I have been a mission lately to discover wellness tips that can support people with lasting change as it relates to healthy habits, lifestyle change and fitness activities that stick. One topic I have been investing more time and energy exploring is simplicity , to be more exact, creating simplicity to support healthy choices, a healthy environment, healthy mental well-being and a feeling of peace, engagement and excitement vs feelings of overwhelm, frustration and low energy. There seems to be a mantra in the material I am reading and my own experiences as well as the experiences of people I talk to.One book I highly recommend “The Power of Less” by Leo Babauta speaks to many of the ideas I will discuss below Here are a few ways to begin the process of simplifying your life which can contribute to your fitness, health and wellness in a big way.
- Start the de-clutter process. Begin with a room, any room and get rid of things that no longer serve you or are no longer needed. Box them up, give them away, have a garage sale or if you must, store them. This process could take awhile. One step at a time and you will love how this alone frees up more than you can imagine.
- Narrow down your list of commitments. Figure out what is truly in alignment with your values (this is a whole other topic) and let go of all those things that are not. If fitness is a value and you are filling your time with committee meetings something is off. Once you begin the process of saying no and removing yourself from all the extra obligations you will have time to take better care of yourself.
- Single task. If you multi task thinking you are getting more done think again. The research does not support this practice as being more efficient-the opposite. Doing one thing at a time and actually finishing it is what gets the job done. Granted some projects can not be completed in one setting so get as far as you can before moving on to the next one.
Keep your eating lean, green and mean-cook your meals when possible. You might be thinking how is this simpler then eating fast food, processed/prepared food in a box or a frozen pizza. While these methods might be faster that does not necessarily mean with more ease. Fast food places have lines inside and out, you still have to shop for the processed/boxed food why not just do real food, tour only the outside isles of the grocery store leaving all the other isles for the the rest of the gang. This will not save you time but it does create a simple map to follow. Preparation of real food may take a few minutes longer and you will feel so much better after you eat!
These suggestions are merely scratching the surface of all the ways you can begin to simplify your life, make more time for all the things that really matter to you, get more done, experience more joy and feel the power of having a life that has more by having less. I also venture to say you will begin to feel more energized and less time deprived. All these things contribute to our overall well-being immensely.
In support and health,
Laurie
Laurie Bagley MS in Outdoor Adventure Leadership, mother, ACE certified health coach and group fitness coach, entrepreneurial business owner, Boot Camp Hub coach and teacher. Her Health Fitness Coaching Business focuses on assisting people reach their healthy lifestyle goals. She is also the 6th woman to summit Mt. Everest from the North Col route and has written a book called “SUMMIT”. One woman’s Mt. Everest Climb Guides You to Success.