Before the Thrive Challenge, I was basically working all the time without really taking care of myself. I wasn’t giving myself enough time for myself to recharge. I have an eight-year-old son, Xian, and seeing how I wasn’t paying attention to him made me realize I really had to do something. My lifestyle was starting to affect my energy and my interactions with him. It was time for something to change.
My Store Manager, Ro Opinga, told me about the Thrive Challenge.
She is a huge advocate for the Thrive Challenge, and she told me about it. It was really Xian, though, who inspired me to start. I needed to make more “me time” and more family time. My mom also had a minor stroke in August 2021, so it struck me that I need to take care of my family more. I needed to take better care of myself so that I can take care of them.
The first step I took was accepting the fact that I’m really overworking myself.
I was overdoing it to the point that I was neglecting the important things and people in my life. Even at home, I was still thinking about my job and it came to a point that my work phone was always beside me. I knew I needed to make a change for my family.
I started to pay closer attention to my diet.
Not much changed in terms of what I was actually eating, but what changed was the timing. I try not to skip my meals now, so my body will adapt to a routine. With my mom’s recent minor strokes, we also make sure that what we serve at home is suitable for her, which means less salt and oil in our meals.
I’m trying to give myself enough time to rest now.
Having enough sleep has been one of the biggest changes in my routine. Before, it would be lucky for me to have at least two hours sleep. Now, if I’m opening at work, I set my bedtime the same as my son. We both put away our phones and go to sleep at the same time. It’s made a huge difference. Getting enough sleep has helped me have more energy at work and home.
Now when I come home, I try not to think about work and focus on my family.
I put away my work phone during my days off. I also spend more time with my son and do activities with him. I’m definitely spending more time with him. We have movie nights, play some games together, and eat together. I also make sure that I have enough rest and recharge time.
The Thrive Challenge changed my life.
I’ve lost weight, I’m sleeping better, and I’ve started to pay attention to the important things and give my undivided attention to the people in my life. The Thrive Challenge serves as a reminder to me that there are things that I need to pay more attention to. My mindset now is to take care of myself, for myself and family.
— Anna Manalastas, Walmart Supercentre #1078; Lethbridge, AB; $2K Winner
