What does a healthy lifestyle look like for you?
This is a bit like what mine looks like – graphic style!
What you might notice about this graphic is that you do no see kale listed. Or avocado, chia seeds, or broccoli. Not even quinoa! There is no statement to drink more water or consume less sugar.
Don’t get me wrong, those things are essential parts of my diet. Yet they do not make my list for a healthy lifestyle.
Why?
Because health is not just about the food you eat. It is all of the reasons you have to be healthy.
Let me explain.
Have you ever noticed that when you kids are outside playing, they can go for hours? Such is the case when I take my kids to playgroup. When we call them over for a morning snack, most just grab a quick piece of fruit or two and then get back to the play as quickly as possible. They don’t want to miss any of the fun. Completely immersed in play, they go hard for hours and are completely wiped out when we go home.
It’s fantastic.
It is the same for adults. When your life is full of the things that are essential to you, to your well being, you thrive. Have you ever been so engaged in doing something you love, that you literally forgot to eat? Food becomes secondary to the other elements of your life – it is what keeps you going and engaged in doing what you love.
Eating well, eating healthy is essential. And it is certainly a priority. But it is just one part of the larger puzzle.
A healthy lifestyle is about finding synergy between everything that you are passionate about, that you value. What fills you up. Frequently we hear the term ‘balance’ used in this space. But I don’t think striving for balance is realistic or even achievable. Trying to achieve balance can place importance on things that might not be as essential right now – simply to be ‘balanced’. Synergy is the word I use because these things can ebb and flow. Different elements of your life might take priority and adjusting to allow focus on these is essential. All of these primary elements of your life have a role, and together they create your healthy lifestyle.
When you become a parent, your focus might move away from your career, or from other elements of your life, to make room for your family. It might swing back. It might not. Items that you might not have had on your list now emerge. For me that was finances. As a twenty-something single adult travelling the world, financial future was not much of a worry. It was certainly not a priority. As a wife and mother with two young children, living overseas from my family, it is now something I care about. A lot. Having secure finances reduces stress and allows me to provide for my children – and focus on what truly does bring us joy. So my healthy lifestyle evolved to create a career and lifestyle that would free us from the stress of being worried about our finances. A life full of unmanageable stress is likely to have negative health implications, regardless of how much kale and quinoa you eat.
While finding balance might be impossible, discovering what works for you is not.
What are the things that fill you with passion? What is your reason for being? What are the elements of your life that you would say are your primary purpose?
What words would make your list?
If you are searching for your own synergy, for what a healthy lifestyle might look like for you, and you need a bit of help, have a look at out free guide Building a Success Mindset Through Happiness. Click on the button below to join our mailing list and and download your free copy right now!
