Healthy Habits Recap

I wanted to briefly wrap up our health habits segment that tied directly into emotional first aid. 

To recap, just over 1 month ago, I talked about emotional first aid and the importance of developing a first aid kit for those “psychological wounds” that we inevitably face, much like a first aid kit for physical wounds (i.e. a knee scrape or cut finger). Developing an emotional first aid kit takes more work than a first aid kit for physical wounds because you have to develop actual skills or strategies rather than just buying medical supplies to store in your kit. Yet, as we’ve worked our way through 4 healthy habits, I hope it’s become clear that integrating 1 or 2 of these healthy habits is doable! Yes, it can take motivation, intention, and discipline, and slowly “scheduling in” a healthy habit for seconds or minutes each day or every other day is not much to ask. I kindly encourage you to check your smartphone and look at your daily screen time. I bet you’ve got no argument against trying a healthy habit now!

Each of the 4 healthy habits I reviewed, mindfulness, focused-attention meditation, gratitude, and movement or exercise, are not the only healthy habits out there; nonetheless, I specifically chose each of these given the clear research supporting them and how easily you can implement them into your life. 

If you take this one step farther, oftentimes you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone and practice 2 healthy habits at the same time. There are different combinations that can be made - it’s a matter of being creative. Let’s dig into taking a shower as an example. Notice how the water feels on your body, its temperature, then choosing to think about how the water got to your shower head and appreciating having access to clean water. Right there, you just practiced mindfulness and gratitude in a very short amount of time. 

Let’s take going for a walk as another example. Think about intentionally noticing each footstep leaving the ground and then making contact with the ground again, your pace or speed of walking, taking a second to acknowledge and thank the many body parts working together to allow you to move at that desired pace. Perhaps you would rather pay attention to your surroundings while walking, soaking in the scenery without judgment, instead simply observing. Now, you’ve practiced 3 healthy habits: mindfulness, gratitude, and movement or exercise.

We could go on and on with different examples in daily life. The choice is yours. Putting forth a little effort to introduce a healthy habit could go a long way for your emotional health. Every time you engage in a healthy habit, it’s like doing a curl to strengthen your bicep. Your brain is a muscle that needs stimulation, challenge, and care. You’ve only got one. Savor and give it the love it deserves.