ARE YOU LIVING WITH VITALITY & PASSION?

 

In today’s society, mental wellness has become equally important as physical vitality.  In order for your body to be well; your mind must follow suit.  With our busy lifestyles, stress plays a significant role in our mental and physical well-being.  So, learning how to deal with it is paramount. 

Now that spring is upon us it’s a perfect time to start a new health regime.  Most people try this after ringing in the New Year but, it’s a difficult task to achieve.  Something about the days darkening at 4pm and the endless amount of snow/cold weather is enough to make your body shut down – let alone your mind.  This is why I believe that spring is the perfect time to take on this new challenge.  With the days getting longer and the weather getting brighter, our spirits naturally begin looking for new ways to get fit and embrace a healthier lifestyle. 

One of the key elements of getting fit is making sure that you always set yourself up for success.  There is no point beginning something that is doomed to fail, before you even begin.  So, take some time to sit down and really think about your day to day life.  Think about what small changes you can incorporate right away, to give you that momentum to continue building upon your new lifestyle.   The second key element you must remember is that this is in fact a “lifestyle” change.  So, be sure to implement changes that you can stick to every day.  Don’t simply make haste decisions because it will give you an immediate result.  We all know how those end up.

So, in honour of spring and our lives, I thought I would provide you all with some tips on how to “get started” on “getting fit”.   You must picture yourself as a 3-level component.  Mind, Body and Spirit.  Keeping in mind that what you do to one will alter and effect all three. 

Here are some really great tips that I've found extremely helpful to get you off to a great start.  They will certainly keep you motivated to stay on track:

#1 BEGIN A DIARY

 You are what you eat, in every way.  This timeless saying still rings true.  Take the time each day to write down everything you’re eating.  Really think about what you’re putting into your body on a daily basis.  Then at the end of each day, rate how you fell over all.  If you’re truthful, you may find that there could definitely be some room for improvement.  Your food choices should not only stimulate your taste buds, but your mind and body as well.  Food can set the pace for many things.  How you feel, what your mood is like and the level of energy you have.  You must begin looking at food as something that not only affects your body, but your spirit and mind as well.

#2 MAKE YOUR ADVENTURE FUN

Choose an activity that stimulates you in every way.  Allow yourself to experience something that will engage you physically, mentally and spiritually.  Make sure that it’s fun, exciting and somewhat of a challenge.  This will keep you motivated so that you do it continuously without boredom.  Take Salsa lessons.  Sign up for some cooking or Yoga classes.  Join a sporting team or become a meditation student.  Those are some examples, just to name a few. 

# 3 MAKE A PLAN OF ACTION

It is always important to set up a plan of action, whenever you commit to taking on a new project. Many of us talk about it but only few of us schedule a strategy to execute and follow.  So get into the habit of mapping out your action plan.  Create your own mission statement and then write out (step by step) how you plan to achieve that goal.  Make sure your plan illustrates something you can do each day and then begin working (day by day) to achieve what you’ve committed to do. 

# 4 SET REALISTIC GOALS

If your goals aren’t attainable you will soon lose all motivation and enjoyment in trying to achieve them.  It’s important that you not take on too much but, equally important to keep yourself challenged enough.  Too much of either thing can leave you tired, bored and stressed out.  Remember, we are trying to elevate stress not promote more of it in our bodies. 

#5 EDUCATE YOUSELF

There is an abundance of information out there on health, fitness and mental/spiritual well-being.  Take the opportunity to learn and adopt some key points that will serve you in this journey.   It could be a new recipe, or learning the benefits of certain food and vitamins over others.  Perhaps you will discover a new running class being offered that you always wanted to try and now you can, because the group runs in your area.  Most importantly, you can share some of your “new found knowledge” with your friends and loved ones too.  Who knows, you may be the inspiration that sparks another’s need for change in their lives.  

#6 FIND SUPPORTERS

Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a Therapist or a community support group; we all need help with staying on track.  As I mentioned earlier, your path must be seen as a 3-level component.   When your spirit is positive it allows your mind to think clearly, vividly.  With this intact, both components will allow your body to be more at ease – which in turn help fight off illness and disease.  Everything you do affects everything else.  Once you truly grasp that concept all will become clear.

# 7 WHAT ‘S UP DOC?

Every plan is full of good intentions but, you should always begin by consulting your physician before beginning a health/lifestyle regime.  So make sure that you visit and discuss your health with them to rule out any serious conditions, injuries or limitations.  You may have the best of intentions but if you don’t know what’s going on inside of you too much of a good thing can have a negative impact. 

It’s a new season, so why not discover a new you.  Whatever your journey; may it be fruitful in every way.  Always remember that nothing tastes, looks or could ever be as good as healthy feels – so you owe it to yourself to be the most vibrant you you can be. 

Wishing you all a very long, healthy, happy and passionate life.  You deserve nothing less.