Keep it Basic - 4 foundational lifestyle behaviors
In a world of elite athletics, where every fraction of a percentage can be the difference between standing on the podium or watching from the sidelines; or in the age of social media, where standing out can be the difference between life changing social media growth and frustrations with stagnation, the basics often get overlooked in the pursuit of specialization. But playing the long term game with our health and wellness requires a strong foundation; a foundation of basics that’s been built to hold up during stressful and chaotic seasons. In this post, we’re diving into four essential lifestyle behaviors that can give you that foundation to build from—behaviors that anyone, regardless of their level, can incorporate for improved health and wellness. These 4 simple, foundational practices, done consistantly, are often underestimated, but are key to long-term success and resilience. If you’ve been caught up in the noise of the latest trends, this is your reminder to bring it back to the basics.
Here are 4 foundational lifestyle behaviors that I recommend focusing on
Getting enough sleep
Eating mostly whole/minimally processed foods
Drinking water
Getting regular physical activity
Getting enough sleep
Recovery is vital for us to function properly. Throughout every day, we are constantly facing all kinds of stressors that impact our health. Those stressors can be physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social and/or existential. But with the right recovery, stressors can actually help us grow into stronger, healthier and more resilient people. One way to recover, and my "keep it basic" behavior is getting enough sleep. Are you consistently getting 7-9 hours of sleep daily? If not, then worrying about the BEST mattress with all of the bells and whistles is probably not a stressor that’s necessary or helpful . Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, it will be good to focus on the behaviors surrounding going to bed, closing your eyes and getting 7-9 hours of sleep daily.
Eating mostly whole/minimally processed foods
There's tons of information online about nutrition. And a lot of it is a bunch of nutrition "gurus" contradicting each other. One article says "Eat this! It's great for you!" And then another article, speaking about the same food as the first article, says "Don’t eat this! It's terrible for you!" It's no wonder why so many people throw their hands up in frustration and say "oh well, whatever!" after trying to learn about what they should and shouldn't eat. But there is one thing that is widely accepted and very difficult to deny whether you’re a nutrition scientist or not: it will be helpful to increase our intake of whole/minimally processed foods. Does your diet consist of mostly whole/minimally processed foods? If not, then worrying about whether something is organic, grass-fed/ pastured/ wild caught or worrying about lab tests to create a targeted supplement plan is probably added worries that's not very helpful for right now. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, it will be good to focus on the behaviors and mindsets surrounding the basics: adding more whole/minimally processed foods to your diet.
Drinking Water
You might have heard this before, but the human body is about 50-60% water. You might have also heard that we lose about 2.5-3 liters of water each day; that's over a half gallon every day! And lastly, you might have heard that humans can only survive about 3 days without water. All those numbers are generalized estimates, but the exact numbers aren’t super important; the point is: water is necessary and foundational for survival like air and food. So keep it basic and ask yourself, “am I consistently drinking half my weight (in pounds) of water (in ounces) a day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, are you consistently drinking 80 ounces of water a day. If not, then worrying about whether or not you should be drinking reverse osmosis, alkaline or mineral water is probably an added stressor that isn't very helpful right now. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, it will be good to keep it basic and grab some bottled water or a simple filtered water pitcher and spend your time, energy and will power drinking water through the day. Make this a priority and your body will thank you.
Getting regular physical activity
I have good news for you: you don't have to train like a professional athlete, Olympic gymnast, or bodybuilder to feel good and make progress. Keep it basic, and simply move your body regularly. Take walks, ride a bike, dance, jog, lift weights, hike, jump rope, sprint, rock climb, swim, skate, hopscotch, skip-it, etc. Keep it simple, move your body and get that heart pumping. So ask yourself: "Am I currently active regularly for at least 60 minutes a day?" If not, then spending time and energy searching for the BEST fitness program for your specific body type may not give you the biggest bang for your buck. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but in general, it will be good to focus on the simple activities you can do NOW consistently. Keep it basic
So, now what?
Getting better at these 4 foundational behaviors is something that will take a lifetime. So, it's not about perfecting the behaviors at all! It's about being consistent and improving as time goes on. Being consistent creates the strong foundation, able to hold up in times of stressful and chaotic seasons; and improving the basics eventually turns into speciallizing if that’s the route you want to take. But it starts with doing the basics consistently.
Are you ready to make a positive change in one or more of these behaviors, but need help strategizing and staying on track? At Story Road Therapy PLLC, we offer personalized coaching to help you develop goals, develop strategic action plans, stay on track and celebrate wins pertaining to your health and wellness. Contact us today to set up an appointment and take the first step towards creating new stories filled with kindness, progress and celebrations of a healthier, happier you!
