Lately I have been working on myself a lot to move towards what I think is a healthy life. Obviously "health" is relative, but there are definitely some constants to that are applicable to all. The end goal of what is healthy is also quite unclear, but I suppose the journey to getting there is all about figuring out what works and does not work for you. I've found that there some components of leading a more fulfilling life are superficial and not so challenging, and then the some that are so hard it makes you want to say "fuck it." The following list are things that work, naturally, weeding out those that don't. The most challenging one I'll leave for the end...
1.
Nutrition. Eating healthy is always the best way to go. Over the past year and a half nutrition has become a huge part of my life. I cut out dairy for various reasons aside from "it's for babies," and moreso because it makes me feel disgusting. I have decreased the amount of sugar that I eat, and most recently, try to stick to nonprocessed sugars such as raw honey, raw almond butter, coconut oil, and dark chocolate. It's easier than I thought, but I still have froyo cravings :) I eat meat almost daily, because for my as a climber and yogi I need the animal proteins, but I try and stay to leaner meats and fish. And most of all, KALE SMOOTHIES and tons of fruits and veggies. A must, trust me. (Also, ps, pepitas are my new favorite ingredient so chop them up in a chopper/grinder and you can throw them in anything! Salads, protein pancakes, oatmeal, etc).
2.
Exercise. So the one thing that I have noticed, is that when I am single I exercise WAY MORE than I usually do. Regardless of my relationship status I work out daily, but now I stack different methods of exercising to twice a day sometimes and then have a pampering rest day. I am a Thai Massage therapist, a very useful tool for trade ;) So I sat down yesterday and realized that I have SIX active memberships. Here it goes... The Dailey Method, The Denver Bouldering Club, Root Yoga, The Yoga Mat, Kindness Yoga, and Core Power Yoga... who needs that?! Certainly nobody, but when you are in a funk and trying to work through deeply rooted things in your life, it is really nice to have options. My suggestion is always going to be choose something that you like to do. If you don't like doing it you won't do it... that's what I learned from being a personal trainer. So my week now consists of climbing 4x a week, Dailey Method 2x, Yoga 3x, and if I'm feeling up for it then maybe a little cardio.... maybe. But it's cold outside... So if anybody wants to try rock climbing hit me up because most exercise is a total snooze fest and this is actually fun and kicks your ass.
3.
Cleanliness. This might seem like a weird one, but it is so important. When I say cleanliness, yes I am definitely talking about hygiene, but I am also talking about your freaking apartment! When you keep things clean and tidy, even down to your floors and bathroom, your mental sanity becomes even. I think we can all agree that cleaning is a great distraction from being a productive human being, but that's not the point. You want to be able to maintain everything in your life, so making sure your apartment is clean and the clothes are folded means you will get things done on your to-do list!
4.
Surround Yourself with Goodness. Weeding out people that are "no longer serving you" (as the yogis say), is so so important, but it is not just people that one needs to eliminate in times of personal reflection and growth, but also environments. Humans these days have a tendency to get into the same routine on a daily or weekly basis to the point where it almost becomes numb. I understand that this is a huge generalization, but to some degree we all do it. When the numbess of our jobs, friends, relationships starts to hit, that means reevaluating is in order. Numbess to me is a negative thing, an uninspiring place to be in your life. This year I had to get rid of a lot of relationships that were having a negative cause and effect syndrome. They started out interesting and quickly went stale. The stale factor is the worse because it makes you feel stuck. So get rid of it. I find that if you are in a position to be single than you should absorb every ounce of it because it's the best time to discover who you are and what you like and don't like. I think that in the midst of a relationship is when discovering your fullest potential is the most challenging, so as a single gal I'm soaking it up. Part of surrounding yourself with goodness is finding the ability to say "no." No to friendships, no to dating, no to extra shifts at your job, no to the same old shit. Start saying no and see how it can create a really honest way of speaking. My life has started to shift just because of the fact that I choose carefully very inspiring relationships. If you are not bringing anything to the table, I'm not interested. #sorrynotsorry (just for you Griff).
5.
Break Patterns. I think this has been the most challenging component of leading a healthy life for me. Singledome has allowed me to be really aware of my habits that haven't really served me well in the past. Breaking patterns is hard because it makes for a really vulnerable state in your life where everything just seems generally heavier and harder. The past few months have felt really hard for me but I have recently gotten out of my "fuck you" funk and feeling much lighter. You know when you are seeing the effects of breaking a cycle when you move past the dark phase and things because light. At a young age you are cultured to be a certain way and then as you get older it's almost like you are reversing a lot of habits that were instilled so long ago. Choosing to operate at a different caliber requires being present at every moment. Being present to your actions and behaviors creates awareness. That is when change starts to occur. The biggest thing I have noticed about the particular changes I have made and patterns I have broken is that it has brought me a lot of happiness. I had a friend tell me recently that your life becomes complete and truthful when you think inside the realm of, "is this decision going to bring my happiness?" If the answer is yes, then that's your path. Coming into a new way of thinking that will bring you happiness will directly enhance the desire to break patterns... at least that's what I think :) #speakyourtruth
