Rome wasn’t built in a day…
Life can feel like a rollercoaster at times, time slipping away, to do lists never-ending, challenges arising and falling like waves, the busyness of modern living oftentimes clouding what's really important. How are you feeling these days? Are you managing to keep on track with your wellbeing protocols, goals and practice? Or does it all just seem to overwhelming and you don't know where to begin? Do you perhaps just think, why bother at all? Well, first of all you're not alone, and secondly, doing something, is better than nothing, and over time, small changes to your habits and lifestyle will eventually yield results and change. But, there is no magic pill, patience, consistency and commitment will get you there, as they say; "Rome wasn't built in a day."
I believe, from what I have observed, is that most often when someone wants to make changes and improve their life, the rookie error is taking on too much to start, trying to eat the whole apple at once, as opposed to just taking one bite at a time. Look at the contributing factors, clearly assess your current situation, be realistic, especially with things like your time, resources, family commitments. We are all at different places, starting points, do not compare your journey (or goals and life choices) with others, simply try to improve from where you currently are, baby steps. Once you start to feel better, notice little shifts like improved mood or you're sleeping well, and you've stuck to your plan for a while, it becomes much easier to then take on additional changes because the old habits are being replaced by new ones, step by step, slowly, over time...
Here are a few ideas:
- Set your alarm 15 mins earlier so you can get up and do 1 breathing practice and a short 5-10 min meditation every morning.
- Make more of an effort to drink more water and opt out of having caffeine after 2 or 3pm.
- Read a book before bed instead of watching TV or sitting on a screen, scrolling social media.
- Eat dinner at the same time every evening with the family, at the dining table, no phones, talk about your day.
- Go for a walk outside in nature at least once a week.
- When you do have time, do some home-made healthy meal preps for the freezer or week ahead for when time is tight and things come up.
- Set a regular time slot each week for yourself, take care of you.
- Be interested in learning new things, don't be afraid to try a new activity, sport, exercise or hobby, who knows maybe you'll really enjoy it!
- Try out the sauna or steam room if you have a gym membership.
- If you're trying to lose some extra pounds, download a calorie tracking app for a while. Most people have no idea how many calories they consume daily.
- Add in a protein shake daily as an afternoon snack instead of that packet of crisps or chocolate.
- Try not to drink alcohol during the week, save it for special occasions.
- Do 20 squats, 20 sit ups, 20 push-ups everyday, move your body for 30 mins.
We all want to be able to live a happy, fulfilled, long life. Hopefully a healthy, good quality of life, so I am doing my best to make that happen, even though none of us will ever know what lies ahead, we can't control everything. Personally, I have made the most change and improvements to my life in the last 10 years (I'm 45 now), and it's taken a lot of trial and error, learning, effort, growth, failure and courage. So don't give up on yourself, it's never too late! Maturing takes time, like a fine wine. ;-)
Thank you for reading and being here, I hope you find some inspiration and helpful guidance in what I share.
PS: Don't wait to tell someone you love them and when someone is doing a good job or made an impact in your life. All too often it's easy to complain when things aren't going so well, we don't find it as easy to share praise or give thanks. :)
Om xxx Kirst