Life happens. Time and circumstances have gotten you to a point where you need to shift gears and be a little more aware of your health. So, what happened and how is it affecting your life? Maybe your blood work came back with numbers that show an imbalance. Are you tired all the time, living in perpetual brain fog? Perhaps you’re not managing your stress, causing a lack of restful sleep. Have you put on some weight and need a boost in the right direction? Whatever the case may be, using the 3 Pillars of Health as your guide will put you on a path to transforming your well-being. It’s not hard, but it’s not a quick fix. Now is the time to prioritize YOU.
There’s no shortage of information that might make you think that it’s all about diet and exercise. “Incorporate these 2 concepts and you’ll live in peak performance.” Sure, that idealism worked when you were young, and certainly diet and exercise are an integral part of healthy living. But they are only one small piece of the puzzle. The true pillars for healthy living are:
HABITS
MOVEMENT
TIME
Any concept that is related to healthy living falls into one of these 3 categories. Each pillar is necessary and they all work together. You can’t have one without the other. When you understand how these 3 pillars work together, you’ll be able to pinpoint where you might be lacking and formulate a plan to achieve improved wellness.
The first pillar to building a healthy lifestyle is your habits. This is the most important pillar because it is the foundation of all things. It is how you set up your baseline and your habits can make or break a situation. Your habits are everything you do on a regular basis, including how you react in most situations. What you eat, the way you exercise (or don’t), how you deal with stress (or don’t), and what your relationships are like are all based on your habits.
So now it’s time for a little self-awareness and no judgement! Take a moment to think about what you’ve always done, and what’s gotten you to the point of where you are sitting right now. Essentially you’ve trained yourself, through your habits, into what’s “worked” for you. Now, as a result, here you are.
Is it still working for you? Really, is it?
Don’t take this lightly and remember- NO JUDGEMENT! Shifting your habits is a tough thing to master but rewarding in the end.
The good news is that it’s easier than you think to form new habits. You can shift your mindset. Begin to approach your life in a way that gets you where you want to be. Let go of “more of the same.” This is why habits are so transitional and transformational.
How do you feel about the word exercise? Some people are so averse to the concept that they refuse to take part. So reframe it and change your whole approach. Instead of exercising, focus on just moving your body. It doesn’t have to be timed or structured, just move.
The cool thing about moving your body is how you benefit both physically and mentally. Physically, your body becomes stronger, fitter, leaner. Mentally, movement stimulates the feel good hormones called endorphins. You may have heard of a runner’s high. This is just your brain chemicals giving you a boost of happiness. In the past, I’ve tried every fitness gimmick under the sun in the hopes of slimming down my waistline. It took me most of 2019 (time) to get into a routine of doing some kind of regular exercise (habit). Now, it’s part of my everyday life and it isn’t always in the form of a class or session.
Find What Works For You.
The options for movement are endless and there’s no one right way to do it. Try anything, try everything, until you find a way to move your body that fits your life. There’s countless ways to get some good exercise without joining a gym or investing in a bunch of products that you know you’ll never use. Before you realize it, over time, your new habit of movement will re-shape your life, making your body look different.
Using exercise to manage stress gives you a healthy tool in your mental health tool box. Instead of allowing stressful situations to take charge of how you react, you’ll be using a more productive method, one that works better for you in the long run. It’s a win-win. The next thing you know, you’re well on your way to living a healthier, and happier life.
You know those absurd weight loss commercials on tv? The ones that promise to “lose up to 30 pounds in 30 days” or “this miracle will ‘literally’ melt the fat, while you sleep!”. “Don’t change a thing about your diet and take this pill and you’ll become thinner in 2 weeks”. Do you really believe that nonsense?
It’s all cold blooded lies to get you to open your wallet. Be realistic with yourself, do you honestly think you can continue your current eating habits, pop a pill and suddenly be thinner? If that were true, every pharmaceutical company, personal trainer and medical professional on the planet would be promoting it. It just doesn’t work like that. Anyone touting anything different is bamboozling you into paying for their product.
Get yourself familiar with this saying:
There’s no quick fix.
Say it out loud to yourself right now: there’s no quick fix! Sure, you might discover some miracle weight loss cure that will get you to lose 10 pounds straight away, but once you go back to your old ways (habits) you’ll gain that right back, plus some. These diet companies count on that. They need your yo-yo lifestyle to survive.
Slow and steady wins the race
The 3rd pillar is reality. No matter how you try, it’s going to take TIME to form new habits. Time is required to get your body to drop the weight and keep it off. Time is what will teach you how not to react to certain situations outside of your control. And time will give you the opportunity to learn how to put your needs first, without feeling like you’re selfish (you’re not). Why not start being realistic about where you are now, so you can learn what actually works for you in the long term? A lifestyle reset is not an overnight fix, but if you start today, 6 months from now you will be a completely different person. A year from now you may not even recognize yourself!
Put the foundations in place
Now you have a fresh perspective on how to get started living a healthier lifestyle. Remember to take things slowly, day by day. Set small, attainable and realistic goals for yourself so you find success. In the end, the work must come from you! The reality is, there’s bound to be some setback. That’s ok- it’s a big part of transformation. You’ll gain some valuable insight as you continue to build your wellness wall- stronger and more stable.