Overall health doesn’t come because we make healthy choices in one area of our lives. We have to make choices that encompass all of life. The problem comes when we try to conquer all of those choices at the same time. When we do that, we get overwhelmed and then we either don’t do any of them well, or we quit altogether.
So what are those things that we need to do to be healthy?
- Eat better. Fewer calories. Less processed food. More whole foods. Less sugar. Cut back on breads. Eat more fruits and veggies.
- Exercise. Do something three times a week for at least 30-60 minutes. Be more active in your day in general.
- Sleep. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
- Manage stress. Find a way that works for you.
- Don’t quit. Finish what you start. Keep going even when it gets hard.
- Find a friend. Talk to someone about what you are doing so you have some accountability.
This is a place to start. If you want to get healthy, pick one of these things and start there. When you feel like you are ready to conquer the next thing, add it in. You will be more likely to keep going when you don’t overwhelm yourself at the outset. There may be a couple of things that naturally go together that you could start with. For example, you might want to adjust your bedtime so that you can get 7-8 hours of sleep and feel rested so you can set that alarm to get up a little earlier and exercise.
But whatever you do, do something. Always be working on your health. It is worth it. You’ll feel better. You’ll feel better about yourself. You’ll be an example to others. And in this day and age where we are surrounded by unhealthy people and habits, it has to start somewhere.
Let’s put these pieces of health together in our lives and start a health epidemic!