Written by: Allison Ditmer
The end of the year is approaching, and you know what that means...
New Year's Resolutions!
Love or hate them, resolutions are always a topic when January rolls around. And usually, some of those resolutions relate to wellness in some sense—whether it's physical fitness you want to prioritize or improved mental health.
But how do you get started? And how do you stick with it?
We've got some good news:) The Goode Health team has embraced some helpful resources to help them achieve their individual wellness goals. And no, these are not affiliated links...just honest products the team loves and uses!
Understanding Wellness
When you hear the word "wellness," what comes to mind?
The textbook definition of wellness is "the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal."
Wellness encompasses physical, mental, and emotional aspects of your health. And yes, it becomes a focus with the new year, but it should be a year-round pursuit. Working towards good health never stops.
Often, you feel at your best when your mind, body, and soul are in harmony (or close to it). And when you think about it, truly experiencing wellness depends on choices.
These choices could revolve around the food you choose, whether you embrace physical movement at one point in the day, and your mental attitude towards the present moment.
The Impact of Wellness on Your Physical & Mental Health
When the brain and body are thriving, you're winning at wellness and achieving a higher quality of life. And when one or both of them are operating poorly, it affects your entire well-being.
Physical Health Impact
Your physical health depends on a few different factors:
*Nutrition - Eating right
*Exercise - Moving your body
*Sleep - Resting
For many of us, this means finding ways to prioritize each of these in our already busy lives to help prevent disease. Because when we don't, our unhealthy habits eventually catch up with us in the form of illness, obesity, or potentially depression.
Mental Health Impact
Mental health is another vital dimension of wellness, encompassing your emotional, cognitive, and spiritual well-being. It's the thoughts you have from when you jump out of bed to when you finally lay down again at night to rest.
A big part of mental health is learning how to cope with life's adversities.
Yes, you want to find joy and fulfillment. That's important. But the truth is life's hard.
Understanding your emotions and recognizing when you're making poor choices can give you the skills and knowledge to strengthen your mindset and make better decisions.
Seeking professional help when needed is also essential for maintaining good mental health.
How to Build Healthy Habits & Examples
Many know how to build healthy habits, but where should you start?
Our solution is to start small and easy.
For example, if you're not used to getting up at 6 a.m. to run before work, don't expect a habit like that to happen overnight. Build up to it. Spend time adopting small habits that don't require much more effort to incorporate into your current schedule.
Consider mapping out a routine based on what you currently have going on each day. Knowing when you want to block time for certain activities can help you follow through. And don't forget to celebrate your small wins.
Goode Health makes it easy to incorporate an energizing superfood nutrition shake into your day (whether it's first thing in the morning or on-the-go through the day) with a 90-day calendar tracker so you can enjoy on your time.
Prioritizing Healthy Foods & Hydration
If you want to incorporate healthier foods into your diet, consider swapping unhealthy foods for healthier ones. These are small changes that can start making a difference in your health.
Here are some food swap suggestions that could fit into your life right now:
* Whole grains for refined white grains
* Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens) for iceberg lettuce
* Baked chips for fried chips
* Whole fruits with fiber (apples, blueberries, strawberries) for fruit juices
* Steel-cut oats for instant oats
* Unsweetened applesauce for vegetable oil when baking
* Greek yogurt for sour cream
* Avocado for mayonnaise
When you buy your groceries and get home, plan on doing some light food prep.
Yes, running errands can be tiring, but chopping up your favorite veggies and fruit for the week will save you some time later. Cleaning and prepping produce and storing it in tight containers can give you ready-to-eat snacks when hunger attacks.
There are methods for keeping produce fresh for weeks, too, so there are no excuses to skip buying fresh fruits and veggies in favor of pre-packaged foods for convenience.
Drinking plain water vs. other beverages with added calories will always enhance your health. Aim to drink the proper amount to avoid dehydration.
These Goode Bites and Berry Bliss Coconut Balls are also some delicious recipes to try when those snack attacks happen!
Exercise and Physical Activity
Regular exercise is important. That's nothing new. Moving your body is a big part of wellness and gives you the necessary energy to make it through the day.
And working remotely has been the reality for many of us. So, how do you keep up with making physical activity a priority?
For Alexa on the Goode Health's marketing team, the ClassPass app has been essential for enjoying group classes from home. You can enjoy yoga, pilates, and HIIT workouts, which allow you to meet others and stay motivated.
Having fitness communities (either online or in person) is a critical factor in sticking with new habits. Workout buddies are also encouraged.
In this study, which examined married couples, those who exercised together had significantly higher attendance than those who exercised separately. Support from others can be a huge part of sticking with exercise consistently.
Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
Self-awareness and mindfulness are also powerful tools for improving mental health.
For many of us to become more self-aware, it involves slowing down. And at Goode Health, several of us have found ways to do that through journaling. Taking even a little bit of time during the day to sit with your thoughts can help you become more present in what's happening around you.
Some of our favorite journals include:
* Gratitude Journal (less than $10)
* Phoenix Journal (the perfect masculine planner)
Mindfulness is also a practice that can positively benefit your mindset and boost your mood. You can intentionally recognize current feelings without noticeably judging them. Its benefits can include feeling less stressed, less tired from mental exhaustion, and improved immune response. Ways to practice mindfulness could range from meditation to deep breath exercises or yoga.
When you can get insight into your thoughts, it can be the first step to experiencing healing.
Social Connections and Community
Another beneficial part of building healthy habits is taking inventory of your social connections.
Are you surrounding yourself with others who fill your cup and inspire you? Or are there some toxic relationships you need to let go of?
Healthy habits are a lot easier to adopt if you're surrounded by supportive family and friends who get it. Sure, not everyone may fully follow what you're trying to accomplish, but if you have one or two people cheering you on, it can help.
Then there's always the route of getting lost in a great book to help you do this.
"A Prayer for Owen Meany," is a book that has inspired Goode Health CEO, Mike Glick, for years. Stephen King is even quoted saying, "A remarkable novel...A Prayer for Owen Meany is a rare creation...an amazingly brave piece of work...so extraordinary, so original, and so enriching."
Time Management and Productivity
Finding ways to be productive and manage your time effectively also helps establish healthy habits.
Prioritizing what's most pressing helps alleviate stress, lending itself to improved clarity. A way to get to this place is to organize your thoughts. Often, it's important for you to sit down to put structure around what you need to do.
Audra Cremeans, Head of Marketing at Goode Health, uses this PowerSheets Goal Planner.
With 242 reviews and counting, this planner gets 5 stars. It helps you effectively manage your time and goals by providing space to track what you need to do one day, week, and month at a time. It even provides step-by-step goal coaching based on research to help you feel more empowered.
In addition to planners such as this, there are also time-tracking apps to help you stay on task as well. If you’re looking for free options, try Toggl Track, Tracking Time, or Harvest.
But don't forget to take breaks. While trying to check off all the to-dos, your mind and body do need a break. So stand up, go outside, and take a short walk in nature. Even if it's cold outside, bundle up to get some fresh air and take in the environmental sights around you.
Learning to say “no” and set healthy boundaries can also help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Or what I like to call the work-life blend. Because work and your personal life are rarely a 50/50 split on a given day. But it's about blending the two, depending on which needs more of your attention for the given moment.
Achieving Wellness Comes Down to Focused Self-Care
You have the power to make changes.
Whether you want to control your weight, embrace less stress, or feel more at peace with your daily life, the first step is acknowledging what you want.
Then, it's about action.
Prioritizing movement and nutrition can lead to physical and mental health. Becoming more mindful and journaling your thoughts can help clarify what you need to focus on when life feels chaotic.
And continued connection with supportive people is the glue to help keep your wellbeing in a solid place.
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Ready to kickstart a healthy habit with our welcome kit complete with your favorite Goode Health superfood nutrition shake, recipes, and 90-day success plan?
