Some people welcome change with open arms, but for many, making a change in your routine is challenging. Deciding you want to live healthier is the first step, but the second step to making that a reality is identifying the obstacles that stand in your way. What does your daily routine look like? Does your home reflect your healthy living goals? When you identify what’s holding you back, it’s easier to see where different parts of your life could better support your goals.
Your Home
You’ve probably heard the saying “home is where the heart is.” Improving your overall well-being includes caring for your mental health, and doing that has to start at home — where the heart is. Do you walk into your home and feel calm, or do you feel overwhelmed by stuff? If your home is messy and cluttered, it’s probably making you feel stressed.
Start by clearing away the clutter — get rid of anything that doesn’t serve you, and create neat storage solutions for what’s left. Then, give your home a good deep cleaning. You may even want to get help with this by hiring a cleaning company. These companies usually offer both one-time and regular cleaning services.
Once your home is clean and peaceful, consider other ways it could be more conducive to healthy habits. Can you make your home even happier? HuffPost recommends displaying photos and fun magnets on the fridge and letting in lots of natural light throughout your home.
If your goals include more exercise, set up a dedicated space in your home where you can quickly pull out a mat and weights. Or, if your goals include being more mindful, create a nook where you can retreat to practice meditation. The point is to remove barriers and make it as easy as possible to follow through with healthy habits.
Your Lifestyle
Sometimes, ongoing health concerns make it difficult to reach our goals. Many people are now finding relief for some conditions through meditation and yoga. Both of these allow for an intimate connection with yourself and your body and mind. This can help you overcome challenges that make pain and anxiety a daily reality.
When you set new health goals for yourself, you may also have everyday habits that you don’t even realize are getting in the way of making a change. To help put things into perspective, Psychology Today recommends using daily reflection to foster healthy habits. You can do this by keeping a journal where you write down daily actions. Spend some time reflecting on which ones fit in with your health goals and which ones may set you back. You can use your meditation time to further reflect on these thoughts and to formulate a health-based plan of action.
Your Daily Routines
Along with self-reflection and tailoring your living space to meet your goals, don’t forget about the rest of your daily routines. The time we spend away from home is often when we struggle the most with health goals. If you’re always on the go, consider how you can make healthy choices easier to work into your routine. For example, if you’re in the habit of grabbing fast food, you may want to find recipes for easy lunches and snacks you can pack. The trick is to plan ahead so that staying on track is as convenient as your old routines.
At home or on the go, sticking with healthy habits isn’t always easy. This is why you have to know what’s standing in your way. Once you identify those obstacles, whether it’s a matter of convenience or managing chronic pain, only then can you work around them and make everyday health strategies stick for good.