Is your lifestyle supporting your best life?

How is your lifestyle supporting you in your quest to live your best life?

Do you feel nourished, safe, and happy within your habits and daily environment? 

If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, don’t worry - I’m here to help you prioritize so you can turn that around.

There are three basic aspects of lifestyle that, when built with intention in our lives, can make the rest feel effortless, leaving us open to focus on what matters most to us.

Prioritize these three things, and you’ll be well on your way to a lifestyle that serves not only your wants, needs, and tastes, but your best life journey - so you can focus on bigger and better things.

(The best part? They’re all customizable for exactly what YOU need.)

1. Your surroundings

Don’t underestimate the value of aesthetics or textures. Seriously. Pleasing aesthetics and soft, luxurious textures in your home can do more than contribute to your comfort - they contribute to your sense of well being and appeal to your higher sense of self because you’ve deliberately crafted a place that caters to your wants, needs, and tastes. Consider your home your own palace (or at least a spot in the house that can feel like it’s truly yours,) and decorate it with things that make you feel cared for, comfortable, and bring you joy. When you do that, you reinforce your own value simply by seeing the choices you made for yourself reflected back to you.

What are you envisioning when you read this? A modern farmhouse vibe? A glam living room? A reading nook with a fireplace?

If you’re looking around your place right now and nothing is giving you that warm and fuzzy feeling of a place to call your own, consider giving yourself a little refresh. Oftentimes some new pillows and a super soft throw can make your couch a whole new oasis. Or jazz up your work area with some cool wall art that makes the space feel new and put together. 

Whatever your space is in need of, channel that vibe and find things that will bring it into your home. There’s virtually nothing a quick trip to Home Goods or TJ Maxx can’t fix.

2. Physical Activity

I know, I know. I’m not a fitness coach, and ew, exercise. But when you find something you like, physical activity can become so much more than just exercise. It becomes something to look forward to, and that’s the key.

For me, regimented cardio does not get me up in the morning. In fact, it does the opposite - the covers basically pull themselves back over my head so they don’t have to hear me groan. But over the years, I’ve tried out enough things to know what I like that also gives me a feeling of being sufficiently active in a relatively sedentary society.

Personally, my sweet spot is solo activities that can be done with or around other people, and have the option to be in nature. My absolute favorites are hiking, roller skating, indoor rock climbing, paddle boarding, lifting at home, and yoga.

What patterns stand out for you? Are you a team sports kind of person? Find a local rec team you can play with at least once a week. 

Into group exercise like a yoga class or spin? There are so many options out there whether you’re a beginner or advanced - don’t discount the many, many studios there are in most towns.

Like to shoot some hoops or play some doubles on a local court? Check your forecast at the beginning of the week and pick the days you can comfortably get outside so you don’t miss any good weather days.

If you’re into the gym and using the machines, that’s also great (and always season-friendly!) 

However you choose to get some physical activity, the important thing is that you clock it in. Our bodies need it to work efficiently and properly - and to understand that we value it. Our minds and bodies are more linked than we realize, and when you give your body what it needs with care and intention, it supports us better now, and in the long run. 

3. Diet

Yes. Diet. It is a tough subject for many of us, especially those of us who are busy (which - let’s face it - is most of us in this society.) It’s one of the first things that goes out the window when the day doesn’t go as planned, we’re tired, or emotions run high.

This topic is arguably the most important though, because of how much it influences our physiology. What we often don’t realize is how our diet affects our moods, cognition, and sleep. When it goes off track, it could derail any or all three of these things, and domino effect anything in our path: often people we love, work we care about, and our ability to be present.

When we prioritize keeping our diet on track though, it tends to support us in all other areas of life. It keeps us energized, focused, and more able to achieve what we want to as a result.

So how do we move it up the priority list without feeling like it’s a burden? 

Take it one step at a time. If diet isn’t currently something you’ve built structure around in your life, start by observing and assessing your current habits. Are they decent but could use some improvement? Or do you need an overhaul because vegetables aren’t in your vocabulary?

Once you have a sense of where you need to take your diet, do a quick search online for some new recipes that feel doable, exciting, and delicious, and start by trying out one per week. Once you make something once, you know how to do it again, and you know if it’s a keeper. (My favorite places to mine for recipes are NYT Cooking, Clean Eating Magazine, The Spruce Eats, and Cookie and Kate.)

After that, it’s a matter of building balance into your meals, knowing your schedule, and planning accordingly. I’ve mastered my meal planning and can make a plan for the week at the drop of a hat, but it took time, and it took paying attention to what was realistic within my habits, schedule, weight goals, and cooking abilities.

The bottom line: getting your diet organized is more about intention and small tweaks than it is crazy effort and turning your eating life upside down.

If you’re able to prioritize making these three aspects of your lifestyle your own, everything else will build off of this foundation with less effort and more enjoyment. 

xoxo,

Brianna