How to be Healthy (and Happy)

It’s something that so many of us are searching for. But with the mediated world so saturated by misinformation, it’s often hard to differentiate between what’s really healthy and what’s not.

It’s no secret that Heather and I have struggled on our own journey of finding balance, happiness and health. Like so many, we once fell foul to the ideals portrayed by glossy magazines and personal trainers with rock hard abs.

Over the last year or so, Heather and I have somewhat detached ourselves from all of those role models, and have instead been on our own quest to rediscover what healthy means to us. Today we’d like to share what we’ve learnt in the hopes of getting you one step closer to being the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.

• • • •

• • • •

1. Listen to yourself

With so many fad diets, lifestyle trends, wellness tips and life coaches, we are often inclined to over analyse our lives and strive for a very regimented routine. Before the health and wellness world took off, you wouldn’t have found yourself waiting until snack time to reach for a donut, so why all of a sudden do we feel the need to disregard what our body is telling us in favour of a not-so-healthy routine. I think the most common mistake that we find ourself making is ignoring what our body is telling us. If your stomach is rumbling, it is absolutely ludicrous to ignore those urges. Embrace the ability to know what your body is saying.

• • • •

2. Trust the process

Some days you’ll eat too many greens and other days you’ll devour the chocolate cupboard. Before the health industry began to ridicule sugar, fats, carbs and everything else under the sun, these days were considered normal. Nothing has changed; they are still normal. These days happen to everyone. Embrace your ability to listen to what your body is telling you it wants.

• • • •

• • • •

3. Eating unhealthy foods does not make you ‘unhealthy’, this is called balance.

If I could scream this from the rooftops I would. Orthorexia has become one of the largest eating disorders to date, and it’s scary how many people are absolutely crippled by foods that aren’t considered ‘clean’. Deprivation does not come paired with happiness. Fear is an emotion that strips you of spontaneity and energy. Learn to give yourself some slack and integrate everything that you love into your daily routine. It might feel like you’re going against the grain, but I can promise you that those people achieving balance are the healthiest and happiest of all.

• • • •

• • • •

4. If you don’t like working out; don’t.

Gah, this is US. We hate working out. Everything about the process lacks enjoyment, and in our eyes spending hours in the gym is an incredible waste of time. We know how saturated social media is with fitness professionals and personal trainers, but we must remember that it is their job to promote themselves and have the best body possible. They spend every day in the gym, and make money from vulnerable people like us caving to the pressures and superficial needs of having bulging 6-packs and toned arms. What we’ve realised is that instagram is not a realistic depiction of the normal world. None of our normal friends spend hours in the gym or favour a gym workout over a burger and fries. If working out does not make you happy. Do not do it. It’s as simple as that. In order to be happy and healthy, we must do the things that make us smile.

• • • •

5. The scales hold no correlation to your self worth

The scales can become an obsession. I always firmly believed that when I weighed xxx lbs, I would be happy. It didn’t happen. With severe weight loss came malnutrition, deprivation, fear, exhaustion, health problems, self hate and a severe desire to lose more weight. It was never enough and by going against everything that my body was telling me, I found myself in a mindset that was the absolute polar opposite of happiness. When you find a balance and find the place where your body has the ability to thrive, you will be full of energy, carefree and without a doubt, happier than you’ll ever be when dieting to be a size that you were not born to be.

• • • •

6. Being healthy does not solely rely on your diet.

Sure, eating ‘clean’ may on paper class you as being ‘healthy’ but what so many fail to realise is that health goes way beyond your diet. A healthy mind is far more important than a diet could ever be. I know that I am most happy when enjoying a big-ass bowl of fries with my friends, something that a year ago I would have never done out of fear of ditching my ‘healthy’ status. Put life into perspective. You could drop dead tomorrow. Live without regret. Life holds no time for guilt, if you’re a sucker for krispy kreme donuts, or love yourself a big gelato whilst on holiday, have it. I guarantee you that in time and through learning self acceptance, these things will soon start to make you happy again.

• • • •

• • • •

7. Instagram is not real, find your inspiration from real people in the real world

I know we aren’t the only ones totally engulfed by social media. It is our job to be on there all day, everyday, so it’s no wonder that we often get sucked into believing that this online world is real. It isn’t. Since choosing to find inspiration in the people around us, we’ve really seen a shift in perspective. Our reality is that we go to the office everyday in our slacks with our hair tied up in a bun. Life isn’t all about flawless skin, expensive handbags, green juices and new pairs of trainers. Life comes with hardships, struggles and moments of extreme joy, but it has taken us a lot of time and practise to live in the present. No longer do we long to be our greatest instal-role-model. We know that the lives that we see are not real. They struggle just like we do, we just don’t see it. We’ve become our own role models, and that’s totally ok to say.

• • • •

8. Everyone’s normal is different. Do not compare yourself.

Comparison can rob you of joy. It’s something that I personally really struggled with during my process of finding balance. I couldn’t quite understand why I was eating when nobody else was, or why so-and-so liked xyz and I didn’t. By allowing comparison to engulf my mind I became totally crippled. It brought with it so much stress and unhappiness that I once again fell out of love with myself and started restricting myself from the things that made me happy. Once again, trust and embrace the process. It’s totally awesome if you have a bigger appetite than your best friend. That means you can eat more. 😉 There’s always a silver lining.

• • • •

9. Surround yourself with positive people.

This one’s a given. If your friends are self absorbed and negative, you’re likely to act in the same way. Find people that inspire and empower you to be the best version of yourself. You don’t have to be bubbly and full of energy everyday, but having those people at the end of the phone that you know are always up for a good chuckle can make a huge difference.

• • • •

• • • •

10. Make time for yourself every day

Simple, right? But so many people forget to care for themselves. It’s crazy. We are the people we spend the most time with day in day out, so it’s so important to give yourself a little tlc. Even if it’s setting aside a few hours in the week to run a bubble bath, paint your nails, or pick up a hobby that you haven’t had the chance to do in a while. Loving yourself isn’t selfish, it’s a necessity.

X Hannah

Facebook Comments