Being healthy in 2023
What to do when leading a healthy life seems overwhelming?
I believe we can all agree that health is important. Previous years showed us that even more. We are now more conscious of the food we eat, the importance of sleep, exercise, and how stress affects us. The question is how to achieve a healthy life?
I wish I had a life where I wake up early in the morning, meditate, do my yoga routine, learn new languages 15 minutes a day, cook tasty and warm food, read and sleep 7+ hours. I often try to do all this. Still, I have a child and a 9–5 job, and that is only a part of the reason why doing all this makes me feel like I’m racing with the time.
I enjoy being lazy, binge-watching TV shows, eating on my couch and doing nothing. I also love feeling on the top of my game. I love feeling powerful, being involved, feeling the rush. And there’s my social life, I enjoy drinking wine in a nice company, having interesting conversations, laughing. I need other people, as we all do, and I also need time to recuperate from being with people. Add to this, travel, exploring new things, long walks, going to nature. The list is long.
I could get up at 5AM, exercise, read a bit, prepare for your day, but I should be in bed pretty early to get those 7+ hours of sleep. And with all the work, daily obligations, cooking, cleaning, commuting, playing, eating, learning, talking, where are those hours to unwind, to just do nothing or do whatever you want, a place for yourself, a place of spontaneity, without structure?
I do have weekends and an awful lot of things to fit into those two days. Still more time than not, I prefer to do nothing. I embraced that time, I need it. It is what recharges me. After all, the only quality time I can have with other people is the time I’m rested, when I’ve taken care of myself.
So what does having a healthy life mean? For me, it means feeling rested, cozy, nourished, light, focused, energised, happy, excited, and for 2023, I choose to let go of fixed routines and imposed rules, and prioritise things that make me feel this way.
Here are the questions that guide me in choosing my priorities.
- What is nourishing for me? How much sleep do I need? What kind of movement I need (walking, running, dancing, yoga or maybe something else entirely)? What kind of food makes me feel nourished and what kind of food gives me energy? What makes me feel more connected to myself?
- What is the capacity I can dedicate to my chores? What chores are in function of my well-being and what can I let go of?
- Where do I set boundaries with my work? How much am I willing to risk? Where or when I can allow myself to disengage from work?
- What do I want to keep in my life and what can I let go of? What are the things that make me smile? How can I indulge myself? What are the things you do that no longer serve me?
- What kind of support do I need (a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to me, to be there, financial support, more structure, inspiration, validation, psychotherapist or something else entirely)? Where can I get your support?
We never know what life brings, when Murphy’s law will kick in, or how we are going to feel at a certain moment. I know that there will be moments when my intentions get forgotten and our priorities messed up. Still, knowing what I need and where I draw boundaries is what supports me when life gets too much and helps me recover when I loose my way.
This year I choose my own version of health, so let’s see where that will bring me.
