Soooooo maybe you're thinking this isn't exactly about health... And perhaps on the surface it's not.
But as usual, I'd like to argue that health is a combination of physical, mental, and emotional wellness - and there are countless factors that influence the huge puzzle that is living a happy life.
I think it's pretty hard to be truly healthy if you're not happy, and pretty hard to be happy if you're not healthy.
So today, on my rest day (no fitness-ing happening today anyway haha), I wanted to share a little practice that we hold dear at our house that keeps us feeling happy, healthy, connected, and balanced.
Although Chris and I have been together for a few years and have what we'd both consider to be a very blissful life, we make it a point to go on a "date" at least once a week - we carve out a time to disconnect from everything else, focus on each other, and just enjoy some alone time!
Here we are on the beach, with our toes in the sand, right outside of our favorite place for happy hour (I'll get to that shortly) - and man, do I love this guy.
The work we do training clients is very rewarding but can also be quite demanding, sometimes frustrating, and regularly tiring (not in a bad way!), so it's nice to decompress together and do something special that not only helps us to recharge our batteries but also reinforces our partnership. Who doesn't want to go on a date with their favorite person?
Our "dates" are not always traditional, like dinner and a movie or whatever - sometimes we take a long walk on the beach, turn off our phones and cook dinner together while listening to a great playlist, go for a long jog and chat, write up a partner workout and get a good sweat going, try a new restaurant for lunch, grab coffee and relax together in the morning... We choose something we both like, and take some time to make each other feel special and appreciated while we enjoy an experience together.
It's definitely not always centered around food, but sometimes it is and (full disclosure) those are some of our favorite dates! Any time together is special, but Chris and I are both super active, health-conscious, and also love food, so it's particularly fun to enjoy some treats together when it works for us both!
Chris and I work together almost always, and on this past Friday we experienced a series of irritating setbacks and unfortunate occurrences during our workday... Nothing tragic, just a bunch of things right in a row that were kind of a pain in the ass. Since we'd both completed a solid week of training (and realized we'd been so busy that we forgot to eat all day - rookie move, I know!), we decided to take a break from it all and hit up one of our favorite spots for some relaxation, fresh air, an incredible view, and some great food. So that's what we did!
Along the beach in Santa Barbara there are a bunch of hotels, and one of them, called the Santa Barbara Inn, has the best happy hour (and the best pizza, see below!) ever - so we put off some of our work and cruised down there to enjoy our Friday afternoon before working again in the evening. It was just what we needed!
The restaurant in the Santa Barbara Inn, called Convivo, has amazing mediterranean-ish food and wonderful cocktails (if you're into that), and since their happy hour starts at 3pm we made it our late lunch/early dinner, single meal of the day. This is one of the only times I've seen poor planning (meaning forgetting to eat) turn out decently for us! ;)
Anyway, after sitting outside enjoying the day, our beautiful town, and each other's company, we both felt refreshed and ready to resume our responsibilities with a positive attitude and energy to spare.
Although this time we felt we needed a little reprieve, we also do this just for fun - it's on the rare side that we experience less than ideal circumstances in our work life, so we don't just use these times as a refreshing reward... We also make it a point to go just for kicks, when we think of something celebratory to do together purely because we can!
In case you were wondering, we chose my all-time favorite pizza (fennel sausage, mozzarella, cavolo nero, red onion, green olive), jamón crocchettes, lamb meatballs with tapenade and chickpea puree, spicy soppressata salami pizza with tomato and arugula, and chickpea panisse... All amazing, as usual!
Whether you've been together for weeks, months, years, or decades, this practice can really help you to step back and appreciate what you have in your life, and make some memories with the one you love. By refusing to forget that your time spent together is special, I think it's easier to stay grateful for your favorite person and the relationship you share.
Feeling loved and cherished by your partner is a HUGE piece of feeling happy and healthy - I don't know anyone who doesn't want to feel that way. By connecting with and supporting each other mindfully, you only strengthen the foundation upon which you can build your overall wellness. Emotional and mental strability gives you the fortitude to pursue improvements in your physical health - to me, it's all equally important!
A little special time goes a long way - why not celebrate every week? Choosing activities and adventures to do with your loved ones is ALWAYS worth it! :)
Do you still date your significant other? If not, start now! Make some memories, give some compliments, share some love. Take the reins and implement this yourself, and make it a habit!
Where will you take your honey this week?!
Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you'd like! :)