ARE YOU THE HEALTHIEST AND HAPPIEST YOU CAN BE? THE HONEST ANSWER IS PROBABLY NOT. SO MANY OF US DON’T PRIORITISE OUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS BECAUSE WE’RE TOO BUSY OR SIMPLY DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START. IT’S USUALLY ONLY WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, THAT WE GIVE OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES. THE TRUTH IS IF YOU WANT TO BE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER, IT’S GOING TO REQUIRE A LITTLE INTENTIONAL ACTION ON YOUR PART, BUT THE LONG-TERM REWARDS WILL FAR OUTWEIGH THE EFFORT. SO, WHAT’S STOPPING YOU? Our health and wellbeing have a huge impact on the overall quality of our life. When our body and mind are healthy, we are happy and able to live life the way we want. When we’re sick or unwell, even pleasant activities can feel difficult, tiring or unenjoyable. It makes sense that looking after our health should be a priority for each one of us. The good news is, it only takes a little bit of effort and time each day, to create a healthier you.
When asked if they should make their health a priority, most people would say yes. However, not all of us do. Between work, kids, housework, yard work, caring for others, paying bills, visiting with friends and family, and a host of other tasks, paying attention to our health often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. We know we should eat less red meat and more vegetables, exercise more, get more sleep and drink more water, but we don’t do it. Or don’t do it consistently. However, despite our busy schedules, family obligations and never-ending to-do lists, it is possible to make our health a priority and actually enjoy it.
With the weather warming up and Spring just around the corner we see more of you making steady progress towards getting healthier and happier. We at Refresh Wellbeing thought it was a good time to put together a list of simple things you can do to move your health to the top of your priorities.
Yes you do have time, yes you are worth it, and yes you’ll feel better and be healthier as a result!
5 STEPS TO HEALTHY HABIT SUCCESS
1. GET CLEAR
Determining exactly why you want to work on your wellbeing is definitely step 1. How important is your health and happiness to you? Identifying this is what’s going to get you started off on the right track.
In my case, I decided I wanted to intentionally make time for wellness rather than inevitably be forced to take time to focus on illness. I could make better choices that would leave me feeling better and support me to thrive. That’s what drove me to do things differently moving forward, I didn’t like where things were heading and I craved positive change.
2. BE REAL
My schedule was equally as busy as before and I had just as many demands to deal with. To make the changes I wanted to, I had to be realistic. The change wasn’t going to happen overnight, but it was going to happen if I was committed and somewhat consistent with making effort. I decided I was going to start by meditating, and that was something I could do for ten minutes a day, three to four times a week. By starting off simply, I was being realistic about what I was signing myself up to, and I could make my wellbeing goals work well for me, and build things up accordingly over time.
3. SCHEDULE IT IN
In my world, things that get scheduled get done! If you’re the same then you will know that the best thing you can do to support yourself is to look ahead and schedule sensible time slots where you’re actually going to take the action you’re choosing to commit to. If you’re new to scheduling things in, start simply. Give yourself enough time to do what you are scheduling in and honour the appointment as if you were going to the dentist or hairdressers. Show up for yourself! With that said, remember to be flexible, not too rigid. Things can and will crop up and throw you off course, that’s all part of the journey and no reason to stop or throw in the towel. Don’t let a blip derail the whole thing, re-schedule when you need to and if it keeps happening, you know you need to find a better time slot or solution. Choosing the same day, place and time can also help you to stick to the plan and a routine will support you to gain momentum, e.g. a recurring appointment every morning at 6 am for 15 minutes. Find what works for you and remember - you’ve got this!
4. TRACK YOUR SUCCESS
I’ve already mentioned that change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. It can be tricky to stay motivated if you’re putting in the effort but you don’t think it’s going anywhere, this is where tracking comes in. Tracking your progress shows you that you’re heading in the right direction, step by step. I like to tick things off as I do them, it brings me satisfaction to see I’m achieving and I can see how far I have left to go when I’m tracking my progress. Keeping track will show you that you’re making changes incrementally, and believe me - the small steps do all add up over time!
5. TELL SOMEONE
When starting something new or pursuing an important goal, the best thing you can do for yourself is to tell someone else. Sharing your wellbeing goals brings with it a sense of responsibility to yourself, and the other person. The accountability will support you to keep going, it can accelerate your performance and it may even motivate those you tell, to join you on the journey!
CHOOSING TO MAKE A CHANGE IS WHEN THE MAGIC STARTS TO HAPPEN.
MAKING YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY
When pressed, people will often say they are “too busy” to make their health a priority. The reality is that they’re not too busy, they’re just prioritising other things over their health (which sooner or later, will catch up with them, possibly in very unpleasant ways). Instead of making excuses, we at Refresh Wellbeing urge you to put these simple suggestions into practice for a healthier, happier, you.
Focus on yourself
For many people, especially women, taking care of themselves is not a priority. They may think about it, but actually doing it is another matter. Consider this, though: crossing off every item on your to-do list does not matter if you are sick, exhausted and depressed. Those who are able to make their health a main focus of their lives do so by prioritising themselves over others. This does not mean being selfish or not caring about anyone else. What it does mean is unapologetically making self-care an important part of your life, well worth your time and effort. The result? You’ll not only be healthier but you’ll be better able to love and care for the people in your life.
Make taking care of yourself part of your daily schedule
Finding time to exercise, eat healthy and get more sleep doesn’t just happen. It becomes a part of your life because you create time for it. Organise your schedule to fit in workouts, meal planning, meditation (or another form of mental focusing) and sleep. Book that weekly Yoga class in. Schedule that monthly massage. You’ll soon find that a little forward planning goes a long way to help ensure you have the time you need to get and stay healthy, along with all your other commitments.
Instead of making changes, create habits
It’s easy to change your diet or your gym, or to take the stairs instead of the elevator one day. It’s making those changes stick, turning them into long term habits, that’s hard. If you really want to make your health a priority, you need to choose things you like doing, over and over again. Do you hate running? Find a form of exercise you do like. Does kale make you gag? Choose healthy foods you like to eat and make them part of your normal diet, not one-offs. Do you enjoy walking your dog? Take a longer walk with your furry friend. The key is finding things you actually enjoy and look forward to doing every day, and then sticking to them.
Change your environment
People are a product of their environment — the people, foods, and order or chaos that surround them. If your pantry is full of chips, cookies and crackers, you’re unlikely to snack on carrot sticks. Remember: every time you buy something at the grocery store, you are making an investment in your health. Likewise, every time you work out, you’re making an investment in your fitness. If you make poor investments (unhealthy foods, not exercising), you’re not setting yourself up for success. So take a hard look at your overall environment and if it’s not helping you get healthy, change it.
Set attainable goals
If you truly want to create habits, not changes, you need to take it slowly and deliberately, step by step. Start with going to the gym one day a week, then work up to two, then maybe three, not five days all at once. The important thing is to realise that even small changes are changes, and that these small changes over time create big habits. To make your health a priority, and make it last, focus on small sustainable changes you can actually maintain for the long-term.
Realise that you only have one body
In life, you only get one body. Who else is going to take care of it if you don’t? You only have one set of organs and joints, one brain, one cardiovascular system. If you chose not to prioritise your health, no one else is going to prioritise it for you. You can make all the excuses in the world, but when you realise that you are in control of the changes you want to see, it is empowering. Be kind to yourself, and start where you need to start, but understand that this is not your practice life, it’s the only one there is.
Read food labels
Start making it a habit to check the labels of all the foods you buy. Pay attention to how much added sugar, sodium, sugar, trans fats, MSG, artificial colouring/flavouring and preservatives they contain. Avoid eating highly processed packaged foods that are laced with chemicals which are foreign to the body. Give your liver and kidneys a break. Avoid packaged foods as best you can.
Keep track of your numbers
Your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, body mass index, bone density — all of these measurements are important for you to be aware of and track. They can also be very useful in helping you identify your risk of certain conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. If you don’t know your numbers, ask your healthcare provider if you can get tested, how often, and what the numbers can tell you about your health.
Eat healthy
Take time to put some thought into your weekly menu. Add in vegetables, good quality proteins ie organic fish, grass fed meats , nuts and whole grains, and take away unnecessary carbohydrates, bad fats ( trans fats ), starches, sugars and empty calories. You’ll be surprised how making simple adjustments to your diet can make a big difference in your weight, your health and how you feel.
What will you do to make your health a priority?
When you make it a priority to be healthier, many parts of your life will naturally fall in line with that goal. So start slow, take it one step at a time, don’t let setbacks derail your plans, and most important of all, enjoy the journey.
Want advice and encouragement on getting healthy? Come see us.
If you want more information and guidance on how to make your health a priority, please call Evonne on 0406346153 for a FREE DISCOVERY CALL - 30 minutes
Free call to discuss your challenges & goals & to see if we are a perfect match!
In this call I'll ask some big hitting questions to get you thinking. We will discuss your current health status in all facets of life, not just nutrition. But, where you would like to go, so that I can gather a good idea of how to assist you best. We will talk about the three main areas of concern for you at the present time.
I'll give you the low down of my services and what we offer at Refresh Wellbeing.
We invite you to visit our website : refreshwellbeing.com.au
to see what we have to offer you to help you on track to becoming a healthier and happier you.
When you have your health you have everything..
Written by Evonne Kelly
Wholistic Therapist
Yoga Teacher
Studio Owner
