You want to start your wellness journey but don’t know where to begin. Or, maybe you’ve been down this road before and feel like you’re going to fail again. Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum today, I want to ensure you that this journey is possible and you can be successful. As someone who has had many day ones, I have learned powerful lessons on how to start your wellness journey.
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A Wellness Mindset
I know what it’s like to feel like I’m constantly starting on Day 1. But with some mindset shifts and becoming intentional about my wellness journey, I have found what works for me and believe it will work for you too.
I realized that I needed to:
- Define Wellness For Myself
- Acknowledge Where I Was
- Educate Myself
- Become Intentional
- Establish A Flexible Routine and
- Let Go Of Perfection
I know how powerful and rewarding a wellness journey can be and I’m excited for you to begin yours. So let’s learn how you can start your wellness journey today!
What Is Wellness?
Wellness, like many things in our lives, can be very subjective. Ask any number of people what wellness means and you will get an array of answers from vague to remarkably specific. You may hear that wellness is the practice of healthy habits or establishing a routine. It could be having a positive relationship with food and your body. Perhaps it prioritizes mental health and emotional intelligence. The beauty of this journey is that it can be whatever you need it to be.
“I define wellness as an intentional healthy practice of mind, body, and spirit. To be absent of one is to harm the other. Each part of us is connected. It is our responsibility to nourish all parts of us to support our overall well-being.“
…So what does that look like exactly? Well, let’s break it down.
The Mind
The mind holds our thoughts, feelings, and desires. I have struggled with negative thoughts and limiting beliefs for most of my life. And I wrestle to take every thought captive as 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to. Because of that, I am adamant about implementing daily habits that help me create positive and healthy mindsets. One of my favorite ways to do that is by journaling. Journaling is a great way to release and process your thoughts. I also love how accessible it is. Whether you like to get lost in a blank page or be guided with prompts, there is a journal for you. The Five Minute Journal is a popular journal that you can find here on Amazon!
I also like to journal my thoughts and prayers to God which helps me to memorize scripture. When you know the Word of God, it becomes easier to take every thought captive and truly live in the identity God has given you. To learn exactly how I memorize scripture, download my ebook here!
The Body
Our bodies do so much for us. They allow us to move from location to location or from task to task with grace or speed. The body also protects us from outside forces, keeps us hydrated, it breathes, produces millions of blood cells, keeps our hearts beating, repairs our bones and so much more. The human body is remarkable. Knowing this inspires me to prioritize the needs of my body to maintain health and homeostasis. I do this with intentional daily movement and eating nourishing food.
The Spirit
We are spiritual beings. My spirit is my foundation because it is the true essence of who I am. As a follower of Christ, there is no separation between my spirit and my belief in God because God is the creator of my spirit. Therefore, my relationship with God is the primary focus of maintaining a healthy spirit.
The Connection
So, how does all of this connect? I have often observed how a negative habit practiced in one pillar affects the others. For example, when I start to believe the negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that have been planted in my mind, it impacts how I show up physically. My mind tells me that I’m not enough and that it’s pointless to try. In turn, I try to numb myself by getting lost in a movie, binging Netflix, and “treating” myself with cookies because I’m having a hard day week or month. Instead of praying I sulk. Rather than moving my body, I melt into the couch. Instead of releasing my feelings, I bottle them up.
Eventually, this process becomes habitual and one day you look up and realize you have surrendered to all of the things that pain you instead of working through them in a healthy way. Once I realized these practices and triggers, I began to implement other habits to help me move through those moments with compassion for myself such as prayer, self-reflection, community, healthy eating, movement, Biblical affirmation, and journaling.
Where Am I?
A sentiment I repeat often is, “To know where you are going, you must first know where you are.” I’m absolutely horrible at reading maps. Just horrible. Have you ever tried to use the walking directions in Google Maps and ended up traveling oppositely to your intended destination? Embarrassingly, I have. I was lost because I didn’t understand my starting point. If only life screamed at us “recalculating” whenever we veered off our route.
We need to take inventory of who we are and where we are. I ask myself, “What are my current thoughts about myself, others, God, and the world? Have I accomplished what I set out to achieve in the last month, six months, or year? Am I prioritizing my needs and wants? Have I picked up unhealthy habits? What do I need to work on? Am I in alignment with God and what He wants for my life?” I believe we should be taking inventory of our lives often.
Continue To Educate Yourself
We are living in the information age. While there are some cons to this, it is also a beautiful thing. I am a huge proponent of finding vetted mentors in books and podcasts. Many people are doing amazing research and becoming leaders in the field of wellness, health, mindset, and healing trauma. As believers, we should be good stewards of our health and well-being. One of my current favorite books is The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips, a Christian trauma therapist and mental health expert. She beautifully blends faith and the latest discoveries in neurobiology to help you cultivate a life of emotional well-being. You can pick up a copy here on Amazon!
Become Intentional
You must become intentional while on this journey. Our lives are not random and our daily practices shouldn’t be either. I intentionally pray when I first wake up in the morning. Before I consume anything else, I start my day with water. Journaling is an intentional practice. Creating an exercise regimen is an intentional practice. I intentionally practice self-care. Rest is intentional.
While I want you to become intentional about your wellness journey, I also want you to understand the heart behind it. It is not to receive an invisible overachiever award or become perfect. It is to cultivate health in your life. Your intentionality produces an atmosphere where you can thrive as you walk in purpose.
Establish A Flexible Routine
I love to watch a good curated morning routine on YouTube. However, sometimes what is missing is flexibility. Did you know that change is a psychological event? As anxiety began to impact my life in a major way, I realized that any minor disturbance or unexpected scenario sent me on a downward spiral of anger, frustration, and confusion.
The reality is, life happens. We oversleep. The kids get sick or we get sick. There’s unexpected traffic on your regular route when there’s typically no traffic at all. We need to leave room for life’s mishaps. Sometimes, the greatest celebrations and transformations come from the moments we least expect.
Let Go Of Perfection
This is coming from a recovering perfectionist. Somewhere along my path in life, I picked up the belief that I needed to be perfect. And it’s a subconscious belief. I can tell you all day long that I’m anything but perfect and that I don’t strive to be but my actions and inner monologue tell a different story.
It’s in the way that I become laser-focused when doing a task. I struggle to peel myself away and take a much-needed break until everything is just right. It is the fear I have of making a mistake and the utter disappointment I experience when I do.
I am learning to relieve myself of the pressure I have placed on myself because of other people’s perceived ideas. Instead, I am choosing to align myself with God and follow His lead.
Remember…
Your wellness journey is your own. So define wellness for yourself. Be honest with yourself and where you want to be. Continue to learn and become intentional so that you can create routines that complement life and not ones that seek to control it. Finally, release the need to be perfect in all things.
I continue to remind myself of these pillars as I remember that this is indeed a journey with many ebbs and flows. If you are anything like me, then you appreciate the sacredness of this journey and strive to be intentional and not perfect.
With Love,
Tamara
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