I have been back in Michigan for over a week now. I am enjoying visiting family and friends in the Detroit area and in and around my hometown of Midland. Go LIONS! 
(Never thought I would be able to say that and have actual hope for a Super Bowl win) I still have a lot of friends and family here. I had this vision of lots of time for writing, clients, journaling, and quiet time for myself. I don’t know what I was thinking!
I have lived down South in Memphis and now Charlotte for almost a decade now. When I get back to Michigan, I have so many friends and family who I love and want to see. There are so many who open their arms, their homes, and their schedules to welcome me 
. I enjoy spending time catching up with everyone in person.
What I never seem to calculate that well (you would think my engineer brain would be better at this 
) is how much time all of this visiting takes in any given day. I like to have a good night’s sleep (we will get to health tips soon, self-care is critical on trips to see family) and enjoy a cup of coffee 
with my Auntie or friend who is graciously hosting me at their home, chat a little, journal, check email, and get ready for the day. Then I’m off to lunch with someone, then maybe driving across Detroit in rush hour to a nice dinner with a friend… the day goes quickly. Where was this time for writing and clients?!? 
Note to self Jennifer 
there is no extra time on family trips. Unless I make it. More info on that below in hopes it helps others plan better when you are on the road and in the thick of family time at the holidays. It can be done, but takes boundaries and a bit of planning.
As I am now in my 50s and like to brush my teeth and go to bed around 10pm these days… there has been NO time on this trip for beers 
, bands 
, and closing down the 702 (our local dive bar named after the Dow Chemical buildings surrounding it). Thank God. 
I am still going strong with no alcohol. I will be about 100 days alcohol-free by New Year’s Day. I am enjoying alcohol-free drinks and feel great the next day. Even if I do go meet friends at the 702 on this trip or see my Uncle Pat’s band at some local bar, I just enjoy a few NA beers which seem to be everywhere or soda water with lime and enjoy it sober. I love being able to drive no matter what the plans, I sleep better, and I wake up refreshed every single day. Loving this sober gig! 
Being in my 50s, I am also doing a lot to help my aging parents with finances, health care, and whatever they need while I am here. My Dad and Stepmom just bought a condo, so helping them with packing and organizing. My Mom and Stepdad are dealing with health procedures, elder attorney visit, etc. etc. That takes plenty of time in the schedule even though I came for 2 full weeks on this Thanksgiving visit.
I am happy to help them and super grateful that I still have all my parents alive and doing fairly well when I am in my 50s. 
A lot of my friends don’t have that and have had to navigate the grief of losing parents much earlier in their lives. Another thing for me to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
This Week’s Shot of MINDSET
Let’s talk about self-care and boundaries this Thanksgiving week. Many of you may be traveling and visiting family. We don’t need any stress, meltdowns, or losing our sanity over triggering family conversations. 
(Political conversations are a big one for Thanksgiving 2024) You may have the stress of hosting a big family event. Maybe you enjoyed a few too many drinks down at your local watering hole catching up with hometown friends or to take the edge off the holiday family dynamics.
Time for some sanity restoring self-care tips. These are my TOP 2 lifesavers that work very well for me. Give them a try. Use as often as needed.
#1 TAKE A TIME OUT. Adult time-outs. They will be taking time-outs in the Thanksgiving Day Lions game and we need them too! Especially if you are an introvert like me. I do enjoy chatting, learning about others, catching up on their lives, going to nice parties, but it drains me. I need quiet time to myself with a book or journal to recharge, restore my energy and sanity, and prepare for the next get together.
What I have learned is only I can plan my schedule to take care of me. I have this power. I can leave my parents’ house early like I did last night. Give myself a quiet restorative evening back at Aunt Chris’ cabin where I am staying (it used to be my Grandparents home, Grandpa built it in the 80s and it is the coolest). Wake up early to have time for writing. Ahhhhh….
 |
This is me at the cabin getting ready to walk through the woods to my parents’ property. It is full-on deer season in Michigan, you need to wear hunter’s orange when walking through the woods!
I just need to plan for it and let others know my plans. I am learning to speak up for my needs and those who love me are totally good with it. That is sort of a revelation to me. Wizard of Oz style… I have always had the power! I just need to step into my power and speak up for what my heart truly wants and needs. That is what healthy boundaries are. To be honest I am still working on this. It is starting to be fun to experiment with this whole idea of deciding what I need for my physical, mental, and emotional health and then just doing it or asking for what I need. What a revelation!
#2 TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR BODY. Stay hydrated. Go for brief walks. Get some fresh air. Try not to overdo it on not-so-healthy food or alcohol during the holiday season. Thanksgiving itself is usually just one meal. One big feast of richer-than-usual family favorite foods, but in the grand scheme of things it is one meal. The rest of your meals can balance things out. 
I eat in restaurants more often while on the road meeting up with loved ones. I have learned to balance my choices. I include some favorites and also add in some salads and veggies. 
I don’t eat the big restaurant portions. I ask for a box for leftovers. Then give those leftovers to my Auntie 
. I share more tips below about finding healthier food options when you are on the road or not in your normal routine. Balance. Progress Not Perfection.
It is almost impossible to stick to any strict dietary plan when traveling and during the holidays. I have tried it many times and it just creates more stress, deprivation, and rebound eating. Enjoy your holidays and bring in balance where you can. It is good for your physical health and for your mental health.
This Week’s Shot of HEALTH
The top things I do when traveling and especially when staying with family are to make sure I am still drinking about eight 8oz glasses of water each day keeping my cells hydrated. 
I pack the organic green tea & herbal teas I like and have those in the morning, they are full of antioxidants. I pop into grocery stores instead of restaurants or fast food when I am not meeting someone.
This is a top tip I give all of my health coaching clients THINK GROCERY STORE NOT DRIVE-THRU. You can always get ready-to-eat things from a grocery store like veggies, hummus, sandwiches, wraps, salad bar, deli, etc. etc. Half of them have hot foods, utensils, dining areas, all of it these days.
Make some of your own meals if you are staying in a place with even the tiniest kitchen capabilities. I have done it in hotel rooms with nothing but a tiny coffee maker for hot water (McDougall cups to the rescue!) Add in a microwave and/or mini-fridge and you are golden. 
Choose the salad or soup or add in sides of veggies at restaurants when you can. The more you add in fresh fruits & veggies 
, the more you crowd out the richer foods. Take a tiny breather before and during your meals to decide if you are actually hungry and gauge when you are satisfied and don’t really need more.
My health coaching in 2025 will be getting a bit of a refresh and it will be all about Intuitive Eating and creating a normal, healthy relationship with food. Yes, I absolutely believe in the power of a plant-based diet and fasting to achieve optimal health and prevent & reverse almost all health concerns. It does a fine job with anti-aging and beauty too! I have had so many compliments on this trip about how young and beautiful I look at 52. I always give credit to the plant-based diet. That being said… I know that people can be healthy with ANY diet. ALL diets work when we tune in to our inner guidance for intuitive eating and what our bodies truly want and need.
I could go on and on about everything I am learning as I steep myself in Intuitive Eating research, but we will get more into that in the New Year. For now, enjoy your Thanksgiving week, take care of your body and your mental health, and shift your focus to all of the things you have to be grateful for in your life if things start getting a little wonky with family or travel. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about – Giving Thanks.
 Enjoy your week!  Jennifer Parsley |
If you are interested in using the power of the mind to uplevel your life, I share mindset expertise every week, along with fun & insightful stories from my own life path from 80s hair band superfan to chemical engineer to health & mindset coach (what a journey!).
You will also see plenty of health promoting tips and recipes because I am blown away by the power of intermittent fasting + a healthy diet to prevent & reverse just about any health concern 
Mindset plays a big part in health and healing too, the power of the Mind Body connection is pretty mind blowing.
You can learn more about the Mindset and Health Transformation work I do here:
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