Improving your health and wellbeing by making a lifestyle change can be quite difficult. The first step you need to take is to change your priorities. You need to prioritise self and then others, I know this sounds selfish, so let’s break it down.
Having a new client list their top three priorities, they will regularly list Family, Work, Finances, health and relationships (partner, friends) it is very admirable that people are constantly putting others first, however if we don’t put ourselves first how can we do the best by the people we say are the most important to us.
So where to begin
Well to improve our health and wellbeing you need to become conscious of the choices you make regarding exercise, nutrition, mindset and recovery.
Exercise should be enjoyable, I like lifting heavy things, you need to discover what you like to do. If you have tried in the past or you don’t know where to begin hire a personal trainer to get you started.
Nutrition first and foremost is used by the body for energy. Be aware there is a lot of information out there on what you should and shouldn’t eat, what is good and bad for you. My advice is quite simple eat real food that agrees with your body as often as you can.
Recovery is as important if not more so than exercise, now that is not an excuse for blowing off exercise and sitting on the coach. You need down time, this allows the body to heal from the stress you put it through every day. The best form of recovery is sleep, quality and quantity, so if you are serious about making a lifestyle change that is sustainable, start by making sure your sleep is on point.
Mental health is a real problem, you need to find people you can talk to and understand what you are going through. Don’t be afraid to seek professional help, until we have the right mindset, we are never going to feel successful.