Living well can mean something to different to everyone. I think I’d sum it up as being about nourishing, hydrating and moving your body, whilst enriching and calming your mind, reminding yourself of your own self worth.
The thing is, these can seem like lofty goals. It can be tricky to figure out where to start to achieve that.
Break it down into actionable things, focus on these things and take them bit by bit.
Drink water, walk 7-10k steps a day, reduce alcohol and don’t smoke, get some sunlight each day, eat mainly whole foods and ensure you get enough fibre and protein daily, strength train 2-3 times a week, get enough sleep, wind down with reading or journaling.
If you’re not achieving these things now, think about what you can do to do so. How can you better support your body?
Keep it simple, and make it all about habits. Small habits can lead to big changes.
You don’t need to decide that you will eat whole foods only, exercise a few hours a week and take up daily journaling next month, all in one. And it’s always a new week or month, isn’t it? Never a random Thursday! A one hit overhaul is very difficult to stick to, but lots of step by steps, forming little habits, that’s sustainable.
You just need to decide to do something. Commit to yourself.
Get into a good frame of mind, maybe listen to a wellness podcast or two or chat with a friend who is looking to do similar things. Then get started.
Today, commit to drinking twice the amount of water you usually do.
Tomorrow, do it again. And then again the next day. And before you know it, you won’t think anything of this, it’s just something you do. It shouldn’t feel like an effort, you just regularly hydrate your body properly. And if “all you’ve done” is go from no water to drinking a litre or two every day and are keeping that habit going this month, then that’s amazing. A lifetime habit, that will pay huge dividends.
Or maybe today you will go for a half an hour walk, if that’s a new thing for you. Then do it tomorrow. Then maybe the next day you’re way too busy, but instead of dropping it, go for ten minutes. Then get back to it. Keep going, keep building that habit.
Pick your habit, choose the one you think will make the biggest difference, or the one you think you can stick to first, it doesn’t matter, just choose something. Choose your own health, because nobody else is going to do that for you.
If one day it slides, so what? Pick it up again the next day, don’t tell yourself you’ve failed and messed up. Keep going. Every extra drink, step, bite of fruit, page of a book, it all adds up, just keep going. Something is better than nothing.
Then show up. Even on the days when you don’t want to. It’s easy to walk on sunny days when you’ve loads of time. It’s easy to weight train when you feel full of energy and are in a good mood. Do those things when you’re not feeling it, do them because you know you should.
You will always feel better afterwards, and those healthy people? They’re not necessarily more motivated then you, they’re just disciplined. It’s discipline that keeps it going, not bursts of energy and happy endorphins.
Those people have the right habits in place. They want to be strong and well. They are determined to show up for themselves.
It’s not too late. Every single small habit makes a difference. Big changes have to start somewhere. Start today.