I don’t know about you…but in the past, whenever I try to be more healthy in a single area of my life, the rest of the areas of my life tend to lack any kind of improvement and sometimes take steps backwards!
For instance, when I’m training for a 26.2 mile marathon, I’m so focused on making sure I get all of my running and workouts in…that I can really slack in the amount of sleep I get or in how healthy my eating is. I’m so focused on the running, that the other areas fall behind. I’m beginning to realize that living a full and whole life means being able to make small steps in each area of my life so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. Instead of looking at the bigger goals of “I want to lose 15 pounds, get plenty of sleep, improve my marathon pace by 60 seconds/minute, be more successful in my career, be more productive…(and the list goes on and on)”, I need to start thinking in smaller sections. Even making one small change in each area of my life is only going to push me forward toward those bigger goals. I feel so overwhelmed when I think of the long list of larger goals…but wow, I sure can make small changes in each of those areas without even really noticing that I’m having to do anything.
So, what small changes can I make? (I’m so glad you asked! *smile*). These aren’t in any particular order.
(1) Eat mostly unprocessed foods. Add in more vegetables, fruit, and lean meats into your daily life. Get rid of as many of the processed foods as you can. One of my favorite meals is grilled fish with cut up tomatoes and avocado. It’s so quick to make, tastes so yummy, and has great protein, vitamins, and healthy fat!
(2) Walk more. You may not be a runner. But most everybody can walk. Walking is one of the most healthiest exercises you can do. It also helps to relieve stress. If you have a desk job, make sure to get up periodically and walk around the office. Not only will it help you not get stiff from sitting all day, but it can help clear your mind as well as burn extra calories. If there’s an option of an elevator or stairs, take the stairs. Park farther away in the parking lot, so that you need to walk more to get where you’re going. Those are just a few ways that you can add more walking into your daily life.
(3) Drink more water. Water is a miracle worker. Not only does it keep you hydrated which is so important, but it flushes out toxins and it makes you feel full!
(4) Stay away from negativity. If you have people in your life that are constantly negative and are always dealing with drama…it’s time for you to find new friends. It’s hard to want to be more healthy in your own life when you’re around others who don’t want to be more healthy in theirs.
(5) Take time away from social media. This is a hard one for me, but I know it’s important! Being more successful and being more productive mean that I need to re-focus my time on what’s most important. This doesn’t mean that I have to completely get rid of it! For what I do, I NEED social media. HOWEVER, I can schedule my time on social media to just set times during the day/week. If I’m not constantly picking up my phone and scrolling, the world isn’t going to break :) It can wait until later today when I have some time scheduled to do it…or even tomorrow.
(6) Read more. It stimulates the brain. The book I read most is the Bible, because I need to know what God’s Truth is for my life. That helps me to feel more fulfilled and helps me to stay focused on what truly matters!
(7) Pray more. For me, I find it’s better to do this first thing in the morning after I wake up and after reading God’s Word. I also have conversations with Jesus throughout the day as well. But that focused prayer time at the start of the day really helps me be in the right mindset, stay focused, and be really productive.
(8) Pick up a new hobby. Having interests outside of work will help you to feel more fulfilled and will help you to be able to relax and feel less stress.
All of these steps can easily be added into your daily/weekly schedule without taking up too much extra time. For instance, even setting 1 hour aside per week to spend on a hobby is much better than having no hobbies. If you can’t find time to read, then get books on CD or listen to podcasts that you can listen to while you’re driving. It doesn’t take up extra time. It’s only a matter of refocusing priorities…