One mindful, manageable change at a time for success. Yes, one change at a time so you can make it a healthy habitl. Before moving to another mindful change take the time to celebrate and recognize the success you achieved. After all you spend so much time wishing you could live a healthier lifestyle, feel better today then you did yesterday that when you achieve you should CELEBRATE the achievement. You want to leave an indelible print on your mind and soul of positivity and wellbeing so you can revisit that experience when you need it. By acknowledging your success you take the extra time to imprint it, mark it, lock it down so retrieval is easier. You are your best cheerleader and you need to have the best practices and tools to continue, so yes CELEBRATE.
How will you choose to celebrate your wellness success? Take some time to pamper yourself and purchase a good book, new shoes or spa treatment. This is a non food, healthy, feel good about you reward so plan ahead for this event. The reward is different for each of us, perhaps you decide to take in a movie, add another plant to your garden or purchase a decorative wall hanging for a special room-anything goes with this type of reward. Guess what, it will help you maintain this new habit so go for it. Only when you have achieved this success, acknowledged it and CELEBRATED it should you move on to the next wellness goal.
One of my clients had gained weight and was getting discouraged so we talked about daily habits and it came out that she made poor meal choices, did not get a lot of activity in and drank almost two gallons of sweet tea a day. The goal of weight loss was what she wanted but how to get there seemed too big to conceive. As we discussed options it was decided that what she could do was give up the sweet tea in exchange for water and see how it went. To keep track of her “habit” she measured out the water and after a month she lost 10 lbs. and her blood tests came back with excellent results. She decided the lab work would be reward enough since it would take the burden off her brain and meds. Now that is one awesome change and indeed one change at a time. She is now motivated to up her activity and work on her daily food choices by giving up fried food for a month. Way to go-can’t wait to see the reward she CELEBRATES with in 30 days.
Don’t try to eat the elephant in one sitting, break off bits and CELEBRATE your earned rewards and change in healthier habits.