If you have started to think about making changes to care for your health and well-being, there are a lot of ways to get started. The question is ‘where do you start?’. Partnering with a wellness coach is a great idea or you can do some personal reflection by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing out 3 short lists that will help you answer the following questions:

“What habits or practices am I currently doing that are working for me?”
It is always a good idea to take a few minutes to focus on what is going right in our world and what natural strengths and tendencies you have working for you. Knowing your strengths gives you something to be grateful for and can help you creatively navigate areas of weakness when establishing new habits and routines.
“What habits or practices have I thought about or done in the past but am not pursuing currently?”
Maybe you know that when you keep you keep a water bottle with you throughout the day you are more apt to stay hydrated - but you have fallen out of this habit. Chances are if you found success or enjoyment with an aspect of your healthcare regimen in the past, it is worth reconsidering ways to reimplement it in your current circumstances. Maybe you have considered waking up early to get a work out in, buying fruit to have on hand for snacks, or prepping a few lunches on Sunday afternoon for the week ahead. If you keep think about signing up for a Pilates or CrossFit program, then now might be a good time to take the next step in getting started.
“Are there people or places in my life that can serve as a resource to help support me as I work toward making changes to improve my health and well-being?”
Maybe it is a friend who can join you for walks or trips to the gym. Perhaps you could ask a family member or spouse to try some new recipes with you in the kitchen. For some individuals having a membership to a gym or app helps them stay accountable to their goals. It is also good to consider what types of professional help could be beneficial such a coach or therapist to help you with health education, skills training, or mental health aspects of caring for your well-being.

While some of us may need some specific pointers on how to care for our specific health condition, most of us have a general idea of what healthy living looks like. You’ve been told to eat your fruits and vegetables, drink water, get exercise and good sleep. A lot of this information has become common sense over the years especially with access to the internet and social media. Health education is important but in my experience it is not usually the problem that trips us up in our healthy journey. We often know what to do but can lack vision on how to get started or how to make a healthy lifestyle fit into our existing schedule and responsibilities.

The true problem is often a lack of motivation, support, or hope in our given situation. The idea of doing what it takes to make an impact in our health story feels so heavy or difficult to navigate that we talk our self out of even getting started. It is easy to feel overwhelmed with where to begin to best help ourselves and if we do decide to take the first step to care for our well-being we might struggle moving past real life challenges to behavior change.

If you have experienced difficulty in making changes in your health or have had difficulty managing your weight in the past then you might carry a lot of shame related to this topic. You might also be feeling some anger or disappointment toward your body or your circumstances. This is completely normal and you aren’t the only one who has found themselves here.

If you are feeling discouraged or hopeless about how to care for your health, you may need help overcoming the belief that you are beyond help. The truth is you are worth investing in because you are a child of God and he loves and cares for you deeply. He has given you a working body, heart, and mind in order to live a full life, to love others, and to glorify him. He wants to see you success and you can find victory in him and through him. God wants you to turn to him for help when it comes to your souls salvation and for practical matters of your well-being. He cares about all of it. He has the ability to answer your prayers and bring you inspiration and helpful people to encourage and guide you.

If you are ready to take a different approach to self-care and change the conversation around your well-being, take some time right now to pray and talk to God about your frustrations, your past experiences, and ask him to lead you to where he wants you to be.

If you would like to partner with a Christian wellness coach or Certified Wellness Practitioner then True Living can also help. We also have several free resources to help you get started. Remember, you are never beyond help and there is always a way if you are willing.