What does it look like for you to cultivate wellness this year?
I've gotta tell ya--I'm not a huge new year’s resolution kinda gal, but I’m big on intentional living, creating routines, cultivating healthy habits, and leaving margin for intervals of rest and reflection.
That period between Christmas Day and New Year's was definitely one of those intervals for us! And as I've reflected back on what's worked for us in terms of our overall wellness, I've realized that the areas of health where we've seen the most improvement are the ones in which we've identified and cultivated effective habits, and then persisted in them.
Of course, we all know there's nothing magical about flipping the calendar page to a new year---it doesn't automatically guarantee or makeover a "new you" or a "new me!" But my mindset and consistent, persistent actions in the right direction sure will!
Mindset matters, and so do the habits I choose to keep.
When it comes down to it, our habits can make or break our wellness. So let's be conscientious and intentional about our habits and set ourselves up for identifying and implementing those that lead us down a healthier path!
I love how Gretchen Rubin puts it...
In other words, habits construct the backbone of our days---they are those things we do without even having to think twice about whether or not to do them. The force of habit is powerful, removing the effort of decision, and sparing us the exertion of self-control.
For example, at some point in my life (probably as a small child) I made a decision (under the influence of loving parental training ;-) ) that every day I would make my bed first thing in the morning after getting dressed. So every day over and over I've taken that action, to the point that it became a routine a long time ago. I no longer have to decide or even question whether or not I’m going to make my bed—I simply do it without thinking about it. (It's such an ingrained habit that I even do it on vacation!).
In a similar way, I've found that we can leverage our decision-making and our habits to cultivate wellness, and in my view, healthy habits become the invisible architecture of daily wellness.
It starts with deciding what healthier actions you need to take and committing to consciously doing those actions over and over until they become habits.
If you've subscribed to my weekly wellness emails, you know from last week's newsletter that January tends to be a challenging month for me mentally and emotionally. A lot of this has to do with the impact of the winter weather on my psyche--in our area this time of year can often be gray, cold, and dreary (with the exception of the occasional lovely snowfall).
So this month I'm being intentional about keeping healthier mind-and-mood habits---taking actions daily and utilizing key natural solutions that brighten my mood, improve brain power, and sustain mental energy.
Would that help you too?? Stay tuned, and over the next few weeks I'll share the details!
What areas of your health are top priorities for you this year? This month? Could you use some encouragement in creating healthy habits to set yourself up for success in those areas? Message me and let me know how I can help!