So, you’ve decided that it’s time for you to make a change to your current lifestyle and take charge of your health and wellness. Perhaps you’re tired of being tired, or carrying extra weight that’s making you uncomfortable, or you want to make sure you stay healthy well into your old age.
It can be really difficult to know where to start when you decide that you’re going to take control of your health and wellness. Maybe you’ve started following wellness influencers on instagram and other social media platforms to get inspired, maybe you start to look around at different website for information and you sign up for some newsletters to keep you inspired, but now you’re feeling lost and unsure of where to begin.
I often find my clients come to me with wellness information overload. They know all of the things they SHOULD do, and there’s a long list - they’ve heard that intermittent fasting is ‘good for them’ along with drinking three litres of water each day and limiting their screen time before bed and exposing themselves to sunlight first thing in the morning.
They are lost in a long list of shoulds, and they are generally all great and important things to work towards, but it’s very difficult to make them come together all at once.
That is why I always encourage clients to start with the basics. How do you know which basics to start with?
I’ve outlined five categories with companion questions that may help you determine where the best place is to start:
Diet. - Are you drinking water? How much? - Are you eating vegetables? How much? What colours? How are you cooking them? - Are you being mindful of the protein you’re consuming? Are you getting enough? - Are you mindful of the amount of sugar you consume? Could your blood sugar be out of balance?
2. Stress.
We are all stressed. Even if you think you don’t ‘feel’ stressed, you’ve likely got some level of stress. Perhaps it's from work, your relationship, family, friends, your environment? Are you taking the time to wind down, read a book, meditate, go for a walk, do a puzzle, play?
3. Digestion.
How is your digestion? Are you going to the bathroom regularly? What is the quality of your bowel movements? Do you have acid reflux?
4. Sleep.
How long are you sleeping for?
Are you waking up feeling rested?
Do you have trouble getting to sleep?
Do you have trouble staying asleep?
5. Movement.
Are you moving your body?
What kind of movement is accessible for you?
We have a tendency to go from no movement to expecting ourselves to do high intensity interval training five times per week.
Wellness is so much more than the food you eat, or don’t eat. It’s about feeling well mentally, emotionally, spiritually as well as physically.
Take some time to contemplate these questions. Perhaps you take some time to yourself to write down the honest answers. Did any one section or question strike a chord with you? Maybe you felt targeted by it, or felt yourself become teary? Or maybe one section or question seems like the most simple place fo you to start.
Choose ONE of these areas to work on. One. If it’s a section, choose one area of that section to start on. Because there is a lot that can be done in each section.
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by all of the things you could do, should do etc. But, baby steps make the most progress.
Perhaps you choose to focus on meditation for a month or two, and then your diet for a month or two after that, and then your digestion a month or two after that, then sleep, then movement? You get to choose your own adventure.
The beautiful thing is that once you make progress in one area, it will undoubtedly lead to improvement in another area.
Mindfulness will make it easier for you to sleep, which will make it easier for you to make proper dietary choices, which will make it easier for you to manage your stress, which will make it easier for you to move your body - see how it works? It’s all incredibly interconnected.
I would love to hear where you’re choosing to start?
If you would like some help determining where the best place to start is for you as the badass, unique individual that you are, I would love to help.