Creating a
sustainable, realistic wellness routine you can stick to, is easy with these
tips.
When
thinking about wellness, it can be easy to fall into thoughts of toxic fitness
routines and diet culture. Thinking about your health in terms of overall
wellness when designing a new routine can help you create sustainable and
realistic goals. We sat down with our corporate wellness experts, Lexi Wilcox
and Amanda Loitsch to find out what it really means to build a wellness
routine. Continue reading to learn more about creating a
wellness routine that fits your lifestyle.
The Pillars of Wellness
Wellness can
be broken down into different categories or as our experts call them pillars.
Our very own corporate wellness program Passport to Wellness is broken
down into these pillars as well, which include social wellness, mental
wellness, educational wellness, and fitness and nutrition. Incorporating each pillar
will help you develop a well-rounded routine.
Social wellness
can be as simple as calling a friend to catch up or volunteering in your
community. The
important part is making a connection with others.
Mental
wellness could mean scheduling time to relax and meditate or even scheduling
time to journal if that’s something that interests you! The idea is to check in
with yourself mentally and emotionally.
Educational
wellness possibilities are endless! There is always a new skill or language to
learn. You’ll never run out of books to read or podcasts to listen to.
Fitness and
nutrition can often seem straightforward, but there is a lot of misinformation
out there. It's best to do your own research and discuss with your doctor
before making significant changes to your lifestyle, especially if you already
have health concerns.
Take Inventory
There may be
aspects of a wellness routine you are already doing without knowing it, so
taking inventory of your daily routine is important. “Resources will look
different for everyone, so it is important to take inventory of what you
already have access to.” says Lexi. “Consider what you currently do that
fits into a routine for overall wellness. Maybe you already take your dog for a
walk in the morning and call your friend to catch up at the end of each week.”
If you have
a fitness tracking device you aren’t utilizing or a gym that you have access
to, now is a great time to activate those resources. Continuing to do things
you already enjoy with resources you already have will make the routine the
most manageable.
Checkpoints and Rewards
Wellness
looks different for everyone. Rather than looking at what others have and are
already able to do, it's best to focus on your own starting points and goals.
One tip from our corporate wellness experts is to structure your goals out over
the course of a year with checkpoints and rewards set for each quarter!
Tracking
“It’s
natural for wellness to ebb and flow within our lives when left unstructured,
and an easy remedy for that is to create a visual tracking system” says Amanda.
It can be as simple as downloading a goal tracking app on your phone or tablet.
Or you could print off a tracking sheet to post on your desk or fridge at home.
The important part is that you’re able to see your progress overtime. Being
able to visualize that progression and see where you started will encourage you
to continue with your goals even when it's difficult or when you feel like you
aren’t getting anywhere.
Community
Oftentimes
we reach out to friends and family for support. Lexi mentioned calling on your
community to help achieve your goals, “Having a community of support, whether it be one person
or ten, can drastically improve the likelihood of success with your goals.” You
might consider starting a challenge with a friend so you can hold each
other accountable. Many fitness studios and gyms will host support meetings,
not just for physical wellness but for social and mental wellness as well. If
those options don’t work for you, there are many online wellness and support groups you can
join to find people with similar goals as yours.
Incorporating Wellness Everyday
This may
sound overwhelming at first but it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean
focusing solely on wellness all day, every day. Both of our experts agree
that making a conscious effort to fit some aspects of wellness into each day
can lead to your overall success. Thinking back to our pillars for example,
maybe you focus on your mental wellness on Monday by participating in a meditation
session, then on Tuesday you might go for a walk or run. Wednesday, you could work on your
educational wellness by starting to learn a new craft or by watching a
documentary, and so on.
Balance is essential in creating a
well-rounded and sustainable wellness routine. Now that you have a starting
place, are you wondering how to elevate the nutrition portion of your wellness plan? Check out the link below to
learn more.
