Day 1

Hey there!

​I’m Naomi, a writer from Asheville, NC. Good to meet you all. This won’t be first time cleansing, but it is my first time in a group cleanse and the first time I’ll be writing about my experience. I hope my words will inspire some of you to share your thoughts too—the good, the bad and the ugly. And those great realizations and moments of clarity that I know will come.

​To start, I'm setting some goals for the next 21 days.

1) Stick with it.
Confession: I had a cup of coffee and half a doughnut at 10am today! First thought: Ha! No one will ever know! Second thought: I’m going to drop out of the cleanse now. Why did I think I wanted to do this? This coffee and doughnut are amazing. Third thought: Whaat? You’re crazy.  It started two hours ago. Fourth thought: STICK WITH IT. So I’m working on making the rest of the day what I want it to be. I will not self-sabotage.

2) Carve out ME time everyday.
Two kids (ages 5 and 2 in different schools), part-time work, a marriage, friends, groceries, housework…blah blah, you guys know where I'm going. When I don’t take the time for me, even 15 minutes, I feel worse and everything is just harder. I’m simply a less good version of me. A health expert pointed told me a long time ago that no matter what your priorities are, if you aren’t taking care of yourself, it all falls apart. It all stems from YOU, no matter how much you value anyone else. Enter this cleanse, enter some quality ‘me’ time. I'm thinking yoga, walks in the woods, baths. And naps as needed, which I never allow myself to do. One thing every day.

3) Examine when I want it and why.
Why did I have that coffee this morning? Because my husband and I snuck off to a café after dropping the kids off at school. It felt wrong not to indulge given the situation. Did they have lovely herbal tea options? Yes. Would anyone have judged me for having tea? No. Did the tummy ache that ensued make me feel awesome? Hell no.  I’m going to think about these patterns and journal about them.

4) Feel better.
My skin is a wreck (uncomfortable hand excema). I have strong suspicions I have food allergies, but have never carefully, dutifully tracked them to finally see what works and what doesn’t. I would like to lose those last 7 pounds and fit my clothes better. I’m not sleeping as well as I’d like. My anxiety has been worse lately than it’s been for years. I know I will feel worse before I feel better, but I know there is a great reward here if I stick with it.

​5) Be accountable.
That means reaching out and connecting with all of you.

What are your goals and strategies? How was your first day?

Love from Asheville,
Naomi

PS: Here is a photo taken today, day 1.

​

---