Unboxing Health is the fourth blog post in my series, Unboxing Women. This series is a gentle invitation for women to break out of the labels that seek to define us, offering new expansiveness on our paths to self-growth and healing. My hope is that you’ll follow along and try out these practices, which will gently challenge you to level up and free yourself from the boxes that cage you.
Health Is Not A Checklist
True health arises when you learn how to listen to your body and ignore the noise from unnecessary shiny objects.
Small habits make all the difference:.
- Water before coffee. (I’m still working on thisthat, but I do it on most days).
- Sleep over screens.
- Movement that feels good and fun.
- AIt’s asking for help.
- JIt’s joy.
- RIt’s rest.
- HonoringIt’s hearing that voice that something feels off. (How often have we ignored that and delayedpaused getting it checked out because we were too busy taking care of everyone and everything else?).
As a coach, I’ve seen so many women hustle for health…—without ever feeling well.
They count steps, track calories, cut carbs, add supplements, follow every new wellness trend, —but still feel exhausted, anxious, disconnected, or like something’s missing. They’re doing all the “right” things and yet not seeing the results they were sold.
Stuck In The Wrong Box
HI believe we all know that health is not a checklist. It’s not about perfection. And it’s definitely not about punishing your body into submission. We are just bombarded with the constant promises of beauty and perfection that tell us we are not enough and if we just buy this gadget/sign up to this program/do this diet, it will change everything.
So often, the pursuit of health becomes just another pressure to perform, just another item on a never-ending to-do list. And, we often get stuck in society’s health and fitness box that is not the right fit for us.
Real health and wellness? It honors your whole self including your body, your mind, your heart, and your life.
It’s not a race. It’s a relationship.
Let’s redefine it.
Unboxing Health
- Track your automatic habits for 3 days with curiosity, not judgment. Identify behaviors, routines, thoughts, and anything else you do habitually. How are you really feeling? Make notes of how you feel throughout the day and see if you notice any patterns.?
- Choose one small act of nourishment (e.g., drink more water, go to bed 15 minutes earlier) and commit to it for 3 days. Take note of how you feel when you do this. What do you notice throughout the day?
- Decide on which habits you’d like to leave behind, and which nourishing add-ons you’d like to bring along. Commit for at least 7 days, review, and if you like, repeat this process for each thing you’d like to drop and each new thing you’d like to add.
Unboxing Health Journal Prompts
- What messages about health have I believed, which that may not actually serve me?
- What does being “well” mean to me right now –— physically, mentally, emotionally?
- What will healthy look like for me in 5, 10 or 20 or more years?
Self-Care Practices After Journaling
Journaling can bring up sensations and emotions, often long-buried. It’s important to give yourself a little space to process, particularly if the practice stirred up some big, difficult feelings.
After journaling, build in time for something that truly soothes you, such as:
- Guided relaxation in a dark, quiet place
- Silent walk in nature (leave your ear buds at home)
- Yoga: any type
- Singing/vocalizing
- Cooking a meal
- Being with an animal
Next Time: Unboxing Identity
When my next post is live, we will look at the labels you currently think define you. When you strip these identities away, who are you at your core?
Live 3-Month Group Coaching Program
If you’re interested in going deep with a healthy transformation, my flagship online coaching program Take Back Your Health is open to new participants.
