Choosing Change for Health & Wellness
If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.
Change doesn’t have to be hard, but for the most part, it terrifies us. We sensationalize the notion of change and think it’s a beast to conquer. The reality is it can be quite beautiful. Without a willingness to create change, we stay the same, and there is no growth. Growth is required to keep up with today’s world and to evolve into the person we are meant to be.
While coaching clients, I focus on trying new things and establishing new habits. It’s about creating shifts -- shifts in our lifestyle, habits and thought patterns. These shifts create movement and momentum, which can turn the smaller shifts into larger more impactful shifts. Emily Dickinson once said: “One step at a time is all it takes you get you there.”
When it comes to health and wellness, many of us have small, impactful shifts well within our control in the form of choice. We get to choose how we spend our time, how we react in any given situation and more. We are all given the same amount of time in a day, it’s truly up to us how we spend it. These shifts don’t need to take a lot of time, although at first it may seem like another thing to do because there’s awareness around it, ultimately, establishing the new habits will soon become so normal, it’s as if we never didn’t do it. Small, but substantial, lifestyle shifts are easier than we think.
First, I recommend everyone drink more water. 70-80% of our body is made from water! Studies show that when we are dehydrated, our cellular process decreases and the body is less lubricated, causing headaches, grogginess, dry skin, digestive issues, among other ailments. Severe and ongoing dehydration can affect blood pressure, circulation, digestion and kidney function as well. You need at least one-half of your body weight in ounces a day (so, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need 75 ounces of water, or more). If you sweat a lot, you’ll need to consume 70-80% of your body weight in water to stay hydrated.
Second, get more sleep. Most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night to function at their best. During restful sleep, our body rests, digests and restores. We can’t feel our best without enough sleep. The most common ailments we suffer from without enough sleep are, getting sick more often, brain fog, reduced sex drive and weight gain. If you get less sleep than 7 hours and think you feel great, try sleeping a little more for a few nights and see what it does for you.
Third, manage your stress and breathe. Seems simple, but so many of us aren’t breathing properly. We must engage our diaphragm (or tummy) to breathe in a way that fuels our body, mind and spirt. Stress management is something we must handle in smaller bits. We have to get in touch with what triggers stress for you. There’s no way to recommend removing stress, so I work with my clients on reducing stress. All too often we are creating our own stress (or at a minimum adding to it) with our own mindset. Creating positive shifts here takes practice, but it’s certainly something we all have the tools to do.
While these things may seem very basic (great news!), the majority of us aren’t doing the basics to feel our best. I suggest you start with these small changes and then a coaching session, we can dig into your story and your habits and identify other habits you can establish to elevate your health, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so you feel your best. I can’t wait to meet you and join your health journey.
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