6 Tips for Beginning a Holistic Lifestyle

New to holistic living? Let's keep it simple. Incorporating a more holistic lifestyle is a mindset. It means taking care of yourself; mind, body, emotions, and soul. Learning to recognize that each of these areas are connected and influence each other. It means addressing all aspects of your well-being, not just symptoms.

If you're reading this, you're taking the first step to living more holistically. Challenging yourself to learn what you are not familiar with. You've probably been increasingly more self-aware of your mental and physical health, which is what led you here. You've made it to the first step on your journey.

BE PROACTIVE

Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone can be scary or uncomfortable, but almost always encourages personal growth and development. These challenges bring the opportunity to address your self-awareness and learn to recognize and regulate your emotions, which we know are tied to all other aspects of ourselves.

Continuing to learn about ourselves in a variety of situations can help us get in touch with our intuition, but we have to be proactive in our decisions. Do things in service of your growth like travel someplace new, talk to people you don't know, take a new job, or even something as simple as trying a new food.

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

An important part of holistic living is having the ability to be present and aware. It's easier said than done though. Mindfulness takes practice and intention, and like all things that take effort, it sews many benefits. It can help you feel grounded, secure, and connected to the people around you.

If it seems like your thoughts spin from one thing to another, meditation and practicing mindfulness will help quiet your mind to allow you to be fully present in the 'here and now.' For example, deciphering the line between learning from the past and dwelling on it can be difficult. What are you bringing into your present - lessons learned or fear from past experiences? Take a few minutes to meditate or journal about it. Of course if the topic is too heavy to break down on your own, ask for professional help.

TURN GOOD HABITS INTO RITUALS

Whether you view yourself as a person who enjoys routines or more spontaneity, chances are there are some habits you instinctively gravitate toward. Habits develop unknowingly such as the order in which you put your clothes on in the morning. They are so ingrained that we do them on auto-pilot. Though habits bring us comfort by reducing our energy use, we need to make sure they are creating the life we want.

Unlike habits, rituals are done with deliberate concentration. When we choose our habits and repeat them, they become rituals. We just have to choose the right ones that align with our goals. Pick the habits that are sustainable and enjoyable so they become part of your routine. Some examples include:

• Yoga class with a friend

• Hiking on Saturdays

• Walking the dog in the morning

• Meditation before bed

• Journaling when you feel overwhelmed

• Cooking healthy meals with your kids

FEED YOUR BODY

Begin to take notice of the ingredients in your food or the household products you're buying. Just because they're available, doesn't mean they should be. It's our responsibility to know exactly what we bring into our lives. Are you inviting harmful chemicals into your home or into your body?

Chemicals impact our bodily processes from digestion to emotions. You've heard it before, but food is fuel. Optimal health for the mind and body starts with your personal relationship with food. Do you struggle to find the time to cook? Do you lack the knowledge of healthy meals that are also tasty? What else is holding you back? What you ingest either fuels your health or fuels disease.

SELF CARE IS NOT SELFISH

If you don't make YOU a priority, the ripple effect will negatively impact things around you as well. The best way to prevent burnout, stress, and exhaustion is maintaining regular self care to reset and recharge. Life will always give us trials, but when our mind and body are aligned and operating at their best, we are empowered to overcome our challenges without feeling depleted. Moms - I'm looking at you.

What makes you feel recharged? It could be as simple as singing in your car on your drive to work. It could be implementing date night with your partner. It could be ending every day with alone time. Pick a few of these things and turn them into rituals.

PLACE YOUR ENERGY WISELY

A holistic lifestyle may mean different things to different people, but at its core it means putting your energy into balancing your entire self. Being mindful about how all the parts of your lifestyle interact as a whole. Your time and energy is precious and where you put it contributes to your well-being. Choose with conviction. Don't waste it on things you can't control or that don't feed your mind, body, and soul.

Can the dishes wait so you don't miss out on playing with your kids? Is mindlessly scrolling on social media actually stressing you out more? Are you letting little frustrations ruin your whole day?

Living more holistically means living with intention. If you don't do anything else in this blog, just a bit more deliberation in your everyday choices can change your whole life.