Change is hard, so improving our well-being, can often hurt, physically, mentally and emotionally. But often what hurts more, and is a much longer process, is doing nothing, and just accepting it. We tend to believe that changing is too hard when in fact, a swift and more brutal approach, is more likely to be less painful in the long run. Improving our well-being is challenging, but possible!
This transition can be awkward, but it’s necessary if you want a better life. Don’t put off changing today out of the fear of pain. You could be starting right now and the great thing is, if you’re reading this, you’re already making positive steps in the right direction. How cool is that!
Read on. Do it with an open mind as it helps being more open to change.
When we realise that we have the capability within us to change, everything starts to change around us. It’s like waking up all of a sudden and taking back control of the life you want to be living. The way things look, how we react to certain events, and how we treat those we come into contact with, all change.
the changes I made to improve my well-being
Here are some of the ways I have changed my life for the better. Tip number 1, I didn’t do all of these at once. It’s a process that I continue to build on every day.
Take regular breaks without distractions
We’ve been taught over many years, that being busy is ‘normal’. I was busy for years and years believing that that was what I was supposed to be doing. There was nothing ‘normal’ about it. I would work for hours at the expense of my own health and never took breaks. The problem is, this type of ‘work ethic’ is often praised and reinforced when everyone, including managers, know it’s not healthy.
Do yourself, and your body a favour, and re-evaluate the relationship you have with your job. I did, and I’ve never looked back. Be proactive, not reactive.
Eat healthy fats to fuel the brain
There’s a lot of ‘unhealthy’ fat floating around in our food these days. I was addicted to McDonald’s. That certainly wasn’t the kind of fat my brain needed that’s for sure. Now I reach for the avocado, and I make sure I have one a day if possible. I rotate those suckers around to ensure they are ripe and it’s like it’s a strategic operation, but it’s possible. Just keep your stock of avocados in the fridge and fruit bowl, and enjoy when ripe!
move that butt
It doesn’t matter what exercise we do but it does matter that we move. Over the years, we have increased our sitting time by hours and hours. Our bodies weren’t designed to sit all day in front of screens but yet this is what we do for most of our day. Because we sit so much (often using incorrect office equipment), our bodies start to hurt, especially our backs and shoulders. Even if we walk a little bit every day, we can start to feel a bit better generally, as our body gains flexibility and movement. If you can’t walk around your neighbourhood, try an online class or watch an exercise video on YouTube. I’m starting my first online Zoom class today.
Take time out to rest your brain
Learning to be proactive and not reactive can take time because we hardly let our brains rest from everything that’s going on around us. I spent 20 years doing a teaching job that part of me loved, but the other part hated. I was so ‘busy’ with it, I never took a break from it and looking back now, I was unable to see what all that ‘busy’ work was doing to my brain. Constant overstimulation is not good for any brain. Try escaping the office or staffroom and eating lunch outside for a change. I do this every day now and just lie in the sun sometimes. My brain thanks me by being less ‘all over the place’ and my thoughts about what I want to do, become clearer.
check our thoughts
We aren’t taught to check our thoughts. Most of the time we cruise along in some sort of default mode where thoughts are operating non-stop in the background, around our heads. But when we stop to actually check what these thoughts are and begin to label them, we can see a pattern. Are they negative, or positive?
If we can check our thoughts and see what’s repeating, we can uncover what we’re constantly saying to ourselves internally. By doing this, we can then change the dialogue to positive statements. This actually can make a massive difference to how we then proceed with our lives.
music for mood
If music was a mood, mine would be similar to the image above. Music is something that can change our mood from angry, to elated in seconds. It’s what puts me in the right mood for cooking, cleaning and any other job I don’t like to do. If I want motivation, I’ll put on a certain type of music. It’s certainly something that is down to individual preference, but most people reading this will get what I mean.
work with our strengths
Uncovering what we’re good at can take time, especially if we are making ourselves go to a job we don’t like, day after day after day. When we do this, we don’t even give our brain a chance to focus on anything, apart from blobbing out (and possibly drinking???) when we get home. When we give ourselves some time to think, it’s amazing what we can do. There are a lot of hidden talents in most of us, but they are swamped under the daily grind of daily life, in the majority. It’s time to work with those strengths, not against them.
Get outside for Vitamin D
We spend so much time inside ‘something’ these days. We wake up inside our house. Go to our job or school inside a vehicle. Learn or work inside a building all day. Possibly go inside another vehicle home to the inside of our house. And then stay inside doing ??? until we go to bed – then we push the repeat button! We hardly ever get outside in the sun which helps our body to make one of the essential vitamins needed for our immune system, vitamin D.
Seek help if needed
If you need help or support with your life, please reach out to a medical professional, who may be able to point you in the right direction to get you the support you need.
You would be surprised at how many people will help you if you let them. Sometimes the only people who don’t want us to change, are the ones around us. They may just feel too uncomfortable with us wanting to change for many reasons.
Lead by example and show them, it can be achieved.
More ideas on how to improve our lives
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