Recently, I shared how so many of us get caught up in the weeds of nutrition before establishing a solid foundation.
The first mindset shift that I hope you can start to move towards first is recognizing that when it comes to HEALTH, there is
NO Static Destination
NO On/Off Button
NO Wagon to Fall from
NO List to Check off
Instead, I believe it helps to see health as FLUID and EVER EVOLVING, as a PROCESS and a PRACTICE rather than a destination.
Health is found in the active tension of figuring out what habits and practices KEEP YOU feeling and functioning optimally from day to day. As your body and your circumstances will change, it will forever require some level of attention, adjustment, and input.
I want you to think about character…I imagine you would agree that character traits, like honor or compassion are NOT aspects that can be achieved and checked off. I know personally that how I embody certain character traits can change from one day to the next. And that what I am practicing, or leaning into, may be different from day to day, or season to season.
Similarly, it helps to view health not as something you can achieve and check off, but something that you will always be ADJUSTING, TWEAKING AND GROWING into.
Shifting your mindset to thinking of health as a PRACTICE is helpful for 2 reasons:
1. Your destination WILL change. Likely your vision of health has looked different throughout life. What’s more, the health markers that are appropriate for you now are not the same as when you were 10, and will not be the same later in life.
2. Health is a balance that you will always have to WORK to MAINTAIN. Sure, I want you to figure out what tools and resources help you stay in a healthy space. And I want you to know what DIRECTION you are moving in. But health as a practice means you will have to continually adapt and adjust, to re-prioritize, and to figure out how to make those health-giving behaviors a part of your routine. When we view health as outcomes, we start to think in terms of on/off, black/white, binge/restrict, which tends to help us achieve only one part of a goal at the expense of others.
So rather than getting caught up in the fastest way to get to that one destination, what if you started thinking about what it could mean to practice health TODAY. Start focusing instead on what practices, patterns, tools, and support systems help you right now. Consider that your direction might change slightly throughout life. And start giving yourself permission to explore what the practice of health looks like for you rather than being fixated on the destination.