MAKING CHANGES…DOES THIS REALLY WORK??

OK; you’ve decided you want to be “healthier”…And You’ve

…decided to exercise more…

…decided to eat better…

…decided to take better care of yourself…

…decided you’ll work on getting better sleep…

So…Does This Really Work???

“Will I really be healthier? Or just feel deprived and aggravated?!”

Well, let’s look at “the Answer” this way…

1.        What do you REALLY want?

What does “being healthier” mean to you…like, how do you WANT “being healthier” to feel?

Let’s figure out THAT answer first.

So…You want to feel healthier… Why?  What feeling do you want, from being healthier?

2.       And… What will you DO, when you are healthier? What is it you’re missing, that you truly want in your life?

After you answer those questions for yourself, you’re ready for the next step.

If you decide to “exercise more”…Why?  What result do you want?  And what do you do for exercise now?  And how much of a change are you ready to commit to?  Are you ready to commit?  And for what result?

And…If you want to “eat better”, Why do you think you need to change your eating?  And What eating habits do you want? And what are the results you hope for?  I’ve heard people say we should only eat to live.  That may be so…but I believe in addition, we need to Enjoy Eating.

How do you eat right now? How do you feel you should be eating?  What kind of foods do you Really Not Like, and which foods do you Love?

          Once we find those answers, and see what actual results you want, you can figure out what small changes you can make, to get the results you want.

So, if you’ve decided to “take better care of yourself”… what does that mean to you?  Do you feel like you neglect yourself right now?  There are lots of ways we can take care of ourselves, and probably the only negative to it would be “finding” the time to make the effort.

          Some people say to get a manicure, or massage, a pedicure, or take the day off to go shopping…

          But Really, what does your body feel like it needs (it may need a massage—and if you do, by all means, have it!!). Maybe you need some SPACE… some Quiet Time.  Like, Often.  Maybe you need some time with a friend; shopping may not be the answer for taking care of yourself.  It may be taking a walk in the sunshine…often. Maybe taking a nap; making a puzzle; gardening.  Definitely something you actually enjoy!

And if you’ve decided to “get more sleep”, That’s Always Good!!  Most Americans are sleep-deprived, and most of them don’t know it!  Lack of sleep causes more health problems than we can even imagine.  Sleep is actually as important as nutrition according to some Functional Medicine physicians.

          There are a few things you can do to get good sleep, and to help your heart rate slow down at night.  Our bodies recover at night while we sleep, and we truly need this recovery for our health.  We’re not made to go “full speed ahead” continuously, without regular rest.

          Have your bedroom cool, dark and quiet; no lights; turn off your screens an hour or two before bed; get some sunshine on your body in the mornings—this sets up your circadian rhythm, which is your main beginning to get you on track; go to bed and get up at about the same time each night and morning.

SO THAT  IS A SAMPLING OF CHANGES that can help you be “healthier”!  And more able to handle stress with less anxiety.

Does this sound like something TOO HARD to do?  ‘Way too many changes? Overwhelming, all by itself?  YES! Without a doubt.  Very few people would attempt all that, and much less would be successful.

So, What IS the Answer?

There is a Perfect Path for YOU…What is it?

Well, for a Beginning, Where do you feel your biggest deficiency is?

          In what ways do you feel you are “unhealthy”?  Do you have an idea of something you’re doing—or not doing—that might be a strong contributor to that feeling?

          What if you could make one or two small changes, possibly in just one of those areas (exercise, better eating, taking better care of yourself, better sleep), those small changes could make a big difference in that unhealthy feeling?

          Small habits are not that hard to change if you have something you’re working toward.  Your Goal is important.  Why do you want your health to be better?

          What would you want to do, if your health was like you want it to be? That’s where you focus.  It helps build your small habits.  You can do it.  Yourself.

          1.       Start from scratch with where you are now.  See where your biggest weaknesses are.  Check yourself to see if you are ready to make changes.  If you feel ready, pick one or two things you’d like to change, to start with.

          2.       Think of what hurdles that could come up, that could trip you up.  Figure out how you could react if those problems actually happened, so you could plan the way to clear your path so you could succeed.

          3.       Then, the changes you’d like to make, figure out the things you’d need to do to succeed at your goal.  Like…what time of day would you do it? What things would you have to plan ahead to do, to make that time work.  Or what could you attach your timing with, so you wouldn’t forget it.  Like, if you want to remember to take your vitamins in the morning, set your vitamins in a pretty little basket, and set it on your counter where you have breakfast, or fill your coffee cup, etc. so you won’t easily forget them.

          You can do this.  One little habit at a time.

So, the Answer is:  IT DOES WORK!!

          A few small changes to choose from might be:

          1.       Walk, or get extra movement for your body at least 10-15 minutes.  Go for every day.

          2.       Eat REAL food, as good of quality as you can. As many times a week as you can.  Cut ‘way back on fast food and processed food.

          3.       Give yourself 10-15 minutes, preferably in the early morning, to meditate or just sit and pay attention to your breathing.  Give yourself a few minutes again in the afternoon, to just stop and breathe.

4.       Give yourself some “down time” before bedtime.  Dim the lights, make an “evening routine” so your body and mind will learn that when you go through this routine, it can sense it’s time to slow down and rest for the night. And do get out in the sun in the morning, which truly does make a difference in your sleep.  And maybe you can walk a little bit while you’re out there.

5.       Choose one or two habits you’d like to have, from one or two of these categories, then work toward that.

If you dedicate yourself to one or two changes, you will begin to see some changes in your health, your mind, and your body.  And as you are successful with that one or two changes, then you can choose a couple more.  I think you will be Amazed.

You CAN do this.  If you’re skeptical, or feel you might not be able to do it, just try One Single Change.  You will see a difference, and you will want to do more!

          And If you have trouble, I can help you.  Just an email or call away!

Enjoy your Life… Let me know if you need help!

Sharon

If you would like to schedule a one-on-one session with me, just email me and let me know.  I respond to email; I’m here and I want to help you.  Let’s create some more Calm together.

Sharon@WhereisYourCalm.com