There’s a lot of talk going on about “building” healthy habits. But, what does that really mean? Well, it can mean whatever you want it to mean! The beauty of building healthy habits is that they can be different for everyone. You get to choose how you operate your day to day life. It’s definitely easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, especially if we see they are getting the “results” that we want. But, rest assured, I’m here to help you figure out how to create your own habits and the questions to ask yourself.
Here is how I approach building healthy habits in a 5 step kind of way.
Step One: Gratitude + Abundance
There is always something to be grateful for, no matter what. Even if you’re not having the best day, dig a little deeper and pick at least one thing you’re grateful for. For me, just the fact that I get to wake up in the morning is something to be so grateful for. Every morning I say three things that I am grateful for before I get out of bed. Then, I do the same in the evening. You can write them down to look back on or you can just say them out loud (or in your head).
If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you have seen/heard me talk about my abundance journal. It has become a big part of my life! Often times when we hear the word “abundance” we think of money or we think of having a lot of something. That is definitely abundance but there is also other things, too. I’ve put my own little twist on it. What I do is, I keep a running journal of things that happen in my day to day life. So, this could be getting that parking spot outside my favourite cafe. It could be getting a new client. A product from a brand I love. Someone buying you a coffee. Those are all abundant things! Appreciating that there is abundance all around you opens up opportunities for the BIG things to come through!
Another part of abundance is giving abundance to others. Buying a gift card at your local coffee shop and leaving it with the cashier to use for a few people to get a coffee on you. You never know who needs that that day or if someone is looking for a sign of sorts.
Try it out and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Step Two: Setting Intentions for How You Want to Feel
It’s so easy to get caught up in setting big goals, especially around the time of the new year when everyone is making news years resolutions. Here’s the thing, if you’re setting these big goals like “I’m going to run 5 days a week” and you’re someone who hasn’t gone for a run in years or at all, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with setting goals like this but let’s reframe it a little bit.
Try to set intentions for how you want to feel. This could be, “I want to feel stronger.” or “I want to feel energized.” That could mean a lot of things! Moving your body in a way that feels good for you. It doesn’t have to be a run every single day if that doesn’t feel good for you. You don’t have to force it.
Some of my ongoing intentions are:
I want to feel stronger.
I want to feel energized.
I want to feel hydrated.
I want to feel confident.
How do you want to feel? Use this as your starting point: I want to feel ___________ and take it from there.
Step Three: What feels good of YOU?
This is an important one, friends. What feels good for YOU? Not your friend. Not the girl on TV. For YOU. One thing might work for someone else but it doesn’t work for you and that is OKAY. We’re all unique beings and it’s truly a beautiful thing. We have to focus on what works for us in our day to day lives and when we do figure out, run with that!
This relates to food too, big time. Pay attention to what you’re consuming, how you feel afterwards, any symptoms that might appear (bloating, brain fog, acne, etc.). This can even be common “health” foods like kale, spinach, etc. Some people just don’t agree with those things and it’s ok not to hop on those trends.
Something I have been doing a lot more lately is sitting with the feeling of things. For example, if a new work opportunity presents itself, I close my eyes and think about what that job entails and I pay attention to the feelings that come up for me. What do I feel when I think of the work load? What do I feel when I think of the content I will have to create? Do I get a pit in my stomach kind of feeling? Do I feel my chest beating a little faster. Is my chest getting tighter? Do I feel all warm and fuzzy? These are feelings that can help guide you to make a decision of what’s right for you.
Step Four: Removing labels
One of the best things I ever did for my health was removing labels. I’m not a vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, all the things. I eat what works for me. I’ve tried all the things and it didn’t work out so well! I tried to go vegan but it personally wasn’t right for me. But hey, if it works for you, I am here for it! That’s the beauty of removing labels. You don’t have to identify as anything. You can be a little bit of all the things if that works for you. Some days I eat all plants and other days I eat all the meat and I’m not ashamed of it!What I do with my clients is, I get them to focus on the abundance of nourishing foods that work for them vs. giving them a giant list of foods to avoid. You’re in control of that part. You get to decided what’s on your no no list.
And listen here…you’re not a bad person if you have a piece of cake. Feeling like you’re bad for having something you enjoy sometimes, makes you want to eat it more. Eat it and move on with your life!
Step Five: My Feel Good Kitchen
I came up with the concept of My Feel Good Kitchen to help my clients to lean into their intuitive side. It’s such a fun process to lean into what your body wants/needs! Here’s how it goes:
It starts with grocery shopping. Scanning the produce aisles, feeling the food, picking out what you’re called to. You don’t always have to go in with a list. Sometimes that can be overwhelming. I like to go in to the grocery store and just explore all the abundance that nature has to offer and I think of meals I can make. It’s also a great opportunity to try something new!
The creating process. Spices you like to cook with, throwing in a pinch of this and a pinch of that. The beauty of cooking with spices is that there are so many flavour combos possible and sometimes you discover those while combining common spices in your cupboard.
Plating your food. Be proud of your creation! You made that deliciousness and now you get to enjoy it.
Sitting down to eat. Whether it’s with yourself or with loved ones, express some gratitude for the abundance of nourishment on your plate!
I hope this gives you some inspiration to create your own healthy habits or revamp already existing ones.
As we are always evolving, growing and changing, your intentions can change, too. Nothing has to be concrete and set in stone.
Until next time my friends.
