The past few years have thrown many of us off-balance in our health & general wellness. Multiple stressful events, whether political, personal or public health-related have caused many people to click into a “survival mode” of sorts. Isolation, fear, and lack of accountability have us making sweeping decisions including a mass exodus in the workforce, adopting extreme ideologies, and championing strong (and sometimes wrong) opinions on settled science. It’s no wonder, then, that we also find ourselves at one end of the overall health spectrum.

While it isn’t unusual for external events to affect our health decisions, health practitioners tend to agree that balance is key to our overall health. Extremism can feel comforting at times because it is definitive, “black & white”, and gives us something to anchor to. But ultimately, the sense of certainty is not only an illusion in most cases, it can lead to major burnout in our bodies and our minds.

An Opportunity For Balance

A few days into this new year, it’s a good time to take stock of how balanced (or imbalanced) we are, especially considering that “New Years Resolutions” are often grand plans for change that are so extreme, we abandon them within weeks of January 1st. 

This year, we could all use a health “reset” of some kind. So, instead of going overboard (you may already have) on extreme health and lifestyle changes, let’s resolve to set small, achievable goals and see lasting progress.

Exercise

• Instead of joining a high-intensity CrossFit gym or promising to work out 6 days per week, TRY committing to do something active each day like walking to lunch instead of driving, taking the stairs, or giving the dog an extra stroll around the park.

Nutrition

• Instead of, going raw vegan or throwing out every bag of snacks in your home, TRY committing to having a serving of veggies with every meal or cutting out one thing like cheese or chocolate.

Mental Health

• Instead of signing up for a dozen social meetups or promising you’ll say yes to every invitation out that you get, TRY committing to reach out to one loved one per week or join a digital therapy app like Talkspace or BetterHelp.

Lifestyle

• Instead of going cold turkey on your vices (drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling, etc.) or promising you’ll go to bed at 8:30p from now on, TRY committing to only enjoy alcohol on the weekends or setting a weekday bedtime routine to help you wind down.

Starting out small and moderately can help you see the incremental change in your life while keeping you from burning out and backsliding. You’ll likely find that after a few weeks of these small changes, you feel more balanced. This balance serves as a foundation on which to increase your commitments to health, and it can help you make room in your life for more happiness and prosperity in the coming years.