Hi! My name is Desiree Winkel – owner and founder of Fitness Coaching, which has been on Sint Maarten for 16 years and counting. Functional, weight loss, medical, group and personal training are among the workout programs offered. We are currently doing our workouts outdoors and on the beaches, but we also offer the option to train clients at their home.
Good day on this beautiful Tuesday. Yes, I still call the day beautiful. It makes no sense for me to get into that negativity that is going around right now on our little rock. Not only on our island, but the whole world needs to deal with a situation where most of us have absolutely no grip at all.
So, we must deal with the situation as it comes day by day. A couple things are especially important to do in situations like this. One could be being grateful that you have food on your plate every night. Or, you have a bed to sleep in. What is very “normal” for a lot of us is luxury for another.
It’s all so simple. Most of us thought it was normal the way we lived. In my opinion it had to stop somewhere. It all became too easy for most of us. And all so normal. I noticed myself that the thing that I preached a lot, being grateful, was often hard to find in my mind before this virus came around. And now I am sort of happy I had to take a step back. Because now I do appreciate the little things again. The simplest things. A cup of coffee. A walk on one of our beautiful beaches. Those kinds of things. And at the same time, I realise that my income decreased drastically and it is a challenge to get by now and make sure I have enough in the month to pay the bills. I often wondered, but how much is enough? Things like going to the beach or meeting up with your best friends does not cost anything. A hike, walking or running outdoors, looking at the sunset, it’s all free.
Have you ever noticed that if you earn more the bills cost more? So funny, I spend less than half of what I used to spend, and my bills are half of what they used to be. So, what does that tell you about the way we used to live? Am I less happy? Not really. Well of course I sometimes miss things like going out, catching a movie or just having breakfast at an awesome place. But…do I really need that to be happy? NO, I DON’T.
I noticed that what helps me with this episode in my life is making a routine that works for me. I literally sat down one day feeling disgusted with myself because I noticed I did get lazy. I did not feel like training, no joke. I was spending hours and hours in front of the TV and besides a couple hours of work in the day that was it. That was what really made me unhappy. NOT the not going out, having a trip or those kinds of things. Eventually after sitting down, I wrote the tasks that I thought were necessary to do. Things like cleaning out my daughter’s room, reorganising my closet, painting a door, deep cleaning the office space, etc. I also wrote down that I had to have healthy meals every day, I could have 1 cheat day on Sundays and I had to start my training routine again at least 3 times a week, more if I would feel like it, but no rush. After a period of being down, the trick is to introduce all the tasks you wrote down slowly. Why rush it? Take it easy but keep moving, even if it is at a slower pace. Doing this now I feel a whole lot better about myself and I take on 1 big task every week. Funny how my positive feeling is coming back, and that includes my happiness also.
Most of you do not know it but I am also a life coach. I practise now what I have learned and yes even I can get down and feel like I am losing it. Keep moving people and if you need help you can book an appointment with me. It’s sometimes the little things that matter but you have to see it. Stay safe and healthy, calm but keep moving. Enjoy your week my sweet Sint Maarten land.
For more information or if you have questions, call Fitness Coaching at +1 (721) 524 7700, check out “Fitness Coaching” on Facebook or Instagram, or visit www.fitnesscoachingsxm.com
