The desire to “be healthy” is a common goal many of us share. Yet, that can mean different things depending on how you define “healthy.” The first part of your journey is understanding what “your healthy” is. These tips can help:
Consider these questions: What does healthy mean to you? How would you describe it in the context of your life? For example, are you struggling with your own needs and those of others? If so, your healthy may be recognizing how vital your well-being is and developing a plan to find balance.
Put it into words. Write it down, type it up, record it on a video or voice note on your phone— any method to get your idea of healthy out of your mind and into your world.
Determine small steps to take that will add up to the big result: Your healthy. Pick 2-3 things that can fit within your lifestyle. Based on the example above, this could be: On Saturday evenings, I am going to take some “me” time.
Practice your small steps until they become habits. Make an effort to follow through on your small steps, and when you notice that you’ve been doing them most of the time for several weeks, consider building
on them with new small steps! Building on your small steps and adding more over time, while maintaining the previous steps, will add up to big results.
Reassess. As you start to feel good about your progress and meeting your small steps, redefine your healthy. Are you not quite there yet and want to take your first idea of healthy further? Or since you’ve made some changes, does healthy mean something different to you now?
Whether you maintain your original idea of healthy or expand upon it, the idea is to focus on simple steps you can slowly and easily incorporate into your lifestyle that will get you where you want to be.
Small steps add up at the end of a year
- 1 hour per week of relationship-building becomes 52 hours of connectivity.
- 15 minutes of daily activity becomes 90 hours of movement.
- Saving $1 per day becomes $365 earned.
- 1/2 page of daily journaling becomes 182 pages of memories.
- 10 minutes of mindfulness per day becomes 60 hours of reflection.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
No person should be subjected to the fear, shame, and humiliation that an abusive relationship produces. If you or a loved one need help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) 24/7. Or call 911.