Embracing a Healthier You in 2024: Building Lasting Habits for a Happier Healthier Life

 

Setting the Stage for Success

As the new year approaches, it’s a perfect time to reflect on your health and wellness goals. Establishing a plan for a healthier lifestyle is more than just a resolution; it’s a commitment to yourself. Whether it’s eating better, exercising more, or improving mental health, laying the groundwork for sustainable changes requires a thoughtful approach.

Remember, the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle isn’t limited to the confines of New Year’s resolutions. Implementing healthy changes is a continual process that can be initiated at any point in time. The principles guiding these changes—understanding your motivations, seeking community support, setting achievable goals, and prioritizing mental and physical well-being, which are to follow—are timeless. Embrace the understanding that each day presents an opportunity to make positive choices for your health. Whether it’s January 1st or any other day of the year, the decision to prioritize your well-being is always within reach.

 

Understand Your "Why"

First and foremost, clarity on your motivations is crucial. Dig deep to understand the reasons behind your desire for a healthier lifestyle. Is it to feel more energetic, to reduce stress, or to prevent health issues down the road? Identifying your ‘why’ provides the foundation for lasting change and keeps you focused when challenges arise.  Perhaps you are wanting to be able to walk your dog again without sore knees, or have enough energy to play with your grandkids at the park, do your best to make the reasons you are doing this specific and compelling.  Allow yourself to deeply feel the emotions of being able to do those activities.  A strong, deep seated why, can make all the difference to a successful healthy lifestyle change.  

 

The Power of Community

Joining a community that shares similar health goals can be a game-changer. Connecting with like-minded individuals creates a support network, offering encouragement, advice, and accountability. Whether it’s a local fitness group, an online community, or friends with similar aspirations, surrounding yourself with supportive people significantly boosts your chances of success.  Remember our private FaceBook group ‘Life Balance with Dr Kez and Em.’ A wonderful community of supportive people helping each other get the best out of life and achieve life balance!

 

Accountability Partnerships

Accountability plays a pivotal role in maintaining consistency. Find an accountability partner—someone who shares your goals and values. This could be a friend, family member, or even someone from our Life Balance with Dr Kez and Em community group. Regular check-ins, sharing progress, and providing mutual support can keep you motivated and on track.  

Please note, sometimes loved ones can inadvertently sabotage us on our health journeys, not usually in a spiteful way, but having someone close to us move towards their health goals can sometimes make those close to us feel jealous on a subconscious levels.  When both members of a couple or friendship are not living the best versions of themselves and one members suddenly starts glowing and radiating energy, it can make the other member feel bad about themselves.  Sitting and eating chips on the coach feels lonely when doing it alone, and if all of a sudden their chip eating companion is munching on carrot sticks, a sense of loss can be felt.  Communication can help in these circumstances, as bringing it to their awareness may be all that is needed for them to offer you support.  Pleas note: never presume that your loved one wants to or doesn’t want to come on this journey with you….offer but don’t nag or push!   If they decide to stick to the status quo, remember to be empathetic to how they must be feeling as they watch you do what they know deep down they should be doing, remind them that you love them no matter what!  

Goal Setting: Be Specific and Realistic

Setting achievable goals is key. Break down broader health objectives into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, if your aim is to exercise more, start with scheduling three workouts a week and gradually increase frequency or intensity. Being specific and realistic helps avoid burnout and sets the stage for sustainable progress.  Remember going from no exercise to expecting yourself to walk every day may be unachievable for some, and it may lead to a feeling of failure.  Just chip away at it, remember the idea of this is to create lasting healthy lifestyle changes not to go hell for leather for 4 weeks and then go back to your old habits!

Prioritise Mental Health

While physical health is often the focal point, mental well-being is equally vital. Incorporate practices like meditation, mindfulness, or journaling into your routine. Take time for self-care activities that rejuvenate and relax your mind, fostering a healthy balance between body and soul.  Check out our healing meditation here or look out for our other guided meditations to assist with relaxation, gratitude and mindfulness by clicking the picture below.

Holistic Approach to Nutrition

Re-evaluate your dietary choices with a holistic perspective. Aim for a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Consider consulting a nutritionist or dietician for personalised guidance. Remember, small changes can lead to significant improvements in your overall health.  I know that diet can be a big one for many people, but one thing I want you to think about, is that food we put in is the fuel we need to give us the energy and vitality we need to go about our days.  Putting poor foods in, gives us poor results and things begin to break down in our body.  The effort to eat well, will pay dividends in the long term, trust me!  If you are having issues with your digestion, gut health or simply making better food choices, call upon Em’s Revive and Thrive Foursome.  They are literally whole foods powdered for your convenience.  Simply mix them in water or your beverage of choice and down the hatch!  Including these products into your daily routine can make the world of difference to how your body functions and the way it extracts micronutrients from your food.  Did somebody say they needed more ENERGY!?!?!

 

Embrace Consistency, Not Perfection

Consistency is the key to sustainable change. Embrace a mindset that prioritises progress over perfection. Recognise that setbacks are a natural part of the journey. It’s about how you respond to these setbacks that truly matters. Be kind to yourself and stay committed to your goals.  Definitely don’t give up if you have a sneaky piece of cake at your friends milestone birthday party.  Instead enjoy every morsel of it with the knowledge that this is just a little reward for all of the hard work you’ve been doing, it’s not a failure!

Track Your Progress

Monitoring your progress provides valuable insights and keeps you motivated. Whether it’s maintaining a journal, using apps to track workouts or meals, or taking periodic measurements, seeing tangible progress reinforces your efforts and serves as a reminder of how far you’ve come.  Even a sneaky photo each week can show how well you’re progressing.  This doesn’t only apply to weight shedding goals either, it’s amazing how a photo of your face can show improved vitality 😉 

Celebrate Milestones

Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements along the way. Acknowledging milestones—no matter how small—boosts morale and reinforces positive behaviour. Treat yourself to something special as a reward for sticking to your health goals.  Try not to mock your healthy eating goals with a bad food treat though, a nice picnic by the river, a nice foot massage or a new book might be a better option than rewarding yourself with the very thing you’re trying to avoid!

Adaptability and Flexibility

Life is unpredictable, and so is the journey to better health. Stay adaptable and be willing to adjust your plans if needed. Be open to exploring new approaches or tweaking existing ones to find what works best for you.  Sometimes this might be a time of year that changes your exercise routine or the amount of time you can dedicate to your spiritual practices.  Decide on your ‘non-negotiables’ and work flexibly with the rest.  Take Em for example, a daily workout is her non-negotiable.  Even if it means getting up an hour earlier to make sure it happens.  This is what Em does to make sure her day starts off well and that her joints feel fluid and mobile throughout the day.  

Looking Ahead: Sustaining the Momentum

As the year progresses, remember that your health journey is ongoing. Continuously reassess your goals, tweak strategies, and stay connected with your support network. Reflect on the positive changes you’ve experienced and let them fuel your motivation for continued growth.  Once you have more energy you will want to do more and perhaps you can set your goals higher as you reach milestones in your physical health, mindset and energy levels.

Final Thoughts

Approaching the new year with health goals is a powerful commitment to self-improvement. Remember, it's not just about achieving these goals in 2024; it’s about cultivating a healthier and happier lifestyle that lasts beyond the year’s end (or even the end of January for some 😉 ).

By understanding your motivations, fostering a supportive community, and staying committed to a balanced approach, you’re not only prioritising your health but also investing in a happier and more fulfilling life.

Whether it's taking small steps or making significant changes, prioritising your health can lead to a more fulfilling and joyful life. Bring it on 💪