“How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives.”- Annie Dillard.
Let’s talk about mindset. And it particular, a healthy mindset. The kind we think we have one day, and then some days it seems to slip away from us. Maybe it comes back in summer, when we break out the denim shorts or swimsuits. Or maybe our healthy mindset creeps back into our lives during the holidays. The times we are so eager to eat healthy and get back into shape.
Let’s change our perspective a little, and make those healthy mindsets stick. I’m not here to sugar coat it either. Having a healthy mindset is not an all or nothing deal. I think some days we get stuck on that. For example, my fiancée has been working towards reducing his red meat intake throughout the week. He hasn’t been doing this with full speed on the gas pedal, either. Each week he makes one healthy choice that contributes to his overall healthy lifestyle. And I think that’s where we need to put our attention to. The day to day choices we make, are going to contribute to our overall goals.
Now take a moment to think about your health goals. Ok, got it? Great. Now let’s think about how we can achieve that day to day.
Prioritize Nutrition
Let’s start with nutrition. This is one of the most controllable things we can do for our health. Nutrition plays a key role is energy, sleep, metabolism, hormone levels and numerous other health benefits. When we prioritize nutrition, we set ourselves up for success. Rather than wasting your energy on micromanaging every calorie in and out, focus on the abundance of colorful produce and satisfying whole foods. The rest, truly takes care of itself.
Add in, subtract less
Seems counterintuitive huh? Why add more when your day is so busy already? Because, you need a break to focus on you. Add in a 10-minute meditation session, or 20 minutes of yoga stretching. Making your day more diverse, leads to healthier choices and changes our healthy mindset.
Think positively
As I mentioned before, a healthy mindset is not an all or nothing deal. Praise yourself for small steps in your journey. For example, you walked 2 miles with your dog this morning- high five! The smaller victories we add to our day, the closer we are to our goal. And seriously, give yourself that high five. You are doing much better than you think you are.
Move more
Breaking a sweat makes us feel rejuvenated in many ways. Moving helps protect us from comorbidities, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise in a day reduces stress and helps us focus better. Low-intensity exercise’s, like walking or yoga, can help make more of a difference than you think. Adding in movement throughout the day work’s in a few ways. According to the Mayo clinic, working out is thought to help the heart work more efficiently.
If you’ve taken anything away from this blog post, I hope it’s this: Start with small goals, and work to achieve bigger healthy mindsets. Creating lasting healthy habits takes time. Give yourself a little grace, and take it one day at a time!
