The media does a great job of painting wellness as this grueling process where the only way to feel better is to suffer first. That is so wrong and ridiculous! In fact, I know some simple things you can do right now that will have immediate positive effects by tomorrow! I have worked with so many clients who came to their first meeting braced for me to take away everything they love and throw a strict meal plan and exercise regime at them. For the record, I have never handed out a single meal plan. The plan we build together is based completely on the client’s current lifestyle, with small habits mastered one by one. Years later, these clients are still living their best life!
Think of your body as an instrument in a beautiful symphony. A symphony, by definition, has four parts. While each part is beautiful on its own, the movements in their entirety complete the magnificence that is the symphony. Our wellness responds in quite the same way. Wellness is not just one action, its multiple actions working together toward achieving something great!These actions motivate one another, to achieve optimum wellness. The four areas of wellness I want to address includesleep, water, nutrition, and exercise. Each on their own are excellent places to start. However, giving attention to all areas will create a great Symphony of Wellness.
SLEEP
Sleep is so vital. Without enough sleep, we are missing out on the full potential of our mind and body. Imagine, unlocking more of your potential tomorrow, just by getting enough sleep tonight! Getting enough sleep has a ton of benefits including:
Clarity of Mind
Better Workouts
Mood Control
Less Stress
Stronger Immune System
Less Cravings
All this just from sleeping enough?! Yes! We all have different lifestyles and jobs that require different sleep patterns. However, we can all share the same goal of getting seven restful hours when we sleep. Many people can function fine on six, and othersneed that solid eight hours of beauty rest. If you suffer from sleep issues, your goal can be to follow through on your sleep plan. That might mean working with a health care professional to develop your sleep plan.
Next, look at your sleep environment. Is it cozy and free of sleep distractions? Ideally, you want a dark, quiet, cool environment that is designated for sleep. Try to keep your home office and entertainment out of your sleep area. As you prepare your body for sleep, reading in your sleep area might be a nice alternative to your phone or TV screen. Then, develop a sleep routine that puts yourself in your sleep area 20-30 minutes before bed to wind down and signal your body that it is time to sleep. Developing this bedtime routine will also develop your body’s internal clock and you will notice you wake easily when its time to get up. You body is a machine and sleeping well is a big part of maintaining it.
Interested in the other areas? Check out:
No matter where you start in these four areas, it should not feel like work. While there is effort required, the changes you make to your existing lifestyle need to be small and steady. Pick a quick win for yourself, like drinking that cup of water first thing in the morning for a week. See how you feel and how easy that little change was. Next, go to your bed and see if you can make some easy improvements like closing the blinds, or setting up your work PC at the kitchen table instead of your bed. After that, you could sit and make a grocery list following the perimeter shopping plan. Finally, get out and move! Go for a walk if that’swhat today looks like. Take it slow and enjoy the Symphony of Wellness!