Put your health first (for real) in 2022.
5 IMPORTANT BEHAVIORS FOR BECOMING MORE HEALTHY.
BEHAVIOR 1: DO THE HARD THING FIRST!
What are the hardest things you need to do in order to put yourself first? For some, it might be working out or preplanning the day. For others, it may be taking a shower or doing the one thing that you can’t seem to stop avoiding.
Whatever your hard thing is, DO IT FIRST THING in the morning. This will help rev your engine. Upon completion, it produces energy. And by following through on your word to yourself that you will do your one hard thing, you will build a sense of trust in yourself.
So make an appointment (the most important appointment you make) with yourself and DO IT!
BEHAVIOR 2: PLAN MEALS
Plan for your healthy meals for the week and know where they are coming from. If you are making them at home, shop ahead of time. If you are eating out, identify a healthy choice for dinner. When we get busy and don’t plan ahead, we end up making decisions when we are hungry! That’s when we eat the first thing we see, the easiest to grab and, usually, it is not the healthiest.
Have a plan and work the plan!
If you are trying to cut something out, such as alcohol or sugar, it is imperative to have a replacement plan for when you usually reach for that item. The ‘go to’ is much too easy. When I cut back on sugar, I had a plan of what I would replace it with. One option was 72% dark chocolate chips - I’d allow myself three after dinner. If I was cutting back on alcohol, I’’d replace it with sparking water in a fun glass with various pieces of fruit to mix it up. When you make a plan, keep it simple. Keep it easy. Focus on doing healthy tasks, like connecting with family or friends, reading, writing, crafting…this will help you stay in the mode of health first.
I’d also allow Fridays to be my ‘free’ night…. this was the day/night that I wouldn’t worry so much about the plan. I wouldn’t go crazy but I’d build in time for flexibility.
BEHAVIOR 3: CREATE SPACE IN YOUR DAY FOR YOU!
Unfortunately, these days it almost seems decadent to have the time and space to walk through your day vs. running through it as fast as you can. But it is a mindset. When my daughter asks me to do things, I love the challenge of responding with a “YES! I can do that as soon as I finish ____.” Rather than “No I don’t have time for that.”
When we bring a sense of leisure to our days, mixed in with the responsibilities, it creates a more sustainable and workable lifestyle. If possible, creating space in the morning to get your workout complete is critical. Space in the evening to make and enjoy a meal is also important in how we feel. And how we feel about time, is part of our ability to take care of ourselves consistently. Creating space throughout the day for a quality conversation or to even realize we need to go the bathroom(!) is a must. (At times in my life, I’ve been so busy I haven’t paid attention to the urge to go, but that hasn’t happened in a very long time…It was not a sustainable habit for me!). Creating space for important moments, such as acknowledging a team member who is working hard, is all part of self care and putting ourselves first. Space in our days matters.
BEHAVIOR 4: SLEEP IS KEY!
Getting a good night’s sleep is critical to putting ourselves first. It keeps us behaving in ways that help us be our best selves. When we are tired, we cut corners, we don’t work out, we don’t take time to eat well, we snip at our loved ones, the list goes on... It gives us the energy we need to have more patience with ourselves and others. When it comes to self care, Grace matters. Energy matters. And sleep helps us have more of both.
BEHAVIOR 5: CONNECTION!
One of the most important things we can do for our health is to have quality connections with our family and friends. A deep, connected, social circle is invaluable. It is a fact that those with a strong social circle live longer. Connect with those you love regularly. Reach out. Have meaningful conversations. Your people matter. You matter.
Sherie and I will be discussing these tips and more during our free Put Your Health First session on Wednesday, January 19. We’d love to hear what works for you! Join us for the conversation. Look forward to seeing you there!
Sherie Hodds is a ChangeMaker Nation Coach. She has spent more than 15 years working with people and businesses to develop and implement their strategies, helping to shape and share the great stories being produced at home and around the world.
I did a lot of exploring, connecting and training to create work I love, and bring more joy to more people in more organizations. I can’t tell you how great it is to do this work now, and witness a stuck team break through, a quiet vision living loud, a start-up successfully scale-up and a client realize their potential. I’m telling you – you’ve got what you need. Let’s get to work.