When we hear the word diet, many of us think of restricting what we eat and going hungry . Exercise has it’s own ugly connotation of forcing yourself to hurt as you sweat and struggle to move.
Would you like to know how to get healthy by focusing on something other than traditional diet and exercise?
Here’s how. Redefine it.
Forget your body for a second. Drop your idea that ‘health’ is simply the state of your bones, muscles, organs, and joints. There is another way to diet and exercise and get healthy.
There are two other equally important areas of your life which determine whether or not you are healthy. Your mental and spiritual health contribute 2/3 of your overall health. These components require some care if you want to be well.
Mental Health
Instead of thinking about what your body is eating, think about what your mind is consuming. Are you snacking on the bad news du jour? Do your meals include confident and healthy thoughts? Are the conversations you’re having with others making your healthy or sick?
It’s important to pay at least as much attention to what your mind ingests as what your body does. Be very careful to stay away from thoughts and words that bring you down, discourage you, or lead to negative conclusions. Your thoughts and words actually change your brain chemistry as the stress of unhealthy self-talk, hyperbole about current events, and toxic relationships wear on your mental health.
To strengthen your mind, here is a useful exercise. Recall what you DO have instead of what you DON’T have. This is simply a change of focus. It may take some practice but it can become a habit. My tendency is to be hard on myself and expect more than I’m capable of. Now, instead of grumbling about what I didn’t get done today, I celebrate what I did. Neither of these thoughts will change what has happened but being satisfied with what I accomplished in a day helps me to go at it again the next day with enthusiasm.
Another strategy I use to care for my mental health, is to spend time with positive people. Not rose-colored glasses, denial type of people, but those who are having fun in life, pursuing their dreams, and comfortable being their authentic selves. Their optimism and work ethic rub off on me and my mental health is strengthened.
How are you taking care of your mental health? What are you consuming and what habits are you practicing? Think about your mental health diet and exercise. Focusing on this is a sure-fire way to improve your overall health.
Spiritual Health
What is your spirit dining on? Skepticism, hopelessness, or possibilities? How are you giving and receiving love, dealing with conflict, and participating in community? It’s good to take stock in what you are feeding your spirit.
My tendency in life is to look at what is wrong instead of what is right. Preventing my spirit from wandering to these dark places takes intention. I need the right spiritual food. One way I care for my spiritual diet is through prayer. Another way is to volunteer and spend time with generous people.
One strategy to exercise my spirit is self-reflection. Getting to the bottom of what is bothering me frees me from its grip. I ask myself tough questions and go beyond blaming others for my problems or considering myself a victim. Another way I exercise my spirit is to practice gratitude. Intentionally thinking about what I am grateful for shifts my focus and both heals and strengthens my spirit.
For You
What activities will heal and strengthen your spirit? What is the proper diet and exercise for it? Simply defining this will be a huge step towards health. Putting it into practice simply takes time. A strong spirit equals a strong life.
Springtime is a great time to start something new. Instead of restricting what you eat, define healthy food for your mind and spirit. Instead of sweating at the gym, practice mental and spiritually healthy habits.
Expand your definition of health to include mental and spiritual health. COVID has brought to light the importance of these components of our lives. Your mental and spiritual health are just as important as the physical. The combination of the three will allow you to achieve true health.
At the end of May, my book, So Now What? A Guided Workbook to Get Unstuck will be released. This can help you define what steps you need to take to achieve overall health. Pre-order your copy here.
