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When you feel overwhelmed and anxious who do you turn to? Psalms 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.” In a time so different from any other time, things that used to be certain are being revealed as uncertain. How can we feel stability in a world that has been shaken? I used to believe that the way to peace was not to have any problems. When you feel worried and anxious it is easy to panic and allow fear to take over. That is when you actually need to slow down and take care of yourself and build healthy habits. After all, self-care is family care, career care, and life care.
Let discuss 3 strategies that will help us create healthy habits even when things feel uncertain.
A lot of us have not achieved our personal goals because we either have not set up healthy goals or because we have adopted bad habits along the way that are getting in the way of our success.
How many times have you set lofty goals to just give up a few weeks later? The reality is we are all creatures of habit, and it takes energy and intention to develop new habits. Here are some ways to create or revitalize our habits.
Stop Thinking It Has to Be All or Nothing:
All or ntothing thinking is rooted in shame. Because we will not allow shame to rule our lives, and because we love ourselves, we will not punish ourselves with all or nothing thinking. Instead, look for opportunities to create change. Try adding small increments of change to things you already do. Want to work out? Instead of starting an intense workout regime, or a juice cleanse after pounding pizza for two weeks straight, add 10 minutes to your morning walk. Add a salad to your pizza and eat the salad first. Get up 10 minutes earlier than you normally do if you want to wake up earlier. Studies have shown that if you add a small step to something you already do you are more likely to accomplish it and not give up. Those added increments develop into long term habits.
Every now and again, mostly when my jeans fit extra skinny and my thighs become too powerful for my pants, I start to want to work on my eating habits. I don’t care that much about my weight, but I do care about being around for my kiddo. I want to be healthy and live a long life for her. One thing I have started doing is stopping my nighttime snack and adding a sweet item to my dinner. I have a serious relationship with Chocolate chip cookies, and many a night has been spent eating 2 or 3 of these things with a huge glass of milk. The next morning, I feel gross, or I have a stomachache. I did this for a long time and decided I wanted a change. I went from having 3 cookies to 2 cookies, to 1, to a smaller glass of milk, to water. I then decided to add a cookie or sweet to my dinner. The incremental change allowed me to feel empowered. I have more control over the outcome of my health by making choices that work for me. I don’t feel bad if I have the cookie or if I chose not to. I don’t attach my self-worth to food, and it feels good to take ownership of my choices.
Ask for Support.
Let your tribe know you are working on changing, revitalizing, or developing your habits. Find supportive people who can help you. This is also a great opportunity to work with a coach that can help you achieve your goals quicker and hold you accountable. If you do decide to work with a coach you want to find one that is aligned to your core values and personal beliefs. Being misaligned with your support people can produce poor results or create setbacks. I once connected with a health coach that created fantastic results for her clients. She was badass, confident, and strong. But, she wasn’t for me. Not because I am not badass, confident, or strong, not at all. It was because we were misaligned, and our values and personal beliefs were not in sync. What works for some does not work for all. So find the support that is aligned to where you are and where you want to be.
Imagine Your Future and Live Proactively.
What can healthy habits give you back in terms of value? Will you have more energy and time to spend with your kids? will you have better long-term health? Will you be more rested and energized? No matter what you want to achieve you have to approach your life from a proactive stance. The first step is to ask yourself where you are right now, and where you want to be? Envision the benefits of your new habit. My benefit was no more sick and gross feeling in the morning after my cookie love affair at night. I woke up feeling better, more energized, and less puffy. You need to create what works for you. It’s important to understand your “why.”
The key to creating healthy habits is to make those small digestible changes to your routines. You have decided that waiting and hoping will not make a change. You have decided to live proactively and take control. When you create space for healthier habits that work for you, you experience self-care, and that translates to family care, career care, and life care.
Want to learn more about creating healthy habits and get additional motivation and support? Then follow me on Instagram at @marloyramirez. I look forward to helping you move your mountains.
