I talk often about forming and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. This topic seems to cause anxiety because we find it difficult to find a place to start. These anxious thoughts make us feel out of control. We want the quick solution, but we know that there aren't any shortcuts.
We want solutions, but what we really need are attitudes. You don't need an easier life, but rather an attitude of perseverance. 1
Attitude precedes outcome. And attitude equals mindset.
I read recently that everything you do in life either lifts you up or tears you down. There are always things to be torn down and discarded, but your life is a treasure to be valued and protected.2 Yes, we have busy lives, which makes it all the more important to schedule in rest. I am not referring to falling into bed at night and passing out, exhausted. And it certainly is not laying on the sofa with the TV on and scrolling Facebook or Instagram.
I attended a sweet time of prayer this week and heard that rest is not inactive-it is a deep sweet restfulness of the soul. Depending on your family obligations, it can be anywhere from 3 hours a week, a day a week, two days a month, even a day a month. The important thing is to schedule it for yourself, just like you do your hair appointment. Persevere and protect this time for yourself until it becomes a habit.
Forming a healthy habit requires motivation for the outcome and motivation for the effort to achieve the outcome. Focus on the payoff. For example, getting up every day to go to work is a habit. The payoff is that you become known as a dependable person, you earn recognition, and you collect a paycheck. This is a good habit! And even when you don't have the motivation on a particular day to go to work, the habit is a default decision that serves you well.
Manipulate your environment to serve your habit. Schedule it into your planner so that eventually everyone knows that the 2nd Saturday of the month is mom's/dad's time to go for a long hike, read a book in a park, sit somewhere to journal, sit in a church to pray, or all of the above! Remember that good habits are formed the same way that bad habits are formed: repetition! Having scheduled, healthy, repetitions in your life is a good way to relieve the anxieties of day-to-day life. Having this healthy flow of the day-to-day helps equip you when life throws you a curveball because you will be more resilient. You will have the ability to bounce back because you remember how your healthy habits made you feel better. This applies not only to rest days but also to eating and exercise.
Teaching the Forming Healthy Habits class helps me stay on track as well. It's a daily practice!
Click on the below link if you need inspiration on dealing with anxiety.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
1. James Clear
2. Marsha Burns
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