana Shelfer:

But I also think that sometimes there is this higher self, this higher version of myself that says you know what you need these deadlines, Otherwise you start flailing.

Jason Shelfer:

Yeah, I think when you're not on track, like you know, one of your top priorities is competing in this, in the skiing competition. So if so, when you have the top priority, what if we just build other things within that space, that um are the doing this instead of?

Jason Shelfer:

trying something in left field, though it's like that's right up your alley. Yeah, it's right up your alley, but I mean, you're a three-time paralympian, you're a gold medalist and a bronze medalist. Like you, you like to compete. I do, unless we're walking around the pond I know it's not a race.

Jana Shelfer:

I'm like slow down. Why are you walking two steps in front of me?

Jason Shelfer:

I don't like it's not a race.

Jana Shelfer:

I'm so complex.

Jana Shelfer:

Sometimes I think my biggest obstacle in life is being me.

Jason Shelfer:

No, but it's so fun being with you, at least yeah it is.

Jana Shelfer:

I mean, I'm a very complex individual.

Jason Shelfer:

Amen to that. You're like my best jigsaw puzzle, putting the pieces together.

Jana Shelfer:

Self-care, self-care. Take care of your soul, take care of you.

Jason Shelfer:

I think we notice like when we're on vacation, we can feel those little areas of self-care, like when we're putting ourselves in situations. When we go get massages when we let go of a lot of the response, quote unquote responsibilities.

Jana Shelfer:

Yes.

Jason Shelfer:

And you have these little insights of oh I need more of this in my life, oh, I would love, like if I could do this every day. It would be amazing and we romanticize a little bit about some of those things. But you know what, If you picked a couple of those, if you paid attention to those insights, instead of getting back from vacation, unpacking, going to work the next Monday and forgetting them all, Like if you just unpacked and explored some of these insights that you have on vacation, then you could say where might I add a couple of these in just to my normal daily life. So my daily life feels invigorating, feels nourished and feels more powerful.

Jana Shelfer:

Oh my gosh, you're brilliant.

Jason Shelfer:

I'm bright.

Jana Shelfer:

Thank you, radiant being of light.

Jana Shelfer:

Oh my gosh, you need me. You need me just to say our little mantra.

Jason Shelfer:

I know that's right.

Jana Shelfer:

Oh, thank you for joining us.

Jason Shelfer:

Take care of you and keep Living Lucky®.

Jana Shelfer:

Bye-bye. If the idea of Living Lucky® appeals to you, visit us at www. LivingLucky. com.