Taking Radical Responsibility - Small Steps to Better Health
We are experts at making excuses. We can find a gagillion reasons why we aren't taking better care of ourselves.
Why is it so difficult to stick to our health goals?
It's May, have you kept up with your goals for the New Year?
How many times have you made a promise to yourself you will eat better or exercise more?
We have all done it. Everyone gets off track now and again and sometimes we get so entrenched in our bad habits it feels impossible to make change.
I have the answer: take radical responsibility. Stop making excuses and decide to take daily steps towards your goals. Start today.
In this Blog I will give you simple action steps you can take RIGHT NOW if you are serious about improving your health in mind or body or even better, BOTH.
The first step is pick one of these ideas below and do it immediately after reading this Blog. The key to making change is capitalizing on the HERE and NOW.
I love Mel Robbins 5 Second Rule. She says if you wait longer than five seconds to act on an impulse it is unlikely that you will ever follow through. That means that as soon as you get an idea of what you want to do, DO IT! If you can't do it immediately, write it down!
Below you will find very simple steps you can take to improve your health. None of these ideas are rocket science. None of them take a lot of time. The payoff is huge, but the benefits are only felt when these actions are taken consistently.
Every day you must find the small opportunities to choose to do these things. No one can do them for you and there is not a better time to do them than the present moment.
It will never get easier to start. So pick one and do it NOW:
Breath Awareness
Pause and watch your breath for 3 minutes. Your mind may race. That's normal. Don't try to stop your thoughts. Just observe the breath coming and going. Don't try to make your breath deep, or slow or anything special. Just simply notice it coming in and going out. If 3 minutes feels impossible, start with watching just 5-10 breaths. Slowly you can build up to 3-5 minutes each day.
I know it sounds too simple. Why would it help? Just try it. You will see. Try everyday for 30 days and let me know what you notice!
Conscious Relaxation
If you can stop for 10 minutes try a Savasana. If you don't have time now, do this before bed. Taking 5-10 minutes to lay down and consciously let go of tension has immense benefits for your entire mind/body system. Letting go of stress boosts the immune system, balances the nervous system, improves digestion, and gives us a sense of calm and peace. It can help improve sleep and boost energy.
Reach out to a Friend
Often we find ourselves neglecting our friends and family. Rich social connections are a basic human need and it is important to develop relationships that nourish us. Talking to people we care about and sharing our lives feeds our hearts and souls. These last few years (plus technology) has made it easy to disconnect and isolate ourselves.
If you find yourself without a social circle, it is time to get out there and join a new club, or take a class, or find ways to connect with others in your community.
Gratitude - Practice it!
If you take even 2-3 minutes each day to consciously think about what you are grateful for you will start to see more and more things you are grateful for throughout your day. There is a magic thing that happens when you commit to seeing the good in your life. Perspective shifts towards seeing what you have instead of seeing what you don't have.
When it gets tough to think of things going right I like to remind myself I am grateful for two legs, or two eyes that can see, or water to drink, or a roof over my head. Some days I can go on and on, but even on hard days there are always things I can find to be grateful for. It is a definite shift in frequency when we decide to appreciate what we have.
Are you surprised I didn't mention exercise?
Moving your body is important. But mindset is even more important to make lasting change. I would suggest you start to implement these ideas in your daily life and then add on the mindful movement.
Health is more than physical fitness. When we attack the idea of health from a purely physical perspective we stumble because committing to taking care of ourselves is a deeper call. It starts with acknowledging what is going on inside our minds and hearts and these simple practices will tune you into those more subtle aspects of Self.
Start there. Start today!
Need support and guidance? I have resources. Reach out!
I love helping people on their health journey.
