Four ways to reinvent your health and THRIVE!

Welcome Kim! Our newest Guest Adventurer who is a virtual health and wellness coach for women.  Kim shares with us how if we can turn our attention to Sleep, Food, Mood and Exercise, we can successfully improve our overall wellbeing. Four ways to reinvent your health, I love that idea, don’t you?

Greetings! My name is Kim Acedo and I’m a virtual health and wellness coach for women. My mission is to empower women at midlife to live their healthiest and happiest life now, while creating long-lasting habits and behaviors that lead to a thriving second half of life. Along with being a Certified Health and Wellness Coach (CHWC), I’m also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and hold a Master’s degree in Exercise Science (MS).

Since I began working with women in 2000, I have found that the combination of entering midlife, along with the transition of children leaving the nest, permit my clients to now put more attention toward their own health and well-being. These life changes allow for this new focus on themselves, and frankly, it is well-deserved. The majority of my clients have spent most of their life tending to everyone else’s needs while ignoring their own. With all the changes that occur during midlife, I believe it’s the optimal time to reinvent one’s health.

Today, I’m going to be focusing on four important areas as they pertain to living a happy and healthy life today and for the rest of your life. Let’s turn our attention to some areas of your life that you may or may not be giving much consideration to lately: Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise.

I know that these are just four small words, but sleep, food, mood, and exercise play a huge role in our overall health and well-being long-term. In fact, we absolutely NEED each area to be working well independently, as well as collectively, if we want to live the healthiest and happiest life possible now and for the years to come. That is my wish for you, so let’s get started today by first uncovering WHY optimal sleep, food, mood, and exercise are all so important to living your best and healthiest life.

As you may know, the mind and body are connected. When we’re not sleeping well or our stress level is high, we’re not getting enough physical activity or we’re not eating healthy, we’re not at our best, physically or mentally. Moreover, when one area is lacking, the other areas are negatively affected as well. It can be hard to see on a daily basis, especially in a society that is driven by and praises one who can “power through their day”. Unfortunately, over time, this “powering through” can lead to a downward spiral that can lead to things such as health problems, disease, unhappiness, and simply a lower quality of life.

If you want to improve the quality of your life at home, work life, and relationships, the first step is being honest and aware of where you are today. Take a moment to rate yourself on a scale from 1-10 (“1” being “Very Poor” and “10” being “Excellent”) on how you believe you’re doing in each area of your life right now:

Sleep: ____
      (Are you waking up every morning well-rested?)

Food: ____
        (Are you feeding your body with healthy foods?)

Mood: ____
        (Is your stress level fairly low on a daily basis?)

Exercise: ____  (Are you getting in regular physical activity?)

How did you size up? Were your numbers pretty consistent or were they all over the place?

Obviously, what you want are high numbers all around – the higher the better. If your numbers were at least an 8 or higher all around, great! On the other hand, maybe your numbers were pretty low overall or maybe your numbers were inconsistent.

If your numbers were not where you’d like them to be, don’t worry. I applaud you for being honest with yourself today. You’ve taken the first step by taking inventory of where you are now. You are already on your way! Now, if you want to take the next step and actually improve your sleep, food, mood, and exercise, commit to not waiting another day not being at your best. Let’s begin with this assignment.

What I’d like you to do is paint a picture of what your life would be like if you scored an 8 or above in each area.

Start by writing what the BEST YOU would look, feel, and perform like in these four areas: Sleep, Food, Mood, and Exercise.

Let me help you get started.

Imagine that you’re getting as much SLEEP as you need every night to be the most productive and happy person you can be. What does that look and feel like for YOU?

Imagine you’re feeding your body with the healthiest foods that nourish and sustain you and give you bountiful energy to do the things you love to do. You’re in control of your choices – not eating too much or too little – rather just the right amount for you. What does that look and feel like for YOU?

Imagine your day is filled with positive energy – you’re happy, calm, and have a high sense of well-being and life satisfaction. What does that look and feel like for YOU?

Last, but not least, imagine you’re at your ideal physical shape – you’re strong, lean, and have plenty of physical stamina to handle whatever the day brings. What does that look like for YOU?

If you get stuck, here are some ideas to keep the pen flowing:

What does your DAY look like? What does your DAY feel like? What’s your outlook on life like? What are your relationships like? How do these positively affect other areas of your life? Continue writing and keep it fun and exciting!

I hope this exercise is valuable to you today. Now that you’ve reviewed where you are by honestly scoring yourself when it comes to your sleep, food, mood, and exercise, you may be feeling as if you don’t want to waste another day not living your healthiest and happiest life NOW. Just because your kids have left the nest, they will always need you in some way. But remember, you need you too. Your life as an empty nester can be an exciting time of new possibilities, travel, and fun adventures. These adventures bring richness and meaning to your life. My mission is to help you create a healthier body to have those adventures and create those memories in.

If you are ready to start creating a healthier and happier body and mind to be able to enjoy the rest of your adventures in, learn more about how you can “ReINVENT Your Health” and in turn, enhance your life’s adventures through optimal sleep, food, mood, and exercise: http://www.transformationwellnessforwomen.com/reinvent-your-health/

I’d love to hear from you. Did you have any “ah-ha” moments as you rated your health today or imagining what life would be like if you looked, felt, and performed at your personal best? Comment below and tell me your thoughts.

Wishing you healthier and happier midlife adventures,

Kim

Website:            http://www.transformationwellnessforwomen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TransformationWellnessForWomen