Well hello 2022! It’s hard to believe last year is done and dusted, but here we are. My mom, sister and I looked through our 2021 resolutions this morning and made new ones for this year. (I don’t really do resolutions in the sense that I don’t wait for a new year to make/start working on goals–but it’s fun to take stock of where we are at the moment.)
The gyms and health food stores will be packed for the next few weeks, full of people who have resolved to eat better, exercise more, practice self-care and get more sleep. But making goals is one thing, and sticking to them is entirely another.
One reason I’m proud of Eric and I in 2021 is that we had plenty of excuses to put our healthy lifestyle on the back burner: family conflicts, a new baby with medical problems, the pandemic, bad weather. But we didn’t.
It hasn’t always been that way–especially in college, I’d be the first one to toss health, balance, and self-care out the window so that I could maintain straight A’s. Many people I know did too (and I think that says something about the state of American higher education and American attitudes towards health in general; but that’s a conversation for another day).
But since graduating, I’ve come to embrace the best tip to maintain a healthy lifestyle that I’ve ever heard, which is:
What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” ~Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin’s books–The Happiness Project, Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies–are some of my favorite “get your ish together” books and I think that quote is applicable to so many areas of life, particularly healthy living.
Yes, getting the occasional massage, personal training session or cooking a fancy super-healthy meal is great. But those things pale in comparison to your daily habits.
- When there’s a choice between ordering takeout or taking 10 minutes to throw together a healthy salad from odds and ends in the fridge… what do you choose?
- Do you take your supplements and/or medications daily?
- Do you use self-control to put your phone or computer down an hour+ before bed, for good sleep hygiene?
- Do you pick up the phone to schedule a therapy session when you need to?
- Do you bother to take a walk after lunch, instead of scrolling on social media or plunging straight back into work?
- Do you check in with your body regularly to make sure you’re not holding unnecessary tension or ruminating on things that don’t actually matter?
These are just a few things that make a much bigger difference in wellbeing than being able to afford fancy face masks, massages or Crossfit memberships.
Investing time, effort, and self-discipline into your health isn’t as exciting, but the payoff is much larger over time. Be good to your mind and body as we start the new year. You deserve it!
I’d love to know: what’s your favorite tip to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
xx Claire
