When it comes to embarking on a journey towards health, there is so much information and misinformation out there. How do you know what’s true and what actually works? And where do you start when you feel like you’ve been stuck in bad health forever and you have no energy to invest in getting better?

The good news is that you don’t have to change everything at once. Even the smallest changes can start stirring up the healing powers within you.

So now it’s time to get really honest with yourself. Notice the choices you’re making every day and how they may be affecting your wellbeing in either a positive or a negative way.
For example, if you’re feeling stressed or anxious, how do you cope?

Do you reach for a sugary snack or a bag of chips? Do you immerse yourself in a distraction like a video game or binge-watching Netflix? Or do you throw back a glass or two of wine?

There are so many ways we try to self-soothe, and these coping mechanisms are often one of the root causes of our health challenges.

So the first step is to acknowledge your behaviours and how they may be impacting your health. After all, you can’t change something if you have no awareness of it.

Then once you have noticed these behaviours, examine them a bit. What is the driving force behind them? For instance, are you reaching for the cookies because you’re hungry and you believe they are a good option for relieving that hunger? Or are you maybe looking for a sugar hit to soothe anxious thoughts or even an addictive urge?

Once you have a clearer idea of the trigger for the behaviour, you can ask yourself, “What do I really need in this moment?”

Maybe a few deep breaths will do the trick, or a phone call to a friend or family member. Or maybe you are indeed hungry, but a piece of whole fruit and a handful of nuts will satisfy you and nourish you better.

Either way, just notice your triggers and acknowledge them in a non-judgemental way. This will open you up to the possibility of replacing those behaviours that aren’t serving you with new, more supportive ones as you learn more about how to care for your body, mind, and spirit.

If you like to journal, maybe write down what you’ve noticed and even start brainstorming alternatives that feel good to you.

In future blog posts, we’ll start dipping our toes into the small changes that will make a big difference to your physical and mental health, and you’ll have even more ideas about how to change some of these old behaviours.