5 Habits to Embrace for a Healthier You
Tarah Avery
There are many habits that we can create to become the best versions of ourselves, but these are just 5 of the ones that I find to be the most important in my own life.
Earn your ice cream.
Exercise daily. This can be a hard habit to stick to for some (and not so hard for others), but I find myself right in the middle. Sometimes getting to the gym is a piece of cake! Other times…not so much. My only saving grace is that it is built into my day to day work schedule.
Gordon and I choose to make our health a priority by exercising not only for ourselves but for each other. So last year we decided to pay for a gym membership – almost anyone can do $10 a month ($20 for us both) – and for us, that’s saying a lot. We know what living on little looks like. But even if a gym membership isn’t an option, get out and walk at least a mile every day, join a mom’s group, or a hiking group on meetup.com. Another option that I’ve loved in the past is at-home workouts by Blogilates or BodyRock.
Find a way to make exercise a priority because friend, I promise you your body will thank you and you’ll feel SO much better in the long run.
What do you like to do for exercise?
Have pillow talk.
Pray daily. I love this healthy habit. And even though I don’t intentionally practice this as much as I’d like on the daily, here is what I aspire to do:⠀
Start my day by reminding myself and worshiping God through expressing his goodness and love – the essence of who he is – through prayer. This is not a time to ask for things that I want but to thank God for who he is to me. ⠀
This will create an “attitude of gratitude” rather than starting your day focusing on yourself.
What are your prayer goals?
Hang out with your girls!
Have girls night at least once a month. I used to not have a regular girls night. And it took a toll on me. Little did I know the impact of having women in my daily life that can pour into me, encourage me, and challenge me to be more of who I am (and vice versa).⠀⠀
But my husband knew. He understood that taking the time to have girls nights and guys nights is a healthy part of every relationship. And they aren’t meant to be reasons for escaping your spouse, but rather time set aside to become an even greater husband or wife.⠀
We changed our schedule around so that I could meet with my girls regularly, and it’s made a huge difference! Even my husband noticed a change.⠀
Ladies, we must take the time to get out and hang with those women closest to us. It will not only make you a better woman but wife and mother as well.⠀
Do you have women in your life that you can spend girls night with? If you do, start scheduling in time for them. If not, I challenge you to pray and ask God to bring some women into your life or point out ones that already are that maybe you need to step out and ask for coffee.⠀
Strengthen your brain muscle!
Continue to learn and grow. If you’re not going up, you’re coasting downhill and it’s probably not a steep incline. It will disguise itself as a slow progression that you barely even notice. ⠀
I’ve never been an achiever type of personality, least of all a book reader! My parents actually paid me 5 cents a PAGE to read a book growing up (no joke), and I still probably only got halfway through and then never finished it. I know what you’re thinking…⠀
Exercising my brain muscle has never been that awesome. My go-to is to use my brain as little as possible, which is why I barely graduated from college. Oh man, that’s embarrassing!⠀
However, I’ve learned the value of challenging myself mentally and implementing the knowledge, wisdom & skills I’ve learned from those who have gone before me.⠀
Growing isn’t always comfortable or fun, but it sure feels good when you can look back and see how far you’ve come!⠀
What are you reading/listening to/watching right now that’s been challenging your growth?⠀
Prioritize yourself.
Make “you” time. I know for many of us, especially you mamas out there, this can be a tough habit to create. But when you are healthy and thriving, you can be and do so much more for others – especially your kids. ⠀
“You” time can take on a lot of different forms, as can self-love. Maybe it’s a bubble bath at the end of the day, with a glass of wine and soft nature sounds playing in the background (THAT’S my kind of “me” time). Maybe it’s catching up on your favorite show that only you love or getting together with your favorite peeps.⠀
Every habit we’ve talked about so far can fit in this category. But the most important is taking care of your heart health – the part of you that craves the love that only Jesus can give you. Making time for your creator is the best form of “you” time because it cultivates the best results possible. ⠀
But don’t get me wrong, I often go for that Netflix show and some homemade cookies or a bubble bath and wine! ⠀⠀
Some days are better than others. There’s no judgment here. Whatever it is you’re doing, as long as you’re doing it for you and for your health, that’s the important thing. ⠀
What do you like to do for “you” time?⠀
I hope friend, that by incorporating these habits into your own life you’ll find the freedom and joy to be the YOU you were always created to be.
All my Love,
