Healthy living, is a day to day almost moment by moment conscious effort. It takes thoughtful planning and deliberate awareness.  It’s an effort to remember the why for making these changes.  Hopefully it is about being a good steward of your health and well-being and not about body image!

Stepping on a scale may not be an accurate picture of physical well-being.  Sure it can give an objective tracking tool but most doctors will tell you that weight is not the measure of health.  Itis, however, something the media has trained us to use as a healthy image.  Being physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy is a little more abstract which tends to make it hard to track.

As I have been continuing to make this a priority in my life I’ve had to make this an ongoing conscious priority.  Which means making myself a priority.  As mentioned in earlier posts, this seems selfish and counterintuitive to what most of us have learned.  I have to constantly remind myself that taking care of me is not selfish but instead can be very selfless as I recognize that I can give more of myself to others when I’m truly at my best.

So our struggle continues.

Nutritionally. Trying to avoid empty calories has proven helpful.  Being more plan-ful by having healthy foods on hand and developing a night before routine of packing food for the next day can make the difference between success and defeat.   Packing/Preparing a variety of healthy items such as smoothies, almonds, fruit, milk, including sources of protein for the day rather than eating 3 larger meals may work better for some people.  With today’s busy lifestyles, developing “grazing habits” may lead to a healthier nutritional lifestyle.

Physical activity may prove difficult due to time constraints.  Actively making it a part of every day may again take planning but it may also mean taking advantage of those unexpected cancelations by going for a walk or doing a quick work out when unexpected open times present themselves.  Reminding yourself that if the time hadn’t opened up you wouldn’t have been doing the gazillion other things that are racing through your mind, anyway.

Sleep seems to be very difficult for many individuals.  More and more people are being diagnosed with sleep disorders.  Taking sleeping medication is not always helpful because by the time you realize that it is going to be a sleepless night, it’s too late to take anything.  Waking up groggy after taking sleeping medication may be another deterrent.  Understanding Circadian Rhythm has proven very helpful for some but often understanding your Circadian Rhythm is not enough.  You need to establish a good sleep hygiene routine which focuses on set bed/arise times.

Recognizing automatic thoughts that enter so quickly but deplete any motivation we may have had is imperative.  Once you identify these automatic thoughts you can challenge them.

The other difficulty is committing to “just do it.”  Again, as mentioned in earlier posts trying to set smaller achievable goals may be much more beneficial than long-term goals that seem overwhelming.

For all of you joining me in this battle-

One small baby step today just may lead to more steps tomorrows