How do you get a healthy lifestyle? It’s actually easier than you might think, but it takes time and patience. Starting today, work on making small changes that will result in big rewards later on. In this way, you’ll gradually get your life back in balance and feel better than ever before. Here are seven easy steps to help you get there.
Step 1: Get your priorities straight
You need to know what is really important to you. What are your goals? Once you have these down, work on achieving them and remember, it will take time and dedication. Choose an area of your life that is the most important right now and put the rest on hold for awhile until you’ve gotten that one done. This will not only help you make choices about your actions but also about how much time or energy you want to put into different tasks.
Step 2: Invest in yourself
In order to have an effective lifestyle, you need to invest time and money into it. You may not see the rewards for months or years down the line, but your hard work will pay off. Take care of yourself first so that you can provide for others later. Investing in a health coach will ensure you are receiving professional advice on what is best for your body and what steps need improvement. The end result is greater overall well-being and quality of life. You should always be thinking about how to invest in yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things!
Step 3: Keep realistic expectations
At the beginning of your new lifestyle, it’s likely that you’ll only be able to maintain the change for short periods of time. Be patient with yourself and try not to get discouraged. To make progress, stick with healthier habits as much as possible, but don’t let yourself feel guilty if you slip up now and then. It’s all about balancing your healthy behaviors with some indulgences too. Remember, eating an occasional treat is part of a balanced diet. Just try to balance them out by following steps 1-6!
Step 4: Prepare yourself mentally
Having a positive mental attitude is crucial to success and getting healthy. Everyone gets discouraged now and then, but remind yourself that you’ve done this before and that you can do it again. If the people around you are negative or discouraging, try spending more time with people who are upbeat and uplifting. Spend some time looking at images of things that make you happy. It might be something as simple as a sunset over the ocean or your pet dog doing something funny. The more time you spend looking at these images, the more they will help keep your mood on an even keel.
Step 5: Prepare your surroundings
What if you live with other people who don’t share your commitment to health? It’s important that you lay out some ground rules as soon as possible. Eating junk food in front of others will only make it harder for them to develop healthier habits, and giving into temptation sets a bad example. Be respectful and accommodating, but don’t be afraid to take stands on issues such as eating late at night or skipping the gym during vacation.
Step 6. Reward yourself
Sometimes the hardest part of starting your journey to wellness is getting motivated. If you reward yourself, it will help you keep up the momentum. No reward is too small. Whether it’s with a new pair of shoes or allowing yourself an ice cream cone at the end of each week, there are many ways you can make sure that following through on your goal is satisfying and doable.
Step 7. Take baby steps
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that change will happen overnight, when it is usually better to take baby steps. Instead of making drastic changes, start out by just trying new things and improving little by little. Eventually, you’ll be able to create a sustainable lifestyle that will last. You can gradually increase your healthy eating habits until you are only eating whole foods and staying away from sugar or processed foods. You can start small with exercise, by committing to five minutes each day.
