Hello and welcome back to the BARE Podcast! This is your host, Susan Hyatt. This is Season One, Episode Two.
Wanna read the full transcript? Here ya go:
The BARE Podcast is a show where we talk about your body AND your life.
We discuss things like… how to treat your body with love and respect… how to build more energy and the confidence to go after your goals… and how to make the most of each and every day.
If you’ve been hanging out with me for awhile, then you probably already know that there are seven steps in the BARE process.
Here are the seven steps:
- Clean up your environment.
- Add pleasure into your day.
- Eat with attentiveness.
- Exercise with love.
- Declutter your closet.
- Detox your mind.
- Show up and be seen.
On the last episode, we discussed Step 1. Clean up your environment. On this episode, we’re discussing…
STEP 2. ADD PLEASURE INTO YOUR DAY.
Yaaaaaaas! This is, quite possibly, my favorite topic to talk about. EVER.
When I say “add pleasure into your day,” most people immediately think I’m talking about sexual pleasure. And that can be part of it! But that’s not the only kind.
I’m talking about ALL KINDS of pleasure—pleasure from music, pleasure from art, pleasure from beautiful things and experiences, pleasure from quiet, cozy moments in your jammies, pleasure from friends, pleasure from creative projects, and yes, pleasure from sex and pleasure from food, too. There are many kinds of pleasure in this world and I want you to experience ALL of them.
Right now, you might be thinking, “Well Susan, I get plenty of pleasure from food. Too much pleasure, actually, and that’s why I’m overweight! So you’re telling me I need MORE pleasure in my day? That doesn’t make sense.”
Yes, I’m telling you to add more pleasure into your day, however, I also want you to DIVERSIFY where your pleasure is coming from. Here’s what I mean by that…
Sometimes, we get into a rut where we’re relying on food as the ONLY source of pleasure in our lives, and that’s not good. That usually leads to overeating and using food almost like a drug, to numb out and escape. That was TOTALLY my situation about 12 years ago. We don’t want that. We want pleasure from a wide variety of sources. Food should ABSOLUTELY be a source of pleasure in your day, just not the ONLY source of pleasure in your day.
So, why is it important to add more pleasure into your day?
What happens when we do this?
Well, let’s start with a story. Let’s roll back about 11 or 12 years, back to a very different era of my life.
Back then, my daily routine had almost NO pleasure, NO beauty, NO fun.
I woke up and felt exhausted. I got dressed in baggy, frumpy clothes that I didn’t like. I made breakfast and usually I ate something that didn’t feel or taste very good, like a stale PopTart, or a greasy egg sandwich from the fast food drive thru window.
Then I’d go to my job which I really hated. I felt bored and un-stimulated. Then I’d pick up my kids from school and do carpool, errands, all the mom stuff, which I found really tiring and honestly, really boring. I love my kids to death, but shuttling them around after school like an unpaid taxi driver is just NOT my idea of a good time!
Back then, if you had asked me, “Susan, what’s the best part of your day?” or “What’s a moment that brings you a lot of joy and pleasure?” I would have looked at you and I would have said, “Um… NOTHING? None of it?”
That may sound really sad, but that’s how I felt back then. My day was really DEVOID of pleasure. Pleasure just wasn’t part of my reality! As a result, I felt like crap and I got tangled up in some harmful behavior, like overeating and snacking mindlessly as a form of entertainment.
When we don’t have enough pleasure in our lives, it takes a huge toll on our health. When you’re unhappy and stressed out, and don’t have enough pleasure, it impacts your hormones, your digestion, your immune system, your whole body. You’re more likely to get sick and burnt out. Your cortisol levels get elevated which led to intense food cravings, even when you’re not hungry. Your metabolism slows down and it’s easier to gain weight. So many issues that you don’t want. And what is the solution? MORE PLEASURE.
I firmly believe that if every woman pledged to add TONS more pleasure into her daily life, it would change our bodies, our lives, and the entire world. And plenty of scientific studies back me up on this. Pleasure changes lives.
Sometime today, I want you to come up with at least ONE WAY that you could add more pleasure into your day.
It can be something small. Maybe you could book a pedicure for yourself tonight. Or maybe you could stop using paper napkins at dinner and switch to the nice, pretty linen napkins instead. Or maybe you could watch a hilarious comedy show tonight instead of a violent, scary show that stresses you out. Or maybe all of the above!
Figure out a way to bring more pleasure into your life. DO IT. You will feel so much better. Your stress levels will drop. Your body will exhale in gratitude and say “Thank you, ahhhhhh… that’s more like it.”
BARE VICTORIES
OK ladies, now we’re moving into a segment that I call BARE VICTORIES! This is where I share some posts, emails, and texts from women in my community to say CONGRATULATIONS and YAY!
Here’s the first BARE VICTORY…
Here’s my family’s huge Make a Scene for the week (although I feel like I’ve had more than ever in my life this week). So many big wins for me!
My husband’s family insisted on going to an out of town hotel for a Thanksgiving Buffett. It’s ridiculously expensive (not my biggest gripe), not tasty at all, never relaxing for us. We’ve gone in years past when it was so inconvenient for us, left my family to race out the door to get there and then I was completely miserable.
This year, we said, “No, we aren’t coming.” Even when we found out that we are hosting my family on Sat. instead of today, we kept to our decision. My MIL, although I love her dearly, can be super passive aggressive, but we didn’t let us sway our decision. It may not be what everyone thinks we should do, but we did it for us. It’s a small step, but it really is huge for this people pleaser.
Here’s another victory…
My husband and I went out Christmas shopping last night and we stopped into Bravo’s for dessert afterwards. We shared a creme brulee. Now before, I would have just eaten it but last night I actually savored each bite and didn’t feel guilty in the least for eating it. It was super yummy too!
Thank you for inspiring me to do better!!
BARE Q&A
OK, now it’s time for a segment that I call BARE Q&A. I’m choosing a question that’s been submitted by a client, be a BARE DAILY member, or from a podcast listener like you. If you have a question, you can send it to: SUPPORT@SHYATT.COM.
Today’s question comes from Laura. She asks:
Here is the $6B question I’m asking myself this week to prime the pump around cleaning up all of my spaces. You know, the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and yes, imagined.
Why am I tolerating ALL the clutter? This one’s a big one.
Here’s my answer:
I believe that any kind of physical clutter that you’re tolerating that is not in service to you, is a direct reflection of inner clutter.
So, when I say, “not in service to you…” I mean… there are some people who THRIVE in cluttered conditions (as hard as that may seem to the rest of us). Typically artists and creatives have supplies and books and things spread out all over and it doesn’t negatively impact them at all. But, women in particular, tend to like physical clarity. They really like their spaces to be organized…somewhat, so if you’re noticing that you’re tolerating a lot of clutter, that IS the $6B question. Why are you tolerating it? And typically what I notice with clients who are dealing with a lot of clutter is they have to start examining the disorganization in their minds. They have to start taking a look at where they are feeling confused, and what issues are stressing them out the most.
Laura actually posted an update to her question.
And here’s her second part to her question/results:
Part of me is really pissed because circumstances have changed. I’m working on that but in the meantime, I am where I am. But I can take exquisite care of where I am now: my home, my body, my money, my relationships, and all the other parts and pieces of my life just because I love me and I appreciate all of it.
So Friday started the PURGE and I mean PURGE. I am taking no prisoners. This will be an ongoing project because I have to take care of my office space, my bathroom, my bedroom, the garage, the barn, the kitchen, the entryway, the living room, and that’s only the physical spaces LOL
I hope that’s helpful! Again, if you have a question you’d like to send in, you can send it to: SUPPORT@SHYATT.COM. I’d love to see it. You can send me a BARE VICTORY, too! I’d love to hear all about it.
BARE HERO
Get your Wonder Woman cuffs and your superhero cape because it’s time to meet a… BARE HERO!
This is a segment where I gush about a woman I really admire. It might be a politician, an artist, an entrepreneur, or someone who’s not necessarily “famous” but who has deeply inspired me.
Today, I need to gush about Megan, from Bodyposipanda.
If you do not know about Megan Jayne Crabbe from Bodyposipanda, you are going to send me a thank you note! She’s AMAZING
I love this woman because she devotes herself to healing body shame. She is a woman who, her younger self struggled with anorexia. She now has a brand new book out. Everything that comes out of her is so uplifting for women and she’s fighting the good fight guys.
You should definitely check out what she’s doing, and you can find her at:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVJZlyL8UY_u6WfYNlqdne1JXCh-DtAPl
She is my HERO. I have a feeling she’ll become one of your heroes, too.
RECAP / OUTRO
That’s all for this episode!
To recap what I mentioned earlier…
Sometime today, I want you to figure out a way to bring more pleasure, more beauty, and more fun into your life. And do it. You will feel so much better. Your stress levels will drop. Your body will exhale in gratitude and say “Thank you.” Pleasure is not optional. It’s crucial. It will change your health and your life.
If you’re enjoying the BARE Podcast, please take 5 seconds and leave an iTunes review, or tell a friend about the show, or tell five or ten friends. That is the BEST way for new listeners to find this show.
Have a beautiful day. Take good care of your body, because it’s the only body you’ve got. We only get ONE body, and we only get ONE life, so let’s LIVE while we can… and make the most of each and every day.
I’m sending tons of love to you—and I’ll see you in the next episode!
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