Beginning Your Health & Wellness Journey – Progress, Not Perfection

Beginning Your Health & Wellness Journey – Progress, Not Perfection
by Neva Forrester

Diet and exercise, sleep, stress management, mindset work, reducing toxic load…where the heck do you even start?! 

Being aware of your current state of dis-ease also brings the not-so-welcome awareness of every single one of the lifestyle habits that may be keeping you from living a better quality of life. 

While you’re evaluating yourself and taking inventory of the things you may need to work on, sometimes you’re met with the glaringly obvious conclusion that you’re in for a complete overhaul – a true (and very intimidating) total lifestyle change. 

On top of that, you’ve got fad diets, supplement upsells, and trendy workouts performed by “perfect” bodies flooding your inboxes and social media feeds daily. So many people feel like quitting before they can even start because of this. It’s total information overload and it makes your goals seem overly complicated and unattainable. If this is you, I’m here to remind you that perfect doesn’t exist. Not in anything, but especially not in health and wellness. 

Are there going to be days or even weeks where you won’t make it to the gym? Yup. Are there going to be times when you choose the comfort food over the meal plan you put together? You betcha. Does either of these mean you failed? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

If you’ve made the decision to make a change toward a healthier life, you’ve already conquered one of the hardest parts! Here are a few simple tips to help keep that momentum going and get you started:

Remember that health is not one-size-fits-all

What works for someone else may not work for you. That diet they’re on or that exercise program they’re doing may not be what works best for your body. Experiment with whatever feels aligned for you and your body will give you the feedback you need!

Start with something simple that can be practiced daily

This could be something as simple as drinking a glass of water before your coffee in the morning or choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Starting your journey with little daily challenges like these can help build the framework for routine and sustainable health practices.

Don’t discount the (free) basics

Some of the best healing resides in the abundant world around us. Practice grounding/earthing for mood regulation and inflammation reduction, grab some Vitamin D from the sun or use breathing techniques to help manage stress and anxiety.

Find accountability

Whether it be a friend with similar goals, a health coach, or a planner you can reference, having someone or something that can help remind you of why you started this journey in the first place can be incredibly helpful motivators. I personally like to use the habit tracker insert from Passion Planner and loooove that it has a “reward” space for my why reminders! You can find the free downloadable here.

Celebrate your wins (all of them!)

Each step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. Give as much attention and credit to your wins as possible. The pride you’ll feel will make you want to win again and again. Remember: eventually, a little becomes a lot!

Give yourself grace

Life happens and so do setbacks. Be kind to yourself and know that your body is so much wiser, so much more resilient, and so much more capable than you ever could have imagined. Connect to it, commit to it, and lean in. The comeback is always greater than the setback.

True health and wellness is a lifelong endeavor. There is no end-game or final destination, so make sure you’re setting yourself up to enjoy the journey!