Finding a balance between hardcore health nut and just healthy enough to not detour your lifestyle much is an art and a science. Healthy Lifestyle Through Running
Our primary focus is understanding what mental health looks like in this day and age. Not looking to become some guru or commit to an insane diet or fitness regiment. Literally, we know that if you have great health habits, you will naturally do more and become more capable of making good lifestyle choices. I for one, have adopted a workout regiment in which I only go to the gym for 15min per day. I realized that working out doesn’t have to be an intense time commitment full of heavy weights, sweat, and grunting. Instead, I simply have the goal of going every day and lifting intently (i.e. slowly) without being sore the next day.
As I’ve had success with this approach (I started in 4 months ago) I have not only worked out more consecutive days than I ever have before, I’m also exploring using the same approach in my diet, mental health, and work. Yes, this article you’re reading is the one article I’ve committed to writing today. I can’t say that writing this blog is easy, but I can say that it’s much more easy now than back when I was approaching my work and life between herculean efforts.
The Easy Way to Find Consistency
It seems that the need to be consistent is one of the major reasons why people give up on healthy lifestyle choices over time. I’ve learned to stop trying to be consistent and instead learning to focus on what I’m doing instead of the activity I missed out on. I can’t say that I avoid meditation because it’s hard. No, I avoid meditation because I like browsing the internet and catching up on YouTube videos at the end of each day. So I’ve made the decision to unplug after 9pm each day and this naturally leads me to meditate before sleep. Easy – Done. As far as physical fitness goes, I don’t lift heavy, I don’t run far, and I don’t push myself until I’m aching or exhausted. Remember, it’s not that you don’t like working out, it’s probably that you don’t like being sore, or in pain while pushing yourself. These are myths, it is possible to get into better habits smoothly and easily.
Don’t be in a Hurry
For some reason we all seem to fall victim to this idea that we need to be in shape for the Summer within just a few weeks, or that we are going to be a Yoga Queen in 10 classes, or that our new diet won’t be hard if we can just resist the foods we are replacing. I’m here to advocate the relaxed approached, don’t overdo the negativity and disappointment. It’s so easy to overreact and ultimately become discouraged.
Stop Comparing
Social media has definitely shifted the landscape and with it, offered self-image to fuse with public image. What this means is that we look to our social circles and “influencers” to measure our progress, our decisions, and ultimately our lives. Let’s be clear that living a healthy lifestyle is just that, a lifestyle choice. It doesn’t mean being vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten free, soy free, or any combination in between. The 90s came and went, with it the fad diets disappeared for the most part, but are now replaced with “requirements” and guidelines that are equally distracting and intrusive to a healthy pursuit of betterment. Sometimes it feels like we could substitute the word “obsession” with “diet”. I totally get it, but please don’t stress out while trying for a better version of your health. Be self-contained and relaxed for the long haul.