When I think of maintaining my health, I avoid stress-inducing words like ‘exercise’ and ‘diet’. Instead, I use the word ‘wellness’.
The definition of wellness is different for everyone. My doctor’s advice certainly plays an important role in my definition of wellness. However, when life is bombarding me with hurdle after hurdle, my wellness goal might be to maintain my current state, whatever that may be at the time. I might throw in additional meditation to relieve stress.
During calmer times, I might choose to reach a stretch goal. Maybe shaving a couple of minutes off my run or push through one more HITT cycle.
I use a food tracker app. Yes, it tracks calories, but I’m more interested in making sure I reach all my nutrition goals each day. I feel foods are neither good nor bad, so I allow myself to eat whatever I choose. Once I gave myself this permission, the previous off-limits foods lost their driving appeal. Happily, I’ll have a piece of cake or cookie now and then and enjoy every tasty bite. Without allowing guilt to creep into my self-talk, I record the treat in my food tracker app. It’s important to me to see the complete, honest view of my wellness journey. And this is a journey, a lifelong journey.
For me, the kinder, gentler word ‘wellness’ puts me in a more positive mindset. According to U.S. Preventive Medicine, positive mindsets not only can have psychological effects, but it can have physical effects on our bodies. They list advantages of less stress, longer life span, and better coping skills.
If you change your self-talk from negative to positive, like magic, you’ll feel more confident about striving to meet your personal goals.
Changing your self-talk to positive thoughts takes a bit of time and effort. But it is so worth it. First, notice your negative self-talk. When you catch yourself thinking a negative thought, say STOP, then redirect yourself to positive thoughts. You could jot down negative thoughts on a pad of paper as you detect them. Change negative words to more positive ones, like I did with wellness.
You are your body’s best friend. Think about that gorgeous smile, not the blemish on your chin. Wear clothes that feel good and express your beautiful personality. Thank your body each night when you go to bed for supporting you through another day.
Keep your self-esteem up. You are a deserving, loving, and valuable person in this world. Look for the good in situations. Find that silver lining. Focus on the present. You matter in this world. We need you. So, sprinkle some magic and feel the power of a positive mindset.
