It’s easy to feel that our world is falling apart at the seams. When was the last time you read or turned on the news and found an uplifting story? It’s been a while. Spreading negativity congregates eyeballs, but it doesn’t cultivate wellness in any aspect of life — public or private.
When we view life through a pessimistic lens we are drawn to unnecessarily restrictive diets, punishing exercise routines, and endless lists of hazards. This mindset causes anxiety about our food choices, hatred of our naturally beautiful and amazing bodies, and fear of environmental toxins.
Instead of obsessing about what to restrict, eliminate, and avoid, we can focus on what positive actions we can take to cultivate wellness, build vibrancy, and feelings of good health. What can we add so our plates, bodies, hearts, and lives are alive, abundant, and full of love?
We can enjoy more energizing greens and satisfying savory vegetables. More whole-food sources of succulently sweet fruit, luxurious fats, strength building proteins, and satiating starches. More meals that leave us feeling truly nourished. If we slow down and tune into how we feel physically and emotionally during and after meals and we can use those insights to inform and motivate future choices.
We can be physically active in a way that honors our innate need to move but doesn’t feel punitive or forced. We can curiously and playfully experiment with different movements that help us feel grounded, calm, strong. We can take more long lazy walks. We can head to the hills for hot, sunny, dusty hikes. We can slow down and connect with the earth by gardening, or by taking a cleansing cold plunge into a lake, river, or the ocean. We can get lost in organic, passionate, and physical expression with dance, tai chi, yoga or sex. Even running intervals in the rain, dripping with sweat while spinning, or building calluses weight lifting can be positive and rejuvenating with the right mindset.
We can prioritize laughter and connection with a friend or loved one instead of checking email for the 10th time that day. We can get that desperately needed sleep instead of endlessly scrolling through social media. We can do something unexpectedly kind for a stranger. We can take five long, slow, deep, restorative breaths. We can listen to music that makes our soul sing.
We can cultivate wellness by smiling and focusing kindly on the moment before us.