What exactly is a healthy lifestyle?
It seems experts are constantly telling us what we should eat, how much to exercise, bad habits to cut back on, how much sunlight to get, what vitamins to take, and on and on until we feel it's just impossible to live up to those lofty standards.
We decide that it doesn't really matter how we lead our lives, and cite examples like our great-uncle who smoked like a chimney and ate nothing but bacon but was still hitting the ski slopes at the ripe old age of 98.
Despite the occasional blaring exception, however, we can't deny the harsh truth: the lifestyle we choose to lead has a huge impact not only on our physical health, but also on our mental well-being and overall sense of happiness. Moreover, the decisions we make daily regarding our wellbeing impacts our disease, symptoms, and progression.
We CAN change nasty habits, and when we finally find the courage to make those difficult changes, we feel so much better.
We quit smoking, breathe more easily and start jogging again; we cut the irritating foods out of our diets and we're less sluggish; we get more shut-eye and feel on the ball at work. In the end, the changes that seemed so painful and nearly impossible become such a major part of our lives that we can't imagine how we could have lived the old way.
So how do you get off on the right foot and make the decisions that can lead to a healthier and happier lifestyle? These are the three steps that we will work through together:
#1: KNOW YOUR WHY
Why do you want to be healthier? What does it matter? How do you want to show up today? In 5 years? in 50 years? The clearer you get on these answers, the EASIER behavior changes comes.
#2: MANAGE THE OBSTACLES
This part takes some mindfulness and reflection. What is getting in the way of making changes? What thoughts are you thinking that are leading to results you don't want? Brainstorm obstacles-your environment, lack of knowledge/tools/resources, relationships, thought patterns, etc. Then, we problem solve. There is always a solution ;)
#3: TAKE ACTION
Finally: you must make real plans to incorporate any necessary changes. Take time out to create goals and action plans. We often just wait for inspiration or change to miraculously come. Actually, starting with action leads to more inspiration!
All three steps, in order, leads to a healthier lifestyle, which will lead you back to step #1-your WHY!
With my 6-month program, we will explore these three steps in way more detail, tailored to you and your life. Curious how to apply these things? Let's chat!