Making a commitment to increase your personal wellness can seem like a daunting task. It’s easy to get overwhelmed at the thought of major changes to your diet and lifestyle.
What will I eat?
How will I find the time for more exercise?
What if I set a goal and can’t accomplish it?
These are all realistic resistances that arise when you are asked to make what feels like significant personal changes. In our years of wellness retreat experience, we have discovered that improving your wellness does not have to be difficult.
Here is our insider scoop on getting you started on the path to wellness and staying on track for good.
Start where you are
This is likely the most important thing to remember on your journey toward wellness. Stop putting it off. Don’t wait until after your birthday, after a holiday, after your vacation or any other special occasion. Start today. Start right now. Start before dinner today, even if you had a donut for breakfast and a cheeseburger for lunch. Just start now. You can write down your goal if that helps. You can register for a weight loss spa. Or you can simply make a commitment in your mind. What matters most is that you honestly promise to start prioritizing your own wellness.
Get an assessment of your health
Understand and record the current status of your overall physical health so you have a baseline against which to gauge your progress. During comprehensive stays at our wellness retreat, our guests meet with a naturopathic doctor who assesses your vital signs and interprets complete blood test results to gain a greater understanding of your health risks and challenges. If you are not planning to attend a weight loss spa, you can schedule a comprehensive evaluation by your own doctor who can identify your health challenges and get a standardized measurement against which you can compare improvements over time.
Evaluate your diet
Your diet has a tremendous impact on your health and can easily sabotage your other wellness efforts. You must pay attention to the food you eat. Be prepared to replace high-fat, high-salt and sugary foods with alternatives. Work with a nutritionist on your own or at a weight loss spa, who can help you craft a meal plan that will please your palette while fueling your body with energy from high-quality foods. Expect that you will have cravings. But recognize that this is just your body getting used to a new habit. Set yourself up for success by incorporating ideas for healthy snacks into your daily diet.
Move your body
It doesn’t matter what type of movement you do, as long as you do it regularly. Not only does regular exercise tone your muscles, increase your flexibility and help you lose weight, it also releases feel-good endorphins that elevate your mood and make you feel better overall. Join a gym, power-walk with friends, take Pilates classes, dance lessons or try new outdoor activities at a weight loss retreat. The most important thing is that you stay engaged so you’ll continue to make exercise an enjoyable activity.
Start meditating
Elevating your mental wellness will improve your outlook, which in turn will help promote your physical health. Begin a regular meditation practice, even if it’s only five minutes per day. Do it at your desk. Do it in bed after you wake up. Do it in bed before you go to sleep. The main thing is that you do it. Meditation has multiple benefits, including increasing your concentration, improving your clarity in decision-making and reducing your overall stress.
Check out our article about how to start meditating, and discover how easy it is to begin a meditation practice at any time.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule
Quality sleep each night is part of the foundation for your wellness. Protect your sleep by making it a priority. Remove screens from your bedroom and stop using them in bed. Change the lighting so your bedroom becomes a tranquil space for sleep and relaxation. Don’t watch emotionally-charged TV or movies before sleeping. Listen to a relaxing guided meditation each night. All these things will make it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep, so you wake each day rested and refreshed.
Don’t put off making changes because you’re not sure where to start. Take the above suggestions and work through them one by one. Each step of the way, congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come.
We know that improving your wellness can be an overwhelming prospect. But we’re here to help. If you have questions about which wellness strategy is best for you, call us at (800) 527-1936 and we’ll discuss the programs we offer that will get you on track to healthier living.
