Simple Tips for Navigating Wellness This New Year

As we enter the season of new beginnings, it’s difficult to ignore the many solutions offered to the age old quest for optimal wellness. It never ceases to amaze me how many paths to overall well-being continuously emerge, and how abundant commercialized options have become, particularly as we approach the new year.
The foundational basics most systems for optimal wellness have in common are:
•Mindful attention to a healthy diet and eating habits.
•Physical activity that supports a strong, supple body.
•Rituals that support proper hygiene and body systems maintenance, such as consistent and sufficient sleep.
•Philosophies and practices that support mental/emotional relaxation and well-being in an ever-changing, challenging world.
•Connection to something greater than ourselves, including a community that supports our world view.
An overwhelming number of variations on these themes inundate us annually as we transition from the excesses of the holiday season into the season of resolutions and, as a general rule, the following considerations should help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming range of options.
Any system, modality or philosophy that attempts to tell you they are the only or best way for you to achieve your goals should be met with caution.
Any offering that attempts to make you feel fearful or pressured into accepting their way as the only way- especially at a financial cost to you- should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism and a deep breath taken before committing. Tried and true methods toward wellness are generally intuitive, universal, and for the most part can be implemented with low or no cost variations.
The best routine for you is the one you’ll do.
The various testimonials you’ll hear delivered from people who claim a specific modality worked for them means exactly that- it worked for them. Regardless of how scientifically sound, or how amazing the potential results might be, simply put- no self care regimen will work if you don’t do it. At any given life stage your daily routine, responsibility load, financial situation, and a range of other factors create unique considerations that you alone are aware of when deciding what will work best for you.
Small, incremental changes over time can be just as, if not more, effective as jumping into a full-on lifestyle overhaul.
While it might be tempting to wake up on January 1 thinking, “This is the year I eat a pristine diet, exercise 5 days each week and experience continuous bliss”, all or nothing changes often fail because when we can’t do it all, we end up doing nothing. Small, incremental changes over time are often easier to integrate and maintain than all-at-once approaches. Perhaps committing to increasing the percentage of vegetables on your plate leads to more energy and better sleep, and one positive choice supports the implementation of the next. Regardless of which path you choose, remember to add to your goals a commitment to giving yourself the necessary grace to navigate missteps without feeling like a failure.
Once we get over the inundation of options, most of us are capable of recognizing the changes we need to make in our daily lives to move toward better wellness. By trusting our instincts and committing to what we will truly do, we’re all capable of making great strides toward better health in the New Year!

Kelly M. Chapman, M.A. is Certified Authentic Leadership Coach & Owner at Meredith Whole Living Center.