CHEERS!

As we soon close out this year and prepare to jump into another, we all have memories of 2016 and hopes and dreams of 2017 floating around in our minds. Every year I hear a jumble of the same types of "New Years resolutions" from people. A lot of them are financial - pay off debt, save more money, buy a house, ect. However, the majority of them have this one common theme: HEALTHY - The desire to be healthier physically and healthier emotionally.

Everyone wants to be healthier right? No one likes feeling overweight, bloated, weak, insecure, unmotivated, depressed, anxious, guilty, bitter, angry.. the list could go on. Then why is it so hard to actually achieve health in the areas of our life that so desperately need it? Why do we look back at the year behind us only to remember all the things we DIDN'T accomplish? Sure, some of it could be our own incompetence or lack of motivation.. But I think the majority of the time it's unrealistic goals and expectations that keep us from the life we want.

There's nothing wrong with "dreaming big", but sometimes it's the small changes that actually can make the biggest difference. Take dieting for example - Although I can definitely see the purpose to "crash dieting", cutting out all carbs, and living off of all that's green.. it's also not realistic in the long run. I know many people that do those sorts of things to kick start their dieting or eating healthier, and that's great! However, I've also known so many that have dove into that sort of lifestyle thinking it can be their new way of eating only to be disappointed months later. Between crazy diet pills, weight loss smoothies, and fad new diets, there's a lot thrown at us in the world today as far as how to "be healthy" physically. Can it help you loose 20 lbs in a month? Sure! It's certainly not realistic though as far as forever goes. Another example of this is running. About 2 years ago I decided I wanted to run. So I simply went out for my very first run, thinking I would manage about a mile. Long story short, it didn't work haha. However, eventually I did get there! The process was long and I took "smaller steps" rather than a giant leap to get to where I wanted to be. Sometimes in life you have to just run for 1 minute and walk for 1 minute over and over, before you can "run the marathon" of life. I think at times that's how we live all parts of life - You know, making huge unrealistic commitments and goals only to be disappointed by our failures. Again, I think dreaming big is great! Maybe you're even a dream big and get it done type person! However, for me it's always been a baby steps in the right direction plan that has kept me going and got me to where I want to be. So in this post, I'm going to share with you some ways I personally have made healthier changes in my own life at the hands of small simple changes. It's only fitting since the new year is right around the corner, and health is something I think we all want more of.

HEALTHIER PHYSICALLY:
⁃ Drink more water
⁃ Do something active every day (or week)
⁃ Choose one unhealthy food to cut back on.

Let me elaborate..

DRINK MORE WATER:
This has been at the center of everything I do that's healthy. Our bodies weren't created to drink our calories. Of course that doesn't change the fact that so much good in the world can be consumed by drinking haha. I just mean that the majority of what we do drink should always be water. Drinking water has changed many aspects of my life. Here are a few ways I've seen change - I have more energy, my skin has a healthier color, my metabolism is faster, I crave less unhealthy food, and I get sick less (specifically head colds). If you are struggling to drink more water, start off small! Try running for only a minute first, remember? : ) Maybe you barely drink water! Yikes. Please drink water. If that's you, rather than being overwhelmed by the fact that you don't drink water, start off by making it your goal to drink one glass of water a day. Do that for a few weeks, then add another glass and so on and so forth. Eventually you should be drinking at least half your body weight in ounces. I promise you, this will be one the healthiest changes you could ever make for yourself. Your body will simply not function properly without enough water.

DO SOMETHING ACTIVE EVERYDAY:
Everyone has different lifestyles and goals. If you know me then you know that the last 2 years I have found my love of fitness. I go through phases where I work out everyday, and then weeks or months that I barely workout. Through it all though, I manage to have one goal in mind: Do something active. If you like working out, don't put the pressure or unrealistic expectation of working out everyday on yourself. Even 3 or 4 times a week might be a stretch for you depending on where you are physically and what your schedule looks like. Pace yourself and take one day at a time. Didn't have time to work out today? Bust out a minute plank before you go to bed, or a quick set of lunges. I always say that 5 minutes of working out is better than zero minutes of working out. If you aren't into fitness that's fine! Go for a walk, dance around to music, go hiking when the weather is nice, whatever! Just move. Life is short, and someday you might not be able to move around as easily. Maybe for you the more realistic goal because of where you're at is to do something active every week. Sign up for that dance class you've always wanted to take : ) Or simply commit to taking a walk after dinner one night every week. It doesn't always need to be this big move or change. One small step in the right direction can only move you forward - never backwards.

CHOOSE ONE UNHEALTHY FOOD TO CUT BACK ON:
Take that one unhealthy thing in your life that you are always over eating, and commit to eating LESS of it. When you try and strip your life from everything bad and unhealthy all at the same time, eventually you will most likely go through withdrawals and break. There's no sense in trying to cut out all things sweet and sugary from your life permanently. Spoiler alert: It won't work haha. Don't try and cut pizza completely out of your life when you love it. Maybe just decide you're going to strive to have 2 slices with a side salad instead of 4 or 5 slices. Easier said than done though, trust me I know. This one may take a lot of motivation on your end, and maybe even accountability. Have people in your life that support your attempts to be healthier, and be honest with them when something is hard. Overeating can be an outward reaction of something deeper going on inside, so I definitely don't take that lightly. However, be kind to yourself. Pace yourself and take one day at a time. Everything in healthy moderation! Don't try and tackle all your food issues all at once. Start with ONE food that you can do this with and go from there. A lot of people think "I'm just going to start eating healthier! Eat salads everyday ect.." Maybe for some people that does just work. However, if you are addicted to food then you have to work with the issue directly first rather than just trying to mask it with a healthier lifestyle. Of course less carbs at dinner should mean MORE of the veggies or a salad. So actually, think of it more as making room for healthier food rather than trying to put healthy on top of unhealthy. You can't just wake up and start eating healthier and have it stick forever. Deal with the problem first. Believe it or not, I actually know what I'm talking about in this area. It's ironic that I got made fun of for most of my childhood for "being anorexic", when in reality I actually struggled with OVER eating. Yes that was a side note, but important to throw in. It doesn't matter if you're skinny or over-weight, it's still never ok to be addicted to food. Just because you can "eat whatever you want" and still be skinny doesn't mean that you should. Point being - I know what it's like to have an unhealthy addiction to food. Don't spend your life feeling guilty after eating. It's not healthy mentally or physically. Get right with food, but don't put unrealistic or unhealthy expectations on yourself only to set yourself up for defeat and failure. One food, one day at a time.

HEALTHIER EMOTIONALLY:
⁃ Spend less time on social media.
⁃ Do more things that make you happy.
⁃ Pick your battles

I shall elaborate!

SPEND LESS TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
This is a big one for me. This is the perfect example of a small change in your daily routine making a big change in your life. Maybe you don't go on social media very often, OR maybe you can spend endless hours on fb and not have it effect you negativity. However, I highly doubt that. You may not be effected in obvious negative ways, but is it benefitting your life? Here's the deal - There are many things we spend our time doing that have very little effect on our life. However, the moment something takes up HOURS of your days, it takes precedence in your life. We have 12 or more hours everyday that we are awake and capable of making a difference in people's lives and in the world, and to simply enjoy every moment. Why would we ever want to spend more than 15 mins a day on something like Facebook? Or twitter? Or Instagram? I asked myself that exact question this year. It's a great tool for self employed photographers or artists, and helps people keep in touch with old friends and loved ones. These days though social media is clearly way more than that, and it's effecting people relationally and emotionally. If you have not been a victim of this, consider yourself lucky. I actually had family "disown" and ostracize other people in my family all because of things that were posted on social media. Some of it was within reason of being upset, but the use of social media prevented real honest in person confrontation and reconciliation. When you're living in this world where anything can be posted, liked, disliked, blocked, commented on ect, you are creating this new way of doing relationships. A fake non confrontational way where half the things being said aren't really felt, and people can "bow out" at any time. We were never meant to know about each others lives from a little screen in our pocket. We were created to relate to one another in real honest in depth ways. Social media is slowly taking that out of our lives, and it IS effecting us. It has effected me. Consider creating social media boundaries in your life this year. You will feel way more happy and connected.

DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:
This one seems so simple, and yet so many people (myself included) constantly toss aside the things we actually love doing. Why? Business. We're too busy. I went at least 4 years without taking a real dance class and I regretted it. I run into so many past dancer friends or meet new people that say they used to dance like it was their job, and then they tell me they haven't danced since they were 18 and they are now well into their 30s (or older!) Maybe dance isn't really something they love anymore. Or maybe like me they let life get too busy for a few years, and then a few years turned into 5.. turned into 8.. 10.. and so on. Don't completely stop doing the things that make you happy. Ever. A crazy busy phase of life is one thing. To completely shut down something that once made you happy is another thing completely. Never let it be more than just a phase. Also, take notice of new things that make you happy and don't be afraid of doing them! Recently I've starting writing, journaling, and blogging. I've always enjoyed writing, but never really invested myself into it very much. Now that I'm an adult I've realized how therapeutic writing is for me. I know I'm probably not very good at it, but I don't care! I do it for me. It's helped me process and even communicate my emotions better. What makes you happy? Life is short, so do the things you love to do NOW.

PICK YOUR BATTLES:
If you are a parent you have probably learned this the hard way. If I freaked out about and tried to handle every annoying thing or problem that came up with my kids.... I'd be an insane person haha. You just can't. When your 4 year old son takes his clothes off for the 10th time that day after you've continuously told him to put clothes on, it's time to just drop it. Is it annoying? Yes. Is it really that big of a deal? No. It's really not.
I'm a fixer. I want to fix people's problems for them, and I desperately want to change people when I see that they or their life is flawed in some way. Sometimes people do need our help, and sometimes our opinions of people's choices are relevant and appropriate. When this is true, I'm all in! I'm your girl : ) Sometimes though, we just need to take a deep breath and "walk away", literally or figuratively. I have learned this the hard way in life. Most of my emotional anxiety comes from me engaging in conversations or situations that I never should have involved myself in ever. Learning to drop it and move on has been a life long lesson for me. I'm constantly telling myself "pick your battles Olivia". I always ask myself - Is this conversation going to fix the problem, or potentially make the problem worse? Is this ACTUALLY a big deal? Am I part of the problem or the solution in this situation?
Our emotions can sometimes seem to have a mind of their own. They can't always be controlled. It's up to us how we handle and respond to them. Life is WAY too short to constantly involve ourselves in negativity that does nothing but tear us down. Learn to say no when something isn't healthy for you to engage in or fix.

So there you have it. Six changes I've made in my life that have made big impacts. This new year consider making changes like this in your life. Not these changes specifically! Changes that will change YOU.
As I close out 2016, my New Years resolution is to simply continue striving to be a better version of myself. May your new year be filled with health and all things that make you happy! The best "New Years resolutions" you can have are the ones centered around taking care of YOU. Cheers to that! 🥂