THREE TOP TIPS for implementing healthy habits & routines
shape your day,the power of habit
“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act but a habit.”
In one of my first posts, outlining ‘The Foundations of High Health’, I wrote about the interconnectedness of all things, from how we wake up in the morning to how we get back to sleep at night, with every touchstone across the day impacting our overall wellbeing.
The effect of sleep on energy and food cravings, food on mood and sleep, and every one of these aspects, touching upon the other, an endless cycle of cause and effect.
As an active participant in the world of wellness and a lover of all of the healthy things. My focus and the ethos behind High Health Club, is to understand how we can support ourselves, in this busy modern world, not just to live, but to THRIVE.
How do we, with all of the demands of the day, of life, ensure that by the end of it we look back with a smile rather than a feeling of relief that we made it through, our eyes already looking toward tomorrow?
Life, without being too poetic, truly is a gift and the little joys of each day can easily be overlooked. It’s not because we’re not grateful or conscious, it’s simply that MODERN LIVING, can be a lot.
We’re overstimulated, our to do lists long and we live in a fast paced, connected 24/7 world that reveres BUSY and deems not as less than.
Personally, I rely on the power of ritual, habit and routine to support myself in my days, to help me pause and ensure I am set up to succeed as best I can and I have developed a reverence for the process.
It hasn’t always been this way, I’ve had my share of stress related, health issues, and not every day is a glowing success, life can be a lot, as we know.
reverence
noun. deep respect for someone or something
The power of ritual and routine whilst small, is mighty. The act of setting aside time and focusing on yourself, making yourself a priority and focusing on what will best serve you, cannot, not, have an impact on your day and in turn your life.
RITUAL IS SIMPLY A PRACTICE, MADE SACRED, WITH THE INTENTION OF IT BECOMING SOMETHING YOU REPEAT, LIKE A HABIT BUT WITH INTENT AND THAT’S GENERALLY HOW I TREAT MY WELLNESS ROUTINE, AND HOW THESE TOOLS REMAIN ON REPEAT.
It’s easy to mindlessly down some vitamins, push your body through some movement, mutter a few gratitude’s and go about your day, however personally, I find that the ritualistic aspect is more enjoyable and more effective in having both a long-term benefit on my health and wellbeing and cementing the practice so it remains on repeat.
“Ritual is the simplest and biggest way you can honor yourself and enhance your wellbeing. Ritual helps us create a beautiful life.”
daily practice
The small daily practices, on repeat go a long way in setting yourself up for living well and supporting your health and wellbeing and a thoroughly enjoyable pursuit if you know where to look.
High Health Club’s focus is always prevention, over cure and this relates to all of your daily habits and routines, not just the food you eat and the vitamins you take.
A few deep breaths before lunch, a walk around the block at the end of your day and a couple of glasses of water scattered throughout, really can have a powerful impact on how you land at the end of it.
Whether you want to support your wellbeing more generally or you have a specific goal in mind, it’s important to work out why you want to make change? A goal without an understanding of why, won’t compel you to make a change, however, a clear vision of the end result, just might.
I encourage you to really tap into what that feeling is you want to achieve, is it a desire to feel more relaxed and less stressed at the end of the day, do you want to feel better in your body, look amazing in your jeans, have more patience with your family or do you simply desire more energy to do the things you really want to do in this life? Once you have landed on your why, then you can look at the how.
THREE TOP TIPS | for implementing healthy habits and routines
make it, non-negotiable
Whatever it is you want to achieve, whether it’s exercising or drinking more water, make it non-negotiable.
In running Corporate Wellbeing Challenges, I have noticed that the people with the most success in achieving their movement goals, simply make them a non-negotiable part of their every day.
Non-negotiable means just that, it takes the option out of it and saves you the will I/won’t I debate! It doesn’t mean you have to spend an hour or more exercising everyday, in fact, it can take the pressure off and allows you the grace on the days you have less time.
Making it non-negotiable gives you the freedom to choose sans the guilt.
create a ritual out of it
Celebrate the everyday and make a little ritual out of the things you would like to include in your life and they are more likely to stick.
Ritual is the difference between rushing through a shower or a bath and consciously connecting with your body; between hastily drinking your morning coffee and really enjoying every sip; between speeding through your bedtime routine and savouring it with gratitude.
If you want to do some breathwork or meditate more regularly, try setting yourself up with a nice little space, all your own and make it somewhere you want to spend time. Get a nice cushion or a journal, whatever it takes to make it special for you. Something as simple as lighting a candle can elevate your practice.
Chlorophyll Water
I like to start and end my day with a big glass of water with chlorophyll drops in it. The green of the chlorophyll makes it look so pretty, it adds a little extra nutrition and now it’s become a little morning and evening ritual that I look forward to.
Be a little VAIN about it, there’s nothing like a great gym outfit to get you motivated and get out and about and feeling good doing that exercise!!!
habit stack
Habit stacking is one of my favourite ways to add something in! If there is a habit you want to add into your day, simply stack it next to something you are already doing.
Exercising every day in some form is one of my non-negotiables and in order to remember to take my probiotics, I’ve made it part of the process. I fill up a big bottle of water and add my Gut Co powders and drink it throughout. Now, if I forget to exercise or forget to take my probiotics, I have two triggers.
homework.
I encourage you to think about, how you can break up your selfcare + wellbeing practices into small manageable chunks and embed them in your every day?
We often wait for the ‘perfect’ time or setting, thinking we’ll get to it ‘later’ but more often that not, later doesn’t come.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
- Vincent Van Gogh