When we sat down with health and lifestyle coach Jo Encarnacion to talk about her wellness journey and how she maintains such a positive outlook on life, we knew she’d likely drop a few truth bombs on us. We were ready for that.
What we didn’t expect is that she would flip the concept of balance—the ideal that most of us seem to be chasing these days—on its head and present us with an entirely new perspective. Jo shared with us how she stays mindful through busy days, how “messy” can still be strong, and how being intentional allows her to be a role model for her girls.
HealthyWay: You’ve spoken about how a “messy” life can still be a beautiful life—a perspective that says so much about your overall mindset. How did you come to embrace this perspective?
Jo Encarnacion: I have this strong belief that we are all in the messy middle of our stories, still trying to redefine ourselves, our health, and how we move through our lives in our bodies. So to me when I think of “messy” I think of it as an unfolding of the journey we’re on. I see it as the part of our stories we’re still trying to sort out and … when we can sit and honor that, we find the most strength and the answers to what we’ve been searching for.
Do you have specific practices or routines that help you to maintain your positive outlook?
I use the Five Minute Journal app and recently was given the physical journal. I love it because it allows me to write down things I’m grateful for and tap into that mindfulness first thing in the day. I also honor my body by moving first thing in the morning. This might mean I’m heading straight to the gym to work out or lift, a SoulCycle class, or simply stretching—a simple cat to cow variation or simple Sun A flow. [Sometimes] I walk outside and just take in fresh air!
You have a lot going on in your life—you’re a mom, you run your own business, and you’re prioritizing your health and well-being. How do you create balance and stay mindful through all of it?
I think balance is something we’re always going to be working too hard to chase; I personally believe in harmony more than balance. I strive for harmony in my life and … like to think about harmony [similar to how] an a cappella group sings in harmony—you have a mixture of highs and lows, but everything together [creates] one beautiful song.
So this is how I look at all the areas [I’m juggling in my life]. It’s a beautiful mess, and all things aren’t always equally going well, but when I step back to look at the holistic picture, it’s really beautiful. [As for] how I practice mindfulness in my life … I look at my values and see how all actions, things I do, people I encounter, experiences I’m a part of all intertwine with [one another]. If they don’t fit [with my] value[s] then I give it a hard no so I can allow space for all other things to flourish.
Wellness starts with a healthy mindset and also impacts those around us. You’ve gone from bodybuilder to wellness coach promoting a healthy(ish) lifestyle. What impact has your wellness journey and, ultimately, your mindset shift had on your kids?
I see it in such little ways, which excites me the most. Like when Olivia calls berries candy or when she chooses to eat a healthier snack on her own. When it comes to self-love and body acceptance, I want to believe that my children have a stronger sense of self in order to face this world that’s constantly telling them to change.
Some of my intentional choices are to be actively mindful about the conversations about myself and body image around my children. I look to always see the good first before speaking about areas of improvement or growth. We don’t label good or bad foods in the house, rather we refer to them as energy sources and how that affects our energy throughout the day.
Most importantly I try my hardest to model joy in the house, because this world is already super stressful and we need to be able to really showcase joy so our kids can know to seek that in their everyday routines too.
Month: June 2018
Summer is such an amazing time of year, and with it comes a new energy and motivation. Maybe it’s the promise of pooltime—or maybe it’s just our vitamin D levels being restored—that brings out the sunny demeanor in all of us. Either way, the start of summer presents a great opportunity to check in with yourself and on your goals. If you set goals at the start of the new year, how have you progressed? Are they still relevant, or do you need to make a few adjustments?
Whether you’ve got ambitions to run a marathon, nail a one-legged crow, or get your finances in order (so you can make it to the inversions class to nail said one-legged crow), how you go about setting your goals can make all the difference.
To help your hustle, we called on lifestyle coach and self-proclaimed mother hustler Jo Encarnacion to give us her quick and dirty tips to setting and crushing your goals this summer.
Discover.
Self-discovery is incredibly important to both setting and achieving your goals. It helps to dig deep and learn more about yourself. In doing so, you’ll likely discover things that don’t exist on the surface—like what drives you and where you’re most confident.
Stay SMART.
Setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely is a common practice of businesses and teams. And the process works very well for personal goals too. The acronym serves as a reliable checklist to ensure the goal is well thought out and relevant to your current desires.
Time it out.
When working with clients, I break down large goals similarly to how I work toward my own goals—as smaller one-, three-, and six-month goals. Every two weeks we check in on their progress and make changes based on what’s working and not working. Setting smaller goals and pairing them with action steps helps with continuous progress.
Two Words: Bullet. Journal.
Bullet journaling is my favorite way to make lists! It allows you stay on top of your tasks while tapping into your creative side.
Enroll others.
Regardless of your specific goal, it’s important—and oh so helpful—to have others who can help you through. Find a community of like-minded women who you can look to for advice and lean on for support when necessary. There are countless Facebook groups, in-person meetups, and tools to support you as you work toward achieving your goals; take advantage of them!
Let passion prevail.
Don’t discount the importance of passion when it comes to the hustle. When you’re passionate about what you’re working toward, the goal is much more attainable. Check in to make sure you’re after that which sets your heart ablaze.