cermakalex What should a life restart begin with? For me, it means defining a goal that gives me direction. My goal is clear: “optimize health and regain zest for life so I can live as long as possible in good health.” Health is the foundation of everything because if we don’t have health, it’s hard to enjoy other things that life offers.
However, this goal is quite broad, as it encompasses various areas of life. How do you achieve optimal health? What does it involve? It’s not just about physical fitness, but also about mental health and lifestyle. Every step toward the goal thus becomes crucial for long-term success.
- Getting enough and quality sleep
- Eating healthily, preferably according to the Mediterranean diet
- Getting enough exercise and building fitness
- Having good mental resilience
- Building great social connections
- Spending time in nature
- Going for regular check-ups
- And much more
From literature, we’ve long known that chasing too many rabbits is not a good start. It should begin slowly. Building habits must be done one at a time, not ten all at once. And when I assess that I need new habits in all these areas, it becomes quite challenging to decide where to start.
The positive news is that one should keep in mind that it’s not necessary to jump off the bridge right away; just one small step is enough, and thanks to “compound interest,” every little change counts. For example, going to bed 30 minutes earlier, swapping one dumpling for more vegetables, taking an extra flight of stairs, standing up while talking on the phone, and so on.
It sounds beautiful, but how do I maintain it for more than one day, a week, maybe a month? For my dream to become a reality, I need to embrace all these changes and alter my lifestyle. By nature, I’m more of a pessimist, and without visible results, I give up. So, what to do about that?
The first change that should have a big impact and support others is writing a gratitude journal. It is a very effective tool for improving mood and overall happiness. It helps focus on the positive things and, even when there’s stagnation in setting new habits, it helps maintain the right direction.
So, I’m starting a challenge today. For 21 evenings, I will record three things I’m grateful for, even the small things. Maybe a kind smile and help choosing a product at the pharmacy from the pharmacist. And at the same time, I’ll rate my mood and feelings for the day on a scale from 1 to 10. We’ll see if I manage to disrupt my pessimistic nature a little and kickstart positive thinking that will support an overall lifestyle change.
So, wish me luck!
