Vol: 3 - Skillful aging newsletter

I hope you are having a fantastic day!

Improving your health and wellness is surprisingly simple and seemingly impossible at the same time. What?? Yes...

The simple part is knowing that eating healthy food, exercising and getting enough sleep will result in you living a healthier life. Easy! Done! Right?

Well, maybe not so quickly. Because the seemingly impossible part is

#1: identifying, #2: adopting and #3: consistently actualizing the right mix of healthy practices that will work for you, individually over the long haul.

In this week's newsletter we will investigate the: what, why and how of healthy lifestyle choices, from a big picture perspective.

This investigation will lead to practical, actionable and individual steps you can take to maintain or improve your health.
We will start with what we already know (the simple part). Optimized health results from:

• Healthful nutrition: Eat whole, nutritious food and avoid the processed and prepared "food like" substances

• Effective exercise: Move consistently, in a way that causes your body to adapt and get stronger

• Restorative rest: get adequate, high quality sleep and appropriate exercise recovery which will leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated

These "ingredients" of health and wellness are generally understood by most of us.

What is less understood is how to leverage this knowledge and make it part of our daily lives. In other words, how to actualize it. Adding to this challenge are all the sensational claims and conflicting information out there. The "wellness" options are endless: competing diets, superfoods we have never heard of, extreme exercise programs, costly supplements, complicated devices and clunky health trackers.

What is truly based on sound science and what is based on profit motive and marketing? It's literally impossible to know without: deep learning, time, trial & error, planning and research. It's easy to throw up your arms and walk away. Don't. This matters! Your health, wellness and ongoing contribution to the lives of the people you love literally lies in the balance.

So let's dig in.

Step #1: Identifying

What matters most to your health right now? Your health care provider is usually a great place to start. What has your doctor suggested? Otherwise, ask yourself: How do I feel generally? Do I have the strength I want? Do I wake up rested? Do I run out of breath at the top of the stairs? You probably already have a good idea of what matters most.

What is in alignment with your preferences? What do you enjoy? Your wellness practices can only include behaviors that you will be consistent with. If you dread your exercise or are bored with your food you won't be consistent and thus you won't benefit. So think about what you might enjoy... follow that lead and start experimenting.What is even possible? What are your responsibilities and circumstances? What is your schedule like? How much travel do you do? Who depends on you and what are their needs? This can be a challenging part of the process. Our schedules are full already with: work, travel, family, social and other obligations. How to fit it all in? Consider when and where you might exercise, how you can prepare healthy foods, what does a good sleep schedule look like? Once you answer these questions you will discover solutions and strategies for fitting them into your busy schedule. If they don't work they are not the right answers.

Step #2: Adopting

Once you have identified the health practices that will propel you in the right direction you are ready to put them to the test. Try them out! Be patient here. Because change is hard, you will likely experience some resistance. Maybe you have never thought of yourself as someone who________ (fill in the blank: walks in the morning for exercise, does yoga, goes to bed at 9:30, eats brussel sprouts (they're delicious) or meditates.) But I urge you to consider yourself, instead, as someone who DOES. In other words, BE the person who_________(fill in the blank with your health practices). It will feel different, perhaps even seem a little artificial at first. But seeing yourself as someone who cares enough about your health to try new things is definitely not artificial and, in fact, is in alignment with who you are (or you wouldn't be reading this).

Step #3: Consistently actualizing

Once you know your priorities, preferences, possibilities and have experimented enough to know what might be an enjoyable, consistent part of your plan, the next step is to establish them as core elements of your life. This is the fun part. You will develop a thirst for health that calls out to you (not kidding)! Missing your exercise, eating lousy food or not getting enough sleep will cease to be an option because you will have come to know how healthy practices make you feel.... FANTASTIC! You will have the energy you always hoped for, the strength to do what you want and stamina to care for the people you care about.

Choose your own health adventure... Yes, it is homework time!

Options:

1) Identify your priorities. Write down the top 5 things you would like to achieve regarding your health in the next year. What is most important? Do they align with your preferences? How do they fit in with your circumstances?

2) Experiment with at least 3 healthy behaviors in the next week. For example: go for a fitness walk, prepare some healthy whole food you have not tried before or start to limit screen time before bed. Jot down how it all went, could one or all of these practices become a regular part of your life?

3) Do a thought experiment. Consider a healthy behavior you think might help you become healthier but do not "see" yourself as someone who does do that. Then adopt (for at least 1 day) the mindset that you actually are someone who would do that. For example: If you do not "see" yourself as someone who lifts weights, what would it be like if you were? Jot down some notes, you might surprise yourself, you never know.

As always, if you have any questions or thoughts on subjects you would like to see covered in future newsletters please let me know. Your wellness matters to me!

Be well,

George