Having a healthy mind will enable you to have a healthy life. You might think that living a healthy life is all about what you DO, but it starts with what you THINK. Everything that goes on in your head affects your behavior.
If you’ve been struggling with eating the right food or perhaps can’t find the motivation to get your body moving, here are some key mindset shifts that can get you on the road to better health.
Good health helps you enjoy life and cope with problems. Here are the 7 ways to promote a healthy mindset.
1. Be kind to yourself.
Be kind to yourself to avoid such feelings of inadequacy. It’s most important to be kind to yourself when you feel this way. It’s hard but worth it. Think of your difficult emotions and thoughts as data. They can provide you with valuable information about who you are, and what matters. What you tell yourself everyday will either lift you up or tear you down.
2. Take it one day at a time.
Taking things day by day means that if you have a lot of work or problems, first prioritize them (do the most important first) and then continue the next most needed and so on. Do not rush to do everything at once. You can’t live any faster than one hour at a time and one day at a time, so don’t create unnecessary stress for yourself by looking too far into the future. Please focus on the NOW and take it one day at a time.
3. Surround yourself with inspiration
This one is so important! It’s critical to have visuals that remind you of your health goals and why you have set them for yourself. For example, on my inspiration board, I have pictures of confident women who are successful in their careers, travel around the world and have healthy and fit bodies. It doesn’t necessarily have to be fitness pictures, though. Those don’t always help as we tend to compare ourselves to the people featured in the photos. We must remember that our body is unique, and we should strive to be the best version of OURSELVES, not someone else.
4. Make your meals enjoyable
If you don’t make your meals enjoyable, you won’t stick to healthy eating habits and will quickly feel deprived. That’s usually when we get frustrated and start binging on chips and chocolate. I love starting my day with a beautiful and healthy breakfast. It sets the tone for my eating habits during the rest of the day.
Make a grocery list and stick to it to avoid buying extra food. Eating a good source of protein can help you feel fuller for longer, which can help manage your appetite and reduce your food intake.
5. Look forward, not back
Living a healthy life is not about perfection. It’s about everyday progress. It doesn’t mean treating yourself. It means that most often, you go for the healthy option. We all have days where we don’t have the motivation to work out or perhaps indulge more than we wish we had. When that happens, have compassion for yourself, forgive yourself and move on. Beating yourself up will only cultivate a negative mindset, and that is your worst enemy when wanting to live a healthy life.
6. Celebrate the victories
We so often focus on what we believe we are doing wrong that we forget to celebrate what we are doing right. Because a positive mindset is so important to stay on a healthy path, you’ve got to give yourself kudos when you take the right actions to treat your body. All these mini victories will give you the self-confidence to propel you forward and prove to yourself what you are capable of.
7. Have some fun!
I’m the first to take life too seriously sometimes and have to remind myself to chill out and put things in perspective. For example, you don’t want to go out and eat with friends because you’re afraid of what temptation might represent from food or alcohol. My trick is to pick a restaurant that offers healthy options and not go crazy. It’s all about balance.
