What is health? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Or maybe you’re like me, and you continuously ask this question. What is health? That’s what I’m trying to answer inside this post.
The Merriam-Webster diction defines health in four ways:
“the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit.”
“freedom from physical disease or pain.”
“the general conidtion of the body”
“a condition in which someone or something is thriving or doing well”: wellbeing”
They’re all similar and yet I question how different each one is as well. But isn’t that just it with health – how differently we can define one word? Like the word color, where there could be a million different variations of different colors, and yet it’s all summed up into color.
I think of health the same way – there are a lot of different variations to being healthy – but yet health is defined by you.
Now we could get all political or scientific and we have – but then again where has that gotten us? Instead, I question maybe we’re all more right, more healthy, more on to it than we’ve ever believed we are. That instead of focusing so much on “fixing” what isn’t necessarily broken we fill what is just empty?
Inside today’s podcast, I give you an honest and vulnerable take on my health journey and what I believe to be a better definition of what health is and how you get there.
“fix-it” mindset
Most of health has been defined by a fix-it mindset which must mean at some level you believe you’re broken. Of course, I think every human is broken in some way, thanks to sin entering the world. We’re all human, desperate for a savior and that being Jesus. Our general need is to be rescued, but I feel that when we get too wrapped up in our brokenness outside of sin, we rarely get ourself to a place of health.
What do I mean by that?
Nearly every diet on the market is telling you “you’re broken” and that their program will fix you. It’s also why many people go to self-care, try out minimalism or any new and trendy thing others are raving about. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with any of these, but it’s our motive for using them that gets us.
If we’re continually living from a place of “fix-it” then we’re often just trying to get ourself out of the deficit. The problem with this is that most of these “diets” and trends, even self-care and minimalism bring you back to a place of empty. They may take away the pain, but they also don’t fill you up in any way — leaving you searching for more.
And so the vicious cycle continues.
“fill-it” mindset
But what changes when we come to health, letting go of the “fix-it” mindset, and looking through the lens of “fill-it.” Would self-care take on a different meaning, rather than searching for a feeling inside of it, you’re doing it to fill your cup? You’re doing it because you know it fills you up, nourishes your body or your soul and makes you feel good?
There is a difference, even if you can’t quite see it yet.
The fill-it mindset says you are capable, you can be healthy and you can feel good. It takes away the should, the doing and it allows it to become something you are.
As I always say, to make health who you are, not what you do.
nourishing rhythms
A great way to understand if you’re trying to fix or fill is to look at your daily rhythms of life and ask yourself why, or why not. What do you do the things you do and why don’t you do the things you know you should do?
Dig in deep and then instead of jumping on the next fad, start understanding what fills you up and do more of that.
my rhythms
Over the last six months to a year, I’ve started to focus on nourishing rhythms. The thing about them is that they grow as you grow. It will start small, but it’s in the small things that life really happens and change stems, so don’t discount it.
Look at your life and start to add things that fill you up. You don’t have to label them; you have to add them and commit to it and live aware of how you feel. One change one day at a time.
One easy way to get started is to make a list of routines you’d like to start or places you can run to when life seems to get out of hand. When you feel like you need to “fix something” rather than to fill yourself back up.
What I mean by that is start making lists or rhythms you can do that will fill you up. Here are some examples:
- Morning rhythms
- Evening rhythms
- Nourishing meal rhythms
- Rhythms to turn to when you’re stressed or sad
- Healthy weekend rhythms
Checklists of sorts that you can turn to when your overwhelmed, anxious, tired, angry, hungry, etc.
I like to start with a morning routine {click here to learn about a morning routine} and then build based on what feels right.
Yes, you need to start by physically writing them out – just as a guide or a template – so you can be reminded of how you want to live – to fill not fix. But don’t forget rhythms like life are seasonal. Just as the seasons change, so does your life and your problems. Don’t set your rhythms to stone but be willing to change them as you grow.
my morning routine
Three things – that’s what I try to keep my routine to – and even if I could do only one I at least have three to pick from and one is better than none.
5-minute list
When I’m feeling anxious or worried or paralyzed by something – these are the things I turn to. I just pick one and do it. It’s non-negotiable and will take less than 5-minutes. Then if I’m still feeling down, I pick another and repeat until I get myself out of the funk.
Go ahead and create yours. Start with your morning list and then tackle where ever you feel will get you the most bang for your buck. Where you need filling. Who knows maybe that will overflow onto all other areas of your life. This is the goal anyway.
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